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sthg_sofia's review
3.0
L.J. Shen & Helena Hunting - Just The Tip (3,5)
Corinne Michaels & Melanie Harlow - Baby it’s Cold Outside (3)
Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward - Kissmas in New York (2,5)
Sierra Simone & Kennedy Ryan - The Christmas Crown (3,5)
Corinne Michaels & Melanie Harlow - Baby it’s Cold Outside (3)
Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward - Kissmas in New York (2,5)
Sierra Simone & Kennedy Ryan - The Christmas Crown (3,5)
divapitbull's review
3.0
Epic by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy
Full disclosure the only story I read and the only story I intend to read.
It was Okay, but very short. It was nice to visit with Wes and Jamie again; it was nice to see them happy and committed to their marriage and living their lives. It was also nice to get a few classic cameos from Blake. It was a nice story, but nothing special.
Full disclosure the only story I read and the only story I intend to read.
It was Okay, but very short. It was nice to visit with Wes and Jamie again; it was nice to see them happy and committed to their marriage and living their lives. It was also nice to get a few classic cameos from Blake. It was a nice story, but nothing special.
lauren_soderberg's review
4.0
A delightful, naughty, dose of holiday cheer from some of the best romance authors in the business.
scvallese1's review
4.0
I love me some Christmas stories, and I very much enjoyed these- especially Just the Tip by LJ Shen and Helena Hunting, Baby It's Cold Outside by Corinne Michaels and Melanie Harlow, Kissmas in New York by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward, and EPIC by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy.
If you're looking for some quick, fun holiday reads, this is it!
If you're looking for some quick, fun holiday reads, this is it!
anasatticbookblog's review
4.0
Christmas in the City AnthologyLJ Shen & Helena Hunting: Just the Tip
Instalove fun and flirtiness and it was real. I loved how normal they were (she was worried she smelled, his name was Horace). Naughty and Romantic!
4 Stars
Baby It’s Cold Outside by Melanie Harlow & Corinne Michaels
This one was fun. She tried to bring a tree through the building door and into her apartment when the hot neighbor went to help her. Sweet, cute and Christmassy, but it was a little typical.
4 Stars
Kissmas in New York by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward
She was dared to kiss a stranger in a coffee shop, and the kiss turned into more. This was my favorite in the book, in fact, after reading it, I listened in the audiobook Scrooged by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward and this was on there as well. I loved it just as much on audio.
4.25 Stars
The Christmas Crown by Sierra Simone & Kennedy Ryan, Songbird by Penny Reid & L.H. Cosway, EPIC by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy
From what I understand, these 3 weren’t quite standalones, so I don’t feel bad that I didn’t get into them.
I thought it was fun to have all these stories written by author pairs, and perhaps I will read the rest next year.
3.5 Stars Total
xobooktrovert's review
4.0
Just The Tip by L.J. Shen & Helena Hunting - 4 stars
Baby it’s Cold Outside by Corinne Michaels & Melanie Harlow - 3 stars
littlebookreader_'s review
5.0
Merry Christmas indeed!
Free Christmas shorts from my favorite authors? Yes please! I was so excited to see this surprise Christmas anthology! Such a happy surprise! I loved the stories!
Free Christmas shorts from my favorite authors? Yes please! I was so excited to see this surprise Christmas anthology! Such a happy surprise! I loved the stories!
amykastigar's review
5.0
A mixed bag, but (as you can see from the 5 stars) generally, a favorable one. All five stories were enjoyable on some level, and encourage me to try more from each of the authors or combos.
The first story was a good lead off. Cute, just the right tenor for the circumstances, the big coincidence forgiveable in such a cheery holiday story.
The second was cute as well, with a big coincidence that was also forgiveable given my holiday mood. I'm in the mood to give these stories quite a bit of leeway, as short stories are a difficult form to master, and everyone gave it a good effort. Plus, free! It was incredibly generous of all the authors to contribute.
The third story took me out of the holiday mood a bit...acrimonious divorces are never very festive. And I'm not a big fan of characters that jump right back into the dating pool without considering how they made such an error in judgment that resulted in said acrimonious divorce. But I digress...the characters were interesting, and I liked their interaction.
Now for the two stories that made me really want to read this book....
I still don't know quite what to think about the Reid/Cosway story. I love, love, love Penny Reid. And I've only read a couple of L. H. Cosway's solo efforts, but I really enjoyed both of them. But together, they are a mixed bag. Of their rugby series I really liked one, thought two were pretty enjoyable, and hated the fourth. And this story? Ok, maybe it's me. Maybe (and please feel free to comment if you can help me out) I just don't quite "get it." I was loving the story, the interaction between the characters, their disparate lives and experiences and the way they were attracted. But the end? What was that? What was I supposed to infer? I was completely confused. She....then he...then nothing??? What??? Now, I don't need to have every story spelled out for me to the nth degree, I can enjoy a certain amount of uncertainty, and "what happens next?" But it seemed like the story was rolling along nicely, and then someone abruptly slammed a door and left me hanging. And as an ending to a story I was really enjoying, it was disappointing.
And last, but certainly not least....Wesmie. I can tell from other reviews that this story was the big draw for many readers. And honestly, it was for me as well. I love Him and Us, reread or relisten to them regularly, and I have stated on more than one occasion that I firmly believe that Blake Riley is one of modern day literature's great comic characters. And the Bowen/Kennedy combo did nothing to disappoint in any way. The story was in keeping with previous plotlines and the Wes/Jamie chemistry was there in spades. And the big event...it was completely unexpected, but also very clearly and hilariously drawn. I could picture the scene perfectly in my mind, down to the chill of the ice and the tension of close play. But the ending.... I was perfectly delighted with Wesmie, as usual. I would happily volunteer to collect whatever bribes might be necessary to convince Ms. Bowen and Kennedy to continue the WAGS series.
The first story was a good lead off. Cute, just the right tenor for the circumstances, the big coincidence forgiveable in such a cheery holiday story.
The second was cute as well, with a big coincidence that was also forgiveable given my holiday mood. I'm in the mood to give these stories quite a bit of leeway, as short stories are a difficult form to master, and everyone gave it a good effort. Plus, free! It was incredibly generous of all the authors to contribute.
The third story took me out of the holiday mood a bit...acrimonious divorces are never very festive. And I'm not a big fan of characters that jump right back into the dating pool without considering how they made such an error in judgment that resulted in said acrimonious divorce. But I digress...the characters were interesting, and I liked their interaction.
Now for the two stories that made me really want to read this book....
I still don't know quite what to think about the Reid/Cosway story. I love, love, love Penny Reid. And I've only read a couple of L. H. Cosway's solo efforts, but I really enjoyed both of them. But together, they are a mixed bag. Of their rugby series I really liked one, thought two were pretty enjoyable, and hated the fourth. And this story? Ok, maybe it's me. Maybe (and please feel free to comment if you can help me out) I just don't quite "get it." I was loving the story, the interaction between the characters, their disparate lives and experiences and the way they were attracted. But the end? What was that? What was I supposed to infer? I was completely confused. She....then he...then nothing??? What??? Now, I don't need to have every story spelled out for me to the nth degree, I can enjoy a certain amount of uncertainty, and "what happens next?" But it seemed like the story was rolling along nicely, and then someone abruptly slammed a door and left me hanging. And as an ending to a story I was really enjoying, it was disappointing.
And last, but certainly not least....Wesmie. I can tell from other reviews that this story was the big draw for many readers. And honestly, it was for me as well. I love Him and Us, reread or relisten to them regularly, and I have stated on more than one occasion that I firmly believe that Blake Riley is one of modern day literature's great comic characters. And the Bowen/Kennedy combo did nothing to disappoint in any way. The story was in keeping with previous plotlines and the Wes/Jamie chemistry was there in spades. And the big event...it was completely unexpected, but also very clearly and hilariously drawn. I could picture the scene perfectly in my mind, down to the chill of the ice and the tension of close play. But the ending...