Christmas with the Lords by Hannah Langdon

 

4*

Sweet friends-to-lovers, grumpy/sunshine, small town romance set in the English countryside of Dorset.

After being cruelly dumped by her boyfriend of 10 years and, at 38, facing the prospect of never fulfilling her dream of a husband and children, primary school teacher Penny decides to spend the Christmas holiday taking care of four-year-old twins. Shortly after she arrives, she meets their Uncle Lando, a handsome, grumpy, troubled man who spends his days whittling a nativity set in his studio. Like Penny, he’s running from a life that he thought was what he wanted, but turned out to be soul-destroying. They both have plans to leave what’s familiar and to escape, Penny to an international school position in India and Lando to a secluded cottage in Greece. However, as feelings start to grow and their arrogant, awful exes try to rekindle relationships for selfish reasons, these two insecure but kind souls have to decide if running away will really solve their problems or if they’re willing to risk following their hearts.

Despite the baggage they’re both carrying, Langdon doesn’t allow it to drag down the story. The antics of the eccentric Lord family are funny and endearing, the twins are adorable, and everyone from grandfather William to the twin’s mom Bunny to the surly but caring cook Pilar open their arms and hearts to Penny. If you’re looking for a heartwarming Christmas story that includes chosen family, a quaint English village, and a mature, slow burn romance, this is it!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Storm Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Five Gold Rings by Kristen Bailey

 

5*

If you’re looking for a perfect Christmas pick-me-up, this book is for you. It’s chock full of romantic proposals, fanciful weddings, family and community gatherings, British wit, and love, so much love!

 

Eve, who embodies kindness and caring, is shocked to walk in on her boyfriend of three years being serviced by a co-worker in their apartment. In a rage, Eve begins throwing things out the window - Christmas gifts for his family she purchased and wrapped, his cellphone, and a cheap engagement ring she finds under the tree. Then she runs to the jewelry store where she works part time to be comforted by the elderly owners who treat their employees like family. In the meantime, her colleague Joe is working a raucous hen party in a risqué elf costume when he gets a call from Mrs. Casper asking him to come comfort Eve. Given that he’s crushed on her for almost two years, he doesn’t hesitate. 

 

In a fortuitous series of events, it turns out they gave a courier five gold rings by accident and the Caspers task Eve and Joe with retrieving them and delivering them to the correct customers by Christmas. Deliveries that should take no more than a few hours stretch into two days as the two get roped into attending weddings, taking a river cruise, witnessing a flash mob proposal, and playing Joseph in a nativity play, all while observing examples of true, enduring love and commitment. Along the way, people ask if or assume they are a couple, and as the clock winds down on Christmas and Eve gets satisfying closure with her cheating ex, she begins to wonder if all these people are seeing something that has been right in front of her all along.

 

Joe is the absolutely perfect book boyfriend. Not only is he handsome and protective in a non-alpha way, but he also listens, puts Eve’s needs and happiness first, shows empathy, has ovaries exploding as he cradles a baby, and puts his medical school training on hold to take care of his ailing father.  When he looks at Eve, he sees a heartbroken woman who still champions love and, because of the goodness in both of them, they are able to be their authentic selves (including seasickness, snoring, and snotty tears) without fear of rejection. This London-based story is a sweet, clean holiday romance that tackles some heavy subjects without becoming maudlin, and Bailey does a wonderful job of bringing both main and secondary characters to life and painting vivid backdrops of all the places they visit along their journey. Highly recommended.

 

I received an ARC from Storm Publishing through NetGalley for an honest review. Opinions are strictly my own.

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Susan Wiggs

4*

It’s been awhile since I’ve read a Susan Wiggs book and now I’m remembering why I enjoy them so much. This heartwarming Christmas romance is set in a small town in the New York Catskills which has all the qualities you’d find in a Hallmark movie. It’s also hell on earth for a woman like Brenda Molloy who associates the holiday with only pain and suffering. When she is cajoled into transporting a van full of shelter dogs to their forever homes in Avalon, the last thing she expects is that a accident will bring paramedic Adam Bellamy to the rescue. She also can’t anticipate how just spending a couple of weeks delivering the dogs (or chasing them down), being understudy for her injured colleague in a Christmas play, and sharing everything from a holiday work party to sledding to dog training will start chipping away at her protective shell. The question is, will the over-the-top spirit of Christmas be enough for her to take a chance on love even if it means loss sometime in the future?

If you love Christmas, cute dogs, small town charm, and sweet romances, you’ll love this story. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from William Morrow through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Dragged to the Wedding by Andrew Grey

 

4*

Fake relationship, forced proximity gay romance that goes well beyond the typical tropes to highlight the process of coming out on your own terms. 

James is a Chicago-area cop who has spent the last 13 years of his life living as an out and proud gay man, except to his ultra-conservative, Christian family back in Montana. When his older sister announces her impending marriage, he is desperate to find a female beard rather than show up solo, having to fend off his mother’s matchmaking efforts. No one is more surprised than he when he enlists the help of drag queen Lala Traviata (aka Daniel) to play his fake girlfriend Daniella. During the week of pre-wedding events, Daniella saves the day more than once, all while the two of them are struggling to remain platonic while sharing a bed, investigating the creepy pastor who’s officiating the ceremony, fending off the scummy best man, and trying to avoid exposing James’s sexuality. The question is, is anyone being honest?

Although there’s plenty of lightheartedness and humor as well as kindness and caring between James, Daniel, and his sisters, there is also an exploration of the stages a gay man works through to fully come out, especially facing the fear and pain of rejection by those who are supposed to love him unconditionally. James’s overbearing mother, with her cross-stitched 10 commandments for how her children should behave hanging prominently on the wall, goes to extremes to force her concepts about what her grown kids need, going so far as to almost sabotage her daughter’s wedding. At times, it’s difficult to witness how misguided and blinded supposed good Christians can be, but author Grey does a great job of balancing the highs and lows of family expectations.

As a straight, older, agnostic white woman, I can’t speak on the authenticity of the portrayal, although I believe Andrew Grey is gay and knows what he writes. However, I can say that he has written a unique story that evokes a range of emotions and had me reading it in one sitting. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Carina Adores through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Escape to Starshine Cove (Starshine Cove #1) by Debbie Johnson

5* 

Escape to Starshine Cove (Book #1) is a beautifully-written story that, at its heart, is about the many faces of grief and the power of a loving community coming together selflessly and without judgement to nurture and help wounded souls heal. In true Johnson style, though, it’s also full of laughter and light, quirky characters, romance, and vivid descriptions of the setting. On the surface, Starshine Cove on the Dorset coast is like something out of a fairy tale with its cobbled streets, thatched roof cottages, a beautiful beach surrounded by turquoise waters, and the magical cave full of colorful stones. 

 

Ella Farrell flees her home after discovering her partner of 13 years in bed with his assistant. It’s the final straw, but it’s the miscarriage she suffered three years prior and endless hours working at the hospital during the pandemic that have left her broken. When her car breaks down, she discovers a magical place with handmade fairies in the trees and a welcoming community of kind and caring citizens.  It is, as Ella says, “wild and beautiful and free – it is the absolute image of the happy place I have spent so many hours conjuring up...” Like Ella, it seems to be a place where lost souls find themselves again, many of whom are struggling with their own profound grief. 

 

One of these is Jake Hennessey, aka Pub Daddy, the owner of the Starshine Inn. As Ella and Jake spend more time together and start to share the reasons they escaped from their previous lives, Ella begins to confront her trauma and start the healing process. One step is to accept the townfolk’s offer to become their new doctor. However, when faced with a near-tragedy she blames herself for, she flees Starshine Cove and her budding romance with Jake. As she says, “I’m a doctor who can’t cope with stress, who can’t cope with caring, who can’t cope with life-threatening situations. A doctor who can’t even control her own mental health, never mind her patients’.” It will take a miracle (or maybe just some long overdue therapy) for her to find her way through her grief to acceptance and the embrace of her newfound family.

 

Johnson is an exceptional writer who captures the essence of the human experience by illustrating the many types of grief while showing that, despite the pain, there are still many moments of loving, laughter, friendship, and wonder. There’s always the chance the talk of the pandemic will quickly date a book, but I applaud the fact that Johnson doesn’t shy away from illustrating the profound effect it had (and continues to have) on both the physical and mental health of healthcare workers. I highly recommend this heartwarming, magical story that is the first in a series. 

 

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Storm Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.