I packed in one more holiday story. And I'm so glad I did! Delphine Dryden has some excellent writing chops. How do I know...moreSnow Job by Delphine Dryden
I packed in one more holiday story. And I'm so glad I did! Delphine Dryden has some excellent writing chops. How do I know this? I forgot I was reading. I was so immersed in this story, I read the whole thing at once. Honestly, I shouldn't have liked this as much as I did. It was a contemporary w/ a sort of borderline-douchey estranged hubby (didn't like his sexual tactics to get his wife back), a sometimes irritating judgmental wife (can you say "tree-hugger"?), and a pretty mellow storyline (estranged couple thrown together for a "fake" Christmas celebration). Nevertheless, I absolutely loved this book. Dryden's writing is fantastic....smooth and mellow like the finest eggnogwhiskey buttery toffee candy. Yeah, that's it! Candy! I really really really really like her writing. And even though some of the sex scenes made me slightly uncomfortable (the little wifey was filled w/ guilt), they were hot! Karl was a fine example of husband-turned-alpha-male-to-get-the-little-wifey back. Although he had some douchey moments, I ended up rooting for him, and hoping Elyce would drop the fig-up-his-ass-tree-hugger-wanna-be-boyfriend faster than some recycled cardboard. And she did! And, as an added bonus....there was some spanky time! Which means that every single holiday erotica I read this year was spanky. Spanky hanky-holiday-panky.
I had high hopes for this one, since I heartily enjoyed Stacey's book Exclusively Yours. It was cute and sex...moreMistletoe and Margaritas by Shannon Stacey
I had high hopes for this one, since I heartily enjoyed Stacey's book Exclusively Yours. It was cute and sexy and funny. Unfortunately, Mistletoe and Margaritas was a big flop for me. Some authors can capture the magic in a shorter format, and some can't. This book was too short, the ending was way too abrupt, and the sex scenes were a huge let-down. Which made me think about something that drives me nuts.
The sex scenes in a romance/erotica need to be appropriate for the book.
Here's what I mean.....If the book is an angsty Amish story that focuses on the emotional connection between the characters, then throwing in a wild orgy scene is not appropriate. Likewise, if the book has highly sexualized characters, then having "closed-door" sex scenes is not appropriate. (Imagine JR Ward's series without the sex....)
With some Harly books, the authors concentrate on sweet and loving gestures, such as kissing, holding hands, etc. These books don't need graphic sex scenes to complete them. The emotional connection is more important for the story arc.
On the other hand, if an author spends a lot of time building up sexual tension between the H/h, talking about how they lust for each other, are hot for each other, have been fantasizing about each other for years, can't wait to get it on, etc etc etc, then for the love of God, we better get a smokin-hot sex scene in that book. You can't build up sexual tension and then leave your readers hanging. That is a less-than-satisfying read, and super disappointing.
That was one of my main problems with Mistletoe and Margaritas. The hero has been in love (and lust) with the heroine for years. The heroine keeps talking about how horny she is. But the sex scenes didn't deliver. They were too brief and totally unsatisfying, in my opinion. If the sexual tension is a big part of the story, then we need a lot of frosting on the cake of love. (That sort of sounds like an Elvis song).
This started out with a good premise and a lot of potential, but unfortunately, the ending was rushed and got fairly...moreSnowed In With Santa by Sue Lyndon
This started out with a good premise and a lot of potential, but unfortunately, the ending was rushed and got fairly ridiculous. Santa is a secret dom looking for a tushy to spank. Alana drives through a snow storm to a stranger's house, gets snowed in, and discovers the joys of submission. Merrrrrrry Christmas! Hee heee....just kidding.
I LOVED this one! The first half of the book has no sex....just a build up of sexual attraction between an innocent el...moreChristmas Elf by Tielle St Clare
I LOVED this one! The first half of the book has no sex....just a build up of sexual attraction between an innocent elf kicked out of the North Pole and a jaded businessman who has lost his Christmas spirit. The second half of the book was extremely erotic...but the story also manages to be sweet and satisfying. And very holiday-themed....about family, love, and capturing the spirit of Christmas. Also filled with humor and hilarious dialogue. LOVED it!
This is a very sweet and romantic holiday story. Kyle is a wonderful hero who longs for a family of hi...moreAll I Want For Christmas Is You by Lisa Mondello
This is a very sweet and romantic holiday story. Kyle is a wonderful hero who longs for a family of his own. Lauren and her daughter Kristen have fallen on hard times, and need a miracle. I adore stories that focus on family as a holiday theme, and this book fits the bill. This is a traditional holiday tale.
So far, I've only read the first story of this Harlequin anthology...Jill Sorenson's Holiday Secrets. A wimpy heroine...moreHoliday Secrets by Jill Sorenson
So far, I've only read the first story of this Harlequin anthology...Jill Sorenson's Holiday Secrets. A wimpy heroine with lots of issues (fear of swimming, fear of the Mob boss who killed her husband, fear of the cute guy next door) falls head over heels for a totally adorable, sexy, I want-one-in-my-stocking-please handyman surfer dude. Schwing! She has 2 kids and is in the witness protection program. He has a hammer and a surfboard. They're perfect for each other! Hee hee. Actually, this story is very sweet, and I loved loved loved the hero. The wimpy heroine grows a pair by the end of the book and (A) learns how to swim (after a sexy lesson with the hero), (B) thwarts the Mob boss (with some help from her boyfriend's truck), and (C) saves her surfer dude and gets an HEA! Cute story!
This was a freebie, and started out with a lot of potential. I love stories that have characters who are in their for...moreHome For Christmas by Kate Davies
This was a freebie, and started out with a lot of potential. I love stories that have characters who are in their forties. This one has a widow and her late husband's business partner heading off on a romantic cruise. Unfortunately, it didn't deliver. It felt like a bad Harly novel....superficial, no real emotional connection between the H/h, flat sex scenes, and an abrupt ending. Big bummer.
My favorite for the weekend! This is an adorable, well-written holiday romance. One of Santa's elves gets lost in th...moreSanta's Wayward Elf by Paige Tyler
My favorite for the weekend! This is an adorable, well-written holiday romance. One of Santa's elves gets lost in the Big Apple and has an unexpected adventure with a hot cop. Tyler did a great job with this story. It's a fun twist on the legend of Santa Claus and the North Pole, with a romantic suspense plot-line. The characters were wonderful, the sex was hot, and the ending was sweet. The pacing was spot-on until the crime story took over a bit at the end, but otherwise this was close to perfect. I will definitely be reading more books by Paige Tyler.
Didn't I say I was going to take a break from reading Christmas romance? Didn't I? Huh? Huh?
Well, I didn't. As I was perusing my Kindle, I found out I...moreDidn't I say I was going to take a break from reading Christmas romance? Didn't I? Huh? Huh?
Well, I didn't. As I was perusing my Kindle, I found out I had down-loaded this freebie (One Imperfect Christmas by Myra Johnson), and I couldn't resist.
That'll teach me.
It started out okay....for about 1/2 page. Then it got bad. And worse. And more depressing. And filled with despair. It's about a crumbling marriage. And a woman filled with guilt. And a daughter filled with anger. Everyone's life is going down the toilet. Down deeper....and deeper...and deeper....
I didn't like any of the characters. They were irritating, self-absorbed, and some were downright duplicitous. The husband was okay. I didn't like the daughter. Or the daughter's friend. Especially the wife. I didn't even like the brother. The business partner. Or the delivery guy.
At 12% I thought, things will get better soon, right? At 38%....how about now? At 54%....how about now? At 79%....please, now! Please, I'm begging you! At 85%....now...pretty please? At 99%....too late.
Why did I keep reading? Because I kept thinking it would get better.
So, about half-way through I finally realized this was a Christian Inspirational romance. (The references to God/Jesus and prayer time finally registered in my thick skull.) I have no problem with that at all. In fact, the only bright, hopeful spots in this book for about 99% of the story were when the characters prayed.
Prayer: Dear God, I love Daniel. Please let our marriage survive. Dialogue: Daniel, you are a horrible father. You neglected our marriage. You never tried to understand me.
What the hell is that? I have never seen such a big disconnect between deep POV and/or internal prayer time and the actions/dialogue of a character. Natalie keeps thinking she loves her husband, and then she turns around and acts like a snotty selfish ding-a-ling. O-kay.
At one point, I actually wished Natalie would file for divorce so her poor husband could find a new woman who would be nice to him.
I cried at the end. Three times. I'm not sure if this was from sheer emotional exhaustion, or if I was moved by the Christmas spirit.
See, this is why I need to avoid contemporary romance at all costs. Because I don't want an "imperfect" Christmas with real-life problems. Selfish wives, run-away hubbies, conniving daughters, conniving daughter's friends, interfering family members, ineffective therapists, depressing subject matter. Who needs it?
There were a few sweet moments in this book....all of them had to do with the mother who was incapacitated by a stroke, and her long-suffering husband desperately trying to hold it together. But after all that angst, what I really wanted was a wonderful reunion between Natalie and Daniel. And it just didn't happen. Two sentences on the last page do NOT make a HEA.
Sigh.
This book was not poorly written, and as far as standard contemporaries go, I'm sure it was okay. I just found it depressing as hell. I was sort of wishing for a spanky elf to show up at the end and lighten the mood.
Grade: C? For...Crushing My Soul? D? For...Darkening My Day? F? For...Forcing Me To Take Lexapro?
I have no clue how to grade this book. I give up.
Anyhow, as God is my witness, I am taking a hiatus from holiday romance. *signed in blood and sealed with a shot of egg nog*
My obsessive holiday reading extravaganza continues. It's a sickness I tell you, a sickness! Anyhoo, my latest Christmas erotica is KT Grant's fun, se...moreMy obsessive holiday reading extravaganza continues. It's a sickness I tell you, a sickness! Anyhoo, my latest Christmas erotica is KT Grant's fun, sexy story The Christmas Fantasy. Grant does a great job creating a plus-size heroine (Mandy) who is struggling with her new identity. She has lost a huge amount of weight, but insecurities still linger. Jackson, the sexy firefighter she pines for, thinks she's gorgeous and desirable just the way she is. (I love you, Jackson!) Not only does he dispel her lingering doubts about her own sexiness, he is determined to forge an emotional bond between them. Mandy's self-doubts are spot on and totally believable for a woman coming to terms with her new body. Jackson is a fantastic hero...he's sexy, protective, he wears glasses (yee haw!) and he's a firefighter, for God's sake. Schwing! My favorite bits in the story are when Mandy dances around after her first encounter with Jackson (so cute!), and when Jackson realizes he's fallen in love with the heroine, and wants the whole enchilada with her, not just sex. That's my kind of hero, and my kind of erotica.
If only all of us could have a glasses-wearing, sexy firefighter hellbent on our sexual pleasure for a Christmas present. It would be a very, merry Christmas indeed. ☺☺☺ Grade: A-
Review for Evangeline Anderson's Kidnapped For Christmas
It's your typical holiday story...girl meets boy (by being kidnapped), boy spanks girl and gi...moreReview for Evangeline Anderson's Kidnapped For Christmas
It's your typical holiday story...girl meets boy (by being kidnapped), boy spanks girl and gives her the best sexual experience of her life, girl falls in love with boy (after a few minutes), boy and girl have a huge misunderstanding involving a diabetic cat's name (which also happens to be the "safe word" for their BDSM play, unbeknownst to the girl), boy and girl pine for each other for three long, lonely weeks, girl shows up at boy's place of work in a trench coat and sexy lingerie, boy and girl make up with a spanking and sex-on-a-table, girl invites boy to her family's Christmas party.
So, here's what I liked about it...the heroine is "curvy" (not a skinny supermodel) and the hero is totally hot for her. The sex is spicy, the BDSM is "light" (not too crazy), and even though this story really has absolutely nothing to do with Christmas, it's a fun, sexy read. I just find the whole idea of these two "falling in love" pretty ludicrous (as far as I know, it takes more than some spanking to fall in love), but other than that I thought this was an entertaining read.
Review for The First Love Cookie Club by Lori Wilde
Even though I am starting to dread contemporary romances, I thought I would give this one a try. L...moreReview for The First Love Cookie Club by Lori Wilde
Even though I am starting to dread contemporary romances, I thought I would give this one a try. Lots of folks are recommending it.
What I liked...the story is very sweet, very sentimental, and chock full of Christmas-y themes. The hero is fabulous...I love him...charming, sexy, an incredible, loving father, and....did I mention sexy? Unfortunately, I wasn't digging the heroine...she was sort of irritating, and frankly, I couldn't figure out why the hero thought she was so great. There was too much deep POV in here (which happens a lot with contemporary romances, and it drives me nuts), but otherwise the ending was very satisfying. I was hoping for an epilogue with a wedding, to bring their mystical dreams to life, but we didn't get one. Oh well. Overall, a very sweet holiday tale.
Nothing brings me more hope, more excitement, more anticipation for a romance novel than....
....finding out the hero has a beard!!!! Hallelujah!
So, im...moreNothing brings me more hope, more excitement, more anticipation for a romance novel than....
....finding out the hero has a beard!!!! Hallelujah!
So, imagine my everlasting surprise and happiness when I discovered that the hero for Robyn Carr's A Virgin River Christmas has a beard. And not just any ol' beard, but a full-on, hard-core, lumber jack-style beard. And....it's red!
(Please take a moment of silence to process this wonderful ditty).
In spite of the fact that I don't love contemporary romance, I am loving this series. The characters are wonderful, the love stories incredibly satisfying, and the setting is rugged, natural, earthy....it's a great combination. This book was freaking fantastic! I didn't think Carr could create a better hero than Preacher, but I absolutely adore Ian! He roars like a wounded wild animal, and then gently, quietly feeds a deer from his hand. Swooning here, people. Swooning!
Ian and Marcie's story is perfectly done....their love unfolds slowly and believably as they bond in his tiny cabin. It is wonderful to see how Marcie helps to pull him out of his isolation and introduces him to the world again. Their love is healing, powerful and transforming. The scene at the end of the book when Ian sings in front of the memorial Christmas tree is astounding. One of the best scenes I've ever read. Robyn Carr is a true master of romance. Grade: A+++++++ (can you tell I liked this one? hee hee.....) (less)
I have discovered the most ludicrous central conflict ever to grace a romance novel.
A hairdo.
Yes, that is correct. Eloisa James' An Affair Before Chr...moreI have discovered the most ludicrous central conflict ever to grace a romance novel.
A hairdo.
Yes, that is correct. Eloisa James' An Affair Before Christmas explores the failing marriage of Poppy and the Duke of Fletcher. Why, you ask, is their marriage failing? Well, Fletch thinks Poppy is frigid in bed, when in actuality, her hair is itchy and she is unable to concentrate on the pleasure he is attempting to give her.
(Yes, I was speechless, too). Hee hee hee heeeeee.....Oh my goodness, this is so absurd it is delicious. Truly!
In Poppy's defense, her hairdo is one of those big, perfumed, powdered monstrosities, with glued-on feathers, etc. And there are a few other reasons the marriage is not working out, but suffice it to say, once the hair conflict is resolved, everything else "falls into place"--pun intended. In spite of an overabundance of sub-plots involving dukes, duchesses, mother-in-laws from hell, etc., Eloisa James manages to spin a remarkably romantic tale. I was completely engrossed in Fletcher's determination to win back the woman he loved. The end is very sweet and satisfying and very romantic. I just adored this snippet of dialogue....
*****
"Poppy, what did you think that Christmas was for?"
"Nibbling on gingerbread men?" she whispered.
"I'm your Christmas gingerbread man," he said.....
A Christmas Ball by Jennifer Ashley, Emily Bryan, and Alissa Johnson
I did something with this book that I have not done in a long time. I read it tota...moreA Christmas Ball by Jennifer Ashley, Emily Bryan, and Alissa Johnson
I did something with this book that I have not done in a long time. I read it totally fresh, without reading any blurbs, reviews, etc. I had no idea what the story was about. There is something wonderful about diving in with no preconceptions whatsoever.
I started out with Emily Bryan's My Lady Below Stairs. I got hooked on this story immediately and was extremely curious about how it would play out. I really did not know if Jane and Ian would end up together. Would Lord Eddleton be cool or an ass? Maybe he was her true love?
The best thing about this story is all of the unexpected surprises. Giovanni, the impassioned artist, is not who he seems. Sybil, the spoiled daughter, is not as shallow as we think. Ian, the head groom, is more clever, determined and madly in love than we could imagine. Bryan weaves a multitude of threads together in this story, and as the threads come together, you know that you're in for a wonderful surprise. I LOVE stories that weave together a bunch of different POVs. Usually, you can figure out what's about to happen far in advance. But Emily Bryan really surprised me at the end with all of the revelations about the characters. I adored the final scene in the library, written with all of the wit and humor that is characteristic of this author. It borders on a historical farce, which is one of my favorite things!
It is extremely difficult to write a novella. Some authors are able to "capture the magic" with 50,000 words or less, and some aren't. Bryan totally nails it. This story has all the things I love about her longer historicals...it's beautifully written, has lusty love scenes, wonderful humor, and a very satisfying ending.
This story is truly like an unexpected Christmas gift...I opened the package having no expectations, and I found a real treasure. Thank you, Emily, for this sweet Christmas story.
Next up was Jennifer Ashley's The Longest Night. Before I go any further, let me just say that I thought The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie was brilliant. Brilliant! It totally blew me out of the water. So, I had very high expectations about this story. Unfortunately, Ashley did something that really irritates me with novellas. She obviously was writing about characters introduced in another book. I have not read her other works, but I have heard great things about them. However, when I read an anthology, I want them to be stand-alone stories. There was clearly a large history going on with the families involved, and as a newcomer to this paranormal historical world, I was feeling a bit out to sea. Having said that, I still enjoyed The Longest Night, and was quite intrigued about the "logosh" concept--a demon/shapeshifter? Valentin is a great hero, with a lot of potential. I would like to see him in a longer novel.
There were several other concerns about this story. One, the introduction of the paranormal aspect was rather jarring. I assumed that this story was also a regular historical, and the fact that there was a shape-shifter involved was totally unexpected. (Typically, anthologies have all of the novellas within the same sub-genre...historical, paranormal, etc. The fact that 2 of these stories are straight up historicals, and one is a paranormal historical, is a bit strange. But I digress.) Also, there is a disturbing background story about Valentin's sister that really bothered me. Christmas stories should be light-hearted, sweet, and well, Christmas-y. I don't want to hear about someone being brutalized. My take on Ashley's story is this...as a stand-alone Christmas-y novella, it fails. If she is trying to get new readers to try her other books, then it works. I was sufficiently intrigued about the logosh legend and the country of "Nvengaria" to check out her other titles.
After reading this story, it became apparent that the Christmas angle for this anthology is that the characters are attending the same ball. As far as gimmicks go, it's a cute idea. But I was expecting some overlap with the characters. More of a Christmas "theme" going on. Ashley's book mostly takes place at another location, and the ball seems pretty unnecessary. Both Bryan's and Ashley's novellas could have been set in the summertime at a ball, and it wouldn't have made much of a difference.
Finally, I read the last story, Traditions by Alissa Johnson, a totally new author to me. Oh my goodness! Utterly delicious!! As delicious as a Buche de Noel. As delicious as creamy cup of hot chocolate. As delicious as a platter of rich, chewy gingerbread men. I adored this final story of A Christmas Ball! Johnson focuses on what is most important...the characters. They are wonderfully real and fully formed within this short novel, which is a very difficult thing to do. I love anal retentive heroes who learn a life lesson about enjoying the spontaneity of life. I adore heroines with glasses with a few hidden quirks (like stuffing an entire piece of cake into her mouth! awesome!). Patience and William are an adorable couple, and this story really captures the essence of what a Christmas romance should be. The importance of family is a wonderful and touching Christmas theme, and Johnson does a marvelous job weaving a magical, sweet and satisfying tale with Traditions. Bravo!
Nothing says Christmas quite like gingerbread cookies, twinkling lights, and an alpha male Carpathian rocking his lifemate's world. Seriously. I have...moreNothing says Christmas quite like gingerbread cookies, twinkling lights, and an alpha male Carpathian rocking his lifemate's world. Seriously. I have a lot of Christmas romance novels I like to re-read for the holidays, but for some reason my favorite is Dark Celebration by Christine Feehan. This book is really only for long-term Feehan fans who have been following the Dark series since the beginning. It is really cool to see old favorite characters come together in the Carpathian mountains for a celebration. I love that Feehan revisits Syndil and Barack, who were only secondary characters in the other stories. There is a lot of humor in this novel, and even a section with Dark Desserts at the end! My favorite part of this book is the beginning of the love story between Skyler and Dimitri. I love the scene where Dimitri puts his wolf pendant around Skyler's neck, and for the first time, we get a sense of the sensual and loving woman she will become, in spite of the horrible childhood abuse. Shea and Jacques are also old favorites, and the ending of this story (when Shea finally delivers her baby) is a joyous occasion for their people. If you are a Feehan fan and have not yet read Dark Celebration, put it on your Christmas list, pronto!
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