Zoe York: The Holidate Disaster

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/261910192-the-holidate-disaster

Book Blurb:

Cassie and Nate broke up eleven months ago. On Christmas Eve! So there's zero chance that Cassie's giving Nate a second chance. Not even after an accidental make out session in the supply room of her new shop. The helicopter pilot is too emotionally unavailable for the creative wild child, end of story.

So when her mom invites her ex to Christmas Eve dinner, Cassie has no choice but to invent the fact that she has a date for the holiday...and find a date...and then survive that dinner when Nate brings a date of his own.

Nate, of course, doesn't want anyone but Cassie. He's just trying to hold on to the last remnants of his sanity as he watches his wife slip further and further away. This Christmas, he has one last chance to show her he wants more, he wants to be more, for her. He wants to be her everything.

But proving that is easier said than done with Minellis, and dates, around every corner at the Little Tree Farm.

Tropes:

*Netgalley ALC *2nd chance for romance *Holiday Romance *Spice  

*tension *small town romance *opposites attract *Found family *age gap

Thoughts:

Cassie (FMC) is busy opening up her new store she doesn't have time to think about her soon to be Ex-husband Nate they are coming up to a year of living apart and she's trying to move on with her life and prove that she can do things on her own... unfortunately for her a perfect spot for her shop opened up right across the street from Nate's apartment.

Nate (MMC) knows he made mistakes he just doesn't know how to bridge the gap and get his wife back, maybe he can start by helping her move into her new shop... ending up together in the back of this new store might be the best... or worst thing to happen to him this year. 

Cassie knows that their make out session was a fluke, that can't happen again she is moving on... and so is he... in fact when she finds out that her own mom (the traitor) invited Nate to their christmas party she tells him that he can bring a date... because she's bringing one, only she doesn't have a date.. ugh why did she say that?

Nate is an emergency pilot and unfortunately works with several of Cassie's relatives... this town really is small, they can keep this professional... it will be fine he still has time to prove to Cassie that the only man she should be with is him... but she said she's bringing a date... should he find a date too? 

This was a fun holiday rom-com, loved Cassie's close and meddling family.  It was really sweet watching no nonsense Nate come to realize that a big part of the reason they broke up was because he was listening to Cassie but he wasn't hearing her and what she wanted from their relationship he owned up to his own issues and recognized that he needed to step up, while Cassie recognized that she needed to be more open with what she wanted, he's not a mind reader.

Loved Cassie's family still welcoming Nate even though he was not officially with Cassie.

Will they be able to come back together for the holidays after last years disaster?  

This was a shorter book but didn't feel rushed as the couple had an established relationship and were still married just living apart while deciding if they wanted a divorce.  

Would have liked a bit more back story between these two and coming into the story it felt like right away they were struggling to keep their hands off of each other, so it felt a bit lower stakes as they both clearly still had feelings for their partner.  

The Narrators Kai Kennicott and Wen Ross did a great job bringing this 2nd chance romance to life. 

Looking forward to checking out more books in this series.  This was a cute, cozy, lower stakes, shorter 2nd chance for romance holiday rom-com if that sounds good to you add it to your TBR! 

Have you read this one?  what did you think?  

Sheila Roberts: Have Yourself a Merry Little Meltdown

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242318359-have-yourself-a-merry-little-meltdown

Book Blurb:

Jordan Frost had to do it. Her family was simply too perfectly eccentric not to put in a novel. She was thrilled when she got an agent and then a publishing deal. For two books. Two! Then reality set in. The book about an oddball family who goes on a Christmas vacation together is coming out in November. Just in time for her trip home to Port Carol, Washington, from the big city. Jordan is desperately hoping she can keep her pseudonym a secret so she can stay in her family's good graces. She wrote the book under a pen name and when it was time for an author picture, she wore a wig and glasses. No one will know it was her, right?
 
Wrong. Charles Pine, her high school friend who always hoped for more, recognizes the woman he's never gotten over as soon as he unpacks her book to shelve at the bookstore where he works. He knows this is the perfect opportunity to get Jordan to see him in a new light and he makes sure to run into her when she arrives home. She never thought of him as anything more than a shoulder to cry on back then, but he's determined to make her see him as boyfriend material, even if that means threatening to reveal her secret identity. As the holiday season sets in, Jordan tries to juggle writing, her family's mishaps, and the stress of keeping a secret. 
 
When a series of minor family emergencies threatens to add even more chaos to Jordan's already hectic life, Charles tries to help her find the true meaning of the holiday. Maybe coming home wasn't a bad idea after all... 

Tropes:

*Netgalley ALC *Holiday Rom-com *Hallmark vibes *friends--> more *small town romance

*long term pining (MMC side) *quirky side characters *closed door *author FMC *cozy read

Thoughts:

Jordan (FMC) has wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember and she's finally done it she's a first time author so she isn't expecting her book to be super successful but she would be thrilled if she had some readers... but it becomes a huge success and nearing the holidays she realizes that there is a big problem with that... 

She wrote what she knew about and used her quirky family and their shenanigans in her story, she didn't tell anyone she was writing a book or ask permission to use their likeness... she just knows that her family will be mad and if she gets coal in her stocking it will be well earned at this point... why did she write this book?  Even though she used a pen name and wore a disguise what if someone sees thru it? 

Jordan has to have someone help her and fast... maybe the local book store won't carry her book.  In comes Charles (Jordan's best friend from high school who has always crushed on Jordan but she has clearly fit in the friend zone).  Charles is the new owner of the book shop and agrees to not carry her book and if any of her family comes in he will steer them towards other holiday options.

Naturally they grow closer together on their quest to keep Jordan's Holiday book out of her families clutches and Jordan is starting to see Charles in a brand new light he's the exact opposite of the guys she went for in high school and college... but she's wondering what she was thinking keeping him in the friend zone all of those years... but is it too late? 

some things I liked:

I enjoyed the small town hallmark holiday vibes

Loved Jordan's quirky and loving family and the shenanigans that happened in attempts to keep the book out of her families hands.

single narrator Tanya Eby --> she did a great job bringing this story to life.

Loved that Jordan finally had some growth and saw that just maybe her true love had been in front of her and there for her for ages... it's about time she opened her eyes.

some things I didn't like:

Jordan it took me awhile to warm up to her, this story swaps back and forth between the past and the present and shows even in the past she was a bit on the shallow side pushing her poor friend Charles aside for the hot sports guy that came along even in high school.  It made me feel bad for Charles that he had been pining after Jordan for so long.

Pretty repetitive, and overly silly at times of course her family will be able to find the book elsewhere... I found myself wanting to shout for her to just tell them already because the longer she put it off the worse things would get.  

Overall this was an enjoyable fun holiday rom-com, small town, slow burn friends --> more (closed door), low stakes cozy read with some silly moments that had me laughing out loud.  If you are looking to add to your holiday reading TBR add this one too! 

Have you read this one?  What did you think? 

Ruby Ellis: Nightfury

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/241344203-nightfury

Book Blurb

I have dreamed of him my entire life. But now that he is standing in front of me, he doesn’t want me.

A night out with my sisters turned into the headache of a lifetime. Having been transported to another world, I survive the brutal elements with the help of an unlikely new friend. A friend I have seen before in my dreams.

But she isn’t the only one.

He is here too.

My dream man.

My Viking warrior who traveled with me through my dreams every night for as far back as I can remember.

Whether he wants me or not, I need his help because my arrival to this world isn’t very dreamlike. And the nightmares that hide in the shadows of this land are ready to make their move into the light.

Are my sisters and I truly meant to fulfill the prophecy–To Bear, Mend, and Find?

Will we be able to survive those that hunt us and save the wolves from their infertility crisis?

Or, will using such powerful magic come at too great of a cost?

Tropes:

*Indie Author *Shifter Romance *another world *magic *fated mates *Protective MMC

*check trigger warnings *found family *Spice *human FMC x wolf shifter MMC *Grumpy MMC

Thoughts:

This is book 3 in the Moon Touched Chronicles and these should be read in order as they build on each other.

This book focuses on Reese (the 3rd sister) and her journey she also arrives in this new world without knowing how she got there along the way she faces many challenges including finding and caring for a young girl (who is around 4) and is a bear shifter.  She also begins to grow into her new powers which involve visions.

Reese is brave and does what she needs to do to survive knowing that this is the best plan for a positive outcome and living on the hope that she will reunite with Juni (bear shifter cub) and her sisters.  

Reese has been dreaming of Juni (bear shifter) and her fated mate Bane for years now that she is in this world and she sees them in person it's a bit overwhelming... but Bane and Reese start off on the wrong foot when he tells her he can't have a mate, he is protective of her but wants to keep his distance as much as possible... and I was so frustrated with him!  

Once Reese, Juni and Bane meet back up with the sisters and brothers at their main home after one threat has been eliminated they find that they still have problems in their midst and someone is still out to get them... when someone they love is taken will they be able to save them in time?  

I really enjoyed this series the world building was easy to follow, the lead and side characters are all likeable and it made me want to root for them to have their happy endings. 

I would have liked to find out how the 3 sisters actually got to the new world, but maybe it's just one of those mysteries.  

If you enjoy found family, shifter romance with a portal to a different world and magical elements add this one to your list!  

I'm looking forward to reading more books from this author!

Have you read this one?  What did you think? 

Lola Glass: The Art of Avoiding your Werewolf

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/205879799-the-art-of-avoiding-your-werewolf

Book Blurb:

I almost hooked up with a werewolf… but before we got to third base, he dragged me off to jail.

Apparently, he's the leader of the pack in town.

The fact that I’m an illegal blood wolf—a vampire/werewolf hybrid—doesn’t help my case.

And he didn't appreciate me accidentally biting him when we were kissing, either.

Luckily, or unluckily, he seems to think I'm his true mate, which means he won't let anyone hurt me.

But he also won't let me go.

Between his possessiveness, my need to be near him, and the vampire clan hunting me, one thing's becoming clear:

I won't be able to avoid my werewolf forever.

This is a steamy, fun, full-length standalone romance with a happily ever after!

Tropes:

*MMC werewolf shifter *fated mates *FMC vampire/wolf hybrid *FMC in hiding *FMC baker

*MMC firefighter *paranormal romance *insta lust/love *virgin FMC *forced proximity

Thoughts:

Lovene (FMC) is a vampire-werewolf hybrid that was created to be a vampire blood source because the combination is an amazing source for the pure vampires... she escapes from this life and runs with a friend to a werewolf shifter territory where they work in a bakery.

Lovene goes to a bar and meets Madd (MMC) he is an alpha wolf shifter and a firefighter (we are told this is his job but he never goes to work).  He is wealthy and runs the town.  His wolf tells him he has found his mate and he takes her to his home where he finds out she is actually a vampire when she gets the urge to bite him (she has not been eating well and is starving... but apparently vampires if they are mated the blood from their mate is the best blood).

Madd brings Lovene to the police station and has her locked up for questioning (very briefly... but she brings this up multiple times throughout the rest of the book)... she is released quickly after and he finds that she is a hybrid and so is her friend that comes to the police station to help.

After this Lovene is invited to move in with the MMC and she does to appease her inner wolf, she attempts to push him away while not really trying that hard.  Madd moves her friend into one of his homes to protect her.

Madd does everything to protect his mate, while trying to prove that they belong together as she continues to try to reject him... will she ever see that she belongs with him it was fated after all.

This was a very low stakes shifter romance, everything happens really quickly, there is no real world building.  The FMC and her friend are in hiding and afraid for their friend who is still living with the vampires... she just mentions the name of the vampire clan/family (?) and Madd doesn't even go himself he sends others to take care of it while he camps out with her in a cabin and they finally give into their lust. 

I didn't see them growing closer together throughout this story really we were just told they were.  

This was a cozy shifter romance, but I felt it was too cozy to the point where nothing was really happening except deciding what groceries to order and running in the woods to let their wolves exercise, the FMC had a hard life and the MMC is now taking care of everything for her but it leaves it so there is nothing to work towards except the FMC finally letting the MMC love her.  

I don't know if I'll be continuing this series, I have liked other book series by this author more.

Have you read this one what did you think?  

Christine S. Feldman: Christmas On Overdrive

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/198860724-christmas-on-overdrive

Book Blurb:

A holiday road trip with her neighborhood nemesis? This is so not the Christmas that Harper Campbell had planned. But when Harper's widowed grandfather up and runs off with Liam Young's irrepressible godmother for a madcap Christmas adventure, Harper's hauling Liam along with her to track down the truant pair whether he likes it or not. And if being stuck together in close quarters leads to things getting heated, so be it. Until sparks of a different kind start to fly...

Tropes:

*Netgalley ALC *Holiday Romance *Enemies --> More *holiday shenanigans 

*closed door *novella *forced proximity *Slow burn *opposites attract *Family drama

Thoughts:

Harper is a teacher looking forward to enjoying her holiday vacation with her grandfather and doing low key, sedate and boring holiday activities.

Harper loves her grandfather but one person she doesn't love is his neighbor in the apartment across the hall he is messy and careless with his belongings... like now when he leaves his trash in the hall what if her grandfather with his bad hip tripped over the bag! 

Before Harper's grandmother passed away she promised she would look after her grandfather and keep him safe, and she has made that a top priority.  She is a worrier x 1 million especially when it comes to her grandfather and she has made it her mission in life to make sure he is safe and healthy... to the point of sucking the fun out of everything.

Liam (the messy neighbor across the hall) is a good guy he often goes across to hang out with his elderly neighbor and fixes things around the apartment, he is an artist and a free spirit.  He is thrilled when his godmother Val comes back into town for the holidays looking to stay with him for a bit before going on her next adventure.

Val is older but has a wild spirit and is often getting up to shenanigans... when she meets Harper's grandfather they decide together that what they both need is a fun holiday adventure, so they leave before Liam or Harper are up (they left a note and they are adults) and set out to live their best holiday life.

Harper naturally has a major problem with all of this... what if her grandfather is injured she enlists Liam to go with her in an attempt to get her grandfather and his godmother home safely... who knows what they could be getting up to.

This was a cute holiday trip/quest type romance with some hallmark vibes.  I had a hard time with Harper she was over protective to the point of being over bearing and obnoxious... her grandfather is older and wants to still have some fun while he can... girl lighten up and let him! 

Liam more of a free spirit was more likeable and attempted to get uptight Harper to let down her hair a bit and enjoy the holidays.  

To be honest I think the story would have been better if we were following along with the Grandfather and the Godmother's activities they seemed more fun, Harper kind of sucked all the joy from the room on multiple occasions.

That being said I do appreciate that once they met back up with the runaway couple Harper began to see that maybe she's been a bit over the top when it came to her grandfather and how he can make his own decisions (yes of course you can!... tell her)

This story had some cute moments and I liked that they were able to get to know each other better on their spur of the moment trip to find their missing (on purpose) loved ones.

The narrator did a good job bringing this story to life, and is probably how I stayed listening to the story when the FMC was being... herself. 

Have you read this one?  What did you think?

Morgan Greene: The Missing Wives

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/255690645-the-missing-wives

Book Blurb:

Missing women. Desperate husbands. Buried secrets.

Detective Alexandra Marshall is a fighter. Abducted, tortured and left for dead thirteen years ago, she battles every day to put murderers behind bars, haunted by the memory of the girls who didn’t survive.

Then a woman is found murdered in an abandoned barn, her baby girl left screaming in a nearby car, and another woman goes missing the next day. Determined, Alex meets with their terrified husbands. They seem like family men, until she picks apart the business they buying up land, destroying lives, pushing people out of town. Could these innocent wives be paying for their husbands’ sins?

All other leads proving fruitless, Alex digs deeper in the town archives, uncovering a long-buried secret that sets her investigation on a terrifying new path. But then a message from the killer stops her in her tracks. He knows who abducted her all those years ago. He’ll share the truth, if she lets him finish what he started…

Tropes:

*Netgalley ALC *Crime fiction *Mystery *Thriller *Small Town drama *investigation 

*trigger warnings check  *💀 

Thoughts:

Alex (state police detective) is coming off of her last case is on her way home when she gets word that she needs to turn back around and head towards a small town where the unthinkable has happened... a mother in their town has been taken and found 💀 in an abandoned barn with her child in her car near the scene... who did this?  

A message is left pointing Alex towards the next victim, she quickly attempts to take charge of the scene of the crime and is determined to find the person(s) responsible... only she meets road blocks at every turn the woman's husband is a wealthy real estate developer along with his 3 friends and they are used to being in charge and not taking no for an answer... in fact they feel they know best and can protect their own families... 

When the next wife is taken and left in a similar way as the first... not only is this becoming more dire to find the culprit but there is also a message for another wife... Alex does what she can to help these families but it's hard to help someone when they are actively working against you, when 2 of her team who were called in to help on the case are threatened and one physically assaulted and his belongings stolen she is not sure who she can trust.   

The local police department is not much help when it comes to solving this case... as they really have no experience and it shows, The head of Police Lacey needs Alex to hold her hand through everything which became frustrating for her as she was trying to piece together and conduct an investigation... Alex was at least hoping that the head of police could get her own officers in line... but during her investigation she finds that a lot of the police force is on the payroll of the wealthy husbands. 

Alex was fierce and determined but I also found she made poor decisions at times due to lack of sleep and a head injury, when the townspeople and the officers in town decide to lead the charge with their own form of justice and things get out of control will it be too late to call in additional support?

The crimes are well planned out to the point where they were set up possibly weeks to months in advance and time is winding down will they find the culprit in time?

The longer Alex is on the case the more she realizes that these powerful men have a long history of being bullies, getting what they want and getting away with things they shouldn't they have a lengthy list of people who might want to bring harm to them or their families... where to start when the list of suspects keeps getting longer and the time is ticking down.

I enjoyed this one over all and felt that the narrator did a good job with the story, this does have trigger warnings so check yours before reading/listening.  I did figure out who the suspect was earlier on in the book but it was interesting to find out the why and with these types of books you never know if it's going to twist again so there were points in time where it could have been anyone with all the people out to get these ruthless land developers.  

I did find myself getting irritated with Alex for going places by herself, not waiting for back up and getting herself in situations that could have been avoided, and Lacey... get it together girl she was so timid and afraid to speak up for herself and tell the officers under her what to do.  

If you enjoy a crime mystery/thriller with lies, cover ups, hidden secrets/buried truths and a detective who won't quit check this one out.  

Have you read this one?  What did you think? 

Janice Whiteaker: Unbound

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243760203-unbound

Book Blurb:

Losing my dad was the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through.

He was patient and kind. Loving and smart. The funniest person in every room and the last person on every dance floor. The most amazing man I’d ever known.

Except it turns out, I didn’t really know him at all.

My father had secrets, and their trail leads me straight to McKinley Security Systems.

Straight to Walker McKinley.

Walker is so different from the man who brought us together. He’s stoic and serious. Quiet and calm. Has an intensity and focus that pulls me in.

He makes me feel seen. Understood. Safe.

But I’m not safe, and neither is Walker. Unlocking the truth of our shared past carries a danger neither of us expects.

And one of us might not survive.

Tropes:

*Hambright PR ALC/ARC *Small town romance *strangers to more *grumpy MMC 

*Protective MMC *Fierce FMC *Spice *Hidden secrets *mystery *found family *betrayal

*long term grief (both mmc and fmc) *insta lust 

Thoughts:

This is the 5th and last book of the Bradshaw Brothers series and focuses on Walker (the Bradshaw's cousin) and Sybil.  

Walker (MMC) has been a bit of a mystery throughout the other two books I read, he is fiercly loyal to his family and comes to family functions but he always felt more closed off and grumpy.

Sybil comes into Walker's life towards the end of the 4th book and even though she may have lied about some things to get there... she had her reasons, number one being she knows that her father's accident was more than that and she wants to get to the bottom of it... her search has lead her to McKinley Security Systems and she just knows that if she's given the chance she'll find the answers she's looking for and hopefully help Walker too.

Walker has been grieving the loss of his mother for a long time, recently with everything that has happened he begins to wonder if there was more to his mother's accident.

When danger comes back into his life and Sybil reveals what's really going on could their lives have been intertwined all this time?  

Sybil is smart, funny, and sassy, Walker is grumpy and hard to read but she brings out a different side to him, she makes him laugh and while he's protective of her... she's equally as protective of him.

I loved being back in this large families world again, they are protective and have each other's backs and even though they were unsure of letting Sybil back in, Walker's aunt made sure she still felt welcome at family get togethers.

The more they dig into this old mystery to try to uncover truths and figure out how the pieces fit together the closer danger is to them... again.  

Sean Masters and Grace Noble were amazing Narrators!!

The leads were easy to like and it made it so much easier for me to root for them and want to get to the bottom of what had happened all those years ago.  I loved how their relationship unfolded from mistrust to feeling like they finally found their missing piece.

I enjoyed this story over all and liked how everything wrapped up, I did feel that there was such a big build up towards the end that when it came to the end it kind of wrapped up really quickly (I thought it would be more of the story).  

But I've been enjoying this series and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a small town romance with a fierce protective MMC, a smart capable FMC who doesn't give up with a side of danger with secrets revealed. 

I do need to go back and read the first two books in this series and I would recommend reading these in order. 

Have you read this one?  What did you think?