Book Review: Finding Christmas by Jeannie Moon

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Format: Kindle

Publishers: Tule Publishing

Published: 5th November 2015

Pages: 147

Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance, 

Main Characters: Maggie, Will
Date Read: 21st December - 28th December 2015

Rating Given:

Synopsis:Small town Holly Point wasn’t big enough to hold the dreams of golden girl Maggie Benson. So when she left at eighteen, she flew right through college and into the adrenaline-pumping life of a navy fighter pilot. But without warning, a devastating crash destroys the career she loves and sends her back to her overly protective family to heal. Maggie can’t imagine how she can reconnect with the woman she was until the hot local high school basketball coach steps up to show her the way.
Former NBA star Will Fitzgerald knows how an injury can derail more than a career. Still, he’s happy with his life as a teacher and coach at Holly Point High School, until his quiet life is upended by the beautiful, brilliant, and hurting Maggie. Blindsided by the intense attraction, Will wonders if pursuing the woman of his dreams will answer the question of what’s been missing in his life.
Can Maggie trust enough again to let Will past her wounds, inside and out, so that they can both find the Christmas magic they’ve been searching for?

 I received a review copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Even though the cover itself doesn't have Christmas elements to make it look like it's a Christmas novel, the colour is Christmassy as well as having Christmas in the title to let us know. I do love that it's romantic looking as that is in keeping with the book.

To be honest I never read the synopsis I requested this one because of the author as I have always enjoyed her books plus I always like to read a Christmas book around Christmas time. So when I read that the main character was an amputee I wasn't sure what I was going to get with the book as I like light hearted books at Christmas so I didn't want to be depressed but thankfully it wasn't too depressing, yes there was depressing moments but all in all it wasn't too bad. I loved that it was about an amputee and how she was coping with it as it's different to anything that I have ever read plus its good that authors aren't afraid to tackle difficult issues. It was a very sweet book and I loved the relationship between Maggie and Will however I do feel as though it was a little rushed as everything happened within the space of a month which for me isn't realistic but I didn't mind too much as it was a short book so I kind went in with my eyes open in that sense. The ending was left a bit too open for my liking as there was a few unanswered questions that I would loved to have known.

I loved the two main characters but I wasn't such a fan of the secondary characters as they felt like they where a bit selfish but there was a couple of secondary characters that I had met in previous series so it was nice to see them again. Maggie is one of the strongest characters that I have ever read as she had such a difficult time especially trying to cope with being an amputee, there was times when she didn't cope very well but for the most part I forgot about her disability. For me Will is the most caring male character ever and I loved everything about him as well as the things he did for Maggie.

Overall another great Christmas book from Jeannie Moon.

Book Review: His Forbidden Princess (Royal Holiday, #4) by Jeannie Moon

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Format: Kindle

Publishers: Tule Publishing

Published: 30th April 2015

Pages: 110

Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance, 

Main Characters: Sofie, Ian
Date Read: 2nd August - 5th  August 2015

Rating Given:

Synopsis:Eight years ago, university student Ian Stuart fell in love with his sweet, beautiful classmate and he’s never forgotten her. Sofie loved Ian with all her heart in return, but she didn’t trust him with one little detail about her life she’d neglected to share.
She was a princess, and they could never be together in the outside world.
Now Crown Princess Sofia is in danger. An insurgent faction in her country has targeted the royal family, and while Sofia is visiting the United States, she is forced to go into hiding. Assigned to protect her is none other than FBI Special Agent Ian Stuart.
Once again Ian and Sofie are in an impossible situation, fighting their feelings for one another, while trying to stay safe. Will their love for each other prove to be the most dangerous game of all?

 I received a review copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This cover is a little different to the other covers in this series and I actually think that it is loads better than the others. I love that it has the two main characters in the cover as there is two main characters in the story so it is more fitting than the other covers when they only had a female on the cover. I feel like the colours are more inviting than the other covers so it stands out over all the others.

For the most part I really enjoyed this book, it was very addicting and I found myself looking forward to what was going to happen next. There was a couple of moments that I felt dragged out a little too long and then other times when it was too rushed. The chemistry between the two main characters Ian and Sophie was mixed as one minute you could tell they where in love with each other and then there was other times when I just didn't understand what they felt about each other. The end of the book was the main area that was rushed as it felt like there was gaps in the story. I would love to have read this as a full length novel as I think that maybe it would have been an amazing read.

I had mixed feeling about the main characters but their was a secondary character that I liked through out but would have liked to have seen him more involved with in the story. Sophie at times came across as this sweet, down to earth girl but she did seem a little annoying at times. Ian was a nice enough character  for the most part but a couple of things that happened put me of his character.

Overall, this was a good novella and definitely the best from this series but because it was a short story I felt like there was a lot of times didn't come across like they could have if it was a full length novel.

Book Review: His Defiant Princess (Royal Holiday, #3) by Kathleen O'Brien

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Format: Kindle

Publishers: Tule Publishing

Published: 23rd April 2015

Pages: 147

Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance

Main Characters: Brenna, Ronan
Date Read: 28th July - 1st August 2015

Rating Given:

Synopsis:Brenna Tinley has decided to move to the Unified Isles of Cornetta, a fairy-tale kingdom just south of France in the Bay of Biscay to escape the recent tragedies in her personal life. The happiest summer she can remember was spent there, in the arms of a handsome, tender rascal who disappeared without a goodbye when Autumn came…
As fate would have it, the Royal House of Vicenza has engaged Brenna Tinley to clear up a public relations mess. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime for this small-town American girl, but there’s only one problem. Her new employer, HRH Prince Ronan, aka her mystery summer lover of long ago, seems determined to pick up where they left off. Can Brenna work in the royal palace and not end up with a brand new broken heart?

 I received a review copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is another one with a similar cover but I have to say this is my least favourite cover as the model as given off an overly sexual pose which is know where near in keeping with the female lead she is portraying let alone the actual story.

This book started off so well as it was a nice, quick and easy read but then the second half of the book really let it down. In the beginning I cared about the characters and I cared what happened to them especially the main character. The relationship between Brenna and Ronan was a little confusing at times because there was moments when the chemistry oozed of the pages but then there was other moments when I just couldn't feel anything between them both. I liked that this book explained about what had happened between the two main characters in the past as I was able to get a better understanding where they where coming from. The ending was too rushed for my liking as things seemed to be brushed under the carpet with no explanation of what happened, it just felt a little anti-climatic for me.

I had a bit of a love/hate feelings about most of the characters even the secondary characters. Ronan seemed to have a split personality as one moment he would come across as this playboy who didn't care then there was other times when he was the sweets guy ever and would do anything for anyone. Brenna came across as this strong fierce woman in the beginning but in the end I thought she was a doormat. I felt that the secondary characters didn't really add anything to the story especially Emory he annoyed me a lot.

Overall, it was a good start but the ending just fell a little flat for me maybe if it wasn't a novella then maybe things would've been different.

Book Review: Her Secret Prince (Royal Holiday, #2) by Madeline Ash

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Format: Kindle

Publishers: Tule Publishing

Published: 9th April 2015

Pages: 117

Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance, 

Main Characters: Dee, Jed
Date Read: 21st June - 28th June 2015

Rating Given:

Synopsis:At sixteen, Dee Johnson gambled her heart on her best friend Jed Brown – and lost when he disappeared without a trace.
Ten years on, Dee’s life is uprooted when Jed turns up on her doorstep, asking for her help.
Dee has been left behind by everyone she’s loved: her parents, her close friend Alexia, and a stream of lovers. She moves fast with men and suspects this is why they move on fast. Now that’s Jed’s back in her life, she’s taking no chances. Despite the attraction ripping at her seams, she holds back, knowing she wouldn't recover from being loved and left by him a second time.
A constant traveler, Jed has only felt at home once in his life – with Dee. Now that he’s found her again, he's determined to make up for lost time. He'll never leave her again.
Until an unexpectedly royal revelation threatens to strip Jed of his freedom and future – including his place by Dee’s side.

 I received a review copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The cover for this the second book is pretty much the same as the first book just with a different pose and a new model, so still no improvement to the cover.

I really enjoyed the beginning of this book so much so I really thought I was going to give it more than the three but the more I went into the story the more I felt it was too rushed. The beginning was intriguing I found myself hooked, there was so much that had happened just in the short space of time it didn't give me time to feel bored. The second half of the book just felt like it dragged and I found myself bored. The romance side of the story was interesting in the beginning but in the end it felt all too rushed as really they hadn't even been in a relationship yes they where friends when they where younger but that wasn't for long and I felt she forgave him far too soon. I think the ending was rushed and that maybe if it was a full length novel then maybe this would have been a much more likeable book.

With this being a short novella I don't feel that we got to know each of the main characters well enough. Dee started of being such a funny and unique character even with everyone she loved left, however, in the end she got annoying and gave up everything for someone she didn't trust for most of the time. Jed started of a sweet guy but the adult Jed was a little annoying as he seemed to change his mind a lot. I would liked to have seen more from their friends as they all seemed better characters.

Overall, the beginning was really good and the end could have been just as good if it wasn't such a short novella.

Book Review: The Cinderella Princess (Royal Holiday, #1) by Melissa McClone

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Format: Kindle

Publishers: Tule Publishing

Published: 2nd April 2015

Pages: 151

Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance

Main Characters: Emily, Luc
Date Read: 5th July - 20th July 2015

Rating Given:

Synopsis:Thanks to a philandering father, ad exec Emily Rodgers knows happily ever after doesn’t exist. Relying on a man only leads to heartache. She takes care of herself, and work defines her life. But Emily soon finds herself in the hands of a real-life prince who defines the words charming and sexy. Not to mention reckless. If Prince Lucas doesn’t find a royal bride, Emily’s dream of being named a partner at the advertising firm will die.
Luc’s fun-loving ways have made him a magnet for scandal. His father gives Luc an ultimatum—find a wife on a reality TV show or be disowned. Rules require him to marry nobility, but after he meets the uptight American sent to find him find a princess bride, his search for Cinderella might be over. Too bad Emily wants nothing to do with him. Perhaps he can show her that fairytale endings can happen in real life…

 I received a review copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It's a very soft and romantic looking cover which is in keeping with the story. There isn't much else to say about the cover as for me it's just a little too plain with nothing really standing out and I know if I saw it on a book shelf it would be the title that drew me in not the actual cover.

This book felt a lot longer than it actually was which I think is down to how slow it started and I just couldn't get into it in the beginning. The first few chapters I found myself rolling my eyes at the thing said and done. In the beginning I didn't believe in the growing feelings between them both especially on Emily's side as she seemed to really hate the idea of love so in the end everything seemed to be a bit of a contradiction. It was towards the end when I started to get into this book so much so I ended up being intrigued as to what was going to happen next. Once I was able to get into it I found it a sweet and quicker read. The end felt a little rushed and I would have liked to have seen a little further into the future to see if they where still together and how they where coping especially Luc, since everything he had given up.

As the actual story the characters where also hard to like especially Luc he seemed so annoying and a bit of a brat however the more we got to know about why he was the way he was and actually he wasn't even like that in the end he was a sweet and caring guy. Emily was hard to like as she seemed so cold but like Luc she also changed through out the book.

Overall, once I was able to get over the slow and disinterested beginning I was able to enjoy it.

Book Review: Goodness and Light (Christmas in New York, #4) by Patty Blount

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Format: Kindle arc

Publishers: Tule Publishing Group

Published: 11th November 2014

Pages: 133

Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance, 

Main Characters: Elena, Lucas
Date Read: 1st January - 2nd January 2015

Rating Given:

Synopsis:
Thirteen years ago, two teens met on the ramp to Ground Zero, on a cold and snowy day, strangers bonding in a moment of grief. The boy pressed a crystal snowflake ornament into the girl’s hand and disappeared into the crowd, unaware that his simple act of kindness saved her from the guilt that threatened to consume her.
Since losing her mom, Elena Larsen hasn’t set foot in New York City -- until now. Agreeing to help her sister prepare for her baby’s birth seems like a good way to spend Christmas and Elena vows not to let the monstrous guilt that weighs on her heart ruin everything. But those plans go awry when she meets Lucas Adair, a man whose own grief and guilt just might rival her own.
When Elena discovers Lucas is the boy who gave her that crystal snowflake all those years ago, she can’t accept it as the sign Lucas believes it to be. For her, it means only one thing --- even beyond the grave, her mother can never forgive Elena for breaking her heart.
For Lucas, New York is hallowed ground that he can never leave. He spends his days working in the Financial District and his evenings volunteering and it’s almost enough to help him forget what he did. Lucas knows better than to make plans with a woman who will soon be leaving, yet can’t help himself. There’s something about Elena that pulls him in. He doesn’t put much faith in signs but even he starts to believe Elena is his absolution. Now, he only has to convince her.

The last in the Christmas in New York series which was given to me in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.

Another cover that's similar to the rest in the series but with new images which look cute and heart warming but I don't think that the couple at the top are fitting for the couple in the story.

This was definitely saved the best until last as this book was amazing and the only thing I could say against it was that I wished it was longer just so I could get more. I felt like I was on a rollercoaster ride which kicked off from the moment I started it, I was crying by chapter two and towards the end I was in floods of tears. I like it when a book can make me feel emotions as I feel as though the author has taken me completely into the world that they had created. Out of all the books that I have read in this series this one is by far my favourite story as the romance part of the story was beautifully written but also there was more to the story as it was also about the way in which they where coping with grief. The use of signs was a great addition as I like to believe that there are signs out there we just need to know how to notice them. I loved the ending as it was so cute and heart warming and then the little epilogue at the end was a great way to end the series with hope that there is another one to come as I would love to see Kara get her Happy Ever After.

I adored the characters every single one of them. Elena was one of the girls that wasn't in many of the other books like the other girls so I was looking forward to get to know her. She had a lot of issues to deal with but apart from that I thought she was a great character. Lucas was amazing and like Elena thought I too thought he was too good to be true but the more we got know him the more that we find out why he is the way he is which did shock me but I still couldn't help but love him. I loved that we got to see more of the girls from the previous books but there was also more of Kara which was nice to see and we also got introduced to new characters and I loved them just as much as the main characters especially Al.

Overall this was an amazing story and I would highly recommend it. This is my first Patty Blount book that I have read and with her sensitive and beautiful story I know I will have to read more from her as this was an amazing book. 

Book Review: A Light in the Window (Christmas in New York, #3) by Jolyse Barnett

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Format: Kindle arc

Publishers: Tule Publishing Group

Published: 11th November 2014

Pages: 134

Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance, 

Main Characters: Jade, Ben
Date Read: 24th December - 31st December 2014

Rating Given:

Synopsis:
Adirondack girl-in-transition Jade Engel comes home to recharge after ending a career she never truly wanted, but soon realizes she’s in danger of also being swept off her feet by the boy-next-door, her former best friend, Ben Stephens. If only he’d stop kissing her every time she falls into his arms. 
Everything local celebrity Ben Stephens ever wanted is in Starling. Then Jade comes home after an eternity away and sends his simple world into a tailspin. He’s determined to pursue her—the one girl who got away. But when their friends-with-benefits arrangement blows up in their faces, will they have the courage to put their pasts to rest in order to forge a future together? 
Christmas in New York series Book 1: This Christmas by Jeannie Moon Book 2: All I Want for Christmas by Jennifer Gracen Book 3: A Light in the Window by Jolyse Barnett Book 4: Goodness and Light by Patty Blount

The third book in the Christmas in New York series which I received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

All of the book covers in this series are similar but with the setting and characters different which is like each of the stories. I feel out of all of the covers this one looks more Christmasy which is what I want from a Christmas novel.

This one did take me a little longer to read than the first two but that was because Christmas took over so I didn't have time to read as much as when I read the first two. I'm in two minds about this book as the first half of the book I wasn't a huge fan as I didn't understand why Ben would like someone like Jade but the more we got to know each of the characters I fell in love with their love story. I felt like the ending of the story was the cutest but I also felt like the ending was a bit rushed, I would have liked to have read more about the future of this particular couple just like I felt with the ending of the previous two books.

As I kind of mentioned above I wasn't a fan of Jade in the beginning as she seemed a little too bitchy and one of those 'mean girls', I didn't feel like her friendship between her and the other girls (from the other books) was as real as the others but once I read more about her back story I felt the connection especially towards the end when they where there for her. Jade always seemed to be living her life for other people which I think made her into the bitch she was at the beginning but once she lived her own life making her own decisions she was a much more likable character. I really liked Ben he is definitely my favourite male character from this series so far as he was the sweetest and it was her that walked away instead of the guy which made this book a little more different to the other two books.

Overall a cute and quick Christmas read.

Book Review: All I Want For Christmas (Christmas in New York, #2) by Jennifer Gracen

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Format: Kindle arc

Publishers: Tule Publishing Group

Published: 9th November 2014

Pages: 123

Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance, 

Main Characters: Cassandra, Sean
Date Read: 23rd December - 24th December 2014

Rating Given:

Synopsis:
Cassandra Baines almost has it all: a flourishing career as one of the youngest English Lit assistant professors at NYU, an apartment in a city she adores, and a close circle of lifelong girlfriends that are like sisters. The only thing she doesn’t have is someone special to share it with. She’s been married to her work since Sean McKinnon broke her heart seven years ago. 
Musician and bar owner Sean McKinnon keeps busy – too busy for a love life. He blew it with Cassie all those years ago, and no one has held a candle to her since. 
But then one fateful night, of all the people in New York City, Cassandra walks into his bar, and he’s drawn to her as strongly as ever. She wants nothing to do with him, but he’s not going to give up so easily. 
Can a bit of New York Christmas magic help two people take a second chance on true love? 

Another Christmas read courtesy of netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Similar cover to the first book in this series but this one is a little better than the first as it looks more like it about the romance like it's supposed to.

I started off really enjoying this book but the further I went into it the more it started to annoy me. I did also get a little confused as it would change whose point of view it was written in but once I got used to that I started to cotten on to what was going on. What I find a little strange is that this is number two in a series yet it is written by a different author (which is the same for the rest of the series) and you can tell. The romance side of the story was a little annoying at times as they would make the same mistakes and then they would say they have learnt from past mistakes when clearly they hadn't. There was a few cute moments that I come to expect from my Christmas novels. The ending felt a little rushed and like the first book I would have liked to have seen into the future to see if these two are even still together.

I kind of like the characters in this book but not as much as the first book. There was one character that I really liked and that was Sean who was Irish and adorable! Cassandra annoyed me a lot especially near the end which then I could have thrown my kindle as she was being a hypocrite.

Overall not as good as the first one but still an enjoyable read for this time of year.