I have to say that I found the above blurb a bit misleading, as it led me to expect Spence to have several rounds of trying to convince and have Lila admit that indeed she remembered their night, but actually Lila after her initial one sentence denial never refuted it, to the contrary she alluded several times to their time spent together. But that's just a minor technicality, and other than that the novella was delightful.
I very much enjoyed the secondary characters, both Austin Spence's brother , Travis their friend , Darla their high school classmate and diner owner and Cleo town's busybody old lady were fun and delightful, all had a lot of heart and some more than others quirky personalities.
Holloway was a delightful little town and this novella was a wonderful holiday story: Spence is intense and brooding yet we see pretty soon that deep down he is a nice guy just having issues of abandonment and Lila was an equally nice and normal heroine. Their relationship, chemistry was interesting and kept me involved in the story from start to finish. Have to say, I wouldn't have minded at all if it were a full length novel. He grew a business while raising two rowdy boys.
No one ended up in jail or rehab or under an overturned tractor. My only and biggest problem with this story was its ending. It was improbable, rushed and unrealistic. To see a cynical, jaded and emotionally vulnerable man sprouting "happily-ever-after-forever" declarations after less than a week, and about 30 mins after he didn't even consider their relationship serious or long-term just because his brother and friend told him to, kind of ruined an otherwise greatly enjoyable story.
We'll Be Home for Christmas was a delightful story: I've put HelenKay Dimon on my authors-to-watch list and can only recommend We'll Be Home for Christmas if you are in the mood for a delightful holiday romance. I give We'll Be Home for Christmas 4 stars! Combine that with a holiday setting and I couldn't resist the temptation! Christi Barth's writing was wonderful, she has a way with words to paint the perfect holiday settings ;- you'll feel as if you were watching a holiday movie with her colourful and vivid descriptions of scenes and events , but despite the holiday ambiance permeating the story and truly adding the sprinkling of snow and bough of holly on top I couldn't love the romance since I had trouble connecting with the characters and understanding their motivations.
Maybe it was because the hero and heroine were both so ready to forget about their love and give up their decade-long friendship or just because the characters didn't make much sense to me. On paper everything should have been perfect: Kyle the geeky yet drop dead gorgeous IT guy who has been best friends with unassuming, bestest of all friends Caitlin, who is ready to do whatever for him, even planning the most perfect and romantic proposal so the guy she has been in love with can ask his girlfriend to marry him.
This setup right there was a bit unnatural, it took me some imagination to believe that Caitlin, despite being the best friend there could be would be so ready to help Kyle woo a woman for life when it would mean her eternal unhappiness. And their motivations behind their acts just left me baffled: Kyle is marrying a woman who is more of an escort to social events than a girlfriend to impress his father, and Caitlin is giving up his best friend and her love for him because she wants to help him obtain his father's approval.
Despite being a grown up Kyle seemed way too quivering under his father's judgement and besides the very few allusions to convey that Kyle found Caitlin attractive there wasn't much to show he was in love with her or was worthy of her love. She was really awful. I understand that in a novella it would have been difficult to make her a more nuanced character but I still would have preferred to have her be a bit gray instead of the sharp black that she and white that Caitlin was.
You will take the job, you will leave Chicago, and you will cut Kyle out of your life. I still love Christi Barth's writing but despite its holiday setting and the wonderful holiday ambience that permeated this story, due to the characters I couldn't understand or like much, Ask Her at Christmas wasn't such a hit with me.
Also at the end, while everyone knew a HEA was mandatory I still found the proposal superfluous and rushed. Sure, the hero's declaration of love was romantic and swoon-worthy, but I find it rushed to get married after one kiss and a decade of friendship, shouldn't they try dating first? Once again Christi Barth delivers a picturesque romance with flowing writing and beautiful lines but I just couldn't understand or like the characters, so sorry Ask Her at Christmas, it's not you it's the characters.
You deserve a lover in your marriage bed. Someone to be there in the middle of the night to chase the demons away. Someone who fires up your blood and stirs your passion. Someone who wants you, who needs you with every cell of her body. The Best Thing is the 3rd instalment in the trilogy, after Ethan and Wyatt have found love and wedded bliss this time it's Brody's turn to fall in love. The premise is that at last year's Christmas party Brody and Tori their spitfire assistant and family friend kissed, and after more than 10 months of Tori giving the brothers the cold shoulder they decide it's time Brody fixed the problem.
I found the small town and the characters very lovable, and though the Kent family tended to be quite overwhelming with their over-the-top meddling I found both the story and its characters charming and wouldn't mind revisiting them by reading the first two books in the series.
Their chemistry and affection for each other was palpable and Jaci Burton knows how to write both sexy and sweet: Usually he was all about getting women out of his house. Now all he could think about was when he could get Tori back there. I thought it was way too much for Tori to sulk and brood for almost a year and keep up her unhappy disposition.
Also, why did Brody, his brothers and Tori's best friend let things stay this way for so long? Seriously, in real life after such a lengthy period of emo-PMSing there would be high probability of depression And well I expected much more originality from the story and Jaci Burton than the conflict I got: Seriously, first he let 10 months go by before having "the talk" after their kiss, and now he let 2 weeks go by without explaining I don't get it.
They are both shaken up and miserable, and two weeks is a very long time when you have a broken heart and feel that the person you love betrayed you. If a guy didn't clear the air in the 2 weeks following a fight I would rightly! Oh and yes, the biggest pet peeve of mine: I just don't get it why characters and maybe some people think that those things which are said in front of a public carry more weight and are truer than words whispered in private. I just don't get it.
I much prefer a heartfelt, honest intimate declaration than a she-bang with fanfare. The Best Thing was a delightful, fun and sexy small town romance with lovable characters and great chemistry between the hero and heroine. I had a few problems with the story, which although didn't ruin completely my enjoyment of the story still managed to detract a bit from the dream 5 star rating. But if you love public declarations and characters a hero who make mistakes, then I'm sure you'll enjoy The Best Thing. I give The Best Thing 4 stars!
Overall Romancing the Holiday was a delightful collection of holiday romances that I heartily recommend for you to read to get in the festive mood.
I discovered some lovely new series and even author , and I will definitely read the remaining two Carina holiday anthologies ; Dec 19, Laura Chapman rated it really liked it. As a connoisseur of holiday movies and romance novels, I was excited to dig into these stories.
Each features strong-willed leading ladies and crush-worthy male counterparts, and managed to tell stories about love within a short time-frame. While offering heart-pounding sizzle, the stories were not as full of holiday moment With plenty to land them on both Santa's naughty and nice lists, Jaci Burton, HelenKay Dimon and Christi Barth offer seasonal stories of love and lust in Romancing the Holiday. While offering heart-pounding sizzle, the stories were not as full of holiday moments as those accustomed to Christmas romances filled with sleigh rides, snowball fights or mounds of Christmas cookies might expect.
The mountain cabins are less like a resort and more like a pile of wood in serious need of burning. The man she had a three-day passionate affair with at a hotel a few towns over is a local businessman. The man in question gave her a fake name. Despite their shaky reunion, Spencer Thomas is not going to let a little previous deception keep him from making a better impression on Lila the second time around. Lila finds herself spending more time with Spencer when crews from his family's nursery lend a hand to help her get the cabins presentable by the new year.
As they work in tight quarters, the old feelings that led them into bed resurface, but are laced with wishes for romance and forever. This was a cute story with decent amounts of sizzle, the short format prevented the story from further developing the main characters' histories, which gave them plenty of reservations for engaging in a committed relationship. Each had an interesting back story, filled with betrayal and hurt feelings. While offering conflict, the drama could have been upped by addressing these pasts more head on rather than as a line or two of dialogue. Though part of a series, each character was explained well enough, I did not find myself lacking from not reading the previous stories in the series.
In particular, Spencer's brother and friends were likeable, which in turn revealed the good man hiding behind his distant appearances. While the small town setting offered plenty of charm, the meddling townspeople had the potential to be annoying, but stopped just short of it. What was most lacking for me in this story was the holiday element. Though it started in Spencer's family nursery that sells Christmas trees and pointsettias, and a few mentions about the upcoming holiday, there was nothing else.
While this did not take away from telling the love story, it did diminish some of the good cheer and satisfaction I gleam from watching two characters fall in love while singing carols or sipping hot chocolate. Still, Lila and Spencer seemed well-suited for each other. The sexy chemistry between them seemed real. When they were in a room together, the pages tingled with sexual tension and ultimately sex. I found myself rooting for them even if they were painting cabin walls instead of building an army of snow people.
Though long harboring romantic love for Kyle, Caitlin never hints at her true feelings for fear of them going unrequited. She is more than a little surprised when he drops to one knee and asks her to marry him. Unfortunately, before she can say yes and have her dreams come true, she learns he was actually practicing to pop the question to the woman he has been casually seeing for the past few months. Under direct orders from his father to marry the sleazy heiress he has dated to help their family business, Kyle needs his best friend's help to do the deed justice.
Wanting to do his father proud for once in his life, Kyle must ignore the not so friendly feelings he has toward his BFF. As Caitlin helps him plan the perfect proposal, both must decide whether or not they should take their relationship to the next level or end as friends. Of the three stories in this trilogy, this offered the most in the way of spreading holiday cheer. Within the first chapters, the characters wrapped presents, wore scarves, drank hot chocolate, looked at Christmas trees, went ice skating and window shopped.
It was like ABC Family and Hallmark got married, made a baby, dressed it in red and green glitter pajamas and named it "Merry Christmas. I wanted so desperately for Caitlin and Kyle to find themselves getting a little too hot under their matching ugly turtlenecked sweaters, which they would be tempted to discard after sipping a little too much egg nog during one of their proposal plotting sessions.
Unfortunately, this did not come to be. While I could see their feelings of love for each other were real, a little more spark would have gone a long ways. And while the build-up in this story was great -- I mean, Caitlin spends weeks helping Kyle try to woo another woman -- it ultimately resolved itself a little too easily.
She should have made the guy work a little more for it, especially after he royally biffed it on a few occasions. In particular, he made one big error, which I am not sure I would have been able to forgive so quickly. I also wonder how two people who are so in sync with each other could miss the fact that they want to get naked on a bear-skin rug in front of a fireplace.
Or something like that. If you have dances of sugar plums wafting through your head at night, though, this story will live up to the expectations for a holiday love story. For the past four years, she has loved him from within smacking distance as the office manager of the construction company he owns with his brothers. Things have been tense between them since they locked lips at the company Christmas party the year before. After Brody confronts Tori about her distant behavior, the two find themselves embroiled in a passionate affair.
With Brody's family members interfering at every opportunity, both worry about hurting the other while living in constant fear that they will be the one with the broken heart. From the first pages of the story, it is easy to understand the tension between Brody and Tori. Not only do the two work with each other, but they each are holding back feelings for the other. Though Tori loves Brody, she does not want to end up another notch on his bedpost. At the same time, Brody somewhat resents the presumption that he will use than leave her. Once they finally get it together, this story became seriously steamy.
Family creates plenty of obstacles for these two crazy kids when they're not getting hot and heavy under the sheets.
Romancing the Holiday
Tori has a history of being let down and abandoned by her family, and is slow to trust. For Brody, his family's love can be problematic.
They are constantly involved and watching the couple's next steps, asking about marriage and babies before they have even been together a full quarter. It was easy to understand and feel for the poor guy as he tries to figure out his feelings. Well-developed as a stand-alone story, Tori and Brody's romance also effortlessly and effectively gave updates on relationships told in previous stories.
As someone who had not read the first books, though, I did not find myself struggling to understand what was going on or how everyone related to each other. At the same time, someone who has read the other books will not be bogged down with too many details they have already encountered. We're given what we need to know and nothing more.
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Though not overflowing with holiday elements, the story does involve moments of planning the next company holiday party, tree decorating and this year's holiday party. So Christmas was there, but not as there as it could be. Ultimately, this was the strongest of the stories. While I liked each of these books in their own rights, I probably would have been a bigger fan if all of them would have been a bit more full of yuletide cheer.
Each had good characters. And all of them were worth the few hours spent curled up with this collection. If you're looking for a somewhat seasonal read that sizzles, Romancing the Holiday is a quick and light find. Each of the stories offers a different take on love in December and characters who must overcome aspects of their past to build a future with the person who makes their heart pound. Spencer is the oldest of the two Thomas brothers and the Thomas Reviewed on: Spencer is the oldest of the two Thomas brothers and the Thomas Nurseries friends featured in the series.
Since I have read the other two books in the series, I already liked Spence, but apparently I didn't actually know him. Yes, Spence is super uber smart, but he doesn't know anything about romance or women. Spence actually met Lila at a hotel bar one night when he was feeling lonely and pretty low after he realized that his brother Austin and friend Mitch found love and were actually happy.
Little did Spence know that meeting Lila would change him. Lila is the only woman who has creeped into his mind and will not leave. Lila, like Spence, isn't looking for love. She's been there and done that. She has no money, no job, no place to stay and a bad reputation to prove it. But like Spence, Lila has met her match. She actually sees through all the smoke-screen to the person he truly is. Of the three books in the series, this is by far my favorite. I laughed the whole way through. The interaction and dialogue between Spence and Lila is great Caitlin McIntyre and Kyle Lockhart have been best friends forever.
Caitlin is a recent graduate student, waiting to find out which one of two jobs will take her into the next chapter of her life. Kyle is the head of the security division for his family's company, LTS Industries, an airplane and security conglomerate. They each have an attraction for the other, but neither wants to jeopardize their friendship to say so. This isn't to say neither hasn't dated other people, because they each have. A few weeks before Christmas, Kyle surprises Caitlin at a mall, where she's a volunteer gift wrapper and drops to one knee and proposes. Caitlin thinks all of her dreams have come true, until she realizes that Kyle is just practicing his proposal technique on her and wants to enlist her to help him come up with the perfect proposal for Monica.
Besides the fact that the proposal isn't meant for her, Caitlin has serious issues with the fact that her best friend is going to propose to Monica. The number one issue is that Kyle doesn't love Monica Selford, a PR executive for her family's hotel chain. He's only going to marry her because his father told him to, telling him it would be good for business. Kyle's father, Brian Lockhart has a jaded idea of marriage since his wife left him. He could actually care less if his son is happy or not. Lockhart, it's all about business and appearances.
Caitlin and Kyle have a great relationship. But sometimes a girl has to listen to her gut instincts when she has a bad feeling about someone or something. One magical kiss reveals their true feelings for each other and changes their lives. I wonder if we'll see anyone from this book in one of the other books.
For all of that time, Brody Kent has had a thing for Tori Lewis. For Tori, the attraction and love goes back even further than that. Tori has been in love with Brody since high school. Roger and Stacy Kent have even made Tori their unofficial adopted daughter. At the party, in the middle of a heated argument between Brody and Tori, Brody kisses Tori and she kisses him right back. Brody has a well deserved reputation around town as being a love them and leave them kind of guy.
In addition to that, she loves Roger and Stacy Kent and the rest of the Kent family. For Brody, that kiss changed everything for him. He realizes that he wants to give himself a chance with Tori, but Tori is now avoiding him like he has the bubonic plague. Wyatt and Ethan both tell Brody to fix Tori and the dance of the magnets begin.
Brody is more than just the love them and leave them guy everyone thinks he is, and he will do anything he can to make Tori realize that. I love happy ending romances. But there are definitely times when that risk is well worth the reward in the end. Brody and Tori both finally decide to take that risk and their journey is incredible.
Dec 01, Stephanie Collins rated it really liked it. I mean seriously I've read the three for Christmas this year and they were all awesome in their own ways. Angela James deserves a ton of credit for putting them all together and editing the wonderful works by each of the authors… We'll Be Home for Christmas by HelenKay Dimon Lila just needs something good to happen in her life.
She thinks the taking over the family camping resort will be just what she needs but when she sees the condition it i Can I just say I love the Carina Press Anthologies??? She thinks the taking over the family camping resort will be just what she needs but when she sees the condition it is in.. You can combine this with finding out that the man she spent the most incredible 3 days with lied about who he was and now she has to deal with him being around.. What you get however is two people finding out that what they really need is each other and that letting go isn't always a bad thing.
Spencer just wanted to get out of town and find a willing body to let some tension in his life go on. What he got was a weekend with an incredible woman who crawled under his skin even when he didn't know it. He's always wound tight and takes the world on his shoulders but never lets others get close to him. I felt for him and loved how caring he was even when he was trying to deny how much of a good guy he truly is.
The times with Lila were hot and the tension between them was well done and appreciated. While they have amazing chemistry they both had issues to work thru and I liked that bit of tension due to those issues. This was a cute story and I will have to make sure I catch the ones I haven't read yet in the series. I have to go back and read the rest in this series. Tori didn't really have a great life at home growing up but once she started to be around the Kent family she finally felt like she found somewhere she belonged. The only problem with this is her long running crush on Brody Kent.
This unfortunately results in a kiss at the annual Christmas party which blurs the lines between the two of them. After this kiss she runs away and then becomes a royal Bitch in the offices. After almost a year of tolerating this Brody is pushed in to fixing the problem with Tori. She's not too happy with this but even less happy when Brody doesn't seem to be taking her hints and instead keeps pushing to be around her and want more. I loved him and his cluelessness but understood it boiled down to fear and not wanting to be led to "slaughter".
He made me laugh at times with his denials of his true feelings for Tori but I was happy when she called him on his behavior although at the end I sort of wanted more groveling from him. Their times together were sufficiently hot and heartwarming plus seeing how she brought out the best in him without trying to control him was a wonderful thing. She just wanted him.. Great read and like I said I'm heading back to see the stories for the other brothers.
Ask Her at Christmas by Christi Barth This was probably my least favorite of the anthology although it was a nice read. This is a classic BFF to lover story that you just want the two to admit what they wanted is right in front of them. In this case I was frustrated with the fact the hero is so hung up on what his dad wants that he is almost blinded to the fact he has something precious standing right beside him. Kyle is about to make a huge mistake. He knows it in the back of his mind but if it means that his dad will finally approve of him he's willing to do so.
I mean being married to someone you don't actually love… that has a loose definition of fidelity and you barely see isn't any big deal… Right? He decides to get help figuring out the best way to propose by asking his BFF Caitlyn and while she isn't happy with this she agrees to help him.
He's clueless about how she really feels about him and has done his best to bury his own feelings for her beneath the whole we are just friends bs that happens. Caitlyn is shocked when the love of her life goes down on his knee and asks her to marry him… she wonders is this a dream and if so can she just not ever wake up.
Unfortunately it isn't a dream but a horrible nightmare… made worse by the fact that he just doesn't know what he really means to her. She's going along with helping him even though inside she's dying. I felt horrible for her and when the girlfriend does her crappy move about Caitlyn's job prospects I almost wanted to go clock the woman for Caitlyn. She's a generous soul to a fault and I felt horrible for her when she made a decision she didn't want to in order to do what she felt was right for Kyle.
Don't get me wrong… I liked it but I would love to see more of them together as a couple since we didn't really get much of it here. Ok… Go out and grab this set of stories by clicking the Carina Press link in my sidebar. You won't be sorry. As always… Thanks to NetGalley.
Nov 13, Danielle rated it really liked it. Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick Romancing the Holiday is an anthology comprised of three different novellas. Afterwards, both parted never expecting to see each other again. But like most romance novels, that pretty much goes out the window pretty quickly. Down on her luck, Lila is attempting to start Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick Romancing the Holiday is an anthology comprised of three different novellas. The first order of business when Lila arrives is to head into town and pick up the order her uncle left for her at the nursery.
When Lila arrives she is introduced to Austin Thomas, one of the owners of the nursery. Also, the man with whom she supposedly had spent the three nights in the hotel with a few months ago, only this is not the same man. Yes, his name is the same but he isn't the same. As Lila is confessing everything to Austin in hopes of trying to figure out just what the hell is going on Spence walks in. Spence has always felt bad about deceiving Lila, but doesn't regret the time they spent together.
If he were being completely honest, he regrets that their time spent together was so short as he hasn't been able to stop thinking about their time together. Feeling horrible for his deception as well as wanting to spend time with Lila, Spence offers to help her with the renovation to the campground.
Slowly but surely these two begin to work out their issues and come to a truce to start over. Quickly the chemistry between these two is becoming more and more apparent and both are finding it hard to resit one another. I really enjoyed this story and loved the connection between Lila and Spence.
Both are completely attracted to one another and I thought some of their scenes together were pretty hot. I really enjoyed HelenKay's writing and am looking forward to reading more from her. When Kyle proposes to Caitlin her heart stops and she can't breath. Kyle has never even hinted that her feelings might be reciprocated and now that he's proposing it's a total shock.
Just as she's about to come back around Kyle reveals that it was just a test and that he was just practicing for when he proposes to his girlfriend Monica. Kyle might not love Monica and they might not get along as well as he and Caitlin do, but it's what his father wants and Kyle is determined to do whatever he can to make him proud, even if that means marrying someone he doesn't love.
Kyle knows that he wants to propose to Monica and he wants it to be special, so he enlists Caitlin's help in the task. I have mixed feelings about this story. While I'm a huge fan of friends to lovers tropes, I feel like something was missing from this one.
I would have liked to have seen more romance between Kyle and Caitlin. I just didn't feel like there was enough and I just didn't really believe in their HEA. The Best Thing - Jaci Burton 5 stars Tori Lewis and Brody Kent have always had a combative relationship with each other until several months ago when they shared a heated kiss. Ever since then, Tori has been withdrawn and snappy. Not wanting to jeopardize her job at Kent Construction or her relationship with the Kent family, she brushed it off and has since stopped speaking to Brody.
Tori has always had a secret crush on Brody but he has a reputation as a manwhore and she definitely doesn't want to risk everything she's worked for just to be his girl of the week. Brody doesn't know what came over him when he kissed Tori but he doesn't regret it at all. What he regrets is the way things have gone down since the kiss.
He's has tried on numerous occasions to talk to Tori about what happened to explains things but Tori just won't listen. Brody knows that he has a reputation for being a manwhore but how can he explain to Tori that he wants more from her than to just one night. This story was by far my favorite of the anthology. I thought there was so much chemistry and heat between Tori and Brody. I loved the camaraderie and the relationships we saw with everyone else. Overall I found this anthology highly enjoyable and I definitely recommend it.
Each story was entertaining and sweet and made me want to read more. If you are looking for a great holiday inspired read, than this anthology is the way to go. Dec 14, Brie rated it liked it. Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner Source: This year they published three: To be honest, this is my least favorite of all their anthologies, although it still is a fairly competent set of novellas. I loved her previous novel, Lean on Me, and this novella is part of that series, so I was really happy to read it.
Lila and Spencer had a three-night stand months ago. At first she pretends not to know him, which bothers him a lot, and he decides to pursue her and make her remember. It reads like a generic small-town Romance, instead of an interesting take on the dynamic of the towns, something I thought her previous book explored. This is my first time reading Ms. Caitlin has been in love with her best friend Kyle for years. So he dates an evil woman just because his father and her father are business partners, or interested in becoming business partners, or something.
So of course he plans to marry her, and fake-proposes to Caitlin so she can give him some pointers. In the meantime, the evil girlfriend tortures Caitlin, who silently but stoically suffers in silence and dies of unrequited love, until Kyle gets some clarity, realizes his love, and proposes to the right woman. When I read the description I felt like this story was written specially for me. But surprisingly, it turned out to be the best of the bunch, and it actually made me want to give her books a second chance.
This is another unrequited love story, but here the chemistry was undeniable. So when they finally decide to confront their feelings, sparks fly and he has to work hard to convince her of his feelings and intentions. Tori and Brody make a great romantic couple, and I thoroughly enjoyed their uncomplicated love story. The only novella I recommend reading is Jaci Burton.
Nov 29, Amy R rated it really liked it Shelves: After reading this anthology I have found three more authors to add to my must read list! I enjoyed all of these contemporary romance stories. They were all so sweet and different. These authors are relatively new to me but have heard there names many times and am a big fan of Carina Press books so I thought I would give this book a try.
All of the stories were well written and moved along well.
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Sometimes in novellas, the shorter length makes it hard to develop characters and the plot to make it After reading this anthology I have found three more authors to add to my must read list! Sometimes in novellas, the shorter length makes it hard to develop characters and the plot to make it a believable story.
These stories were all very good and were hard to put down. Always fun to see how a woman tames that. Spencer and Lila met up at a hotel for a 3-night stand months ago. They both were in a bad situation and a little down on their luck. They never thought they would see each other again but the memory of those days they shared with each other continued to haunt them.
Now Lila is back in the area and Spencer sees her for the first time. Boy are they both caught off guard. Dimon writes very fun, romantic, witty stories. I love the small town gossip mill that goes on in Holloway as another obstacle the characters have to overcome.
In this story, I loved watching Travis, a friend and employee of Spencer, give advice on how to handle women. Most of the time in books none of the guys quite get women, but Travis sure seems to understand. I am looking forward to this story next. This one was interesting because Kyle was planning to marry someone Monica as part of a business deal and needed his friend Caitlin to help him propose and seal the deal. Caitlin has been in love with Kyle for years but never ever acted on her feelings.
She has always been there as his best friend and biggest cheerleader. I really enjoyed this sweet romance and the love that Kyle and Caitlin have for one another as friends. Barth ended the story perfectly and I plan to check out her other books since this one was so fun to read. The Best Thing This was my first story by Jaci Burton, but I have heard her name so much and had been meaning to check out her books.
This is the third book in her Kent series. In this book, Brody and Tori have been working together for a long time. They share a passionate kiss at a company Christmas party last year but that was it. Slowly, Brody and Tori reconnect and made this a fun read. They have a light, fun relationship with each other. The intimate scenes were well written and so sweet. It was so awesome how much Brody adored Tori and how he treated her.
Nov 15, Julie Barrett rated it it was amazing. Romancing the Holiday by Jaci Burton, Helen Kay Dimon, Christi Barth Although most of these are series books, they can be read as a stand alone and you won't be left in the dark. I just like the idea that I might find yet another new author to read when they are clumped together. It's located near Romancing the Holiday by Jaci Burton, Helen Kay Dimon, Christi Barth Although most of these are series books, they can be read as a stand alone and you won't be left in the dark.
It's located near Holloway, WV. The local nursery is part owned by Austin and Spencer Thomas. Problem is when she was with Austin for 3 nights before she was to head up the resort, it wasn't really Austin she was with. Austin is a very happily married man to Carrie. The town is small and she will be reaming them out if she finds out why Spencer had used his name with Lila. He can't even imagine that she's in town.
He thought he'd never see her again. It's the holiday season and they run the local nursery as Austin is a arborist and has many degrees. Females in town told her what a great catch he'd be and that the betting pool was up already as to when they'd marry. Without giving too much away I love the renovations that take place and the hot steamy sex. Great storyline and glad Spence has his own book. Have loved all the men and their live stories.. Did he know how she felt when he was down on one knee proposing to her?
Problem is he was doing a test run to ask his girlfriend Monica. She agrees to help him. Lighting, music, bride to be the center of attention with others circling her on the ice rink. Then he explains why his father wants him to marry soon-for the good of the company finances With his dads chemo and radiation for lung cancer he might be around a bit longer now but he doesn't want to disappoint him again.
He's always felt like a failure. Along with his theme he wants to use the store windows that are dresses for the season as his backdrop, going all the way around the store to the end where the prince is down on one knee.. When Caitlin has lunch with Monica she realizes she does not care about the holiday, only from the business side of things. Monica has it all worked out, a way to keep Caitlin out of the way.
Now it's her decision to make. Brody and Ethan Kent are having a discussion about what happened a year ago at the Christmas party. Ethan needed Brody to fix the problem as the crew was tired of her biting their heads off Calliope is married to Wyatt and runs the local daycare center and is best friends with Tori and she opens up to her telling her that since a year ago Brody has not had a date so she has to make her move on him, as he's saving himself for her.
He's got a bad rep about being a manwhore and dumping his girl after a week with them. Love how this book refreshes us on the other family members that we have followed from book 1. Good as a stand alone, won't leave you in the dark, just not very descriptive details of all the family happenings of the past. Good steamy hot sex only adds to this brothers tale.
Nov 09, Christi Snow rated it really liked it. I truly love these characters. They have a great family dynamic Seriously, this series from HK Dimon fall under the heading of some of my favorite contemporary romance reading of the year! This book was no exception. I liked the history between Spence and Lila It was a chance thing. Totally an alpha move, but he has such a sweet heart, even when he's being an idiot. My favorite scenes in the book were with Travis A- I love the Kent family and it was wonderful to get to visit with them again. Tori is a wonderful addition to this group.
I like her history and that the family means as much to her as Brody does. Brody, the playboy of the family, doesn't know what hit him in the last year since he kissed Tori at last year's Christmas party. Tori knows exactly what hit her, love, but she isn't willing to risk her adopted family just to scratch Brody's itch. I loved that she wasn't a pushover for his lines. I also really loved that he was the one to get domesticated between the two of them first.
Tori always knew it wasn't going to last, so she never even dared for that kind of relationship. It was Brody who dared to dream. Another great little story! I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review. B A computer geek for a hero He's a sexy, wealthy, super-intelligent guy, but he's caught in the web of wanting to please his father and that means marrying his on-again, off-again arm-candy, Monica. Dad's said the business needs their merger to happen, so Kyle is going to propose. He goes to his best friend Caitlin for help.
I adored Caitlin's character She's in love with her best friend and he can't man-up enough to claim her Seriously, Kyle needed to find some balls I know he's a computer geek, but he needed to stand up for want he wanted It did finally happen and it made for a fun little romantic Christmas story in the end. Dec 08, Alex rated it it was ok Shelves: Romancing the Holiday is a 3 story-anthology, so I'll summarize each of them separately.
In We'll be Home for Christmas by HalenKay Dimon, we meet Lila and Spence, two people who had a 3-day hook up a few months ago and then unexpectedly run into each other again when Lila moves into Spencer's town to manage a lodge a relative has left her. Spence and Lila haven't forgotten about each other, or their explosive chemistry Caitlin has also been in love with Kyle for years but not willing to risk the friendship, not even when Kylie announces the sudden plans to marry a woman his father has selected for him, and asks Caitlin help planning the perfect proposal, unaware that her heart is breaking.
Finally, The Best Thing by Jaci Burton is about Tori who works for the Kent Brothers in their construction company apparently there are other novellas about the other two brothers while struggling with her crush on one of them: Last Christmas, Brody kissed her and that sent the office dynamics into a bit of a tail-spin, until it got so bad that the other two Kents demanded Brody make things right with Tori, prompting them both to act on their latent feelings for each other.
Romancing the Holiday was a mixed bag of nuts. I flat out didn't much care for the first story - We'll be Home for Christmas - I didn't particularly like the characters or care for what happened to them, and the whole thing was a little childish. I enjoyed reading Ask Her at Christmas a lot more, I found the story fluffy and sweet even if the conflict was a bit silly and it got solved way too easily, and both Caitlin and Kyle were kind of wimpy.
I liked the core of who they were.
November & December New Releases – Emma Lea
I think that if that had been more developed it would have been a sweet story, as it was it had a lot of potential and it was fun to read but far from perfect. As for The Best Thing, it was certainly fun to read - probably the better story out of the three - and I actually got very intrigued about the other two Kent brothers and I look forward to reading their novellas apparently I already own them in two different anthologies I got last year and that I haven't read. I liked Tori and Brody, and I could even understand what drove Brody to do certain things - his family could be fairly annoying sometimes - but I didn't like how the conflict was resolved so that kept the story from being a total winner.
As an Anthology, is not bad, I think it averages three stars all in all. Nov 23, Lisa Filipe rated it really liked it Shelves: Got a chance to catch up with the Kent and Holloway Families and Christi Barth gives us a friends to lovers romance to warm the cold winter nights. Jaci Burton brings us The Best Thing, a return to the Kent Family and this time Bad-Boy, middle brother, Brody and Tori are hitting the sheets and maybe finally admitting the feelings they've had for e Reviewed at http: Jaci Burton brings us The Best Thing, a return to the Kent Family and this time Bad-Boy, middle brother, Brody and Tori are hitting the sheets and maybe finally admitting the feelings they've had for each other for years.
I happen to love the Kent Family and look forward to Jaci's Christmas novella every year. This time Spence gets himself in over his head with a three-night stand that has turned into something more, and Lila Payne is looking for a place to call home and it might just be with Spence. For two people who never thought they would see each other again, after three wild nights in a hotel room, the chemistry between them was electric, and the banter was hysterical.
I truly enjoyed this novella and hope for many more to come from HelenKay. In Ask Her at Christmas by Christi Barth, we meet Kyle, handsome IT geek who enlists his best friend, Caitlin to help him find a special way to propose to Monica, the daughter of a company head who is in line to merge companies with Kyle's fathers company.
Caitlin has been in love with Kyle forever, but won't stand in the way of Kyle finally gaining the respect of his father. What is a girl to do? Caitlin will just have to help Kyle get what he needs and then hopefully she can find a way to survive the holiday heartache. Great Holiday Anthology that brings heart-warming, toe curling romance to the cold winter nights! I highly recommend this anthology and recommend reading the past holiday romances from these wonderful authors, if you haven't already! Dec 10, Jenn Cunha rated it it was amazing Shelves: I received a copy from NetGalley.
These were the perfect three stories to put together in this anthology. So much love and happiness that it makes me want to go and read more about the other couples in the series. He wants to protect her and help her under the guise of "being a good neighbor," but after their 3 day hotel "sex romp" that's a thinly veiled excuse to be around her. Tiny spoiler - W I received a copy from NetGalley. Tiny spoiler - When she realizes he's been burning the candle at both ends to help her, I actually teared up. Ask Her at Christmas - That awkward moment when you're in love with your best friend.
We all knew that Caitlin was in love with Kyle, but I wanted a little more interest from Kyle. He mentioned finding her attractive, but I wanted to actually watch him realize he was in love with her. For someone who's only around for a total of like, 5 pages, Barth created a character that I absolutely hated! The Best Thing - I'm kicking myself for not reading more about Ethan and Wyatt before reading about the last available Kent brother.
I'm thinking that if I had, I would have had an even deeper connection to Tori and Brody, although Burton does a fantastic job of keeping even a new reader informed about what's going on. I'm thinking I have to go back and learn more about what brought Tori to the family and also how the brothers ended up as they did. I had read books by Burton before, but this was my first experience with Dimon and Barth and I was definitely not disappointed. I'm going to have to go back and read more Dec 04, Jennifer rated it really liked it.
Really enjoyed these short Christmas stories. Having never read any of these authors before, I was happy that I liked all of them. I think the burton story was my favorite. It felt the most like a full length story. I will have to go back and read the other brothers stories. The Barth story was OK. I enjoyed the heroine and her sweet and fun attitude. Though the story set up is not one of my favorites and I found the hero a little spineless for most of the story. He did make up for it in the en Really enjoyed these short Christmas stories. He did make up for it in the end and I would have loved a little more to this story.
I really enjoyed the Dimon story. This is another series that I will probably go back to read the others. I really loved spencer! I would like to know how Lila's camp career turns out. Oh, and I am loving Travis! Very enjoyable and quick reads. Dec 20, Holly rated it really liked it Shelves: Really good collection of stories. All are continuations of series, though the Burton and Dimon are the only ones I've read. Dec 03, Liza rated it it was amazing.
Loved all 3 stories. Full review to come. Nov 29, Romantic Reads and Such rated it really liked it. Romancing the Holiday brings readers three novellas full of sizzle and heart. For a full review, please visit http: Slick's review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews 4. She shortly understands why when his brother arrives after his phone call but she maintains what dignity she has left and leaves both men speechless as she walks out.
I really enjoyed this story, both Lila and Spence are interesting characters both flawed but extremely likeable. Both Lila and Spence have very fond memories of their affair and we are treated to snippets throughout the story. This is a great holiday romance between two people who needed each other desperately despite the way they met. Ask Her at Christmas by Christi Barth 4. He never expects to get any grief over his proposal from his best friend. These characters are so fun and engaging.
Kyle has a pretty stellar moment as well which makes me like him even more. Their journey is heartbreaking, funny, and most of all satisfying and I really hope we get to see this couple again. This is one holiday story that will have you believing in the magic of the season all over again! The Best Thing by Jaci Burton 5. Tori Lewis has been working for Kent Construction for years. As office manager she rules the office with an iron fist and keeps all three of the Kent men on their toes, especially Brody.
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Brody Kent has never lacked for female companionship. Finding out he has less than a stellar reputation around town throws him for a loop especially when Tori resists his advances. But is the price too high for the Williams siblings? Superstar rugby player Cade, his career threatened by a crippling injury, has to face the fact that his glory days might be over. Three very different siblings with their own dreams, forced to face reality on the family property, confronted at every turn by their past. Will there be time for love? The most popular soap on television hangs in the balance because Delilah Connors has lost her mojo.
Her agent decides she needs a break. Delilah disagrees but when her agent says jump, she jumps! She heads for the outback on a bus tour from hell. The coach smells, her seating partner is an octopus and the road leads nowhere she wants to go. She grabs her bags and hits the track.
The trouble is the track leads to two small children and a widowed farmer. The kids are cute but not cute enough to compensate for an archaic kitchen and the filthy flies. Blake makes a last ditch attempt to plead his case but amongst the glitter and glamour of the Sydney film elite, he is way out of his depth.
Zoe left home at the age of twenty when she found Jonas, the love of her life, in the arms of another woman. Ten years later she returns from London to help her brother keep their outback property in the family and out of the hands of the major shareholder—Jonas. But they each hold a secret. Will their love survive? I will not kill my boss.
This is the mantra I tell myself every day. He is probably controlling it to torture me. He is the artist of our generation. The man looks like Michelangelo carved him with his bare hands. And that French accent, those soft lips, and that giant um…never mind. Curl up by the fire with a glass of mulled wine or hot chocolate and celebrate the magic of Christmas with these ten heart-warming stories about love, hope and family. These sweet novellas are a perfect way to unwind in the busy the holiday season, so pick up your copy today!
What could possibly go wrong? Ben Golden needs a girlfriend to throw the crazy Russian tennis player Olga off his scent, and the team physiotherapist Abby is the answer to his prayers. She agrees to the plan, but gets more than she bargained for when the paparazzi and her home town start speculating about how real the relationship is. Can Ben and Abby survive the circus and find their way through?
Or will they decide to go back to playing it safe? She met a young song-of-a-Duke, who hated spiders. Clearly they were not going to get along. On discovering her parents have arranged for her to marry an elderly rich man who has already disposed of two wives, she has no option but to flee for her life. Sheriff Angus Doyle needs a mother for his daughter after his sister can no longer care for her. Desperation has him sending for a mail order bride. Is the undeniable attraction between the two of them, when they first meet, enough to overcome their secrets? This is a heartwarming Christmas novella with a happily ever after ending and no cliffhangers.
It is a clean and wholesome story with nothing more than hugs, kisses, and holding hands. Your email address will not be published. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Meanwhile, Thomas is busy with his own clues and enlists a reluctant Martin. Harrison Coming Home But is the price too high for the Williams siblings?