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Showing posts from 2024

Book Review: Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan

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Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan The Christmas Bookshop #2 Goodreads |  Amazon Your most delightful holiday read: the sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller The Christmas Bookshop, from beloved Scottish author Jenny Colgan. Christmas comes early—far too early—to McCredie’s little Old Town bookshop in Edinburgh. It’s summer, but an American production company has decided that McCredie’s is the perfect location to film a very cheesy Christmas movie. After all, who can resist the charmingly narrow historic street with its Victorian grey stone buildings and warmly lit shop windows? Carmen Hogan, the bookshop’s manager, is amused and a bit horrified by the goings-on, but the money the studio is paying is too good to pass up. She uses the little windfall from filming to create new displays and fend off a buyout offer from an obnoxious millionaire who wants to turn McCredie’s into a souvenir shop selling kilts made in China and plastic Nessies. Still reeling sl...

Book Review: Slaying for Sloan by Melissa McSherry and Dana LeeAnn

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Slaying for Sloan Wrecked series #3  by Melissa McSherry and Dana LeeAnn Goodreads |  Amazon The third installment in the Wrecked series, featuring Sloan. This novella can be read as a standalone. He is my hunter in this twisted game. I am his prize, and he’s hungry to claim me. This Christmas was supposed to be special, but without my best friend by my side, it feels like a cruel joke. I thought spending the holidays with my boyfriend’s family would fill the void, but after a fight that escalated too far, I was ready to pack my shit and leave. Until I woke up on Christmas Eve morning to a surprise─a pretty black box holding the key to his family's church, complete with instructions for a game he’s set up for us to play. The rules are simple: 1: If he catches me once, he gets to eat me. 2: If he catches me twice, I have to suck him. 3: If he catches me a third time, he gets to fuck me. 4: If he catches me all three times AND beats me to the church, nothing is off limits. Prim...

Book Blitz & Giveaway: Take Me Home for Christmas by Tracy Solheim

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Take Me Home for Christmas Tracy Solheim (Chances Inlet Contemporary Romance, #5) Publication date: December 12th 2024 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance In the quaint coastal town of Chances Inlet, Christmas is a time for rekindling lost connections . . . Elinor “Elle” McAlister is on the brink of a big-time promotion that will finally put her on equal footing with her overachieving siblings. The catch? She has to babysit a notoriously prickly war reporter who’s late delivering his memoir. As if that weren’t enough, her editor banishes them both to Elle’s hometown on the Carolina coast to get the job done. Spending the holidays in Chances Inlet might have been fine—if only she hadn’t wrecked the most important relationship in her life during her visit last Christmas. Deputy Sheriff Hayden Lovell has known Elle was his person ever since she swiped his purple crayon back in kindergarten. Through every twist and setback, her steady friendship has been his anchor, esp...

Graphic Novel Review: The Tea Dragon Society Series by Katie O'Neill

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The Tea Dragon Society Series by Katie O'Neill Goodreads| Amazon The Tea Dragon Society After discovering a lost tea dragon in the marketplace, Greta learns about the dying art form of tea dragon caretaking from the kind tea shop owners, Hesekiel and Erik. As she befriends them and their shy ward, Minette, Greta sees how the craft enriches their lives—and eventually her own. The Tea Dragon Festival Rinn has grown up with the Tea Dragons that inhabit their village, but stumbling across a real dragon turns out to be a different matter entirely! Aedhan is a young dragon who was appointed to protect the village, but fell asleep in the forest eighty years ago. With the aid of Rinn’s adventuring uncle Erik and his partner Hesekiel, they investigate the mystery of his enchanted sleep. . . . But Rinn’s real challenge is to help Aedhan come to terms with feeling that he cannot get back the time he has lost. The Tea Dragon Tapestry Join Greta and Minette once more for the heartwarming conclu...

Book Blitz & Giveaway: Elf Against the Wall Alina Jacobs by Alina Jacobs

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Elf Against the Wall Alina Jacobs (The Wynter Brothers, #2) Publication date: November 12th 2024 Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance When you kiss your perfect boyfriend under the mistletoe…only for your cousin to scream to the family that you stole her man, Christmas is OVER. In my defense, I didn’t know my boss—yup, boss. Buckle up because this is messy—was my cousin’s newly minted and totally lying fiancé. I thought he was the Nutcracker Prince come to finally show my family that I, too, was worthy of putting the star atop the Christmas tree. I was so wrong . Now my entire family thinks I’m a ho ho ho. I’m at the top of the naughty list, not in a fun Elf on the Shelf way, but rather in a snide-comments-at-brunch and sitting-at-the-kids’-table kinda way. I have to clear my name, or Christmas is ruined. Again. What better way than to blackmail my family’s number one sworn enemy? Anderson Wynter is this desperate elf’s last hope. Six-foot-five, ethicall...

Book Review: The Christmas Book Hunt by Jenny Colgan

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The Christmas Book Hunt By Jenny Colgan Publication date: December 1, 2024 Goodreads | Amazon A heartwarming meet-cute short story from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Christmas Bookshop. A Christmas mission… Mirren’s beloved great-aunt Violet is seriously ill. Her one Christmas wish is to be reunited with a long-lost hand-illustrated book from her childhood, a challenge Mirren gladly accepts to give Violet some much-needed festive cheer. An enchanting journey… With no sign of the cherished volume online, Mirren falls into the fascinating world of rare books. From London to snowy Hay-on-Wye and Edinburgh’s cobbled streets, she chases leads from bookshop to bookshop—and bumps into mysterious, charming Theo, who, unbeknownst to her, is searching for the same book for reasons of his own… The start of a new chapter? As the two join forces to track the book down before time runs out for Violet, will Mirren find her Christmas miracle—and maybe even a kiss under the mistletoe… ? Fo...

Book Blitz & Giveaway: Wedding Bells in Silverwood by Dorothy Dreyer

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Wedding Bells in Silverwood Dorothy Dreyer (Silverwood Series) Publication date: November 26th 2024 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance Silverwood’s most anticipated event of the year is upon us—Holly St. Ives and Nick Mason’s New Year’s Eve wedding. But as one disaster after another strikes in the weeks leading up to their big day, Holly begins to suspect that something is amiss. Enter Viola Carver, a former culinary prodigy who put her career on hold to care for her disabled mother. Given a last-minute opportunity to cater the event of the season, Viola is determined to prove herself. But she fears she may blow her big chance after several rocky encounters with the dashing venue owner. With a saboteur on the loose who’s intent on ruining Nick and Holly’s wedding, it might take Nick’s team of Alaskan Malamutes and a New Year’s miracle to save the day. Goodreads / Purchase — EXCERPT: Did I really agree to this? Holly St. Ives shielded her eyes from the Augus...

Book Review: A Cat Café Christmas by Codi Gary

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A Cat Café Christmas by Codi Gary Meow and Furever Cat Café #1 375 pages, Paperback First published October 4, 2022 Goodreads | Amazon A laugh-out-loud, opposites attract romance about three of the world’s most beloved C’s: Christmas, Coffee, and Cats. Veterinarian and animal lover Kara Ingalls needs a Christmas miracle. Opening the Meow and Furrever Cat Café to find loving homes for adorable, adoptable cats was a dream come true—but with more cats than customers, it’s quickly turning into a nightmare. If Kara can’t figure out some way to get the café out of the red, it won’t last past the holidays. Marketing guru Ben Reese may be annoyingly smart and frustratingly bossy, but when he hatches a plan to put the café in the “green” by Christmas, Kara realizes that she’d be a fool to turn down his help. And so what if he turns out to be an excellent problem solver and nerdy-hot—he can’t even handle fostering one little kitten. She needs to keep their relationship professional and focus on...

Book Review: Dragon Prince by Kelly N. Jane & Ashley McLeo

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Dragon Prince Royal Quest #1 by Kelly N. Jane, Ashley McLeo Goodreads |  Amazon Action-packed, thrilling adventures await when authors Kelly N. Jane and Ashley McLeo take you into a supernatural world that exists right under your nose. Coffee house waitress wasn’t on my list of life-long goals, but it paid the bills. The only thing that really mattered was keeping a low profile. Dead-end jobs where no one paid attention made it easier to avoid awkward questions like, “what do you mean you hear voices inside your head?” No, I didn’t need to end up like Mom. I’d pay our bills no matter what to keep from living on the streets. Everything was going as well as it could, until a hulking man carrying a giant red murse showed up at work. Strange, but hot as hell, he was far too intense for my liking. But just my luck, his was the next weirdo voice that invaded my mind. I tried to ignore him, but when a different creepy guy mentally issued threats against the muscled man, I had to warn him...

Book Review: How the Grinch Stole Christmas! By Dr Seuss

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  How the Grinch Stole Christmas! By Dr Seuss 64 pages, Hardcover First published October 12, 1957 Goodreads | Amazon   Get in on the Christmas cheer with Dr. Seuss’s iconic holiday classic starring the Grinch and Cindy-Lou Who—guaranteed to grow your heart three sizes! Every Who down in Who-ville liked Christmas a lot...but the Grinch, who lived just north of Who-ville, did NOT! Not since “’Twas the night before Christmas” has the beginning of a Christmas tale been so instantly recognizable. From the Grinch and his dog, Max, to Cindy-Lou and all the residents of Who-ville, this heartwarming story about the effects of the Christmas spirit will warm even the coldest and smallest of hearts. Like mistletoe, candy canes, and caroling, the Grinch is a mainstay of the holidays, and his story is perfect for readers young and old. My review: What a delightful surprise to read this Christmas classic for the first time! Although I knew the story from the movies (who doesn’t?), I had ne...

Book Review: The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore

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The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore Dream Harbor #3 Published October 10, 2024 Goodreads | Amazon From the author of the viral TikTok sensation, The Pumpkin Spice Café, comes the only spicy grumpy x sunshine Christmas romcom you need this year! Kira North hates Christmas. Which is unfortunate since she just bought a Christmas tree farm in a town that’s too cute for its own good. Bennett Ellis is on vacation in Dream Harbor taking a break from his life in California. And most importantly, taking a break from his latest run of disastrous dates. After a run in with Kira in her fields, Ben has no intention of offering to help the grumpy owner set up her tree farm, despite the fact she’s clearly got no idea what she’s doing. Kira knows she should stop being so stubborn, but her farm is not all cute and cozy like people always show on social media, it’s borderline dangerous with no heating, and she’d rather no one saw it. But somehow fate finds Ben at Kira’s farm once more, and as Kir...

Book Review: Little Cloud's Big Dream by Ixtzel Arreola

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Little Cloud's Big Dream Author: Ixtzel Arreola Illustrator: Martina Liebig Pub Date Mar 11 2025 Goodreads | Amazon The little cloud Re has a BIG dream! But when she grows so large she becomes a thunderstorm, will her new friend Flower still recognize her? A little cloud named Re wishes to grow as big as the clouds floating over the sea. She learns from a passing cloud how to collect dew and water and soon she has grown BIG! As she travels, she even soaks up some droplets from the petals of a beautiful flower and the two become fast friends. But then something happens that Re never expected–she starts to storm! After storming across land and sea, Re grows small again and returns to Flower. At first the cloud is afraid her new friend won’t recognize her, but Flower assures her “from dew to rain to thunder, you are still you.” An imaginative look into the water cycle through a little cloud and the feelings she experiences as she grows and changes. My review: Some stories captivate c...

Book Review + Giveaway: A Little Christmas Spirit by Susan Buchanan

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A Little Christmas Spirit by Susan Buchanan Standalone Third book in The Christmas Spirit series Genre: Contemporary Romance Tour Dates: 18th - 27th November 2024 Publication Date: 12th November 2024 Goodreads  |  Amazon  | Books2Read Can a sprinkle of magic heal broken hearts this Christmas? With Jacob now at the helm at the cosy Sugar and Spice café, it’s the perfect opportunity for Christmas Spirit Lara to weave her magic. Fraser is floundering in his new role as headteacher as he grapples with guilt over having to place his beloved mother in a care home, leaving him feeling lost and alone during what should be a joyful time. Meanwhile, school janitor Paul is torn between his desire to feel needed and the pressure from his wife to retire, dimming the season’s sparkle. Valerie, overwhelmed by the demands of newborn twins, feels she’s not giving her other daughter enough attention. She needs a bit of me time and for her husband to realise the responsibility for the kids ...

Book Review: Grumble Boats by Susannah McFarlane

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Grumble Boats Author: Susannah McFarlane Illustrator: Tamsin Ainslie Pub Date Apr 15 2025 Goodreads | Amazon What happens when you’re feeling upset? Grandma shows Emma how to say goodbye to being grumpy in this sweet and sensitive social emotional picture book. A must-read for preschoolers and kindergarteners who are often caught up in their feels. Emma is spending the afternoon with her grandmother, but she’s very grumbly. That’s because she didn’t get to go to the pirate party with her brother and now she feels left out. Grandma shows Emma how to draw your grumbles. Then how to take your grumble drawing and fold it into a boat. They take their boats out to the water and say goodbye to their grumbles forever. Once they let go of their grumbly feelings, a different type of grumble makes them realize something: it's time for lunch! A gentle and loving social-emotional learning story for little ones learning to navigate their feelings. My review:  I'm always searching for books ...

Book Review: The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan

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The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan The Christmas Bookshop #1 Goodreads  | Amazon Perfect for the holidays! A brand-new heartwarming Christmas novel from the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop on the Corner and Christmas at the Island Hotel. When the department store she works in closes for good, Carmen has perilously little cash and few options. She doesn’t want to move in with her perfect sister Sofia, in Sofia’s perfect house with her perfect children and her perfectly ordered Edinburgh life. Frankly, Sofia doesn’t exactly want Carmen there either. Her sister has always been sarcastic and difficult. But Sofia has yet another baby on the way, a mother desperate to see her daughters get along, and a client who needs a retail assistant for his ailing bookshop, so welcoming Carmen might still have some benefits for everyone. At Sofia’s behest, Carmen is thrown into the daily workings of old Mr. McCredie’s ancient bookshop on the streets of the old dark city...

Book Review: Cat Sitter Secrets by Shoshauna Shy

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Cat Sitter Secrets:  An in-depth guidebook to happy cats, harmonious clients and healthy boundaries by Shoshauna Shy Pub Date: Nov 08 2024 Goodreads | Amazon An in depth guide to happy cats, harmonious clients and healthy boundaries. Spending time in the company of cats is my passion—but dealing with an owner's particular quirks and expectations can bring challenges! Over the years, I learned how to balance my own needs with the preferences of my clients, from our initial meeting throughout regular cat sitting visits. In this book, I distill what I’ve learned in two decades of providing cat care into 60 pages. I'm sharing these secrets of success so you can set better boundaries and build more confidence in your own dealings with clients, and various surprising household situations. This will enable you to focus more on what you enjoy engaging with the felines! Shoshauna Shy On the ride with you. My Review: As someone who has been working with pets in the veterinary field for ...

Release Day Blitz | Book Review: A Noche Buena for Lonely Hearts by J. L. Lora + Giveaway

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A Noche Buena for Lonely Hearts by J. L. Lora 107 pages, Kindle Edition Expected publication November 14, 2024 by Larimar Press Goodreads | Amazon   One Christmas Eve, a chance for healing awaits lifestyle influencer Luciana “Lux” Blake in “A Noche Buena for Lonely Hearts,” a heartwarming holiday romance. Luciana is surrounded by holiday cheer that feels painfully out of reach. While she hides her heartache behind a flawless façade, past trauma crashes the fiesta, prompting her to escape familial chaos. Fate intervenes when she bumps into family friend Oliver Amador, a sexy single  papi , longing to escape the shadows of his pain. When he offers her a ride, their journey takes an unexpected turn, setting the stage for a magical  Noche Buena . One that promises to change everything. As they bond over their shared heartbreak, Luciana and Oliver strike a one-night deal to create the perfect Christmas Eve together and then go their separate ways. Under the glow of the light...