Ed. note: This was intended to run in January but due to a snafu on our end, it didn’t publish. So, holiday romance? Sure! All year long, right! … I’m a firm believer that there is no such thing as an objective review. If there IS such a thing, let me tell you up front that this review is not objective in the slightest. One of the first things I wrote for this site was … Continue reading Holiday Heroine by Sarah Kuhn
A Very Merry Bromance is the fifth book in the Bromance Book Club series, and while it can be read as a standalone, the sheer number of characters from other books can be distracting. It’s a Christmas romance, but it deals quite a bit with toxic families and childhood trauma, so I wouldn’t consider it cozy reading, which is what I had been expecting. Gretchen Winthrop had a one-night-stand with country music star Colton Wheeler … Continue reading A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams
Tara: A few weeks ago, Sarah slacked me with the following: Tara Season of Love is so good It’s so freaking good. So, I did what any other smart person would do and started reading it. And guess what? She was completely and totally right. Sarah: I do like it when I’m right. Tara: Miriam Blum lives in Charleston with her fiancee, who she loves but is not in love with, and she’s weeks away … Continue reading Season of Love by Helena Greer
Carrie and Shana decided to start December off right with a midweek movie night. Also in attendance were Carrie’s daughter, a dog, and a cat. As consummate professionals, we prepared by reading this article about the realism, and lack thereof, of the movie. It’s been a long time since we’ve done a recap, and we are prepared. Shana was in charge of snacks. Bitches, let me tell you. If you ever have the chance to … Continue reading A Castle for Christmas
A Princess for Christmas is the literary equivalent of a cozy sweater, a warm hug, and a rich cup of cocoa. It is funny, sweet, and comforting without being overly cutesy. I was almost ridiculously charmed by this book which brought me so much joy in mid-pandemic meltdown. It’s December in New York City, where Leo Ricci is the superintendent of the apartment building where he lives with his eleven-year-old sister, Gabby. He’s been taking … Continue reading A Princess For Christmas by Jenny Holiday
I adore Christmas, which might seem odd considering my family doesn’t celebrate the holiday. I have no connection to the religious aspect, but the reason I love Christmas so much is because I felt isolated and miserable when I first moved to the United States as a child. Seattle seemed gloomy, dark, and wet compared to Singapore, and I hated everything about the city. Until December, when the city suddenly transformed into a magical place … Continue reading A Snowy Little Christmas by Fern Michaels, Tara Sheets, and Kate Clayborn
I know we shouldn’t judge books by covers but I took one look at the gorgeous cover of The Earl’s Christmas Pearl and thought, “A) I want that dress, B) I also want that suit, and C) yep, I’m definitely reading it.” Luckily for me, this cover didn’t lead me astray and I enjoyed most of this sweet Christmas novella about a duke’s daughter and a grumpy Welsh earl with a Welsh corgi (who should’ve … Continue reading The Earl’s Christmas Pearl by Megan Frampton
I am not in the mood for Christmas yet. Generally speaking, I’m not in the mood for Christmas on December 23rd even, but mid-fall is WAY too early. That said, my brain has been pretty tired lately and some Regency novellas sounded like the perfect way to unwind without investing in a full length novel. Since How the Duke Stole Christmas includes novellas by some of my favorite authors, I was willing to set aside … Continue reading How the Dukes Stole Christmas by Tessa Dare, Sarah MacLean, Sophie Jordan and Joanna Shupe
I barely recognize myself anymore. For years I’ve sneered at holiday romance and this year I’m devouring everything red, green, and glittered. Christmas has never been my favorite holiday, but in light of Dumpster Fire 2016 I’m grasping for anything happy and joyful –even if the holidays previously felt over commercialized and fake. I put up every holiday decoration I could find in the back corners of my basement. I racked up my MasterCard bill over-indulging … Continue reading Glass Tidings by Amy Jo Cousins
Normally I’m pretty cynical about Christmas. I’m not a practicing Christian, and I’ve worked in either retail or logistics long enough that the commercialism and chaos that precedes the holiday season exhausts me (I once worked till 2 a.m. so a shipment of children’s bedsheets that were on sale would hit the store in time for Black Friday–then slept for four hours and went back into work). This year, though, I’m clinging to anything happy and … Continue reading All I Want for Christmas is a Duke by Valerie Bowman, Tiffany Clare, Vivienne Lorret, Ashlyn MacNamara
Christmas Yet to Come is a great stocking-stuffer of a novella. It mixes the darker elements of A Christmas Carol with a sweet romance and some suspense to surprisingly good effect. Jason is a banker who lives alone. He doesn’t socialize during Christmas and he gives all his servants the day off. He doesn’t decorate or anything because he figures there’s no point in celebrating by himself. On Christmas Eve, Jason is astonished to discover … Continue reading Christmas Yet to Come by Marian Perera
