Waiting on the Rain (McKinney/Walker Brothers #3) by Claudia Connor

E-Reader Addict Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟½

There’s nothing better than ending the year reading a book by one of my favorite authors. And after the stress, strain, and uncertainty of 2020, what I truly needed was a sweet, simple, heartwarming story…which is what Claudia Connor does best.

After the five Walker siblings endured the unimaginable tragedy of losing their parents (Worth the Wait – McKinney/Walker Brothers #1), Luke Walker left home at 17 to join the military and rarely came home in 20 years. But now he’s retired and trying to figure out what to do next in life. Until he figures that out, he’s working at his sister Hannah’s therapy horse ranch (Worth the Risk – The McKinney Brothers #2) and reconnecting with his siblings and their spouses, the newest one having just been added when Nora married his brother Zach (Waiting for You – McKinney/Walker Brothers #2).

It’s at the wedding where Luke meets Ava Bennet, an interpreter for the United Nations who’s in town to help after her father’s knee surgery and was recently befriended by Hannah. (It’s the cutest, swooniest meet-cute I’ve read in ages!) Luke is immediately smitten with the beautiful, fiercely independent woman who also happens to be blind. Their attraction is mutual, but Luke isn’t sure of his place in life, and Ava’s life is in New York. Also, she’s not sure she wants to be in a relationship anyway after having her marriage end recently.

When they decide to spend whatever time together they can, neither is prepared for how strong their feelings become or how hard it is to say goodbye.

There’s something about Claudia Connor’s books that hit me in the feels, every single time. I love her heroes and their strong, quiet determination to win over the reluctant women they love. I love her heroines who are strong and determined to build their own lives but come to realize the good man they have standing in front of them. The road to happily ever after is bumpy, but only because their hearts have been battered before by life, and not because of silly, unnecessary angst. Ms. Connor’s books make me laugh, but they also make me cry, and they’re always filled with so many swoony moments! Waiting on the Rain was no exception.

There’s only one more Walker sibling left and I can’t wait to read the final brother’s story. I frequently wish Ms. Connor would write faster and publish books more often, but it’s hard to be too disappointed when everything she writes is so darn good. There isn’t a single book by Ms. Connor that I haven’t read multiple times, and with a To Be Read list that is 100+ books long, that isn’t a privilege I give to too many books!

After the Fall (The McKinney Brothers #1.5) by Claudia Connor

E-Reader Addict Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Asking me to pick my favorite book is like asking me to pick which one of my children is my favorite. But if I had to pick an all-time, top five favorites list…Worth the Fall (The McKinney Brothers #1) by Claudia Connor would definitely be on it.

Matt, a Navy SEAL, and Abby, a pregnant single mother of four, met and fell in love during a week at the beach. It was a bumpy road to happily ever after, but now they’re there, and After the Fall is a look at them during the year after they marry. With each chapter covering a different holiday, we get a glimpse of Matt being the awesome dad and doting husband we all knew he’d be, along with all the hijinks that ensue with five children in the house.

I loved these short stories when Ms. Connor sent them out in her newsletters a couple years back, and I loved reading them again. Having them all in one book is fantastic! I frequently reread Worth the Fall – Matt and Abby’s love story is sweet and heartwarming and never fails to make me swoon even after countless reads, so I’m always happy to spend more time with them and all the children. This extended epilogue was the perfect holiday gift to all of Ms. Connor’s readers!

Everything Changes (Canyon Creek #3) by Catherine Bybee

E-Reader Addict Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

When I decided to read as many of the holiday books – that were already on my Kindle – as I could this December, Everything Changes was the book that taunted me the most from my to-be-read-next list. I loved loved loved My Way to You (Canyon Creek #1) and really liked Home to Me (Canyon Creek #2), so I was really looking forward to book three! But it ended up being a bit of a mixed bag for me.

Grace Hudson is a civil engineer for the city of Santa Clarita, CA. She’s the lone woman in her department in an industry that’s very much a man’s world to begin with. As such, she’s very aware of minding her Ps and Qs, making sure to always dot her Is and cross her Ts.

Dameon Locke owns a commercial development company whose next big project is in Santa Clarita. When he first sees Grace at the hotel where he’s staying while scoping out the town, then again the next morning at a coffee shop, he’s already on his way to smitten and thrilled to discover he’ll be working with her.

Grace is a bit gun-shy after her last attempt at dating went horribly wrong (you get that story during Home to Me), and with the potential conflict of interest in getting involved with someone doing business with the city, she does her best to keep Dameon at arm’s length. But Dameon is charming and persistent, even when things go horribly wrong with another of Grace’s cases.

I actually wasn’t sure how I felt about the hero in this story, which was such a surprise after loving the ones in the first two books. Dameon comes on really strong – giving off some mild stalker vibes (which is a big issue in the history of this series), and even after Grace expresses concern about seeing him socially, he keeps pressing, seemingly ignoring that even the appearance of impropriety could potentially damage Grace’s job and even her career. And that didn’t sit right with me. Because that’s not even an unfair “woman in a man’s world” issue. It’s a matter of conflict of interest, and if you care about someone you protect them – even if it means putting your hormones on hold for a bit. Truth be told, I’m not sure I ever completely warmed up to Dameon.

However, true to Catherine Bybee form, the story did not go the way I thought it would- which I always appreciate. Dameon is a good guy who appreciates Grace for who she is, and there’s never any ridiculous conflicts between them – because they are mature people capable of having actual discussions about their feelings. This story had a bit of a suspense/action storyline going that I also thoroughly enjoyed – even if I do feel like some loose ends were left dangling. But the good guys win, the bad guys lose, and all is right in the world of Canyon Creek.

By the end, we’ve gotten an ample amount of time with all three couples from this series, which made me unreasonably happy. I thoroughly enjoyed this series and am unreasonably sad to see it end. The only thing that offers me any comfort at all is knowing another Catherine Bybee series is coming in a few short months – giving me something to look forward to next spring!

A Match Made at Christmas (Christmas in New York #4) by Patty Blount

E-Reader Addict Rating: 🌟🌟

I suppose it was bound to happen.

After nine holiday books, I finally hit one that made me cranky. And boy, this one was a doozy. I’m not even sure how I managed to get through it, except I bought it three years ago and I figured it was time I got it read.

At the age of 14, Elena got in a fight with her mother, who was then killed the next day when she went to work at her job at the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001. And for the 13 years ever since she’s been harboring guilt, having never told anyone about the terrible things she said to her mother, and has never set foot back in New York City. But now her sister needs her, so she’s back in the city and it’s bringing up all kinds of feelings.

Lucas also lost his mother on September 11th, and after a rough couple of years he now volunteers with a group that helps remember the victims of that tragic day. When Elena shows up on her sister’s behalf to help with a benefit dinner, Lucas and Elena are inexplicably drawn to each other, not knowing they share a special past together even beyond their common tragedy.

For better or worse, I “see” a book in my head whenever I’m reading. And what I saw in this book was an overacted, soap opera style melodramatic angst-fest of epic proportions. Listen, I get the trauma the heroine experienced, but if you’re now almost 30 and can’t get your crap together – even after years of therapy, I have little sympathy for you. And the hero wasn’t much better either, swinging from “I love you” to “get out of my life” faster than a speeding NYC subway.

This could have been a touching, heartfelt story where two hurting people find love and healing. But instead the histrionic behavior of all the characters made the story ridiculous and eyerollingly cringey. I should have quit this one.

Christmas in the City by Various Authors

E-Reader Addict Rating: 🌟🌟🌟

Full disclosure: I only read four of the co-written novellas in this anthology, so my rating only includes the ones listed below. Will I get to the rest of these stories at some point? Who knows. But it will not be this year. I’ve about reached my limit for holiday schmaltz…

Baby It’s Cold Outside by Melanie Harlow & Corinne Michaels – 2.5 stars
Harlow and Michael are neighbors who meet when Michael helps Harlow with her Christmas tree that’s gotten stuck in the front door of their apartment building. The humor was forced (though I did enjoy the dialogue) and the story is all insta-lust and steamy times without much substance. I have adjusted standards for novellas, but this one was particularly insipid. But there was a fun surprising twist that earned this quick story an extra half star.

Kissmiss in New York by Penelope Ward & Vi Keeland – 4 stars
This story is holiday novella done right – with an actual storyline instead of just steamy times! Margo and Chet meet at a cafe when Margo’s best friend dares her to be impulsive by kissing a stranger. They have a couple…obstacles…to overcome, but are eventually able to be together. I love a story where common sense prevails and the hero is willing to play the long game to get the woman he wants.

Songbird by Penny Reid & LH Conway – 2 stars
Not gonna lie, I hesitated to read this one. I LOVE Penny Reid, but didn’t get far in the last co-written book by these authors. So I’m pleased to announce I got through the whole novella! But dang…what a complete let down. Things started out kinda slow…the heroine is alone on Christmas Eve and on her way home from the hotel where she works cleaning guest rooms, she stops in a pub to sing a quick song (uh, okay? maybe it’s an Irish thing) and gets the attention of an American who works in the music industry. The heroine takes the hero on a little sightseeing tour of the town, they share a kiss, the hero helps her out of a less-than-favorable situation. And that’s pretty much it. The end. Not even a hint of a future. Just…the end. Someone please tell me there’s a part two for this couple…

Epic by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy – 3 stars
This quick story is about a well-established couple who already have two books written about them – Him and Us – neither of which I’d read. But it didn’t matter because Sarina Bowen is a masterful storyteller and this story was on-point with ample plot development, plenty of humorous banter, and just enough emotion to keep me engaged and entertained.

A Holiday Lift by Corinne Michaels

E-Reader Addict Rating: 🌟🌟½

This novella is exhibit A of why novellas frequently don’t work. It’s not that the writing was bad, it’s just that very little of the characters or the plot were developed.

When we first meet the couple, Holly and Dean are one week out from a one-night stand, and now they’re stuck together in an elevator. This could have been rife with awkward glances and wonderfully uncomfortable conversation. Instead, most of this story takes place in the hero and heroine’s head, and when they do finally talk everything is resolved with a quick conversation.

Then we fast forward one year…

Now, the last part is cute and the hero is charming. But I still don’t feel like I know much of anything about him.

Part of my problem here is that I expect more angst and drama from a Corinne Michaels story, so not getting any of that is a little disappointing. But, and this is a huge thing, A Holiday Lift was still a pleasant story to read. It didn’t make me cranky. Didn’t have me throwing vibes of bah humbug. And this year, that’s all I ask!

This Christmas by Laurie Winter

E-Reader Addict Rating: 🌟🌟🌟

I have been a big fan of Laurie Winter since her very first book. I was impressed with her writing and her ability to take a contemporary romance story that’s been done countless times, but make it her own – and stay away from all the cliches you usually get (in both plot and writing). Now she’s giving us romantic suspense with a unique storyline and the same great writing.

But this genre is tricky for me. I want equal parts of both the romance and suspense. And while we did get a balanced amount of both, the romance left me wanting a little more…

Luke Veldkamp has dealt with the loss of his beloved wife by throwing himself into his work as a police captain. And his latest case involving the sons of his very beautiful neighbor from across the street, Celia Batista, is just another opportunity to not deal with his grief.

Except Celia’s presence in his life is starting to stir feelings he thought he’d never have again. As Luke and Celia work together to find one son and keep the other safe, it becomes harder for them to ignore the growing feelings between them.

The suspense part of this book was good. I read a lot and it’s hard to keep me guessing about what’s going on, so I’m pleased to say This Christmas had some twists I didn’t see coming! The action kept things moving but wasn’t too heavy, which was a good thing because I think most people go into a holiday story looking for warm fuzzies and a lighthearted story. (Or maybe that’s just me?)

As for the romance part…I enjoy books about older couples. They tend to have real, actual issues to wade through instead of self-inflicted ones that are all in their heads. And this couple had some deep issues. Luke is still dealing with the loss of his wife, and Celia – a widow of 14 years who recently became an empty nester – is ready to travel and have adventures of her own and would love someone to share her life with after being alone for so long. She knows Luke is a good man, but he’s not ready to move forward and she deserves more. Unfortunately, so much of their conflict resolution was done internally. I wanted to see them have more heartfelt conversations and – gasp – maybe a little more angst between them. There’s also a secondary romance going between Luke’s daughter and one of Celia’s sons that was fun to see develop, but again…I would have liked to see more!

Overall I enjoyed This Christmas. It was an excellent balance to all the sappy holiday love stories I’ve been subjecting myself to the past three weeks!

Mistletoe and Mr. Right (Moose Springs, Alaska #2) by Sarah Morgenthaler

E-Reader Addict Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟½

Tis the season to be jolly and Mistletoe and Mr. Right was the book that got me there!

Lana Montgomery has a heart of gold, but people seldom see her for anything other than the uber-rich socialite and commercial developer that she is. And in Moose Springs she’s pretty much public enemy number one, with the holiday-decoration-destroying Santa Moose a distant second place.

But Rick Harding, local pool hall owner, sees her. And he’s had a huge crush on her for years despite knowing her plans for a condominium developement will cause drastic changes to their small town way of life. Also, she’s not a permanent fixture in town. That shouldn’t really matter though since he’s not looking to get his heart broken for a second time in his life.

Yet that doesn’t stop him from spending as much time with Lana as he can, especially since she seems to enjoy his company as well. And the more time they spend together, the more hilarity and hijinks ensue. Then a Mongomery family emergency has Rick travelling to Chicago with Lana, reminding him why the two of them together won’t work.

I absolutely loved this story just as much as I did The Tourist Attraction (Moose Springs, Alaska #1) – maybe even more. Sarah Morgenthaler’s writing is flawless, filled with effortless humor and lovable characters. Lana’s waters run much deeper than you expect for a woman who grew up with a silver spoon in her mouth. Rick, oh sweet Rick…you just gotta love a guy who’s so nervous about a date he makes himself flashcards to study so he doesn’t mess up and carries his pet hedgehog around in his coat so she stays warm. Each of the residents of Moose Springs are charming and quirky, but lack the ridiculous eccentricities you often get in small town stories. In short, Mistletoe and Mr. Right is storytelling, reading-enjoyment perfection.

My only issue with this book is the happy-for-now ending. No two people deserve a happily ever after filled with love more than Lana and Rick, and I would have liked to see it. But I have hope we’ll get to see more happy times for those two in the next book, Enjoy the View, and I can’t wait to read it!

* thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Sidenote: In order to get a jump on this book (because I have too many holiday stories I’m trying to plow through before Christmas), I started to listen to this one on audiobook – which is something I do on occasion. Usually if I do this I’ll read a chapter, listen to one, read, listen, so I can get through the book faster. But not this time! I read and listened to the whole book because the narrator for this book is fantastic. And also the story is just so fun. So really, I didn’t save myself any time, but I didn’t even care!

Christmas in Angel Harbor by Jeannie Moon

E-Reader Addict Rating: 🌟🌟🌟

There is a definitive lack of romance books written about “seasoned” characters. Being that I am in that seasoned age bracket myself, when I hear about one I am very interested in reading it. But Jeannie Moon has been more miss than hit for me recently so I wasn’t sure how this one would go. Well, it went okay.

Jane Fallon is a single mom who will be sending her only child off to college next year, leaving her wondering what’s next in life. She has big plans to expand the bookstore that’s been in her family for 80 years, but is having problems moving forward because the owners of the building won’t return her lawyer’s calls. These things leave her feeling unsettled, and that’s before the man she loved 20 years ago shows up in her store.

Dan Gallo is a successful author, but his solitary life has left him feeling adrift and unable to get the creative juices flowing in order to write. So he heads home to Angel Harbor to spend time with his family and hide from his agent while writing in a new genre. When he finds Janie working at her family’s bookstore where he spent so much time growing up, he begins to wonder if this is his second chance to be with the woman he once loved.

I love me some Jeannie Moon. But not much of consequence happened in this book and what did happen was overwhelmed by constant repetitive internal thoughts: the hero – “I messed up with Janie and my family, I can’t make a life in Angel Harbor,” the heroine – “he isn’t staying so I can’t open my heart to him again, but my feelings are stronger now than ever…” As has been the case with the last couple of books by Ms. Moon, this one has a very “young adult” feel to it in that there’s lots of repeated internal musings. I don’t care for that kind of writing to begin with and it was especially disappointing here since the characters are in their early 50s. I was SO looking forward to reading a book about mature people who think and behave like mature people, but I don’t really feel like we got that here.

But that’s not all that was disappointing. Several of the side stories were underdeveloped, leaving me wanting more. I never could understand why Dan chose to ghost Jane, or why Jane never demanded an explanation. And Jane’s anger at Dan during their big fight seemed excessive and out of character. I would have expected someone of her age to be able to have a better perspective on why Dan did what he did, and accept his sincere apology.

Also, where was the passion between these two??? We get nothing more than making out, which okay, that’s sweet. But old people have sex too! I wanted more for this hero and heroine.

Nevertheless, this was a pleasant, heartwarming story. Sometimes it’s nice to read one without a lot of angst or drama, which is exactly what you get here. However, I have high expectations for Jeannie Moon books so this one fell a little short. It didn’t leave me feeling jolly but didn’t send me anywhere close to bah humbug territory, so I’ll call that a win!

The Cowboy Who Saved Christmas by Various Authors

E-Reader Addict Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

O M G!! An anthology with three stories, from three different authors (two of which I’d never read before) – and I liked them ALL!!!

Because 2020 has been…hard…I decided to read some holiday stories that were sure to make me appreciate living in 2020 – even if this year has been a dumpster fire of epic proportions. And what better way to accomplish that than reading three historical romance novellas?! But I’m not gonna lie…when it came time to read these stories I asked myself what I was thinking requesting this ARC. Good thing I did though because these stories were fantastic!

Father Goose by Jodi Thomas – 4 stars
This story was both heartwarming and harrowing. Trapper Hawkins has spent the past two years since the end of the Civil War riding from town to town, gambling in saloons. A high stakes game in Texas earns him the chance to make $500 – all he has to do is escort the five young daughters of a wealth rancher from the coast up to Dallas. With the help of Emery Adams, a young woman escaping her abusive family and searching for a better life, the seven of them work together to face danger on the trail. And along the way, Trapper and Emery fall in love and find a life greater than they thought they could have!

I loved this story. The children were great, the story of their travels engaging, and the romance was sweet!

The MIstletoe Promise by Sharla Lovelace – 3 stars
It’s 1904 and Josie Bancroft is facing a dire situation. A hurricane and disease have wiped out the family’s herd of cattle, then her father died. Now she’s behind in taxes and the bank is about to foreclose. So she begrudgingly goes in search of a rich husband at the neighboring ranch’s Christmas party…hosted by the man who broke her heart five years ago. Ben Mason didn’t want to walk away from Josie, but when his past caught up with him he was forced to let her walk away. He’s missed her every day and now he’s not going to miss his second chance to be with Josie.

I love second-chance romances and this one started out really well. But the ending had me cranky. I love that moment when the hero says “I’m so sorry I hurt you, I was wrong.” And we did get that. But it was followed by “you hurt me too” so then the heroine was upset with herself for how she behaved (after learning she had been lied to and wasn’t going to be able to be with the love of her life). Isn’t that called gaslighting??? I think she was completely justified in her behavior and her feelings and their situation was in NO way her fault. And then the heroine got over her five years of hurt pretty quickly, in my opinion. But this was a novella, so I suppose it had to happen that way…

Christmas Road by Scarlett Dunn – 4 stars
Clint Mitchum never returned home after fighting in the Civil War, but a letter reporting that his mother is very ill from Yellow Fever has him travelling home as fast as he can. Once he gets there though, all he finds is a note from his mother asking him to find the woman who took care of her during her illness and make sure she’s okay. So Clint heads back out in search of Amelia Wakeland. Along his way he finds other families from his hometown who left because their town was decimated because of Yellow Fever (wow, this storyline landed a little close to our current situation!) and are now panning for gold. Once he finds Amelia, he begins to think maybe he doesn’t have to live a solitary life.

I really liked this story, too! There were more really cute children, lots of action, and a sweet love story.

These novellas make me long for more stories where a person’s character is more important than their looks or the chemistry between them. Where that first touch of the hands sends heart rates pounding and the first kiss is pined for after days of yearning across a campfire. I wouldn’t want to have lived 150 years ago, but I think there’s something inherently romantic about the manners and propriety with which men treated women back then.

There’s nothing like perspective to put a person back in the right frame of mind, and that’s what these stories did. Things have been difficult recently, but at least I have hot water and a flushing toilet. I can travel safely without fearing for my life. And if I do get sick, there’s a good chance I’ll be just fine because I have access to modern medical care. There’s also books. Lots and lots of really great books!

* thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review