Day 16: The Christmas Countdown by Holly Cassidy

Happy Holidays!

Today is Day 16 of my holiday reading recommendations.

The Christmas Countdown by Holly Cassidy.

It's a heartfelt, healing journey full of Christmas spirit!

About the Book

From the author of The Christmas Wager comes a charming holiday rom com about a young, recently heartbroken woman who is tasked by her sister to complete Advent calendar challenges in the lead up to Christmas to reignite her belief in herself, the holidays, and love again.

She’s given up on love and Christmas…but fate has other plans.

All Callie wants for Christmas is to hibernate. She’s still reeling from being dumped by her childhood sweetheart, and under no circumstances will she go home for the holidays considering her ex will be right next door with his new, perfect partner. Callie is officially in grinch mode, but her meddling sister, Anita, won’t let her give up on life, love, and Christmas quite so easily.

Anita stages a Christmas intervention for Callie with a homemade Advent calendar challenge—cheerful tasks to push Callie out of her comfort zone and into the holiday spirit, inspired by a childhood tradition. Callie reluctantly plays along, but when she comes face-to-face with a charming baker who just might be the spoonful of sugar she needs, her strict rules on love and the holidays are tested. As they strike a deal to do the activities together, could the twenty four little doors on Callie’s Advent calendar not only open up one, but two closed-off hearts?

My Review

This is a story about love. Love for a sister. Love for family. Love for the holidays. And finding courage to love yourself. It’s also a story about healing.

Don’t worry, this is not just a marshmallowy feelgood book, there’s also a lot of Christmas tomfoolery going on, too! 

The Christmas Countdown encapsulates everything you love (and don’t love) about the holiday season. It also runs the gambit of emotions from heartbreak to joy and everything in between. Callie is so easily relatable and I wanted to encourage her as much as I wanted to wring her neck! She was so stubborn but I’m so glad that Anita was too. 

Callie’s sister Anita is outgoing, boisterous, and does everything she can to help Callie start her healing journey. Everyone needs a sister like Anita.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story and recommend it to anyone who needs to smile this season.

FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read a copy of the book generously provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my thoughts or feelings about the book or the content of my review.

Purchase Links

Penguin Random House

About the Author

Photo: © Robert McKinnon

Holly Cassidy is the pen name for internationally bestselling author Hannah Mary McKinnon. Her suspense novels include The Neighbors, Her Secret Son, Sister Dear, You Will Remember Me, Never Coming Home, The Revenge List, and Only One Survives (coming July 2024). McKinnon was born in England, grew up in Switzerland, and now lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and three sons. The Christmas Wager was her first novel writing as Holly Cassidy. Learn more at hannahmarymckinnon.com/home-holly-cassidy

Day 15: Mistletoe Me, Baby by Katie Reus

Happy Holidays!

Today is Day 15 of my holiday reading recommendations.

Second book of the day is Mistletoe Me, Baby by Katie Reus

This is Book #4 in Katie's O'Conner Family series and can easily be read as a standalone!

About the Book

She needs a fake fiancé…

With the holidays fast approaching, Miranda Flores makes up a fake fiancé so her well-meaning family will get off her back. She just never expected them to suddenly show up on her doorstep a couple weeks before Christmas, wanting to spend the holidays with her. So she turns to Nolan O’Connor, her sexy best friend, and asks him for the favor of a lifetime: she needs him to act the part of her fiancé until her parents leave town.

He wants forever…

Pretending to be engaged to the woman he’s already fallen for? No problem. Nolan agrees to Miranda’s fake engagement scheme because as far as he’s concerned, she’s the one. But he plays his role too well, because soon the entire town thinks they’re engaged and things get more complicated—especially since he can’t pretend with her anymore. Then tragedy strikes and Miranda tries to shut him out, but Nolan won’t let her. He’ll do whatever it takes to convince her that he wants to make her his forever.

My Review

MISTLETOE ME, BABY has everything you want in a Christmas romance! A strong, stubborn heroine almost too proud to ask for help. A hero that’s fiercely loyal, loving, caring and determined to claim the woman he loves… even when she’s asking him to get out of her life. And a quaint little town in Holly, North Carolina where it’s Christmas all year round as the perfect backdrop for this short-and-sweet love story!

Miranda and Nolan paired beautifully together. Their chemistry was off-the-charts sexy and very steamy. I loved how tender and patient Nolan was, especially when Miranda was pushing him away. He stood strong and never gave up on his love. That’s the kind of love I’m looking for!

You can’t go wrong with MISTLETOE ME, BABY or any of the O’Connor Family books! All of them are full of heart, family and love that will have you coming back for more!

FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read a copy of the book in 2017 generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my thoughts or feelings about the book or the content of my review.

Purchase Links

Katie Reus Website

About the Author

Katie Reus is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ancients Rising series, the Endgame trilogy and the Redemption Harbor Series. She fell in love with reading at a young age thanks to weekly trips to the library. However, she didn’t always know she wanted to be a writer. After changing majors too many times, she finally graduated with a degree in psychology. Not long after that she discovered a new love—writing.

She now spends her days writing paranormal romance and romantic suspense. In addition to writing, she’s also obsessed with hiking, quilting, and is currently working on getting her private pilot certification. Learn more at katiereus.com

Day 15: Holiday Wishes by Jill Shalvis

Happy Holidays!

Today is Day 15 of my holiday reading recommendations.

I'm sharing a couple holiday novellas today!

First book is Holiday Wishes by Jill Shalvis!

This is Book #4.5 in Jill's Heartbreaker Bay series and can easily be read as a standalone.

About the Book

It’s Christmastime again in Heartbreaker Bay!

When Sean O’Riley shows up at the Hartford Bed & Breakfast for his older brother’s bachelor weekend, he’s just hoping to make it through the weekend. What he’s not expecting is to come face to face with the woman he lost his virginity to a decade ago—a woman he’s never really forgotten.

The last time Lotti Hartford saw Sean, she told him she loved him while he said nothing. Now, ten years later, she’s just looking for a good time. For once, she wants to be the wild and free one, and Sean – the good time guy – is the perfect candidate. 

But as the weekend continues, Sean realizes that after a lifetime of being the hook-up king, he’s ready to find happily-ever-after, and he wants it with Lotti. But will she open her heart to him again? As Christmas sweeps through the little B&B, he can only hope love and magic are in the air. 

My Review

HOLIDAY WISHES is a short and sweet read full of love, romance and second chances.

Sean was a former ladies man and now a newly-minted stand-up guy. He's messed up a lot in his life and his brother Finn has always been there to bail him out. Now, Sean wants to be that reliable, dependable guy. He's got everything planned for his brother's wedding, including the bachelor/bachelorette parties. Everything is going smoothly until Sean comes face to face with his past. A past that's haunted him ever since he broke Lotti's heart.

Lotti is ready for a two week vacation in the sand and surf of Cabo. A few more days and she's on her way. She's got a lot of emotional baggage and is looking forward to leaving it home. Little does she know, Mother Nature and Fate, it seems, have no intention of giving Lotti her well-earned vacation. Lotti thought she had enough man problems... until her first love walks into her family-owned B&B with a killer smile and an irresistible charm too tempting not to fall for.

Sean and Lotti run through a lot of emotions and a lot of history in this short read. In the beginning, I wasn't too keen on either of the characters. I thought Sean to have an ego and Lotti was too tough. As I continued to read, I realized there was so much more to the characters and they weren't at all what I first thought.

If you're looking for a quick read in between all that holiday shopping, HOLIDAY WISHES is just the read for you!

FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read a copy of the book in 2017 generously provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my thoughts or feelings about the book or the content of my review.

Purchase Links

Jill Shalvis Website

Holiday Wishes can currently be read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis writes contemporary romance and romantic comedies filled with madcap adventures and shenanigans and sexy times. (just don’t tell her mom). She’s sold 20 million plus copies worldwide to date and lives with her family in a small mountain town near Lake Tahoe full of quirky characters (Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is mostly coincidental). Learn more about Jill and her books at jillshalvis.com

Day 14: A Cowboy's Christmas Eve by R.C. Ryan

Happy Holidays!

Today is Day 14 of my holiday reading recommendations.

Second book of the day is A Cowboy's Christmas Eve by R.C. Ryan. 

This is Book 2.5 in R.C.'s Malloys of Montana series and can easily be read as a standalone.

It's fast-paced and so good! 

About the Book

Silent Night, Snowy Night . . .

Colin Malloy enjoys spending Christmas with his family at the Malloy ranch. But this holiday, what he really wants to do is to get closer to the alluring Dr. Anita Cross. So when a blizzard conspires to keep her from joining the Malloy family's festivities, neither snow, sleet, nor spun-out cars will prevent Colin from reaching her side.

As the new doctor in town, Anita is wholeheartedly devoted to her patients. So when a little boy needs her on this snowy night, she doesn't hesitate to care for him and send him home in time to spend Christmas with his family. An evening with a certain sexy cowboy will have to wait-or so she thinks. When a breathless Colin Malloy shows up at her clinic, Anita finds her cold, lonely night quickly heating up. And no crisis or well-meaning relative will stop them from making this a Christmas to remember . . .

My Review

This is my first R.C. Ryan read and I absolutely adored it! This novella has everything! Christmas-themed small-town setting with a rough-around-the-edges cowboy and a new-in-town doctor from the big city. Throw in a snowstorm, some crazy medical emergencies and a few Christmas miracles sprinkled in and you have the makings of great story!

A COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS EVE filled me with all kinds of warm and wonderful feelings. I loved the characters and I wanted to know more about this Malloy family as well as everyone else in this small Montana town!

The story is fast-paced, heartfelt and full of awesomeness! It was a complete joy to read and I whole-heartedly recommend A COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS EVE to all readers!

FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read a copy of the book in 2017 generously provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my thoughts or feelings about the book or the content of my review.

Purchase Links

Kindle | Nook | Kobo

About the Author

New York Times best-selling author Ruth Ryan Langan, who also writes under the pseudonym R. C. Ryan, is the author of over 100 novels, both contemporary romantic-suspense and historical adventure. Quite an accomplishment for this mother of five who, after her youngest child started school, gave herself the gift of an hour a day to follow her dream to become a published author.

Ruth has given dozens of radio, television and print interviews across the country and Canada, and has been quoted in such diverse publications as THE WALL STREET JOURNAL and COSMOPOLITAN. Ruth has also been interviewed on CNN NEWS, as well as GOOD MORNING AMERICA. Learn more at ryanlangan.com

Day 14: Hold Her Again by Shannon Stacey

Happy Holidays!

Today is Day 14 of my holiday reading recommendations.

I'm sharing a couple holiday novellas today!

First book is Hold Her Again by Shannon Stacey.

I love second chance romances and what better way for a Christmas miracle to happen by getting two people that love each other back together again. 

About the Book

A country-music star returns home to win back the woman he loves in this charming holiday novella from New York Times bestselling author Shannon Stacey

Ava Wright isn’t happy to see her high school sweetheart rolling into their hometown a few weeks before Christmas. He’s only come back to bury his estranged father, but there’s no way she’ll be able to avoid him. No one can: he’s become a country-music superstar since going solo and leaving Ava behind.

Jace Morrow grew up believing “money can’t buy happiness” was something people said to make themselves feel better. But now he knows it’s the truth: no matter how many number-one hits he has, he’ll never recapture the magic of singing with Ava. Missing her—loving her—and living with making the wrong choice in life were what made him who he is.

When Jace is roped into being part of the town’s annual Christmas party, he only cares about earning Ava’s forgiveness. And though Ava’s heart has never healed, she loved Jace too much and for too long to shut him out when he’s hurting. As they fall in love all over again, they’re both faced with choices for their future…and this time Jace intends to make the right one.

My Review

I loved this small town second-chances Christmas romance! All of my favorite tropes rolled into one beautiful, heartfelt read! Shannon Stacey pens an amazing story full of heartbreak, remorse, healing… and hope.

I was quickly drawn into the story and was easily able to empathize with both Ava and Jace. Normally, I’d dislike a hero that selfishly leaves behind the woman he loves in order to chase his own glory, but I found myself quietly rooting for Jace. It still doesn’t excuse what he did, but I found myself falling hard for this sheepish, yet deeply sincere country boy.

It’s beautifully written, the characters are lovingly crafted and it was an absolute joy to read.

HOLD HER AGAIN is the perfect holiday read!

FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read a copy of the book in 2017, generously provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my thoughts or feelings about the book or the content of my review.

Purchase Links

Shannon Stacey Website

About the Author

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Shannon Stacey lives with her husband and two sons in New England, where her two favorite activities are writing stories of happily ever after and driving her RZR. From May to November, the Stacey family spends their weekends off-road, making loads of muddy laundry to keep Shannon busy when she’s not at her computer. She prefers writing to laundry, however, and considers herself lucky she got to be an author when she grew up. Learn more at shannonstacey.com

Day 13: The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

Happy Holidays!

Happy Friday the 13th!

Today is Day 13 of my holiday reading recommendations.

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year is a fun, suspenseful, and hilarious holiday romance! 

This is one of the best books of 2024 and one of the best books I've ever read!

I highly recommend The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year!

About the Book

Knives Out gets a holiday rom-com twist in this rivals-to-lovers romance-mystery from New York Times bestselling author Ally Carter.

The bridge is out. The phones are down. And the most famous mystery writer in the world just disappeared out of a locked room three days before Christmas.

Meet Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt: She’s the new Queen of the Cozy Mystery.

He’s Mr. Big-time Thriller Guy.

She hates his guts.

He thinks her name is Marcie (no matter how many times she’s told him otherwise.)

But when they both accept a cryptic invitation to attend a Christmas house party at the English estate of a reclusive fan, neither is expecting their

host to be the most powerful author in the world: Eleanor Ashley, the Duchess of Death herself.

That night, the weather turns, and the next morning Eleanor is gone.

She vanished from a locked room, and Maggie has to wonder: Is Eleanor in danger? Or is it all some kind of test? Is Ethan the competition? Or is he the only person in that snowbound mansion she can trust?

As the snow gets deeper and the stakes get higher, every clue will bring Maggie and Ethan closer to the truth—and each other. Because, this Christmas, these two rivals are going to have to become allies (and maybe more) if they have any hope of saving Eleanor.

Assuming they don’t kill each other first.

My Review

A fucking brilliant read!

Not everything is what it seems …

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this Ally Carter read, but the synopsis drew me in and I had to know more!

I could not put the book down! The storyline is complex, suspenseful, and teases just enough to keep you up late at night, turning pages to find out what happens next!

The characters are intricately crafted, the mystery is dynamic and thrilling, and the storyline is executed flawlessly!

Maggie and Ethan are amazing together! Their rivalry is complicated which makes the crazy chemistry generated between the two that much more intense and palpable. I absolutely LOVE them!

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year is an exciting thriller that will leave your jaw-dropping!

Hands down one of the very best books I’ve read all year!

Highly recommend it!

FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read a copy of the book generously provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my thoughts or feelings about the book or the content of my review.

Purchase Links

Ally Carter Website | Harper Collins Publishing

About the Author

Ally Carter is the bestselling author of novels that have epitomized action-adventure YA romance for more than a decade. From the spy-centric humor of I’d Tell You I Love You, but Then I’d Have to Kill You to the globe-trotting glamour of Heist Society, Embassy Row, and Not If I Save You First, the name Ally Carter is synonymous with hilarious action and heart-pounding romance.

She is also the author of The Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor and The Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery for younger readers.

Her first original screenplay, A Castle for Christmas, was recently #1 on Netflix.

Ally lives within an easy drive of her home farm in Oklahoma and encourages you to follow her online if you love bad pictures and typo-filled tweets that she sends out when she really should be writing. Learn more at allycarter.com

Day 12: Mistletoe at Moonglow by Deborah Garner

Happy Holidays!

Today is Day 12 of my holiday reading recommendations.

Mistletoe at Moonglow by Deborah Garner is Book 1 in Deborah's 8-book Moonglow Christmas series and they are currently FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

These are novellas that are perfect if you're in a time crunch, or if you're not.

About the Book

A Christmas novella with cookie recipes included!

The Timberton Hotel has always provided a perfect Christmas retreat for regular guests, as well as newcomers. But the small town of Timberton, Montana, hasn’t been the same since resident chef and artist, Mist, arrived, bringing a unique new age flavor to the old western town. When guests check in for the holidays, they bring along worries, fears and broken hearts, unaware that Mist has a way of working magic in people’s lives.

Old-fashioned time spent together, exquisite food, conversation and a snowball or two offer guests a chance to trade sadness for hope. One thing is certain: no matter how cold winter’s grip is on each guest, no one leaves Timberton without a warmer heart.

My Review

Mistletoe at Moonglow is a delightfully enchanting read with beautifully broken characters and a storyline full of wonder and whimsy.

Mist has an intuitive spirit about her. She’s always able to discover a person’s needs and provide the means and experiences to make their day a little bit brighter. Is Mist Santa in disguise? A magician? An angel, perhaps? Or maybe just a woman of deep empathy, compassion, faith, and love that gives her a unique understanding of the world around her. Whoever Mist is, she meticulously–and lovingly–plans out each and every action with careful thought and purpose. 

I am completely smitten with this quaint Montana town, its hospitable townsfolk, and the extraordinary travelers who visit. If you are needing an infusion of Christmas cheer, I invite you to check out Mistletoe at Moonglow.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Deborah Garner Website

Mistletoe at Moonglow is currently FREE on Kindle Unlimited

About the Author

Deborah Garner is an accomplished travel writer with a passion for back roads and secret hideaways. Born and raised in California, she studied in France before returning to the U.S. to attend UCLA. After stints in graduate school and teaching, she attempted to clone herself for decades by founding and running a dance and performing arts center, designing and manufacturing clothing and accessories, and tackling both spreadsheets and display racks for corporate retail management. Her passions include photography, hiking and animal rescue. She speaks five languages, some substantially better than others. She now divides her time between California and Wyoming, dragging one human and two canines along whenever possible. Learn more at deborahgarner.com