Jill's Book Blog

Title: A Princess for Christmas (Christmas in Eldovia #1)
Author: Jenny Holiday
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Avon
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: October 13, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From USA Today bestselling author Jenny Holiday comes a modern fairy tale just in time for Christmas about a tough New Yorker from the other side of the tracks who falls for a princess from the other side of the world.

Leo Ricci’s already handling all he can, between taking care of his little sister Gabby, driving a cab, and being the super of his apartment building in the Bronx. But when Gabby spots a “princess” in a gown outside of the UN trying to hail a cab, she begs her brother to stop and help. Before he knows it, he’s got a real-life damsel in distress in the backseat of his car. 

Princess Marie of Eldovia shouldn’t be hailing a cab, or even be out and about. But after her mother’s death, her father has plunged into a devastating depression and the fate of her small Alpine country has fallen on Marie’s shoulders. She’s taken aback by the gruff but devastatingly handsome driver who shows her more kindness than she’s seen in a long time. 

When Marie asks Leo to be her driver for the rest of her trip, he agrees, thinking he’ll squire a rich miss around for a while and make more money than he has in months. He doesn’t expect to like and start longing for the unpredictable Marie. And when he and Gabby end up in Eldovia for Christmas, he discovers the princess who is all wrong for him is also the woman who is his perfect match.

Review:

Leo Ricci is busy driving a cab in New York and being the sole caregiver for his little sister after the death of his parents. One day while they are driving home, his sister notices a woman in a gown trying to hail a cab outside of the UN. She insists they stop and help the woman, who turns out to be the Princess of Eldovia, a small country in Europe. Princess Marie has had to take on a lot of responsibility for the country following the death of her mother. When she gets into Leo’s cab, he is kind to her in a way she hasn’t experienced in a long time. He offers to personally drive her around New York while she’s visiting. Marie appreciates his help so much that she invites Leo and his sister to Eldovia for Christmas. Leo and Marie can’t deny the attraction they feel, but Marie has expectations for her future marriage, so it can only be a holiday fling, unless they can find a way to break the rules. 

This story was like an adult version of The Princess Diaries. Marie had an innocence about her, since she hadn’t been exposed to a lot outside of the palace. Leo was gruff, but kind, especially when it came to his sister. Marie and Leo had a steamy romance, and I was hoping they would find a way to be together. I’m so glad this is the start of a series because I really enjoyed reading about these characters. 

A Princess for Christmas is a sweet holiday read. 

Content warnings: death of parents, car accident (off page), cancer

Other books in the series:

• Duke, Actually (Christmas in Eldovia #2)
• So This is Christmas (Christmas in Eldovia #3)

Have you read A Princess for Christmas? What did you think of it?

Title: Snowed In for Christmas
Author: Jaqueline Snowe
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Forever
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: October 3, 2023
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sorority mom Becca Fairfield is used to guys not taking her seriously. She’s too blond, too quirky, or Just. Too. Much. So she’s ditched dating to focus on her job and a house filled with drama and plenty of tea. Now with the holidays and a major blizzard on her doorstep, Becca has everything she needs to survive the next two weeks on her own. Hot cocoa, plenty of books . . . and the memory of a steamy kiss with a certain sexy, grumposaurus next-door neighbor to keep her warm. 

Only Becca’s seriously underestimated this Snowpocalypse. So when the power goes out and Harrison Cooper—football coach, master crank, and the guy who acted mega-awkward after said steamy kiss—offers her shelter, it only makes sense to accept. They’ll just be Blizzard Buddies. Hang out, stay safe, and maybe indulge in a little R-rated cuddling . Becca knows that Harrison isn’t the dating kind, and what happens during the storm lasts only as long as the storm. But are they keeping warm . . . or playing with fire?

Review:

Becca Fairfield is the sorority mom at a sorority house where she looks after a bunch of college girls. She’s focused on her job, and hasn’t found the right guy yet. She’s quirky and the guys she’s dated haven’t understood her. That includes the football coach next door, Harrison Cooper. When Becca and Harrison went on a date two years ago, he ghosted her. Now, they’re both home alone during a huge blizzard. When the power goes out and one of the sorority house’s windows breaks, Harrison insists that Becca come to his house to wait out the storm. The freezing temperatures force them to cuddle to warm each other up with their body heat. They agree to just be “Blizzard Buddies” and have a short romance during the storm, but it isn’t easy to let go of these new feelings once the snow clears. 

I have to admit, I felt cold while reading this story about the snow storm. It was scary to imagine a storm like that, especially when they lost power in severely cold temperatures. Becca and Harrison’s romance was out of convenience, since they were attracted to each other while they were snowed in, but they did have some things in common that made it seem like the relationship would last. The story had a really cute ending too!

Snowed In for Christmas is a cute holiday romance!

Thank you Forever for providing a digital copy of this book. 

Content warnings: car accident, drunk driving

Have you read Snowed In for Christmas? What did you think of it?

Title: A Kilt for Christmas (The Enchanted Highlands #3)
Author: Tricia O’Malley
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Lovewrite Publishing
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Audiobook
Release Date: November 17, 2023
Rating: ★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Legend has it that wishes made at the standing stones during Christmas come true. As if.

Maisie Barron is over it. A small-town girl with big dreams, her frustrations lead her to make a silly wish at the standing stones outside Loren Brae. Little does she know, the magick found there will transform her wish into a catastrophic event that threatens the upcoming Christmas Book Festival.Weston Smith needs a break. Burnt out from his tenure-track professorship, he decides that a holiday in little Loren Brae, Scotland, will be the perfect escape he needs to recharge his batteries. The last thing he expects is to find the woman he’s been waiting his whole life for. With the over-zealous help of a gaggle of elderly book club members, West finds himself on a real-life mission to woo the woman of his dreams.There’s more than magic at play when sparks ignite. Snowed in, with an undeniable attraction brewing, only West and Maisie can save Loren Brae from the snowstorm of the century.Author’s a handsome American takes on a lonely Scotswoman in this stand-alone, small-town, Scottish romance. Wicked banter, a highland ghost coo, and dogs dressed in kilts make this magical Christmas story the perfect happily-ever-after.

Review:

Weston Smith is a professor in California who decides to take a vacation in Loren Brae, Scotland before Christmas. The town is hosting the Christmas Book Festival, which West is excited to help out with. He meets Maisie Barron, a girl from the town who dreams of being an author. West instantly knows she’s the woman of his dreams. Maisie makes a wish at the standing stones outside the town, which causes a catastrophic snow storm that snows in Maisie and West together. They can’t help but succumb to their attraction while they’re stuck in the storm of the century. 

This was a short Christmas read. It’s part of a series, which I haven’t read, and I think that put me at a disadvantage. I wasn’t familiar with the town or characters, who may have been introduced more thoroughly in previous books. Maisie and West fell in love at first sight. I’m not a fan of the instant love trope, because it doesn’t feel genuine or long lasting. 

Unfortunately, A Kilt for Christmas didn’t work for me. 

Thank you Dreamscape Select for providing a copy of this audiobook.

Other books in the series:

• Wild Scottish Knight (The Enchanted Highlands #1)
• Wild Scottish Love (The Enchanted Highlands #2)

Have you read A Kilt for Christmas? What did you think of it?

Title: Season’s Schemings
Author: Katie Bailey
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Eleventh Avenue Publishing Inc.
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Format: Ebook
Release Date: December 1, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

‘Tis the season to get even… 

When Maddie Grainger’s longtime boyfriend dumps her on TV for the entire world to see, she thinks she’s hit rock bottom.Until her parents announce that they’re spending the holidays with her ex’s family… And he’ll be bringing the woman he left her for.All Maddie wants for Christmas is to stick it to her cheating ex. But how?Enter Sebastian Slater, the NHL’s most infamous player.On a drunken night out in Vegas, Maddie asks the superstar athlete to pose as her new boyfriend. She’s kidding, mostly. But Seb shocks her by making a counter he doesn’t want to date Maddie for the holidays… he wants to marry her.Show up at her ex’s cabin alone, or with a surprise new hockey-playing husband? Maddie opts for the ultimate level up.Because maybe, just maybe, revenge is a dish best served betrothed.

Sparks fly and Christmas cheer is abundant in this festive marriage of convenience rom com. Season’s Schemings is a closed door/fade to black romance that includes mild language, innuendo, and tons of sizzle without the spice.

Review:

When Maddie Grainger’s boyfriend dumps her on a cooking show, she thinks her life has hit rock bottom. Then her parents announce that they will be spending Christmas with her ex’s family and his new fiancé, and she’s expected to go with them. Maddie starts a new job for the NHL and meets star player Sebastian Slater. Sebastian gets the devastating news that his work visa has expired and he won’t be able to play hockey. Maddie asks Seb to be her pretend boyfriend for the holidays, but he suggests they get married temporarily so that he can keep his job. This revenge is even better since Seb is Maddie’s ex’s favourite player. As Maddie and Seb spend the holidays together, unexpected sparks start flying, which makes them wonder if this temporary marriage is meant to last. 

This story was such a great holiday book. It was funny, romantic, and a quick read. I loved the revenge that Maddie got on her horrible ex, by marrying someone else who was way better than him. Each of the characters were distinct and had their own quirks and subplots. I’ll definitely be checking out this author’s other books!

Seasons Schemings is a fun holiday rom com!

Have you read Season’s Schemings? What did you think of it?

Title: Faking Christmas
Author: Kerry Winfrey
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Berkley
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 26, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Laurel Grant is playing house for the holidays–complete with a fake husband and kids–in this delightful, cozy rom-com by Kerry Winfrey.

Laurel Grant works as the social media manager for Buckeye State of Mind, an Ohio tourism magazine and website. She is most definitely not an owner of a farm…but one tinymisunderstanding leads her boss, Gilbert, to think she owns her twin sister Holly’s farm just outside of Columbus. Laurel only handles the social media for the farm, but she’s happy to keep her little white lie going if it means not getting fired.

And keep it going she must when Gilbert, recently dumped by his wife, invites himself over for the farm’s big holiday dinner (as advertised on Meadow Rise Farm’s Instagram, thanks to Laurel herself). Laurel immediately goes into panic mode to figure out how she can trick Gilbert into thinking she’s basically the Martha Stewart of rural Ohio and keep her job in the process.

Laurel and Holly come up with a plan–all Laurel has to do is pretend to own the farm for one dinner. But when Laurel shows up at the farm, an unwelcome guest is there: Max Beckett, her nemesis since Holly’s wedding. The annoyingly attractive man she hates will be posing as Laurel’s husband just for the evening, but when a snowstorm traps them all for the entire weekend, Laurel is going to have to figure out how to survive with her job and dignity intact. Whatever the case, this promises to be the most eventful Christmas in ages…

Review:

Laurel Grant works as the social media manager for an Ohio tourism magazine and website. When she got the job, she led her boss to believe that she owned a farm and had a family outside of the city, which resulted in him giving her a monthly column on the farm life. That job was too important for her to give up, so she let her boss believe she owned a farm, which is actually owned by her twin sister. Her boss invites himself to her family’s famous Christmas Eve Eve dinner, so Laurel has to scramble to make him believe that she’s actually living her sister’s family farm life. Laurel only has to make him believe it for one dinner, but she doesn’t realize that her sister has invited Max Beckett, Laurel’s nemesis, to pretend to be her husband. Though the dinner goes well, everyone gets snowed for the holiday weekend, so Laurel has to keep up the ruse of being Max’s wife on the farm in order to keep her boss from discovering her lie. 

This story combined my two favourite tropes: enemies-to-lovers and fake dating! The tension between Laurel and Max was there from the beginning, but he didn’t seem as angry with her as she was with him. It was entertaining to see her have to scramble around and make her boss believe her fake life, which was the complete opposite of her real life. 

Faking Christmas is a fun Christmas rom com!

Thank you Berkley Romance for providing a digital copy of this book.

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

Title: The Ex-Mas Holidays
Author: Zoe Allison
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Berkley Romance
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 26, 2023
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s hard to escape your ex when you’re working together over Christmas in the Scottish Highlands, but being stuck together might be the best possible present in this sparkling new contemporary romance.
 
Maya Bashir is dreading her drive home for Christmas and having to explain that she’s just left her high-paying job and a long-term relationship, so a brief detour to her friend’s festive party doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. Until Maya walks in to find the last person she wants to see. Sam, the boy who broke her heart eight years ago. And he’s serving drinks. Naked.
 
Sam Holland is working an extra job on the sly to help his friend get by. But little did he expect Maya Bashir to come barrelling back into his life, learning about his secret side-hustle and taking back her old job alongside him at his daytime role as a ski instructor on the slopes of the Scottish Highlands.
 
As both Sam and Maya realize that their reason for heartbreak so many years ago wasn’t entirely as it seemed, they must learn to stand up for what they want the most…or else miss their second chance at love.

Review:

Maya Bashir is moving home during the holidays after losing her job and breaking up with her boyfriend. When she stops at her friend‘s party, she recognizes the naked butler at the party as the man who broke her heart when they were teenagers: Sam Holland. Sam is working an extra job to help out a friend. Maya decides to take a job at the ski resort in their hometown where Sam also works. They’re thrown back together, working closely and commuting to the resort. As they get to know each other again, they start to realize they didn’t break up for the reason they thought, so they have to decide if they want a second chance at romance. 

This story kind of combined the enemies to lovers and friends to lovers tropes. Maya and Sam were old friends who became reacquainted, but they were also enemies at the beginning of the story because of how they broke up years ago. I felt like the misunderstanding behind why they broke up was obvious, so it was a little frustrating that they didn’t talk about it. At the same time, there was a lot of tension between Maya and Sam throughout the story, so it was a relief to finally see them have their second chance at love. 

The Ex-Mas Holidays is a fun second chance romance!

Thank you Berkley Romance for providing a digital copy of this book.

Have you read The Ex-Mas Holidays? What did you think of it?

Title: Three Holidays and a Wedding
Author: Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Viking Canada
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: October 3, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A multi-faith holiday rom com about the delightful havoc that occurs when Christmas, Eid, and Hanukkah all fall at the same time, and two strangers-turned-friends are snowbound in the small, charming town of Snow Falls along with the cast and crew of a holiday romance movie, nosy family members, and their lifelong crushes.

Three times the holiday magic. Three times the chaos.

As strangers and seatmates Maryam Aziz and Anna Gibson fly to Toronto over the holidays–Maryam to her sister’s impromptu wedding, and Anna to meet her boyfriend’s wealthy family for the first time–neither expect that severe turbulence will scare them into confessing their deepest hopes and fears to one another. At least they’ll never see each other again. And the love of Maryam’s life, Saif, wasn’t sitting two rows behind them hearing it all. Oops.

When Anna, Maryam, Saif, and Maryam’s sister’s bridal party are snowbound at the quirky Snow Falls Inn–on the outskirts of a picture-perfect town where a holiday romance starring Anna’s actor-crush is being filmed–chaos ensues. But as Maryam and Anna start to feel the magic of Snow Falls–and find love beyond their deepest hopes–they just might realize there’s no place they’d rather be for the holidays.

Review:

In December 2000, three holidays were all happening at the same time: Hannukah, Ramadan, and Christmas. Maryam Aziz and Anna Gibson are two strangers flying to Toronto for the holidays. Maryam is going to her sister’s wedding, which she had to plan at the last minute, and Anna is going to meet her wealthy boyfriend’s family for the first time. Maryam and Anna sit next to each other, and confess their hopes and fears following some turbulence. They end up making an emergency landing in a small town near Ottawa because the snow storm of the century is closing down Toronto. With no flights out during the storm, everyone has to stay there for days. Snow Falls is a cute holiday town where a Christmas romance movie is being filmed. Meanwhile, the man Maryam had a crush on since they were kids is also staying at the inn with them. Everyone is stranded in the town for the holidays, and both young women find unexpected romances there too. 

This was such a fun holiday romance! I don’t remember the December of 2000, when all three major holidays occurred at the same time, but it is a great setting for a holiday romance novel. It was so nice to see people from different backgrounds brought together in celebration. The town of Snow Falls was very inclusive, so they were ready for all the holidays. The huge snowstorm that shut down Toronto actually happened a couple of years before 2000, but it made sense for the story for it to happen during these holidays.

Three Holidays and a Wedding is a celebratory holiday novel!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a digital copy of this book!

Content warnings: death of parent

Have you read Three Holidays and a Wedding? What did you think of it?