REVIEW: Christmas Every Day by Beth Moran

Title: Christmas Every Day
Author: Beth Moran
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Publication Date: September 2019
Genre: Christmas Holiday / Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: When Jenny inherits her estranged grandmother’s cottage in Sherwood Forest, she has nothing to lose - no money, no job, no friends, no family to speak of, and zero self-respect. Things can only get better...

Her grumpy, but decidedly handsome new neighbor, Mack, has a habit of bestowing unsolicited good deeds on her. And when Jenny is welcomed into a rather unusual book club, life seems to finally be getting more interesting.

Instead of reading, the members pledge to complete individual challenges before Christmas: from finding new love, learning to bake, to completing a daredevil bucket list. Jenny can’t resist joining in, and soon a year of friendship and laughter, tears and regrets unfolds in the most unexpected ways.

Warm, wise, funny and utterly uplifting, what one thing would you change in your life before Christmas comes around?

My Thoughts: I was drawn to this book primarily because of the cover. Looked perfect for my Christmas holiday theme reading. It takes place in Sherwood Forest, which sounds amazing. This book is less chick-lit, Christmas fun and frolic and more women’s fiction and contemporary romance while dealing with some serious issues.

Jenny’s life has imploded in her face when her boyfriend, Richard, proposes to her sister, Zara. After going ballistic and punching Zara in the nose, Jenny goes to her grandmother’s cottage in Sherwood Forest. Spending Christmas in a quaint cottage far away from Scotland and the horrible reminders of the mess her life has become would sound like paradise. Instead, Jenny is greeted with a complete and utter disaster. The cottage has stood empty for many years and is literally a hoarder’s paradise. I got the willies just reading about what awaits Jenny once she manages to get inside. The cottage shares a common wall with another residence and Jenny’s new neighbor, Mack, is grouchy, reclusive and a bit abrasive.

While trying to make the cottage livable, Jenny earns money at the coffee shop and child minding for a couple of ladies in the village. Through them, Jenny learns about a book club and decides to join and embarks on making a new life for herself and the new friends she has made.

I liked Jenny and admired her tenacity to make this derelict cottage a livable space instead of running back to the village. I also liked Mack and saw through his façade of grumpiness and was moved by his numerous acts of kindness and generosity to Jenny. I especially loved that he was willing to accompany Jenny to her sister’s wedding.

All of the characters in the book club add more depth and charm to the story as the reader is given an inside view of their lives as well. Though I liked some of these people more than others, I found them to be both entertaining and interesting.

My Final Verdict: If you prefer your Christmas themes to be sprinkled with fun, frolic, while sipping a hot chocolate, you will want to take a pass. This story is heartwarming and though there were some laugh aloud moments, the story had several serious issues occurring below the surface. Seeing Jenny persevere in spite of the challenges facing her was heartwarming.

I recommend this story for the strong characters and the blessing of friends and neighbors who can be called upon to lend a hand to someone in need.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Christmas Every Day from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: A Partridge and a Pregnancy by Willa Nash

Title: A Partridge and a Pregnancy (Holiday Brothers #3)
Author: Willa Nash
Narrator: Emma Wilder and Teddy Hamilton
Publisher: Audible Studios
Publication Date: April 2022
Genre: Christmas Holiday / Contemporary Romance / Romantic Comedy
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: There are a lot of places I’d rather spend Christmas Eve morning than on a cold, snowy sidewalk outside someone else’s home. I’d kill to be sitting beside a fireplace, drinking cocoa, wearing flannel pajamas and reading a book.

Instead, I’m here, standing in front of my one-night stand’s house, working up the courage to ring the doorbell and tell him I’m pregnant.

I hate that term—one-night stand. It sounds so cheap and sleezy. Tobias Holiday is neither of those things. He’s handsome and caring. Witty and charismatic. And once, a long time ago, he was mine.

Our one-night reunion was only supposed to be a hookup. A fling with an old lover. A parting farewell before I moved to London and put my feelings for him an ocean away. How exactly am I supposed to explain to Tobias that I’m having a baby? His baby? Maybe I could sing it. He always loved the silly songs I made up in the shower.

Three French hens, two turtle doves.

And a partridge and a pregnancy.

My Thoughts: I have to say that the third installment of the Holiday Brothers series was my least favorite. There was too much of the big misunderstanding trope that is rarely done effectively in the first place and, frankly, is a big waste of time for the reader. Here we have Eva and Tobias who are college sweethearts but broke up at graduation when Tobias proposed and she turned him down because she wanted to move to New York. Several years later, she’s back in town before she starts a new job in London and decides, ”hey, why don’t I give Tobias a ring and get together for a drink?” Six weeks later, she is standing on his doorstep trying to figure out how to break the news to him that she’s knocked up. Seriously? How stupid can you be? Do you honestly expect me to believe that a modern woman who would forego marriage to focus on her career would rely on just a condom for birth control? Well congratulations, the condom broke and the rabbit died.

So now, Eva and Tobias are trying to figure out what their next step is going to be and how they are going to raise this child together. It’s made apparent early on that Eva and Tobias both want this child, though I can’t recall a discussion about any other options. What really annoyed me is their whole past getting dredged up. She wants to move to London. His life is in Montana. Neither one is willing to ask the other to make a change. Eva actually throws that in Tobias’ face that he never asked her to stay in Montana all those years ago. What?! Hello?! Doesn’t a marriage proposal kind of suggest that he wants you to stay?! Tobias doesn’t want to ask her to stay, he wants her to want to stay. Sorry, I’m with Tobias on this one. He already proposed and you threw it in his face.

So yes, this book annoyed the eggnog out of me. I thought Eva was dense and clueless. How much more obvious does Tobias need to be for you to see that he wants you, you stupid woman?

Fortunately, this book redeems itself when after their last big blow up and she leaves for the airport, big brother Maddox swoops in and forces Tobias to realize some facts about what family is and the last two chapters turned it all around for me. God Bless Us, Everyone! It’s a Christmas miracle!

Final Verdict: Though I wasn’t thrilled with the circumstances Tobias finds himself in, I liked him and hoped he would get a happy conclusion. The narration on this audiobook was another winning performance, this time by Emma Wilder and Teddy Hamilton. I highly commend Audible for recognizing great voice talent for the narration of their audiobooks.

If you have committed yourself to the first two books in this series, I recommend this one, if for nothing else but closure. Prepare to be annoyed however but know that Santa is watching and will make sure Eva and Tobias get what they want for Christmas.

REVIEW: Three Bells, Two Bows and One Brother's Best Friend by Willa Nash

Title: Three Bells, Two Bows and One Brother’s Best Friend (Holiday Brothers #2)
Author: Willa Nash
Narrator: Ava Lucas and Aiden Snow
Publisher: Audible Studios
Publication Date: April 2022
Genre: Christmas Holiday / Contemporary Romance / Romantic Comedy
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: I pride myself in being grounded. Sure, I’ve had my share of childhood fantasies. Winning an Oscar. Winning the lottery. Winning an Olympic medal for an athletic talent I have yet to discover. But the only fantasy I ever thought might actually happen was winning my brother’s best friend.

Heath Holiday.

My crush on him has ebbed and flowed over the years, but the day I started working for his construction company was the day I smothered it for good. Sort of. Mostly. It was on my to-do list. Making it a priority would have been easier had he not arrived at his family’s annual Christmas party looking ridiculously handsome in a suit.

Then he kissed me. We stepped into an alternate universe and he kissed me. I assumed the next day I’d just be Guy’s little sister again. The office newbie. Our kiss forgotten. Except he keeps showing up at my house. With gifts.

A gold bracelet carrying three jingling bells. Two dainty jeweled earrings, each shaped as a bow. And finally, he brought himself.

One brother’s best friend, asking if I can keep a secret.

My Thoughts: Another cute installment to Willa Nash’s Holiday Brothers series, starring Heath Holiday and his best friend Guy’s little sister, Stella.

Stella has had a crush on Heath for as long as she can remember and now that she’s working for the family, she realizes that she needs to keep it under wraps. She wants to prove herself on her own merits and any hint of favoritism or preferential treatment by anyone in the Holiday family, merited or not, is something Stella would rather avoid.

Of course, all her good intentions went right out the window at the annual Christmas party. Stella’s crush is reciprocated and Heath wants to keep their relationship a secret as well…from his family and from Stella’s brother.

I really liked Heath and Stella. I thought they were perfectly adorable and perfect for each other. I loved that they have known one another their whole lives and have secretly pined for each other all this time.

Nash does a fantastic job of creating characters the reader adores, combining the magic of the Christmas season with white-hot chemistry, passion and laughter. Along with Heath and Stella, I too dreaded telling Guy about their relationship. I worried that it would not go well and the fallout would have long lasting repercussions, but I have to hand it to the author for making the story realistic and relevant, while hitting me right in the feels.

The audiobook was narrated by Ava Lucas and Aiden Snow and they did an amazing job bringing Heath and Stella to life. I loved that Audible used different voice actors in this book. The different voices really lends more credibility to the reader that this story is about different people, so the reader should expect to hear different narrators.

My Final Verdict: If you read the first book in the series, you will already know these books overlap timelines, so I highly recommend they be read in order to avoid any confusion. Don’t ask me to pick a favorite because I can’t. The characters are all so uniquely written and expertly brought to life by the narrators, it is impossible to choose.

At just over 4 hours listening time, this story is a wonderful choice for someone looking for a short story to entertain them. I recommend this to readers who, like me, enjoy fun at Christmas time and a little hanky panky under the mistletoe wouldn’t be unheard of.

REVIEW: The Naughty, The Nice and The Nanny by Willa Nash

Title: The Naughty, The Nice and The Nanny (Holiday Brothers #1)
Author: Willa Nash
Narrator: Vanessa Edwin and Aaron Shedlock
Publisher: Audible Studios
Publication Date: April 2022
Genre: Christmas Holiday / Contemporary Romance / Romantic Comedy
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: One week with one little girl—an angel, according to my staffing agency. Acting as the short-term nanny for a single dad should have been an easy way to make some extra cash. Until I show up for my first day and face off with a demon disguised as a seven-year-old girl wearing a red tutu and matching glitter slippers.

Oh, and her father? My temporary boss? Maddox Holiday. The same Maddox Holiday I crushed on in high school. The same Maddox Holiday who didn’t even know I existed. And the same Maddox Holiday who hasn’t set foot in Montana for years because he’s been too busy running his billionaire empire.

Enduring seven days is going to feel like scaling the Himalayas in six-inch heels. Toss in the Holiday family’s annual soiree, and Christmas Eve nightmares really do come true. But I can do anything for a week, especially for this paycheck, even if it means wrangling the naughty, impressing the nice, and playing the nanny.

My Thoughts: Cute story and the first in a trilogy about the Holiday brothers. I really liked Maddox and Natalie and found this story not only heartwarming, but also a lot of fun. Natalie’s initial interactions with her new charge, Violet, were hilarious and I was looking forward to seeing who would win the battle of wills.

Going to work as a nanny for the man you had a major crush on in high school should be awkward as anything and cause you to hightail it out of there, but not only does Natalie stick to her guns and stand her ground, she manages to do what no other nanny could; win Violet over with genuine and sincere care, compassion and affection.

I enjoyed meeting Natalie and the entire Holiday family. There is an openness about this family that draws people in, making them feel welcome and part of the family. Natalie and Maddox are wonderful characters and their chemistry is white-hot in its intensity.

My Final Verdict: I recommend this book and am eagerly looking forward to the next book in this series, Three Bells, Two Bows and One Brother’s Best Friend, featuring the next Holiday brother, Heath. Readers who enjoy fun and frivolity in their Christmas cheer should add this little treat to their festivities. I prefer the audiobook edition with the performances of Vanessa Edwin and Aaron Shedlock bringing Natalie and Maddox to life adds to the charm of the story.

REVIEW: Resting Scrooge Face by Meghan Quinn

Title: Resting Scrooge Face
Author: Meghan Quinn
Narrator: Carly Robins and Aaron Shedlock
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Publication Date: November 2022
Genre: Christmas Holiday / Contemporary Romance
Buy The Book: Amazon | Audible

Description: After a bad breakup, Nola wants nothing to do with Christmas, especially in her quaint hometown of Bright Harbor, Maine. Infuriatingly charming and cheery, Nola’s surroundings only worsen her sour mood.

To make matters worse, Caleb, the boy who broke her heart years ago, is all grown up and still living in town. While doing her best to avoid him, Nola bumps into the local mailman, who gives her a mysterious letter. And when she finds that the writer is a fellow Scrooge, she can’t help but feel her spirit lifting.

Nola writes back to her new pen pal—who, unbeknownst to Nola, is none other than Caleb. When Caleb gets a response hand delivered by the mailman, he’s intrigued by the mystery sender. A friendly correspondence develops—and quickly turns flirtatious.

Although Nola and Caleb claim they can’t stand each other, they can’t deny the simmering attraction that brought them together in the first place.

Can these nameless pen pals write their own love story—or will they be too caught up with the ghosts of their Christmases past to find a future together?

My Thoughts: A cute story to bring Christmas cheer and a smile to any Scrooge out there. When Nola and Caleb start anonymously corresponding with each other thanks to the well-meaning local mailman, they have no idea these letters will thaw the ice they have carefully built around their hearts. I loved that Caleb signs his letters Resting Scrooge Face and Nola signs hers Ho Ho No. I honestly expected that the mailman would be revealed to be Santa Claus, but no, just a nice man spreading some Christmas cheer and covert matchmaking.

Nola goes out of her way to try to avoid interacting with Caleb after he broke her heart years ago and Caleb regrets it ever since. Neither one of them is feeling friendly, cheery or Christmassy. When the letters begin arriving for both of them, they begin to open themselves up to the possibility of a second chance. I loved that when Caleb finds out his pen pal is none other than Nola, he doesn’t duck and run. The big reveal was also cute and learning that the mailman was conspiring with someone else was a pleasant surprise.

I really liked Nola and Caleb and despite the heartache they carry, they aren’t completely closed off to the opportunities presented. Their letters were entertaining, flirty and fun, I almost hated to see it end.

I prefer the audio edition and the alternating narration performances of Carly Robins and Aaron Shedlock provide the perfect mix of humor and emotion, giving me the sense that I was watching it happen firsthand.

My Final Verdict: I recommend this story to fans of short stories, Christmas themes and secret identities. This was my first time reading a Meghan Quinn book and I look forward to more from her.

REVIEW: There's Something About Merry by Codi Hall

Title: There’s Something about Merry (Mistletoe Romance #2)
Author: Codi Hall
Narrator: CJ Bloom and Lee Samuels
Publisher: Audible Audio
Publication Date: November 2021
Genre: Christmas Holiday / Contemporary Romance
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Get in the holiday spirit with this sexy rom-com from the author of Nick and Noel's Christmas Playlist.

Merry Winters has the holiday blues. She's spent the last year learning to love herself, and now she's ready to find the right guy. But the pickings are slim in Mistletoe, Idaho, and it’s just her luck that the man who catches her eye is the stoic new foreman at her family’s Christmas tree farm. Too bad he wants to keep a 39-and-a-half-foot pole between them.

Single dad Clark Griffin isn't looking for romance, but he wouldn't mind a friend to snuggle with on a cold winter's night. When he signs up for online dating, he doesn't expect to connect with the sassy, crafty Knottygirl25 and get wrapped up in every message she writes.

But when Merry turns out to be his blind internet date, his surprise causes him to miss his chance under the mistletoe. Can a little Christmas magic give these two a second chance at a first impression?

My Thoughts: Cute story taking me back to Mistletoe, Idaho and the Winters family. This time, the fun centers around Merry Winters as she comes to terms with figuring out who she is and what she wants out of life. There aren’t a lot of options in this small town when it comes to finding the one, so Merry decides to try her luck online. Little does she know, but the man who has captured her attention on the dating website is the newly hired foreman at her family’s Christmas tree farm, Clark.

In real life, Clark keeps Merry at arm’s length. He would like to meet someone but as a single dad, he needs to keep his son’s well-being his top priority. He decides online dating would be fun with not a lot of drama. I really enjoyed the rapport they shared and seeing their chemistry build, hoping it would continue once they meet in real life.

This story is narrated by CJ Bloom and Lee Samuels and the performances were wonderful, with the right amount of emotion and humor blended in.

The characters are very likable and easy to relate to and the story flowed smoothly and with so much warmth that I felt like I knew these people, or very much wanted to, at least.

My Final Verdict: I enjoyed reconnecting with the Winters family and catching up with the characters I met in the first book. As this is a sequel, I recommend reading the series in order to get a better understanding of the characters and the events that have transpired previously.

Fans of Christmas themes and fun romances will enjoy this offering. I look forward to the next story and seeing the Winters family again.

REVIEW: Let There Be Snow by Charlotte Rains Dixon

Title: Let There Be Snow
Author: Charlotte Rains Dixon
Publisher: Charlotte Rains Dixon
Publication Date: October 2022
Genre: Christmas Holiday / Contemporary Romance
Buy The Book: Amazon

Description: Curl up with this small-town Christmas romance--the perfect cozy holiday read. Christmas isn’t Christmas without snow.

So Dixie Dunham believes.

But she’s about to experience a Christmas with nothing but cold, gray rain after taking a job at the Starlight Winery in Pineview, Oregon, smack in the middle of wine country. Dixie likes her new job at the winery and she’s hoping owners Jamie and Ernest will soon name her to the position of national sales manager. She’s certain the proposal she’s working on for a city-sponsored contest will cement her claim to the job. That would be something to impress the friends and family she left behind in New York.

And Dixie is desperate to impress them, seeing as how she fled after her fiancée jilted her at the altar in favor of her maid-of-honor best friend. Now as the December days shorten and darken and Pineview celebrates the season with lavish decorations and festive events, it’s hitting Dixie hard how much she’s lost. All she has left besides her job is the company of her loyal dog, Bo. And a Christmas without snow.

When Jamie and Ernest introduce her to their good friend Max Pettigrew, who has just moved from Paris back to Pineview after a wrenching divorce, she’s instantly attracted to him. But Max Pettigrew never met a woman he didn’t want to flirt with. All in the strictest of innocence, of course. Too bad what he thinks is charming flirtatiousness is off-putting to Dixie. Ridiculously handsome he may be, but he’s also ridiculously annoying. And she does not need more annoyance in her life. When the two of them turn out to be vying to win the same city contest, her annoyance turns to anger. But Max grows more determined to win her over, inviting her to the Pineview Christmas parade and holiday parties, and turning to a stream of self-help books to help improve himself.

Can Max mend his entitled bro ways? Will Dixie get her promotion, and perhaps more important, her snow at Christmas in rainy Oregon?

My Thoughts: At roughly eighty-nine pages, Let There Be Snow by new to me author Charlotte Rains Dixon is a very short, fast read about two characters who meet, both carrying extensive baggage and keeping secrets. This book didn’t stand out for me in any particular fashion, but I did enjoy the winery setting of Pineview, Oregon.

I thought Max was a very obnoxious character and quite full of himself and I never had time to warm up to Dixie before the story ended. She comes across as bitter, rude and a little obnoxious, herself. The parts of the story I did enjoy in addition to the winery were the parade and Dixie’s desire to have snow at Christmas, instead of rain.

My Final Verdict: If this book had been longer, perhaps there would have been more character development to draw upon, but this story never quite got off the ground for me. Readers looking for short reads with Christmas themes may enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Let There Be Snow from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Lie, Lie Again by Stacy Wise

Title: Lie, Lie Again
Author: Stacy Wise
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: January 2021
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: For three women with so much to hide, there’s no such thing as a little white lie…

All three women who live at 1054 Mockingbird Lane have secrets…and with a body at the bottom of their apartment building’s staircase, those secrets need to stay buried.

Sylvia Webb has a plan. And a potential Mr. Right. He’s sweet, simple, and dependably clueless about what she’s up to. The only thing unpredictable about him is his needy ex-girlfriend, who is this close to shattering Sylvia’s dreams. But Sylvia’s not going to let that happen.

Riki McFarlan has a good career and an amazing boyfriend who wants to settle down. If only she didn’t have feelings for her neighbor—who happens to be her close friend’s husband. With everything going so right, why is Riki flirting with something so wrong, so…dangerous?

Embry Taylor is as devoted to her children as she is to her husband, who’s a bartender by night, an aspiring actor by day. She is his biggest fan. But with his career not taking off and tensions high, even sweet Embry has something she’s desperate to keep hidden.

Lies, secrets, and revenge. For three neighbors with stakes so high, someone is headed for a downfall.

My Thoughts: So, first of all, this book’s description is very misleading. I started this book expecting a murder mystery or domestic thriller since I was told in advance there was a body at the bottom of the stairs. Waiting, waiting, waiting. Where is this dang body? Who dies? When the corpse finally makes its appearance, the book is pretty much done. Not sure there needed to be a body in the first place, at least not that body.

That issue is pretty much the only problem I had with this story. The rest of the story was riveting. Getting to know the residents of 1054 Mockingbird Lane and what a bunch of liars these people turn out to be was quite entertaining. First, we have Sylvia. She’s a hard person to get to know. She plays her cards very close to the chest. She longs to find the perfect man to father her future perfect child. The problem is that the man she has set her sights on is already married, but she doesn’t know that. Yet…she hates being lied to and when she discovers the deception, she devises a plan that she hopes will get her everything she wants, even if she has to tell a few lies herself.

Next up is Riki, a young woman who seems to have her life together. She is dating a nice guy who appears to want to take their relationship to the next level and she’s teaching at an exclusive private school. If she could just get past lusting over her neighbor’s husband and pull her head out of her posterior, she might find happiness is within her reach.

Lastly, we have Embry. She’s a stay-at-home mom with two small children. Her husband is the hottie that Riki is fantasizing about and his career consists of a lot of auditions and a lot of rejections. There’s a lot of tension and worry in the household and Embry isn’t coming clean about the new bun in the oven.

The tension in this quaint apartment complex continues to build when the property owner dies and her money-grubbing bum of a son shows up with dollar signs in his eyes, looking to sell the property as quickly as possible. Real estate is not cheap in Hollywood and the tenants are less than pleased with his plans, especially since he won’t fix the broken stair outside Sylvia’s apartment. Honestly, someone is going to take a fall and things are going to get ugly. I tell you this story just pulled me in and I was spellbound, unable to look away and in high anticipation of what would happen next.

The story flows very smoothly, for so much going on and so many people to keep track of, but the author does it well with each chapter’s focus on a different tenant. The characters are well-written, making it easy for me to get to know them and understand what is happening, even if I don’t necessarily like any of them. Each of these women have strengths and weaknesses and I would probably want to get to know them better, though I would probably agree with Riki and Embry that Sylvia is hard to get to know.

My Final Verdict: I have not read anything by this author before and will definitely be looking for more of her written works. I recommend this book to readers who like lots of drama with each layer revealed bringing more drama but keeping the story fun and entertaining.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Lie, Lie Again from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.