Fascinating and engaging book reviews and encouragement you'll want to read.
Author:deanne01
I am an avid reader and reviewer. I am open for review requests please contact me at Cnnamongirl at aol dot com. I work with big name publishers and indie publishers alike. I am on launch and street teams and have MANY NetGalley and GoodReads reviews up. I love all animals and I am a vegetarian. Thank you for joining me here.
Alisha Jones, or Princess Christmas as she is affectionately known, is joint heir to her Grandpa Frost’s family fortune, but being third behind an older sister and brother means she has to work three times as hard to prove herself.
Marsha Underwood, her grandpa’s PA and ever-present thorn in her side, is determined to undermine her at every turn and Alisha finds herself powerless to prevent this.
An encounter with a fortune teller at the Frost Christmas Ball leads to a bewildering dream of the future; and the added complication of Tom Walker, the son of Frost’s new business partner leads to a tumultuous year.
With her friends by her side, will she be able to turn things around? And what exactly does the strange dream mean?
A story of family, friendship and love at first sight with a sprinkle of Christmas magic
Fun loving and festive describes this book perfectly. With quirky characters, the fun keeps adding up. Out to prove herself our main character has some laugh out loud moments. I enjoyed seeing the comraderies with family and friends.
It’s Christmas time so dreams do come true, so if you wish it and dream it then you can believe it. Sprinkled with goodness, love and family this is a delightful holiday read.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own opinion.
Alistair Duncan hates Christmas. His wife left him and his daughter on Christmas Eve. To make matters worse, his family have announced they are coming to stay at his sprawling Scottish estate. He needs help planning a big family Christmas.
Alistair braves the holiday rush in search of an events company. But instead he finds himself standing in a Christmas pop-up shop, offering the job to the quirky shop assistant. To his shock, she accepts.
Rose wastes no time Christmas tree shopping and party planning, and before long the Duncan family estate is a mass of ribbons, presents and twinkling lights — even the family goat Houdini gets into the spirit!
But planning the family Christmas means being involved in Alistair’s life, especially his 12-year-old daughter Isla. And the more Alistair sees how Rose fits into his family, the more the ice around his heart begins to thaw.
As Christmas Eve approaches, and Rose is due to return to London, it’s time for the Christmas magic to weave its spell . . .
This heartwarming and uplifting Christmas romance is perfect for fans of Lucy Coleman, Sarah Morgan, Phillipa Ashley, Cressida McLaughlin and Maxine Morrey.
When you’re thinking festive holiday comfort read, may I suggest A Scottish Christmas? This was such a fun read, and I loved everything about it.
A former event planner, Rose Aldridge hasn’t had an easy time of it, money is really tight. With her mother’s passing she’s barely been scraping by at a Christmas pop up shop she’s been working at. Can the very unexpected happen? Well, it does for her a handsome Scottish businessman hires her to plan a big family Christmas event.
I loved reading about Rose as she’s completely in her element with the decorating and event planning for his family’s stay. Alistair Duncan has no use for Christmas, it just signifies painful memories for him. This year, he wants it to be different and make it special for his daughter and family.
The grumpy sunshine trope is one of my favorites and it’s so heartwarming to see this single dad have such a positive relationship with his daughter.
This is a slow burn romance. Alistair is not looking for romance, but a sprinkle of holiday magic has brought Rose into his life as a party planner. Alistair and his daughter both see how well Rose fits into their life, will winter be a little warmer with her in it?
Such a charming read and I loved how acclimated Rose became to their life, she fit right in.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Emma grew up and lived in London, before falling in love and moving to Wales to marry her own hero. Emma lives with her husband and 4 children in a small Welsh market town. She is often found in rivers attempting to control two overexcited chocolate Labradors.
Emma can be found on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@EmmaBennetAuthor where she offers tips and tricks for writers, as well as book recommendations, author life vlogs and live writing sprints.
Emma likes (in no particular order): cake, books, Cary Grant films, prosecco, chocolate, guinea pigs, knitting, quilting and happily ever afters!
Book Title:
A Scottish Christmas
Book Blurb:THE BRAND-NEW FEEL-GOOD, CHARMING, FESTIVE ROMANCE.
Fall in love this Christmas.
Working the festive period in a pop-up Christmas shop was not how Rose Aldridge was expecting to spend December. But neither was she expecting to meet a handsome, brooding, Scottish businessman.
I once had a neighbor who asked personal questions, had an outside balcony and made no pretense of not staring from her queenly throne and starting at everything our family did while outside. She would also call me from her balcony when I was in the house, she’d peer in my windows as she could see in. Now this is not how you have a good neighbor. I was glad when she moved away.
A warm, spellbinding tale about a witch and the secrets her coven has been keeping from her, with echoes of the classic Hades and Persephone story, in the tradition of Practical Magic and Witch of Wild Things.
Hecate Goodwin, Kate to her friends, has curated the perfect life as a hedge witch, living in a secluded cottage with only a black cat for company. She spends her days foraging herbs from the Ipswich forest, gardening, and creating tinctures to sell at the apothecary she owns. Most evenings pass without her speaking to another human being, an arrangement she quite prefers.
Kate’s solitude is thrown into disarray when her older sister, Miranda, reaches out and asks her to host their coven’s annual Halloween gathering. The day marks the beginning of the new year for witches and is also Kate’s birthday. The pressure from her coven to make the evening memorable mounts as the event draws near. To complicate things further, a handsome man from Kate’s past turns up at her cottage, asking for sanctuary. It is Kate’s duty as a hedge witch to honor this request, much to her dismay. Matthew Cypher is no ordinary lost soul–he’s a practitioner of forbidden magic who’s tricked Kate once before, and her guard is up.
As she juggles Matthew’s arrival and the preparations for Halloween, Kate comes across an old tome shrouded in dark magic. She is horrified when she realizes the blood-red inscription is written in familiar handwriting: her recently deceased mother’s. Afraid to even touch the dark magic her mother secretly studied, Kate can turn only to Matthew for help. Her idealized memory of her mother begins to distort, and as she and Matthew grow closer, Kate has to reevaluate whom she can really trust.
A Dark and Secret Magic is a celebration of the Halloween season and a love letter to anyone who drinks pumpkin spice in August and carries the spirit of a witch inside their heart all year long.
MY THOUGHTS
A Dark and Secret Magic has such an incredible cover that I was drawn to it straight away and I knew I had to read it because it sounded so interesting.
Taking place in the days leading up to Halloween this is the perfect seasonal read. Filled with all the Halloween and Fall vibes you want including our main character a hedge witch. She lives in a cozy cottage filled with herbs and her cat’s name is Merlin.
Hecate, our protagonist is always baking, cooking and making a special recipe hot chocolate, I swear I could smell the cinnamon as I read.
This is my first fantasy read and I was captivated by it. Witchy, Halloweeny vibes, black cats, cozy cottage, small town charm, a pumpkin contest I’m all in. Marvelous and I’ll be looking for more like this soon.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Wallis Kinney’s biggest sources of joy in life are science and fairytales. She tries to imbue elements of both into every story she writes. She studied planetary science and molecular biology at the University of Colorado and has a master’s degree in economics from Purdue University. She is president of the Jane Bosart Foundation, her family’s private foundation that focuses on granting high school and college scholarships to underprivileged students. She wrote A Dark and Secret Magic as a gift for her older sister, in honor of all the years they spent celebrating the magical wonder of Halloween together. Wallis lives in Dallas, Texas, with her family. In her free time she enjoys playing Dungeons & Dragons and making videos on YouTube that document her writing process.
I’ve been putting off cleaning out and organizing stuff in my bedroom walk in closet. Once I get started I know it’s going to take hours and I’m just not feeling it. I need motivation for this job. Or maybe it’s coffee I need instead. 🤣😂
When was the first time you really felt like a grown up (if ever)?
I have always been the mature type, handling my responsibilities and getting my first job as a dog groomer at 13. Though asked I was not the type to go out partying and had no use for drinking. So when I became pregnant at 21 and held that precious baby boy several months after I turned 22 I knew this was it. Time to put any foolish notions I may have had left over and become the adult I was supposed to be. This little guy was dependent on my husband and I and we’ve never regretted it. On December 26th last year this oldest child of mine and his wife had twin boys. He is also a detective with a police force in Maryland. I am not allowed to share pictures of the babies for their safety because of his job. We are truly grateful and blessed.
Happy Friday & welcome to First Line Friday hosted at Reading is my Super Power! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line. Today I’m delighted to feature the first line of Fables from Scotland by Samuel Denhartog.
FIRST LINE(S)
Thomas Learmont, the young laird of Ercildourne Castle, was known throughout the land for his charm and wit. He was a man of many talents-skilled with both pen and lute, and blessed with a love for poetry and music, unusual tastes for a man in the thirteenth century.
426 pages Part of series Fable Anthologies Publication date September 13, 2024
Would this make it onto your reading list? Please share the first lines of what you’re reading or the book closest to you.
The smell of mulled wine fills the air as the villagers listen to carollers singing. Everyone in town is ready for the big day. But Lauren only has hours to get the community Christmas party back on track…
Thirty-four-year-old Lauren has a list for everything, especially Christmas. With her presents bought months in advance, the last thing on her checklist is the charity party she runs every year. It has to be perfect – she has seen how much the event means to the older villagers who would be alone for the holidays otherwise.
Everything is going smoothly as the local church bells ring. Until handsome Kian walks in, claiming he has the little village hall booked for his young daughter’s birthday party. Lauren nearly falls off the ladder she is using to hang fairy lights. There’s no way this is happening. Not when she’d triple-checked every detail…
As Lauren frantically tries to find another option, Kian’s insistence that she should just “relax” isn’t helping her stay merry and bright. There’s only one way to make this a festive party to remember. She has to try and work with Kian.
They clash over every detail, but as their helpers arrive, Kian’s kind and welcoming nature soothes Lauren’s shaken nerves. And his gorgeous blue eyes make her wish she’d put the mistletoe out. Until Kian mysteriously disappears…
And Lauren is left alone to keep the excitable children from running into the flaming Christmas pudding the older guests love every year. Will Kian’s chilled approach cool the celebrations? Or can Lauren and Kian put aside their differences and save the day once more?
A true delight to read. I could use a real pick me up to beat the seasonal blahs right about now and have found it in the festive The Village Christmas Party. This Hallmark type read will have you snuggling on your couch with your cat sipping your tea soaking in the goodness. Full of feel-good vibes, this had me laughing out loud at the comedic moments. Seeing the comraderies the characters share is always welcome to read about. I enjoyed seeing the Community come together with the generous spirit of its members. Christmas cheer that’s fun and uplifting.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
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MEET THE AUTHOR
Sue was born in Liverpool and moved to Lancashire as a teenager where she has lived ever since. Her twelfth book ‘Theres something about Greece.’ will be published on June 15th 2023, with another sunshine book scheduled for August!
When not busy writing, Sue spends her time with her husband Derek, and ever growing brood of grandchildren! In her spare time, she enjoys walking, watching films and travelling. Her first book ‘My Big Greek Summer.’ was inspired by frequent visits to the Island of Rhodes in Greece. All Sue’s books are available from Amazon in kindle and paperback format.
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