Christmas

B+
Better Not Pout

I’m one of those people who doesn’t start feeling Christmassy until a couple of weeks beforehand.  I hate the fact that the cards and decorations start appearing in the shops at the end of August; I won’t listen to a Christmas song until well into December if I can avoid it, and it’s not ti ...

A
The Lady in Red

The Lady in Red is an absolute delight, y’all. Beyond the annoyance of having the Chris De Burgh song in my head for days afterwards (not a fan, sorry), I loved the time I spent with this book and with these people and was so annoyed when I clicked the last page. My fellow reviewer Alex raved abou ...

C
A Texas Christmas Past

I enjoy westerns and I enjoy Julia Justiss' work, so I was eager to pick this up, but sadly, it ended up disappointing me. Whereas her Regency historical voice is assured and nuanced, the writing here felt flat and as though she was trying too hard. I'm not sure if it is the novella-length of the bo ...

B
Twelfth Night with the Earl

This emotionally charged novella is billed as the third book in Anna Bradley’s current Sutherland Sisters series, although it doesn’t actually feature a Sutherland.  It's linked to the other books by virtue of the fact that its hero, Ethan Fortescue, Earl of Devon, is one of the secondary chara ...

B
Christmastime Cowboy

I love the Christmas season. I start putting up red and green decorations the second the Thanksgiving table is cleared. Reviewing Christmastime Cowboy allowed me to indulge in the holiday spirit extra-early this year. Although I was jumping into the middle of a series, the standalone setup and famil ...

B
Let It Snow

At first glance, Let it Snow appears to be a fairly typical holiday romance, using the forced proximity trope to put two people in a position where an attraction between them is likely to lead to some sexual shenanigans. But the book has a surprising depth of emotion to it, making it not quite as li ...

B+
A Wedding for Christmas

A Wedding for Christmas is the latest instalment in Ms. Wilde’s popular Twilight, Texas series. This book tells the tale of Katie Cheek and Ryder Southerland, both natives of the small town who have known each other all their lives. For Katie, there’s been an element of torture to their friendsh ...

B+
Sleigh Bells in the Snow

I was so pleasantly surprised by Sleigh Bells in the Snow. I hadn’t expected to like it too much since I’m a person that rarely gets into the Christmas spirit and, thus, I tend to avoid Christmas themed books. I’ve always worried they would be too schmaltzy. However, I never felt that way whi ...

A-
A Countess by Christmas

Annie Burrows is an author who manages to enthrall me whenever I read one of her books. Several have been tearjerkers for me, as Annie Burrows does not shy away from showing selfish and callous behavior and describing deep unhappiness. Yet often I found the novel flawed after I’d finished them: a ...

B-
The Winter Queen

If I were grading The Winter Queen on the setting alone, it would get an unqualified A. It's set in 1564, and the heroine is one of Queen Elizabeth's ladies in waiting. Better yet, all the action takes place during the Christmas season (from shortly before the holiday to Twelfth Night). And, McCabe ...