Categories: Contemporary, Romance, Friendship, Marriage, Family
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
This Christmas, be whisked away by USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan in this uplifting novel of friendship, the festive season, and risking everything for the biggest gift of all…
Christy and Alix are forever-friends. Not even Alix’s well-meant but badly-timed intervention the night before Christy’s wedding has put a dent in their bond. There’s nothing Alix won’t do for the woman who helped fill the hole in her heart left by her own family’s rejection. But taking Christy’s boisterous little daughter Holly on holiday to Lapland, days before Christmas, is a huge ask. Marketing whizz Alix might know how to turn toys into million-dollar Christmas bestsellers, but the responsibility of parenthood terrifies her. And unfortunately, she’ll have a witness to her ineptitude, in the annoyingly delicious shape of Zac, Holly’s father’s best friend, who will also be there…
Christy had hoped this year would be her dream Christmas, in her dream new family house. Instead, it’s turning into the nightmare before Christmas, with a frightening list of household repairs, no money, and a make-or-break crisis in her marriage. Even worse, it’s a crisis of her own making, and one that is on her shoulders to fix. With best friend Alix coming to the rescue and looking after Holly, Christy will finally have time to focus on rebuilding her relationship.
As Alix confronts her fears and finds unexpected romance under the Northern Lights, and Christy fights to save her marriage, could it be that their Christmas holiday opens their eyes, and their hearts, to what they’ve always wanted?
I got a little more from this story besides a Christmas romance story. It was more complex with issues like friendship, marriage and family being touched on.
Christy and her family are supposed to go to Lapland which is this winter, and secluded destination in Sweden. Christy has always loved Christmas and in Lapland she is looking forward to a winter wonderland and to meet her estranged aunt. But nothing goes as planned when problems arise with Christy and her husband, Seb, before the trip. She asks her best friend Alix to take her daughter, Holly on schedule and Christy and her husband will meet up with her. Sounds simple but it isn’t because Alix doesn’t know much about babysitting and to make things worst, Seb’s best friend Zac is going to go ahead with Alix. Alix has been avoiding him since Christy’s marriage to Seb! And that isn’t the only drama, Christy’s aunt has some issues she has to work out with Christy as well…so there is a lot going on.
I loved the setting of Lapland which is really a winter wonderland. For Holly, the child, in this story, it really is a dream come true.
A lot of things do get resolved in this story: Christy and Seb’s marriage problems, Alix and Christy’s friendship, Christy and her aunt’s relationship and the romance part of the story…Alix and Zac are the star of the book with their banter and attraction. I like that all the problems between these people are real and relatable. Obviously communication was the key in fixing a lot of the problems and it works out in the end.
The romance between Alix and Zac is fun because they are opposites who are quite attracted to one another. The romance between Christy and Seb is one about finding the lost spark between them that got lost along the way of having a child, moving and other life challenges. But they all do that in the winter beauty that is Lapland.
I was expecting a light read but this isn’t because of all the issues taking place with the characters.
It took awhile in the beginning to introduce the characters, their problems, and their back stories – the story got better when they were in Lapland.
Why you should read it:
Christmassy vibes especially when they are in Lapland – beautiful setting
relatable problems in marriage, friendship and communication
a happy ending
Why you might not want to read it:
too much drama between everyone going on
slow beginning
My Thoughts:
The setting of Lapland with all the winter activities like dog sledding, snow shoeing, and seeing the Aurora Borealis, sounded divine. I would love to spend Christmas like that. The story was slow in some parts because the characters have backstories and history together that needs to be told. Also I did gravitate more towards Alix and Zac’s story. Despite all the drama going on with everyone in the book, it was an uplifting story about marriage, friendship and family.
📚~ Yolanda
About the Author:
USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction. Her trademark humour and warmth have gained her fans across the globe and three RITA® Awards from the Romance Writers of America. Sarah lives with her family near London, England, where the rain frequently keeps her trapped in her office.
Are you ready for Christmas and all things red and green? Here are some book covers to get you in the mood!
#SixforSunday is… it’s really just that. You choose 6 books (normally) that you’d choose to fit whatever the prompt is that week. This meme is hosted byA Little but a Lotand you can follow the link to find the prompts for October to December.
This week’s topic:
Red/Green Books
Here is the schedule for December and go to A Little but a lot for more info!
December – Christmas wishes
5 – Red/Green books 12 – Dream collaborations 19 – Books you wish for under your Christmas tree 26 – Favourite books of 2021
I’m going to try out this weekly wrap up again, I hope I can keep up with it this time. This week was filled with errands and finishing up my Christmas shopping. I still have to ship a few boxes but I am 80% done! My family and I celebrated Hanukkah this past week, so Happy Hanukkah to you all. 💙
I live in Hawaii and usually our days, even in the winter are high in the 80’s/low temps in the 70’s at night but on Friday there was a blizzard warning on the Big Island (basically the biggest island in the Hawaiian state island chain), on the summits which are above 11,000 feet. They get snow every year actually but it’s rare to get blizzard conditions before the rest of the continental USA does lol. So what an event it was when temperatures on Friday night dropped to 60 degrees, lowest was 59 degrees I think. Saturday morning, our high was only 74 degrees – I love it! I’m trying to enjoy this “winter weather” before it climbs back up into the high 80’s again because I know it will, probably in a day or two. 😅
And then the wordpress theme I was using for my blog and apparently got discontinued so my settings were all messed up! UGH…I was so frustrated trying to fix it and find another theme that I liked. For some reason the Widgets were giving me so much trouble. I have it working now and I have a new theme. I guess I like it. 🤷🏻♀️ I’m too tired to try out all the themes.
Castle For Christmas | Netflix ~ this was a cute holiday rom-com and set in Scotland which is just gorgeous.
Serendipity | Netflix ~ an oldie but goodie, perfect for the holidays. Watching this now that I’m older, I feel so bad for the ex-fiances in this movie! lol…Sarah should’ve just given him her number.
Annie Live! | NBC ~ my kids and I watched this together and they loved it!
Music I’ve Listened To:
An Evening with Silk Sonic by. Silk Sonic – such a good album, really gets me dancing and grooving!
Just Dance 2022 – does this count? My favorite track is Judas by Lady Gaga and anything Black Pink! It’s my daily cardio workout to keep my blood pressure down! 🤣 It works too.
30 by Adele – perfect for when I’m in the kitchen baking something.
All Too Well (10 minute version) by Taylor Swift – while I was cleaning up my daughter’s room.
How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you hated? lol…Leave me a comment below!
No way – I felt like I just wrapped up October and now here I am doing November? Here we go!
What I Read and Reviewed in November: 6 Books
5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️:
4.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫:
4 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫:
3 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️:
ARC Reviews Posted in November: 5 Books
4 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️:
3.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫:
3 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️:
ARCS I READ IN NOVEMBER FOR FUTURE POST: 3
TOTAl BOOKS READ: 9
I didn’t have much time to read this month and honestly…it felt nice to give my eyes and brain a break. How did you do in November? Do you think you will finish 2021 with a bang and get to all the books you wanted to read all year? For me…nope, that’s not going to happen! 😅 ~ Yolanda
Title: The Witches’ Blade (The Five Crowns of Okrith, #2)
Author: A.K. Mulford
Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)
Pages: 444
Publication Date: 11/02/21
Categories: Romance, Dark Fantasy, Fae, Witches, Fated Mates
A magic sword. A powerful curse. An untested fae princess.
Eighteen-year-old Ruadora Dammacus now possesses the Immortal Blade. But when Rua discovers the Northern King’s uncle is alive and has cast a spell on a blue witch army, she realizes that the battle is just beginning.
Venturing into the Northern Court, Rua finds herself with an unlikely ally in the new King. Her problems are mounting, and the handsome King is only one of them. With the eyes of her newfound family on her, can Rua prove herself worthy of the Immortal Blade or will its magic be too powerful? Danger, intrigue, and thrilling passion ensues as Rua battles to break the witches’ curse.
Enthralling and adrenaline-filled, The Witches’ Blade is the second book in the gripping high fantasy saga, The Five Crowns of Okrith.
I really enjoyed book one of this series and was curious to see how the sequel would go. Book one was Remy’s story and the sequel is about her younger sister Rua. The ending of book one really put Rua in a hard position. She feels guilt from not being quick enough to save her brother and now she possesses the Immortal Blade which infuses blood lust into her when she continues to use it. Rua feels like she is becoming a monster and is glad to be away from Remy, the sister she hardly knows.
This story goes harder than the first book meaning, Rua is damaged and she’s just trying to survive. She has trauma from what happened to her and her family as a child, then being raised by red witches who didn’t know how to give her affection, to now reuniting with her sister, just as they lost their brother. This story is emotional, dark, sad and yet it really does turn around in the end and hope comes shining through.
The romance between Rua and Renwick is a very slow burn but when they get together finally…whew…does it burn! There are a bunch of things going on in the book including Renwick trying to repair relations with the blue witches who his dad and uncle killed off or tortured. And Renwick is not innocent in the atrocities as well – he was once a part of them. Talk about trying to live with demons, trying to make things right and not knowing if it will ever be enough…that’s what Renwick is living with so he and Rua are alike in that sense. But Renwick grew on me the more we learned about him – and then by the end he was melting my heart along with Rua’s. I like that they had to work things out within themselves before actually trying to be together.
Bri is an amazing secondary character who was there in book one, now two and I hope book three is about her and her brother. She is a wonderful character but she has secrets as well. I love how LGBT+ is represented in this book and how natural it is in the world-building.
Speaking of world building, I loved how we learn about the blue witches and the atrocities that happened to them. It goes along with the darkness of Renwick and Rua’s emotions – the whole tone of this story was just darker than the first but I enjoyed it because it brought heavier emotions than book one did, it definitely delved into trauma and PTSD.
Remy and Rua don’t get a real chance to get to know one another in this book. Remy is happy with Hale and life is good for her. Rua on the otherhand is dealing with some tough feelings and emotions. Thank goodness for Bri or else Rua would truly be lost, I think. I love that Bri was there for her in Rua’s darkest moments. Though I do hope Remy and Rua can reconnect again, I also know it’s realistic that it doesn’t happen right away after all the trauma they have been through.
This is a fated mates book and though I cringe when that part comes along, I think I enjoyed the way this was revealed more so than when it was revealed between Hale and Remy. That one was too much for me, but for Renwick and Rua…it was just right and didn’t make me cringe. I also appreciated the fact that Remy and Renwick gave each other space – I was actually wishing they were in more scenes together, but I get they needed space as well.
Why you should read it?
you love fated mates trope
you like a darker fantasy story where characters deal with trauma
really consistent series so far
Why you might not want to read it?
heavy, dark topics
My Thoughts:
This is a great sequel in what is a very consistent series so far and I’m enjoying the different couples and their romance stories plus their personal struggles as well. I love how the LGBT+ representation is so natural in the story and am looking forward to learning more about Bri and her love story – which amazing woman will win her beautiful heart? I look forward to reading book three!
The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:
What are you currently reading?
What have you just finished reading?
What are you going to read next?
What are you currently reading?
What have you just finished reading?
What are you going to read next?
How was everyone’s weekend? My holiday weekend was EXHAUSTING. Maybe because I ended it on Sunday with getting the covid booster shot and celebrating Hanukkah. Thanksgiving lunch was fun and the food was delicious. Black Friday I went to our closest mall, just to check out some small business shops and get coffee – it wasn’t too strenuous since I wasn’t standing in line at any store with a very long line. I managed to send off a few gifts in the mail and Christmas cards (hooray!) but I have to send like three more…why is shipping so expensive? UGH. Then Saturday I decided to prep for Hanukkah by making challah bread, but since I was in the kitchen I used up old bananas and made banana muffins and it didn’t end there…I also made Hanukkah sugar cookies with my daughter.
Sunday was Hanukkah but first my son was getting his first vaccine shot and I decided to get my booster so he didn’t have to suffer alone lol. That left me tired and sort of with the sniffles (not so bad that it’s a cold) just a feeling of being congested and tired. Took a few naps before making some matzah ball soup and potato latkes for dinner…so I realize I have used up all my eggs this weekend and needed to hit the grocery store for what feels like the millionth time this past 2 weeks. 😫 Will it ever end? lol…nope because Christmas is next and then my daughter’s 5th birthday.
As for reading and books, I’m trying to finish some arcs that are releasing in January and some online books that of course expire in 3 weeks. I was so tempted to buy books this black friday but I have so much more books to read before I can buy anything new. Did you guys do any shopping? Did you get any reading done?
What’s on your WWW Wednesday? Or what are you reading this week? ~ Yolanda
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!
Do you read holiday romances to get into the mood? Sometimes I do – most times I don’t just because it’s such a busy time of the year. But here are some holiday romance books to get you in the Christmas spirit!
This week’s topic is:
Books with Christmas in the Title
This Christmas, be whisked away by USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan in this uplifting novel of friendship, the festive season, and risking everything for the biggest gift of all…
It was supposed to be Christy Sullivan’s perfect Christmas getaway—a trip to Lapland with her family and best friend, Alix. But facing a make-or-break marriage crisis, Christy desperately needs time alone with her husband. Her solution? Alix can take Christy’s little daughter to Lapland, and they will reunite there for Christmas Day. It’s a big ask, but what else are friends for?
There’s nothing Alix won’t do for Christy. But Christy’s request to save Christmas is giving Alix sleepless nights. She knows something is wrong, but for the first time ever, Christy isn’t talking. And even the Arctic temperatures in Lapland aren’t enough to dampen the seriously inconvenient sizzle Alix is developing for Zac, a fellow guest and nemesis from her past.
As secrets unravel and unexpected romance shines under the northern lights, can Christy and Alix’s Christmas escape give them the courage to fight for the relationships they really want, and save the precious gift of each other’s friendship?
***The sparkling new Christmas novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author Heidi Swain!***
Wynter’s Trees is the home of Christmas. For the people of Wynmouth it’s where they get their family Christmas tree, and where Christmas truly comes to life.
But for Liza Wynter, it’s a millstone around her neck. It was her father’s pride and joy but now he’s gone, she can’t have anything to do with it. Until her father’s business partner decides to retire and she must go back to handle the transition to his son Ned.
When Liza arrives, she discovers a much-loved business that’s flourishing under Ned’s stewardship. And she’s happy to stay and help for the Christmas season, but then she has other plans. But will the place where she grew up make her change her mind? And can it weave its Christmas cheer around her heart…?
Underneath the Christmas Tree is the perfect festive read, promising snowfall, warm fires and breath-taking seasonal romance. Perfect for fans of Milly Johnson, Carole Matthews and Cathy Bramley.
An enchanted Christmas dress brings two generations of women together for the magic of the season in this delightful holiday story from author Courtney Cole.
One Dress. Two Women. The Magic of the Holiday Season.
When hopeful fashionista Meg Julliard must return to her hometown of Chicago to manage her late father’s apartment building, she thinks her dreams of making it in the fashion business are over. Add in her father’s eclectic roster of tenants who all need Meg’s attention (ASAP!), a host of building related disasters, and a handsome handyman she keeps embarrassing herself in front of, and this has all the makings for the worst Christmas she’s ever had.
Ellie Wade, one of the building’s longtime residents, is also not feeling the Christmas Joy this year. She is preparing to move into a nursing home (reluctantly), and is in the process of sorting through her belongings to downsize. Every corner of her apartment holds memories, some good, some bad. But there’s one dress she hesitates to pack up as it represents both the best and worst night of her life.
Ellie and Meg strike up an unlikely friendship and the story of Ellie’s dress comes out. Ellie gifts the gorgeous dress to Meg, hoping that it will bring her more luck, on the condition that she wear it to the building’s Christmas party.
The dress magically fits, and while it eventually leads to the best night of Meg’s life, it also acts as inspiration for Meg to follow a life-long dream of her own, a dream that will help save the crumbling Parkview West, and restore it to its former glory, and keep it as a safe home for all of the current tenants.
The dress and the magic of the holiday season helps both Meg and Ellie find their own happy endings.
Sarah Dessen meets Let It Snow in this new YA Christmas romance!
When Finley Brown returned to her hometown of Christmas, Oklahoma, from boarding school, she expected to find it just as she left it. Christmas hasn’t changed much in her sixteen years. But instead she returns to find that her best friend is dating her ex-boyfriend, her parents have separated, and her archnemesis got a job working at her grandmother’s inn. And she certainly didn’t expect to find the boy she may or may not have tricked into believing that Christmas was an idyllic holiday paradise on her grandmother’s doorstep. It’s up to Finley to make sure he gets the Christmas he was promised. This is Finley’s Christmas. It’s about home and family and friends and finding her place, and along the way she also finds the best Christmas present of all: love.
Ballet and babysitting bring two teens together in this very merry holiday rom-com from the author of the acclaimed Bookish Boyfriends series
Noelle Partridge is known for three things: being the best ballet dancer, babysitter, and person with the most Christmas spirit in her small town. But lately she’s bored by the lessons at her dance school, and her friends and father are more bah humbug than Hallmark movie marathon. So when her favorite babysitting clients ask her to accompany them on a ski trip over winter break, she packs her bags for the slopes. It helps that they’re offering double her rate—she’ll need the money for Beacon, an elite ballet academy that’s granted her an audition.
Noelle is ready to “Deck the Halls” and have fa la la la fun, until Wyatt, the older half-brother of her babysitting charges, decides to surprise his family for the holiday. He’s one of the best dancers at Beacon, and makes Noelle’s head spin faster than pirouettes. Unfortunately, she also manages to step on his toes—spoiling his surprise and complicating his secret plans. After a few missteps, Noelle and Wyatt begin to thaw toward each other and bond over the big decisions looming in each of their lives. With enough Christmas magic, Noelle might just start the New Year with lots of babysitting cash in her pocket and a chance with the pas de deux partner of her dreams.
From four beloved writers—Eloisa James, Christi Caldwell, Janna MacGregor, and Erica Ridley—comes a hilarious tale of a Christmas house party that serves up love and scandal in equal measure!
The Duke of Greystoke’s Christmas Revelry is famous throughout the British Isles for its plays, dancing, magical grotto… not to mention scandals leading to the marriage licenses he hands out like confetti.
But not everyone welcomes a visit from Cupid.
Lady Cressida, the duke’s daughter, is too busy managing the entertainments—and besides, her own father has called her dowdy. Her cousin, Lady Isabelle Wilkshire, is directing Cinderella and has no interest in marriage. Lady Caroline Whitmore is already (unhappily) married; the fact that she and her estranged husband have to pretend to be together just makes her dread the party all the more. But not as much as Miss Louisa Harcourt, whose mother bluntly tells her that this is her last chance to escape the horrors of being an old maid.
A house party so large, that mothers lose track of their charges, leads to a delightful, seductive quartet of stories that you will savor for the Season!
Press play on happily ever after in this charming, heartfelt holiday rom-com.
Nick Winters and Noel Carter have known each other their whole lives. After years of shared family holidays, working together on the Winters’ Christmas tree farm, and being each other’s safe haven, they wouldn’t dream of crossing the line from friends to something more….
But when Nick comes home for the holidays after serving overseas and finds that his long-term girlfriend has decided to get her stocking stuffed elsewhere, Noel is there to pick him up and show him that instead of a Blue Christmas he can still have a Wonderful Christmastime without his cheating ex.
A night on the town and an impulsive kiss later has Noel thinking that perhaps this year they’ll be rockin’ around the Christmas tree as a couple, but only if the ghost – er rather – girlfriend of Nick’s Christmas past doesn’t decide to haunt their holiday….
‘Tis the season for mulled wine, mince pies, and magic under the mistletoe… Flora loves Christmas more than anything else in the world, so she’s gutted when her Scrooge-alike boss fires her from Deck the Halls Christmas emporium. But now she finally has a chance to follow her dreams – and what better place to start than the home of Christmas?
Before she can say ‘sleigh bells’, Flora’s on her way to Lapland in a campervan-cum-Christmas-shop. She can’t wait to spend her days drinking hot chocolate and taking reindeer-drawn carriage rides, but something Flora didn’t expect was meeting Connor, a Norse god of a man who makes her heart flutter and snowflakes swirl in her stomach. There’s just one problem: Connor hates Christmas.
Can Flora convince Connor of the joys of Christmas – and will she find a festive romance along the way?
The perfect Christmas romance for fans of Debbie Johnson, Holly Martin and Jenny Colgan.
Perfect for the holidays! A brand-new heartwarming Christmas novel from the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop on the Corner and Christmas at the Island Hotel.
When the department store she works in closes for good, Carmen has perilously little cash and few options. She doesn’t want to move in with her perfect sister Sofia, in Sofia’s perfect house with her perfect children and her perfectly ordered Edinburgh life.
Frankly, Sofia doesn’t exactly want Carmen there either. Her sister has always been sarcastic and difficult. But Sofia has yet another baby on the way, a mother desperate to see her daughters get along, and a client who needs a retail assistant for his ailing bookshop, so welcoming Carmen might still have some benefits for everyone.
At Sofia’s behest, Carmen is thrown into the daily workings of old Mr. McCredie’s ancient bookshop on the streets of the old dark city. Can she use her design skills to revamp the store and bring it back to popularity in time to benefit from Christmas shopping traffic? Can she choose between bad boy literary rock star Blair and quiet Quaker student Oke? And will she heal the rift with the most important people of all: her family?
‘Tis the season for finding romance in this hilarious and uplifting holiday read
When it comes to relationships, thirty-four-year-old Kate Turner is ready to say “Bah, humbug.” The sleepy town of Blexford, England, isn’t exactly brimming with prospects, and anyway, Kate’s found fulfillment in her career as a designer, and in her delicious side job baking for her old friend Matt’s neighborhood café. But then her best friend signs her up for a dating agency that promises to help singles find love before the holidays. Twenty-three days until Christmas. Twelve dates with twelve different men. The odds must finally be in her favor . . . right?
Yet with each new date more disastrous than the one before–and the whole town keeping tabs on her misadventures–Kate must remind herself that sometimes love, like mistletoe, shows up where it’s least expected. And maybe, just maybe, it’s been right under her nose all along. . . .
There are a few on this list I want to read! Does any of these appeal to you? Let me know in the comments! 🎄
The last day of November and here are some new releases!
Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be close. Now all they have in common is Carlton High and the beginning of a very bad day.
Type A Ivy lost a student council election to the class clown, and now she has to face the school, humiliated. Heartthrob Mateo is burned out–he’s been working two jobs since his family’s business failed. And outsider Cal just got stood up…. again.
So when Cal pulls into campus late for class and runs into Ivy and Mateo, it seems like the perfect opportunity to turn a bad day around. They’ll ditch and go into the city. Just the three of them, like old times. Except they’ve barely left the parking lot before they run out of things to say…
Until they spot another Carlton High student skipping school–and follow him to the scene of his own murder. In one chance move, their day turns from dull to deadly. And it’s about to get worse.
It turns out Ivy, Mateo, and Cal still have some things in common. They all have a connection to the dead kid. And they’re all hiding something.
Now they’re all wondering–could it be that their chance reconnection wasn’t by chance after all?
From the author of One of Us Is Lying comes a brand-new pulse-pounding thriller. It’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off with murder when three old friends relive an epic ditch day, and it goes horribly–and fatally–wrong.
The epic romance of Lei and Wren comes to a breathtaking conclusion in the explosive finale to the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling Girls of Paper and Fire series.
‘Don’t struggle, Lei-zhi. It’s time to take you back to the Hidden Palace. You’re going home.’
The jaw-dropping conclusion to Girls of Storm and Shadow left the fates of Lei and Wren hanging in the balance. There’s one thing Lei knows – she can never return to the Hidden Palace. The trauma and tragedy she suffered behind those opulent walls will plague her forever. She cannot be trapped there with the sadistic king again, especially without Wren.
The last time Lei saw the girl she loved, Wren was fighting an army of soldiers in a furious battle to the death.
With the two girls torn apart and each in great peril, will they reunite at last, or have their destinies diverged forever?
Knives Out meets One of Us is Lying! In this paperback original thriller a group of famous TikTokers find themselves turning on each other when one member of the group turns up dead at their beachfront Malibu mansion.
35 million followers. One dead body.
The six teenagers who make up the Hype House seem to have it all. A beach front Malibu mansion, millions of TikTok followers, model good looks, and sponsorship deals up to $30,000 per post. Everything’s pretty much a Gen-Z paradise. Except that one member of the house has just turned up dead in the infinity pool. And the rest of them are suspects.
When the group TikTok account starts posting cryptic messages about the murder, the police limit their investigation to the members of the house. Now old joke videos are filed as evidence and past rivalries start to look like motives.
As investigators dig into these influencers’ lives beyond their glossy internet personalities, they discover all five had reasons their lives would’ve been easier with Sydney Reynolds dead. But only one of them killed her.
What are you looking forward to getting this week? ~ Yolanda
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to HQN for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
What do you do when your fake engagement starts to feel too real…
Aspiring clothes designer Victoria Scott spends her days working in a bar in Chelsea and her evenings designing vintage clothes, dreaming of one day opening her own boutique. But these aspirations are under threat from the new department store opening at the end of her road. She needs a Christmas miracle, but one is not forthcoming.
Oliver Russell’s Christmas is not looking very festive right now. His family’s new London department store opening is behind schedule, and on top of that his interfering, if well-meaning, mother is pressing him to introduce his girlfriend to her over the holidays—a girlfriend who does not exist. He needs a diversion…something to keep his mother from meddling while he focuses on the business.
When Oliver meets Victoria, he offers a proposition: pretend to be his girlfriend at the opening of his store and he will provide an opportunity for Victoria to showcase her designs. But what starts as a business arrangement soon becomes something more tempting as the fake relationship starts to feel very real. But when secrets in Victoria’s past are exposed, will Oliver walk away, or will they both follow their hearts and find what neither knew they were looking for…?
I definitely get the holiday romance vibes in this story with the setting of London and the department store. I can picture Christmas in London being very romantic!
Victoria as a character has some sad history, she’s struggling to make her dreams come true as a fashion designer. On the other hand, Oliver is a wealthy business man who conveniently is helping his family open up a new department store – I think you can guess how this one plays out!
The romance is predictable because it’s a fake dating story so we already know what happens there but they had good chemistry in and outside of the bedroom. You definitely see the attraction grows since they have to pretend to be engaged.
Content Warnings: accident trauma
I didn’t connect to the characters and the story was quite predictable but it’s a quick, holiday romance read so I took it for what it was.
Why you should read it:
holiday romance story
fake dating trope
Christmas setting in London
Why you might not want to read it:
predictable
My Thoughts:
This one wasn’t for me even though I think it would make a really good holiday romance movie on Hallmark channel or Netflix. It’s got the setting and story right for a holiday romance, I just wish I could connect more to the characters.
📚 ~ Yolanda
About the Author:
Georgia Toffolo is a broadcaster and TV personality. She has been a firm favourite with the public right from the start of her TV debut, Made in Chelsea, all the way to winning over the hearts of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here in 2018.
Georgia turned her eye to fashion and has curated two sell out collections with fashion retailer Shein. An ambassador for many British brands, both large and small, Georgia has also collaborated with Dyson, Baileys, Emma Bridgewater, Great British Racing, Foreo and Malibu amongst many more.
Most recently, Georgia has dived into the world of fiction by publishing her debut novel Meet Me in London with publishing house Mills and Boon. This is the first of an original series of four books following a group of lifelong friends and bringing personal anecdotes to life with humour and charm.
This one is easy and kinda strange that I’m posting scary books still in November lol…it’s Thanksgiving weekend! But here we go…
#SixforSunday is… it’s really just that. You choose 6 books (normally) that you’d choose to fit whatever the prompt is that week. This meme is hosted byA Little but a Lotand you can follow the link to find the prompts for October to December.
This week’s topic:
Books I’m Too Scared to Read
Four decades after it first terrified the world, William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist is back! An extraordinary classic work of horror and dark paranormal suspense. In this stunning 40th Anniversary Edition, a desperate mother and two priests fight to free the soul of a little girl from a supernatural entity of pure malevolence.
*****
I grew up Catholic so no I never read this book, I was too scared I’d be possessed too! But I also grew up in the 80’s when this movie played all the time on tv around Halloween! So yeah…the movie scared me, I watched most of it with my eyes shut. I still won’t read the book lol.
Welcome to Derry, Maine …
It’s a small city, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own hometown. Only in Derry the haunting is real …
They were seven teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they are grown-up men and women who have gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But none of them can withstand the force that has drawn them back to Derry to face the nightmare without an end, and the evil without a name.
*****
Nope, I won’t do it. It has a clown in it lol…
It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a “haunting”; Theodora, the lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers—and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.
28 Days of Terror in a House Possessed by Evil Spirits
In December 1975, the Lutz family moved into their dream home, the same home where Ronald DeFeo had murdered his parents, brothers and sisters just one year earlier.
the psychic phenomena that followed created the most terrifying experience the Lutz family had ever encountered, forcing them to flee the house in 28 days, convinced that it was possessed by evil spirits.
Their fantastic story, never before disclosed in full detail, makes for an unforgettable book with all the shocks and gripping suspense of The Exorcist, The Omen or Rosemary’s Baby, but with one vital difference…the story is true
It was a dark and stormy night when Mary Crane glimpsed the unlit neon sign announcing the vacancy at the Bates motel. Exhausted, lost, and at the end of her rope, she was eager for a hot shower and a bed for the night. Her room was musty but clean and the plumbing worked. Norman Bates, the manager, seemed nice, if a little odd.
Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse, an ordinary young couple, settle into a New York City apartment, unaware that the elderly neighbors and their bizarre group of friends have taken a disturbing interest in them. But by the time Rosemary discovers the horrifying truth, it may be far too late!
Here is the schedule for November and go to A Little but a lot for more info!
November – Ooky Spooky Books
7 – Orange books 14 – Books that scared you 21 – Favourite spooky books 28 – Books I’m too scared to read