On a Midnight Clear

These are some of my favorite historical romance authors who have compiled an anthology of Christmas marriages. 

Each story in this collection is well thought out and the characters are believable.  The things I liked about the characters is that the ladies are not portrayed as conventional beauties, but each of them have winsome personalities that win over the husbands/beaux in the stories. These are enjoyable reads and will be great reads for the Christmas season when all the reader wants to do is curl up with a good book, a blanket, and a cup of tea.  

Four Strong Stars

Tracie Peterson

Misty Beller

Karen Witemeyer

Bethany House provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

Once Upon a Christmas Carol

Carol hates Christmas and her birthday, which coincidentally are the same day.  She usually works for her birthday, but this year she planned a trip to the Bahamas.  Unfortunately she gets rerouted to Michigan.  As luck would have it, her aunt lives an hour away from the airport and she sends a friend to come get her  and bring her back.  The weather played havoc with her plans for tropical climes, her aunt fell and broke her arm, and things needed doing in this small community.  The friend her aunt sent to pick her up, Victor, is intrigued with Carol and finds ways to be in her company.  The only fly in his ointment is Victoria, who thinks she has an exclusive claim to his life. Once that conundrum is sorted, Carol and Victor make good headway. 

I enjoyed reading this book.  It has humorous parts and sweet parts.  The characters each have their own agendas, but when those agendas mesh, they mesh well.  The only problem with the book is that I don't believe there was enough of the story to make the love story realistic.  Overall it's a good read, but I was left feeling that the story wasn't finished.  I will still read Melody Carlson, she writes quality stuff.  (Don't tell her but Happy Camper is one of my favorites.)  Four Stars.

Revell Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

Not What We Pictured

 

This is one of the silliest books I've read.  It is touted as a rom-com, but the comedy is more slap-stick than funny.  

McKenna is trying to set up the perfect proposal for her sister but Nate is on the bench she wants to hide the engagement ring for her soon-to-be brother-in-law to find.  She hides the ring in Nate's cargo shorts, they fall into a creek (I think) and Nate's shorts get put into a plastic bag and into his carry-on bag for his trip to his mother's place in Tennessee, but the bag gets lost because the flight attendant gate-checked it and it doesn't make it to Tennessee.  McKenna goes to Tennessee to get the ring back and the silliness continues.  

This wasn't as enjoyable as I had hoped it would be.  I haven't read anything else by Becca Kinzer, but I might try another one.  Not What We Pictured is a quick read and does have some really enjoyable parts.  I actually was rather sympathetic to Nate in spite of McKenna's machinations. 

Three Stars. 

Tyndale Publishing provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

Gelato at the Villa

I love reading Robin Jones Gunn's books and this one touches the middle-aged heart.  

Claire and Grace are friends who take a pilgrimage in Italy to bathe in the culture through cooking lessons, tasting gelato, taking in the architecture and scenery.  What they didn't realize is that God had a plan for their trip and it had life-changing implications.  

Everywhere they went through Italy, they tasted the local gelato as well as the local cuisine.  Their friendship grew deeper, and at an unexpected time, God showed up to bring healing and strength to so many parts of their lives. 

Gelato at the Villa is one of the best books I've read this year.  The settings were so enticing and the food described made my taste buds dance.  Robin has a great way with her words and is so skillful in putting the story to paper.  

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a cup of Gelato.

Revell Publishing provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

Love in Plane Sight

This book by Lauren Connolly is not what I expected and I feel like it could have been better if lust weren't the centerpiece of the whole book.  There really isn't enough plot development to create an organic love story.  There are a lot of points that could have been more fully developed.  The money struggles Beth was having trying to pay off loans and her mortgage was the one thing that seemed complete in the book. Beth's relationship with her brother was one thing that could have more fully fleshed out. Beth's flying lessons could have been more detailed. It could have been a really good book but it missed the mark by a mile. 

Two Stars.

Berkley Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.

 

Maid for Each Other

Abi Mariano's apartment is being fumigated and the penthouse apartment of one of her cleaning clients is supposed to be empty for the week while she needs to be out of her own place. She figures that she can use the penthouse and then clean it up before he even knows. Except his parents come in and find her and think she's his girlfriend.  Then horror of all horrors, he shows up in his own home and Abi has a lot to explain.  

Declan, the owner of the apartment, sees how this can work to his advantage and makes a deal with Abi.  She asks for $40,000 to pay off her student loans and she will go with him to a business weekend as his girlfriend.  It stretches out for more than just the weekend and one thing Abi learns about Declan is that his wealth is not as important to him as it would seem on the outside.  He plays the party line with his company, but behind it all his passion lies in a charitable company that does its good deeds anonymously.  

This is a formulaic romance, but it is one that uses a third party to throw a spanner into the works.  Lynn Painter has done a creditable job in creating a believable story.  Her plot lines are sometimes hilarious, but easily followable. She uses her thoughts to paint a picture worth perusing.  

Four Stars. 

Berkeley Publishing Group provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

Sense and Suitability

Emmeline thought that Simon was going to propose to her, but he bailed on her at the last minute.  Now both of them have been given ultimatums to find a spouse this season or else.  Simon needs money, Emmeline doesn't have a large enough dowry.  The problem is they are in love with each other, but there is a black mark against Simon and Emmeline would rather not get married if she can't have Simon.  

There are several interesting characters who flesh out the movement of the plot--Aunts for both Simon and Emmeline feel that they have a say in what happens in their niece's or nephew's lives, even to the point of choosing spouses for their charges. 

Pepper Basham writes compelling novels that grasp the reader from the very first pages all the way through to the end.  She seems to know what her readers want and delivers with a flourish. I love the way she puts a plot together and her settings are spot on for the story she is telling.  

Four Strong Stars. 

My Thanks to Thomas Nelson Fiction for providing the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.