Tuesday, December 24, 2024

If Only In Our Dreams

             


Title: If Only In Our Dreams
Series: Christmas Daddies #3
Author: Fae Quin
Published: Lima Studios LLC, November 12, 2023
Pages: 398
Genre: LGBTQ Holiday Romance

Ben Montgomery - I’m not sure if I’ve ever believed in love at first sight. In my forty-five years on this earth, the only sort of love I’ve known is the unconditional, soul-healing kind I have for my twin daughters. But when I meet a sweet, flirtatious man dressed in all black with circles under his eyes even darker than his eyeliner—I’m immediately captivated. Robin Johnson makes me smile more than anyone I’ve ever met. He’s emo-goth and a walking ball of sunshine. He’s giggles and quips and yet deep beneath the surface, he hides an overwhelming sadness. And though I know he’s only in town for a short time, there isn’t much I wouldn’t do to make Robin’s life just a little bit more merry. Even if it means admitting that love at first sight isn’t a fairy tale, after all.

Robin “Trashmouth” Johnson - Years of constant touring, with sleepless nights on the road and in countless hotels has taken its toll on both my body and my mental state. It’s a lifestyle that’s left me exhausted and wrecked, but also afraid to slow down, afraid to stop running. The truth is, I’ve always been running—from my past, from my family, from myself. But visiting my brother, Miles, and his new husband this holiday season in their quiet Vermont town feels like just the break I need to figure out my next step in life. And after a chance encounter with a sexy stranger, who turns out to be more than I ever could have wished for, I wonder if maybe a rolling stone could learn to grow roots.

The Montgomery men are literal perfection. And the twins? I knew(!) they would be my favorite part of this book, and I was absolutely correct. Rosie and Jane are my total favorites. Best part about book kids is they can be cool. Real kids can be cool too, but book kids are much quieter.

As perfect as the Montgomery men are, the Johnson men are pretty dang adorable as well. The fact that they wear their trauma so differently is interesting. But boy does it define them until the Montgomery men smooth out their edges. Not that finding love automatically cures trauma. But it helps these guys feel safe enough to work on it. 

Ratings
Stars: 4/5
Spice: 3/5

The Christmas Party

                                 

Title: The Christmas Party
Author: Kathryn Croft
Published: Audible Originals, October 31, 2024
Time: 4 hours 42 minutes
Genre: Holiday Suspense

When Sasha receives a call from her old university friend Gabby inviting her to spend Christmas at Gabby’s remote Scottish lake house, Sasha knows she shouldn’t go.

Twelve years ago, on Christmas Eve, when Sasha and her five closest friends were celebrating the festive season, something truly horrific happened that would change the course of their friendship forever. Something that meant Sasha hasn’t spoken to any of them since that night.

But Gabby is insistent that they all get together this Christmas, to finally help her move on from the events of that night, so Sasha agrees to go.

Arriving at the sprawling house overlooking a stunning loch, Sasha quickly realises that Gabby has other reasons for getting the six friends together this Christmas. And now Sasha is forced to relive a past she’s tried hard to forget.

People had always told them their friendship wasn’t healthy. That the six of them spent far too much time together. No good would come of it, they said. How could relationships with others work when the six of them were so tightly interwoven?

When a snowstorm isolates them from the outside world, old flames are rekindled and tensions run high, and it soon becomes obvious: nothing that big can stay secret forever.


Whoa. What a mess. I can honestly say, still, that I do not want friends who would lie for me like these friends lie for each other. Don't get me wrong. Sometimes friends lying for each other is the best show of care that they have. And sometimes it's a show of narcissism and selfishness that's downright sinister. The use of unreliable narrator and dual timeline was perfect. And the morsels of clues sprinkled throughout were very fun to gobble up. 

Ratings
Stars: 3/5

Monday, December 23, 2024

The Upside Down Christmas

                                

Title: The Upside Down Christmas
Author: Kate Forster
Published: Audible Originals, December 1, 2022
Time: 3 hours 28 minutes
Genre: Holiday Romance

Marlo is a living her best life in sunny Sydney and avoiding thinking about her past at all costs. Avoiding thinking about the quaint village life she left behind in Britain. Avoiding thinking about that fateful Christmas Day.

When Marlo is unceremoniously ghosted by her part-time lover, she decides she’ll need to avoid the whole Christmas season. That is actually pretty easy in this country, because it’s so hot and so far away from anything that means Christmas to her. But Marlo’s flatmate Alex is determined to lift her out of her grinch slump and convince her that Christmas Down Under may be unfamiliar, but exactly what she needs to start her life on a new course. Alex, with his calm order and terrible Dad jokes. Alex, with his sparkling Christmas cocktails, his chiseled jaw and washboard abs. Alex, who’s going to turn Marlo’s Christmas wish list upside down.


This is very cute. Can I relate to someone abandoning their entire life and moving to a different continent to get away from the worst thing that ever happened to them? Not personally, no. But dang I get the desire. She couldn't have changed her life more than she did, that's for sure. It's certainly inspirational. I live somewhere that is more often than not in the high 70s for Christmas. This has inspired me to want to embrace a warm weather Christmas, instead of trying to force the cold weather traditions on a 75 degree day.

Ratings
Stars: 3/5

Sunday, December 22, 2024

Tastes Like Shakkar

                            

Title: Tastes Like Shakkar
Series: If Shakespeare Were an Auntie #2
Author: Nisha Sharma
Published: Avon, August 1, 2023
Pages: 350
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Bobbi Kaur is determined to plan a celebration to remember for her best friend’s wedding. But she has two problems that are getting in her way:

1. The egotistical, and irritatingly sexy, chef Benjamin “Bunty” Padda is supposed to help her with the menu since he’s the groom’s best friend, and

2. Someone is trying to sabotage the wedding.

With aspirations of taking over her family’s event planning business, Bobbi knows that one misstep in managing the Kareena Mann and Prem Verma (#Vermann) party, along with the other weddings on her plate, will only give her uncle another reason not to promote her. That means Kareena’s big day and Bobbi's future career are on the line.

Bunty will do anything for his best friend, even though he has his hands full in finding a new location for his next restaurant while also playing mediator between his brother and father, the celebrated Naan King. When Prem asks Bunty to help with the wedding menu, he agrees, especially since it puts him in close proximity to the delicious Bobbi Kaur. When a mystery shaadi saboteur starts leaving threatening notes, and cancelling cake orders, Bunty and Bobbi have no choice but to call a truce and face the volatile attraction they have for each other.

Through masquerade fundraisers and a joint bachelor-bachelorette trip to Vegas, this chef and wedding planner explore their growing connection all while trying to plan a wedding at Messina Vineyards in a time crunch. But once the shaadi saboteur is caught and the wedding is over, will their love story have a happily ever after?

With the return of the meddling aunties (who are scary good at finding information) and a lot of hilarity and hijinks, Bobbi and Bunty’s romance is an event you don’t want to miss.


What a delight. I could have used a content warning about how much of a control freak Bobbi is. She has to do everything herself, and she doesn't trust anyone enough to ask for help. Like dang, you did not have to call me out that hard! 

She is really good at her job though. And when she eventually stands up for herself, it's perfection! The same can be said for Benjamin. I was ready to break up with him too, Bobbi. But I'm so glad he saw the light for you, girl. 

I have a parody cookbook that's 50 Shades of Chicken or something. I feel like Bunty read that at a really pivotal moment in the development of his desire and I'm here for it.

Ratings
Stars: 4/5
Spice: 3/5

Hijab Butch Blues

                


Title: Hijab Butch Blues
Author: Lamya H
Published: Dial Press, February 7, 2023
Pages: 305
Genre: Memoir

When fourteen-year-old Lamya H realizes she has a crush on her teacher—her female teacher—she covers up her attraction, an attraction she can’t yet name, by playing up her roles as overachiever and class clown. Born in South Asia, she moved to the Middle East at a young age and has spent years feeling out of place, like her own desires and dreams don’t matter, and it’s easier to hide in plain sight. To disappear. But one day in Quran class, she reads a passage about Maryam that changes everything: When Maryam learned that she was pregnant, she insisted no man had touched her. Could Maryam, uninterested in men, be . . . like Lamya?

From that moment on, Lamya makes sense of her struggles and triumphs by comparing her experiences with some of the most famous stories in the Quran. She juxtaposes her coming out with Musa liberating his people from the pharoah; asks if Allah, who is neither male nor female, might instead be nonbinary; and, drawing on the faith and hope Nuh needed to construct his ark, begins to build a life of her own—ultimately finding that the answer to her lifelong quest for community and belonging lies in owning her identity as a queer, devout Muslim immigrant.

This searingly intimate memoir in essays, spanning Lamya’s childhood to her arrival in the United States for college through early-adult life in New York City, tells a universal story of courage, trust, and love, celebrating what it means to be a seeker and an architect of one’s own life.

What a beautiful accounting of a life. Not easy. But beautiful. This was a really interesting memoir choice for me. I have previously only read memoirs of celebrities that I connected with their work. So there was an inherent, perceived intimacy in those accountings. This memoir was not like that. I have no context for Lamya H or her story. And Lamya H is a penance, even if I did. It adds some walls to the experience that made this read more like a novel than usual.

The way that she wove stories from the Quran throughout her memoir was beautiful. Her connection to her religion and faith in general was really lovely. And I can understand how that would lead her to make the choice to use a pen name, especially with such a personal work. But if you like memoirs, this is a really good one.

Ratings
Stars: 5/5

A Jingle Bell Mingle

               


Title: A Jingle Bell Mingle
Series: Christmas Notch #3
Author: Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone
Published: Avon, September 24, 2024
Pages: 373
Genre: Holiday Romance

Part-time adult film actress/one-time adult film director/makeup artist Sunny Palmer has accidentally sold her very first screenplay to the Hope Channel. That was six months ago. Fast forward to a looming deadline, an uninspired Sunny has returned to the source of her inspiration in Christmas Notch, Vermont, to immerse herself in the local Christmas miracle on which her fever dream of a movie pitch was based.

Isaac Kelly, former boy band heartthrob and the saddest boy in the music biz, is the latest owner of the town’s historic mansion. After his years of heartbreak following his young wife’s death, Isaac’s record label is done waiting for new music. What better place to attempt his first holiday album than a snow-covered mansion where he can become a hermit in peace?

But after their best friends’ wedding leads to them waking up together in a freezing motel room with questionable wiring and a broken shower, Isaac takes a chance and asks Sunny to stay with him at his home. Surely the place is big enough that he’ll hardly see her or her unhinged cat. But when the two discover they’re both creatively blocked, they make a handshake deal: Isaac will help Sunny hunt down the truth behind the local lore, and Sunny will find Isaac a new muse.

And with these two opposites under one roof, there’s no way this jingle bell mingle could go off script…right?


OK. I love Christmas Notch. I want to go to this wildly sex positive town where everything feels like Christmas all the time. Even the strip club is Christmas themed, and that's just so amazing. It never fails to bring me joy to think about it. 

But I've noticed a pattern with these books that I'm finding does dampen my joy a touch. I had high hopes for this third installment. And don't get me wrong, I do love the bi representation in this series! There's a lot to be said for that. But the fact that the full novels are all MF, hetero-presenting couples, and only the novellas are MM and FF is definitely a choice. They tee'd it up perfectly to be a MMF throuple. But it wasn't meant to be. 

Or it was, but we were like 50+ years too late? And WWII robbed us of what could have been? You've gotta read it for those details, but I would definitely watch that movie!

Ratings
Stars: 4/5
Spice: 4/5

False Comeback

              


Title: False Comeback
Series: Goliaths of Wrestling #4
Author: Lily Mayne
Publisher: December 6, 2024
Pages: 515
Genre: MM Monster Romance

High Lord Crossbody
I’ve given up a lot to pursue a career in professional wrestling, and I’m not going to have it all derailed by an uncouth ghoul with a huge chip on his shoulder, who decided he disliked me for no reason on his very first day at Goliaths.

Vince Burke has been the thorn in my side for five long years, but things have taken a turn for the worse. The management is threatening to get involved. I refuse to let Burke take the life I’ve worked so hard to build from me, so I try to be on my best behaviour at work, but something about him just gets to me. He consumes my thoughts. I can’t stand him.

And when something happens between us that leaves me feeling completely unmoored, I find myself thinking about him constantly. He’s taken all the control, and I need to get it back. Because I liked it too much, and I can’t let myself feel that way about him.

Vince “Rolling Rimmer” Burke
I love everything about my job as a professional wrestler at Goliaths of Wrestling, an underground supernatural wrestling organisation. I love the showmanship. The costumes. The crowds. The ring and the arena. My co-workers.

Well, except one.

High Lord Crossbody, the royal fae who’s an actual 
prince, is a pompous snob and a pain in my backside. Everything about him rankles me—his clipped drawl, his disdainful sneer, his stupid long legs and eerily perfect face and sultry hooded eyes…

I hate everything about him. I do. So when our mutual dislike boils over in a very public argument, then explodes into something even hotter and completely inappropriate, I’m left confused and even more annoyed.

Because now I want him. And I hate that I want him.

Man, and I thought Rafe and Dan were excellent enemies. Crossbody and Vince hate each other. It is visceral, and the fact that that gets laced with degradation is perfection. I love even more that it's the lack of aftercare that finally gets Vince to stop being so stubborn about his "hatred." And the new wrestlers are awesome. I really hope we get a Beast unmasking eventually!

This one also made me wonder if this is another time for the Monstrous world. Like maybe this is before the rip? Or maybe well after, when the rip is more well contained? And maybe it's neither, but it's fun to speculate!

Ratings
Stars: 5/5
Spice: 5/5

A Minotaur Tale: In Prose, Being a Monster Romance for Yuletide


Title: A Minotaur Tale: In Prose, Being a Monster Romance for Yuletide
Series: The Shades of Sanctuary #2.5
Author: Kass O'Shire
Publisher: November 21, 2024
Pages: 134
Genre: Holiday Fantasy Romance

Nymphs are supposed to be fun and flirty, but Cora has always been shy, bookish, and serious. If only Asterion, the minotaur of her dreams, would set his cap at someone else before she can disappoint him—like everyone else who has discovered her proclivity toward speeches on the differences between clams and mussels.

Just when it seems she's successfully dissuaded him, on the eve of her loneliest holiday yet, she comes across a package on her doorstep, detailing Asterion's plan to woo her:

Three gifts, one night, one chance to prove he really sees her.


Asterion is adorable. He's so patient with Cora. Or maybe persistent is the right word. When she doesn't notice his subtle attempts, he gets more forthright and that's exactly what she needs. This is so sweet. And I totally understand that Cora is obsessed with shells, me too, girl. Me too.

Ratings
Stars: 4/5
Spice: 3/5

On a Night Like This

                               

Title: On a Night Like This
Series: Winter Nights #3
Author: Liz Maverick
Published: Audible Originals, November 16, 2023
Time: 3 hours 34 minutes
Genre: Holiday Romance

After a broken engagement, Cher decides to leave heartbreak behind by signing up for a holiday house swap. For the next few weeks, she’ll ditch sunny California to spend her first Hanukkah in New York City, a time of snow-covered sidewalks, festive store windows, hot cocoa, and...cute neighbors?

As Cher is moving into her temporary new apartment, Eliot is moving his ex’s belongings out, and he soon finds himself offering to play tour guide. He’s nursing a broken heart too, and spending time showing the beautiful traveler around is exactly what he needs. There’s nothing more magical than jaunting around the wintry city together with no expectations...until he starts hoping for more.

With the holiday of lights—and the sparks of attraction—setting their hearts aglow, will they find a way to bridge the distance? And when the past comes calling, will their first season together be their last?


The thing I dislike most about this particular installment is how weird it is to call Sara, Eliot's ex. They were friends. Best friends. And he had an unrequited crush. It sucks, but that doesn't make her his ex. And the fact that he needed an entire year to get over the fact that they didn't have a relationship is so wildly incel of him. Which really sucks because otherwise this was an adorably cute version of The Holiday. And I still want to be invited to a Thieving Elvis party. I wouldn't say I love this series. It's cute, and I have enjoyed it though. And I would like the closure of getting that last friend's book. I can't remember her name, but she's the only friend in this little group that hasn't gotten her HEA. I thought we would have gotten her story this year, but we got an unrelated story. I guess I hold out hope for next year. 

Ratings
Stars: 3/5

Bright Winter Lights

                              

Title: Bright Winter Lights
Series: Winter Nights #2
Author: Liz Maverick
Published: Audible Originals, December 1, 2022
Time: 3 hours 33 minutes
Genre: Holiday Romance

Billionaire businessman Adam Bosch decides to bring a date to the family Hanukkah party this year in hopes of getting a break from his mother’s matchmaking. Trouble is, his busy schedule hasn’t left much room for romance. Since he’s always remained cordial with his high school sweetheart Sara Schwartz, he gets back in touch and asks her to be his plus one. And if he’s being honest, it’s a good excuse to see her again...since he’s never quite forgotten her.

Sara’s a successful designer with a close circle of friends and a thriving business—so what if her love life is nonexistent? When Adam resurfaces and asks her to pose as his date after all these years, she thinks it’s a ridiculous idea. But he’s charming, persuasive...and too cute to resist. Before long, they rediscover the spark that first brought them together. Will their holi-date turn into lasting love?


I do not remember anything about Thieving Elvis from Eight Winter Nights. But it's still the best version of White Elephant/Dirty Santa/Secret Santa that I've hears. The idea that all of these hurt feelings are left over from some middle school drama is hilarious. Not to say that I am not definitely holding onto some trauma from my time in school, but like. The detail with which these people "remember" these things is wild! They were life-forming events apparently. And there is always a soft spot in my heart for a fake date, so I loved that.

Ratings
Stars: 3/5

Monster Pucked

                    


Title: Monster Pucked
Series: Pucking Monsters #2
Author: Clio Evans and Ashley Bennett
Publisher: November 19, 2024
Pages: 110
Genre: Monster Romance

One hot chocolate crisis at a holiday dinner party, an unforgettable mistletoe kiss, and suddenly I’m falling for one of the hottest goalies in the NMHL.

Ehrokk is a sweet orc with hard muscles, a soft heart, and the kind of submissive eyes that draw me right in. As a vampire, I’ve been alive for centuries, but there’s something about him that calls to me.

After a New Year’s Eve that changes us both, we wonder if we’re fated to be together. But we lead such different lives, we aren’t sure we can make it work. Can we give true love a shot?

It's still monster hockey. I'm still absolutely here for it! But it's still just a little less hockey than I'd like. And this time a little less monster. Still hilarious though. Chef daddy is very hot. Submissive, towering orc is also very hot. Especially with a mullet and piercings. I love that Marco wants to impress Ehrokk with a fancy night out for New Year's Eve. And then when things weren't going perfectly, instead of getting annoyed, he just recalibrated and set Ehrokk at ease. It was lovely. And then it was scotch bonnet spicy. 


Ratings
Stars: 3/5
Stars: 4/5

Only Santas in the Building

                                   

Title: Only Santas in the Building
Series: Under the Mistletoe #5
Author: Alexis Daria
Published: Audible Original Stories, November 12, 2024
Pages: 65
Genre: Holiday Romance

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, especially for a comic book illustrator whose late-night naughty fantasies become real in a festive and spicy short story by bestselling author Alexis Daria.

All Evie Cruz wants for Christmas is a nap. And maybe some ornaments for her naked Christmas tree. And while she’s making a list, she wouldn’t mind unwrapping her sexy upstairs neighbor like a present. Luckily, the building’s Santa-themed party and a surprise sprig of mistletoe give her just the opening she needs to make all her wishes come true.

This book had me so dang mad at her family. Specifically her uncle, but like. UGH they just let it go. This was another one where the center was grief, but luckily the main content of the book was so lighthearted because otherwise this would have been really hard to get through. And all of this while she's trying to start a new life in an apartment that's falling apart. At least her neighbors are delightful! Even when she assumes the super thoughtful gifts were given to her by the cute granny neighbor....not the hot "Santa" upstairs. 

Ratings
Stars: 3/5
Spice: 2/5

Merriment and Mayhem

                                 

Title: Merriment and Mayhem
Series: Under the Mistletoe #4
Author: Alexandria Bellefleur
Published: Audible Original Stories, November 12, 2024
Pages: 58
Genre: Holiday Romance

This Christmas, a hot fireman makes a holiday rescue and sparks fly in this sizzling holiday short story by bestselling author Alexandria Bellefleur.

When Everleigh Dangerfield’s baking disaster necessitates a call to 911, firefighter Griffin Brantley douses the flames in the kitchen, but the ones he stokes in Everleigh are an entirely different story. Unfortunately, Everleigh’s only visiting and doesn’t do casual hookups, no matter how smoldering the temptation. But Everleigh’s holiday mishaps have just begun. And Griffin is seemingly always on call. If Everleigh is game for a change of plans, he can give her the merriest Christmas of her life.

This girl is a disaster. She's also "not like this." What could be more like a holiday romance than that. It's very silly, and I love it. But I will say, as lighthearted as some of these happenstances feel, the grief is very real in this one. It was manageable because everything else for just so silly.

Ratings
Stars: 3/5
Spice: 2/5

All By My Elf

                                

Title: All By My Elf
Series: Under the Mistletoe #3
Author: Olivia Dade
Published: Audible Original Stories, November 12, 2024
Pages: 55
Genre: Holiday Romance

Secret crushes, spicy Christmas treats, heinous holiday traffic, and a fateful snowstorm bring good friends together in a funny, sexy short story by bestselling author Olivia Dade.

Nina and William are underpaid adjunct professors at the same university, where winter break is no break at all: ’tis the season to make extra money. When their holiday side hustle has them stranded by a blinding blizzard in the middle of nowhere, there’s nothing to do but cuddle up for warmth and play a hot and bothered game of Never Have I Ever to pass the time. But in the game of love, secrets never stay secret for long…

I love Olivia Dade so much. I am obsessed with the concept of an off-brand Oscar Mayer Weinermobile riding around with adults dressed as elves as their marketing ploy. What a delight? The only that I didn't love about this one was that Nina was so ready to believe her bestie would flirt with her big ol' crush right under her nose. And not just flirt with him, but hook up with him. While only the 3 of them were on a road trip together in the off-brand weinermobile in elf costumes. Truly, everything else is perfection. And her bestie was ride or die....more than the others because they're in a weinermobile...riding. lol. 

Ratings
Stars: 3/5
Spice: 2/5

Merry Ever After

                               

Title: Merry Ever After
Series: Under the Mistletoe #2
Author: Tessa Bailey
Published: Audible Original Stories, November 12, 2024
Pages: 59
Genre: Holiday Romance

A single mother working in a thrift store. A gentle giant farmer who can’t find jeans that fit. When opposites attract, they find themselves making alterations in more ways than one in this smoking-hot short story by #1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey.

Evie Crowe is starting over in a strange town with her newborn, and men are the furthest thing from her mind. If only the quiet, hulking farmer, Luke Ward, would stop coming into the thrift shop and piquing her reluctant interest. Evie wants to stay single all the way—she can’t trust anything more than friends-with-holiday-benefits. But Luke is in it for the long haul. He’s fixed on making this a Christmas Evie will remember forever. If she gives him a chance.

I've never read a Tessa Bailey, but this made me see the hype. I'm not thrilled about the kids aspect, but I still loved the romance. I mean, a super talented tailor thinking you're hot and sewing custom clothes for you?! Because you're a massive farmer too big for your own good. What's not to love honestly!

Ratings
Stars: 3/5
Spice: 2/5