Review: Rumor Has It in Christmas Falls by Melinda Curtis

Book Four in the Return to Christmas Falls series

Seven fabulous authors bring you this holiday romance series about a group of special friends returning to their hometown at the request of their high school mentor. Each book is a standalone, but read them all to fully enjoy the journey of these remarkable women and their emotional reunion with their mentor, an incredible woman who changes their lives and helps save a small town community forever.

My rating: 3 stars / I liked it

Synopsis

Twelve unlucky years ago, rumors flew about Lexi and Kevin. And now? Well, not much has changed, except this time neither can run away. Not from Christmas Falls. And maybe... not from each other.

As a political strategist at Dunlop Bennet & Associates, Lexi Townsend's career is going nowhere. She's a cubical dweller writing speeches for freshmen senators in DC. But if she can hitch her career wagon to a rising political star, she’ll be on her way to a corner office in no time. When she’s offered a plum holiday assignment–an ideal candidate with deep pockets, someone who could make the leap from local to national politics–she starts to dream about that corner office.

Until she realizes her candidate is Kevin O’Malley, aka Kevin the Hottie, Kevin the Snob, Kevin the Liar, the same guy who shattered her high school reputation back home in Christmas Falls with a rumor. Assignment in hand, Lexi braces herself for the most difficult political race of her career--because this time it’s personal.

My Review

I enjoyed the parts of the story where Lexi reunites with her childhood friends and realizes how much they mean to her. My not-so-favorite parts involved the dysfunctional relationship between Lexi and Kevin. Even though he comes from an emotionally abusive background, it doesn't excuse the way he treated her in the past and the way he behaves in the present- mixing charm with indifference, depending on what will get him what he wants. I had a difficult time understanding their connection and thought she could do better. The romance in this one is turbulent but of course ends with a happily ever after.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

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The rest of the books in the Return to Christmas Falls series

Review: Once Again in Christmas Falls by Becky Monson

Book Three in the Return to Christmas Falls series

Seven fabulous authors bring you this holiday romance series about a group of special friends returning to their hometown at the request of their high school mentor. Each book is a standalone, but read them all to fully enjoy the journey of these remarkable women and their emotional reunion with their mentor, an incredible woman who changes their lives and helps save a small town community forever.

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

In one day, London Walsh finds out her ex is going to be her boss and that her parents are getting a divorce—and they want her to referee the situation. So when she’s offered the chance to spend the holidays in her old hometown of Christmas Falls, far away from all the drama, she jumps on it.

But the quaint town doesn’t feel quite like the home it once was. London shed the goth image that defined her in high school long ago, but no one recognizes the woman she's become.

Except for Andy Broll, London’s childhood next door neighbor. He recognizes her immediately, which sends London’s heart fluttering as she starts to see Andy in a whole different light. But when her time in Christmas Falls doesn’t go as planned, will London face it head on? Or will she find a reason to run?

My Review

This was my favorite book of the series, bar none. I absolutely loved the "childhood friends reunited" angle to the romance, especially when each character is so easy to like! London was so fun and interesting, and the author really delved into what made her tick and how her transformation affected her. Andy is loveable and charming and of course unrequited love gets me every time! They had such great chemistry together and even when the inevitable conflict came, I was rooting for them the whole time. I felt connected to the emotions of London and Andy which is one of my favorite things about reading a well-written book. This is one I'll definitely re-read and since it's the first book I've read by the author it made me add all her other books to my list! Highly recommend, and it would be fine as a stand-alone even though it's in the middle of the series.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

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The rest of the books in the Return to Christmas Falls series

Link-up: Free / Bargain Books

Sharing the Love of Books
Enjoy our selection of New Releases / Free & Bargain Books this week

Authors please feel free to add your own books
Readers please free to add your own finds
(any genre except erotica welcome)

This weekly link up is hosted by Beck Valley Books & these awesome book loving blogs...
Monday
 Leels Loves Books
Tuesday
Celticlady's Reviews | First Time Mommy Adventures 
Wednesday
Beck Valley Books | Between the Coverz | Bookalicious Traveladdict
Thursday
Miki's Hope | Heidi Reads...
Friday
Ebook Addicts | I Love Romance | Colorimetry | Futures
Saturday
3 Partners in Shopping | I Create Purty Thangs | Wishful Endings 

Sunday

Ali - The Dragon Slayer | Deal Sharing Aunt | Living Life With Joy

For Pre-orders post - PRE-ORDER / genre / title /author

For New Releases post - NEW / genre / title / author

For Free Books post - FREE / genre / title / author / end date 

For Bargain Books post - SALE / price / genre / title / author / end date
(Strictly no Erotica please.  Steamy romance is fine but watch those covers people, in case any underage child is viewing it!)

Here is this weeks awesome selection!

Would you like to share our linkup on your site? click here
Would you like to become a weekly host? sign up here

Come back and check out the new selection every week!

Review: Honeymoon for One in Christmas Falls by Jennifer Peel

Book Two in the Return to Christmas Falls series

Seven fabulous authors bring you this holiday romance series about a group of special friends returning to their hometown at the request of their high school mentor. Each book is a standalone, but read them all to fully enjoy the journey of these remarkable women and their emotional reunion with their mentor, an incredible woman who changes their lives and helps save a small town community forever.

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

Is there room for two on this honeymoon for one?

Piper Wyatt's Christmas wish is to get promoted to manager at Blackstock Hotel and Resort. Not only does the promotion mean more money, but it means more time with her son and proof that she's not such a disappointment after all.

Jace Petersen, successful owner of a national chain of sporting goods stores, finds himself alone and miserable on what should have been his honeymoon. That is until he literally falls onto the lovely Piper Wyatt. He's intrigued with this woman who can fix a car in high heels. Too bad for him, he makes a horrible first impression, and Piper's not allowed to mingle with the guests.

While Piper tries her best to steer clear of Jace during his stay, she can't help but notice he's not the man from their first meeting. But is he worth risking her promotion? Or is Jace right, Piper deserves more than she ever thought possible for herself?

Find out in this charming Christmas tale about finding love in the most unexpected place, a honeymoon.


My Review

There is an unusual dynamic between Piper and Jace with her drive to get promoted in spite of her attraction to him, and Jace used to getting what he wants. I liked seeing how their relationship grew, even though initially much of it was based on physical chemistry. I never quite got a feeling for how things would work out in the end which kept me in anticipation. Piper's reunion with her friends was also a highlight of the story and showed how much we can mature over the years, especially when parenthood becomes the focus of our lives.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

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The rest of the books in the Return to Christmas Falls series

Review: Happily Ever After: Six Fairy Tale Romances (A Timeless Romance Anthology) by Jessica Day George, Julie Wright, Sarah M. Eden, Julie Daines, Heather B. Moore, Annette Lyon

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

From the publisher of the USA TODAY bestselling & #1 Amazon bestselling Timeless Romance Anthology series in Clean Romance, comes HAPPILY EVERY AFTER COLLECTION.

Six brand new fairy tale romance novellas by Jessica Day George, Julie Wright, Sarah M. Eden, Julie Daines, Heather B. Moore, and Annette Lyon.

MAIL-ORDER PRINCESS by Jessica Day George: Elise flees her small kingdom and arrives in the New World with only her two trunks and seven swans—her seven brothers to be exact. But Elise will do anything to get her brothers away from their cruel stepmother’s curse, even if it means accepting the long-distance marriage proposal to a former count turned farmer.

THE MILLER’S DAUGHTER by Julie Wright: When Isa meets Thomas Rumple, she is quickly infatuated with his good looks and natural charm, until she learns his true identity. Due to a wild claim by her insufferable father, Isa’s life is threatened by the king if she can’t spin a room full of straw into gold, and Thomas may be the only one who can save her.

THE PEBBLED PATH by Sarah M. Eden: Deep in the heart of a mysterious forest, Gretel trades her freedom to save her beloved father from the spell of an evil enchantress. Even attempting to escape would cost her father his life. Gretel’s determination to fulfill her promise wavers when she meets Hansel, a young man who captures her heart. For, she loves him too dearly to put his life in danger, and he loves her too much to simply leave her to her fate.

BLACK FERN by Julie Daines: Rós is desperate to find work in order to care for her ailing father and younger sisters. She applies to the mysterious owner of a crumbling castle and is soon swept up in dark secrets. Unsure if the owner of the castle is man or beast, Rós determines to help him at all cost. She soon discovers that the cost may be too great, even for her.

SCARLET by Heather B. Moore: When Scarlet needs to fetch a healing tonic on the night when the wolves are at their most dangerous, she has no choice but to apply to her nemesis, August, for help. He agrees to help her, but they encounter a pack of wolves that put up a fierce fight, marking Scarlet as their newly targeted prey.

SO RARE A POWER by Annette Lyon: Stella knows she’s taking a risk each time she meets Patrick in the rose garden that they’ve cultivated together. And no matter how much her mother will disapprove of their relationship, Stella can’t deny her feelings for him. When the Snow Queen steals away Patrick to drain him of his powers of creating beauty and life, Stella must decide what she’s willing to risk to rescue him.

My Review

I absolutely love a good fairy tale retelling, and this collection is full of them! Every one of the stories is creative while still being recognizable. The authors did a wonderful job of pulling me into the story quickly and keeping me guessing as to how things would resolve. I thoroughly enjoyed all the stories, but my favorites were The Miller's Daughter (based on Rumpelstiltskin), Black Fern (based on Beauty and the Beast), and Scarlet (based on Little Red Riding Hood). Something about the relationships in those particular stories resonated with me, the settings were easy to envision, and the tension or anticipation was palpable. This is a novella collection you won't want to miss! Highly recommend!

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

Review: Homecoming in Christmas Falls by Ciara Knight

Book One in the Return to Christmas Falls series

Seven fabulous authors bring you this holiday romance series about a group of special friends returning to their hometown at the request of their high school mentor. Each book is a standalone, but read them all to fully enjoy the journey of these remarkable women and their emotional reunion with their mentor, an incredible woman who changes their lives and helps save a small town community forever.

My rating: 3 stars / I liked it

Synopsis

Eight years after fleeing Christmas Falls because of a high school prank gone wrong, Ashley Brooks receives a mysterious letter from her mentor asking her to come home. She arrives to face all she left behind—her family, her friends, and the rich boy she’d loved who would never date the girl from the wrong side of town.

Brent Donnelly, high school jock, brainiac, and dutiful son did everything right until the day Ashley returns to Christmas Falls. With one look at the girl who got away he questions all his life choices, including following in his father’s footsteps in the family business.

Faced with a potentially devastating decline of tourism in their hometown, Brent and Ashley must work together to save the magic of their town, but when Ashley discovers he still has feelings for her best friend she must finally face the real reason she left Christmas Falls—to try to heal her broken heart.


My Review

This book introduces readers to Christmas Falls and the girls who were friends there but have drifted apart. It focuses on Ashley and her relationship with Brent- which is sweet, but the miscommunication to create conflict was a little too melodramatic for me. It was interesting how much Ashley loved her friends but was afraid to reconnect with them. The author's writing style also wasn't my favorite- including run-on sentences and missing commas which would have made more natural pauses in the rhythm of the words. Overall it was a decent story and because the rest of the books in the series are by other authors, I kept on reading.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

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The rest of the books in the Return to Christmas Falls series

Link-up: Free / Bargain Books

Sharing the Love of Books
Enjoy our selection of New Releases / Free & Bargain Books this week

Authors please feel free to add your own books
Readers please free to add your own finds
(any genre except erotica welcome)

This weekly link up is hosted by Beck Valley Books & these awesome book loving blogs...
Monday
 Leels Loves Books
Tuesday
Celticlady's Reviews | First Time Mommy Adventures 
Wednesday
Beck Valley Books | Between the Coverz | Bookalicious Traveladdict
Thursday
Miki's Hope | Heidi Reads...
Friday
Ebook Addicts | I Love Romance | Colorimetry | Futures
Saturday
3 Partners in Shopping | I Create Purty Thangs | Wishful Endings 

Sunday

Ali - The Dragon Slayer | Deal Sharing Aunt | Living Life With Joy

For Pre-orders post - PRE-ORDER / genre / title /author

For New Releases post - NEW / genre / title / author

For Free Books post - FREE / genre / title / author / end date 

For Bargain Books post - SALE / price / genre / title / author / end date
(Strictly no Erotica please.  Steamy romance is fine but watch those covers people, in case any underage child is viewing it!)

Here is this weeks awesome selection!

Would you like to share our linkup on your site? click here
Would you like to become a weekly host? sign up here

Come back and check out the new selection every week!