ON THE NAUGHTY LIST

ON THE NAUGHTY LIST                     L. FOSTER, C. PHILLPS, B. CIOTTA, & S. JAMISON
Posted:  Nov. 6, 2014

The most wonderful time of the year is back with On The Naughty List, bringing perennial favorite holiday stories from Lori Foster and Carly Phillips, along with two Christmas stories that delighted readers a year ago. This sexy anthology will make you want to give your heart to Christmas again and again…Lori Foster has two co-workers plan a Christmas party side-by-side-and discover a love worth celebrating inChristmas Bonus Carly Phillips explores a "mistletoe moment" when a no-nonsense lawyer intent on seducing her boss meets his twin instead--and gives him a scintillating kiss that leaves him begging for more in Naughty Under the Mistletoe.In Sugar Jamison’s Have Yourself a Curvy Little Christmas, former wild child Dina Gregory returns home to New York to find the father of her young son. Instead, she finds his stuffy older brother, Ben. Ben can’t help but admire her tenacity—and her bold beauty. Could it be that Dina has reignited his Christmas spirit? Beth Ciotta brings two friends who, after years apart, together at home for the holidays. They don’t seem to have much in common anymore, but when the two get stranded together during a blizzard, they are forced to reexamine if they are better off as "just friends"? Or could it be that true love was there all along? in Some Kind of Wonderful.

MY REVIEW:

1^st Story    Christmas Bonus:   By: Lori Foster

     Eric Bragg worked for the owner of the company he currently works for Mr. Carmichael, who took him under his wing.  When Mr. Carmichael ups and dies six months ago. This makes it not only difficult on how he should proceed, it very well will hurt his pride, and it could hurt his career after all this time.  You see he has been in love with is friend, mentor and bosses daughter and wants to try and date his daughter.

     You see the elderly Drake Carmichael had a daughter Maggie for the last five years has been coming to the company and working from the bottom of the wrung on up.  Learning all she could about the business.  She would come into Eric just about every day to talk to him about the different positions and then just shoot the breezes.  They would hit on all kinds of different subjects nothing was off limits.  The way Eric has been lusting for her is the way she has been lusting for him, but she knew he would never look twice at her even though they had become great friends who could talk for hours.  Her dad even knew of her soft spot for him, but the 10 year difference he said would be a challenge, but promised not to tell him.

     Yet, upon his death He left a letter concerning her and Eric.  So, she had to make her move so she would.  Or does Eric have something else in mind?  I give this 5 stars.  Erotica, humor, and love a nice mix.

2^nd Story    Naughty Under the Mistletoe:  By: Carly Phillips

     This was a case of mistaken identity.  Not knowing it at the time Antonia (Toni) Larson makes plans to finally seduce her boss’s son Stephan Corbin.  She had the hot’s for him but had the work ethics of no playing house where you work.  But she was getting a transfer to a new office she would be leaving that office therefore Stephan would not really be a co-worker anymore.

     Being that it was her Christmas party and Stephan’s father had been hospitalized Toni would be flying solo this year as Santa’s helper for the children that come from the homeless shelters.  She talks them into this since she and her mom at different times in her life were in need of the shelters when she was growing up.  Now she gives back by volunteering there when she can.

     With her seduction plan well thought out in her head she goes into the room where the children will be coming into.  When she sees Stephan come in looking sexy as hell.  In a super casual clothing that she has never seen him in before.  Before she can even think about it she take her chance.  She pulls him behind the extra-large Christmas tree and kisses the socks off of him.  When she pulls back she says something along the lines of, “You’re not him,” looking into his eyes deeply, “who are you anyway because…”

     Max Corbin (Maxwell) is blown away by that kiss.  He can tell she is too.  Although they are both very stun by it.  Max ask, “I’m not who?”  She brushed the question off. And asked for his name.  He tells her and he tells her he’s Stephan’s twin brother.  By then she needs to get ready for the kids and he needs to get the 411 from Stephan on her.

     I enjoyed this book a great deal.  I did feel however that the story had a specialness to it that makes you feel good knowing there are still good guys out there.  4 stars only because it did seem rushed at the end.   

3^rd Book   Some Kind of Wonderful:  By: Beth Ciotta

     I really enjoyed this story.  It’s every girls dream that you grow up and accomplish your own personal dreams.  Especially, when you start to question your personal relationship and you look back over your life by sitting looking at pictures.  That is exactly what happens with Maya Templeton (29).  She has a day of looking back when her on again off again relationship with Charlie, who is in real estate, is making her feel pressured to get married.

     As she was looking through the pictures Giselle saw her (best friend), she sees a picture of her childhood friend Zachery Cole dressed as a soldier.  She asks who he is and wants to know if she can send a letter of introduction so she can start writing to him.  She does and then “G” as Maya calls her has a problem getting anything on paper and asks Maya for help.  Next thing you know “G” is letting Maya read the responses from her long time BFF Zach.  You see Zach was her next door neighbor who is now 30, and in the U.S. Marines.

     Maya starts to see Zachary in a whole new light.  You see “G” is not only just an adrenaline junkie, she’s exotic, curvaceous, and an actress.  All guys know and love her.  Yes, including Zach.  Once he saw her picture he too fell under “G’s” spell just like she thought he would.  The problem came in when “G” her business partner ask for even more help writing the letters to the point where she was all out writing them.

     When they turned sexual on both their parts it started to feel weird but she continued them and one day all letters stopped.  She just figured that he was on a mission, especially since she hadn’t heard from Uncle Dan and Aunt Helen (Zach’s Great Aunt and Uncle who raised him.”  Then the holidays were coming she didn’t want to go with her parents and Aunt Helen called and asked that spend Christmas with them.  She was so excited she loved Christmas in Sugar Creek.  Aunt Helen and The Cupcake Club gave her, her love for baking and cooking.  She owes her business Cupcakes to her.

     Yet, she was worried then, “G” invited herself along.  All the way down she could not shake off this feeling of something was not right.  Her heart was heavy and the snow storm was not helping.  The closer she got to Aunt Helens and Uncle Dan’s her nerves were on high alert.

     This story is so good.  Dealing with the feelings of BFF’s who have a deep and loving connection no matter where they are.  You always want the best for them always.  When it is one of the opposite sex like these two that is when it becomes extremely hard.  You still want it even when it’s another woman.  But, when you have developed feelings for your BFF you do that with a heavy heart and gritting your teeth.  I give this story 5 stars.

4^th Book   Have Yourself A Curvy Little Christmas: By: Sugar Jamison

     I had already read the full version of this story and have my original review and posted it last year if interested.  I have to say I think I loved it all over again.  Maybe even more.  Dina Gregory used to be a dancer who gets involved with Virgil Rowe.  Same old story she gets pregnant by this playboy billionaire she had been with for six months.  Not that she loved him but she did have a great time with him.  Virgil knew how to party.  When she tells him he says, “To bad you had such a great shape too.  Also, you are putting it up for adoption because you are a mess and can’t take care of yourself.  So, now she has to prove him wrong.

     After two years she is having trouble making ends meet.  So, she decides to track down Virgil, eventually ending up at the family home.  She asks for him, the staff explain to Ben Rowe, his brother, who’s asking for Virgil, with who.  And he asks her up.  When she goes up she’s expecting Virgil but it’s his evil brother, Ben.  Neither of them like each other.  Ben explains that Virgil died a year ago in a skiing accident.  Ben can’t let her leave though because the baby she is holding, Dash, looks just like him, Ben his uncle.  So, Ben knows she’s not lying about the baby being her brothers.  He blurts out that he’ll marry her when she says she needs Virgil’s death certificate in order to leave and go back to California.  They’re both shocked by his declaration but she asks until Christmas Eve to make her decision.

     I know you will love this story, I sure did.  I like that this street wise girl gives her security to this closed, cold hearted man. Giving back to him an open warm heart and her security and a home for her and her baby. I give this story 5 stars.

The overall book I give it 5 stars.