After the second song of the musical Anna and the Apocalypse, my teen viewing consultant looked at me with puzzled eyes. “Mom,” she said slowly, “This is…good!” And it is. While I spent my entire first watch of this movie trying to figure out what it was, I watched it again the next day and found it weirdly affecting for a zombie musical set during Christmas in the fictional town of Little Haven, Scotland. The … Continue reading Movie Review: Anna and the Apocalypse →
A Midnight Feast is Book 4 (a novella) in the Fly Me To The Moon Series. This series is set in the early days of the space race. I enjoyed Earth Bound from this series. A Midnight Feast is also good, but not as well developed. This story is about Margie Dunsford, a recurring character in the series. She is the undisputed leader of the astronauts’ wives. She cooks for funerals, she cleans for exhausted new moms, … Continue reading A Midnight Feast by Emma Barry and Genevieve Turner →
I enjoyed The Afterlife of Holly Chase very much – but I didn’t love it until the very last page. The end is what earns it a spot on my keeper shelf, and I won’t reveal the end, no, not even in a spoiler tag. You just have to trust me that it’s lovely. Holly Chase is a rich teenager who is a simply horrible person. At the age of seventeen, she is visited by … Continue reading The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand →
A surprising number of romances are set at some sort of Christmas-themed hotel or resort. If you crave an extravagantly decorated Christmas with all of the ambience and events and none of the stress, and you like the option of celebrating it all year, The Inn at Christmas Place is here for you. As ever, this is neither a review nor an endorsement – it’s just what happens when I Google odd things instead of … Continue reading Romance Wanderlust: The Inn at Christmas Place →
Carols and Chaos is a slow-paced, gentle romance set in 1817 during Yuletide. Kate Darby is a lady’s maid at Shackleford Park. Matt Harlow is the valet of Kate’s employer’s fiancée. When Matt’s employer comes to Shackleford Park for Christmas, Matt and Kate meet and begin a cautious flirtation. Their relationship is complicated by their different career goals and by Matt’s friend Johnny, a footman who tries to discover the source of a counterfeit coin … Continue reading Carols and Chaos by Cindy Anstey →
This guest review comes from Rhoda Baxter! If you’re looking to get cozy and into some holiday spirit, The Man Who Invented Christmas is a great movie suggestion. Rhoda writes contemporary romantic comedies about smart women and nice guy heroes. She also writes multicultural women’s fiction as Jeevani Charika. Her latest Christmas novella is Snowed In. Rhoda can be found on her website or on Twitter (@rhodabaxter). … It’s October, which means it’s time for … Continue reading Guest Review: The Man Who Invented Christmas →
An Improper Holiday is a m/m romance novella set during the Regency period. Regency people weren’t all that big on the actual day of Christmas (this was post-mistletoe, but pre-Christmas trees, cards, and presents). However, Regency people loved to party, and they kicked off their festivities on Christmas night and carried on for twelve days. Apparently there was some controversy over exactly when the twelve nights actually started and stopped. I like to imagine that … Continue reading An Improper Holiday by K.A. Mitchell →
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 →
RECOMMENDED: The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker is $2.99! This is a fantasy historical and reader favorite. Carrie S. reviewed this book in June 2013 and really liked it. She says doesn’t have romance as its primary plot, but it’s a beautiful read:
I loved this book, but not so much for the love story. I loved the mythologies, the settings, and the characters. The neighborhoods were incredibly detailed and vivid and interesting. The cultural and religious communities felt real and fascinating. I love books that let me see into another world, and this book gave me that feeling many times. The characters were all mesmerizing. I felt like I was in each setting, meeting these real people.
Continue reading →
