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anacoqui's review
4.0
I requested this anthology purely for the Shannon Stacey story. I am a big fan of her Kowalski Family books.
aefedele's review
3.0
This Time Next Year by Alison Kent: 2 Stars
A Rare Gift by Jaci Burton: 3.5 Stars
It's Not Christmas Without You by HelenKay Dimon: 4 Stars
Mistletoe and Margaritas by Shannon Stacey: 3 Stars
Detailed review to come.
A Rare Gift by Jaci Burton: 3.5 Stars
It's Not Christmas Without You by HelenKay Dimon: 4 Stars
Mistletoe and Margaritas by Shannon Stacey: 3 Stars
Detailed review to come.
mousegoddess's review
2.0
Real mixed bag for me, which means it ends up meh as a whole. It's not terrible it's just...I guess I've gotten out of the habit of standard contemporary romance? Until recently. So I'm difficult to please. That's my theory anyways.
jbenando's review
4.0
I totally enjoyed all four of these books!! I've only read one of these authors, so I was pleasantly surprised.
These were quick stories that each took about an hour to read. I think my fav was Mistletoe and Margaritas, by Shannon Stacey. I've heard good things about her, so I think I'll be checking her other books out real soon.
mslizalou's review
5.0
Holiday Kisses is the newest Christmas anthology being published from Carina Press. Holiday Kisses includes stories from Alison Kent (This Time Next Year), Jaci Burton (A Rare Gift), HelenKay Dimon (It’s Not Christmas Without You), and Shannon Stacey (Mistletoe & Margaritas). I’m a huge fan of each of the authors in this anthology and was very excited to get a copy early from NetGalley.
Alison Kent’s This Time Next Year
Brenna Keating is on her way to spend Christmas with her grandmother when treacherous roads and a skittish deer put her car in a ditch. Riding to the rescue – literally – is Dillon Craig, a reclusive doctor who insists she weather the storm in his cabin.
Since returning from Afghanistan where he treated wounded soldiers on the front lines, Dillon’s made it a point to avoid any emotional involvement. But his unexpected guest has him dangerously close to breaking his own rules.
Brenna has a plan for her life – until she’s stranded for three days with Dillon. Soon, the chemistry sizzling between them forces her to re-examine her priorities. The man is gorgeous, if taciturn, and a true hero in every sense of the word. No woman in her right mind could resist him, and so Brenna doesn’t – even though she can’t stay…
I really loved both Brenna and Dillon. Brenna and Dillon are both such strong individuals, who both have a need to serve and help others. Thanks to a deer in the road and a major snow storm, Brenna is rescued by Dillon and must wait out the storm at his cabin. There is attraction between Brenna and Dillon from the beginning, but with Brenna leaving the country at the first of the year, neither knows if the relationship can go anywhere. However, even with an uncertain future, Brenna and Dillon can’t fight their attraction for one another for very long. Loved how fast Brenna and Dillon knew they loved on another and they were willing to write letters, emails and talk on the phone while Brenna worked her dream job for a year.
Jaci Burton’s A Rare Gift
With a disastrous marriage behind him, Wyatt Kent has no interest in getting involved with any woman, let alone his ex-wife’s younger sister. But when Calliope Andrews hires him to build an addition onto her day care center, Wyatt can’t help but notice she’s a desirable woman, as warm and funny as his ex was cold and aloof.
Calliope fell hard for Wyatt the first time he walked through the door of her family’s home, and can’t believe her sister let him get away. He’s still the star of all her fantasies, and she’s determined to prove to him she’s nothing like his manipulative ex. Wyatt may be all business, but Calliope sees the way he looks at her when he’s supposed to be working…
It’s not long before Wyatt and Calliope are keeping each other warm on cold December nights. But it’s going to take a Christmas miracle for Wyatt to put his trust in love a second time.
A Rare Gift is the second book in the Kent Brother series from Jaci Burton. I absolutely loved Calliope Andrews. She is such a strong woman and knows exactly what she wants out of life and is willing to fight for what and who she wants…which has been Wyatt Kent since she first met him. Wyatt has just a little bit of baggage when it comes to love. Namely, Calliope’s older sister, who happens to be his ex-wife. He quickly realizes that Calliope is nothing like her sister, Cassandra, and finds himself having to fight his attraction to Calliope. As soon as Calliope realizes the attraction is mutual, she will accept nothing less than all of Wyatt. Calliope knows they are meant to be together, and takes steps to make sure Wyatt has put the past behind him to insure they can have a future together. Of course, Wyatt must mess up royally first, but in the end, he shows how much he loves Calliope.
HelenKay Dimon’s It’s Not Christmas Without You
Carrie Anders officially broke up with Austin Thomas when she accepted a dream job in the city. Unofficially, she misses him and is tempted to sneak back to her West Virginia hometown to see him. That’s why this year, she’s not going home for the holidays. Her heart can’t take any more mornings-after where nothing has changed – and Austin has made it clear he’s not interested in relocating.
Austin’s been waiting for Carrie to realize she can’t live without him. But when he hears she’s not coming home for Christmas, he decides to take action. If Carrie won’t come to the country, he’s going to bring a piece of the country to Carrie – in the form of a Christmas tree lot just minutes from her apartment. He’s certain daily meetings will entice her to come home with him, this time for good.
Their attraction is as hot as ever, but with such contrary Christmas wishes, can either of them get what they really want for Christmas?
I love that Austin loves Carrie so much he come to the city to set up a Christmas tree lot across the street from her apartment. Carrie is understandable rude when he first shows up, but still is as attracted to Austin and even gets jealous when she sees other women hanging around him. Of course, attraction has never been Carrie and Austin’s problem, but her job in D.C. at a museum has been. Austin figured Carrie would work in D.C. for a while and then be ready to come back home. Carrie loves her job at the museum and doesn’t understand why Austin can’t see how much her work means to her. When Austin attends an event at the museum with Carrie, he finally sees how important her work is to her, and doesn’t see how he can fit in her life any longer. Only by compromising can Carrie and Austin make their life together in two different cities.
Shannon Stacey’s Mistletoe & Margaritas
Claire Rutledge still believes in love, despite losing her husband. So, after two years, she’s not surprised by the steamy dreams telling her it might be time to start moving on. But she didn’t expect her friend Justin to have the starring role.
Justin McCormick has loved Claire since the moment he first saw her, but his best friend got there first. Now that Claire is ready to move on with her life, Justin is finding it harder than ever to hide his true feelings. And when they both get caught up in the holiday spirit at a party, their simmering mutual attraction boils over into a night neither of them can forget…
Claire and Justin have been best friends for years. Justin has been in love with Claire from the moment he saw her, but his best friend Brendan got there first, so he has kept his true feelings for Claire hidden for years. Claire has always looked at Justin as a friend, but now she is seeing him in a whole new light. Claire would be happy to act on this new attraction, and after a few margaritas at a holiday party, she and Justin get together. Of course, he wants to blame it on the alcohol, and not mess up their friendship. However, when they hook up again when out on his snow plow, there isn’t any alcohol to blame this time. Justin feels so much guilt going after his best friend’s wife, even though Brendan is gone. Only after talking to Brendan’s mom does Justin start to feel like he and Claire could have something lasting.
I loved each and every one of the stories in the Holiday Kisses anthology. I’m a big fan of Christmas stories and add a happily ever after to the mix and you always have a winner in my book. The release date is set for December 5, 2011 and can be found at your favorite online bookstore.
Alison Kent’s This Time Next Year
Brenna Keating is on her way to spend Christmas with her grandmother when treacherous roads and a skittish deer put her car in a ditch. Riding to the rescue – literally – is Dillon Craig, a reclusive doctor who insists she weather the storm in his cabin.
Since returning from Afghanistan where he treated wounded soldiers on the front lines, Dillon’s made it a point to avoid any emotional involvement. But his unexpected guest has him dangerously close to breaking his own rules.
Brenna has a plan for her life – until she’s stranded for three days with Dillon. Soon, the chemistry sizzling between them forces her to re-examine her priorities. The man is gorgeous, if taciturn, and a true hero in every sense of the word. No woman in her right mind could resist him, and so Brenna doesn’t – even though she can’t stay…
I really loved both Brenna and Dillon. Brenna and Dillon are both such strong individuals, who both have a need to serve and help others. Thanks to a deer in the road and a major snow storm, Brenna is rescued by Dillon and must wait out the storm at his cabin. There is attraction between Brenna and Dillon from the beginning, but with Brenna leaving the country at the first of the year, neither knows if the relationship can go anywhere. However, even with an uncertain future, Brenna and Dillon can’t fight their attraction for one another for very long. Loved how fast Brenna and Dillon knew they loved on another and they were willing to write letters, emails and talk on the phone while Brenna worked her dream job for a year.
Jaci Burton’s A Rare Gift
With a disastrous marriage behind him, Wyatt Kent has no interest in getting involved with any woman, let alone his ex-wife’s younger sister. But when Calliope Andrews hires him to build an addition onto her day care center, Wyatt can’t help but notice she’s a desirable woman, as warm and funny as his ex was cold and aloof.
Calliope fell hard for Wyatt the first time he walked through the door of her family’s home, and can’t believe her sister let him get away. He’s still the star of all her fantasies, and she’s determined to prove to him she’s nothing like his manipulative ex. Wyatt may be all business, but Calliope sees the way he looks at her when he’s supposed to be working…
It’s not long before Wyatt and Calliope are keeping each other warm on cold December nights. But it’s going to take a Christmas miracle for Wyatt to put his trust in love a second time.
A Rare Gift is the second book in the Kent Brother series from Jaci Burton. I absolutely loved Calliope Andrews. She is such a strong woman and knows exactly what she wants out of life and is willing to fight for what and who she wants…which has been Wyatt Kent since she first met him. Wyatt has just a little bit of baggage when it comes to love. Namely, Calliope’s older sister, who happens to be his ex-wife. He quickly realizes that Calliope is nothing like her sister, Cassandra, and finds himself having to fight his attraction to Calliope. As soon as Calliope realizes the attraction is mutual, she will accept nothing less than all of Wyatt. Calliope knows they are meant to be together, and takes steps to make sure Wyatt has put the past behind him to insure they can have a future together. Of course, Wyatt must mess up royally first, but in the end, he shows how much he loves Calliope.
HelenKay Dimon’s It’s Not Christmas Without You
Carrie Anders officially broke up with Austin Thomas when she accepted a dream job in the city. Unofficially, she misses him and is tempted to sneak back to her West Virginia hometown to see him. That’s why this year, she’s not going home for the holidays. Her heart can’t take any more mornings-after where nothing has changed – and Austin has made it clear he’s not interested in relocating.
Austin’s been waiting for Carrie to realize she can’t live without him. But when he hears she’s not coming home for Christmas, he decides to take action. If Carrie won’t come to the country, he’s going to bring a piece of the country to Carrie – in the form of a Christmas tree lot just minutes from her apartment. He’s certain daily meetings will entice her to come home with him, this time for good.
Their attraction is as hot as ever, but with such contrary Christmas wishes, can either of them get what they really want for Christmas?
I love that Austin loves Carrie so much he come to the city to set up a Christmas tree lot across the street from her apartment. Carrie is understandable rude when he first shows up, but still is as attracted to Austin and even gets jealous when she sees other women hanging around him. Of course, attraction has never been Carrie and Austin’s problem, but her job in D.C. at a museum has been. Austin figured Carrie would work in D.C. for a while and then be ready to come back home. Carrie loves her job at the museum and doesn’t understand why Austin can’t see how much her work means to her. When Austin attends an event at the museum with Carrie, he finally sees how important her work is to her, and doesn’t see how he can fit in her life any longer. Only by compromising can Carrie and Austin make their life together in two different cities.
Shannon Stacey’s Mistletoe & Margaritas
Claire Rutledge still believes in love, despite losing her husband. So, after two years, she’s not surprised by the steamy dreams telling her it might be time to start moving on. But she didn’t expect her friend Justin to have the starring role.
Justin McCormick has loved Claire since the moment he first saw her, but his best friend got there first. Now that Claire is ready to move on with her life, Justin is finding it harder than ever to hide his true feelings. And when they both get caught up in the holiday spirit at a party, their simmering mutual attraction boils over into a night neither of them can forget…
Claire and Justin have been best friends for years. Justin has been in love with Claire from the moment he saw her, but his best friend Brendan got there first, so he has kept his true feelings for Claire hidden for years. Claire has always looked at Justin as a friend, but now she is seeing him in a whole new light. Claire would be happy to act on this new attraction, and after a few margaritas at a holiday party, she and Justin get together. Of course, he wants to blame it on the alcohol, and not mess up their friendship. However, when they hook up again when out on his snow plow, there isn’t any alcohol to blame this time. Justin feels so much guilt going after his best friend’s wife, even though Brendan is gone. Only after talking to Brendan’s mom does Justin start to feel like he and Claire could have something lasting.
I loved each and every one of the stories in the Holiday Kisses anthology. I’m a big fan of Christmas stories and add a happily ever after to the mix and you always have a winner in my book. The release date is set for December 5, 2011 and can be found at your favorite online bookstore.
iamdr_rn's review
4.0
**Reviewed for Romancing Rakes for the Love of Romance**
Holiday Kisses is an anthology released by Carina Press, one of my favorite publishers for romance--I've yet to read a book of theirs that I didn't like. And this book was an excellent addition to their collection (admittedly I was eager to read Shannon Stacey's contribution to this anthology, but since it was the last one I made myself read the rest first. I'm just that strong).
This Time Next Year, Alison Kent
This is a story of healing, of letting go of the past and embracing the future. It's also a story about truly difficult life choices. Breena is a woman who is torn between fulfilling a life-long ambition and dream by following in the footsteps her parents and grandparents laid out before her...and turning her back on that dream to stay close to her grandmother. She wrestles with herself, unsure what would make her the happiest, and which will leave her with the most regrets.
And then she meets Dillon, and things become even more murky for her.
For his part, Dillon was a wonderfully complicated and real character, and the balance he finds with Breena is truly beautiful to see. His struggles are given as much focus as Breena's, and while they didn't have matching problems, they were complementary enough that it seemed natural for them to find solace with one another, as well as the strength to move in positive directions.
That said, I was a little worried about how this one would end, but I needn't have been. The author doesn't sacrifice either of the characters for the happily ever after, and that's what made it enjoyable for me.
A Rare Gift, Jaci Burton
Wyatt is coming off of a bad divorce, the culmination of a bad marriage, and he's in the foulest of moods. And what's best for such a Grinch? His own personal Cindy-Lou Who, in the form of Calliope. Forced to build an addition to her daycare, Wyatt is thrust into the orbit of her perpetual sunshine, which is only made worse by the fact that Calliope is his ex-wife's sister.
Yeah.
So forget that Grinch thing I said earlier, because that could make the eventual hook-up kind of awkward to read about.
Ultimately I couldn't really enjoy this story. While I have no problem with the grumpy hero who works on getting his head pulled out of his ass, Wyatt was not a character that I could really connect with. This story seemed to hint at background and past characters that were developed somewhere else, which isn't unusual for these anthologies, but this is one of those times where I felt a little lost without having that information. I feel like, if this is the case, and this is a short story contained within an interconnected series, that perhaps Wyatt would be more likeable with that additional history. Still, if you can't sell me the guy in the short without knowing all the stuff that came before, maybe he needs his own book all together.
Calliope probably would have been a lot more enjoyable given more time and space. As it stands now, she seemed entirely too willing to take and overlook Wyatt's tendency to be an asshole, and rather than being endearing, her interactions generally left a "what-do-you-see-in-him" taste in my mouth.
I don't have a problem with hooking-up-with-your-exes-sibling trope, but for me this just wasn't executed that well. By the end of the story I was rolling my eyes, not smiling.
It's Not Christmas Without You, HelenKay Dimon
This is one of those stories that caught me by surprise and forced me to read faster to get to the end, holding my breath that things would end happily. I wish I could precisely pinpoint and detail exactly how this author managed to hook me so thoroughly, but it was so subtle that I can't nail it down. All I know is that one minute I was meeting these characters, and the next thing I know, I'm rushing through the pages, terrified that there could be no resolution that didn't kick me in the gut.
Thankfully there was, so I wasn't completely traumatized. (And this is why I read romance. Can you imagine my panic in any other genre, where a happily ever after isn't a near-guarantee?)
This story hit on one of my favorite tropes, the high-school-sweethearts. Austin and Carrie have been together for most of their lives--not always on, but always coming back together, with the inevitability of two magnets with opposite poles. Until one day Carrie tells Austin that she wants to pursue her dream job in D.C., and asks him to come with her...and instead he tells her to go by herself.
The story picks up months later, and Carrie is still broken-hearted and missing Austin, even if she does love her job. She won't go home for Christmas because she can't face seeing him.
So he does the logical thing by coming to her, under the pretense of selling Christmas trees harvested from his family's land.
This story really conveyed how deeply these two had woven themselves together, how strongly they were connected, and in turn how deeply they could be hurt by the other. There were a couple of places where I winced in sympathy of the pain they were going through, and toward the end I felt a kind of crushing despair when it seemed like things weren't going to work out.
The author pulls it all together though, and manages to come to a conclusion that leaves both character's intact, their dreams fulfilled, and with a promising future in front of them.
Mistletoe and Margaritas, Shannon Stacey
What to do when you're in love with your best friend's widow? Justin has no idea--he keeps telling himself that he should stop spending so much time with Claire, because it certainly doesn't do his heart any favors. But every time he tells himself he'll put distance between them, he sees her and remembers that he just can't do it.
Claire has no idea how Justin feels about her; for her, he's the rock that's helped her in the difficult time since her husband died. But now she's starting to think maybe it's time to move on and be happy. It's what her husband would have wanted.
This is one of those stories where both parties resist the attraction that they feel. Justin can't bring himself to tell Claire that he loves her, because in his mind it's a betrayal to his best friend, dead or not. Claire is scared of losing her best friend to a case of lust, and so she fights the attraction.
Justin is one of those characters that you ache for. Knowing how much he loved Claire, how he spent so much time wanting her and knowing he could never have her, only to be given the chance and fear taking it, was so emotional. You couldn't blame the guy for honoring his best friend's memory, and his struggle with his guilt really drove the story for me. Claire's journey away from her grief and into a semblance of herself, of normalcy, was really well-done. It's a good illustration of how grief isn't like a room you exit and never return to; it's more like a scent in the air that you'll catch a whiff of even after leaving the main concentration.
The heartbreak and the sweetness in this story was a great way to end the anthology. If I had to pick, I would say that Stacey's contribution was my favorite, but it would be a close race. This is a holiday anthology that is well worth the read.
Holiday Kisses is an anthology released by Carina Press, one of my favorite publishers for romance--I've yet to read a book of theirs that I didn't like. And this book was an excellent addition to their collection (admittedly I was eager to read Shannon Stacey's contribution to this anthology, but since it was the last one I made myself read the rest first. I'm just that strong).
This Time Next Year, Alison Kent
This is a story of healing, of letting go of the past and embracing the future. It's also a story about truly difficult life choices. Breena is a woman who is torn between fulfilling a life-long ambition and dream by following in the footsteps her parents and grandparents laid out before her...and turning her back on that dream to stay close to her grandmother. She wrestles with herself, unsure what would make her the happiest, and which will leave her with the most regrets.
And then she meets Dillon, and things become even more murky for her.
For his part, Dillon was a wonderfully complicated and real character, and the balance he finds with Breena is truly beautiful to see. His struggles are given as much focus as Breena's, and while they didn't have matching problems, they were complementary enough that it seemed natural for them to find solace with one another, as well as the strength to move in positive directions.
That said, I was a little worried about how this one would end, but I needn't have been. The author doesn't sacrifice either of the characters for the happily ever after, and that's what made it enjoyable for me.
A Rare Gift, Jaci Burton
Wyatt is coming off of a bad divorce, the culmination of a bad marriage, and he's in the foulest of moods. And what's best for such a Grinch? His own personal Cindy-Lou Who, in the form of Calliope. Forced to build an addition to her daycare, Wyatt is thrust into the orbit of her perpetual sunshine, which is only made worse by the fact that Calliope is his ex-wife's sister.
Yeah.
So forget that Grinch thing I said earlier, because that could make the eventual hook-up kind of awkward to read about.
Ultimately I couldn't really enjoy this story. While I have no problem with the grumpy hero who works on getting his head pulled out of his ass, Wyatt was not a character that I could really connect with. This story seemed to hint at background and past characters that were developed somewhere else, which isn't unusual for these anthologies, but this is one of those times where I felt a little lost without having that information. I feel like, if this is the case, and this is a short story contained within an interconnected series, that perhaps Wyatt would be more likeable with that additional history. Still, if you can't sell me the guy in the short without knowing all the stuff that came before, maybe he needs his own book all together.
Calliope probably would have been a lot more enjoyable given more time and space. As it stands now, she seemed entirely too willing to take and overlook Wyatt's tendency to be an asshole, and rather than being endearing, her interactions generally left a "what-do-you-see-in-him" taste in my mouth.
I don't have a problem with hooking-up-with-your-exes-sibling trope, but for me this just wasn't executed that well. By the end of the story I was rolling my eyes, not smiling.
It's Not Christmas Without You, HelenKay Dimon
This is one of those stories that caught me by surprise and forced me to read faster to get to the end, holding my breath that things would end happily. I wish I could precisely pinpoint and detail exactly how this author managed to hook me so thoroughly, but it was so subtle that I can't nail it down. All I know is that one minute I was meeting these characters, and the next thing I know, I'm rushing through the pages, terrified that there could be no resolution that didn't kick me in the gut.
Thankfully there was, so I wasn't completely traumatized. (And this is why I read romance. Can you imagine my panic in any other genre, where a happily ever after isn't a near-guarantee?)
This story hit on one of my favorite tropes, the high-school-sweethearts. Austin and Carrie have been together for most of their lives--not always on, but always coming back together, with the inevitability of two magnets with opposite poles. Until one day Carrie tells Austin that she wants to pursue her dream job in D.C., and asks him to come with her...and instead he tells her to go by herself.
The story picks up months later, and Carrie is still broken-hearted and missing Austin, even if she does love her job. She won't go home for Christmas because she can't face seeing him.
So he does the logical thing by coming to her, under the pretense of selling Christmas trees harvested from his family's land.
This story really conveyed how deeply these two had woven themselves together, how strongly they were connected, and in turn how deeply they could be hurt by the other. There were a couple of places where I winced in sympathy of the pain they were going through, and toward the end I felt a kind of crushing despair when it seemed like things weren't going to work out.
The author pulls it all together though, and manages to come to a conclusion that leaves both character's intact, their dreams fulfilled, and with a promising future in front of them.
Mistletoe and Margaritas, Shannon Stacey
What to do when you're in love with your best friend's widow? Justin has no idea--he keeps telling himself that he should stop spending so much time with Claire, because it certainly doesn't do his heart any favors. But every time he tells himself he'll put distance between them, he sees her and remembers that he just can't do it.
Claire has no idea how Justin feels about her; for her, he's the rock that's helped her in the difficult time since her husband died. But now she's starting to think maybe it's time to move on and be happy. It's what her husband would have wanted.
This is one of those stories where both parties resist the attraction that they feel. Justin can't bring himself to tell Claire that he loves her, because in his mind it's a betrayal to his best friend, dead or not. Claire is scared of losing her best friend to a case of lust, and so she fights the attraction.
Justin is one of those characters that you ache for. Knowing how much he loved Claire, how he spent so much time wanting her and knowing he could never have her, only to be given the chance and fear taking it, was so emotional. You couldn't blame the guy for honoring his best friend's memory, and his struggle with his guilt really drove the story for me. Claire's journey away from her grief and into a semblance of herself, of normalcy, was really well-done. It's a good illustration of how grief isn't like a room you exit and never return to; it's more like a scent in the air that you'll catch a whiff of even after leaving the main concentration.
The heartbreak and the sweetness in this story was a great way to end the anthology. If I had to pick, I would say that Stacey's contribution was my favorite, but it would be a close race. This is a holiday anthology that is well worth the read.
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