Book Review: Dashing Through the Snow by Paige Rion

Summary (GoodReads):

Wynn Murphy has been in love with Zane Anders since the day she laid eyes on him. But just when she begins to hope their casual relationship might turn into something more, a misunderstanding pushes her away.

At first sight, charming and handsome, ad executive, Zane Anders has been secretly infatuated with bake shop cutie, Wynn Murphy. This Christmas, he's determined to tell her.

Join Wynn and Zane in this delightful holiday novelette as Zane goes dashing through the snow in an effort to capture Wynn's heart.

My Thoughts:

Well, this was delightful short story about two people who were perfect for each other but had to work a bit at getting together - mostly against themselves, because they were being too cautious and too shy. 

Zane was such a decent guy, who so wanted to have a real relationship with Wynn and loved going to visit her bakery (he even ate his least favorite dessert everyday because it was what he had ordered by mistake the first time). 

And Wynn was a nice person, who just wanted to make her cookies and pies and be happy. I loved how close she was to her family and that she loved Christmas.

Like I said, Dashing Through the Snow was a happy little novella, perfect for an hour or two of fun. Fluffy and sweet like the treats Wynn made in her bakery. 

Book Review: This Christmas by Jeannie Moon

Summary (goodreads): Single mother Sabrina Gervais has built a happy life with her daughter Charlotte in their eastern Long Island hometown of Holly Point. Having Charlie meant putting some of her own dreams on hold, but Sabrina is content to surround herself with family and friends, safe from the realities of the outside world. She had enough of that when the man she loved broke her heart. 

Jake Killen’s career in professional hockey has brought him many rewards on and off the ice, but returning to New York brings back a flood of memories. When he sees Sabrina again, he discovers that he didn’t just away from her ten years ago, but also from their unborn child. 

Struggling with anger, guilt, and chemistry that’s off the chart, Sabrina and Jake wonder if they can find love again and, this Christmas, make all their wishes come true.

My Thoughts: 

Secret baby plots are one of my catnips, so when I read the summary for this story I was all over it. I was surprised to realize that this is actually part of an anthology of sorts, which tells the story of four friends around Christmas, that was interesting (particularly as each story was written by a different author) but since I read it as a stand alone I can say that I both perfectly understood the story... and I still felt like I was missing something of context. 

But none the less, This Christmas was a sweet story. Sabrina and Jake both made many mistakes when they were young but when they met again, they don't beat around the bush. Jack can quickly tell that Sabrina's daughter is his and wants in immediately, and Sabrina doesn't deny it or him. 

They dealt with the situation pretty maturely, I thought, and I appreciated that. The bonding between Charlotte and Jake was a bit too quick for my taste, but at the same time this is a novella and that was a bit to be expected. 

Book Review: Her Best Laid Plans by Cara McKenna

The Deal: Following a bad break up (that sent 3 years of her life down the drain), 23 year old Jamie Webb is ready for some fun in Ireland, where she's on vacation ready to embark in as many adventures as she can before going home and back to school. 

But so far, her experience hasn't been great, even the authentic Irish pub she walks into is populated by old men with nary a guy her age in sight... and then the bartender shows up.

Connor Kelleher helps out at the family's bar while also trying to re-route (it went a bit off the rails after his mother died), he is instantly attracted to Jamie and when he finds out she's only staying for two weeks (and the attraction is mutual), they embark in a carefree fling... 

My Thoughts: Well, Her Best Laid Plans was a fun novella over all, I liked Jamie and Connor and I kind of got where they were both coming from. Yet the story stays very light and kind of on the surface. 

But I actually liked the interactions, they were very nice to each other and both of them knew what they were getting into. Jamie had plans and a life in Ireland, and Jamie had plans, school and a job waiting for her in Boston, she wasn't planning on staying and it was never really in the cards. 

Eventually, these two decide to give each other a chance - of course they do, this is romance!!! - but I liked how it happened. 

Burned by Sarah Morgan

Not a fan of this cover, I keep thinking
 she's gonna bite her tongue off.

The Deal: Rosie Miller is a martial artist and trainer living in London with her sister and trying to enjoy her life. Having gone through a rough childhood, Rosie took refuge in martial arts and in being strong, but there is one thing about that whole world that always brings her down: Hunter Black. 

Hunter Black was an older guy at the gym where she trained as a teenager, and they became friends and, eventually, lovers... and then he left her. And Rosie hasn't been able to have an stable relationship ever since. So Rosie is horrified when - in the middle of her latest breakup - she notices Hunter sitting on the next table at the restaurant she's at. 

Rosie tries to run away, but Hunter won't let her... and things get even more complicated when she finds out that he's her new boss. 

My Thoughts: When I read Ripped - the novella that features Rosie's sister Hayley - I was very intrigued by Rosie and what had happened to her in the past, as it's mentioned that she had gotten her heart broken before. So I was excited to read Burned... but sadly, this wasn't the greatest novella. 

For one, you never really know what the hell went down between Hunter and Rosie years before when he left, a few things are implied but most of it was guess work, and the only thing that was clear to me was that Rosie was clingy and Hunter left because they she was getting too serious of something. But, as I said, nothing is really explained (or at least it wasn't explained to my satisfaction). 

And most of the page time is taken up by Rosie and Hunter either contemplating their sexual chemistry or actually having sex. But there was little development otherwise. 

So, yeah, not a big fan of this novella.

 1/2

Book Review: The Story Guy by Mary Ann Rivers

The Deal: Carrie West is happy but restless. She loves her life working as a librarian, having a nice group of friends and a good relationship with her parents, but there is something that makes her stay up all hours of the night, reading personal adds and hunting down furniture online. 

One night she comes across a different add: Just Kissing - on Wednesdays. She has never answered any of these adds before - it's not even why she reads them - but the idea of meeting with someone just to kiss one lunch hour a week, is too tempting to resist. 

So, she starts meeting Brian at a park near both their works. Brian is  too handsome and so nice; and from the first moment there is a great amount of chemistry between them. But Brian isn't looking for a relationship, for reasons he won't explain, there is no room in his life for anything other than kissing. 

But Carrie is determined to not be just another Wednesday. 

My Thoughts: I don't know who brought The Story Guy into my radar but I know I've been meaning to read it for a while. 

As a novella, I think it works okay, I also think this would have benefitted for a little more page-time, since I felt some things were kind of very rushed. A lot of it has to do with the pace, it goes very fast and I normally love that, but I felt like this story need to stop a little toward the end, take a breath and process things a little, instead of just keep going in high gear until the end. 

Both Carrie and Brian are likable, and I was actually presently surprised by how vivid Carrie's world was giving the short page time, but you do get a good sense of her life. 

All in all, I do recommend The Story Guy, it was a good read, sometimes got a little steamy, I just wish it had been just a little bit longer. 

Book Review: Ripped by Sarah Morgan

The Deal: Hayley isn't having a great day: she's at her ex's wedding, acting as a bridesmaid to a former friend - all to show that she's SO Over  the aforementioned Ex - and wearing the ugliest yellow dress in the history of Bridesmaid-hood. And Nico Rossi, the best man, is glaring at her from across the aisle with great disapproval.

Which doesn't improve once her too-tight dress splits, revealing that she wasn't wearing a bra and leaving her naked from the waist up. And forcing Nico to come to her rescue.

Nico and Hayley have never seen eye to eye... until they start making out out of the blue while he's helping her with her dress and chiding her for being at the wedding at all. 

My Thoughts: Ripped was a really fun holiday novella. What I described above was just the very beginning of the story - which culminates on New Years's Eve.

I really liked both of them, particularly when they were together: they were nice, successful - I loved that Hayley was an engineer and dreamed of working for NASA one day - and had a great relationship with their respective siblings.

It was just an all- around fun book, and there is plenty of Christmas/New Year cheer int it, without it being too much or too focused on the holiday spirit. I do wish the story was a bit longer, but that's mostly because I would have liked to spend more time with these two.

And I'm really looking forward to the next book on the series, about Hayley's sister Rosie. 

PS - Fair warning, though, the story is less than a 100 pages long (around 95)

Book Review: My Everything by Heidi McLaughlin

WARNING - POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR My Forever Girl (Book 1 of the Beaumont Series) - I'll try it to keep it free of Spoilers but be warned. 

The Deal: After breaking up with his fiancée, Nick Ashford decided to go forth with his plans to volunteer for a year in Africa, using his knowledge as a doctor to help others while he tries to figure out what went wrong with his life. 

He wasn't expecting meeting Aubrey after a few months, or feeling the connection he feels toward her. 

My Thoughts: So, again, I'm keeping it vague both because of stuff that happened in the previous book and ties in with this one and because this one is fairly short and I don't want to just say whats all about. 

Right after I finished reading Forever My Girl, I didn't want to leave it's world just then so I went on and read My Everything after and it was nice. I liked how it took the time to address something that happened in FMG and that was sort of left hanging in the previous book. 

As for the story of Nick and Aubrey, well, it was in fast forward because of how short is the story, but it was okay, I could believe it for the most part and I hope it develops a little more over the course of future books. 

My Everything was a fun, super fast read and a nice complement to Forever My Girl. 

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Book Review: Ten Reasons to Stay by Sabrina Jeffries

Well, my peeps, it had been a long while since I really read a Sabrina Jeffries book, mostly because by the time I was introduced to her stories, her School for Heiresses Series was well on the way and though I was intrigued by the idea of it, I just never got around picking up the series. 

Enter Ten Reasons to Stay, which is set in the same timeline of The School for Heiresses - in fact, it was previously published on an anthology by the same name sometime before now, when it's being released as a e-book novella. 

The story goes like this: Colin Hunt, the new Earl of Monteith was just about to retire after his first day in his new home when he noticed someone was sneaking into his stables. Not one to let others take what's his, Colin rushed out to caught a thief but found Miss Eliza Crenshawe instead. 

Badly disguised as a boy, Eliza was trying to escape her Uncle and guardian, and his plans to wed her to a friend of his that she had never met before. She hadn't planned on Colin being in residence, but now he's one more thing that he needs to deal with. On the other hand, he might be able to assit her... if she can convince him the story she's telling is the truth, much as it sounds like a gothic novel. 

Basically, the story takes place over the course of two days, during which Colin and Eliza fall in love with each other and deal with their fears and misconceptions. 

It's a very quick read (about 90 pages or so) and its fun. Ms Jeffries has a knack for writing likable characters, even when they aren't as well developed and the story moves entirely too fast, but for a novella it works okay. 

Ten Reasons to Stay comes out May 6th, 2013.

Speed Date: A Kiss for Midwinter by Courtney Milan

The Deal: Despite her secret heartbreak - or perhaps because of it - Lydia Charingford is always cheerful and positive. Only the people closest to her - like her parents and best friend Minnie - know what happened to her when she was 15 and she intends to keep it that way. And so far she has succeeded... except for where Dr. Jonas Grantham is concerned. He knows. 

What happened to Lydia is something Jonas hasn't been able to forget even though, at first, he hadn't connected her (as an adult) to that event that haunted him through most of his Medical training. When he returned to town to take over the local doctor's practice he only tried to get acquainted with Lydia because he thought her pretty, but in the months since he has fallen in love with her, even if she rarely ever has a civil word to him and avoids him as much as she can.

But with Christmas coming - and in between the worries about his father's failing health - Jonas has decided it's time to finally tell Lydia know how he feels and move on, one way or another.

My Thoughts: A Kiss for Midwinter is a novella that packs a punch. If you read The Duchess War already you might already know what happened to Lydia but for those who don't wanna know, I'm going into spoiler zone!

So, when Lydia was 15 she was seduced by a guy 10 years older and left pregnant, she didn't know he was already married and she believed him when he said they were engaged and that she wouldn't get pregnant by what they were doing (yes, he specifically tells her this). 

When she finds out about his duplicity, and the doctor is called to confirm the pregnancy, Jonas goes too (he was shadowing the old doctor in preparation for his leaving for school). The old doctor isn't very sympathetic and goes on about how corrupted Lydia is, and basically tells her parents they best hope she and the baby die, and then he leaves a prescription for Lydia for the symptoms. Jonas hears what the prescription is and he doesn't agree but since he hasn't even started medical school yet, he  doubts and doesn't say anything, something he deeply regrets because his suspicion was right and the old doctor basically poisoned Lydia and the baby. 

So, Lydia and Jonas don't meet again in the most auspicious circumstances later on. She tried to tell herself she's over the whole situation and pushes her pain down, but whenever she sees Jonas she takes it out on him, and the scene when he acknowledges this and tells her why it doesn't make him angry was so touching.

Jonas was such a wonderful character, he's straight forward, he doesn't judge the people he helps (weather they can pay or not) and tries to do his best. And he loves his father even if he's very hard to deal with lately due to illness that has left his body frail and his mind confused.

Lydia, harsh as she was on Jonas, my heart went out to her. And to her family, really her parents get the Best Parents award, particularly her dad. They totally have her backs and they never make her feel less-than because of what happened to her.

I wish I had gotten the chance to spend more time with Jonas and Lydia but I loved reading their story in A Kiss for Midwinter. It was a touching, tearful yet hopeful story. And yes, it did make me cry. 

What's a Book Speed Date, you ask? It's a quickie review--about 150 words or so--of any genre book (variety is the spice of life, after all).

If you want to join in or just read other speed date reviews, check out The Book Swarm

Ps - This story is part of the Brothers Sinister series. 

Speed Date: the Magic Touch by Dara England

The Deal: Ambrielle was expecting a warmer welcome when she showed up at Danny's doorstep in the middle of the night. But bleary-eyed, depressed Dany wasn't very welcoming, and the fact she just barged in and revealed herself to be his fairy godmother - with inside knowledge to every major and minor event of his life - didn't help things at all. 

But Ambrielle is determined to help Danny whether he wants it or not. After a couple of blunders in the last few months, Ambrielle has been put on probation by the fairy council and she has only 24 hours to help Danny put his life back on track. 

My Thoughts: The Magic Touch is an extremely short novella that can be read in about an hour tops - it only has about 33 pages - and I got it for free sometime a while back for my kindle but it kind of got lost in the shuffle, until I picked it up again.

It's a very cute story, I liked Ambrielle and her sassy attitude and the fact that she does care about her charges and isn't going down without a fight. Also liked there weren't romantic vibes with her and Danny, they were more like bickering siblings.

Because of the length of the story, the characters weren't that fleshed out but for what it was it was okay, and it was a freebie so YAY! - Though I think it's currently being sold at .99 cents in Amazon - I actually quite liked the style and if the author made a series about Fairy Godmothers, I would probably read it. 

What's a Book Speed Date, you ask? It's a quickie review--about 150 words or so--of any genre book (variety is the spice of life, after all).

If you want to join in or just read other speed date reviews, check out The Book Swarm

Speed Date: Bourne by Lisa T. Bergen

Woops!! Sorry my speed date is a date late, but here it is. 

The Deal: Gabriella, the new Lady Forelli is learning that even when you win the big battle, the war is far from over. Soon her new husband Marcello is fighting for his life; her sister Lia is feeling the stress and pressure of always having to be on high alert and of living in a world where men feel its perfectly okay to say "It's a guy thing" and keep the women in the dark. 

Lord Greco betrayed his alliance to Firenze and now is struggling to find his place in Sienna where no one but Marcello really trusts him. And even the the big battle is over, they might be in more danger than ever. 

My Thoughts: Bourne is a short novella (I would guess about 110 pages), that takes place a day or two after the big battle at the end of Torrent and that, I think, it's the big problem with the novella.

It's well written, I liked seeing the characters again, and getting to read Lia's perspective, but the fact that the story takes place a day after the big battle, and that it shows there is only more trouble in the horizon, well, that kind of takes the impact away from the previous book.

In Torrent, things ended in a hopeful note that now is just gone. I would have preferred for the things to happen a few months down the line and shown what had been going on rather than this. Also, didn't feel there was enough things happening to warrant a novella.

It's not bad, and it's not a waste of time, but it could have been better, and it wasn't. 

What's a Book Speed Date, you ask? It's a quickie review--about 150 words or so--of any genre book (variety is the spice of life, after all).

If you want to join in or just read other speed date reviews, check out The Book Swarm