Review - - Sugar and Spice

Sugar and Spice: An Opposites Attract Romance

by Kimberly Kincaid

Pine Mountain - Book 1

Publisher: Kimberly Kincaid

Release Date: November 15, 2022

Reviewed by PJ

 

Ingredients:

One by-the-book cake caterer
One rule-breaking hotshot pastry chef
One prize in a Christmas cookie competition that will skyrocket both of their careers

Mix well and add a whole lot of heat that doesn't stay in the kitchen.

Serve with a side of opposites attract, holiday cheer, and a hard-fought happily ever after.
*****
Sugar and Spice is a sexy and sweet opposites attract/adversaries to lovers holiday romance. It kicks off the Pine Mountain series, and is an updated, spicy-sweet version of a novella that was originally published as part of The Sugar Cookie Sweetheart Swap anthology in 2013.

PJ's Thoughts:

Kimberly Kincaid brings the sweet, the spicy, and the steamy to this fun uplifting holiday novella. As is the norm for Kincaid, she's created intriguing, multi-layered characters who fill the pages with sassy banter, crackling chemistry, and heart-tugging emotion. And then, if that isn't enough, she makes them both bakers competing against one another in a holiday competition. Yes! When I wasn't laughing, or sighing, or tearing up, I was drooling all over the yummy cookies and desserts these two were whipping up. As soon as I turned the final page, all I wanted to do was start hauling ingredients out of my pantry and baking up a storm. November 15th isn't too early to kick off my holiday baking, right? 

If you're looking for a quick holiday romance that will tempt your tastebuds, tickle your funny bone, and fill your heart with joy, pick up a copy of Sugar and Spice. It's sure to get your holiday reading - and baking - off to a rousing start. 

Review & Giveaway - - Holiday Ever After

Holiday Ever After: An Anthology

One Snowy Night, Holiday Wishes, & Mistletoe in Paradise

by Jill Shalvis

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: October 26, 2021

Reviewed by PJ

Three fan-favorite Jill Shalvis novellas are together for the first time in this holiday anthology!

One Snowy Night

It’s Christmas Eve and Rory Andrews is desperate to get home to her family. Problem is, her only ride to Lake Tahoe comes in the form of the annoyingly handsome Max Stranton, her long-time crush, and his big, goofy, lovable dog. A long road trip in a massive blizzard might be just what they need to face their past…and one steamy, snowy night is all it takes to bring Max and Rory together at last.

Holiday Wishes

When Sean O’Riley shows up for his older brother’s bachelor weekend, the last person he expects to see is Lotti Hartford, the woman he lost his virginity to a decade ago. As the weekend continues, Sean realizes he wants to leave his hook-up life behind, but can he convince Lotti to open her heart to him again?

Mistletoe in Paradise

Years after their secret fling ended, Hannah isn’t eager to see James during their families’ annual joint holiday-themed yacht adventure. But when they’re the only people who show up, James and Hannah are stuck together on the high seas for days. As the former lovers try to make the best of the Christmas snafu, they soon realize the best things in life can’t be planned, and sometimes love is sweeter the second time around. 

PJ's Thoughts:

Perfect for the busy holiday weeks when we're looking for a romantic escape but don't have a lot of time, Holiday Ever After combines three previously published novellas by Jill Shalvis. Each of the stories is connected to a Shalvis series but is suitable for both fans and new readers alike, although I do believe reading the earlier books in the Heartbreaker Bay series before reading One Snowy Night and Holiday Wishes will add an extra layer of enjoyment to the novellas. Mistletoe in Paradise is probably the novella that stands best on its own. It's a second-chance romance set aboard a yacht in the Caribbean, a place I frequently fantasize about during the cold months of winter. 

All three stories are filled with the banter, emotion, and happy endings that I look forward to whenever I pick up a Jill Shalvis story. My favorite character from the anthology is Carl, Max's "huge, eternally hungry, adorable Doberman" in One Snowy Night. I adored him. My favorite story is Holiday Wishes. I love a stranded by a storm trope and this one is especially fun. And last, but not least, my favorite location is - no surprise - the balmy, beautiful Caribbean where childhood friends Hannah and James realize that sometimes, life does give you second chances. I enthusiastically recommend readers give Holiday Ever After by Jill Shalvis a chance this holiday season. 

Do you gravitate toward novellas during the busy holiday season?

Have you read any recently that you would recommend?

One person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, November 4 will receive a print copy of Holiday Ever After.

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

*Void where prohibited

Review - - Rebel Yule

Rebel Yule

by Kate Meader

A Rookie Rebels Holiday Novella

Publisher: Kate Meader, LLC

Release Date: October 12, 2021

Reviewed by PJ

Casey Higgins, assistant to the Chicago Rebels owner, has a smile for everyone who comes into the front office—everyone but goalie Erik Jorgenson. And he has no idea why. For the last year, she’s refused to give him a kind word, and finally, he’s had enough. At the Rebels holiday party he’ll uncover the root of their mysterious conflict and show this woman that goalkeepers do their best work . . . on their knees.

Can a little Yuletide cheer get Erik into Casey’s good graces, warm bed, and frozen heart? Or will he fumble the puck and lose his chance? Join the Chicago Rebels this holiday season and find out if Erik is as good at saving Christmas as he is at saving goals!

PJ's Thoughts:

I'm pretty sure I won’t be the only reader asking Santa for my very own Swedish hockey goalie after meeting Erik Jorgenson in Kate Meader’s Rebel Yule. He's a big, sexy, cuddly sweetheart with absolutely no clue what he's done to make his boss's admin dislike him so much. After a year of Casey treating him like something she'd scrape off her shoe, he's about to find out exactly why and, wow, I did not see that coming. But, boy howdy, did I ever enjoy what followed!

Rebel Yule is a quick read that sizzles with passion, simmers with sweetness, sparkles with snappy dialogue, and has all the heart-tugging emotion of a full-length Meader novel. Casey and Erik's story captured my heart and had me reaching for a fan more than once. I loved their chemistry and the depth of emotion that began to develop once misconceptions were addressed. Watching Casey grow emotionally and regain her self-confidence was wonderful. I loved how Erik was so supportive of her without taking over. There's a scene with the long-time ex-boyfriend who dumped her where I may have been cheering out loud (totally was). I also appreciated the way Meader handled Erik's "issue" (trying not to divulge spoilers here) that caused the initial friction with Casey. I've known someone with the same challenge but had never seen it in a fictional character before. I also enjoyed the banter - and obvious affection - between Erik and his family and the inclusion of their Swedish holiday traditions in the story. Add in Rebel and Rookie Rebel cameos, laugh-out-loud humor, unexpected twists, a closet scene I’ve reread more than a few times, plus a sigh-worthy happy ending, and you have a fun holiday story I'm sure I'll be rereading more than once. 

I enthusiastically recommend adding Rebel Yule to your holiday book shopping list. Fans of the series are sure to enjoy watching the Rebel's endearing goalie finally find his heart's true love and win her heart with the well-meaning (read meddling) advice of pretty much everyone in the organization while for readers new to Kate Meader's hockey franchise, Rebel Yule is a great place to jump in.  

Review - - The Captain's Midwinter Bride

The Captain's Midwinter Bride

by Liana De la Rosa

Publisher: Author

Release Date: November 12, 2020

Reviewed by PJ

 

 

Life at sea sharpened Captain Phillip Dalton into a shrewd and strategic military man...yet none of those skills prepared him for the intricacies of planning his daughter’s upcoming Christmas wedding. His family, most especially his wife, are all but strangers to him thanks to his service to the Crown. But if Phillip finds himself bewitched by his practical, charming, and guileless wife, he does his best to hide his struggles.

Annalise Dalton raised two children and built a comfortable life for herself while her husband of convenience provided for them from afar. But now Phillip's home to stay, and she finds it impossible to ignore his gruff manner, brilliant blue eyes, or the gentle way he looks after her needs. And if Annalise is unnerved by the budding feelings her husband inspires in her, she does her best to hide how they unsettle her.

When past secrets and misunderstandings threaten the tenuous steps they've taken to create a real and loving marriage, can Phillip and Annalise overcome the years they spent apart to forge a happy future together, and for every Christmas to come?

PJ's Thoughts:

If you're looking for a quick (114 pages) holiday romance with mature characters, heart-tugging emotion, passionate chemistry, and a sigh-worthy happy ending, this one's for you.

I really enjoyed the depth of emotion in this novella. Marrying for convenience at a young age, with Phillip leaving soon afterward for sea, and infrequent shore leaves over the course of his career, he and Annalise are more strangers than husband and wife. They've been wed for 25 years and have two children but they've never had a real marriage, never formed an emotional bond. I liked them a lot and was pulling for them the entire way. There are many issues they need to work through; not surprising after basically living separate lives for 25 years. I appreciated how De la Rosa took her time with them, navigating them through the awkwardness, the resentment, and the yearning while leading them to a deeper understanding and appreciation of one another. Leading them to what might just be a forever love. 

I also enjoyed the fact that Phillip's reunion with his entire family, not only his wife, was explored in this story. It was so poignant to watch him learn how to be a father to his adult daughter, on the cusp of a marriage that may not be in her best interests. He remembers the young girl who idolized her father but reality has placed him in the path of a resentful adult, firmly on her mother's side, who does not make their reunion easy for him. I enjoyed her journey as well. 

I don't know if the author has plans for future stories for this family but I'm invested in them now, hoping for a happy ending for Beth and definitely intrigued by Oliver. There are also a few other loose family threads that I'd like to see resolved. I'm curious to know what happened all those years ago, and why, and see justice for those who were wronged. I am not ready to say goodbye to the Daltons. 

Review & Giveaway - - Christmas Revels VI

Christmas Revels VI: Four Regency Novellas
by Hannah Meredith, Anna D. Allen, Louisa Cornell, and Kate Parker
Publisher: Singing Spring Press
Release Date: September 20, 2019
Reviewed by PJ
  

Come Revel with four award-winning authors for Christmas tales filled with laughter and tears and love… 
HER LADYSHIP ORDERS A CHRISTMAS TREE – Scandal and outrage--dare one say blasphemy?--descend on the village! Her Ladyship has tasked the new steward, Lachlan Reed, to place a pagan Christmas tree in the Hall. Surely the vicar will put a stop to it, but only his daughter Emily is present to deal with the matter. If she is to avert an insurrection, Emily must enlist Lachlan's assistance, before Christmas—and a royal visitor—arrive. 
“THE PLAY"S THE THING…” There’s always an amateur theatrical at the duchess’s annual Christmas house party, but this year, two people, Rachel Grant and Captain Lord Alexander Kingston, have assumed false roles even before the festivities begin. Lies and misdirection lead to an improbable attraction. Rachel is horrified when the action in her play goes off script and only Alexander knows how the drama will end. 
YULETIDE TREACHERY – Frances Smith-Pressley doesn’t enjoy society, so when she’s dragged to a Christmas house party by her parents, she escapes to her favorite place, the library. There she confronts a masked man she later discovers is her host, the disfigured Earl of Wolfbrook. Brutally beaten and left for dead in France, Wolfbrook has included his potential assailants among his guests. Can unmasking a traitor lead two lonely people to love? 
A PERFECTLY UNEXPECTED CHRISTMAS – Abandoned by her husband after their wedding night, Portia struggles to manage his estate and care for the daughter who arrives precisely nine months later. When St. John attempts to return home for the christening, a riding accident results in amnesia. The physician recommends a return to his routine, and if St. John can survive the regimen Portia decrees, he hopes to have a home for Christmas. Forever.

PJ's Thoughts:

I tend to like my romances on the sexy, sassy side but sometimes I'm more in the mood for a sweet, heartwarming journey to love. This tends to occur most often at Christmas when I can curl up with a cup of hot tea, my favorite cozy blanket, and lose myself in happily-ever-afters from Regency England. Even better if the stories are novella length, the perfect reading nugget to slip in between shopping, baking, and all the other items on my holiday to-do list. It's also a great way to try out authors I have yet to read. Over the years, I've discovered some of my favorite, keeper-shelf, authors by picking up a Christmas anthology of novellas. 

Christmas Revels VI offers readers four stories, each written by a different author, each appealing in their own way, each featuring a heroine I could root for and a hero who captured a bit of my heart. 

In the first story, there's a vicar's spinster daughter, tainted by her sister's scandal, who finally takes control of her own happiness in a rural village overflowing with quirky, gossipy townspeople. The author does a great job of bring the characters, and the town, to life with humor and emotion. It's a sweet romance between two characters who won my heart.

The second story, set at a duke and duchess's house party features a mystery, a family reunion, and a reminder that people are more than the physical appearance they present. I loved that the heroine falls in love with the hero's mind and heart, and that his disguised, less than appealing, appearance, rather than being off-putting, to our heroine, becomes an endearing part of the whole. 

The third story, featuring a scarred hero and a bluestocking heroine, was my favorite. My heart hurt for the disfigured, reclusive hero who was exposed by a British traitor and badly beaten by the French. Man, did this guy deserve some happiness. Enter the bluestocking older daughter of one of his guests who is exactly what our hero never knew he needed. Expect snappy banter, danger, a traitor to unmask, and a love that shines bright. I really adored these two.

Two favorite tropes, a marriage of convenience and second chances, take the spotlight in the fourth novella. When this story opens, our "hero" is anything but heroic. He's a drunk (actually, an alcoholic), and less than appealing. But a riding accident, resulting in a head injury, and month-long coma, gives our couple the opportunity for a second chance. I really loved the heroine in this story and admired her strength, her intelligence, and her determination to be her own, independent, person. I appreciated her reasons for going through with the marriage, even knowing the kind of man she was marrying, and her reasons for what she does when he awakens from his coma. I'm a sucker for second chances and though I would have had a really hard time forgiving the hero for his former actions, I really liked the (sober) person he gradually becomes post-coma and I liked these two together. I turned the final page confident they would have a long and happy life.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have you discovered any favorite authors through a holiday anthology?

I started my holiday baking over the weekend. What would be your favorite treat to find on the table at a holiday house party? 

I'm giving one randomly chosen person who comments before 11:00 PM, December 10, a Kindle copy of Christmas Revels VI. 
*Must be 18 or older

Review - - Betrothed by Christmas

Betrothed by Christmas

A Holiday Duet

By Jess Michaels and Elizabeth Essex

Publisher: The Passionate Pen, LLC

Release Date: October 15, 2019

Reviewed by Santa

 

I love the holidays and my favorite part – aside from the food – yum, those seven fishes and roast beef with all the trimmings. I digress. My favorite part of the holidays are Christmas romances. And though I loathe to see holiday decorations in the stores, I look forward to Christmas romances filling my hands as early as October. Betrothed by Christmas by Jess Michaels and Elizabeth Essex duet, a romance novella duet, is a five star, hot, hot read that fits the bill. 

I have been a fan of both authors for many years. Their stories are connected by the heroines Evangeline and Tamsin who we meet over a bowl of flaming brandy. I kid. They watch as lackwit lords haul the bowl into the ballroom and prepare to burn off a brow or two as they try to catch a flaming raisin. They both agree that a life of independence is far better than marrying any one of these gents. As young ladies of the ton, they have little choice in this area. Or do they?

The answer to their individual dilemmas is for them to seek out MALE WALLFLOWERS! Hold the phone! Not a rake? Not a rouge? You heard it right, male wallflowers. Where does one find one? Against a wall? By a potted plant? Nope. The library where you’d be surprised to find more than one or two.

Jess Michaels’ “A Lady’s Gift for Seduction” has you cheering for Evangeline and Henry from the first moment Evangeline, the daughter of a duke, approaches Henry, an astrologer and a third son of a viscount. Henry has lived across the park from her father for many years. She hopes to marry and keep her independence and control over her life. Her dowry guarantees that Henry can pursue his research while she continues to be in control of everything else. Both are in for an eye-opening experience as they come to find they are so much more together.

Elizabeth Essex’s “A Lady’s Gift for Scandal” brings Tamsin and Simon. Tamsin wants nothing more than an independent life much like her aunt who holds salons and does as she pleases. Her aunt came to this lifestyle following a scandal and that’s just what Tamsin thinks she needs. Not a huge scandal, just a slight one. That’s where Simon comes in. He seems a retiring sort who presents to the ton as somewhat simple since returning from the war. Our man Simon has built up a reputation that keeps others at bay but not Tamsin whose arrangements bring them both exactly what didn’t know they needed all along.

Go ahead, snuggle on the couch with a throw, sip your pumpkin spice latte and enjoy Betrothed by Christmas!

Goodnight, Sweetheart, Well, I Hate to Go!

Sobs!

Wailing!

Gnashing of Teeth!

Riots in the plaza! 

Well, nice to know I'm going quietly...

This is my last post for the Romance Dish for a while. You never say never, right? I've so appreciated the chance to be part of this great blog and I'm so grateful that the original four Dishes asked me to be part of the lovely world they've built up here.

By the way, the photo at the top of the blog has three of the four originals (Gannon must have taken the pic). Left to right there's Jeanne Adams (who's a Romance Bandit!), Andrea, moi, Buffie and PJ. I'm not sure whether that photo was taken at RWA in Washington DC or Orlando. Perhaps PJ or Andrea will remember.

Anyway, as I announced two months ago, for various reasons, I'm retiring my Second Helping column for the moment. PJ asked me if I could devote my last piece to what I'm doing in 2015 which is very nice of her (but then, she IS very nice).

A whole column talking about little ole' me? Let me at it!

One big change I thought I'd be dealing with in 2015 was a new house, but fate has decreed I'm staying where I am. Given I'd prepared my mind for the shift, it's now taking a bit of a mental shift to come to terms with the fact that there will be no big move. However, at least one of my plans for 2015 is still in place, a big research trip to the U.K. although it's now going to happen in September instead of March. I'll miss spring over there, which is my favorite season, but on the other hand, I won't be trying to squeeze my travel in between other commitments.

And now a rundown of those other commitments! My fourth Sons of Sin book is out on 28th April, yay. A SCOUNDREL BY MOONLIGHT tells the Marquess of Leath's story - he plays a major part in WHAT A DUKE DARES and I've had quite a few people contacting me to ask if he's going to get a happy ending. Of course he is, but he's got a way to go before that happens! And he ends up falling in love with the last woman he ever imagined he would. I always relish seeing lords of all they survey sent into a spin when they're head over heels with someone completely unsuitable.

Don't you just love that cover? You can read the blurb on my website here: http://annacampbell.info/scoundrelmoonlight.html Look out for an excerpt in March and if you want an extra special sneak peek, I'm giving away ARCs in my January/February website contest.

At this stage, I'm not sure if that will be the last full lengther in the Sons of Sin series. There are at least two more novellas in the pipeline. One tells the story of Lady Marianne Seton, the woman Cam jilted to marry Penelope. I really like her and I've got a lovely hero lined up to put a sparkle in her eyes. I'm also writing a novella that gives us some backstory on Sirius, Sir Richard Harmsworth's clever dog. He helps to unite a pair of feuding childhood sweethearts before he places himself in Richard's custody. I've always had a very soft spot for Sirius who was usually the cleverest one in the room!

Otherwise I'm working on a new historical series based very much in the glamorous world of Regency high society. Apart from WHAT A DUKE DARES and the novella DAYS OF RAKES AND ROSES, most of the Sons of Sin books take place in the beautiful English countryside. The next series will be sexy, emotional stories revolving around the drama and extravagance of the London Season. I could tell you more but then I'd have to kill you!

Finally, I'm going to write another Christmas novella, featuring a Scottish hero. Those seem to be de rigueur for my Christmas stories (so far all three have featured Scottish noblemen!). I must say I've been overwhelmed at the reception this year's novella, HER CHRISTMAS EARL, has received and I just love having a story out for the Holidays. 

Which brings me to the fact that this isn't just my last Second Helpings; it's also Christmas Eve! However you celebrate at this time of year, I wish you all peace, love, good health and fabulous books to read. I'd also like to pause to send PJ and Andrea a pair of really mushy kisses and big hugs to thank them for letting me a part of this blog.

As my Regency society heroines would say, I've had a ball!

So what are your reading plans for 2015? Any books I should look out for?

STOP PRESS: Those kind people at Grand Central Forever have sent me some ARCs which arrived this very day (clearly they have great timing!). As a farewell gift to my friends here at the Romance Dish, I'll give one person who comments (international) the chance to win a personalized copy of A SCOUNDREL BY MOONLIGHT. Good luck!