A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER

A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER          SHALVIS, ASHLEY, RAMSAY, CANNON & PAPPANO
Posted:  Dec. 9, 2013

  Curl up with this heartwarming Christmas collection!

Jill Shalvis, Dream a Little Dream: Melissa has kept every man at a safe distance-especially firefighter Ian, a sexy friend with sexy benefits. But Ian secretly longs for more. Luckily, 'tis the season for giving love a chance . . .

Kristen Ashley, Every Year: Holidays don't come easy for Shy and his brother, Landon. But with the magic of Christmas, along with a little help from Tabby and her family, the Cage brothers are about to get the gift of a lifetime . . .

Hope Ramsay, Silent Night: Down on her luck and evicted from her apartment, single mother Maryanne hopes to start over in Last Chance. When the snow begins to fall, it looks like her baby might literally spend Christmas Eve in a manger. And Maryanne might celebrate the holiday with a handsome stranger.

Molly Cannon, Have Yourself a Messy Little Christmas: Lincoln is a bachelor who's set in his ways-until a professional organizer dressed up as Mrs. Claus changes his life, one tip at a time. . .

Marilyn Pappano, A Family for Christmas: War widow Ilena doesn't mind spending Christmas alone. But when a new doctor blows into town with the winter wind, will she get her secret Christmas wish?

Plus: Excerpts from upcoming novels!

MY REVIEWS:

A Christmas to Remember

Dream a Little Dream:  Jill Shalvis

     Ian and Melissa started out as “friends with benefits” then Melissa wanted it to be just friends because the sex was hitting to close to the heart.  She couldn’t chance that especially once she knew Ian wanted more so she broke it off.

     Then on God forsaken night there was a fire at the hell hole of an apartment that Ian had repeatedly asked Melissa to move out of do to it not being in one, not a good area, two, meeting code he was sure and three, the guys that lived above her were known parties and trouble makers.

She said she couldn’t she was too close to paying off he credit card debt and with the salon.  So, he dropped it.  Now, as he was being dispatched to all out fire there with people trapped.  The guilt…he should have tried harder.

     I really liked this story.  There was so much love and emotion in this story.  I could feel the pain in but then when Melissa was living the dream for Ian it just made the story.

 Every Year: Kristen Ashley

     This is Tabby and Shy’s first Christmas as a couple even though they have known each other for years.  They didn’t really like each other at first but boy did they ever come to an understanding that grew into a deep and abiding love.

     This story was short and oh so sweet.  One you felt all the way to your soul.  You find out that shy and his brother Landon (Lan) parents were murdered when they were 9 & 10 years old.   Now they are all grown up but the effect of losing their parents, left to an aunt who hated them, and was evil to them effected their happy meter.

     Tabby’s family which Shy has known for years since he is in the same motorcycle club with her dad and brother.  They welcomed not only him but his brother to spend with the Allen’s.  It’s hard for Shy to be happy but more so on Landon (Lan).  They hadn’t had one since their parents died.  They didn’t know how to do happy.  But they work it out by watching Rider & Cutter.

     This story is very heartwarming & sensual.  Which is amazing because it’s about 3 bikers and a soldier and 2 women.  I enjoyed this family saga so much I ordered the story that is the about this couple Tabby & Shy: “Own the Wind.”

Silent Night: Hope Ramsay

     What a truly sweet story.  A totally feel good Christmas story.  Wow, guess what on with no S-E-X! 

     This is one that runs close along the lines of Mary and the infant in a barn with nothing needing help on Christmas Eve.  You see Maryanne is a girl whose mother and father were both dead.  Her father as an infant, he was a drunk, her mother also alcohol related.  The thing was when she was the happiest ever was at the age of six.  When her mom had left her with her grandparents for a couple of days at Christmas time.  She remembers getting a doll.  She loved her Grandpa Carpenter’s farm in Last Chance, S.C.

     No one knew how to contact these grandparents when her mom died so she was in the system until she was of age.  Once she was out of it she worked as a waitress, took one class a semester, and supported herself as best she could.  Until she got pregnant.  Now she lost her job, quit school and lost her apartment.  So, she gassed up her car with what was left of her grocery money and headed to the last place that made her happy, the Carpenter Family Farm.

     This is all well and good but she runs out of gas 2 miles from the farm, with a 3 month old, and a snow storm on its way.  Time to think fast…

     I really enjoyed this book stop into Maryanne’s shoes and see where the handsome but sad Daniel Jessup comes in.

Have Yourself a Messy Little Christmas: Molly Cannon

     Lincoln was given a gift for Christmas yet he saw it as a cures.  His parents were coming home for Christmas and since he was living in their home they wanted it clean, not looking like a bachelor pad.  So, his mother was paying Dinah, an organizer, to clean and organize her home as well as decorate before they got there.  The thing is she didn’t tell Linc.

     So, let’s just say their first meeting was not a pleasant one.  Linc was rude to say the least.  He thought Dinah to peppy to be real.  He thought someone was “punking him.”  No such luck.  It was just his mother.  So, Dinah left her card and told him to call his mom and said she would be back at 9:00 a.m.  She was…her first break through with him was making a home office in his workout room instead of the dining room.  Which made things between them run more smoothly.  She thought he just didn’t like Christmas but it was more than that much more. 

     This is where their tale begins.  I enjoyed their banter, but I was still looking for more at the end.

A Family for Christmas: Marilyn Pappano

     Jared is a Pediatrician that had signed a two year contract to work in Tallgrass, OK.  Now that he was out of school and ready to work, he had to put in his two years that he committed to.

     Now, he came from a home of surgeons even a brother-in-law and a sister-in-law that are too.  All of them are in New York.  When the family hears he signed to do 2 years in OK they think he’s crazy.  To the point where his dad has offered to buy out his contract and give a sizable donation to the hospital to get him out of it.  Which he refuses.

     His first day in town for a luncheon for the Elf foundation monthly meeting where he was introduced.  He meets Llena.  She is not his type at all.  She is tiny, curvy, guirky, and everything his parents would hate.  Which is part of the appeal.  Yet, all that put together makes her unspeakably beautiful to him.  They become fast friends in fact that same night they go out for coffee.  Where he finds out she’s a widow and a mom.  Which makes her more appealing.  Which confuses him but intrigues him too.  He not wanting to invest himself in the town, in a home, or in a real relationship but Llena and John her 6 month old son are making that hard.

     I love Llena she is the Christmas Elf.  With all she has gone through she has kept the spirit alive and her heart open.  As for Jared it is all new with his family he never really had any real Christmas or true closeness of family, unconditional was not touchable.  I loved it.  Very cute.

     Overall, I love I really enjoy all of these stories.  They really put you in the Christmas spirit.  The one for me that really touched my heart the most if I had to pick would be

“Every Year.”  Something about it just touched me.

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