Waiting for Christmas by Lynn Austin

 

What's a book that you've recommended to everyone?

In 1901 New York City, Howard and Adelaide are excited to spend their first Christmas together as husband and wife.  Adelaide is trying to learn how to be a middle-class wife after being raised in great wealth.  Adelaide discovers a young boy, Jack, who says he’s not really an orphan, but that his mother died and, his father is away at sea, and his sister is missing.  He is sure his father will return for Christmas.  Howard and Adelaide help Jack out.  Will his father return for Christmas?

My thoughts on this novella:

·       I love an Edwardian Christmas. 

·       The sections were split to correlate with the advent calendar.  I liked this unique storytelling and the deep faith elements.

·       I have not read the first book in this series, but it was fine reading this as a standalone.  I do want to go back and read the first novel.

·       I enjoyed reading about Adelaide’s work for the suffrage movement.

·       The cover of this novella was striking. 

·       This was a sweet and clean read.

·       I loved how the story included the true meaning of Christmas.  I especially loved when Adelaide brought home the family nativity and explains it to the kids.

·       Adelaide must ponder what to do with her inherited fortune and how best to help others and the suffrage movement.

·       The ending was heartwarming.

Overall, Waiting for Christmas by Lynn Austin is a wonderful historical fiction Christmas novel that encompasses the true meaning of Christmas.  I loved it.

Book Source:  Review copy from NetGalley. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Christmas Inn by Pamela Kelley

 

Title: The Christmas Inn

Author:  Pamela Kelley

Narrated by:  Stephanie Németh-Parker

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 41 minutes

Source: Audiobook Review Copy from NetGalley.

What type of books are your cozy reads?  Christmas books are some of my coziest reads.

Riley Sanders loses her job right before Christmas when her job is made redundant by AI.  Her mother has recently broken her leg and needs help at the Inn she owns, so Riley returns to the Inn to help.  She meets and gets to know a variety of guests that are all going through issues of their own.  Will there be a merry Christmas for everyone?  Her ex-boyfriend Aiden and his son are also staying at the Inn.  Seeing Aiden makes her think about her relationship with her current boyfriend Jack.  He is a workaholic and does not have much time for her or their relationship.  Will Aiden and Riley find romance?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a very enjoyable Christmas audiobook and enjoyable read.  Stephanie Németh-Parker was a great narrator.  There are multiple point of views and narrators in the story.  It did take me a bit at times to remember where I was in the story and with who when I would start it up again.

·       Riley and Aiden were the main characters, but the other characters were also well developed and had interesting storylines.

·       I liked that there were people all different age groups involved in the story.

·       I also liked the sub story of how Riley helped her mother with marketing to try to save the Inn.

·       Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes and I loved it in this novel.

·       This is a clean and cozy read.

Overall, The Christmas Inn by Pamela Kelley is a sweet contemporary romance that is perfect for lover of Christmas Hallmark movies.

A Christmas Duet by Debbie Macomber

 

Do you enjoy Christmas music?  Do you have any favorite songs?  I love Christmas music and especially older songs.  My daughter gets annoyed about not updating the Christmas music list, so I’ve been adding in newer albums as time goes on.

Hailey Morgan decides to accept her friends offer to stay at a family cabin over Christmas break to have time to focus on her music.  She also doesn’t want to return home as her mother has invited her ex-boyfriend for Christmas in an attempt to get them back together.  While in the small town of Podunk, Washington, she asks for help removing the wild animals in resident.  The mayor/general store owner sends her son Jethro (Jay). As Hailey and Jay get to know each other, will Haily be able to have her Christmas dreams of love and music come true?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I always enjoy reading Debbie Macomber’s Christmas novels and novellas every year at Christmas time. They really put me in the Christmas mood.

·       This novel was the December pick for the 2024 Brenda Novak Reading Challenge.

·       This was a nice, short cozy read for the holiday season.

·       I enjoyed that Hailey was able to take control of her life and do what she wanted to do.

·       I loved the romance between Hailey and Jay as they both seemed to really understand one another.

·       I also enjoyed the secondary characters such as Hailey’s sister Daisy and Jay’s Mom.  Hailey’s mom drove me crazy.

·       This was a clean read.

Overall, A Christmas Duet by Debbie Macomber was a sweet, cozy Christmas novella that will get you into the Christmas spirit.

Book Source:  E-book review copy from NetGalley.  Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Make My Wish Come True by Rachael Lippincott, Alyson Derrick

 

Title:  Make My Wish Come True 

Author:  Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick

Narrated by:  Krystal Hammond and Natalie Naudus

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 4 minutes 

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio.  

Do you have a favorite actor/actress that was a former child star?

Arden James is a teen actress with an image problem.  She is known as a party girl and it’s interfering with her getting her dream movie role.  She decides to fake that her childhood best friend, Caroline Beckett, is her long-term girlfriend.  Caroline agrees to play along as Arden promises she will get to write an article in Cosmopolitan about their relationship.  Will their fake romance become real?

My thoughts on this book:

• This novel had a dual narrative.  Both Arden and Caroline alternate chapters.  There were also dual narrators for the audiobook too which I appreciated.  I feel this gives the reader a better understanding of the different characters.

• This was a slow-moving teen story.  They both seemed to have a crush earlier, but they had never told each other.  It was very slow burn.

• There was a lot of angst, complaining, and misunderstandings.  The audiobook at least had a slightly negative vibe at times.

• Arden reminds me of someone like a young Lindsay Lohan.  Her life spins out of control as she tries to break out of being a child actor.  Arden has lost who she is as a person and wants to go back to being a “normal” girl with a girlfriend and family who loves her.

• Tropes:  Fake dating, slow burn, Hollywood dating regular, and enemies to lovers.

• This audiobook just never really grabbed my attention.  I think I would have liked it better if the characters were in their twenties.

Overall, Make My Wish Come True was a slow burn teen romance that never quite captured my attention.

The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore

 

Real or fake Christmas tree?  We did a real tree a couple of years with the kids which was fun, but otherwise, I have had a fake tree my entire life.

Kira North has bought an old Christmas tree farm in a small town in the Northeast.  She is trying to determine where to go with life. Even though she hates Christmas, she decides to sell Christmas trees to make enough money to fix up her house.  Bennett (Ben) Ellis meets grumpy Kira while walking his three dogs on her farm.  Ben helps Kira with fixing things up on her farm.  Will the two be able to move beyond their broken pasts to start a new romance?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       It reminded me of a spicy Hallmark Christmas romcom movie.

·       It was a cozy Christmas read that I enjoyed at the beginning of January.

·       Kira was grump at first, but she really grew on me.

·       Grumpy x Sunshine romance, forced proximity, slight enemies to lovers. 

·       This was a steamy romance with a lot of sweet romance and basically one really steamy scene.

·       This was the third novel in the Dream Harbor series.  I haven’t read the previous two books, but they are on my list.  This worked as a standalone, but I think I would have enjoyed the side characters even more if I knew their back stories.

Overall, The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore was a good romance with great characters, and it was a quick read.

Book Source: This book was a Christmas gift from a dear friend. Thank-you! 

Yuletide Bride by Kasey Stockton

 Title: Yuletide Bride

Author:  Kasey Stockton

Narrated by:  Vicki-Jo Eva

Publisher: Golden Owl Press

Length: Approximately 6 hours and 2 minutes

Source: Audiobook Purchased from Audible

What's your favorite reading spot?  I either read most often in bed with a physical book or Kindle or on the road with an audiobook.

Mercy Caldwell is the eldest daughter of the vicar, and unmarried with two married younger sisters.  With her youngest sister ready to announce her engagement, Mercy says yes to a surprise engagement with Colin Birchall.  She has had a crush on him for years, but he spends all his time trying to save his crumbing estate.  His dying great aunt sends him a message that if he marries a woman that meets the items on her list, he will receive 20,000 pounds.  This will save his estate.  Mercy meets the list requirements and Colin asks her to marry him.  Will the two find love?

My thoughts on this novel:

• Yuletide Bride is part of four book Regency Brides series.  I hope to read the rest of this delightful series on audiobook next Christmas.

• I love the marriage of convenience and friends to lover’s tropes. This novel had a great slow build romance between Mercy and Colin.

• I liked that Colin notices how other women talk down to Mercy and he doesn’t like it.  Mercy learns to stand up for herself and has Colin’s support.

• I loved when Colin’s great aunt, Lady Edith, comes to visit and bonds with Mercy while making shortbread.  Lady Edith is funny and tells it the way it is.

• I loved the characters of Colin and Mercy.  Colin likes to make lists and get things done.  Mercy also likes to get things done and to help others out. There was a lot of growth between the two characters as they learned about each other and how to get along.

• This novel is a clean read.

• There was a great epilogue and perfect ending to this book.

• Vicki-Jo Eva was a great audiobook narrator.

Overall, Yuletide Bride by Kasey Stockton was a charming Christmas Regency romance.

Murder She Wrote: A Killer Christmas by Jessica Fletcher & Terrie Farley Moran

Do you like to read movie or TV show adaptations or spin off books?

The Jarvis homestead has been put up for sale and it has great views of the ocean. Real estate agent Eve Simpson has done some great marketing and has found a buyer in a Boston mogul, John Bragdon.  He brings his wife Rose Marie to town to check out the area and to meet some of the residents.  Unfortunately, Kenny Jarvis, who was missing and legally declared dead, has shown back up to try to stop the sale.  When a murder occurs, who did it and why?

My thoughts on this novel:

• This novel captures the tone of Jessica Fletcher.  This novel was #59 in the series, but the first one I have read.  I have also been rewatching the original TV series.  It’s my comfort show.

• I loved the Cabot Cove small town setting and all the characters.  The town is working together to show their Christmas spirit to become Maine’s Christmas town.

• A Killer Christmas was a cozy mystery that kept me reading.  It was an easy, quick read that was perfect for my New Year’s Day read.

• I loved the characters, but there were a lot to remember.  Discussing all these characters seemed to delay the murder. The murder doesn’t occur until over halfway through the novel.

• Murder She Wrote:  A Killer Christmas has been updated for current times and it is a contemporary mystery.

Overall, Murder She Wrote:  A Killer Christmas by Jessie Fletcher & Terrie Farley Moran is a cozy mystery with good characters and an intriguing storyline.

Book Source: This book was a Christmas gift from a dear friend. Thank-you!  

The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict

 

Do you enjoy working on jigsaw puzzles?  We were working on them more as a family during COVID times, but not as much now.  My daughter just asked if we could work on one again, so we’ll see if the puzzle table comes out.

Edie O’Sullivan is eighty years old and enjoys her job putting together crossword puzzles for national newspapers.  She loves her great-nephew/adopted son, Detective Inspective (DI) Sean Brand-O’Sullivan.  Sean is having a stressful Christmas season as he and his husband, Liam, work on trying to show that they would be good adoptive parents.  A package with a few puzzle pieces including a picture of Sean’s watch shows up on Edie’s doorstep.  Will she be able to put together the puzzle and solve the clues to stop the murderer from reaching her family?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This novel had great characters.  I felt like they were all unique personalities and interesting.  Edie is a very grumpy character and seems to not care, but she deeply loves her nephew Sean.  She has put up walls to protect herself from the heartbreaks she has suffered through her life.  I wanted to spend more time with Edie and the characters in this community.

·       I couldn’t put this book down and read it quickly as I wanted to know the answer and if Edie would be able to save her nephew.

·       This novel was a good look into not judging people.  Many people have things going on in their life that you don’t know about.  Give people grace.

·       I enjoyed that signature on the note that came with the puzzle pieces was signed “rest in pieces.”  It made me chuckle every time I read it.

·       I definitely did not guess the ending of this one!  Besides the resolution of the mystery, the ending also had a heartwarming conclusion.

·       The author had a variety of challenges in the book for the reader to complete with answers at the back of the novel.  I was lazy and didn’t do any of the challenges.

·       This author has written other Christmas mysteries that interest me.  I’ll maybe pick some of them up to read next year.

Overall, The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict was a riveting mystery with a great grumpy older main character with a heart of gold.

Book Source:  E-book review copy from NetGalley and I purchased a paperback edition from Amazon.com. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Under the Mistletoe by Mary Balogh

 

Do you like to read short or long books during the holiday season?  I definitely prefer short during the busy holiday season!

Under the Mistletoe by Mary Balogh is a collection of five different Regency Novellas as follows:

·       A Family Christmas – This story had it all, an arranged and estranged marriage, snobby mother-in-law, and Christmas traditions.  I loved this story of the couple finding true love with each other.

·       The Star of Bethlehem – This story also featured an unhappy couple at Christmas and a missing engagement ring.  A chimney sweep helps to bring the couple together. 

·       The Best Gift – This story had Jane Eyre vibes.  What if when Jane Eyre was a teacher that was invited to the home of a pupil and able to experience Christmas for the first time?

·       Playing House – A trio of siblings is about to be separated after the holidays due to the death of their parents and a lack of funds.  At their last Christmas together, an old sweetheart comes back to town and may change their lot in life.

·       No Room at the Inn – Numerous travelers are stranded together at an inn and unable to make their Christmas destinations.  The birth of a child has them all realize the true joys of Christmas.

My overall thoughts:

·       I loved all five of the Regency novellas.

·       This collection was recommended to me by my friend Barb who enjoys Regency Christmas romance novels as much as I do.  It was a great recommendation!

·       I loved the romance in each story and how they found out the true meaning of Christmas.

Overall, Under the Mistletoe by Mary Balogh is an enjoyable Christmas Regency Romance collection.

A Dog’s Perfect Christmas by W. Bruce Cameron

 

Do you like to read novels that feature animals?  I have always enjoyed books that feature animals, especially dogs and cats.

The Goss family is in a rut as they approach Christmas.  Grandpa Sandor is 67 and depressed.  He lives with his son after spending all he had on experimental procedures for his wife’s cancer only to have her die.  He hasn’t moved on much to his dog’s Winstead’s dismay.  He also doesn’t contribute to any household tasks much to his granddaughter Ello’s dismay.  Ello is in eighth grade and is having a hard time navigating the social scene and friendships.  Sandor’s son, Hunter, is stressed out trying to get a major project completed at work.  If he doesn’t complete it per his new boss’s requirements, he will lose his job at Christmas.  Hunter’s wife, Julianna, must keep the entire household under control including Grandpa and her two young twin sons.   She longs to work again as a lawyer and is unhappy in her marriage.  Will the Goss family be able to make some changes and have a Merry Christmas?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       The characters in this novel were well developed and relatable. 

·       Unlike other books I’ve read by W. Bruce Cameron, the book is not narrated by Winstead the dog.  The story was good, but I missed seeing it all through the point of view of the dog.

·       I really liked that we got to see the family life and troubles through the point of view of three generations of the family.  I also like they were all willing to see things from another point of view and be willing to make changes.  What are the most important things in life?

·       I liked the focus on family and on friendship.  Ello is realizing who exactly are her real friends in 8^th grade and the importance of her mother in their family.

·       Sandor realizes that he is not dead yet and that he can have perhaps a second chance at love.  He also realizes that he can help his family out and serve a purpose.

·       There is a new puppy in the story as well, which I enjoyed.

Overall, A Dog’s Perfect Christmas by W. Bruce Cameron is a heartwarming Christmas tale about the importance of friends and family.

Book Source:  Christmas gift from last year.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Christmas Dog Sitters by Lucy Mitchell

 

Title: The Christmas Dog Sitters

Author:  Lucy Mitchell

Narrated by:  Charlie Albers

Publisher: Dreamscape Media

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 3 minutes

Source: Review Copy from NetGalley.  Thank you!

Christmas dog or Christmas cat?  I love them both.

Rachel is having a hard time as Christmas nears.  Her best friend has passed away, she has lost her job, and her heart has recently been broken.  Her family decides on their WhatsApp chat that Rachel will watch her sister’s dog over Christmas at their fabulous estate while the rest of the family vacations elsewhere.  They also decide that Rachel will also watch her Grandpa as well.  Rachel is not happy with her family making these decisions for her.  As she settles in and meets contractor Ben who is working on her sister’s house, will she be able to make a change to her life?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       As Rachel and Grandpa settle into the estate, they learn that no one likes Frank Baxtor (Rachel’s rich famous actor brother-in-law who owns the estate).

·       The dog seems annoying but turns out to be a hero.

·       I loved Grandpa.  I also liked how at first, Rachel is annoyed that her family has stuck her with watching Grandpa for Christmas.  Grandpa helps her to remember that he is a person too with dreams and the loves and cares for her and their family. 

·       All Grandpa wants for Christmas is to live and to have his own romance and adventure.

·       I enjoyed the comedic elements of the story.  It was a very fun romantic comedy.

·       Rachel is a cook and I always enjoy descriptions of foods and feasts. 

·       I liked how one of the themes was not to judge people and that there is always a second chance for everyone in life.

·       I really wanted to know what was going on with Rachel’s sister Maddie and her husband Frank.  I guessed mostly what was happening but did have a surprise at the end. 

·       Rachel and Ben had a sweet romance story.

·       I loved all of the characters and the setting in the English village.

Overall, The Christmas Dog Sitters by Lucy Mitchell is a charming romantic comedy story which was a lot of fun to read.

Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop edited by Otto Penzler

 

Title: Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop

Editor:  Otto Penzler

Narrated by:  Jennifer Pickens, Graham Rowat

Publisher: HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Length: Approximately 7 hours and 21 minutes

Source: Review Copy from NetGalley.  Thank you!

 

Do you have a favorite bookstore that focuses on a specific genre?  I was interested to learn about the Mysterious Bookshop in New York City that specializes in selling mysteries.  I have never been to a genre specific bookstore.  Each year, the store commissions an original short story for its customers.  It must be set at Christmas, include a crime or suspicion of a crime and must have at least have a partial setting at the Mysterious Bookshop.  This is a collection of twelve of the stories.

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       I enjoyed this collection.  The main narrator, Graham Rowat, has a newsman type voice that was interesting to listen to.  It gave it an old-time mystery feel.

·       One of my favorite authors, Laura Lippman, had a story in the collection.

·       The 1^st story had a lot of cheating in it, which I didn’t like, but the ending was something else and thought provoking.

·       One story seemed to be if a Tony Soprano type character had come back to New York City out of witness protection to see his son give a talk at the Mysterious Bookshop.  Things do not go as planned.  Never threaten a dangerous man’s family.

·       I loved the story where an expensive bottle of vintage cognac travels through New York City with everyone adding to it and resealing it.

·       An interesting story included a puzzle to solve that included classic Christmas stories by classic mystery authors.  I had read a few and it was fun to solve. 

·       I liked how the last story had a mysterious component involving the completion of the novel Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens.

·       I loved how each story was unique and seemed to be even more enjoyable than the last story.

Overall, Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop was a wonderful, unique collection of Christmas mystery short stories that were a perfect read for the Holiday season.  I highly recommend it. 

Christmas is all Around by Martha Waters

 

Title:  Christmas is all Around

Author:  Martha Waters

Narrated by:  Nikki Massoud

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 56 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio. 

What is your favorite Christmas movie?  I have so many favorites!  My overall favorite Christmas movie and just one of my favorite movies of all time is It’s a Wonderful Life.

As a nine-year-old, Charlotte starred in what would become a classic Christmas movie.  As an adult, she has tried to distance herself from it and become an artist on her own merit.  On a visit with her sister in England, she ends up at Eden Priory and recognizes it as a setting from the movie she starred in as a kid.  She runs into a man changing into a reindeer costume, Graham, and they strike up a friendship based on a mutual dislike of Christmas.  Graham and his family commission Charlotte to create iconic Christmas scenes into illustrations to display to help keep the historic home running.  Will Graham and Charlotte have their own Christmas romance?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I loved the look into Christmas romance movies and their tropes.  They experienced so many of the tropes including being stuck in an inn with only one room left.

·       I enjoyed that slowly through the book, despite hating Christmas romance, Charlotte and Graham soon find themselves living in a Hallmark movie.

·       I loved the trips the two main characters take to Christmas locations around England.

·       Charlotte and Graham have great chemistry.

·       I would love to see this as a movie!

·       I have enjoyed this author’s Regency romance, and I thought this contemporary romance was just as fun.

·       I also always like love stories that include saving an old historic home.

Overall, Christmas is all Around by Martha Waters was a fun contemporary Christmas romance.  I highly recommend it.

Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

 

Title: Christmas with the Queen

Author:  Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

Narrated by:  Fiona Hardingham, Gary Furlong, Esther Wane

Publisher: HarperAudio

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 15 minutes

Source: Audiobook Purchased from Audible

Have you ever wanted to visit somewhere else for the holidays?  I’ve always wanted to go to Germany and England at Christmas.

Jack Devereux and Olive Carter had a brief romance at the end of World War II that never took off.  Jack fell instead for Olive’s friend, Andrea.  Years later, Jack is a widower and the two meet again at Sandringham House at Christmas.  Jack is now a chef working for the royal family and Olive is a reporting on the royal family Christmas traditions when the two meet again. Will they ever be able to truly connect?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       There are three narrators of this novel.  Jack, Olive and Queen Elizabeth all narrate portions of the book.  The audiobook has three different narrators for these parts which works out great.  The primary narration is Jack and Olive.

·       The novel starts in the 1950s and goes through several Christmases in the 1950s.  I enjoyed that most of the action was during the Christmas season.

·       There are flashbacks showing how Jack and Olive met at the end of WWII.  Olive also has a brief meeting with then Princess Elizabeth celebrating the end of the war.

·       The near misses in romance drove me crazy at times!  I was like NOOOOOO – just tell him/her how you feel.  This story is two shy people afraid to ever say their feelings and rock the boat. 

·       The story was cozy. 

·       Jack is a Louisiana native and brings spice and new dishes to the palace.  He dreams of owning his own restaurant like his grandfather before him.

·       Olive is a single mother.  She lies that she is a war widow to hide the fact that she is an unwed mother.  Her journey was interesting working as a female in a man’s world while also trying to hide that she is an unwed mother

·       I liked the royal happenings throughout the story – it reminded me of The Crown.

·       The ending of this novel was perfect.

Overall, Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb is a lovely slow burn historical romance set at the Christmas season.  I enjoyed reading this one!