Imagine a year without Christmas. No crowded shops, no corny office parties, no fruitcakes, no unwanted presents. That’s just what Luther and Nora Krank have in mind when they decide that, just this once, they’ll skip the holiday altogether. Theirs will be the only house on the street without a rooftop Frosty the snowman; they won’t be hosting their annual Christmas Eve bash; they aren’t even going to have a tree. They won’t need one, because come December 25 they’re setting sail on a Caribbean cruise. But, as this weary couple is about to discover, skipping Christmas brings enormous consequences – and isn’t half as easy as they’d imagined.
A classic tale for modern times, Skipping Christmas offers a hilarious look at the chaos and frenzy that has become part of our holiday tradition.
💭THOUGHTS💭
I had seen this book suggested a few times on Facebook and Instagram, plus I have tried (and failed) to watch the film based on the book and so decided to ask for it for Christmas. I was given it on Christmas Eve in my Elf Box (a family tradition!).
I was surprised at how much happened within a short book. It was well written and had me hooked from the beginning. It was easy to read with humour regarding the festive season throughout. The size meant that I was able to read it over a couple of days without being too anti social!
The story itself was a great Christmas read, highlighting sometimes how materialistic we are at this time of year and yet at heart there is still some true goodness to be found.
The characters were likable and made me smile. Nora and Luther made a great couple, and despite making enemies of their neighbours, they didn’t mean any true harm.
The setting of a house in a ‘snobby’ area was great as it allowed the author to have some fun with the ridiculousness of some of the things that happen over the Christmas period.
Overall I loved this humorous Christmas story and will definitely be recommending it to people myself.
It’s Time Travel Thursday! This is where I take a look back at what I was reading this time last year (or the year before or the year before that…) and compare it to what I am reading now.
This day last year I was reading my last free Kindle Christmas book:
Miz Scarlet and the Holiday Houseguests by Sara M Barton
Book Description From Goodreads:
“The time-honored Red Sox versus Yankees rivalry…bitter, divorced parents who can’t stop bickering…a challenging teenage daughter who questions everything her mother tells her….These are the least of overworked homicide investigator Laurencia Rivera’s troubles when she’s stalked during an important case.
A teenager turns up dead in the woods, brutally murdered, and it looks like it might be politically motivated….the short-handed homicide team can’t seem to get a handle on the case…things just keep going wrong….Is someone trying to intimidate Laurencia Rivera and her investigators, to protect the killer and prevent him from being caught?
Better known as Larry, the gutsy, romance-challenged Connecticut state trooper is desperate to avoid World War III when her parents announce they are both coming for the holidays. She thinks that renting a room for her father at the Four Acorns Inn will solve the problem, but it just makes everything worse. — Larry’s mother is offended that her ex-husband, a Boston Red Sox assistant coach, gets all the pampering; she’s determined to kick up a fuss. When Mama’s unhappy, everyone is going to hear about it!
Sometimes the only thing for a good friend to do at a time like this is to offer respite from a quickly unraveling family life by stepping in and taking charge of the care and feeding of the entire Rivera family. Scarlet Wilson, innkeeper at the Four Acorns Inn and amateur sleuth, is the perfect person for the task. If only she stuck to guest services….
“Miz Scarlet” may not have Larry’s professional cop training, but that doesn’t stop her from going head to head with a killer bent on revenge! Her boyfriend, Kenny Tolliver, happens to be a public safety expert and he’s got some tricks up his sleeve. But it’s Larry’s former partner, Max, who rallies the troops with an amazing effort to rescue the uncooperative damsel in distress….It’s amazing what a guy in love will do to save the woman he adores, but will it be enough? Can love save the day?
Before the Rivera visit to the Four Acorns Inn ends, not only will a killer be sent packing, everyone will learn the shocking reason for the bitter divorce of “The Spitball King” and the “Queen of Clean”, and the mystery will finally be solved as to how the granddaughter of a Red Sox assistant coach came to be named after a famous Yankee center fielder. This humor-laced short novella is rated PG — Mild violence, mild language, mild adult situations.”
My mini review on Goodreads:
An entertaining Christmas mystery story with likable characters and a lovely setting. I enjoyed the murder mystery aspect to it and how everything came together to make a nice ending.
Rated 4/5
Fast Forward to today, 22 December 2021:
Kill Me Goodbye by A K Reynolds
My Blog Tour Book for 10 January 2022
Book Description From Goodreads:
“Jo Finnegan is attacked while leaving work one evening by criminals threatening her more harm if she does not provide them with information she doesn’t have.
When she gets home, Jo finds her sister dead in her front room, and her wife missing. When the police arrive and arrest her, while she is still in shock from the events of the night, Jo realises she’s been framed for her sister’s murder. But that’s only the beginning of her nightmare.”
A Gift From The Comfort Food Cafe by Debbie Johnson
“Christmas has never been Katie Seddon’s favourite time of year. Whilst everyone else shares memories of families coming together and festive number ones, the soundtrack to Katie’s childhood wasn’t quite so merry.
But since she moved to the village of Budbury on the gorgeous Dorset coast, Katie and her baby son have found a new family. A family who have been brought together by life’s unexpected roads and the healing magic of a slice of cake and a cupful of kindess at the Comfort Food Café.
This year, Katie’s new friends are determined to give her a Christmas to remember, and with a gorgeous newcomer in town, Katie’s Christmas wish for a happy home for her son might just come true.”
As you can see I was still going strong on the Christmas theme. This year’s Christmas book is from the Library App as opposed to Free Kindle, but the cost is the same! I have just recently finished a Murder Mystery Christmas book (Book Review – Murder For Christmas by Francis Duncan), so I do still read Christmas Murder Mysteries!
What were you reading this time last year or the year before (or the year before!)?
Welcome to my Stacking The Shelves post! Hosted by Reading Reality, here is what I have been stacking my shelves with this week!
From The Library:
Comfort and Joy by Cathy Bramley
Book Description From Goodreads:
“Curl up with this fabulously festive short story from bestseller Cathy Bramley, full of Christmas cheer and sparkle.
It’s been a busy year for Verity Bloom at the Plumberry School of Comfort Food, but Christmas Eve is finally here. With delicious treats all wrapped up and the ingredients packed away, Verity is looking forward to a relaxing few days with her new boyfriend.
Good food, family and friends – it’s a simple recipe for true comfort and joy, and all Verity’s friends in the village are full of excitement about the holidays too.
But the weather has other plans in store… Relentless rain leads to a power cut that spells disaster for many of Plumberry’s residents. It’s starting to look like this year’s celebrations could be a total washout.
With dreams of a perfect Christmas dashed, will the last of the festive cheer be swept away in the downpour? Or can the cookery school create a Christmas miracle for everyone Verity holds dear?”
Murder For Christmas by Francis Duncan
Book Description From Goodreads:
“A classic mystery for the festive season: mulled wine, mince pies…and murder.
Mordecai Tremaine, former tobacconist and perennial lover of romance novels, has been invited to spend Christmas in the sleepy village of Sherbroome at the country retreat of one Benedict Grame.
Arriving on Christmas Eve, he finds that the revelries are in full flow – but so too are tensions amongst the assortment of guests.
Midnight strikes and the party-goers discover that it’s not just presents nestling under the tree…there’s a dead body too. A dead body that bears a striking resemblance to Father Christmas.
With the snow falling and the suspicions flying, it’s up to Mordecai to sniff out the culprit – and prevent someone else from getting murder for Christmas.”
Free on Kindle:
Deadly Holiday by Marissa Shrock
Book Description From Goodreads:
“A New Boyfriend. (Maybe.) A Christmas Program to Run. And a Man Dying at Her Feet.
Georgia Winston is now dating Detective Cal Perkins, planning a Christmas program, and navigating her relationship with her twin stepbrothers. Just another day. But then her church’s youth pastor dies of poisoning, and she’s the only one who hears his final word, “Anchor.”
After the youth pastor’s girlfriend disappears, Georgia starts asking questions. Too many. When she’s almost run off the road, she goes on the offensive—with her stepbrothers’ help—and starts putting the pieces of the murder together. But Cal isn’t happy. Because any one of those pieces could get her killed.
Deadly Holiday is the second book in the ongoing story of Georgia Rae Winston. A woman of strength. A woman of talents. A woman who can’t seem to stop bumping into mysteries in the farming community of Wildcat Springs, Indiana.”
Rebel Without A Clause by Zara Keane
Book Description From Goodreads:
“Makeup. Mannequins. Murder. When ex-cop-turned-P.I. Maggie Doyle scores a lucrative undercover job at the makeup counter at a fashionable Galway department store, she expects discounted lipstick and an easy paycheck.
After an altercation with a customer leads to a dead body in Maggie’s bathtub, she and her assistant realize there’s more to the department store case than missing cash. Can they catch the killer before the holidays? Or will the festive season end in an explosion of tinsel and turmoil?”
100% christmas books this week! I will definitely get to read the library books, but whether I will get round to the Kindle ones this Christmas remains to be seen!
“book”, “read”, “book blog”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “entertaining”, “what should I read next”, “what christmas books are there that aren’t romance”
Curl up with this feel-good short story, full of romance, surprises and a sprinkling of Christmas magic…!It’s been a busy year for Verity Bloom at the Plumberry School of Comfort Food, but Christmas Eve is finally here. With delicious treats all wrapped up and the ingredients packed away, Verity is looking forward to a relaxing few days with her new boyfriend.
Good food, family and friends – it’s a simple recipe for true comfort and joy, and all Verity’s friends in the village are full of excitement about the holidays too.
But the weather has other plans in store… Relentless rain leads to a power cut that spells disaster for many of Plumberry’s residents. It’s starting to look like this year’s celebrations could be a total washout.
With dreams of a perfect Christmas dashed, will the last of the festive cheer be swept away in the downpour? Or can the cookery school create a Christmas miracle for everyone Verity holds dear?
💭THOUGHTS💭
I wanted a nice festive read, one that wasn’t necessarily focussed on romance, and so when I found this book on the Library App I thought that I would give it a go. I am sure that I also saw that it was a good book on one of the Facebook reading pages I have joined so that further convinced me to give it a go!
Straight away I loved this book. Once I started it I couldn’t put it down. The writing was simple and the story was heartwarming. There were lots of things going on around the one main storyline and that kept my attention throughout.
I loved the characters who were all likable in their own way. You were introduced to them all gradually and were given a brief outline of their background and how the Cookery School had in some way brought them together. Each of the characters stories blended well to result in this heartwarming read.
The village setting was excellent for this festive read, and really highlighted the positives of living in a small village. It also added to the warmth and comfort of the story.
Lastly I loved the messages of love and friendship throughout the book and how even when things go wrong there will always be someone around to help.
I highly recommend reading this book. It has certainly been one of my favourite festive reads so far this month!
Christmas is the season the Gingerbread Café was made for…but owner Lily couldn’t be feeling less merry if she tried. She’s spent another year dreaming of being whisked away on a sleigh-ride for two, but she’s facing festive season alone – again. And, just to give her another reason to feel anything other than candy-cane perky, a new shop across the road has opened… Not only is it selling baked goods, but the owner, with his seriously charming smile, has every girl in town swooning.
But Lily isn’t about to let her business crumble — the Gingerbread Café is the heart of the community, and she’s going to fight for it! This could be the Christmas that maybe, just maybe, all her dreams – even the someone-to-decorate-the-Christmas-tree-with ones – really do come true!
💭THOUGHTS💭
I wanted a Christmas read and this book, with its cover and title, reeled me in! I had also read a previous book of hers (The Bookshop on the Corner by Rebecca Raisin) and enjoyed that so I thought that I would be pretty safe with this one!
It was a sweet, short story with likable characters and the traditional Christmas village setting.
The characters were relatable and warm and made the story have humour, fun, drama and love, basically everything you could want from a Christmas book!
The village setting was lovely and was brought to life with the typical everyone knows everyone else’s business.
What I also liked about this book was that it wasn’t sad. I don’t want to read about death and moving on over Christmas, I want happy and celebratory and this story gave that to me.
The only reason that I didn’t give it 5/5 was that for me there was something missing. I’m not sure what it was because I liked the way it was written, the characters, the setting and the storyline. I just think that maybe it ended a bit too soon. I wanted more!
Overall if you want a short, heartwarming, festive read then this book is for you!
Miz Scarlet and the Holiday Houseguests by Sarah M. Barton
I got this free on Kindle
Book Description From Goodreads:
“The time-honored Red Sox versus Yankees rivalry…bitter, divorced parents who can’t stop bickering…a challenging teenage daughter who questions everything her mother tells her….These are the least of overworked homicide investigator Laurencia Rivera’s troubles when she’s stalked during an important case.
A teenager turns up dead in the woods, brutally murdered, and it looks like it might be politically motivated….the short-handed homicide team can’t seem to get a handle on the case…things just keep going wrong….Is someone trying to intimidate Laurencia Rivera and her investigators, to protect the killer and prevent him from being caught?
Better known as Larry, the gutsy, romance-challenged Connecticut state trooper is desperate to avoid World War III when her parents announce they are both coming for the holidays. She thinks that renting a room for her father at the Four Acorns Inn will solve the problem, but it just makes everything worse. — Larry’s mother is offended that her ex-husband, a Boston Red Sox assistant coach, gets all the pampering; she’s determined to kick up a fuss. When Mama’s unhappy, everyone is going to hear about it!
Sometimes the only thing for a good friend to do at a time like this is to offer respite from a quickly unraveling family life by stepping in and taking charge of the care and feeding of the entire Rivera family. Scarlet Wilson, innkeeper at the Four Acorns Inn and amateur sleuth, is the perfect person for the task. If only she stuck to guest services….
“Miz Scarlet” may not have Larry’s professional cop training, but that doesn’t stop her from going head to head with a killer bent on revenge! Her boyfriend, Kenny Tolliver, happens to be a public safety expert and he’s got some tricks up his sleeve. But it’s Larry’s former partner, Max, who rallies the troops with an amazing effort to rescue the uncooperative damsel in distress….It’s amazing what a guy in love will do to save the woman he adores, but will it be enough? Can love save the day?
Before the Rivera visit to the Four Acorns Inn ends, not only will a killer be sent packing, everyone will learn the shocking reason for the bitter divorce of “The Spitball King” and the “Queen of Clean”, and the mystery will finally be solved as to how the granddaughter of a Red Sox assistant coach came to be named after a famous Yankee center fielder. This humor-laced short novella is rated PG — Mild violence, mild language, mild adult situations.”
I found this whilst looking for Christmas books on Kindle. Whilst the cover wasn’t particularly Christmassy, I liked the description of the book.
I actually found it to be an entertaining Christmas mystery story with likable characters and a lovely setting. I enjoyed the murder mystery aspect to it and how everything came together to make a nice ending. Whilst it is part of a series, I didn’t feel like I had missed out and if I ever have the time I will look at reading some other books in the series!
Rated 4/5
Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
I got this for Christmas, however it is available at the Library.
Book Description From Goodreads:
“Celebrate Christmas with the ultimate Shopaholic!
The brilliant laugh-out-loud festive novel from the Number One bestselling author.
Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) adores Christmas. It’s always the same – Mum and Dad hosting, carols playing, Mum pretending she made the Christmas pudding, and the next-door neighbours coming round for sherry in their terrible festive jumpers.
And now it’s even easier with online bargain-shopping sites – if you spend enough you even get free delivery. Sorted!
But this year looks set to be different. Unable to resist the draw of craft beer and smashed avocado, Becky’s parents are moving to ultra-trendy Shoreditch and have asked Becky if she’ll host Christmas this year. What could possibly go wrong?
With sister Jess demanding a vegan turkey, husband Luke determined that he just wants aftershave again, and little Minnie insisting on a very specific picnic hamper – surely Becky can manage all this, as well as the surprise appearance of an old boyfriend and his pushy new girlfriend, whose motives are far from clear . . .
Will chaos ensue, or will Becky manage to bring comfort and joy to Christmas?”
I love the way that Sophie Kinsella writes and so when I saw that she had written a Christmas book I was there! I haven’t read the original Shopaholic book, but I know the basic outline so I didn’t feel like I was missing out. Even if I hadn’t read any of the Shopaholic books I don’t think that I would have missed out on anything.
As with all Sophie Kinsella’s books the writing style is clear, relatable and engaging. This story made me smile and I think that that is the mark of a good book, especially at Christmas time. The main character is brilliant and I really enjoyed the adventures she had in this book. Well worth a read!
“From NY Times Bestselling Author, Angie Fox, a hauntingly fun holiday addition to the USA TODAY bestselling Southern Ghost Hunter series
She needs a Christmas miracle…
Verity Long is ready to deck the halls, jingle some bells, and maybe, just maybe have a merry Christmas with her boyfriend’s stuffy family. Truly, if she doesn’t extend the proverbial olive branch to the overbearing Wydells, she’s afraid she’ll hit them over the head with it.
But when her boyfriend’s mother pulls a shocking stunt, Verity finds herself with a big decision to make. And if that’s not enough, there’s an unexpected guest at her door. It’s the ghost of the woman who helped rescue Verity’s pet skunk three years ago that very night. And now she’s there to change Verity’s life as well.
*A “between the books” holiday story you don’t want to miss!“
I saw this book on Amazon and thought that I should give it a go. I wasn’t sure how much it would relate to A Christmas Carol especially from the look of the front cover, but it was Christmassy looking enough to draw me in!
All I can say is that I loved this book! Every year I read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and this is an excellent take on it (despite my initial thoughts!). It has the bare bones of A Christmas Carol which is then built upon in a unique and modern twist. The main character is actually likable yet her journey is similar to that of Mr Scrooge! Whilst it was only a short story a lot seemed to happen.
All in all I will definitely be rereading this next Christmas!
Rated 5/5
Ruth’s First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths
I got this free on Kindle
Book Description From Goodreads:
“It is three days before Christmas and a bitter wind is blowing across Norfolk.
Until her daughter was born, forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway didn’t do Christmas, but now that Kate is a year old, she wants it to be special.
She must get a tree, shop for food, clean the house, buy presents, including one for her new boyfriend—who she isn’t even sure is her boyfriend—and remember to get the turkey out of the freezer.
But time is rushing by and the best-laid plans don’t always work out … “
I found this on Amazon when searching for Christmas books to read. It looked like it would be a good “one sitting” sort of story. Whilst it was part of a series I didn’t feel like I needed to read the series in order to understand what was going on. Whilst it was a nice story to read, there was nothing outstanding about it and I wouldn’t rush to read it again.
Rated 3/5
Decker and Joy by Elle Rush
Book Description From Goodreads:
“He was looking for a missing elf, not a date with the kitten foster-mom who may have helped it disappear.
Somebody messed up and let a prototype escape from North Pole Unlimited’s top secret Toys-and-Research division. Now P.I. Decker Harkness has the contract to track it down. He’s not exactly sure what E.L.V.I.S does, but he’s hot on the trail.
Joy McCall has her hands full of foster animals and pet treats at Kitten Caboodle, but she’s not too busy to notice strange goings-on at the pet shelter where she works.
When their paths cross during a triple kitten-napping, Decker and Joy will have to work together to close their cases. Will everyone make it home to celebrate a merry Christmas together? Only Santa knows.”
I found this free on Kindle and was taken in by the Christmassy cover! Whilst it wasn’t what I was expecting (I was expecting more of a Christmas story with elves and Father Christmas involved!) it was still a lovely short story with a mystery twist. I liked the characters and the way that they interacted with each other.
Overall not an overly Christmassy setting, but enjoyable to read all the same. I would describe it as a Winter read rather than a Christmas read.
“Teaching assistant Alice has sworn off men, which is fine because with Christmas coming she’s super busy organising the school Nativity. This should be a blast with the help of best friend and village vicar, Dan – if she can just ignore those more-than-just-a-friend feelings she’s developed for him…
Dan is more than happy to help Alice – his secret crush – but not only is his beloved Granny Annie about to be made homeless, the church choir has disintegrated and he’s battling some dark demons from his past.
With meddling grannies and PTA wars thrown in the mix, can Alice and Dan overcome their past hurts to move forward? Will they be spending Christmas together as friends… or something more?”
This was a cute Christmas short story with a bit of romance thrown in. I liked the characters and really wanted Alice to get her happy ending. The setting was the traditional village setting which added to the Christmassy feel.
Overall an enjoyable read, but nothing wow.
Rated 3/5
Killer Christmas by Harper Lin
I got this free on Kindle
Book Description From Goodreads:
“After breaking up with hunky movie star Nick Doyle, Grammy Award-winning singer Emma Wild returns to her hometown for Christmas to get away from it all. In Hartfield, a small town in Ontario, Canada, she gets caught up in a murder case after a fan’s drink is poisoned at the Chocoholic Cafe, owned by Emma’s sister Mirabelle.
Who is the killer and was the drink originally intended for Emma? To add to the chaos, Sterling Matthews is the detective on the case. He’d shattered her heart nine years ago and inspired all her hit singles, but now they must work together to find the murderer before the murderer finds Emma.
Join Emma Wild on her first adventure in the first book of Harper Lin’s 4-Book holiday mystery series.”
I found this book free on Amazon Kindle and was drawn in by the cover and the blurb. It was an enjoyable cosy mystery. I liked the main character and how she seemed quite down to earth despite her fame. It was nice that she was able to help out at home, yet at the same time it made you appreciate the fact that you weren’t famous! It wasn’t overly Christmassy but I didn’t feel that that took anything away from it.
Rated 4/5
A Very Lucky Christmas by Lilac Mills
I got this free on Kindle
Book Description From Goodreads:
“Things can’t get worse for Daisy Jones… can they?
Christmas is meant to be the happiest time of year so why is absolutely everything going wrong for Daisy? Reeling from a bad breakup, moving back in with her parents and hounded by trouble at work she really shouldn’t be surprised when things go from bad to worse..and she ends up in A&E!
Her great-grandmother persuaded her to plant a silver sixpence in the Christmas pud for luck but choking on the coin isn’t the ‘change’ she’d wished for. Yet when dashing Dr Noah Hartley saves the day things finally start to look up. With Christmas Day just around the corner Daisy’s determined to make her own luck…and hopefully bag herself a dishy doc in the process!”
I was drawn to this free Kindle book by the cover. I am glad that I was as it was an enjoyable short story. It had a lot of things going on and you really felt for the main character. It also showed that things happen for a reason and sometimes you need the bad in order to get to the good.
Overall a lovely Christmassy read that gives you hope.
“With Christmas only three days away, Carol Claus agrees to her father’s request that she leave the North Pole on a mission to help save Christmas. Joining single father Ben Hanson and his children for the holidays seems an easy enough task until Santa informs her that Ben is the man behind the disturbing new book ‘Beyond Bah Humbug: Why Lying to Your Children about Santa Claus is a Bad Idea’.
Posing as Miss Kane, the children’s new nanny, Carol pulls out all the stops to show Ben how fun Christmas can be, all the while struggling to understand how one man could hate the holidays so much. How could she, Santa’s only daughter, be so attracted to a man who refuses to believe her father exists?”
I found this a couple of years ago on Amazon Kindle and have read it for the past two years. For some reason I really enjoy reading it!
The writing style is nice and it is just a comforting read during the Christmas period. I like the characters, the progression of their relationship and the sprinkling of Christmas spirit throughout.
I recommend this book and will be reading it again this year!
Rated 5/5
Christmas Spirit by Morgana Best
I got this free on Kindle
Book Description From Goodreads:
“Live. Laugh. Lava. Prudence Wallflower is a human volcano, and like Pompeii, she is about to blow. But hot flashes are only one of Prudence’s problems. She is a clairvoyant … who has never seen a ghost. Despite Prudence connecting people with their deceased loved ones through the impressions she receives from the dead, her professional reputation is on the edge of eruption. But when the ghost of a gorgeous detective appears and demands Prudence solve a murder, it’s her romantic life, not her reputation, which is about to explode.”
A mix of the paranormal, Christmas and investigation enticed me into reading this book. I was soon hooked and really liked the characters and their relationships. It was a gripping read and I was sad when it ended. I saw that it was a series so I will be looking at reading the next books at some point!
Overall an enjoyable read and one that if you want a slightly different Christmas read then this is for you!
Rated 5/5
The Mystery of Santa Clause by Paul Moxham
I got this free on Kindle
Book Description From Goodreads:
“Are you up for a thrilling adventure?
Set in 1950’s Britain, this standalone short adventure story will suit anyone who enjoys Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys or the Famous Five. A clean and wholesome read.
While spending their Christmas holidays with their grandparents in Scotland, Joe, Amy, and Sarah, along with their friend Will, stumble across an injured man dressed in a red Santa suit. With a storm quickly approaching, can the children rescue Santa Claus and save Christmas?“
I was taken in by the cover and the blub, however this was a very short story and I wasn’t overly fussed by it. It had very little to do with Christmas and ended without much having happened.
I wouldn’t rush to read it again this year, however having looked on Goodreads it seems that I am in the minority with this opinion!
“Can you find the Christmas spirit in the wrong place, at the wrong time?
As Riley scores a job on a feature film, she’s eager to prove herself to Damian, the famous director she can’t stop thinking about. When they fly to Queenstown, New Zealand, to film on the snowy mountains in July, she’s ready for any discomfort. What she’s not ready for is a snowstorm that cuts her off from the rest of the crew or an unexpected visitor who seeks shelter in her cabin.
Any other girl would love to cozy up with Jonas, a gorgeous ski instructor carrying bags of party food. Not Riley. She’s desperate to get back to her job, back to Damian. The last thing she’s looking for is a protective Swedish guy telling her what she can and can’t do. But as things start to slip out of her control, Riley is forced to rethink her priorities.
Is she headed down the wrong path? And is it possible she has more in common with the Swedish guy than she thought?”
I read this before I knew that Christmas in July was actually a thing. I thought that it was a bit of a strange title, but I was drawn in by the snow on the cover.
I enjoyed reading this book. It was a nice read with a bit of danger and romance. There was nothing extraordinary about it, but it was a good winter romance. There wasn’t really much christmas going on, but the setting was a log cabin in the snowy mountains so I let that go!
An enjoyable, but overall average, read.
Rated 3/5
Christmas At The Chateau by Lorraine Wilson
I got this free on Kindle.
Book Description From Goodreads:
“A Christmas she’ll remember forever…
Poppy is looking forward to spending her first Christmas in France at her boyfriend, Leo’s, Château. And as the snow falls softly around the dramatic castle, Poppy can’t think of anything more magical.
There are new traditions to discover, a cosy Christmas market to explore and best of all, a promise of secret treasure hunt from gorgeous Leo. Only family pressure and uncertainty about her future in France can threaten to cast a shadow over the holiday. When the treasure hunt takes an unexpected turn Poppy knows for sure this is one Christmas she’ll remember forever.”
I was looking around for free christmas books and I came across this one. Christmas and in a Chateau? What more could I ask for? It was a lovely read with good characters and a beautiful setting. It was very christmassy with the odd bit of romance.
Overall an enjoyable, but average read.
Rated 3/5
I messed up Christmas by Jo-Ann Carson
I got this free on Kindle.
Book Description From Goodreads:
“I Messed up Christmas A Ghost & Abby Mystery Novella ~magical mayhem for the holidays~
Single mom, Abby Jenkins, the night janitor in a haunted teahouse in the Pacific Northwest town of Sunset Cove, runs a detective business on the side, and, while tackling the usual supernatural suspects is easy for her, she can’t face Christmas. She wants this one to be perfect for her kids. With a yuletide to-do list longer than Main Street, a jealous Viking boyfriend with existential issues, and unreliable witch powers, she’s in a twisted-tinsel, holiday funk, when the mayor asks her to find a missing angel. The statue, which sat on top of the Christmas tree in the town square for three decades, symbolizes all that’s good about the holidays: love, peace and joy. Abby drops everything to look for the stolen angel.
Will she find Christmas along the way?”
Whilst looking for free christmas books I came across this one. I was drawn in by the cover and lets be honest the interesting book description! I love a bit of supernatural, detective and christmas and for it to be all mixed in together was certainly an interesting prospect! I wasn’t quite sure how it would work espectially the ghost boyfriend, but it didn’t really seem to matter. I enjoyed reading about the characters and their relationships and the village setting was pure christmas for me.
*Budget Tales Book Blog* 