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Title: Yours For ChristmasSynopsis: Famous former NFL stars don’t date single working moms like Bailey Voss. She’ll allow herself to daydream about Kenny Scott’s muscles and killer smile, but wanting more would lead to post-holiday regret. Then Kenny volunteers to run a toy drive with Bailey, and she learns that he’s not just hot he’s also generous, funny, nice. The whole package tantalizingly out of reach.
The ache of past loss reminds Kenny why he needs to avoid getting too close to anyone. Especially to a gorgeous redhead and her adorable little girl. Mess it up, and he’d lose them both. Yet Kenny can only resist Bailey for so long. And as festive spirit spreads throughout the town, he’s all wrapped up in Bailey’s sweet, sexy kisses and determined to make this the first of many Christmases together. (publisher)
My take: Yours For Christmas is a novella featuring two characters that fans of the Fool’s Gold series have come to love. We learn that Kenny has issues stemming from an emotional event years earlier that prevent him from wanting to become involved with Bailey. Bailey is a widow with a seven year old daughter and they both have a huge crush on Kenny. Bailey wants to provide a safe and normal life for her daughter but she doesn’t want her to get too close to Kenny if there’s a chance he’ll leave – becoming yet another loss for the little girl.
Susan Mallery filled her novella with a lot of heart-tugging emotion but the title reminded me that things would most likely work out for Kenny and Bailey. I enjoyed reading how it all came about and recommend this novella to fans of the Fool’s Gold series.
Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Kathy at Bermudaonion where you can share new words that you’ve encountered or spotlight words you love. Join in by writing a post and then add your link to Mr. Linky at Bermudaonion.
I came across one word I wasn’t sure of last week (although in context it’s not too difficult to figure out) while reading The Christmas Ranch by RaeAnne Thayne:
rictus – ric·tus – a fixed grimace or grin.
By the time Monday morning rolled around, Hope was afraid her face had permanently frozen in that rictus of a fake smile.
Title: Make My Wish Come TrueSynopsis: Family-oriented Juliet is a Christmas-dinner cook extraordinaire and is trying to keep it together in the wake of her marriage breakdown two Christmases ago, but the cracks are beginning to show.
Her bright and vivacious sister Gemma was always the favorite daughter. Gemma has no qualms about escaping the festive madness and the pressures of her glamorous job by jetting off somewhere warm and leaving Christmas in Juliet’s capable hands.
When Gemma shirks responsibility one too many times and announces she’s off to the Caribbean (again!), Juliet finally snaps. Gemma offers her sister the perfect solutionto swap Christmases. She’ll stay home and cook the turkey (how hard can it be?) and Juliet can fly off into the sun and have a restorative break.
In the midst of all the chaos, there’s Will, Juliet’s dishy neighbor who’s far too nice to float Gemma’s boat and may secretly harbor feelings for her sister; and Marco, the suave Italian in the villa next door who has his own ideas about the best way to help Juliet unwind.
Will the sisters abandon caution and make this a Christmas swap to remember? (publisher)
My take: I thoroughly enjoyed Make My Wish Come True. Fiona Harper’s story of two sisters, each thinking her perspective of their life growing up is singularly correct, will probably resonate with anyone who has a sibling. It certainly did with me!
Yes, there are shades of the 2006 film The Holiday (it’s mentioned by name a time or two) but Make My Wish Come True is it’s own story. By swapping lives for two weeks the sisters are given a chance for some introspection and discovery about the other.
This Christmas story made me laugh, tugged my heart, and even had me reaching for a tissue near the end. Really, what more can one ask for in a Christmas book? Highly recommended.
Title: Farewell to Cedar KeySynopsis: Josie Sullivan adores her Cedar Key home. It’s been the ideal place to raise her daughter, Orli, who’s just turning sixteen. Now that Josie has realized her dream of becoming a registered nurse, she’s been offered the perfect job too–helping Dr. Simon Mancini run his new practice.
Until the clinic opens, Josie is filling in at Yarning Together, where she launches a series of knitting classes for men. Yet for all the vibrant changes, there are some tangled threads. Josie’s romance-author mother, Shelby, receives a worrying diagnosis. And though Josie has always guarded her independence, her connection to Orli’s father, Grant, seems to be rekindling. Most of all, as Shelby’s college classmates rally around their dear friend, Josie begins to see that “home” is more than a place; it’s the relationships woven into each life, strand by strand… (publisher)
My take: Terri DuLong’s Cedar Key series is one of my favorites. I loved going back to the Florida island to see what’s up with all the characters I’ve come to know in the first five books. Farewell to Cedar Key could be my favorite of the series! I think that’s remarkable for a sixth book in a series.
This book features Josie, her daughter Orli and many more series regulars. The point that you never know what life will throw at you from one minute to another is the main theme. With the help and support of family and friends you can get through anything and that’s exactly what the people of Cedar Key prove to each other on an almost daily basis.
If you’re a knitter you’ll love that many of the Cedar Key scenes revolve around the local yarn shop. Terri DuLong also takes us to Boston for Christmas.
I enjoyed every page of this novel and recommend it to fans of the series and good contemporary fiction.
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Title: Maybe This ChristmasSynopsis: This winter, ex-skiing champion, reformed heartbreaker and single dad Tyler O’Neil has only one mission—making sure his daughter, Jess, has the best Christmas ever. The fact that his best friend, Brenna, is also temporarily moving into his chalet at the overbooked Snow Crystal resort is a delicious distraction he’s simply going to have to ignore. Theirs is the one relationship he’s never ruined, and he’s not about to start now.
Ski pro Brenna Daniels knows all about the perils of unrequited love—she’s been in love with Tyler for years. But living with him is absolute torture… How can she concentrate on being his friend when he’s sleeping in the room next door? Then when Tyler kisses Brenna, suddenly the relationship she’s always dreamed of feels so close she could almost touch it. Could this be the Christmas her dreams of a happy-ever-after finally come true? (Publisher)
My take: Sarah Morgan did a great job with the friends to lovers theme. That’s not always the case and usually I’m left wanting more from the story. She pulled it off though and I was sorry to turn the last page. I didn’t want to say goodbye to these people! I loved the give and take between Brenna and Tyler which was filled with so much familiarity, love and wit. It seemed everyone around them wanted to see the pair together but still they had to be thrown together under the pretense of a full house at the resort. Brenna had been living in one of the resort homes but it was needed for paying guests. The story took off from there and it’s an emotional story. It was fun to see characters from the two previous books – Kayla and Jackson, Elise and Sean. I didn’t expect the ending but I loved it. If you like contemporary romance with a Christmas theme you’ll want to read Maybe This Christmas.
Congratulations to
JAN L.
winner of
Title: School of FishSynopsis: In School of Fish Ben Pollinger – executive chef of the Michelin-starred New York City restaurant Oceana – demystifies the art of cooking seafood, making home-preparation an exciting and feasible option any night of the week.
When it comes to fish, most home chefs have something in common: We love to eat it but we’re afraid to cook it. For as many fish as there are in the sea, there are just as many ways to prepare it. Fish is quick, it’s healthy and it’s delicious. So why are we so intimidated about making it at home?
The book is broken down by technique and organized by degree of difficulty. Each section begins with 101-level recipes and advances to more challenging preparations that you will be excited to try once you’ve mastered each technique. (from the publisher)
My take: School of Fish is a go-to reference for any kitchen. It’s a “how to” for buying and storing fish; seasoning fish; and knowing when it’s done. Numerous ways to prepare fish are covered in a manner that will instill confidence in even the shyest cook.
Especially helpful is the Techniques section that covers such things as removing anything you don’t want in the fish when you cook it to butterflying a lobster. The photos included in this section are quite helpful.
I can unequivocally say School of Fish would make a great gift for the cooks on your holiday list; wedding showers; or you. It has found a place on my cookbook shelf.
About the author:
Ben Pollinger worked for years under renowned chefs such as Alain Ducasse, Michael Romano, and Floyd Cardoz before taking the helm as executive chef at Oceana, where he has maintained the restaurant’s Michelin star rating since 2006. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and three children.
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First snow of the season
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Title: The Lodge on Holly RoadSynopsis: How Santa Gets His Christmas Spirit Back…
James Claussen has played Santa for years, but now that he’s a widower, he’s lost interest—in everything. So his daughter, Brooke, kidnaps him from the mall (in his Santa suit!) and takes him to Icicle Falls. She’s arranged a special Christmas at the lodge owned by long-widowed Olivia Wallace and her son, Eric. And yet…Brooke wants Dad to be happy, but she’s not ready to see someone else’s mommy kissing Santa Claus.
Single mom Missy Monroe brings her kids to the lodge, too. Lalla wants a grandma for Christmas, and her brother, Carlos, wants a dog. Missy can’t provide either one. What she’d like is an attractive, dependable man. A man like John Truman… But John’s girlfriend will be joining him in Icicle Falls, and he’s going to propose.
Of course not everything goes as planned. But sometimes the best gifts are the ones you don’t expect! (publisher)
My take: If you’re looking for an entertaining Christmas novel this year you’ll want to read The Lodge on Holly Road. It’s part of the Life in Icicle Falls series but can stand alone. Seriously, if you haven’t read any of the previous books you will not be missing anything in this book.
Sheila Roberts is in top form with her novel of good intentions going astray. From the daughter who wants her widowed father to have a great Christmas to the single mom of two who wants to give her kids the Christmas she always wanted to the young man who can’t wait to publicly propose to the woman of his dreams – everyone will learn valuable lessons.
I enjoyed all the characters – from the main characters to the minor ones (lodge guests). They are all fully formed and interesting. The setting is great – Christmas in a mountain resort town.
When I finished reading The Lodge on Holly Road my first thought was “I hope the Hallmark Channel grabs this and makes a movie for next year.”
Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Kathy at Bermudaonion where you can share new words that you’ve encountered or spotlight words you love. Join in by writing a post and then add your link to Mr. Linky at Bermudaonion.
This week I’m reading A Quilt for Christmas by Sandra Dallas. I found one word that seemed a little familiar but I wasn’t sure:
antimacassar – an·ti·ma·cas·sar – a cover to protect the back or arms of furniture. (First known use: 1844)
When Eliza had seen the Beans’ little stone house, she’d thought it looked like a drawing from Peterson’s Magazine, with its antimacassars and paisley shawl draped over the love seat, the vase of beaded flowers, an arrangement of dried grasses.
Title: You Were Meant For MeSynopsis: What do you do when you have to give up the person you love most?
Thirty-five-year-old Miranda is not an impulsive person. She’s been at Domestic Goddess magazine for eight years, she has great friends, and she’s finally moving on after a breakup. Having a baby isn’t even on her radar—until the day she discovers an abandoned newborn on the platform of a Brooklyn subway station. Rushing the little girl to the closest police station, Miranda hopes and prays she’ll be all right and that a loving family will step forward to take her.
Yet Miranda can’t seem to get the baby off her mind and keeps coming up with excuses to go check on her, until finally a family court judge asks whether she’d like to be the baby’s foster parent—maybe even adopt her. To her own surprise, Miranda jumps at the chance. But nothing could have prepared her for the ecstasy of new-mother love—or the heartbreak she faces when the baby’s father surfaces…. (publisher)
My take: You Were Meant For Me is a fast-paced novel about love – love of a child, a partner, a parent, good friends. The novel starts out with the probable suicide of the baby’s mother. Lucky for the baby, Miranda discovers her on a subway platform and makes sure the baby is taken to the authorities. Over the next few months Miranda steps forward to foster and then adopt the baby. A local writer interviews Miranda for a newspaper column which starts a chain reaction of events that will upend Miranda’s plans and happiness.
I thought it was an interesting premise and overall I enjoyed the novel. I liked it but had a tough time with almost every adult character’s self-centeredness at one time or another. Even Miranda dropped the ball a time or two. However, the author brought everything together at the end and I felt a bit better about the growth some of the characters experienced. I especially liked the direction Miranda’s life was headed.
This would be a good book to take on vacation. It’s a page turner, has attractive and affluent characters and some romance. I would definitely read more books by the author (this is my first). Included at the end are a Conversation with the Author as well as Discussion Questions.
Title: Singing to a Bulldog: From “Happy Days” to Hollywood Director, and the Unlikely Mentor Who Got Me ThereMy take: Singing to a Bulldog is a slim memoir that packs a lot of inspiration within the 150+ pages. I remembered Anson Williams from the 70s sitcom Happy Days but hadn’t heard anything about him in recent decades. I don’t watch a lot of tv so I missed all the shows he directed. He’s been a busy guy who realizes how blessed his life has been.
He didn’t start out that way. He had a criticizing father who blamed Anson for all of his own failures. That had to be tough for a kid to live with! What ended up saving Anson was a janitorial job at a California store when he was in his mid-teens. His department boss, Willie Turner, taught him life lessons through brief adages he’d learned in his own life. Willie was an older, alcoholic man who was able to keep his job despite his issues.
In his own way, Willie provided the nurturing that had been missing in Anson’s life. Without realizing it he became Anson’s mentor and Anson listened and used those lessons. What he found out was that Willie knew what he was talking about.
I thought Singing to a Bulldog had a folksy feel to it. It’s chapters are very short (rarely going over five pages). That made it easy to pick up and set down. Each begins and ends with one of Willie’s lessons. The lessons may seem a bit simplistic to some readers but it’s Williams’ memoir and, given he had no parent willing to teach him, the effect of the lessons on his life was huge. It’s not a typical Hollywood memoir although Williams does share a few stories about other stars that all readers will recognize. One thing I found lacking in the book are photos. I would have loved to see a few.
Recommended to fans of the memoir genre, Hollywood memoirs, life advice books.
Click here for a video of the author on Access Hollywood
Author Bio
Best known for his Golden Globe nominated role as Warren “Potsie” Weber on the series Happy Days, Anson Williams is also an award-winning television director and writer as well as a singer and producer. He has directed more than 300 hours of television for a variety of series, including Beverly Hills, 90210, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. He won the prized Humanitas Award for his writing, has been honored by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and served on the board of the USO. Together with business partner JoAnna Connell, he founded StarMaker Products, an international product company. He lives with his wife and five daughters in Los Angeles, California.
Reviews
“Singing To A Bulldog is such a meaningful, fun, and uplifting book. I have such sweet memories of Anson . . . like millions of others, I loved him on “Happy Days.” I am proud to be a little part of this wonderfully written, revealing, informative, and entertaining book. Praise and congratulations to Anson.”
— Dolly Parton
“I’ve always known Anson to be a great storyteller as well as a true and generous friend. Now he’s written the most important story of his life — about Willie Turner, the head janitor at one of Anson’s first jobs, whose words of wisdom guided him through a turbulent time in his life and gave him the confidence to move forward to a successful career as an actor, television director, and entrepreneur. Even better, he’s made it into a truly inspirational book of life lessons for the rest of us.”
— Ron Howard
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There is but one Paris – Vincent Van Gogh
Maud Heighton came to Lafond’s famous Academie to paint, and to flee the constraints of her small English town. It took all her courage to escape, but Paris, she quickly realizes, is no place for a light purse. While her fellow students enjoy the dazzling decadence of the Belle Epoque, Maud slips into poverty. Quietly starving, and dreading another cold Paris winter, she stumbles upon an opportunity when Christian Morel engages her as a live-in companion to his beautiful young sister, Sylvie.
Maud is overjoyed by her good fortune. With a clean room, hot meals, and an umbrella to keep her dry, she is able to hold her head high as she strolls the streets of Montmartre. No longer hostage to poverty and hunger, Maud can at last devote herself to her art.
But all is not as it seems. Christian and Sylvie, Maud soon discovers, are not quite the darlings they pretend to be. Sylvie has a secret addiction to opium and Christian has an ominous air of intrigue. As this dark and powerful tale progresses, Maud is drawn further into the Morels’ world of elegant deception. Their secrets become hers, and soon she is caught in a scheme of betrayal and revenge that will plunge her into the darkness that waits beneath this glittering city of light.
* * *
“I must have breathed, but I could not say when. Robertson’s dark tale in the City of Light will haunt the reader long after closing its pages.” —Erika Robuck, author of Call Me Zelda
“Intoxicates and satisfies. With dazzling Belle Époque detail and nail-biting plot, Robertson stylishly paints a historical thriller of intrigue and treachery.A compulsive read. I couldn’t put it down.”—Sarah McCoy, author of The Baker’s Daughter
“Chillingly memorable. Imogen Robertson is an exquisite writer, and this is an extraordinary thriller.” –Tess Gerritsen
IMOGEN ROBERTSON directed for TV, film, and radio before becoming a full-time author. She also writes and reviews poetry. Imogen is the author of several novels, including the Crowther and Westerman series. She was shortlisted for the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Award 2011 and for the CWA Dagger in the Library Award 2012. THE PARIS WINTER was partially inspired by Imogen’s paternal grandmother, a free-spirited traveler who set off through Europe with money sewn into her skirts.
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Title: Us: A NovelSynopsis: Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize
David Nicholls brings the wit and intelligence that graced his enormously popular New York Times bestseller, One Day, to a compellingly human, deftly funny new novel about what holds marriages and families together—and what happens, and what we learn about ourselves, when everything threatens to fall apart.
Douglas Petersen may be mild-mannered, but behind his reserve lies a sense of humor that, against all odds, seduces beautiful Connie into a second date . . . and eventually into marriage. Now, almost three decades after their relationship first blossomed in London, they live more or less happily in the suburbs with their moody seventeen year-old son, Albie. Then Connie tells him she thinks she wants a divorce.
The timing couldn’t be worse. Hoping to encourage her son’s artistic interests, Connie has planned a month-long tour of European capitals, a chance to experience the world’s greatest works of art as a family, and she can’t bring herself to cancel. And maybe going ahead with the original plan is for the best anyway? Douglas is privately convinced that this landmark trip will rekindle the romance in the marriage, and might even help him to bond with Albie.
Narrated from Douglas’s endearingly honest, slyly witty, and at times achingly optimistic point of view, Us is the story of a man trying to rescue his relationship with the woman he loves, and learning how to get closer to a son who’s always felt like a stranger. Us is a moving meditation on the demands of marriage and parenthood, the regrets of abandoning youth for middle age, and the intricate relationship between the heart and the head. And in David Nicholls’s gifted hands, Douglas’s odyssey brings Europe—from the streets of Amsterdam to the famed museums of Paris, from the cafés of Venice to the beaches of Barcelona—to vivid life just as he experiences a powerful awakening of his own. Will this summer be his last as a husband, or the moment when he turns his marriage, and maybe even his whole life, around? (publisher)
My take: Douglas and Connie have been together for almost 25 years. They’re about to go on a European tour with their 17 year-old son when Connie tells Douglas she may want to leave him. This seems to come from nowhere and Douglas isn’t sure what to do. She wants to go on their holiday – making him think he can convince her not to leave him when they return.
What follows is a road trip that had me laughing, wincing (at the things Douglas says to his wife and son), and feeling quite sad for the three of them as they near the end of the trip. The one I felt the most sympathy was their son, Albie. I won’t spoil by saying why but suffice to say, being the child, he suffered the strongest emotional toll.
Most novels I’ve read about marriage and children have been written by female authors. I was impressed by the emotional tone David Nicholls gave his story. It rang true. The story is told from Douglas’s POV and alternates from when Douglas and Connie first met 25 years ago to present day.
My biggest quibble is the length of the book – 400+ pages. It seemed to drag a bit in the middle – maybe I’m in the minority on this issue. I’d recommend Us to fans of David Nicholls and novels about marriage and family.
Title: Venice in the MoonlightSynopsis: A Story of Vengeance, Forgiveness, and Love. After her husband’s untimely demise, Marietta Gatti is banished from the family’s villa by her spiteful mother-in-law. She returns to her hometown of Venice and her only kin-a father she hasn’t spoken to since her forced marriage. Her hope of making amends is crushed when she learns she is too late, for he recently has died under suspicious circumstances. Grief-stricken, Marietta retraces her father’s last night only to discover someone may have wanted him dead-and she may be next. When the prime suspect turns out to be the father of the man she is falling in love with, Marietta risks her future happiness and her life to avenge the death of a man she once hated. (publisher)
My take: Marietta was married off by her father against her wishes. The next five years are filled with heartbreak and her loathing of her husband grows deeper each day. When he unexpectedly dies his family washes their hands of her and sends her on her way. She heads to Venice to find her father who she hasn’t heard from since her wedding.
Marietta is met with unexpected news regarding her father. Things don’t seem right so she investigates with little regard for her personal safety. She discovers information that could solve her mystery as well as bring down several noblemen in Venice. Along the way she meets a charming son of a nobleman. He has a few traits in common with Dario, her dead husband. She doesn’t need to become involved with a man like him. He continues to pursue her though with the hope of convincing her that he’s not like her husband. I enjoyed the setting of 1700s Venice at the time of Carnival. McKenna’s descriptions were detailed just enough to bring the festive scenes to life. I also liked Marietta and Nico’s unique love story.
Venice in the Moonlight is a fast read that I recommend if you’re in the mood for a historical romance/mystery and a brief visit to 1700s Italy.
Author’s Bio:
Elizabeth McKenna works as a full-time technical writer/editor for a large software company. Though her love of books reaches back to her childhood, she had never read romance novels until one Christmas when her sister gave her the latest bestseller by Nora Roberts. She was hooked from page one (actually, she admits it was the first love scene). She had always wanted to write fiction, so she combined her love of history, romance and a happy ending to write her debut novel Cera’s Place. Her short story, The Gypsy Casts a Spell, is available for free on her website. She hopes you will enjoy her latest novel, Venice in the Moonlight, as much as others have enjoyed her previous works.
Elizabeth lives in Wisconsin with her understanding husband, two beautiful daughters, and a sassy Labrador. When she isn’t writing, working, or being a mom, she’s sleeping.
Connect with her: Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
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