Kitty Smile

Review: Montana Miracle (Big Sky Mavericks Book 8) by Debra Salonen

Synopsis:

Sometimes, it takes a village to create a Montana miracle.

Gage Monroe has given himself until Christmas Day to wrap up the unpleasant bits and pieces of his old life in Paradise, Montana, before starting fresh in much warmer climes. And the last thing a loner like Gage needs is a beautiful, passionate pastor's misguided attempt to draw him into her flock. The people of Paradise exiled Gage a long time ago...with good reason.

Pastor Samantha "Sam" Zabrinski didn't move halfway across the country to accept a position in the little town of Paradise because she lacked gumption. She has no intention of giving up on Gage Monroe--a man with depth and heart he hides from the world. Besides, Gage just may be the Christmas miracle Sam's been praying for...


My Review:

Memories and miracles.

Gage Monroe discovers going back home to Paradise Montana isn't nearly as bad as he thought it would be.  He finds people to be very friendly and generous towards him despite the fact that he did time in prison after an accident that killed two people.  He also forms a friendship with the new pastor in town, who just happens to be a gorgeous single mother.

Samantha "Sam" Zabrinski was currently hard at work building her living crèche when Gage walks in her church.  Sam can't help but feel attracted to Gage and think he would be perfect playing the role of Joseph if she can tell him into it.  As Sam gets to know Gage better, she learns there is so much more to him than meets the eye.  Will Sam be able to resist her attraction to Gage?

There is a lot more to this story than just the romance part. It is beautifully written and the characters have a lot of depth to them to them.  I enjoyed catching up with characters from previous books too.  I hope to see more of some of the newer characters in this book in the future.

 

Kitty Smile

A Bad Boy for Christmas (The Jackson Brothers Book 3) by Kelly Hunter Review

Synopsis:

How can he protect his family when he no longer knows what family is?

Cutter Jackson’s perfect world is crumbling. A new-found half-brother, a father short on answers, and a woman who challenges his every word will do that to a man. He’s losing his authority, his morality and his restraint with every breath. And there’s still Christmas and New Year to navigate.

Street-savvy Mia Blake isn’t looking for a place in the family Cutter loves so much. As for the lust that sparks between them, Mia’s more than happy to fan those flames and drive them both a little nuts. She can handle it. She can handle him right up until the moment Cutter decides he wants more than a holiday fling…

The Jackson Brothers
Book 1: The Honeymoon Trap
Book 2: Sympathy for the Devil
Book 3: A Bad Boy for Christmas

My Review:

The Jackson brothers are about to have their lives changed forever.  This change comes in the form of an older brother that no one knew about.

Mia Blake had no idea she would meet the man of her dreams when she traveled to Brunswick Bay with her best friend, Jackson Nash, to find his father.  Since meeting Cutter, she can't seem to get him out of her mind.

Cutter didn't know what to think when he met Jackson.  But he figured he would do the best he could to get to know him and arrange a reunion between his father and Jackson.  But it was Mia that he really wanted to get to know better.

Mia is not just any average woman. She is a tattoo artist, loves vintage cars, street racing and martial arts.  She knows how to handle herself around men.  But can she handle herself around Cutter when he tells her he has fallen in love with her and wants her to stay in Brunswick Bay with him? 

This is one of those books that you don't want to end.  There are so many other stories in it that you just want it to keep going on.  I previously read the other two brother's stories and enjoyed them too.  I hope Jackson Nash gets his own story really soon too.

Book Feature: Then Comes Winter by Various Authors

If you long for a toasty snuggle on a cold winter's night, this compilation of original short stories inspired by the magic of the holiday season-and more than a nod to Jane Austen-is fancied as a sublime wintertime treat. On the heels of the summer anthology, Sun-kissed: Effusions of Summer, and in concert with some of Meryton Press's most popular authors, this romantic anthology introduces several promising writers. With a robust mix of contemporary and Regency musings, Then Comes Winter rekindles passionate fires with equal wonder, wit, and admiration. Stories by: Lory Lilian, Linda Gonschior, Suzan Lauder, Beau North & Brooke West, Sophia Rose, Natalie Richards, Anngela Schroeder, Melanie Stanford, Denise Stout, Erin Lopez, and Maureen Lee.

 

Christmas Miracle on Oyster Bay by Denise Stout was the first story I read in the book and found it very enjoyable.

Christmas had a way of tricking oneself into believing things:  Christmas magic, Christmas miracles.  But Christmas love?

Lissa Robicheaux inherited the Victorian home she was raised in and opened a bookstore in it.  But lately it has been tough making ends meet.  When law professor Simon MacGregor comes in one day and asks if Lissa would cater a holiday event for him, she agrees to do it.  She could use the extra money. 

The next thing they know, Lissa and Simon find themselves set up by their friends at their Thanksgiving dinner.  It seems everyone wants them together, but Lissa isn't so sure it’s a good idea.  How far will Simon go to convince Lissa to give their relationship a chance?

I really enjoyed this story.  It's hard to fit a lot of details in a short story, but the author did an excellent job with it.  I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Book Feature: A Story of Like: A Decidedly Unromantic Romance Novel by Courtney Clark

Blurb:

He's every woman's idea of the perfect man: a middle income job, a receding hair line that only Mr. Clean would envy, and a body fit for the beer Olympics.

Who could resist?

Meet Addison Anderson. Although Addy is happy with her life—she has a job she loves, family and friends who support her, and her very own sidekicks in her neurotic Superdog named Lola and a nefarious looking cat named Moustachio—she’s missing the one thing that every girl wants, a plus one to couple's game night. Enter Charlie. Not exactly the man of her romantic fantasies, Addy is quick to put him in the friend zone, but as he rapidly becomes an invaluable part of her life, Addy must make a big decision: which is more important, that elusive spark or someone to share her life with? Join Addy on her comic voyage as she discovers that not every story is a story of love, sometimes it's a story of like.



Author Bio:

Besides aspiring to use wit and, yes, sometimes sarcastic comments to write comedy gold, Courtney Clark is a proud pet parent to two awesomely neurotic dogs, a book nerd, a tattoo enthusiast, and her parents' favorite child (just don't tell her brother that).


Follow Courtney Clark:

https://www.facebook.com/CourtneyClarkAuthor
https://twitter.com/authorc_clark
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14219812.Courtney_Clark


Purchase A Story of Like: A Decidedly Unromantic Romance Novel:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZANGR3G
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-story-of-like-courtney-clark/1122107377?ean=2940151506878

Last Chance Christmas by Joanne Rock Review

Synopsis:

Fashion buyer Shea Walker had a fast track lifestyle until a car accident sidelines her
to a painful recovery. Seeking quiet for the holidays, Shea returns to the
snowy mountains where she grew up to make peace with her past and spend time
with her estranged family. She never expected J.C. Royce--now a hockey
star--would return to their hometown, too. Determined to avoid that particular
sexy mistake, she's caught off guard when her first night in town brings them
face to face.

Seeing Shea practically fall at his feet is gratifying, until J.C. realizes his proud
former friend, who he once thought would become a whole lot more, is truly
hurt--and in more ways than she lets on. Lucky for Shea, he's got a big house
just sitting empty and a tree ready to decorate, as she is in no shape to stay
by herself. With his bad boy arrogance down to an art form after eight years in
the NHL, J.C. is more than a match for feisty Shea. Especially when it comes to
her outrageous claim that there was never any chemistry between them...

But when it comes to convincing her to stick around town until the New Year, he
just might need a Christmas miracle.

 

 

My Review:

Shea Walker hasn’t had the best of luck lately.  She is still recovering from a car accident and she recently lost her job.  She hasn’t spent Christmas with her parents in a while, so she decides to make the long drive from New York City to Cloud Spin Vermont to surprise them.  But the surprise is on her.  When Shea arrives, she finds the house dark, no Christmas decorations and no one there to welcome her with open arms. 

Professional hockey player JC Royce is surprised when he finds Shea at her parents’ house while he is working on the ice rink on their property.  What is she doing there when her parents have gone to Hawaii for Christmas?   JC isn’t going to let Shea get away from him this time.  They both have unfinished business with each other.  So, JC keeps it a secret that he doesn’t have the key to her parents’ house in order to get Shea to stay with him. 

The reunion is going great between Shea and JC until Shea finds out JC withheld the fact that he had a key to her parents’ house and she could have been staying there.  Will Shea let this small deception ruin what they have gained over the last couple days; especially when she is making plans to move back home and open a store?  How far will JC go to keep Shea in his life this time? 

I was pulled into this story from the start.  I really liked JC and Shea and the descriptions of the town of Cloud Spin were easy to picture.  There were small areas with different characters, but not so many to take attention off the main characters.  I like that fact because sometimes authors have so many characters it’s hard to keep everyone straight.  I would love to read more books like this.