Review: The Winter Berry House by Caroline Flynn

The Winter Berry House

by Caroline Flynn 

Publisher: HQ Digital

Pages: 384

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  It’s the beginning of December, and the town of Port Landon is covered with snow and glowing with festive cheer. Working at the Port diner, Kait Davenport is counting down to Christmas the same way she does every year, serving fruitcake and cinnamon flavored coffee.

But when she unexpectedly runs into her high school sweetheart, Branch Sterling, she knows this Christmas is going to be different.

The holiday season marks the first anniversary of his beloved Grandma Addie’s passing, and Branch must face the task he has been putting off for so long… It’s time to return to the house he’s inherited – the house he once called home – and make peace with his loss.

Branch is determined to lay his painful memories to rest and finally move on. But he has rekindled a fire in Kait’s heart, and when she offers to help him recreate Grandma Addie’s legacy Christmas dinner for the whole town, their hope for a second chance burns bright.

Will Kait convince Branch that he belongs in Port Landon, and that their love is just as strong as their Christmas spirit?

Kritters Thoughts:  Kait has stayed in the small town that raised her, even after a lot of drama could have driven her to run and start over.  She is working at a diner in her small town of Michigan and in walks a former love who was a part of the drama and is back to take care of a house he inherited, will the past be rekindled or have they both moved on?

I love holiday romances because they still follow the romance guidelines, but everything just seems a little extra (in a good way) with the heightened addition of a holiday season.  This book felt like it could have taken place at any time of year, but I liked it more because it had Christmas lurking in the background.  

For me there were a few moments where I literally rolled my eyes at the main character, Kait.  A few moments she just wasn't believable and I wanted her to act differently and more so then I feel with a typical fictional character.  Without completely spoiling the book, there were things said by another character that she took as truth and I just wanted to say - "Hello girlfriend, really, you are trusting him!"  Those moments made me distracted, but overall she was a fine character to follow.  

I would read more by this author in hopes that this character trait would not show up again in another story.   

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Ebook 2020 Challenge: 132 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Rachel to the Rescue by Elinor Lipman

Rachel to the Rescue

by Elinor Lipman 

Pages: 304

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Rachel Klein is sacked from her job at the White House after she sends an email criticizing Donald Trump. As she is escorted off the premises she is hit by a speeding car, driven by what the press will discreetly cal "a personal friend of the President." Does that explain the flowers, the get-well wishes at a press briefing, the hush money offered by a lawyer at her hospital bedside? Rachel’s recovery is soothed by comically doting parents, matchmaking room-mates, a new job as aide to a journalist whose books aim to defame the President, and unexpected love at the local wine store. But secrets leak, and Rachel’s new-found happiness has to make room for more than a little chaos. Will she bring down the President? Or will he manage to do that all by himself? Rachel to the Rescue is a mischievous political satire, with a delightful cast of characters, from one of America’s funniest novelists. 

Kritters Thoughts:  Rachel Klein is fired from her job at the White House for sending one of those reply all emails - either we have all received or sent one of those!  On her way out, she ends up in an accident and the driver of the vehicle will change the course of her life in more ways than one!

It was interesting to read a book that not only dealt with the Trump presidency but dove into the COVID pandemic and have the characters lives be interrupted by the changes made to everyday life due to the health crisis.  I read the book in the middle of December and I am glad I waited until after the election and the vaccine was on the way because I am not sure I would have enjoyed this book if I had read it during election season!

For me this book was good, not great but good.  It was funny to see the fiction being depicted - knowing the truth and seeing some fiction was entertaining.  There might have been a moment or two where I wish it was fact!  

This was my first Elinor Lipman read and I am intrigued to read more, maybe a book that isn't so much about the 46th president.

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Ebook 2020 Challenge: 131 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Wunderkind PR  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Watchmaker of Dachau by Carly Schabowski

The Watchmaker of Dachau

by Carly Schabowski 

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 249

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Snow falls and a woman prepares for a funeral she has long expected, yet hoped would never come. As she pats her hair and straightens her skirt, she tells herself this isn’t the first time she’s lost someone. Lifting a delicate, battered wristwatch from a little box on her dresser, she presses it to her cheek. Suddenly, she’s lost in memory…

January 1945. Dachau, Germany. As the train rattles through the bright, snowy Bavarian countryside, the still beauty outside the window hides the terrible scenes inside the train, where men and women are packed together, cold and terrified. Jewish watchmaker Isaac Schüller can’t understand how he came to be here, and is certain he won’t be leaving alive.

When the prisoners arrive at Dachau concentration camp, Isaac is unexpectedly pulled from the crowd and installed in the nearby household of Senior Officer Becher and his young, pretty, spoiled wife. With his talent for watchmaking, Isaac can be of use to Becher, but he knows his life is only worth something here as long as Becher needs his skills.

Anna Reznick waits table and washes linens for the Bechers, who dine and socialise and carry on as if they don’t constantly have death all around them. When she meets Isaac she knows she’s found a true friend, and maybe more. But Dachau is a dangerous place where you can never take love for granted, and when Isaac discovers a heartbreaking secret hidden in the depths of Becher’s workshop, it will put Anna and Issac in terrible danger… 

Kritters Thoughts:  Isaac Schuller has a skill that he never thought could possibly save his life.  As a watchmaker, he has the ability to fix a lot of things with motors and such and instead of working in a concentration camp, he is asked to go to the home of the supervisor and fix things in his home.  With a maid who sneaks him food and a place to work, this could completely alter his life.  

Yes, this is another one of those World War II books that as hard to read, but worth every page.  There were moments where I had a difficult time reading because the horror of what happened was weirdly beautifully written and captivating.  There are times when we each need to be reminded of what happened in the past, so we have the hope to not repeat it and this book presented what happened in a way that I could digest it and see the truth pain that was inflicted on a group of people.  

If you think you have read all of the World War II books, you should add this one to the list, but read with caution as it is hard and heavy.  

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2020 Challenge: 137 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Bookouture.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Aftershock by Judy Melinek and TJ Mitchell

Aftershock

by Judy Melinek and TJ Mitchell 

Publisher: Hanover Square Press

Pages: 304

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  When an earthquake strikes San Francisco, forensics expert Jessie Teska faces her biggest threat yet in this explosive new mystery from the New York Times bestselling duo.

There’s a body crushed under a load of pipes on a San Francisco construction site, and medical examiner Dr. Jessie Teska is on call. So it’s her job to figure out who it is—and her headache when the autopsy reveals that the death is a homicide staged as an accident.

Jessie is hot on the murderer’s trail, then an earthquake sends her and her whole city reeling. When the dust clears, her case has fallen apart and an innocent man is being framed. Jessie knows she’s the only one who can prove it, and she races to piece together the truth—before it gets buried and brings her down in the rubble.

With Melinek and Mitchell’s trademark blend of propulsive prose, deft plotting and mordant humor, this rollicking new installment in the Jessie Teska Mystery series will shake you up and leave you rattled. 

Kritters Thoughts:  The second in a series and while each book had a mystery contained there was major character development from book to book, so I suggest going back to book one and starting there!

Jessie Teska is a deputy chief medical examiner in San Francisco and she is on a construction site where a dead body may not be what it may seem - still dead, just maybe not a construction accident.  While she is just the medical examiner, Teska doesn't have much faith in the detectives to do the real digging, so she goes and does her own and then an earthquake happens!  

I loved this book and am hoping for many more in this series.  I find it so unique to see an investigation through the ME's perspective because of the clues she receives from reviewing the dead body and although she isn't really supposed to be investigating, she also feels like a naive investigator who shouldn't be pursuing the truth.  

The final outcome of this book was satisfying, but I am really hoping for more books from Teska's point of view!

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2020 Challenge: 138 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Harlequin.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Our Italian Summer by Jennifer Probst

Our Italian Summer

by Jennifer Probst

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 384

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Workaholic, career-obsessed Francesca is fiercely independent and successful in all areas of life except one: family. She struggles to make time for her relationship with her teenage daughter, Allegra, and the two have become practically strangers to each other. When Allegra hangs out with a new crowd and is arrested for drug possession, Francesca gives in to her mother's wish that they take one epic summer vacation to trace their family roots in Italy. What she never expected was to be faced with the choice of a lifetime. . . .

Allegra wants to make her grandmother happy, but she hates the idea of forced time with her mother and vows to fight every step of the ridiculous tour, until a young man on the verge of priesthood begins to show her the power of acceptance, healing, and the heartbreaking complications of love.

Sophia knows her girls are in trouble. A summer filled with the possibility for change is what they all desperately need. Among the ruins of ancient Rome, the small churches of Assisi, and the rolling hills of Tuscany, Sophia hopes to show her girls that the bonds of family are everything, and to remind them that they can always lean on one another, before it's too late.

Kritters Thoughts:  Three generations of women are each battling with their own issues and when things come to a breaking point, they end up taking a vacation to Italy that will hopefully change each of their lives.  Francesca is the middle of these women, she is a daughter and a mother and is trying to balance both of those parts with her stressful full time job at a company that she has created and is still growing.  The eldest Sophia is harboring a secret and is hoping that both of her girls can find peace.  Allegra is a daughter and granddaughter and she recently made a few wrong turns that could impact her future.

I love a book about family and especially female relationships and the ins and outs and ups and downs that happen between females in their family relationships.  Each of the women in this book had something they were dealing with and I loved seeing how this trip impacted how they were each reacting to their own struggles.  

The balance of family, love and professional life were perfect in this book.  There was just the right amount of each in the story.  

I read this book in winter which made me wish for a great vacation, but I think this could be read at any time of the year.  

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2020 Challenge: 136 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Berkley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Find Me in Havana by Serena Burdick

Find Me in Havana

by Serena Burdick

Publisher: Park Row Books

Pages: 336

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Cuba, 1936: When Estelita Rodriguez sings in a hazy Havana nightclub for the very first time, she is nine years old. From then on, that spotlight of adoration--from Havana to New York's Copacabana and then Hollywood--becomes the one true accomplishment no one can take from her. Not the 1933 Cuban Revolution that drove her family into poverty. Not the revolving door of husbands or the fickle world of film.

Thirty years later, her young adult daughter, Nina, is blindsided by her mother's mysterious death. Seeking answers, the grieving Nina navigates the troubling, opulent memories of their life together and discovers how much Estelita sacrificed to live the American dream on her own terms.

Kritters Thoughts:  A mother and daughter both take turns telling the story of the 1930s from California to Mexico to Cuba through many different types of drama and tragedy and how they each endured through it all.  Based in fact, this novel introduced me to a woman in Hollywood that I had no previous knowledge of and made me do some research to find out where fact met fiction.  

Estelita Rodriguez was a major film star, of Cuban descent, she ended up starring in nine Roy Rogers movies which made up a majority of her film career.  This book took place during quite a span of years, so the reader gets to see her before her career takes off and through and beyond her death.  

A minor hiccup for me in this book was the labeling of chapters.  Each started with mother or daughter and made it seem as though each chapter was written almost in letter form, but it really didn't read that way.  The chapter headers made the reading confusing and I had to write myself a sticky note, so I kept it straight as to who would be talking.  I think I would have labeled the chapters differently to make things a little easier to read.  

I did love that both characters were given the chance to tell their sides of the story throughout the book.  Seeing from Estelita, the mother's point of view, when she thinks she is doing what is best for her family and then Nina, her daughter, describing what she wished her mother would do or how she perceived the situations in a different way - it was interesting to see what mother daughter each wanted from the other.  

This was a good historical fiction in that it taught me about something I didn't know, but in an entertaining way.    

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Ebook 2020 Challenge: 135 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Harlequin.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict

The Mystery of Mrs. Christie

by Marie Benedict

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Pages: 288

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  In December 1926, Agatha Christie goes missing. Investigators find her empty car on the edge of a deep, gloomy pond, the only clues some tire tracks nearby and a fur coat left in the car—strange for a frigid night. Her husband and daughter have no knowledge of her whereabouts, and England unleashes an unprecedented manhunt to find the up-and-coming mystery author. Eleven days later, she reappears, just as mysteriously as she disappeared, claiming amnesia and providing no explanations for her time away.

The puzzle of those missing eleven days has persisted. With her trademark exploration into the shadows of history, acclaimed author Marie Benedict brings us into the world of Agatha Christie, imagining why such a brilliant woman would find herself at the center of such a murky story.

Kritters Thoughts:  I was just recently advised about this moment in Agatha Christie's life and was excited when I heard this book was coming.  Of course it is fiction, so not factual, but I was still excited to hear that an account of sorts of this time in history would be written and loved that it was by Marie Benedict who has chronicled some great women in history already.  

Told through two different perspectives and in two different moments in time, one is through Agatha Christie's eyes as she meets and falls in love with Archibald Christie and the ups and downs of that relationship up until the time she goes missing.  The other time frame in the book is through Archie's point of view from the day she goes missing and through the investigation into her disappearance and his possible involvement.  The back and forth between these two was expertly put together and I loved seeing the relationship basically through both of their eyes and it helped for a novice like me to find out the back story while also reading about the days where she was missing.

It seems weird to admit, but I have not read an Agatha Christie book and after reading about the romantic part of her life with little glimpses into her writing life, I am now more intrigued to read more about her and read her own work.  Marie Benedict knows how to focus on a woman in history and paint a full picture while giving some historical context and entertaining a reader too!

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2020 Challenge: 129 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Edelweiss.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Chanel Sisters by Judithe Little

The Chanel Sisters

by Judithe Little 

Publisher: Graydon House

Pages: 400

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Antoinette and Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel know they’re destined for something better. Abandoned by their family years before, they’ve grown up under the guidance of pious nuns preparing them for simple lives as the wives of tradesmen or shopkeepers. At night, their secret stash of romantic novels and magazine cutouts beneath the floorboards are all they have to keep their dreams of the future alive.

The walls of the convent can’t shield them forever, and when they’re finally of age, the Chanel sisters set out together with a fierce determination to prove themselves worthy to a society that has never accepted them. Their journey propels them out of poverty and to the stylish cafés of Moulins, the dazzling performance halls of Vichy—and to a small hat shop on the rue Cambon in Paris, where a business takes hold and expands to the glamorous French resort towns. But when World War I breaks out, their lives are irrevocably changed, and the sisters must gather the courage to fashion their own places in the world, even if apart from each other.

Kritters Thoughts:  There is more to the Chanel family than Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel and this book takes the point of view of her younger sister, Antoinette.  Chronicling from their younger years into adulthood, the book spans quite a long time and these ladies had quite the life!  

I have read quite a few books from Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel's point of view, so I was excited to read a book from a different perspective and see Coco, but also see more of the family and how they became who they did.  Although the first few chapters as the story started with them in an orphanage felt as though it moved real slow, once they were out and started to really get into the early years of their business, I really started enjoying the book and felt as though the pacing really picked up.  

I would recommend this book to readers who are already familiar with Chanel's story and add it to the group of books to read more about not only Coco, but the whole family.  I appreciated getting more of a perspective on how the brand was started and how it grew to what it became and the ups and downs through it all.  

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2020 Challenge: 134 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Harlequin.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Savage Road by Chris Hauty

Savage Road
by Chris Hauty

Publisher: Atria Books

Pages: 304

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  When a series of devastating cyber attacks rock the United States, Hayley Chill is tasked by the “deeper state” to track down their source. NSA analysts insist that Moscow is the culprit, but that accusation brings plenty of complications with Hayley directing the president as a double agent against the Russians. With increasing pressure on the president to steer him towards a devastating war, it’s up to Hayley to stop the mysterious computer hacker and prevent World War III—while also uncovering some shocking truths about her own life.

Kritters Thoughts:  The second in a series and I will quickly advise that I believe you should start at book one - Deep State, as there is a whole plot that you will want to know before you even start this book.  

Now that you have been warned, I will dive in with my review.

Hayley Chill is perfectly positioned inside the White House and very close to the President to help the deep state get what they want and fast.  She is on a mission until it is quickly derailed by someone infiltrating the inner workings of a few different essential places and businesses.  

If you can't tell I am being cautious in what I write in this review because this is such a suspenseful read and I don't want to spoil one thing.  

As far as my reading experience of this book, it had been a year and a half since I had read book one and I definitely forgot some of the plot points of book one and this book didn't completely bring the reader up to speed, so I had to go back and refresh before diving in.  This made my reading a little slow in the beginning because I was trying to remember the ins and outs from book one, but once I was in, I was in and this was a crazy roller coaster ride til the end.  

I think this book ended on a note where book three is inevitable and I will not so patiently wait until it arrives!

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2020 Challenge: 130 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Atria.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Wrong Alibi by Christina Dodd

Wrong Alibi

by Christina Dodd

Publisher: HQN

Pages: 384

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  WRONG JOB

Eighteen-year-old Evelyn Jones lands a job in small-town Alaska, working for a man in his isolated mountain home. But her bright hopes for the future are shattered when Donald White disappears, leaving her to face charges of theft, embezzlement—and a brutal double murder. Her protestations of innocence count for nothing. Convicted, she faces life in prison…until fate sends her on the run.

WRONG NAME

Evelyn’s escape leaves her scarred and in hiding, isolated from her family, working under an alias at a wilderness camp. Bent on vengeance, intent on recovering her life, she bides her time, patiently searching for the man who took everything from her.

WRONG ALIBI

At last, the day comes. Donald White has returned. Evelyn emerges from hiding; the fugitive becomes the hunter. But in her mind, she hears the whisper of other forces at work. Now Evelyn must untangle the threads of evidence before she’s once again found with blood on her hands: the blood of her own family…

Kritters Thoughts:  Evelyn Jones ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time and it sent her life spiraling and she vows that she will avenge all the things, so she can hopefully get back to the life she wants to live.  

Evelyn/Petie was an interesting character to follow.  During many parts of the book, I loved her point of view and was rooting for her.  The one part where I had to suspend my belief was her first interactions and then the brief time she was with Donald White - I felt as though her age at that time in the book, she was little more gullible and naive then I think she would/should have been, but in fiction, I can give a bit of a pass. 

I loved everything about this book and the plot minus ONE plot point.  I don't want to give too much away, but there was a bit of a love plot line that was thrown in a weird spot and affected the ending of the story and I just wished it wasn't in there and hadn't gone that way.  

With quite a backlist, this was my first Christina Dodd book and I am intrigued to dive into more of her backlist and follow more interesting main characters on adventures.  

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2020 Challenge: 133 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from HarperCollins.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Confessions of a Curious Bookseller by Elizabeth Green

Confessions of a Curious Bookseller

by Elizabeth Green 

Publisher: Lake Union

Pages: 483

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Without question, Fawn Birchill knows that her used bookstore is the heart of West Philadelphia, a cornerstone of culture for a community that, for the past twenty years, has found the quirkiness absolutely charming. When an amicable young indie bookseller invades her block, Fawn is convinced that his cushy couches, impressive selection, coffee bar, and knowledgeable staff are a neighborhood blight. Misguided yet blindly resilient, Fawn readies for battle.

But as she wages her war, Fawn is forced to reflect on a few unavoidable truths: the tribulations of online dating, a strained relationship with her family, and a devoted if not always law-abiding intern—not to mention what to do about a pen pal with whom she hasn’t been entirely honest and the litany of repairs her aging store requires.

Through emails, journal entries, combative online reviews, texts, and tweets, Fawn plans her next move. Now it’s time for her to dig deep and use every trick at her disposal if she’s to reclaim her beloved business—and her life.

Kritters Thoughts:  A book told through emails, journal entries, blog posts and so on from the perspective of a fifty-something bookseller in Philadelphia as she navigates the change of her neighborhood and the addition of a competitive bookstore right near hers.  

I waffled a lot throughout this book on my feelings about Fawn.  There would be moments where she would write an email or do something that made me giggle and I loved her and then on the next page she would do something that would make me roll my eyes or I would be greatly disappointed in how she handled something.  Because this book was presented in the way it did, plot was hard to put together and characters played a big part, so my roller coaster of feelings made me feel as though I would go back and forth on whether I liked the book or not.  

With all that being said, I love reading a book with a different format, it is fun to switch up reading in that way and work through a plot in a different way.  As a book lover, I enjoy all books set in bookstores and seeing the inner workings of how a bookstore functions, so seeing two bookstores in the same neighborhood and how they interact was good to read.

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Ebook 2020 Challenge: 128 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Lakeside Crew.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Christmas in Winter Hill by Melody Carlson

Christmas in Winter Hill

by Melody Carlson

Publisher: Revell

Pages: 176

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Krista Galloway is not a fan of Christmas. After her rough childhood in multiple foster homes, the holiday season just brings too many bad memories to the surface. But when she accepts a job as a city manager in the mountain town of Winter Hill, Washington, Christmas is part of the deal. The small town is famous for its Christmasville celebration, something that the city manager . . . well, manages.

As she tries to make her tiny new apartment feel like home for her and her eight-year-old daughter, Emily, Krista begins to wonder if this move was a mistake. She doesn't always feel welcomed in the close-knit town, and Emily continually wonders, "Where's the snow?" Can a friendly stranger and his family help restore Krista's Christmas spirit before the big day?

Kritters Thoughts:  Krista Galloway has escaped to a small town in Washington state with her daughter to start brand new life, but moving to a small town that makes a big deal out of Christmas isn't her best idea.  She has had a bad string of horrible Christmas seasons, so she would just rather skip it all and get into a new year, but maybe this town will change her mind about the whole holiday.

I loved the balance in this book between Krista's professional life and a bit of romance.  With the limited pages, I always get nervous that there will be some instalove, but Melody Carlson was able to write it in a way that felt that the two characters had enough interactions to naturally fall sweetly in love!  I also loved the little bit of mystery that took place in her professional life - it was a great addition that gave the book depth.  

This was my last hoilday read for this year and it was a good note to end on.  This sweet town reminded me of all the great things about this season that I love.  

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2020 Challenge: 127 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Romancing the Holidays by L Austen Johnson

Romancing the Holidays

by L Austen Johnson

Publisher: Lore and Lyre

Pages: 210

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Lucky Fall

After her parents’ death, Sarah felt like there was no luck left in the world. With her siblings’ newly out of the house, she’s free, for the first time in years, to do something just for her. So when her best friend surprises her with tickets to Dublin for the week of St. Patrick’s Day, she’s thrilled. She’s on a mission to reconnect with her parents’ past and visit the places in their photographs.

But when she falls—literally—into the arms of an attractive if snarky Irishman at a pub, Sarah might just have to add another quest to her list: find out said man’s name…and relationship status.

*

Pawsitively Perfect

After a rough breakup and particularly difficult winter, veterinarian Leigh feels ready to engage in the outside world again. That is until her dog, Pogo, slips his leash in a park and invades the picnic of gorgeous ex-Marine, James. It’s doubly humiliating when Leigh finds out that James just so happens to be the head of the non-profit that she’s is expected to work on an event.

Can Leigh get over her embarrassment and her fear of being hurt again to seize the reins—erm, leash—on love? Or do the two different types of “vets” just not mix at all?

*

All Thanks to You

When aspiring vet tech Rosalie meets a guy at a Halloween black cat adoption party—perhaps even The Guy—she fails to understand that he’s asking her out. They say goodbye with only the promise of a cat adoption in their future, and she thinks that is that…until she walks into her younger sister’s parent-teacher conference and realizes Jonah from the cat event is Mr. Keene, high school English teacher extraordinaire. She wants to date this lovable nerd, but after her bad luck with past relationships and her experience seeing her parents get divorced, she’s afraid to let Jonah in.

Will she find love with a fellow cat-lover, or will it all fall to pieces by the first snow?

*

Beaver Creek Resort

Claire is fine being a single mom. Contrary to what her sister Sydney thinks, she doesn’t need anyone new in her life, not after Mitch cheated on her when she was pregnant five years ago. And she absolutely doesn’t need a cheesy, Christmas-themed singles' event at the Beaver Creek Resort to help her find someone suitable.

Besides, the only attractive man she’s even met at the ski resort so far is the guy she crashed into earlier, and he was a total jerk. It’s not like he’s going to show up to the singles event and magically become charming and nice and caring…right? That’d be a Christmas miracle.

Kritters Thoughts:  A book with four short stories that each center around a holiday from St Patrick's day to July 4th to Halloween to Christmas.  

Typically when I read short story collections, I don't typically love them because I want so much more from the stories and they feel short and choppy with the limited pages, but not so in this one.  I felt as though the author was able to create full stories in quick pages and nothing felt as though it was instalove!  Each story had a great intro, heart and conclusion and there wasn't one that I didn't like less (although I am partial to dogs over cats!).  

I read this book around the Christmas and before reading I didn't know different holidays were included, so I wish I had been able to read each story around the holiday it is focused on, so I suggest that to future readers!

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2020 Challenge: 124 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.