Week ending December 19, 2014
Barnett, Jolyse. A Light in the Window. (Christmas in New York, Bk. 3). 134p. ebk. ISBN 9781942240129.
Blount, Patty. Goodness and Light. (Christmas in New York, Bk. 4). 133p. ebk. ISBN 9781942240112.
Gracen, Jennifer. All I Want for Christmas. (Christmas in New York, Bk. 2). 123p. ebk. ISBN 9781942240136.
Moon, Jeannie. This Christmas. (Christmas in New York, Bk. 1). 127p. ebk. ISBN 9781942240211.
ea. vol: Tule Pub. 2014. $2.99. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
This series introduces a group of friends who have grown up together and stuck by one another’s sides. In Moon’s This Christmas, Sabrina Gervais has built a wonderful life for herself and her daughter, Charlie. All that is missing is the love she found with hockey player Jake Killen one summer many years ago. Then Jake finds himself back in town and is surprised to learn he has a daughter. Gracen’s All I Want for Christmas is the story of English lit professor Cassandra Baines and her ex-boyfriend musician Sean McKinnon. Cassandra’s heart was broken when Sean left her to explore his music career. She walks into a bar one night to discover that the co-owner is none other than her ex. Childhood best friends find themselves in the same restaurant in Barnett’s A Light in the Window. Jade Engel doesn’t recognize Ben Stephens, but he sure recognizes her, the girl who got away. Will Jade’s visit home give Ben the chance to convince her to stay and be his forever? Elena Larsen and Lucas Adair first met in Blount’s Goodness and Light as kids at ground zero when Lucas gave his snowflake ornament to a pained young girl. Both lost their mothers in the September 11 attack and have spent their lives learning to live with their grief. Will they be able to give up their guilt and accept the love they deserve?
Verdict These novellas offer a charming glimpse into the lives of wonderful women who understand the importance of love and friendship and will fill readers with holiday cheer.—Jessica Strefling, Pepperdine Sch. of Law Lib., Malibu, CA
Boykin, Kim. Just in Time for Christmas. Tule Pub. (Magnolia Bay, Bk. 2; Southern Born Christmas, Bk. 2). 2014. 132p. ebk. ISBN 9781940296913. $2.99. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
This Christmas is a big year for Ivy Cottage Bed & Breakfast owner Miranda Hamilton. She will be overseeing the annual cotillion, which is the pride and joy of the Bloom Bitches, a group of stodgy women who have high expectations of the new chair. Much to Miranda’s chagrin, Magnolia Bay’s mayor has assigned Logan Mauldin, the sexy bachelor whom Miranda has known since childhood, as her cochair. Pammy Anderson, who will do whatever it takes to get what she wants, suggests the committee host a bachelor auction as a way to raise money for the event’s charity. Spending time together as cochairs, Logan hopes to win over Miranda both professionally and romantically, but she is firm in her notion that they aren’t compatible. Despite her misgivings and to drive up donations, Miranda enters a bidding war for Logan. Everything seems to be falling into place for her favorite holiday, but Logan has a secret that when revealed may drive Miranda away permanently.
Verdict Boykin’s (Sweet Home Carolina) predictable novella attempts to manufacture drama out of a minor incident that makes Miranda appear histrionic. The romance is slightly sexier than in her previous works but is still relatively mild and will only attract readers who want a holiday story without any grit.—Kara Kohn, Plainfield P.L, IL
LeCoeur, Ursula. A Christmas Kiss. Royal Street. (Love in New Orleans, Bk. 2). 2014. 113p. ebk. ISBN 9780578155081. $2.99. HISTORICAL ROMANCE
Set in Louisiana in the 1880s, this sweet holiday novella is filled with Christmas traditions from the Big Easy. Michelle D’Artois came to New Orleans to build a life with her love Fabre. Unfortunately, he fell, lying unconscious for a week and leaving Michelle alone on the docks, by herself, on Christmas Day. For two years they have lived separate lives in the city, with Michelle dreaming of the man who left her waiting and Fabre frantically searching for his true love. Michelle’s and Fabre’s mothers conspire to get them on the same steamer home to Vacherie for the holiday. Unfortunately, a child falls overboard, and Fabre plunges into the icy waters to save him, with Michelle, disguised as a man, not far behind.
Verdict Fans of holiday stories will enjoy Fabre and Michelle’s story, although the shining glory of this historical romance by LeCoeur (The Willing Widow) is the rich setting of the Big Easy in the late 19th century, complete with celebrations and local traditions. Take a quick trip back in time with this perfect little romance for the holidays.—Judy Garner, Strayer Univ., Glen Allen, VA
Maxfield, Z.A. My Cowboy Homecoming. InterMix: Penguin. (Cowboys, Bk. 3). Dec. 2014. 317p. ebk. ISBN 9780698175020. $4.99. LGBT, MULTICULTURAL ROMANCE
Calvin Tripplehorn Jr. returns home from the army after the accidental death of his brother to care for their mother. Tripp wants nothing to do with his imprisoned father, but as he shares the man’s name, all most people see are his father’s convictions for arson and hate crimes. On his first day back, Tripp meets Luis “Lucho” Reyes, an injured horse trainer from the J-Bar ranch, but their initial attraction fizzles as soon as Lucho hears the name Tripplehorn. When Tripp lands a temporary job at the J-Bar, Lucho quickly lets Tripp know that his father’s actions led to the death of Lucho’s grandfather, and some crimes will never be forgiven. Undeterred, Tripp persists in showing his new employers and his coworkers, especially Lucho, that he’s not his father’s son. But as Tripp grows closer to Lucho, his father’s sins come back to threaten his and his mother’s future.
Verdict Maxfield, author of the Epic Award finalist St. Nacho’s, gives a bit of a Romeo and Romeo twist to her latest cowboy tale. In addition to her ability to run the emotional gamut with her words, the author has created characters that leap off the page as they deal with personal and family drama, while tackling timely issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder. This third installment in the series (My Cowboy Heart; My Heartache Cowboy) stands well alone and is recommended for all libraries.—Melanie C. Duncan, Shurling Lib., Macon, GA
Porter, Jane. The Kidnapped Christmas Bride. Tule Pub. (Taming of the Sheenans, Bk. 3). 2014. 150p. ebk. ISBN 9781942240259. $2.99. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Trey Sheenan, now 36, is paroled after four years in Montana’s correctional system, just a day before McKenna Douglas, the mother of his five-year-old son, TJ, is planning to marry Lawrence Joplin, with the hope of giving TJ a solid father figure in his life. Trey, dressed in a black suit and shirt, interrupts the ceremony and asks to speak to McKenna. Trey tells McKenna to “Buckle up, darling,” and soon Trey, McKenna, and TJ are in Trey’s truck heading out of town to spend the days before Christmas at his family’s secluded cabin.
Verdict The exciting premise of a bride being enticed from the altar by a handsome man dressed in black is stalled later by Trey’s and McKenna’s interior monologs as they each try to decide what is best for themselves and TJ. The resolution is a bit too neat, considering the spectacle of the situation. And what happened to safe and loyal Lawrence?—Joyce Sparrow, Kenneth City, FL