Review: Promise Me This Christmas (Bramble House Chronicles, Book 4) by C.J. Carmichael

 

Mysterious events threaten more than a new romance–check into Bramble House B & B this Christmas…

Amy and Chet Hardwick anticipate another full house of guests for their third Christmas at Bramble House, including Amy’s brother rancher Carson Wilcox. But a series of unexplained mishaps begin to worry Amy, especially when journalist Larkin Carrillo arrives to investigate.

Following a painful assault the night of her high school graduation, Larkin left Marietta, determined to never return. But her grandmother is ill and needs help. Running into her once close friend Carson, stirs up happy memories along with unwanted wishes. She needs to focus on her grandmother’s health, and look into the curious and potentially dangerous happenings threatening the sterling reputation of Bramble House.

Carson doesn’t give up easily. He wants a second chance with Larkin. Helping her solve the problems at Bramble House may not only help save his sister’s business, but also convince Larkin that he can be trusted with her journalistic integrity and friendship. She’s built walls, and he may need some mistletoe magic to win her heart and promise to be his for this Christmas and for always.

 

My Review:

A heartfelt Christmas story. 

Larkin and Carson are reunited when they, unknowingly, both choose to spend Christmas at Bramble House. Larkin is staying to help her grandmother recover from an injury and Carson is there to get to know his half-sister better.  As Larkin and Carson renew their friendship, their love for each other slowly starts to come back.  Meanwhile, there are some mysterious happenings at Bramble House and no one know who is behind them or the reason why. This book moved along at a good pace, was hard to put down and had lots of Christmas spirit in it.

 

 

Review: The Outback Cowboy’s Christmas Baby (Outback Christmas Book 3) by Kelly Hunter

She’s pregnant. He’s furious. And Christmas is coming.

Mac Bodie doesn’t do roots, relationships, or Christmas cheer. A former ward of the state, he’s built an empire from forgotten land, turning dust into millions. Now he’s seized a cattle station next to his maybe-brother’s spread, hell-bent on unmasking the family who abandoned him as a baby.

Jess Lean doesn’t mind hard work, single-handedly running the cattle station her ailing father manages for a distant owner. But when Bodie—her unforgettable one-night stand—buys the land and uncovers their struggles, he’s no longer the laughing hero of her dreams. Worse, he spots her pregnancy before she does!

With Christmas closing in, vengeance within reach, and fatherhood looming, Bodie faces a brutal reckoning. Jess, whose passion still haunts him, refuses to marry him unless he dares to leave his past behind. Will he rise to become the man two unexpected families need, forging a legacy of love and forgiveness?

All he must do is take a chance on love and bare his fragile, guarded heart. 

 

My Review: 

A heartwarming Christmas story. 

A one-night stand leads to an unexpected pregnancy.  When Mac arrived in Wirralong, he had no idea his life was about to change in more ways than he expected.  His plan was to find his family, if they existed.  But then he met Jess and their one night together ended in a pregnancy changing both of their lives in way neither had planned.  

This is a well written, unforgettable story with great characters.  I couldn’t get enough of this book.  I wanted it to last longer. 

 

 

 

Review: Alabama Christmas Wedding: A Second-Chance Holiday Romance by Susan Sands

This Holiday the magic of an Alabama romantic Christmas sparks a season of hope…

It’s been twenty-five long years since Jane Lafitte’s college sweetheart, Trevor Gardner, broke her heart, but life moved on. She never imagined she’d see Trevor again—until their adult children announce their own Christmas engagement—to each other!

Thrown together amidst cozy holiday celebrations, the old flames can’t deny the warm embers that still smolder between them despite the painful memories and practical concerns conspiring against them. Jane and Trevor agree to keep their romantic history a secret, but it gets complicated as they are immersed with planning a wedding between her daughter, Casey, and his son, Drew in the same town where the two of them planned to marry so long ago.

As Jane and Trevor reconnect, their tangled past resurfaces, making forgiveness the only way forward if they hope to navigate their future as soon-to-be in-laws. But what does it really mean to be family? Can they move beyond their past hurt to discover a new beginning together in time for Christmas?

My Review: 

An unexpected second chance. 

Twenty-five years ago, Jane and Trevor were college sweethearts.  Their relationship ended abruptly leaving Jane with a broken heart. They are united when their children meet in college and start dating.  But is it too late for a second chance?  This book is beautifully written.  It is emotional and heartfelt.  The setting of New Orleans at Christmas time made it feel even more special.  I just wish this book was longer because when a story is this good, I never want it to end.