Review: Holiday Games by Jaci Burton

All Elizabeth and Gavin Riley want for Christmas is a baby. Despite over a year of trying, conception hasn’t been successful. But for a high-achiever like Elizabeth, she must succeed at everything. That means making the very most of every opportunity with her husband. And when it comes to nonstop sex Gavin’s not really complaining. Exhausted, maybe...

Unfortunately, this holiday season they’re not exactly given a lot of private time. Elizabeth is hosting the holiday, Gavin’s sister is getting married, and the house is wall-to-wall with family. For Elizabeth and Gavin the nights may be chilly, but the urge is still hot. And they’re not about to let any distraction get in the way of their necessary pleasures during a holiday game that yields so many unexpected surprises.

Holiday Games is a quick dip back into the world of the Riley family.  The main focus of the novella is Jenna Riley and Ty Anderson's upcoming wedding, but I really wanted more of Elizabeth and Gavin Riley.  Liz is probably my favorite woman in the Riley family, and the fact that she's decided becoming pregnant is taking too long can only lead to interesting situations between she and Gavin.  

Review: The Duke and Miss Christmas by Amelia Grey

Crispin, the Duke of Hurst, has never met a woman he couldn't handle--until he's hit over the head with a basketful of mistletoe by a young lady who mistakes his intentions. When he gets into a tussle with her--and she can hold her own--Crispin knows he has finally met his match.

Miss Gwen Prim is mortified that she attacked a duke, but even more concerning is the way her resolve melts when she's near him. She's never felt this way about a London gentleman in her life. And with the magic of Christmas in the air, she may end up with a proposal she didn't expect...

This novella is short, so the romance between Crispin and Gwen seems rushed at times.  There's the emergence of INSTA-LOVE, which I'm not fond of, but there's only so many pages to give the characters a satisfying conclusion. 

The Duke and Miss Christmas is strongly connected to the first book of the trilogy, The Duke in My Bed, which features Gwen's oldest sister Louisa and Bray Drakestone. 

(A very special thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Duke and Miss Christmas.)

Review: Home for Christmas by Lily Everett

Celebrate Christmas on Sanctuary Island, where the love light gleams. There will be snow and mistletoe...and two lonely hearts yearning for love, family, and above all, home.

Magazine columnist Libby Leeds has made a name for herself sharing heartwarming stories from her perfect life on Sanctuary Island. There's just one minor detail she's left out: she hasn't set foot on the island since her childhood. Orphaned and heartbroken, she departed years ago and never looked back-except in her fictional columns. Now a wounded war hero is returning to Sanctuary Island, and Libby's editor insists she cover the story by taking the long road back...

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

Army Ranger Owen Shepard is a tall, handsome single father, and now a media sensation. He wants to reconnect with his daughter, Caitlin, and make up for lost time by giving her a Christmas to remember. When "America's Favorite Homemaker" Libby Leeds offers her help, he jumps at the chance. But the sweet, reclusive writer is more intriguing, and more tempting, than Owen could have imagined. Soon, Owen and Caitlin are spending their holiday with Libby, decorating trees, making gingerbread houses, and warming up by the fire. It's the closest Libby has come to love and family since she was a child-but until she and Owen admit what is in their hearts, the home they are creating together will be only in their dreams.

Libby is a writer, but what she writes and passes off as her everyday life is complete fiction.  She's pulled into a web in order to document Owen Shepard's visit to Sanctuary Island where his sister is the sheriff.  

I wasn't sure how receptive I felt toward Owen, his trauma notwithstanding, or that our heroine, Libby, is a liar (she is!).  These are not the typical makings for a romance novel.  That Libby continually lies as we go along was very frustrating at times, but I believe we're supposed to see that lies come easy for her; the truth is what is difficult.  

Again, it's not a typical Christmas/holiday story when things are so f-ing messed up.  I suppose that's what made me continue Home for Christmas -- the narrative wasn't neat and tidy; the characters weren't perfect with "made up" or "first world" problems.  So naturally I'm glad I continued through until the end.   

(A very special thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Home for Christmas.)

Eagerly Anticipating -- December 2015