Christmas with the Knights by Hannah Langdon

 

4*

If you love the idea of spending Christmas in the UK as much as I do, reading this wonderful story is the next best thing to being there. I really enjoyed Langdon’s 2023 Christmas offering, Christmas with the Lords, so I was excited to read this one. Although there isn’t as much humor, it’s still another heartwarming romance between the lord of the manor and a Londoner who desperately needs the escape and joy that a celebration of the holiday in the English countryside can provide.

Fallon is a highly successful, workaholic event planner who’s burned out and in need of a restful vacation. Instead, she accompanies her self-absorbed, neglectful soap opera mother to her soon-to-be stepfather’s country estate for three weeks around Christmas. There she meets his gorgeous son, Alexander and precocious grandson, Theo, who are both dealing with their own issues. Rather than taking it easy, Fallon agrees to plan her mother’s engagement party and work with Alexander to help launch his artisanal gin business at the annual village Christmas Fayre. As the days pass, Fallon begins to fall for this father and son but doesn’t see a future since she doesn’t want children, believing she’ll be as bad a mother as hers was. However, the appealing beauty of the Yorkshire moors, the warmth of the quirky extended Knight family (including eccentric Aunt Constance and effervescent sister Coco), and her mother’s apologies and efforts to heal their relationship help ease her loneliness and make her question if the frenetic pace of London is sustainable or even desirable.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story which checks all the boxes for a cozy, clean Christmas romance. The only problem I had was Fallon’s negativity and hurtful decisions she made out of fear. All’s well that ends well, though, so I definitely recommend this charming holiday offering.

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.

Holiday Hideaway by Mary Kay Andrews

 

4*

Such a sweet Christmas short story! In less than 100 pages, Andrew’s has managed to pack in a temporary squatting situation, a painless breakup, and a budding friends-to-lovers romance full of witty banter and high school reminiscences. The setting, a Victorian New England shoreline cottage, is the icing on the cake. Recommended.

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

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKay

 

3*

This dual romance has vibes similar to the movie, The Holiday, but is about two best friends, not strangers, who swap holiday destinations. Holly, whose fiancé dumps her the night before their wedding, goes to an eco-cabin in upstate NY where Ivy was going to take her annual two-week art retreat while Ivy goes to Holly’s honeymoon resort in Hawaii only to find that the a’hole ex-fiancé is there with his new girlfriend. The hot bartender, Oliver, who resembles Ryan Gosling, finds her a place to stay and there’s an instant attraction. Meanwhile, Holly, who still hasn’t cried after the breakup of her 10-year relationship, meets the cabin’s owner, Aiden, who is, serendipitously, her former high school friendly rival who’s had a major glow-up, now resembling Henry Cavill.

The chapters alternate between Holly and Ivy (this nod to the holiday is mentioned more than once), and describe not only the different ways Christmas is celebrated in a small Hudson Valley town and on a breathtakingly beautiful Hawaiian island, but also how each female lead finds instalove when neither is looking for it. Although there are some mildly steamy scenes, there’s not really much obvious chemistry. It definitely has a Hallmark movie feel to it. In fact, the focus is just as much on the loving friendship between Holly and Ivy than the two romances. If you’re looking for a feel-good, low angst Christmas story, this is a good one to check out.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from G.P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Twenty-Four Seconds from Now by Jason Reynolds

 

4*

This is a sweet, clean romance about two 17-year-olds in love and on the precipice of losing their virginity to each other two years into their relationship. Reynolds starts the story in the present, and then goes back in time two years (in increments) to when Neon first met Aria at his grandfather’s burial, returning to the present in the last short chapter. It takes place in an unnamed urban setting (presumably DC/MD area, based on the names of the neighborhoods), but it’s nice to read a YA book that isn’t full of inner-city violence and tragedy. Instead, it’s focused on emotions, sage advice, parental support from both of Neon’s parents and Aria’s father, and solid friendships. Due to childhood abuse and the resultant trauma, Aria’s mother is difficult, but there’s no real angst in the story. This is very much character-driven with not much of a plot to speak of, and readers who are not familiar with black colloquial language may struggle a bit to understand some of the dialogue and Neon’s narrative (it’s told from his POV), but the message isn’t muddied. Recommended for libraries that serve teens.

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

The Christmas Countdown by Holly Cassidy

 

4*

After more than half a year, Callie is still devastated by the breakup with her childhood sweetheart. With the best of intentions, her meddling sister Anita reintroduces a family tradition of an advent calendar comprised of 24 wrapped presents. On odd days, the boxes contain treats and, on the even days, tasks that correspond to the treats. Anita’s hope is that this will encourage Callie to embrace spontaneity and write a new chapter that includes opening herself up to meeting new people. When Anita is sent out of town on a business trip for 3 weeks, she suggests that Callie ask Marco, the handsome pastry chef she had an adorable meet-cute with at the Christmas tree lot, to be her wingman in her place. As the days to Christmas count down and she and Marco spend time together swapping puns and dad jokes, attending community events in their picturesque upstate New York town, and discovering how much they have in common, Callie begins to realize that the greatest gift her sister has given her can’t be found under a tree.

I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet Christmas romance. Although there’s no spice (fade to black and kissing only), the chemistry between cautious and steady Callie and charming and kind Marco is palpable. There’s some workplace drama, a number of really funny escapades, lots of descriptions of mouth-watering foods, and very little angst. Even though both leads are still in their 20s, there’s a level of maturity that I really appreciate. This is a delightful addition to anyone’s Christmas romance collection.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from G.P.Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

How My Neighbor Stole Christmas by Meghan Quinn

 

3*

If you’re looking for a smutty Grinch retelling, you’ve come to the right place. However, as opposed to being born with a heart two sizes too small, Cole Black’s became that way after his parents were killed in a car accident on Christmas Eve. So, for ten years, he’s being living in his childhood home with everything virtually unchanged since that tragic night and avoiding the holiday like the plague (no easy feat when you live in a town that celebrates Christmas 365 days a year, like Hallmark on steroids). When Storee Taylor shows up, after leaving him on that same night ten years before, his Grinchiness takes on epic proportions, and he’ll do everything in his power to make sure he spoils her chance at winning the town-wide Christmas Kringle competition. What ensues is a series of hijinks, an undeniable attraction that begins with fake dating, a thawing of his animosity towards her, and a bunch of other things that help him remember the reason for the season.

Although the premise is a fun one, I felt the book was way too long. Unlike the Whos from Whoville, the residents of Kringletown, CO aren’t all the embodiment of a joyful and generous Christmas spirit. There is typical smalltown gossip, a lot of lying, spiteful sabotage, and, honestly, too much petty behavior and biting humor between the two leads in the first half of the book. I also found Quinn’s sorry attempts at mimicking Dr, Seuss’s rhyming verses at the start of each chapter really cringeworthy. (I made a note after reading the prologue-in-verse saying I was thankful it wasn’t the entire book.) I also didn’t care for the times that the narrator and Cole interacted (sort of like breaking the fourth wall, but in print). Finally, for a good part of the book, I disliked Storee (something I’m finding all too common with Quinn’s female leads). As opposed to Cole, who had a clear reason for avoiding the season and making his life small, Storee’s hermit-like existence and her 10-year absence from her great-aunt Cindy’s home for the holidays was for something relatively petty in comparison, and it caused hurt for both Cole and Cindy.

I imagine Quinn’s diehard fans will love this one, but I find I’m growing tired of her sense of humor, the immaturity of many of her characters, and the overabundant sex scenes that could be cut to keep the page count down. This isn’t one I’ll be adding to my cherished Christmas romance collection.

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

A Winter Wish by Emily Stone

3*

This one disappointed me. I just couldn’t engage with it. Although there are moments in the story that take place at Christmas, I wouldn’t call it a Christmas book. It just didn’t give me that feel-good Christmas vibe. It may be because a big part of the focus is on parental abandonment and dysfunctional families and the complicated grief of losing the father Lexie was estranged from, but it could also be that it featured one of my least favorite themes: a main character running away from attachments for fear of getting hurt, which just means they end up living a lonely, shallow existence. I guess I’m just not in a good headspace to deal well with emotional trauma due to bad parental decisions.

So, my 3* rating is more reflective of my personal feelings than it is about the quality of the writing or the appeal of the book to other readers. With her first three books (all of which I rated 5*), Stone has earned a reputation as an author to follow, so I definitely think A Winter Wish will find a very receptive audience and I’ll look forward to her next book.

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

We Three Kings by Kristen Bailey

 

5*

Last year, I read a beautiful Christmas romance called Five Gold Rings and wondered if Bailey’s newest book, We Three Kings, could ever begin to rival it. I’m happy to say it does. It’s also set in London, which I still maintain is the most beautiful city in which to celebrate the holiday. It’s also a workplace romance but features Maggie and her three male employees in the IT department of a London firm who have become friends in their four years together. So, it’s no surprise how torn she is when she’s told, at the start of Christmas break, that she’ll have to lay off (make redundant) one of these lovely men who are like family. The painful decision is complicated by the plans these three proposed when they learned she’d be spending Christmas alone, and she doesn’t have the heart to ruin them by revealing the sad news. Her new and budding feelings for Leo also compound her decision with the worry about crossing ethical lines as boss and employee. From attending awkward (probably autistic) Frank’s sister’s wedding as a fake girlfriend and then joining eccentric Jasper’s posh but dysfunctional family for a Christmas party and foiling a fox hunt (cue the adorable baby foxes) to visiting Leo’s warm and welcoming family for a raucous Christmas Eve and Day and participating in an annual donkey abduction, Maggie comes to love this trio of wonderful, quirky men as she learns more about their lives and the influences that have formed them into the true “kings” of men they are.

If you’re looking for a truly heartwarming and humorous Christmas story that is full of kindness, love, laughter, loyalty, fade-to-black romance, and a high degree of silliness, I highly encourage you to check this one out. I guarantee you will be absolutely charmed.

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.

The Christmas Tree Farm (Dream Harbor #3) by Laurie Gilmore

 

4*

As author Gilmore says in her dedication, “For anyone who ever wished Hallmark Christmas movies were steamier, this one might do the trick,” and how right she is. Like the movies, it’s a small town Christmas romance between a pseudo-local guy (his sister now lives in the town where they both frequently visited as kids) and a former Georgia debutante who buys a farm sight unseen because she’s running away from her oppressive, uber wealthy, socially-conscious parents after her twin and best friend “abandoned” her to follow her new husband to Denmark. Turns out the farm grows and sells Christmas trees, and Kira doesn’t know the first thing about the business (other than what she’s gleaned from homesteading influencers), and, ironically, doesn’t even like the holiday. Bennett’s love language is acts of service, but his compulsive need to fix things has made him a human doormat. He’s a gorgeous, kind, cinnamon roll book boyfriend and she’s the grumpy to his sunshine. However, at some point, she’s going to have to begin believing in herself and making new friends and he’s going to have to realize that not all women just want to use him.

Gilmore makes good on her promise to make this steamier than the traditional made-for-TV movies by giving us a male lead who is the good kind of alpha in the sheets and a female lead who matches his enthusiasm. Their chemistry is hot, but the spicy scenes are also full of laughter and strong feelings. Mix in a trio of friendly mutts, a low-key treasure hunt, a plethora of Christmas activities, and busybody friends and neighbors, and it’s a winning recipe. Recommended!

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

Christmas Sweater Weather by Jaqueline Snowe

 

4*

On the way to her brother’s bachelor/bachelorette weekend at a resort a few hours north of Chicago, Charlotte Calhoun is pushed into a deep snowbank by a skidding 18-wheeler during a snowstorm. The last person she wants to rescue her is Hayden Porter, her brother’s best friend and her long-time crush who broke her heart three years before after she drunkenly kissed him and proclaimed her love. Yet, with mistletoe in abundance and being paired off to compete in crazy Christmas games, it is soon obvious that the attraction is not one-sided. As a single dad and busy college coach, Hayden is in no place for a relationship, but the sexual tension between the two is potent, and he’s tired of fighting his attraction. Now they just need to make sure her brother doesn’t find out because the Christmas-obsessed Calhoun family is too important to him to lose if things don’t work out between them.

Although it’s not technically a second chance romance, it plays out like one. For most of the book, Hayden is the perfect book boyfriend. However, I get really frustrated when guys put on the brakes, whether for legitimate reasons or not, without consulting their love interest. It’s insulting to the woman and implies a lack of trust when it’s really just their fears and insecurities winning out.

Other than the afore-mentioned frustration, I enjoyed this story with plenty of sexy banter, a smoking hot single dad, and a plethora of Christmas cheer. If you’re in the mood for a very steamy Christmas on steroids romance, check this one out.

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

Lucy, Uncensored by Mel and Teghan Hammond

4* (minor spoilers)

*
*
*

At surface level, this is a coming-of-age novel about best friends and self-proclaimed “drama nerds” who have written a queer retelling of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, their senior showcase that will serve as an audition for the university drama program they both hope to get into nearby. Dig deeper and it's an important book that pulls back the curtain to show what transgender and non-binary youth have to endure while trying to live as their authentic selves, battling transphobia, homophobia and gender dysphoria.

Lucy and Callie have planned out their path to success which includes getting into the Hughes drama program at Central University where they’ll be roommates. However, when they make a visit, Lucy runs into classmates who taunt her with transphobic slurs, leaving her uncomfortable with the idea of going to college so close to home. To add to her mounting distress, in a ripped from the headlines scenario, the local school board has banned them from putting on their play, forcing them to either rewrite a “sanitized version” or to give up their chance to attend Hughes. So, Lucy decides to see what other options are out there and finds an all-women’s college 6 hours away. Now all she has to do is visit the campus with Callie and hope it’s everything she’s been led to believe it might be, including meeting face-to-face with a handsome guy she connects with online who she’s been pumping for information about the school.

As Lucy starts to have conversations with queer students who have various gender identities and sexual preferences, readers are given the opportunity to witness the challenges these vulnerable, yet proud young adults face from family, classmates, supposed friends, and strangers. For some readers, this will be a valuable lesson; for those who are navigating their own journey, it will hopefully provide validation, comfort and hope when they see themselves in the characters. This is a worthy addition to any teen collection. Highly recommended.

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




Tags: 

Most Ardently (Remixed Classics #9) by Gale Cole Novoa

 

3.5*

I give much credit to Novoa for thoughtfully reimagining Pride and Prejudice as a queer romance with Oliver Bennett (deadname: Elizabeth), a trans male, and Fitzwilliam Darcy, a gay cisgender male. However, I struggled with the fact that the dialogue was, for the most part, very modern. When Oliver used the word “infantilized,” it actually pulled me out of the story to check on its etymology. (It was first used in the 1930s.) It was also hard for me to ignore my knowledge of the history of sodomy laws in the UK. (The Buggery Act of 1533 under Henry VIII, which made sodomy punishable by death, wasn’t lifted until 1861, and homosexuality wasn’t fully legal until 1967.)

Having said this, I found the book enjoyable and imagine that its target audience, young adults, will probably not have these same issues since most haven’t read Jane Austen’s original story and don’t know the history. Many have, however, seen at least one movie adaptation, so they’d be able to appreciate Oliver and Darcy’s relationship without distraction. Regardless of my concerns, I really enjoyed how Novoa made Wickham even a bigger villain than he was in Austen’s story, highlighted the loving relationship between Oliver and his father, and showed a much softer side of Darcy. I also love the cover art.

 

The December Market (Shelter Springs #2) by RaeAnne Thayne

 

3*

I’ve read many of RaeAnne Thayne’s books, so I knew to expect a heartwarming, clean romance with nothing more spicy than some lingering kisses. After reading her 2023 Christmas book, Christmas at the Shelter Inn, I also had the backstory for Amanda Taylor, this book’s female protagonist whose brother Griffin was that book’s male protagonist. So, I guess knowing about the tragic events that led to both of their trauma and hesitancy to trust in love made this book’s rehashing of it rather boring, to be honest. I’ve never been a big fan of the trope where one or both of a couple resist falling in love because they feel unworthy or guilty for something that they had no part in. In Amanda’s case, her late alcoholic father caused their small Idaho community immeasurable pain, and she’s taken on the guilt for it although she was just a child when it happened. She also lost someone she loved as a teen and spent the following 13 years fearful of letting love in again despite the fact she had always dreamt of being a mother with a loving husband. So, what does she do when the handsome firefighter & paramedic Rafe Arredondo provokes feelings that she seems powerless to resist?

Overall, I just couldn’t get into this story. It’s mostly set in a Christmas Market where not much happens and is an instalove type of romance that happens over a 3-week period in which Amanda is hiding from Rafe as much as possible, and, when in his presence, is throwing out incredibly mixed signals. I really felt badly for the poor guy. If you’re looking for a low stake, small town Hallmark type story, you should find this one satisfying. I just felt like I’d heard it all before.

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

Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter

 

4*

Nothing Like the Movies is the long-awaited sequel to Lynn Painter’s Better Than the Movies, a sweet, clean, YA second chance romance. I wish I had reread the first before I began this one, not because it can’t stand alone, but because I wanted, fresh in my mind, Wes and Liz’s origin story and the place where they left off.

Liz and Wes were next-door neighbors in Omaha, and Wes enjoyed antagonizing her as all little boys do when they like a girl. It wasn’t until their senior year, when Liz’s old crush Michael moved back, that she and Wes faked a relationship in the hopes of getting Michael to finally notice her. As so often happens, after spending so much time together, they realized that their feelings had gone from frenemy to love. This story picks up as Liz is entering her third year at UCLA where she started with Wes as a freshman until his father’s sudden death forced him to drop out and quit a very promising baseball career. So, imagine Liz’s surprise when she sees that he’s back and eager to rekindle their relationship despite breaking her heart (and his own). Liz, in a misguided attempt to dissuade him, fakes another relationship, this time with her very platonic roommate Clark. When her new internship has her enmeshed with the baseball team, filming their every move in the preseason, it becomes harder and harder for her to ignore Wes’s efforts, especially when she finally learns the truth about what happened that led to their breakup.

Although I didn’t find this sequel quite as entertaining as Better Than the Movies, I think it’s because of the suffering these two delightful kids went through to find their way back to each other. Wes is quite clueless when he thinks he can just work his charm on Liz and she’ll fall back into his arms, but she’s not having it. I enjoyed watching each of them excelling, Liz with her sports video productions and Wes with his exceptional pitching (when he can get his head back in the game after recalling his father’s critical comments). There’s a good balance of humorous banter and painful vulnerability, and side characters provide encouragement and guidance to help Wes and Liz recognize the truth of their complicated feelings. I also enjoyed the rom-com movie quotes at the start of each chapter, my recognition proof of my unapologetic love for the genre. Once again, Painter has demonstrated why she’s a star in the YA romance world. Highly recommended.

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