Category: Fiction

Title: Alfie the Holiday Cat
Author: Rachel Wells
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Avon Books UK
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: November 16, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The Sunday Times bestseller returns for a fourth book! Alfie and his mischievous kitten George are back for more adventures – this time taking them a long way from home…

Alfie and George just can’t seem to keep out of trouble. So when they hear that their owners have got a new holiday home, they can’t wait to visit it and enjoy some new adventures.

But when they arrive, they don’t find the comfort they’re used to. Crumbling walls, peeling paint, dripping ceilings…this little Cornish cottage is clearly on its last legs.

Family and friends rally round to try and save the cottage – but it soon becomes clear that the locals don’t want them there at all. It’s up to Alfie and George to make sure their family is welcomed into the village – that’s if they can keep out of the way of the nastiest cat they’ve ever encountered…

Review:

This is the first book I’ve ever read that is narrated by a cat! It was so funny to see everything from Alfie’s perspective. He got involved with all of the human problems, and he also had his own cat dilemmas.

This is part of a series, but I didn’t feel left out even though I haven’t read any of the other books. At the beginning, it took me a while to learn who everyone was, especially since there were a bunch of similar young families and cats. Alfie also considers himself to be part of many families in the neighbourhood, so it was difficult to distinguish between them. But once they all went to the cottage, I was able to tell them apart.

I’ve never owned a cat, but my mom and I look after the stray cats in our backyard. It’s so heartbreaking to see them abandoned and living outside, but it isn’t possible to take them in since I have a dog. We do our best to keep them fed and warm, especially in the winter months. I kept comparing the cats in the story to our outside cats. We even have a mischievous cat named George, so I thought the kitten in the story was very funny!

This is a cute story for cat lovers.

Title: A Little Christmas Magic
Author: Barbara Ankrum
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Tule Publishing
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: November 6, 2017
Rating: ★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

After nine, lonely years as a military wife, Holly McGuire has returned to her late husband’s home town of Marietta, Montana, to finally close that chapter of her life and begin again. She’s spent the last year rediscovering herself and she’s sworn off military men. All she wants is a child of on her own—no strings attached. But her plans are threatened when old, unwanted sparks ignite between her and her husband’s one-time best friend.

Buttoning up the past isn’t what Trey Reyes has in mind when he welcomes Holly to town. Secretly in love with her since day one, his old vow to his friend to watch over her, come what may, doesn’t include enabling a terrible idea. As the men of their old unit—the Band of Brothers—gather to honor her husband, Trey must take one last stand to win her heart and prove Holly wrong about him. Christmas in Marietta, with all the trimmings, may be just the ticket.

Review:

This was quite a unique story.

Holly goes back to her husband’s hometown in the hopes of getting pregnant. But it was such a strange situation. Women don’t usually choose their husband’s former friend to have a baby with. And even if they do, it’s done through IVF, not sex. I found that part of the story really odd and hard to believe.

Another part that was hard to believe was the angel/ghost who visited. Even when the identity of the woman was revealed, it was still unbelievable. It was also a little creepy since the woman knew so much about Holly.

However, the Christmas spirit was alive in this story. It’s a time for coming together. All the people from Holly’s husband’s life were brought together for the holiday season in this holiday story.

Title: Their Christmas Miracle
Author: Lynne Marshall
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Tule Publishing
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: November 8, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Hunter Wood wants to be respected. A talented cook, he’s ventured out on his own, opening a breakfast and lunch diner in Charity, Montana. He’s got a lot to prove—mostly to himself—and more than a few people to convince he’s a changed man.

Tracy Blevin is a registered nurse and pie baker extraordinaire, who is drawn to a most unlikely man, Hunter Wood. A nurturer by profession, she likes to feel needed, but the only thing Hunter needs her for is her pies. Their friendship has changed over the last six months as business partners. The more time Hunter spends with Tracy, the more he finds things to like about her. She’s smart, organized, and…those bright green eyes and delicate mouth are really starting to get to him. Maybe it’s time to move beyond just partnership…

When a Montana winter car crash leaves a baby an orphan, Godfather Hunter, lives up to his promise, taking in the ten-month old. With the season of miracles upon them, Hunter can no longer deny his strong attraction towards Tracy. Is her life-long wish for her own family finally being answered this Christmas?

Review:

This was a unique Christmas story.

Hunter is a Native American who suddenly finds himself with his baby godson. The aspects of his Native heritage were interesting. Hunter is close to his grandmother, who is called Knows Much. That’s the perfect name for a wise grandmother! I would have liked to see more of Hunter’s family. I think they would have made for some fun plot twists.

Hunter runs into problems with being his godson’s guardian because he isn’t 100% Native. The baby’s full Native grandparents think they have more of a claim on the baby, who is also fully Native. Hunter has to find a creative way for him to be able to keep the baby.

The Christmas theme was a nice background to the story. It emphasizes the family image that Tracy is looking for, and the new family of Hunter and Adam. The Christmas season really brings people together, like Hunter and Tracy.

This is a really fast read. It’s great to read over the holidays!

Title: Heartaches and Christmas Cakes
Author: Amy Miller
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Bookouture
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: October 20, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

December, 1940: All that Audrey Barton wants is her family together for Christmas. But the war changes everything… 

The Barton family bakery in Bournemouth has been at the heart of the town for generations: Audrey and Charlie Barton have never been rich, but their bread and cakes – and their love and advice – have enriched the lives of others in the town for many years.

When war breaks out, it doesn’t take long for trouble to arrive on the bakery doorstep. Audrey’s brother William has joined up to fight, and William’s fiancé Elsie fears she may lose him before their life together has even begun. Audrey’s stepsister Lily comes to stay, but Lily is clearly hiding a dark secret.

And a silent and strange little girl is evacuated to the town – will Audrey get to the heart of what is ailing her?

Audrey battles to keep hope and love alive in tumultuous times. But when disaster strikes at Christmas, will her efforts be in vain?

This is the first book in a heartwarming and romantic new saga series, perfect for fans of The Gingerbread Girl, Nadine Dorries and Ellie Dean.

Review:

This book really lived up to it’s name. There were lots of Christmas cakes and tons of heartaches.

I enjoyed the backdrop of the bakery. It was fascinating to see how they dealt with the rations. I was also surprised at how important the bakery was during the war. They were given special privileges, such as Charlie being exempt from the war, because they had to feed people.

This was such a heart wrenching story. Pretty much everything that could go wrong to a town during the war happened to these people. A house was bombed, people were lost at war, and even a suicide. All of these things brought tears to my eyes, because they were so realistic. These were real problems that people faced during the war.

This story wasn’t so much about Christmas, though they gathered for Christmas at the end. They couldn’t decorate the town because the lights would have drawn attention to them during the air raids. But they were still able to have a happy Christmas at the end.

This book isn’t something I would typically read because it was so sad, but I enjoyed the writing. This is a good Christmas war story.

Title: No-one Ever Has Sex on Christmas Day
Author: Tracy Bloom
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Bookouture
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: October 24, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Don’t you always plan the perfect Christmas?
Don’t you always think it will be the best one ever?
And doesn’t something – usually one of your loved ones – always come along and screw it up?

Katy’s been spending too much time in the office and not enough time with her family so she wants it all: snow (fake or real), the Michael Bublé Christmas album, whatever it takes.

There’s only one thing missing as far as her husband Ben is concerned: another baby to complete their family. Katy isn’t so sure…

Ben may be playing the role of Master Elf in the pre-school nativity but he is struggling to master his own family life. With romantically-challenged friends, an ex who refuses to go away and Katy’s mum’s 64-year-old toy boy thrown into the mix, Christmas looks like it could be going off the rails… Never mind family planning, can Katy and Ben even plan to make it to the end of Christmas Day?

Review:

Well, I couldn’t resist this story when I saw the title! It sounds so funny, and it didn’t disappoint.

This story is part of a series. I haven’t read any of the other books, but I understood this one. There were a couple of parts where I was slowed down when I tried to figure out who was related. It’s a family comedy, so it’s easy to get into the story.

The families are at different stages in their lives, so they would be relatable to different readers. Katy’s family is deciding whether or not to have more children, while also dealing with stress from her job. Her mother has a new boyfriend at 74 years of age, and they have invited themselves for Christmas dinner. Meanwhile, Matthew’s family is expecting a new child and dealing with preschool drama with his twins. All of these situations made for some very funny moments.

I really enjoyed this story. It was quick to get through because it was so funny and lighthearted. It’s a great, entertaining holiday story.

Title: A Christmas Carol
Author: Charles Dickens
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Wisehouse Classics
Source: Purchased
Release Date: November 6, 2015, originally December 19, 1843
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A CHRISTMAS CAROL is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London on December 1843. The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim. A Christmas Carol tells the story of a bitter old miser named Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation into a gentler, kindlier man after visitations by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. The book was written at a time when the British were examining and exploring Christmas traditions from the past as well as new customs such as Christmas cards and Christmas trees. Carol singing took a new lease on life during this time. Dickens’ sources for the tale appear to be many and varied, but are, principally, the humiliating experiences of his childhood, his sympathy for the poor, and various Christmas stories and fairy tales.

Review:

It’s surprising that I had never read A Christmas Carol considering how much I love Victorian novels. My mom doesn’t like this story so I think that influenced me. But now I have finally read it!

Of course, there were no surprises with this story. It was exactly what I was expecting. There are so many adaptations of this story! It is such an important part of Christmas. Two Christmas movie adaptations I can think of are Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and It’s a Wonderful Life. Both are great examples of movies that were adapted to fit the story into a more modern setting.

The story has also added to pop culture. I kept thinking “Scrooge is being such a… Scrooge!” It’s funny how his name has really become a mainstream word.

This story is nice and short too. It takes less than two hours to read. This makes it the perfect book for a cozy winter night in with some hot cocoa.

Title: The Best Little Christmas Shop
Author: Maxine Morrey
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: HQ Digital
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: November 3, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Come home for Christmas to the Best Little Christmas Shop – the snowiest, cosiest place you can be!

Home for the holidays…

Icing gingerbread men, arranging handmade toys and making up countless Christmas wreaths in her family’s cosy little Christmas shop isn’t usually globe-trotter Lexi’s idea of fun. But it’s all that’s keeping her mind off romance. And, with a broken engagement under her belt, she’s planning to stay well clear of that for the foreseeable future…until gorgeous single dad Cal Martin walks through the door!

Christmas takes on a whole new meaning as Lexi begins to see it through Cal’s adorable five-year-old son’s eyes. But, finding herself getting dangerously close to the mistletoe with Cal, Lexi knows she needs to back off. She’s sworn off love, and little George needs a stability she can’t provide. One day she’ll decide whether to settle down again – just not yet.

But the best little Christmas shop in this sleepy, snow-covered village has another surprise in store…

Review:

This is a super cute story.

I loved the setting of the little village. There were a lot of comparisons to London since Cal was originally from there. But it was such a cozy little town, the perfect setting for a Christmas story.

This story has many of the stereotypical aspects of a Christmas romance. A stranger comes to the town and falls in love with one of their beloved residents. But there were some twists. One was that Lexi used to work with Formula One racers as a mechanic. She isn’t a stereotypical damsel in distress so she stands out in the story.

There also always seems to be a child that brings the couple together. Cal’s son George was that child in this story, and he was so adorable! He fit that role perfectly.

I really enjoyed this story. I recommend it for a cozy Christmas read!

Title: Christmas on the Coast
Author: Rebecca Boxall
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: November 21, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Christmas is approaching on the island of Jersey, but Libby is feeling far from festive. Her police work and duties as vicar’s wife weigh heavily on her, she’s anxious about her troubled children, and now her best friend, Stella, has suddenly turned against her, citing a mysterious family grudge.

Libby is devastated by Stella’s unexpected coldness. But then her father shows her a diary written by her great-aunt Queenie, which sheds light on a long-hidden secret—one rooted in love, loyalty and betrayal. Writing during the Nazi occupation of Jersey in the winter of 1941, Queenie reveals a community torn apart by illicit romance, heartbreak and revenge—and by dark acts of fear and desperation.

The more Libby immerses herself in Queenie’s journal, the more she understands why its secrets still haunt her family and Stella’s. Christmas is a time of forgiveness, but is the treachery of their shared past too shameful to be forgotten?

Review:

This is another great Christmas book!

I liked that Libby is older than the typical protagonist in a Christmas women’s fiction story. She has a grown up daughter who was getting married. Usually the protagonist would be her daughter’s age. This gives a different perspective of the holidays.

There was some mystery about Libby’s background. It kept the story interesting. The War in Queenie’s story also held some mystery, since there were soldiers in the town who kept disrupting their lives. It made the story unpredictable.

At first, I didn’t realize Libby would be related Queenie. I liked Queenie’s parallel diary entries because they contrasted well with Libby’s modern story.

This is a great Christmas story.

Title: A Second Christmas Wish
Author: Kathryn Freeman
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Choc Lit
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: November 7, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Do you believe in Father Christmas?

For Melissa, Christmas has always been overrated. From her cold, distant parents to her manipulative ex-husband, Lawrence, she’s never experienced the warmth and contentment of the festive season with a big, happy family sitting around the table.
And Melissa has learned to live with it, but it breaks her heart that her seven-year-old son, William, has had to live with it too. Whilst most little boys wait with excitement for the big day, William finds it difficult to believe that Father Christmas even exists.
But then Daniel McCormick comes into their lives. And with his help, Melissa and William might just be able to find their festive spirit, and finally have a Christmas where all of their wishes come true …

Review:

I really enjoyed this story.

It was more than just a Christmas story. There was a lot going on with the characters with the backdrop of Christmas.

I liked that Melissa had a history. She seemed like a real person. It gave her a valid reason for not wanting to let anyone in.

The romance between Melissa and Daniel seemed real too. They were set up by his sister, and they fell in love quickly but it was very sweet to read.

William also grew as a character through the story. His letter to Santa reminded me of Miracle on 34th St, and you’ll just have to read the book to find out why!

This was a great Christmas story!

Title: Love You Like Christmas
Author: Keri F. Sweet
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Hallmark Publishing
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: October 30, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Treat yourself to ebooks inspired by Hallmark Christmas movies. Enjoy a heartwarming, feel-good story…and find out what happens after the movie ends.

Sometimes getting lost leads you back to what matters most…

Maddie, a marketing executive in New York, is on her way to attend the December wedding of one of her best clients. She’s afraid of flying, and taking her late aunt’s classic Mustang on a road trip seems like fun—until the car breaks down and leaves her stranded in the small town of Christmas Valley.

The first time Kevin meets Maddie, he’s dealing with an accident that left a whole shipment of his Christmas trees scattered across the highway. He hasn’t thought about romance since his wife died: he’s been busy raising a little girl and running a struggling tree farm. But even in the middle of this setback, he’s immediately drawn to Maddie.

As Maddie waits in Christmas Valley for her car to get repaired, she begins to realize that friends and family are at the heart of the holidays—and she can’t deny her growing feelings for Kevin. But sooner or later, she’s going back to her big-city life, and Kevin’s future is uncertain. How can either of them take a chance on love?

This novel includes a free original recipe for Christmas Biscuits with Sugar Plum Jam.

Review:

This is a great Christmas romance.

I liked the contrasting settings of Manhattan and the small town in Ohio. These two places were brought together in Maddie. Christmas Valley sounds like such a fun town! It’s always Christmas there.

The budding romance between Maddie and Kevin was predictable but cute. It was obvious that they would like each other, but there were many obstacles that threatened to keep them apart which kept up the excitement in the story.

The story was predictable but fun too. I really enjoyed this Christmas story. It’s a great light read for the season.