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Mistletoe Season —Three Christmas Stories
Mistletoe Season —Three Christmas Stories
Return to Mistletoe
by Kathleen Fuller
Emmy Banks owns Mistletoe Antiques in the little town of Mistletoe, Missouri, where she grew up. Her 21 year old adopted daughter Carina and Emmy’s best friend Sheryl help out in the shop. At Christmas time Mistletoe is even more magical than ever.
A Christmas surprise is in store for Emmy, Sheryl, and Sheryl’s mother Maggie when Kieran shows up after a twenty-two year absence from the U.S. Kieran is Sheryl’s older brother. Emmy had a crush on him in high school, but he left for Ireland immediately after he graduated. There he acquired an Irish accent and spent 15 years renovating the family castle. Did he feel anything for Emmy fifteen years ago? Is there anything left to be rekindled? Will he just escape again when life gets hard?
Novellas are hard to write as there is so little time for character development. Fuller made me happy with this one. She filled in all the blanks, solved some problems, and provided a clean, gentle romance all the in the space of one short novella.
A Mistletoe Prince
by Pepper Basham
Most little girls at one time or another want to believe in the fairy tale future of marrying a prince and becoming a beautiful princess. Hardworking Charlotte Edgewood, despite having been told all her life by her druggie mother that she wasn’t good enough at anything, had held on to the dream of a rescue by a prince—until she couldn’t anymore. Raised by her father and an extended family of Edgewoods in the Appalachian mountains, she became an introverted carpenter with the nickname Charlie. She is forced into a leadership position when the manager of the annual Christmas fundraiser for The Wish that raised funds for children who would have no Christmas had to step aside. Charlie had worked with the program, but not in a capacity that would require speaking and managing.
Prince Arran of Skymar arrives in the U.S. to work with Luke Edgewood, Charlie’s cousin who is married to Arran’s sister. His parents want to expose him to carpentry work and service with The Wish to pull him out of a disastrous two year slump with outrageous behavior in response to a failed romance.
When their paths cross, Arran is certainly not the prince of Charlie’s dreams. I’ll let the author tell you how they met and if they were able to overcome their initial inauspicious meeting.
A Mistletoe Prince is a fun, Christmas romance that will leave you smiling and wanting to read more by Pepper Basham.
Say No to Mistletoe
by Sheila Roberts
Hailey Fairchild feels like a fraud because she has a blossoming career as a romance author, but she doesn’t have a stable relationship in her own life. As she says, mistletoe is her kryptonite; a kiss under the mistletoe dooms any possible romance to failure going all the way back to her sophomore year in high school when her neighbor Carwyn kissed her under the mistletoe. Extremely shy and introverted, bullied at school, and crushing on Carwyn, Hailey is totally embarrassed.
Many years later, when Hailey returns home for the Christmas celebration, she still has feelings for Carwyn who remains both handsome and nice, but how does he feel about her? Hailey is feted as the hometown hero with a book signing and speeches. She is stunned to learn that her brother Sam is dating Gwendolyn, her high school mean girl bully who hasn’t changed. Hailey is a very likable protagonist, trying to get along with her brother’s girlfriend, but Gwendolyn is everything a nemesis should be. Still mean. Still vindictive. Still out to belittle Hailey.
Roberts tells the story with flair from Hailey’s point of view. We get to hear what Hailey says in conversations, but also what she thinks. There is also some insight into the workings of a romance author. Say No to Mistletoe is a fun short read. It is the perfect length for this story with its interesting plot. It doesn’t require a lot of background to set up the story, and there is sufficient time and space for all of the elements of a good tale without lengthy character development.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Notes: As a rule, I find novellas lacking, usually in the area of character development. There is just not enough time.I expected Say No to Mistletoe, as the last of the three novellas in Mistletoe Season, to be the one I didn’t like because the other two were so good, but I was certainly wrong. When the publisher chose these three authors for a mistletoe theme, they selected three authors known for their work in romance. These ladies created success with their well-written stories with good plots and lots of fun.
Publication: October 8, 2024—Harper Collins Christian Publishing (Thomas Nelson)
Memorable Lines:
Return to Mistletoe: Her cheeks reddened, and he would have thought it was cute if the tension between them wasn’t as thick as a castle wall.
A Mistletoe Prince: But deep inside, she wondered if her tomboyishness had something to do with the fact that if she put forth effort to look attractive or poised, and failed…then she was only proving Mama right. That Charlie wasn’t enough. And proving her mama right was the last thing she ever wanted to do.
Say No to Mistletoe: Moving away and adulting is all well and good, but their excitement over welcoming me back into the nest, knowing they love me and always will, no matter what? That makes me go all mushy inside and happy to have flown back.
Be of Good Cheer: A Christmas Devotional
Be of Good Cheer: A Christmas Devotional
by Susan Hill
The season of Advent has come and gone on the Christian calendar as we remembered the arrival of Jesus, the King of Kings, who was born, as predicted in the Old Testament, in the little town of Bethlehem. His humble birth was just the beginning of the earthly story of the long awaited Messiah who was both fully God and fully man. He experienced in his perfect body all the things that we experience—grief, joy, pain, love, hunger, disappointment. Then he sacrificed himself on the cross to redeem men from their sins.
Be of Good Cheer is a 40 day devotional that draws the reader to the character of Jesus and focuses on words that are elements of a Christ-filled life. In fact, if you are looking for your “word” for 2025, this could be a resource for inspiration for that project.
This small book is a visual delight with illustrations that are both photographs and paintings. It makes a nice coffee table book that can be read through as an Advent devotional according to each day or picked up by a casual guest to peruse at their leisure. The smooth, heavy weight paper adds touch to the pleasures of holding this book. Each chapter has a one word title followed by a relevant Scripture reference. For example, Chapter 1 is “Cheer” with the verse “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). A short message ends with a suggestion on how to live out the word, how to apply it. This is followed by a brief prayer.
I enjoyed reading each passage. I think this book would make a nice gift for many in 2025.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Nonfiction, Christian, Devotional
Publication: October 1, 2024—Zondervan
Memorable Lines:
From Glory: To give glory to God doesn’t mean to give God something He lacks—it means to proclaim the magnificent glory He already possesses. God’s glory can be defined as all the things that make Him heavenly—His omniscience, omnipotence, and perfect love.
From Miracles: Christmastime is the ideal time to reflect on the reality that God is in the miracle business and routinely accomplishes the impossible. Is there a specific area in your life where you need God to work? Be encouraged that you serve a God who can do all things.
From Kindness: God, thank You for the countless ways You have lavished acts of kindness on me. Help me see the ways You are kind, and lead me to people who need my kindness.
The Christmas Inn–big city or little town
The Christmas Inn
by Pamela M. Kelley
Riley Sanders left the Cape Cod area after high school graduation for the big city. After college she settled into life as a website content creator and manager in Manhattan. Her boyfriend works an obscene number of hours for a law firm. She thinks she has it all until life circumstances return her to the town of Chatham—at least temporarily. There she finds the family, friends, and community that she hadn’t realized she missed.
Her mother Beth is trying to manage a gradually failing inn with a broken leg. Riley is needed to help run the inn physically but also to expand the inn’s presence on the web to increase exposure and entice new visitors. There are lots of interesting characters in the story with several people reuniting with old flames.
The Christmas Inn is a clean, sweet romance with all the Christmas vibes. Between divorces and deaths, several people have difficult memories associated with Christmas, but they put on a happy face each year and muddle through. Riley’s former boyfriend has a sweet little boy who is excited about Christmas. He and his dad are staying at the inn while extensive repairs are being done on their house. His presence adds youthful enthusiasm to the extensive festivities in the community.
The book is replete with descriptions of the food and drink the characters consume. Everyone likes hot chocolate, and it goes well with the many cold, snowy events. The adults also enjoy a variety of wines and cheeses chosen from a local shop which is located near a bookshop in the friendly town. Riley has some big personal and professional decisions to make in this relaxing Christmas story, so grab a cup of cocoa and enjoy the plot.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Romance, Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Notes: clean
Publication: September 24, 2024—St. Martin’s Press
Memorable Lines:
“We do use some AI here, but not at the expense of anyone’s jobs. We use it to enhance what we are already doing. I don’t believe in replacing people with machines.”
It was a mix of attorneys and financial types. The traders had a certain air about them, a cockiness that swarmed around them. They were incredibly impressed with themselves and expected everyone else to be equally impressed. Riley found it tiresome.
She’d thought they were on the same page. But maybe they were reading a very different book.
Silent Nights Are Murder–finding family
Silent Nights Are Murder
by Libby Klein
For once, Poppy McAllister is not the one to find the dead body, but that doesn’t mean she won’t be dragged into a murder investigation. Her cop friend Amber convinces Poppy to go undercover at her ex-boyfriend’s restaurant because the body was discovered in Tim’s walk-in freezer. In a previous book in the Poppy McAllister Mystery Series, Poppy decided to drop Tim in favor of a relationship with the handsome barista Gia who thinks she is gorgeous. Now as Poppy tries to help, she discovers that Tim’s new work and personal partner Gigi is pregnant with a due date set 9 months after Tim and Poppy broke up!
It is hard for Poppy to gain the trust of the restaurant staff and sort out the lies they tell. Most of them seem to be hiding some secrets. As Poppy explains to a frustrated Tim, “a killer will lie about their alibi.” Someone seems to have been messing with the books and the inventory also.
There are so many plots going on all at once. When Poppy was almost nine, her mother dropped her off with promises to return for her. She does—thirty-five years later—and checks into the Butterfly Wings B & B. Poppy and her Aunt Ginny, who helped raise her, spend time trying to figure out what Iris wants and how to get rid of her. Meanwhile, Figaro, Poppy’s cat, does battle with Christmas ornaments that appear to be birds, complete with feathers (until Figaro get ahold of them). Guests at the B&B enjoy a decoration daily murder scene villa setup by an unknown person at the inn.
Aunt Ginny’s friends, the Biddies, add hilarious fun as there might be a wedding coming up and they want to be a part of it. Aunt Ginny, as usual, has some wack-a-doodle plans. In this case, the Christmas season calls for some competition. Aunt Ginny is determined to have both the prize winning recipe and the house with the most Christmasy ambiance (think National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, but on steroids).
Gia’s son Henry is adorable and refuses to tell anyone what he is asking Santa for. As you read Silent Nights Are Murder, I think you’ll know what he wants for Christmas, but will Santa be able to deliver?
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #9 in the Poppy McAllister Mystery series. It could be read as a standalone, but would be enjoyed more if some of the earlier books were read first.
2. seven gluten free recipes for Christmas goodies
Publication: September 24, 2024—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
There were three seasons to obsess about the weather. Tourist season—when guests considered it a personal failure on my part if it rained during their vacation. Hurricane season—because my creditors don’t care about safety cancellations, they just want to be paid. And Christmas season—because I was delusional enough to want snow like I was living in a Bing Crosby movie. Irving Berlin had set sixty percent of the country up for annual disappointment.
Flashing police-car lights blazed through the night, and the men tried to look like three normal guys waiting for a table. They looked as normal as a trio of gorillas in hoop skirts.
He ran his hands through his hair and looked like he was about to fry up a conniption and serve it with a big side of meltdown.
Winter Wishes in the Scottish Highlands–connecting at Christmas
Winter Wishes in the Scottish Highlands
by Donna Ashcroft
This story is about friendship, handling grief, and being controlled by others. Ross feels guilty over his parents’ deaths and his grandmother and older brother Simon seem to blame him as well. Grandmother Miriam is extremely harsh and controlling and has been grooming Simon for his role as Laird since his parents’ passing. Anything to do with Ross warranted only a passing thought.
Ivy Heart had lost her father to a heart attack. Her mother had to try unsuccessfully to salvage his failing business and wants her daughter to never have to struggle to survive. So she tries to control Ivy’s career choice.
There are interesting characters along the way—supportive ones like Connell and Bonnibell, part owners of Christmas Resort where Ross works as an adventure guide, and the curmudgeon loner Grizzle, a reluctant friend to Ross. Ross has two pets: a golden retriever Moose and a wild boar Snowball.
Ross and Ivy are attracted to each other, but Miriam’s manipulations cause trouble. Ross and Ivy have to come to grips with their pasts and what they want for the future.
Ivy and Ross were not really characters that drew me in. I liked the animals in the story better than the people. I found Ross’ relationship as an adult with his grandmother and Ivy’s with her mother to be unrealistic. The expectations of the adults were intertwined, but focused on their own emotional needs more than those of Ross and Ivy.
I enjoyed Winter Wishes in the Scottish Highlands to the extent that I wanted what was best for the protagonists, but I wasn’t engaged in how they accomplished that end.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Notes: 1. #4 in the Christmas Village Series, but can be read as a standalone
2. Contains one open door bedroom scene.
Publication: September 18, 2024—Bookouture
Memorable Lines:
…he turned and headed towards the hallway, leaving Ivy feeling even more confused—because this was a man who wouldn’t speak to his own grandmother, but who’d brave bad weather to check on a friend.
“It takes a brave person to risk love and a stupid one to think they’d be happier without it.”
His whole life felt like it had just been through a washing machine cycle and everything he used to take comfort from had been rinsed away.
A Slay Ride Together with You–who’s causing trouble?
A Slay Ride Together with You
by Vicki Delany
If you enjoy cozy mysteries in small towns, but want a Christmas flair, then A Slay Ride Together with You is the perfect combination.
The protagonist, Merry Wilkinson, owns a gift shop, Mrs. Claus’s treasures while her best friend from childhood, Vicky, owns Victoria’s Bake Shoppe. The story is told from Merry’s point of view, but Vicky plays a huge role as she is a wonderful pastry chef, is planning her wedding to Mark, the chef at The Yuletide Inn, and is writing a cookbook. Mark and Vicky are also restoring an old home that has garnered a reputation for being haunted.
Characters you will enjoy include three dogs with prominent roles. Vicky’s dog Sandbanks is an “ancient golden Labrador” who frequently sleeps through excitement. Merry’s dog is Matterhorn (Mattie), a faithful Saint Bernard. Alan, Merry’s boyfriend, adds to the canine mix with Ranger, his “overly active Jack Russell.”
Vicky is not sleeping well in her new home because of weird sounds all through the night. These noises come to a climax when Merry is visiting and someone knocks on the front door and then the back, disappearing before the doors can be opened. This is a cozy mystery, so expect a murder and lots of suspects including Vicky’s fiancé Mark. I have always found references to extended family members of an ever widening circle to be confusing. That turmoil happens to Merry also as she investigates the various people that might want the victim dead. There are inheritance and relationship issues that emerge too.
I enjoyed A Slay Ride Together with You and will jump at the chance to read more in this series. Delany has written several more cozy mystery series. One I particularly enjoy is the Tea by the Sea Mystery Series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. I started Delany’s Year-Round Christmas Mystery Series with #6. A Slay Ride Together with You is #7 in the series and I had no problem jumping into either book. I believe the setting of Rudolph, New York, with the nickname of “America’s Christmas Town,” is standard from one novel to the next and the characters recur, but Delany does a great job of giving background on the characters so the reader’s introduction to the series is almost seamless.
2. Includes recipes for several cookies and a fall soup that Vicky makes at her cafe.
Publication: September 24, 2024—Crooked Lane Books
Memorable Lines:
Mattie sat next to me, hoping for some lunchtime tidbit to drop. It never does, but he never gives up hope. A lesson for us all, perhaps.
Jim was a reverse Santa Claus. He made enemies and spread ill will everywhere he went.
Vicky and I had changed out of our wet clothes and were wrapped in sweaters and thick blankets against the cold that seemed to have penetrated into our very bones.
Waiting for Christmas–my new favorite Christmas story
Waiting for Christmas
by Lynn Austin
If you are searching for a Christmas story with depth and that calls the characters to examine the true meaning of Christmas, Waiting for Christmas is everything you could want in a Christmas story. I can imagine reading this every year as a new Christmas tradition.
As a novella, it fits well into this busy season, but contains all of the feeling that can be packed into a Christmas story. Addy, raised in wealth and comfort in 1901, gives up that life for the love of Howard, a young lawyer, the son of a preacher, who wants to support Addy without her having to spend any of her inheritance. Addy is active in the suffrage movement to help lift women out of poverty. This couple’s lives are turned upside down when she brings Jack, a runaway orphan, out of the bushes and into her home before he freezes to death. He is adamant that he is not an orphan because his father has promised to return home on Christmas. Meanwhile, he is desperate to find his little sister, often termed by others as an incoherent idiot. They were separated when their mother passed away. In the thousands of orphans in New York City, will Addy, Howard, and Jack be able to find little Polly? How will the children’s father know where to find them as their tenement house apartment has been rented to a poor Russian family?
My eyes filled with tears several times as I read this sweet, but powerful story. I highly recommend it for a great plot and wonderful characters. It brings Jesus’ teachings to light as the characters find ways to live out His example of acting with love towards others, even the unlovely. Addy finds ways to interact with various social groups in meaningful ways. If you want to be more like Jesus, then read Waiting for Christmas to see how the characters in this book respond to the challenges of helping others.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Historical Fiction, Romance, Christian
Notes: Novella
Publication: September 3, 2024—Tyndale House Publishers
Memorable Lines:
He and Addy had experienced both extremes today, from ramshackle tenement to rambling mansion, and he marveled that both were in the same city, on the same 23-square-mile island. In between the extremes were his parents’ modest home and the simple town house he shared with Addy. The entire main floor of their town house could fit inside this echoing foyer, yet Howard felt blessed.
Vulnerable human beings of all ages and disabilities, society’s most helpless people, were being forced to live in appalling conditions simply because they were poor and disabled.
“I’ve prayed some pretty big prayers over the years that seemed to go unanswered. And if I wasn’t careful, I could start to believe that God didn’t love me because He didn’t give me what I’d asked for. I had to learn that my faith shouldn’t depend on whether or not God answers my prayers exactly the way I want Him to.”
The Amish Matchmakers–romance for the matchmakers
The Amish Matchmakers
by Beth Wiseman
Two Amish elderly sisters, Esther and Lizzie, own the Peony Inn and two neighboring cottages which they rent out. The sisters have a reputation in their community as matchmakers, but in this story they turn their skills on each other. They love each other so much that neither wants her sister to be alone or lonely if she passes first. When retired Englisch dentist Ben Stotzfus leases one of the cabins for 6 months, each determines to make a match for her sister, but both widowed women are actually attracted to Ben.
Another part of the plot introduces Ben’s granddaughter Mindy. Ben was semi-estranged from that part of his family, but now that she is grown they have reconnected. Gabriel is an Amish young man who works for the sisters at the inn, mainly when they need outside work done. He and Mindy meet when an accident occurs at Ben’s cottage. A spark flies upon their meeting but they wonder if anything can come of it since Amish and Englisch romances often have bad endings.
As older adults, Ben and Esther have medical issues that they try to keep secret. Lizzie is an energetic, feisty woman who is an avid reader of romances. She has decided that the cottage is haunted by the ghost of a previous tenant even though that concept is not part of Amish beliefs. Esther frequently has to rein Lizzie in, suggesting that she get rid of books on ghosts and serial killers and calling her out on some lies.
Depending on the issue, the antics and interactions of Esther and Lizzie can be serious or humorous, but their actions, although sometimes extreme, are always well-intentioned. The setting centers around Thanksgiving and Christmas giving an Amish holiday air to The Amish Matchmakers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Romance, Christian, Religion
Notes: Standalone
Publication: October 17, 2023—Zondervan
Memorable Lines:
“Gott had a plan. I believe that when things fall into place easily, it was meant to be.”
He truly did believe laughter was good for the soul, and he’d seen plenty of instances where a person’s joyfulness had prolonged their life.
He could lie, but she’d see through him. Mothers has a superpower when it came to lying.
The Book Club Hotel–reconnecting
The Book Club Hotel
by Sarah Morgan
The title The Book Club Hotel certainly prepares the reader for a bookish read. Indeed, Sarah Morgan’s clean romance does have a book theme as a trio of college friends reunite yearly to relax, catch up, have fun, and discuss a chosen book. They are turning forty this year, and each is at a personal crossroad. Erica, who teaches crisis management to businesses all over the world has never managed to commit in a relationship. Her father had walked out of her life the day she was born. Her bitter mother raised her on the necessity of being independent. Claudia has just been abandoned by her boyfriend of ten years and has lost her job. Anna, known for her homemaking skills and perfect relationship with her husband Pete, is dealing with the impending departure of her twins as they prepare to leave the “nest” to fly off to college.
The story is set at the Maple Sugar Inn in Vermont, an idyllic setting at Christmas time. Claudia and Anna are puzzled by Erica’s choice of a rural Christmasy locale for this year’s getaway. It is very out-of-character for the unromantic Erica. There must be some secret agenda behind her selection.
The lives of these three women intersect with that of the owner of the Maple Sugar Inn. Hattie, a young widow, is the mother of a sweet and precocious little five year old girl Delphi. Their dog Rufus adds fun to the tale which revolves around the trio’s friendship, Erica’s draw to the inn, drama over two bad tempered employees who try to control the inn and its owner, and a handsome, kind Christmas tree and organic food farmer who lives next door. It’s a good read!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Notes: An unexpected bonus for me is that the book has a strong
Christmas theme with decorations, snow, hot chocolate, and traditions.
Publication: September 19, 2023—Harlequin
Memorable Lines:
“It’s hardly a gift at all. It’s a book, and my sister and I think of a book as a necessity rather than a luxury.” “A necessity is something you need,” Gwen said, “like food or water.” …”Books can take you to a different world.”
Books were her hobby. Reading kept her going. …all Anna had to do to relax was pick up a book and she was immediately transported to another world.
“What do you think of this dress?” “It’s too black. It needs more glitter. Or maybe feathers. I have some in my art box. We could stick them on.” Glitter? Feathers? That was what happened when you asked a five-year-old for fashion advice.
The Season of Second Chances—two novellas
The Season of Second Chances
by Kristina McMorris and T. Greenwood
I do not usually choose novellas and in the case of The Season of Second Chances, my thought was that this is a novel written by Kristina McMorris and T. Greenwood as a joint effort. I had read two works of historical by McMorris and consider her a very good author. It was on the basis of my appreciation for her work that I selected this book. I was unfamiliar with the work of T. Greenwood.
The Christmas Collector is McMorris’ contribution. It is the story of Jenna, a woman who inventories and prices goods in preparation for estate sales. In performing her job she has to confront her widowed mother’s addiction as a recovering hoarder and her fears that she too will become a hoarder. One of Jenna’s clients needs to move in with her adult children as she is loosing her ability physically to live alone. Her grandson Reece is initially resistant to that idea. Reece and Jenna are drawn together over a mystery box that holds secrets of his grandmother’s past. Sadly, this book is the perfect example of an excellent plot idea with multiple threads but not enough time or room in a novella to flesh out the characters.
Greenwood’s contribution, Gifted, is that rare novella that has an appropriately limited number of characters. The author jumps in with chapters that alternate between two storylines, and each time the reader finishes one chapter, the next chapter will demand attention. Each storyline equally clamors to be continued. Alex, a talented ballet dancer, is 19 years old and has given up her life to advance in ballet, pleasing her mother who because of an early pregnancy had to abandon her own career goals. Sofia is a 54 year old birth doula. She loves her mother, but she never had a close relationship with Simone who as an itinerant classical violinist spent much time traveling. When Sofia’s father dies, she finds that Simone has Alzheimer’s and needs Sofia to care for her. In her panic to locate her mother who goes missing on Christmas Eve, Sofia learns that they had a closer relationship than Sofia ever imagined. The author does a beautiful job of tying these two stories together.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The Christmas Collector
Rating: 3/5
Category: Women’s Fiction, Novella
Publication: August 22, 2023—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
Business and pleasure don’t mix, she reminded herself, citing her boss’s basic rule. A clichéd concept but valid nonetheless. In fact, it was one her father had bulldozed right through, leaving Jenna and her mother in his trampled wake.
Disposing of others’ items had always brought relief—at least until the craving returned. Which it always did. Like an addiction, some might say. Like cigarettes or alcohol, or…hoarding.
Reporting the winter weather in Portland—rain, drizzle, downpour—had to be as thrilling as reporting sunshine in Arizona.
Gifted
Rating: 5/5
Category: Women’s Fiction, Novella
Publication: August 22, 2023—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
Her mother must have suspected something was wrong lately, because despite being a three-hour train ride away in Connecticut, she was hovering, the blades of her helicopter propeller sharp and steady and humming.
She envied that for Zu-Zu, ballet was joy, while for her, it felt like an obligation.
As she looked at the woman in the photo, her clear blue eyes and confident smile, she thought about how easy it was to lose your way, to forget why you were here. How easy it was to find yourself lost.
education pathways 