Review: Just Add Mistletoe by Heather B. Moore

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

About the Book

She’ll do anything to stay invisible to the male eye. But he can’t seem to notice anyone else.

Lori loves the holidays, and if her holiday store isn’t a huge indicator, she dresses for each season. It makes her happy, and no man, so far, has been interested in her idiosyncrasies. But that doesn’t matter since she’s sworn off dating because of a series of flops. She’s more than content, or at least that’s what she thinks, until Malcom moves across the street from her. Literally. In a construction lot where he’s taken up residence in a trailer.

Lori decides his housing choices are none of her business—but the two keep crossing paths and discover they have plenty in common. And all the things they are opposite in only add fuel to her attraction. Besides, he’s not put off by her broomstick earrings, autumn leaf sweaters, or mistletoe hairband. The only catch is that he’s also sworn off dating. One of them will have to cave first.

My Review

I love the Everly Falls series! It's easy to like the main characters, the small town vibe is sweet, and the drama in the plots are low-key yet hold my attention while the romance blossoms. (I think the first two should be read in order but the third and this fourth book can be read in any order). Just Add Mistletoe sounds like a Christmas themed book, but it encompasses Halloween and Thanksgiving too. It was fun to picture Lori with her holiday outfits and holiday store! Malcom's employment in town is controversial at the city council meetings, and Lori helps him navigate the small town politics. They both aren't interested in dating, but their friendship and attraction leads them to rethink that status... Another wonderful romance that I just didn't want to put down!

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Don't miss the previous books in the Everly Falls series . . .

 

 

 

Review: How to Raise a Happy Cat by Sophie Collins

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

How to Raise a Happy Cat focuses on the happiness to be found in the person/pet relationship and includes dozens of ideas for activities and hacks you can build into daily life with your pet, from spontaneous play and activities to making them the perfect sleep spot.

We know how important happiness is for ourselves but when it comes to pets, making sure they’re happy – as opposed to obedient, say – is often underrated. Yet there’s plenty of fresh science that shows that a happy, engaged pet is easy to live with and creates happiness in its owners, too.

How to Raise a Happy Cat shows what you can learn from your pet’s behavior and body language, offer a mass of practical ways to raise your pet’s happiness levels, and show you how to connect with them in the way they’ll love best.

Building on recent scientific developments into animal behavioral science, this book's methods aim to increase inter-species understanding and encouraging the behavior you do want, while discouraging the behavior you don’t.

Divided into 6 chapters, each of which contains plenty of easy-to-follow activities which owners can carry out themselves, this book will become an invaluable resource for building and strengthening the bond between human and cat.

Sections include: 

How you can get to know your cat better;
How to develop happiness in different areas, from exercising to playing; 

A guide to different stages in a cat’s life and at how to tailor activities to a kitten or to an ageing cat

Perfect for cat owners who want to get to know their feline friends as individuals, this indispensible book offers a new angle that gives owners lots of customized ideas for having fun with their pet, as well as explaining behaviours that they may have previously found baffling.

My Review

While this book is wordier than I anticipated, it reads as quickly and easily as a conversation with a knowledgeable friend. The sections are not overlong, yet cover a vast array of topics. It is a wonderful resource for cat owners to empathize with their pets and provide for their range of needs. I enjoyed perusing the book and learned new insight into my own cats and important information that will be invaluable in the future.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Review: Christmas With a Crank by Courtney Walsh

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

About the Book

A second chance with your first crush.

Doesn’t happen often.

For Liam Fisher, that first crush was his next door neighbor, Olive Witherby.

Childhood was lazy summers, treehouse stargazing, and endless games of hide and seek at Pine Creek, the Christmas tree farm that’s been in Liam’s family for generations.

When Liam’s family moves away, Liam and Olive say goodbye the only way they know how— with a fumbling first kiss neither of them will ever forget.

Even though twelve-year olds’ promises of keeping in touch feel eternal, time and distance eventually make Olive and Liam practically strangers.

Twenty years later, Liam’s parents announce they’re retiring and selling the tree farm.

Twenty years later, Pine Creek is the last place grown-up Liam wants to be. Inherit this legacy? Not on your life.

And twenty years later, grown-up Olive is stuck.

Her work life is a lot like her love life—floundering. After a humiliating business failure, loads of debt, and one too many laughable first dates, she’s in no hurry to put herself out there again, in business or in romance.

When Olive is hired by Liam’s parents to rekindle the lost magic of the farm one final time before it’s sold, she sets out to make this the last, best Pine Creek Christmas, for the town and for a very cranky, not-so-talkative, surprisingly hot Liam.

Part of her mission? Convince the crank to fall in love with Christmas.

The other part? Not fall head over heels in the process.

Christmas With a Crank is a grumpy/sunshine, childhood crush, opposites attract romance with plenty of sizzle but none of the steam.

My Review

This author's books never disappoint! I love the natural and deep way we get to know Liam and Olive and connect with their emotions. Their charmed childhood relationship developed complications as they became older, families grew apart, and romantic rivals interfered. It was alternately fun and frustrating as Olive helps Liam break out of his grumpy self, misunderstandings and regrets are revealed, and their simmering attraction blossoms into a lovely romance with a sweet childhood friendship as a foundation. It was all too easy to fall in love with the tree farm and Olive's creative ideas to give it one last glory season. This is a story I'll be reading again in the future!

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Don't miss the other Christmas-themed books by Courtney Walsh!

 

 

 

Review: The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right by Suzanne Allain

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

About the Book

When a young woman trades places with her noble cousin, their innocent ruse leads to true love in this new Regency-era romantic comedy of manners from the author of Mr. Malcolm’s List. 

 

When Arabella Grant’s wicked aunt dies suddenly, both Arabella and her cousin Lady Isabelle cannot help but feel relieved. She’d made their lives miserable, and now Lady Issie is free to read to her heart’s content, and Bella is free from taunts about her ignoble birth.  

 

Their newfound freedom is threatened, however, when Issie’s great-aunt commands her to travel to London for a come-out Issie has never wanted. Issie, who is in poor health, is convinced she’ll drop dead like her mother did if she drops into a curtsy before the queen. So when her great-aunt turns out to be nearsighted and can’t tell the noble Lady Isabelle from her commoner cousin Arabella, Issie convinces Bella to take her place. Bella can attend all the exclusive entertainments that her lower birth would typically exclude her from, and Issie can stay in bed, her nose in a book. 

 

Bella agrees to the scheme for her dear cousin’s sake, but matters turn complicated when she meets the irresistible Lord Brooke. He begins courting her while under the impression she’s the rich and aristocratic Lady Isabelle, who, unlike Bella, is a suitable bride for an eligible young earl. And Bella, who is convinced that she has met “Lord Right,” worries what will happen when she reveals that he’s actually fallen for…the wrong lady.

My Review

This is a highly entertaining book! We are quick to know best friends and cousins Bella and Issie, although the difference in their stations has Bella as more of a companion who waits and dotes on Issie, while both bear the brunt of Issie's verbally and emotionally abusive mother. I was glad that the book began with her demise so we didn't have to read those difficult scenes, but we could understand the fallout and influence on the two young women. Bella has a vivid personality- loyal, adventurous, and with a wonderful sense of humor. Her banter with Lord Brooke was fantastic, and I loved how their chemistry grew quickly from friendship to attraction to romance. Issie's health, her young doctor, the meddling aunt, and complicated family dynamics brought layers to the story and I was captivated until the very end!

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

About the Author

photo: Jonathon Allain 2019

 

 Suzanne Allain is a screenwriter who lived in New York and Beijing before returning to her hometown of Tallahassee, Florida, where she lives with her husband.

Review: The Muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Matthews

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

About the Book

A silver-haired equestrienne and a charismatic artist turn a scandalous bargain into a vibrant portrait of love.

Stella Hobhouse is a brilliant rider, stalwart friend, skilled sketch artist—and completely overlooked. Her outmodish gray hair makes her invisible to London society. Combined with her brother’s pious restrictions and her dwindling inheritance, Stella is on the verge of a lifetime marooned in Derbyshire as a spinster. Unless she does something drastic…like posing for a daring new style of portrait by the only man who’s ever really seen her.

Aspiring painter Edward “Teddy” Hayes knows true beauty when he sees it. He would never ask Stella to risk her reputation as an artist’s model but in the five years since a virulent bout of scarlet fever left him partially paralyzed, Teddy has learned to heed good fortune when he finds it. He’ll do anything to persuade his muse to pose for him, even if he must offer her a marriage of convenience.

After all, though Teddy has yearned to trace Stella’s luminous beauty on canvas since their chance meeting, her heart is what he truly aches to capture….

My Review

Stella and Teddy are both oddities in society, and keenly feel that sense of isolation, even with friends and family as supports. I love how they inadvertently came across each other, later discovering how connected they really are through their friends. It was easy to connect to the emotions of the characters, and feel the longing they both have for some sense of normalcy, yet also to follow their dreams. Teddy helps Stella embrace her differences and see herself as beautiful instead of peculiar. Stella does the same for Teddy, seeing his amazing skills and talents instead of just his limitations. They have wonderful chemistry and their interactions were so fun to read! I loved how Stella didn't capitulate to Teddy's requests out of pity, but made sure she was in the right frame of mind to embark on such a daring venture. The characters from the previous books in this series as well as some from the author's Parish Orphans of Devon series made this book feel like coming home, and now I want to read them all over again ;)  

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Don't miss the previous books in the Belles of London series . . .

 

 

Review: To Charm a Lady by Joanna Barker

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

About the Book

Cora Atherton wants nothing more than to finally fall in love—real love, not the unrequited sort. When she is invited to attend a house party without her disapproving, overbearing mother, Cora leaps at the chance, desperate to make a match of her own. That is, until she finds that Oliver Cartwell is also attending the party. Oliver, the boy she has loved since she was a girl and the man she is determined to forget.

A house party in the country is just what Oliver needs to distract himself from the shadows of his past. When he discovers that Cora, his sister’s best friend, is in need of a little matchmaking, he resolves to help her in her search for a husband. He quickly learns that no man is good enough for her, least of all himself. Why, then, does he find himself fighting his attraction to gentle, beautiful Cora at every step?

As the two draw closer together, Cora is forced to confront the feelings that have tortured her for years. With her future on the line and a deadline fast approaching, can she trust that flirtatious Oliver has changed for the better—or will he leave her heart in pieces once again?

My Review

It's always a pleasure to read a book by Joanna Barker! Unrequited love can be so painful, and I admired Cora for doing her best to move forward with her life. Quite the challenge when the object of her former affections is front and center. It was gratifying to see the growth in both Cora and Oliver, and for Oliver to come to important realizations that will affect their futures. The humor and angst were perfectly balanced, bringing a connection to the characters' emotions and relating to them on a lighter level as well. I loved their banter and chemistry, especially when their attraction and romantic feelings become stronger and mutual. The family and friends from A Game of Hearts were fun in this new story, and I hope the author continues to write more in this series!

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Don't miss the previous book in the Cartwells series . . .

 

 

 

Review: Across the Star-Kissed Sea by Arlem Hawks

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

 

About the Book

When May becomes a lady’s maid at sea, she’s hoping for an innocent adventure but instead must navigate rough waters, deadly combat, and unexpected love.

Mediterranean Sea, 1811

May Byam grew up following her father to his work at the ropemaking factory and listening to her uncle’s tales of life aboard a Royal Navy ship. After tragedy and scandal shatter her family, May is desperate to escape the shame that follows her. Despite her mother’s pleadings against it, May signs on as a lady’s maid to the young wife of a naval captain. If she’s going to run, she may as well do it in honor of her late uncle and cousin and where there is food, shelter, and perhaps even adventure. But the frosty reception she receives from the ship’s clergyman makes her feel far from welcome.

Heartbroken young Chaplain Elias Doswell returns to a harsh life at sea, but preaching to disinterested sailors isn’t the escape he’d hoped for—until a captivating young woman boards the ship. However, a case of mistaken identity ensures that he starts off on the wrong foot with the newly hired lady’s maid, who clearly wants nothing to do with him. But the close quarters of the ship forces the pair together, and May begins to see a side of the handsome clergyman she didn’t expect. As they struggle to navigate their deepening feelings, the danger of war with the French looms on the horizon, threatening their lives—and their love.

My Review

There is something special about the way this author brings her characters and the setting to life! In the first few chapters I instantly connected with May and Elias, their struggles and vulnerabilities. They are each unsure about what their future will bring, but move forward despite their circumstances. There is so much character growth on their journey at sea. May is such a cactus, and Elias seems a cowardly lion. I loved seeing them go from horrible first impressions to friendship to more. They discovered important things about themselves and life as the story progressed with the turmoil of the voyage and the danger of war. Highly recommend to fans of sweet Regency romance outside of the ballroom.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Don't miss the previous companion book . . .

 

Review: Meddling with Mistletoe by Liz Johnson

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

About the Book

Whitney Garrett is preparing to enter culinary school in the spring, but first she has to sell enough homemade pies at the local Christmas markets to pay her tuition. When her oven breaks, Whitney asks Marie Sloan, proprietor of the Red Door Inn, if she can use the inn's kitchen to keep up with her orders. Marie agrees, with a Whitney has to watch the three Sloan children and cook breakfasts for the Red Door in return.

 

The inn is busy with holiday guests--including Aretha Franklin Sloan's perpetually single nephew Daniel and Ruby, a businesswoman in town to purchase Aretha's antiques store. Intent on making a Christmas match for the two, Aretha enlists Whitney's help in her schemes. But the deeper Whitney gets, the more she realizes that Ruby is definitely not the right woman for Daniel--and the more she thinks that she just might be his perfect match.

 

Cuddle up for some warm holiday cheer as New York Times bestselling author Liz Johnson explores the unforeseen consequences of meddling with mistletoe when love is on the line.

My Review

I loved the stories set at the Red Door Inn, so it was such a pleasure to return there for Whitney's story! She is at a crossroads in her life, feeling forced to choose a career that she can stick with, or let her parents down again, and no more safety net. I could sense how on edge she felt, working toward an end goal with things falling apart around her. Despite her circumstances, she is the sunshine providing contrast to Daniel's grumpiness. His character put off vibes of flatness and unhappiness, going through the motions, but still caring about his aunt enough to travel and help her sell her business. There are plenty of funny mishaps, but the best part of this book is the way Daniel blossomed around Whitney's light. They both gently challenged each other, and as Daniel learns to open his heart again, Whitney gains the courage to find and follow the dream authentic to her. A sweet holiday read with great romantic chemistry!

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Don't miss the other books in the Prince Edward Island Dreams series . . .