The Christmas Spirit - Alexandrea Weis

The Christmas Spirit
Alexandrea Weis
Published by: Rosewind Books
Publication date: October 27th 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

SOMETIMES IT TAKES ONE BROKEN HEART TO HEAL ANOTHER.

Courtney Winston is a writer on a deadline. Eager to finish her book and get over a recent break-up, she ditches Christmas with her family and retreats to a secluded cabin in the mountains.

Appliances rarely work, and cell service is spotty, but Courtney senses there is more to her rustic rental—something dark and haunting.

Then Peter, the attractive Stone Mountain Lodge owner, and a meddling cook, Mrs. Finn, keep coming around, shattering her peace and offering advice on how to fix her heavy heart.

Courtney grows closer to Peter, but Mrs. Finn warns her of his troubled past. Undaunted, Courtney sets out to win him over. But being with the brooding stranger may end up costing her more than she ever imagined.

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Author Bio:

Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, PhD, is a multi-award-winning author, screenwriter, advanced practice registered nurse, and historian who was born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Having grown up in the motion picture industry as the daughter of a director, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story moving and memorable.

Weis writes romance, mystery, suspense, thrillers, supernatural, and young adult fiction and has sold approximately one million books. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans where she is a permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries and rescues orphaned and injured animals.

She is a member of both the International Thriller Writers Association and the Horror Writers Association. www.AlexandreaWeis.com

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My Review

The Christmas Spirit is really about two types of 'spirit' Firstly, our heroine Courtney is not feeling the Christmas spirit herself. After splitting up with her boyfriend and not looking forward to her mother's fully on Christmas celebrations, she's only too happy to lock herself away to work on her book and spend Christmas alone. It soon becomes obvious that she isn't completely on her own, even though her cabin is very isolated. Every day she sees owner Peter, the cook Mrs Finn and a black cat.

Although this is a romance, it isn't one in the way that most romances are. The story is as much about taking risks and finding out who you are. All is not as it seems in this out of the way cabin and Courtney has to embrace Christmas and the chance of love while she is there.

This is quite an unusual story with a few twists and turns. I did guess where it was heading before we got there and there are a few clues on the way. I really enjoyed it though, a perfect festive read. 

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Addictive - K.E.Osborn

Addictive by K.E. Osborn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sometimes when you read a book, you immediately torn about one of the characters. That's certainly the case with this book and I have to say that it does add a whole new element to the story. While our heroine Prinnie has a complicated past, it's nothing on our hero Wraith.
If this were a different book, from a different point of view, I think he could well be the villain of the piece. Not because of the way that he treats Prinnie, although that is complicated in itself, but because of the other things that he does. I remember reading once that if you show a character loves another, then it helps to win the reader over. There's no doubt that Wraith loves Prinnie, completely and utterly and I think that is the reason that we can relate to him and feel for him in this book.
This is the first Houston Defiance MC book that I've read. I suspect that it might not be the last. I enjoy books that push the boundaries and make us question our perceptions about people. I'm not sure that I'd call this a dark romance, although there is certainly a dark element to the story. Whatever it is, I enjoyed it. Prinnie and Wraith make a great couple and I enjoyed reading their story as it unfolded.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.


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Limitless - Kaylene Winter

Limitless
Kaylene Winter
(A Less Than Zero Rockstar Romance, #2)
Publication date: October 9th 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

“She snuck up on me and stole my heart…”

Sexy Viking drummer Jace Deveraux used his genius marketing skills to help propel Less than Zero (LTZ) to the top.

Friends-with-benefits was the only thing he was capable of.

Until free-spirited social media influencer Alexandria LeRoux made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

Their secret, spontaneous global hookups were decadent, erotic, extraordinary.

For the first time in his life, Jace wants it all

Including a future with Alex.

Will one fateful night destroy his chance with her forever?

“I’ll travel the world for him…”

Ethereal animal-lover Alex had one goal in mind:

Conquer playboy Jace before they both left Seattle.

Her plans for him certainly didn’t include forever.

But their first time was so sublime, it ruined her for anyone else

What’s a girl to do?

Enjoy him in as many countries as possible, that’s what.

Except Alex has her own dreams and they’re already in motion.

Will Jace ever follow her for a change?

Their lives orbit on different courses, but gravity always seems to pull them back together…

Unless a blast from the past blows their chance to smithereens.

LIMITLESS is book 2 in the Less Than Zero Rockstar Romance Series.

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Author Bio:

When she was only 15, Kaylene Winter wrote her first rocker romance novel starring a fictionalized version of herself, her friends and their gorgeous rocker boyfriends. After living her own rockstar life as a band manager, music promoter and mover and shaker in Seattle during the early 1990’s, Kaylene became a digital media legal strategist helping bring movies, television and music online. Throughout her busy career, Kaylene lost herself in romance novels across all genres inspiring her to realize her life-long dream to be a published author. She lives in Seattle with her amazing husband and dog. She loves to travel, throw lavish dinner parties and support charitable causes supporting arts and animals.

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My Review

Limitless is the second book in the Less Than Zero series, a contemporary romance series that follows the members of a rock band. There is clearly a crossover between each of the books, but this one works fine as a standalone novel, which is how I read it. That said, I really enjoyed it and was intrigued enough about the glimpses of the characters that appeared in the first book, that I'd like to go back and read that one. I'd also like to read the next books in the series.

The romance between our main characters Jace and Alex takes place over a long period of time. We first meet them when Jace is 23 and Alex 18. He's reluctant to get involved with her because of the age difference, (although it's not really much of a difference really, so I think he's just being a bit silly) and also because their band is about to go off on tour. Their romance progresses, at intervals over the next 7 years or so. Never really able to be together, due to her dreams and career and his commitments to the band.

Jace is a very sweet character, although he still manages to live the rock star. There aren't attempts to hide the fact of them have different partners over the years that they are apart. It takes a while for them to finally find their way to one another, but I was gripped with the unfolding story, keen to discover how they were finally going to reach their happily ever after. This was a good read and one I thoroughly enjoyed. 

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Impossible Odds - Jill Ramsower

Impossible Odds by Jill Ramsower
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Impossible Odds is the fourth book in the Five Families, this time it focuses on one of the cousins of the three sisters from the first three books. Giada is a feisty, strong woman and a lot of fun to read about. She needs someone who can match her strength without trying to stifle her. Primo is her ideal match and the chemistry between them makes for a fiery match.
Primo and Giada first meet when she steals a lighter off him and this sets the pace for their relationship from there on in. I like strong female leads and Giada is that with some to spare. Due to Primo's position in the cartel and Giada's family, there is plenty for each of them to overcome so that they can be together.
This is another great addition to the five families series. I think that all of the characters have been quite different so far and I'm enjoying seeing each of their stories amuse. In some ways, I did feel that this story wasn't quite done when we reached the end. That's not to say that we're left on any kind of cliffhanger or that Giada and Primo's story doesn't reach a happy conclusion, because there's no cliffhanger and in terms of their relationship all ends as it should. There is clearly more to go with the cartel and Giada's family, but I suppose I'm just going to have to wait and see if that's the case and how it might play out. Either way, I can't wait to read the final two books in this series next year.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Pass Interference - Shanna Swenson

PASS INTERFERENCE by Shanna Swenson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Pass Interference is the third book in the Gods of the Gridiron series and deals with Paxton Guthrie, AKA Poseidon. He has no interest in a steady relationship or settling down in any way, but when Rebecca Ryan 'wins' a date with him, he finds that he can't help but want to be with her.
When Becca and Pax's date goes really well and they are caught in a slightly compromising position by photographers, they both find that their lives have been turned upside down. Becca loses her job and Pax is suspended from the team. To try and put everything right, they decide to pretend that they are much more involved than they really are. But, the more time that they spend together the more real their feelings become.
I do enjoy fake marriages that lead to love and while this isn't quite that, it does sort of fit into that theme. Becca is a studious quiet type and while she is very different to Pax, they work well together. Their relationship has a few stops and starts, but ultimately it's obvious that they make a good couple.
While this is the third in the series, it will also work well as a standalone novel. We see plenty of the characters from the previous stories, but it won't ruin your enjoyment not to have read about them. We do see little glimpses of the couple from the next story too, which I'm looking forward to reading.
This is a very enjoyable series, even if like me, you really know nothing about American Football. If you haven't read any of the previous books, then I would recommend you go and check them out.


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The Company Daughters - Samantha Rajaram

The Company Daughters: A heart-wrenching colonial love story by Samantha Rajaram
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

From the moment I started reading The Company Daughters, I was captivated by this historical tale. Although it does contain a love story, it's not a romance and there is far more going on than that. The book is told from the point of view of Jana. It follows her from her role as a maid in Amsterdam, halfway across the world to Batavia as a 'Company Daughter' with the Dutch East India Company. Batavia was the Danish city where their trade was based, modern-day Jakarta. In an attempt to build a European city in Indonesia, poor women were shipped out to marry the men who had settled and were trading there. These were women who were impoverished and looking for a better life, but in many ways found themselves in just as difficult a position once they arrived.
The book is split into a number of parts, we, first of all, see Jana as a maid in a wealthy household in Amsterdam. When circumstances change we follow her gruelling journey of nearly a year at sea to reach her new home. Finally, we see the life that she has there.
There is love here, but as I said before, it's not a normal romance. Jana finds love where society at the time doesn't approve of. It's this and her own circumstances which make it difficult for her to love.
This was a gripping read and I found myself lost in Jana's world and life. It's a little different to anything that I've read recently and I think that just added to my enjoyment.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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False Start - Shanna Swenson

False Start

Almighty Zeus , thrower of thunderbolts… Ha!

Brett “Brickhouse” McFadden may be called Zeus on the Gladiators football field, but when the man who’s been his best friend and favourite receiver for over a decade gets killed instead of him, he’s completely helpless and left to pick up the pieces Hunter “Hermes” Thomas left behind.

The one and only constant in Brett’s life has always been his hidden love for his first best friend, Madison Thomas, the perfect girl he fell in love with at seven—yes, seven—years of age, who also happens to be Hunter’s widow. Love is complicated after all!

Now that Hunt’s gone, Madi needs him more than she ever has, and Brett feels utterly blessed to be given this second chance, but will the shameful guilt be enough to kill him too?

Madison Thomas, CEO and VP of the Atlanta Gladiators, thought her life was well-established until the unimaginable happened; the abrupt death of her husband, Hunter. Her overdependence on her best friend, Brett, begins to intensify as the darkest days of her life follow and she finds herself bombarded with the regrets of her past…and the unavoidable attraction she’s always felt for the perfectly-sculpted “king of the gods”.

As new revelations come to light, Madi starts to see that Hunter wasn’t the husband—or man—she thought he was. Now, she must storm past the FALSE START she was given and embrace the possibility of a do-over with the one she’s always wanted—Brett McFadden.

Will the “god of thunder” prove to be the better contender for Hera’s heart or will this long-suffering Olympian forever remain fourth and inches from his ultimate goal line?

My Review

False Start by Shanna Swenson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The second book in The Gods of the Gridiron series is all about a love that has stretched across almost all of the hero and heroines lives and love after loss. It's also a friend to lover book, which I do really enjoy. Since he met her when they were both seven years old, Brett has been in love with Madi. Unfortunately, when they were younger, he didn't take his chance with her and made her think that he wasn't interested. His best friend Hunter jumped in and got the girl. Now, after a terrible car accident, Brett finally has a chance with his dream woman, but they both need to deal with the grief of Hunters loss before they can move on.
As I mentioned, I do enjoy friends to lovers romances and this certainly falls into that category. It means that things can move quickly, keeping the pace of the story and your interest, but without having to suspend belief when it comes to how quickly they fall in love. These are characters that already know everything about one another and the foundations for love are well established. Having said that, with the death of her husband, both Madi and Brett have a lot to deal with before they can really and fully be together.
I enjoyed the unfolding of their story. I think that the death of Hunter was dealt with well. Madi does move on quickly, but I think with her knowing Brett so well and already having feelings for him, that still works well. It's clear that Brett is a much better match for her than Hunter was and there are things that come out about their past relationship which reinforce this idea.
I enjoyed this latest book in the Gods of the Gridiron series and I'm looking forward to finding out what comes next for this group of athletes.

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Excerpt Finding Peace - Alaine Greyson

Finding Peace
Alaine Greyson
(Reclaiming Life, #3)
Publication date: September 24th 2020
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

Bracken Point is full of secrets, but none top the ones Tobias Sawyer is ordered to keep.

Sent undercover, Tobias arrives at the small town of Bracken Point determined to solve the case and leave. But he never counted on meeting Madeline Grant.

Ten years ago, Madeline was injured in a house fire, leaving severe burns over her body. Now at twenty, she prefers life behind the scenes, not wanting people to see her scars. When Tobias begins to notice her, will Madeline let down her guard or run away?

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Author Bio:

Alaine Greyson lives outside of Baltimore, Maryland with her husband, son and cocker spaniel puppy. She loves to push the envelope with her stories and strives to make her readers sympathize with characters from all backgrounds. Alaine is an avid reader and considers Jane Austen and Diana Gabaldon to be her literary heroes. She loves Mexican food, 80s music and is a Robert Downey Jr. super-fan. You will find mentions of things she loves throughout her books.

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Excerpt

“Madeline Grant. You walk right past us and don’t even say hi? Just because you have a new job doesn’t entitle you to the ditch your best friends.”

Madeline mustered a smile and turned on her heel. “Bex! Did I walk past you? I’m so sorry. What was I thinking?”

Bex wrapped her arm around Madeline’s shoulders and guided her toward the living room. “No matter. You didn’t miss much.” The two girls settled on the couch in front of Amber, who lay sprawled on the carpet. “Amber was droning on about some girl she met in therapy.”

Amber pouted. “Was not. I know better than to get involved with anyone in my therapy group.”

Bex shot her a mischievous grin. “Then what was the deal about her milky-white skin and billowing flaxen hair?”

Amber sat upright and launched a pillow at Bex.

“Hey! Watch the face.” Bex drew a circle around her face with her hand. “This is a thing of beauty and must be protected at all costs.”

Amber rolled her eyes. “I’m glad you’re here, Madeline. It gives me an extra buffer against her highness over here.”

The three girls made an unlikely threesome, but somehow the friendship worked. They had been thrust together a few months prior when Bex moved in with Cassie. Forced to share a room, Amber and Bex developed a love/hate relationship. And Madeline was usually the one in the middle. Regardless of their differences, Madeline thought they balanced each other. Amber was the wise one, Bex was the wild one, and Madeline, well, she wasn’t sure who she was yet.

“The two of you against me? Ha! You’re no match for my wit. Besides, Madeline knows better than to go against me. I’m not your fearless leader for nothing.”

Bex spoke the truth. Madeline accepted Bex’s leadership and never put her in her place like Amber did. Truth was, Bex scared her and she didn’t know how to stand up for herself.

“We’re being rude. Madeline had her first day at the photography studio. How’d it go?” Amber asked.

Should she mention Preston’s comments about her being a kid? How about the cryptic spy mission her father and Detective Logan gave her? Madeline fiddled with her scarf and gazed at the floor. What was safe around Bex? “It was okay.”

Bex’s eyes grew round. “Just okay? You’ve been gushing about this job for weeks. What happened?”

“You have to stop expecting us to share everything with you, Bex. You’re not exactly kind about things.” Amber popped a handful of popcorn into her mouth.

“I’m direct. Some people don’t appreciate it, but at least you know where you stand.”

“Yeah, directly underneath her highness,” Amber said.

Madeline shook her head. “I’m surprised both of you are still alive. The way you bicker, you’d think one of you would have killed the other in her sleep.”

Amber smirked and winked at Bex. “Not a bad idea. Better watch your back.”

“Oh please. You love me. No matter how much we fight during the day, we never go to bed mad.”

“True. Back to Madeline. Did you see Preston today?”

At one point, all three had a crush on Preston, but only Bex had scored a date. Madeline wasn’t surprised they would want details from her day with him. “He trained me.”

“Nice!” Bex scrutinized Madeline’s outfit. “This is what you wore? You have to let me make you over. You won’t catch Preston’s eye—or anyone else’s—looking like that.”

Madeline glanced at Amber for support but was shocked at her response.

“For once, I agree with Bex.”

Bex placed her hands on her hips, her smile growing. “Now you have to agree.”

Whenever a makeover was mentioned, Madeline declined. The thought of someone dressing her like a Barbie doll and messing with makeup to try to hide her scars made her uneasy. “We’ll see. I’m not ready to do that yet.”

“When you’re ready we’ll be here,” Amber said.

Bex huffed and picked up an issue of Elle magazine. “Whatever.”

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The Last Rule of Makeups - Nina Crespo

The Last Rule of Makeups by Nina Crespo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Second chance romances can either be really good, or really bad. Fortunately, this was a good one. For them to work for me, there needs to be a good reason why the couple split up in the first place and a good reason why they might try again. For the couple in The Last Rule of Makeups, Grey and Cori, they split up mostly because he was moving on to a new job and she had a sick father that she was unwilling to leave behind. They probably could have made things work if she had talked to him about it, but perhaps more than anything they weren't ready to be together forever yet.
Cori and Grey make a good couple and it's clear from the moment that they meet again that there's still a huge amount of chemistry between them. Where second chance romances do work really well, is that because they have been a couple before, they already know so much about one another and when things move along quickly, it's a bit more believable than the instant love that happens in so many romance stories.
I think that this is the third book in a series. I haven't read the other two, although based on this one, I'd quite like to. This works fine as a standalone read though.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Lost on the Way - Isabel Jolie

Lost on the Way
Isabel Jolie
Publication date: September 21st 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

They were friends—just friends. Now they’re something else entirely…

Jason
Maggie was my best friend’s girl. When he died… I don’t have the words. Indescribable pain.
But we healed. Together. She got me through my illness and became my friend, my confidant, my family. She’s everything to me.
And I ruined it all last night.
One drunken night. That’s all it took. Now I’m lost.
I want her with everything I am, everything I have, but she can’t be mine. She deserves someone with better odds than the doctors gave me.
Now, if I can’t figure out how to go back to the way things were, I’ll lose the most important relationship I have. The only one that truly matters.

Maggie
Last night was the best—and worst—night of my life.
He’s made it clear, more than once, that he only wants a friendship.
Then last night happened.
And now he knows how I feel.
He’s my best friend. I love him —mind, body, and soul. We have a visceral connection others can’t understand.
The problem? He’ll always see me as his best friend’s girlfriend, no matter how many years pass.
I can’t lose him. If he wants to stay in the friend zone, I’ll need to somehow accept that and move on. I know it’s true.
But convincing my heart…well, that’s another story entirely.

One night of excess tequila changes everything for two codependent best friends. Will they lose all they had, or can they find their way to something even better?

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Author Bio:

Isabel Jolie, or Izzy to her friends, is an Amazon bestselling indie author with an unquenchable thirst for a good, sexy love story. Izzy’s heart pumps faster for stories with strong heroines, down-to-earth realism, and an unexpected twist.

When she’s not writing or reading, she can often be found with a glass of wine in hand relaxing with her husband, daughters, and good friends lakeside.

Izzy fills her Instagram feed with funnies, inspirational “brain candy”, and anything that meshes with her mood of the day. #mood.

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My Review

Some books just seem to grab you from the moment that you pick them up, Lost on the Way is one such story. I've always been a fan of friends to lovers romances, which is what you get here. There is an extra dimension to the story which lifts it even further.

Jason and Maggie have been friends for years, but that's all that they have been. They are both completely in love with one another but have never taken that step with one another despite everyone thinking that they were a couple. Jason is in remission from cancer and it's his experience with the illness, as well as what happened with his parents that have influenced how he feels about relationships and what he can offer Maggie.

I enjoyed the way that the story unfolded with Jason's past and how he reached the situation that he is currently in with Maggie being told alongside the changes in their relationship now. I do enjoy books that deal with something a little deeper than just a relationship and this book certainly does that.

This is the fourth book in the West Side series. I haven't read the previous books and this one works fine as a standalone novel. I would be keen to go back and read the other stories though, after enjoying this one so much.

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