Category: Fiction

Title: One Week ‘Til Christmas
Author: Belinda Missen
Genre: Fiction, Romance
Publisher: HQ Digital
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: November 1, 2019
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Two people. One chance meeting. Seven days to Christmas.

Isobel Bennett is waiting for the number 11 bus when a man quite literally falls into her lap. Snow is falling, Christmas lights are twinkling, and a gorgeous man with dark brown hair has just slipped on ice and is now pressed against Isobel.

Isobel knows she’s not imagining the chemistry between them. But then his ride arrives and, embarrassed, he beats a hasty retreat, murmuring apologies – and Isobel realises only too late that she didn’t manage to catch his name…

When she runs into him again the next morning, she decides it’s fate.

It’s a second chance for Isobel and Tom – but there’s only one week until she’s leaving London for good. Seven days of enjoying all the festive delights the city has to offer: ice-skating at Somerset House, mulled wine on the Southbank, Christmas shopping at Liberty.

There’s magic in the air and mistletoe in the trees – but what will happen when the week is over?

For fans of Josie Silver, Lucy Diamond and Marian Keyes, this is one Christmas romance you don’t want to miss!

Review:

This was an adorable Christmas romance.

It was a short and sweet story. The whole story takes place in the week before Christmas. Tom and Isobel meet while she’s on a writing assignment to interview him. They end up having a whirlwind romance that has to come to an end when she leaves for Christmas. The question was, were they going to stay together even if she left to go to Australia for Christmas?

I loved all the references to London in this story. Isobel is originally from Australia but she’s on a holiday in London during the book. London is one of my favourite cities, and it’s so pretty when it’s decorated for the holidays. I loved all the locations mentioned in the book.

I really enjoyed this Christmas story!

Thank you HQ Digital for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Have you read One Week ‘Til Christmas? What did you think of it?

Title: A Wedding in December
Author: Sarah Morgan
Genre: Fiction, Romance
Publisher: HQN Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 24, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Christmas Sisters comes this funny, charming and heartwarming all new original Christmas novel. This is Sarah Morgan at her festive best!

In the snowy perfection of Aspen, the White family gathers for youngest daughter Rosie’s whirlwind Christmas wedding. First to arrive are the bride’s parents, Maggie and Nick. Their daughter’s marriage is a milestone they are determined to celebrate wholeheartedly, but they are hiding a huge secret of their own: they are on the brink of divorce. After living apart for the last six months, the last thing they need is to be trapped together in an irresistibly romantic winter wonderland.

Rosie’s older sister, Katie, is also dreading the wedding. Worried that impulsive, sweet-hearted Rosie is making a mistake, Katie is determined to save her sister from herself! If only the irritatingly good-looking best man, Jordan, would stop interfering with her plans…

Bride-to-be Rosie loves her fiancé but is having serious second thoughts. Except everyone has arrived—how can she tell them she’s not sure? As the big day gets closer, and emotions run even higher, this is one White family Christmas none of them will ever forget! 

Review:

This story was a heartwarming holiday romance!

The story followed three narratives: Maggie and her daughters, Rosie and Katie. I liked to see an older woman have her own narrative in the romance. I’ve heard complaints that contemporary romances are usually about younger girls in their 20s or 30s. Though two of the narratives were about girls of that age, one also told the story about their mother who was at a different place in life.

The story was set in December, but it wasn’t completely Christmas themed. I think it could be read throughout the winter, not just at Christmas. There were some Christmasy parts, but mostly it was about winter in Aspen. I loved reading about the snowy activities they were doing, while I was warm indoors. I liked reading about the snowball fights and sleigh rides, but I’d rather stay inside and read about it instead.

I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you HarperCollins for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Author Info:

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Have you read A Wedding in December? What did you think of it?

Title: The Bride Test (The Kiss Quotient #2)
Author: Helen Hoang
Genre: Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Berkley
Source: Indigo Spring Preview
Format: Paperback
Release Date: May 7, 2018
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions—like grief. And love. He thinks he’s defective. His family knows better—that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride.

As a mixed-race girl living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a potential husband, she can’t turn it down, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn’t go as planned. Esme’s lessons in love seem to be working…but only on herself. She’s hopelessly smitten with a man who’s convinced he can never return her affection.

With Esme’s time in the United States dwindling, Khai is forced to understand he’s been wrong all along. And there’s more than one way to love. 

Review:

This was another great book from Helen Hoang.

Esme’s story was heartbreaking at the beginning. She accepted a request to journey to America and get a chance to marry a man she didn’t know. She didn’t really want to, but she had to try so that she would have a chance to make a better life for her daughter.

A detail I really liked was that when the narrative alternated to Esme’s side of the story, there were accents on the names. She pronounced everyone’s names the way they were said in Vietnamese, which was physically on the page with the different accents. I could tell that she was saying the names differently, even though I couldn’t hear her speaking.

Even though this book is in the same series as The Kiss Quotient, it can be read as a stand-alone book. Some characters from that book were mentioned, but this was a separate story.

I enjoyed this story.

Thank you Chapters Indigo for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Other Books in the Series:

• The Kiss Quotient

Have you read The Bride Test? What did you think of it?

Title: Finding Christmas
Author: Karen Schaler
Genre: Fiction, Romance
Publisher: William Morrow
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: October 15, 2019
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From the writer of the Netflix sensation, A Christmas Prince,and Christmas Camp, the Hallmark movie and novel, comes a heartwarming new Christmas story, Finding Christmas, showing how sometimes the detour in your journey is the path to true love.

With all the glittering decorations, twinkling lights, snow angels, gingerbread men and mistletoe, Christmas is Emmie’s first love.

This year, she can’t wait to share her favorite Christmas traditions with her boyfriend, Grant. She thinks he’s “the one.” So when Grant’s hectic work schedule has him more “Bah Humbug” than “Ho, Ho, Ho,” Emmie creates a holiday-themed scavenger hunt to help him find his Christmas spirit. At the end of the journey, Grant will arrive at the charming town of Christmas Point where she’s planned a romantic weekend filled with holiday activities.

But Emmie’s plan backfires when a mix-up has the wrong guy following her clues! Sam, a best-selling mystery writer, thinks Emmie’s clever Christmas riddles are from his agent, who is trying to help him get over his epic writer’s block.

When he arrives at Christmas Point and finds the stunned Emmie, he immediately feels she’s someone special, but she can’t see beyond the fact that the wrong guy has shown up. Inspired by the small, charming town, Sam decides to stay and convinces Emmie to join him in a little holiday fun while she waits for Grant.

When Grant finally shows up, Emmie is disappointed to discover he’s not enjoying the activities she planned and can’t help wonder if he’s really the one for her. She also can’t get Sam out of her mind and all the great times they had together. With Christmas coming fast, Emmie will need the magic of the season to help steer her in the direction of true love…

Review:

This is a perfect holiday romance.

I loved the premise for the book. Emmie created a Christmas scavenger hunt for her boyfriend, which would lead him to their Christmas vacation, but the clues were intercepted by someone else. She ends up spending time with Sam, instead of her workaholic boyfriend.

Even though the story was predictable, it was a comforting read. The characters were stereotypical, with the workaholic boyfriend who doesn’t have time to spend with his girlfriend and the fun new guy who’s willing to try anything new. However, the story was still a lot of fun.

I loved this book! It’s perfect for this Christmas!

What to read next:

Have you read Finding Christmas? What did you think of it?

Title: Well Met (Well Met #1)
Author: Jen DeLuca
Genre: Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Berkley
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 3, 2019
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

All’s faire in love and war for two sworn enemies who indulge in a harmless flirtation in a laugh-out-loud rom-com from debut author, Jen DeLuca.

Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenaged niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him?

The faire is Simon’s family legacy and from the start he makes clear he doesn’t have time for Emily’s lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the faire grounds he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she’s in her revealing wench’s costume. But is this attraction real, or just part of the characters they’re portraying?

This summer was only ever supposed to be a pit stop on the way to somewhere else for Emily, but soon she can’t seem to shake the fantasy of establishing something more with Simon, or a permanent home of her own in Willow Creek. 

Review:

This was a super fun romantic comedy!

The Renaissance Faire was a great setting for this novel. It was an isolated event in the town where the characters performed for the whole summer. It was as if the characters travelled back in time to the 1600s, while staying in modern times. It made for some fun situations, such as a spontaneous handfasting ceremony and jousting tournaments.

I loved all the literary references in this book. Emily and Simon discussed Shakespeare a lot, including the theory that multiple different people actually wrote his plays, rather than one person. This was relevant to the plot, since the Renaissance Faire was set during Shakespeare’s lifetime.

I really enjoyed this story! I’m excited to see what happens in the sequel next year.

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Have you read Well Met? What did you think of it?