Thursday, August 29, 2024

Review: Small Town Christmas: Montana Christmas Collection by Jane Porter

 


No one does Classic Christmas Romance quite like Jane Porter
Join
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jane for five sweet, heartwarming stories celebrating small town communities, family ties, the Christmas spirit, and finding love.

Christmas At Copper Mountain
Widowed cowboy Brock struggles to create the perfect Christmas for his pre-teen twins until temporary housekeeper Harley lends a hand. He’s grateful, annoyed, and secretly pleased she’s changing his children’s world for the better. But it’ll take more than that to let fierce, smart, passionate Hayley work her magic on him. It’ll take a miracle.

Not Christmas Without You
Charity is swearing off men for the month of December, so why can’t she stick to the rules around bad boy baseball star Quinn? He’s a player, not a keeper—unless he can convince her she’s the woman he’s been searching for all along?

Oh Christmas Night
When California-based accountant Rachel inherits a quaint bookstore in Marietta, Montana—and decides to spend December there, she’s not planning to fall in love with the place. She’s not falling for the Texas entrepreneur who wants to buy the building and open a restaurant, either. Even if a white Christmas and Atticus the long, tall Texan make life seem oh so wonderful.

Montana Cowboy Miracle
Wyoming rancher Cade is in Marietta this December to unravel the mysteries of the past. He’s not expecting a warm welcome from long-lost family, but that’s what he gets. He’s not ready to fall in love with his widowed landlady and hospice nurse Merri, either, but it’s beginning to feel inevitable…

Away in Montana
Disgraced, disowned, and unmarriageable—that’s quite a come down for former Butte Copper King heiress McKenna Frasier. Now a schoolteacher in Marietta, McKenna is determined to make her own way. She doesn’t need former flame Sinclair Douglas’s help. Not even if he smooths her way. But what if he lays down his heart?
 
My Review:
Who doesn’t love a small town Christmas romance?

Some of the best small town Christmas stories included in this box set.  I couldn’t get enough of these books.  The stories felt so real, so romantic and unforgettable.  They make me want to experience a small-town Christmas of my own.  

 

I previously reviewed each of these books individually.

 

Christmas at Copper Mountain

A beautiful story written with a lot depth and emotion. 

This story would make a great Christmas movie.
Harley Diekerhoff lost her husband and children three years ago to a horrendous plane crash. She still grieves for them. Not able to bear the holidays this year, she decides to skip Christmas with her family and goes to Marietta Montana to fill in on a temporary job working as housekeeper for Brock Sheenan on his ranch. It's only for three months. That should get her past the holidays so she doesn't have to be reminded by her family of what she has lost. She enjoys her job until unexpected guests arrive and causes a lot of memories to creep back up on her. She was just trying to work and forget her past and pain. Little does she know Christmas miracles are real and they do happen to people when they least expect it. Many angels have been working on this one. Will Harley accept the gift that has been given to her and Brock or will she quit her job and go back home just to avoid her feelings? 

 

Not Christmas Without You

A beautifully written romance that I won’t soon forget.

When Charity Wright went to Little Teton Resort in Wyoming, in her friend’s place, she had no idea she would meet the man she was destined to be with. Charity‘s last relationship ended badly and she had given up on men. She was only looking for someone to talk to while she was at the resort.

Quinn Douglas was at Little Teton Resort to see if it was worth investing in. He used a different name and profession because he didn’t want everyone to know he was a popular baseball player with the Seattle Mariners.

When Charity and Quinn met, under assumed names, they formed an instant friendship where they shared a lot of personal things with each other. In the end, they shared an unforgettable kiss. When the weekend was over, Charity headed back to Marietta without saying goodbye to Quinn. Charity told Quinn that she lived in Marietta during one of their talks, so he went there looking for her. Quinn also grew up in Marietta, but didn’t know Charity. The shock came when they met again and Charity found out who Quinn really was and Quinn found out Charity used her friend Tricia’s name while at the resort. Charity and Quinn were total opposites. Charity grew up in a struggling family with an alcoholic father. Quinn was popular and loved by everyone in town. But, Quinn didn’t care about Charity’s past or upbringing. He had fallen for her and he was willing to do anything to win her over. He just needed to convince her that she was worthy of his love and attention.

This book is hard for me to review without giving away too many details. But I can say, my heart went out to Charity with everything she had gone through and how she was afraid to fall in love with Quinn. Quinn’s tragic past is something that was visited in previous Marietta books, but it is told again in this story. Even though this is fiction, I still couldn’t help thinking how a person would overcome what he went through. This book is easy to read and follow and not a detail was missed. I felt I knew the characters well and enjoyed seeing them get their happily ever after. This book is the perfect addition to the other Marietta books and a wonderful, feel good Christmas story.

My favorite quote:
“Because you make me happy. Being with you makes me happy. And as we both know, life can be hard, and there are no guarantees, so we have to make the most of every single day we’re given.” 

 
Oh Christmas Night

A charming Christmas romance.  

I was drawn into this book from the start.  I really liked Rachel and wanted the best for her after she got passed over for a promotion at her job.  Then, Rachel gets a package from her godmother, Lesley, informing her that she is giving her a book store in Marietta, Montana, the town her Rachel’s mother and grandparents used to live.  After arriving in Marietta, Rachel finds herself loving the book store, but it was just more work than she expected.  

I wasn’t sure what to think of Atticus, as he wanted to turn the book store into a restaurant, but he quickly changed my mind about him.  When Atticus and Rachel started to fall for each other, I couldn’t help but cheer them on.  But they had a lot to overcome if they were to get their happily ever after.  First off, Atticus lived in Texas and Rachel in California.  Rachel was a planner and when Atticus said he wanted to settle down with a wife and family, Rachel got scared and hopped on the next plane back to California.  Rachel’s goals didn’t include a husband or children.  Was it fate or Christmas magic that helped Rachel realize her goals were outdated and changing them could bring her more happiness?  She got the next flight back to Marietta just in time to spend Christmas with Atticus and Lesley.  

While reading this book, I could easily visualize Paradise Books and the scent of old books.  Rachel and Atticus were some great characters and I enjoyed learning how they changed each other’s life for the better.  The setting of Montana at Christmas time made me want to be there.  I liked the small town feel and the residents who were more than willing to help Rachel get her store up and running again.   I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet Christmas story with the feel of a Hallmark channel movie.


Montana Cowboy Miracle

If you read one Christmas book this year, make it this one.

Cade was in Montana looking for his biological family when he was referred to MerriBee to rent a room. Cade disliked Christmas and MerriBee’s place was heavily decorated, so Cade decided to go someplace else. But when MerriBee got injured and needed help, Cade was right there for her, even staying with her to help her. As Cade started to fall for MerriBee, his dislike for Christmas started to change, especially when he found out why MerriBee loved Christmas so much and decorated like she did. Neither, Cade or MerriBee wanted a relationship and they fought it as long as they could, but in the end, they realized they were meant to be together.

This is a book I won’t soon forget. It is full of hope, inspiration and wonderful characters. I can easily picture this book as a movie with the backdrops of the small Montana town of Marietta and the impressive Sundowner Ranch in Wyoming, where Cade works for Dot, the ranch owner and another unforgettable character in the book. This is a perfect addition to the Wyatt Brothers of Montana series and I recommend it to anyone who loves cowboys and small towns and is looking for a heartwarming Christmas story.
 
 
Away in Montana
 
If you have ever wondered about Montana Born’s fictional town of Marietta before it became the modern day Marietta we all know and love, this is the book for you.

The year is 1889 and McKenna Frasier has returned to Montana after a scandal left her the disgrace of New York society. Her father has disowned her too. She is starting her life over as a school teacher and living in a modest cabin without the luxuries she was accustomed to. She has avoided Sinclair Douglas, her first love, since returning. She couldn’t face him after the mistakes she made while living in New York. But he was always in the back of her mind as her one true love.

Sinclair has worked hard for everything he has, starting as a teenager working in the mines that McKenna’s father owned. Sinclair now owns a large ranch with cattle and making a good living for himself. The only things missing in his life are a wife and children. When Sinclair sees McKenna at The Bramble’s Halloween party, he has to talk to her. He never stopped loving her. But his heart was broken by the way she left him waiting for her return while she studied, traveled and eventually falling in love with someone else. Even after all of that, Sinclair still can’t help but want McKenna to be his wife. But his mother and sister have already picked out a woman for him, Ellie Burnett, the daughter of a Texas cattle rancher. Will Sinclair be able to convince McKenna that they are meant to be together or will he give in and ask Ellie to marry him?

The writing in this book is very impressive. I could tell each scene was well thought out and researched. The characters and their backgrounds were interesting and I enjoyed reading about the ancestors of the modern day Marietta characters that I have come to know so much about. This is a great kick-off to a new series. 

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Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Review: Her Missing Pieces (Moonshine Book 1) by Susan Sands


 

Showing up from the dead is best done in person…

Thirteen years ago, teenager Sadie Brubaker disappeared from her small Georgia town without a trace. Sheriff Chase Blackburn was a young deputy who worked the case diligently, refusing to give up even when others did. Her disappearance haunts him still, making him question the town and his law enforcement skills. Then one afternoon, astonishingly, Sadie, still heart-breakingly beautiful, arrives with no memory and a suitcase full of questions.

When her mother dies, Sadie discovers her entire life is a lie. Her “mother” found her traumatized and injured at a bus stop—a teen with no memory and created an instant family. Sadie knew she had amnesia but never why, so she sets out for the town she doesn’t remember, determined to dig up the answers.

Sadie and the sheriff work together to solve the puzzle pieces of her life so she can understand who she was, decide who she wants to be, and if they can have a future together.

 

My Review:

A fast-paced highly addictive story.

I had a feeling this book was going to be good, but I ended up being totally blown away by it.  This story was so well written, it felt like it could be a true story.  The book starts with a woman with amnesia, who has her life upended when the woman she thought was her mother passes away.  She soon learns nothing is as she thought it was.  She was actually a missing person and had a family who thought she was dead.  As we follow Sadie through being reacquainted with her family and the people in her hometown, there are many more surprises that pop up along the way making this a memorable story. 

This is the first book in a series and I can’t wait to read the next. It has everything I could ask for in a book. 

 

Monday, August 12, 2024

Review: Furballs and Felonies (A Purr-fect Relic Cozy Mystery Book 3)


 

What’s worse than a murder victim on your doorstep?

For Rebecca Cuthbert, it’s finding a cursed Egyptian charm tucked into the dead woman’s pocket. The ominous discovery propels the fearless shopkeeper and her immortal, chatty cat on a perilous hunt for the killer and another piece of the missing magical collection.

Unfortunately, Citrus Grove’s annual summer festival is tying up police department resources—including Rebecca’s new beau, Detective Nick Devon—which leaves Rebecca, her grandfather’s wisdom, and Aneksi’s mystical powers to crack the case.

As her investigation delves into the amulet’s eerie peculiarities and the deceased’s shocking connections with a menacing foe, as well as an unwelcome old flame from Rebecca’s past, Rebecca doesn’t know who to trust. Can she rely on her newfound friends in her adopted hometown, or will deadly revelations turn her into the killer’s next target?

Prepare to journey through unexpected twists, ancient mysteries, and a dash of romance in this cozy mystery that will keep you guessing till the very end!

My Review:

An intriguing cozy mystery.

A taking immortal cat, a hexed ankh, and lots of quirky characters make this a memorable story. 

When Rebecca and her friend, Luna, find a dead woman behind Cuthbert Exotic Antiques, Rebecca sets out to solve the mystery.  Not only was the woman dead, she was also in possession of a cursed ankh that was stolen from Rebecca’s grandfather’s shop. 

As with the other books by this author, it was fun to try to figure out who the killer was. I can’t wait for the next book in this series to come out. I highly recommend them.

Tuesday, August 6, 2024

Review: Make it Real (The Walkers of River's Edge Book 2) by Nan Reinhardt


 

They were only faking it.

A landscape designer for his family’s construction firm, Joe Walker, is nearing completion on one of the most important projects of his career—gardens for spec homes that if they wow, Walker Construction will survive. When a freak accident sidelines him with a broken leg, the firm hires a competitor. Her ideas are radically different, but his stalker ex arrives to play nurse, and Joe needs more than gardening help.

After six-years working in English manor gardens, horticulturist Kara Sudbury returns to River’s Edge to help in her grandparents’ struggling garden center. She’s thrilled when Jackson Walker hires her to execute his injured cousin’s designs. Ignoring Joe is difficult because he’s as sexy now as he was in high school and even more stubborn. But when Joe asks Kara to play the role of girlfriend, they strike a deal that will help Joe handle his tenacious ex and put Sudbury’s Nursery back in the black. Kara’s up for the subterfuge…for a price, but then the pretense feels real, and Kara is reminded that every rose has its thorns.

 

My Review:

This book has everything I look for in a romance.

Every time I hear of a new River’s Edge book, I know I have to read it.  It’s like coming home to my old friends and family.  In this book we meet Joe Walker and Kara Sudbury, who fake a relationship, but it soon turns real.  This book has all the feels, lots of witty banter, sweet and touching parts and even some parts where I just laughed out.  This is a great addition to the Walkers of River’s Edge series.