Tag: Christmas (Page 4 of 4)

December Round Up

January 5, 2014 / Kaetrin

on Paper/eBook

A Small Miracle Happened by Mari Donne – B- This is a short sweet and sometimes sexy novella set mainly over the 8 nights of Hanukkah 2013. Dan is a Jewish man (although he doesn’t keep kosher, it is nevertheless part of his heritage) in a new town over Hanukkah. His neighbour Chris (short for Christian – guess what religion he is?) comes over when a package from Dan’s grandmother containing a menorah and other Hanukkah goodies is delivered to Chris’ place by mistake. They strike up a friendship and more, as they spend the eight nights of Hanukkah together. Chris doesn’t know anything about Judaism really and he is curious and interested in Dan generally so he asks a lot of questions which Dan is only too happy to answer. As a non-Jew I found the information about Hanukkah very interesting but I wondered whether Jewish people would have the same fascination as I did. I did appreciate the safe sex message in the story but unfortunately, sometimes it all felt a little clinical and other times it was rushed. Perhaps that’s more about the short word count though. I did like the story and there were parts of it which were very moving and there was some lovely poetry quoted in the text too.

“‘The kingdom where nobody dies.’ We all need to hide there sometimes, don’t we, even when we know it’s an illusion? Otherwise life is just too hard.”

This line in particular, made me think about why I read romance. (Even though characters do die in romance, for the most part you can at least guarantee the main characters make it).

I could easily have read a longer story with this couple and I loved Dan’s family in particular, who embraced Chris early and brought him to to their loving embrace. It’s a Loose ID title so for the 70 or so pages, the price is a bit steep at $3.99 but I picked it up at the recent ARe sale and got a 50% rebate back which made it more palatable. A satisfying evening’s read, A Small Miracle Happened hit the spot for me.

BUY IT: AMAZON

The Family We’re Born With by Kaje Harper – C+ This is a free Christmas short which appears to be the first in a series. Devin and Jesse have been together for five years and Jesse thought Devin had been accepted by his family. So he is very hurt and angry when his mother asks him not to bring Devin on Christmas Eve because that is when she will meet for the first time, her eldest son, Sam; the child who was adopted out when she was just sixteen. Sam is a former Marine and Jesse’s mother doesn’t want to freak him out with the gay the first time they meet. The story is quite short and it doesn’t just focus on Jesse and Devin – but also on Sam and his runaway brother. I felt it had a bit too much going on to be entirely successful for me but it did succeed in whetting my appetite for more from this world. I like the way that Ms. Harper writes complicated families and hey, it’s free.

DOWNLOAD IT: SMASHWORDS

Married for Christmas by Noelle Adams

December 26, 2013 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: After seeing Kati D’s glowing review over at Dear Author, I thought I’d give this one a go. It was only 99c from Amazon so I thought it was pretty low risk. Plus: Sexy pastor FTW!

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) After years of dreaming, Jessica is finally getting married, but the marriage isn’t exactly what she thought.

Daniel is her best friend, and she’s known him all her life, but he’s never gotten over losing his wife two years ago. His dream is to become the pastor of the church in their hometown, but the small-town congregation keeps balking over calling an unmarried minister. Since Daniel needs a wife and Jessica wants a husband and family, she proposes an arrangement that benefits both of them.

They can get married. They can build a life together. They can celebrate Christmas as a couple. It’s fine that he doesn’t love her. And it’s fine that she’s not exactly suited to be a small-town pastor’s wife. And it’s fine that she’s more attracted to her sexy, brooding husband every day.

Jessica can be practical about this marriage. She knows what she’s getting into, after all…

This book includes fully-developed sex scenes between a husband and wife.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I liked the idea of a modern day marriage of convenience and here, the reasons for it make sense. I don’t go to church these days but I didn’t have any trouble buying that a small community would want a married man as its pastor rather than a young single one. Jessica is largely a loner and even though she has feelings for Daniel, she doesn’t think he could ever return them, especially given how much he loved his first wife, Lila. They are however, good friends and Jessica thinks this will be her only chance for marriage, family and children. Her mother is in a nursing home and her condition is deteriorating – it was never specified but it seemed like some kind of Altzheimer’s/dementia-related illness. Jessica has no other family. Even though she is often happy to spend time alone or with her Samoyed dog, Bear, she still wants to have a family and connection and, as Daniel needs a wife to win his dream job, it seems like a good idea.

Gifts of Honor by Stacy Gail and Rebecca Crowley

November 18, 2013 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley. Gifts of Honor releases on November 21.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) I’ll be home for Christmas…

A batch of special Christmas cookies helps a wounded ex-Ranger remember the love of his life. A surprise phone call reunites a woman with the soldier who once broke her heart. There’s no place like home for the holidays, and there’s no better way to spend them than with the one you love.

Starting from Scratch

Christmas is the perfect time to start from scratch

Lieutenant Sully Jax saved his unit during an IED attack, but he couldn’t save his marriage. He can’t even remember it. Recovered from his injuries, he’s come home to the family and friends he knows—and an ex-wife who’s a stranger to him.

Lucy Crabtree was heartbroken last Christmas when Sully announced his plan to go on one last tour of duty, and devastated when he asked for a divorce after he awoke in the hospital with no memory of her. She’s finally moving on from her hurt and from losing the man she loved more than anything, and her cookie-baking business is taking off just in time for the holidays. But now Sully’s back, and she can’t deny she still loves him. But how can she trust her heart to someone who breaks it every time she sees him?

Sully might not remember Lucy, but something inside won’t let her go. With every bite of her cookies, he finds a new love for Lucy, and he soon realizes he wants to rebuild his life with her by his side.

Hero’s Homecoming

Six months ago, being snowed in at Christmas with the amazing woman he met on R & R at Fort Riley would have been a dream come true, yet now, as a blizzard swirls outside Beth Tate’s house, Captain Chris Walker knows he shouldn’t be there. Blinded in combat and emotionally scarred, he never wanted Beth to know the man he’s become—but stranded by the storm, he had no one else to call.

Hurt and bewildered when Chris abruptly ended his faithful contact from Afghanistan, Beth tried to put him and their whirlwind romance out of her mind and prepared for a quiet holiday alone—until the phone rang. Now that he’s here, she’s more confused than ever, torn between love for the man she once knew and anger at the one who broke her heart.

A life with Beth was everything Chris wanted, but the wounds of battle are nothing compared to the agony of heartbreak. It will take more than mistletoe, but perhaps this holiday season Chris will find his way home.

What worked for me (and what didn’t):

Starting from Scratch by Stacy Gail

I do like second chance at love stories and I think they often work well in a novella, as I can more easily accept a HEA when the characters know each other already. Except… – well Lucy knows Sullivan but Sullivan can’t remember Lucy. After he woke up in hospital Stateside to a woman at his bedside he didn’t recognise and didn’t remember, Sullivan asked Lucy for a divorce, thinking to release her from a marriage of strangers. When the story begins, Sullivan has been released from hospital/rehabilitation and has returned home to Bitterthorn Texas, where Lucy works in a local bakery. Lucy has always and still loves Jax but she is crushed that he cannot remember her – in fact, it seems that she is the only one he doesn’t remember. The previous Christmas relations were very strained between them, as Sullivan had re-enlisted for another year without discussing it with his wife (which is a SHITTY thing to do). This Christmas, it’s even harder for Lucy because Sullivan is back home safe, but she’s lost the love of her life nonetheless. Even though Sullivan can’t remember Lucy, he is nevertheless drawn to her and he has an inexplicable craving for cookies.