I didn’t get a lot of books read this month and a lot of what I did get read was a manga series, but that’s okay. I’m hoping to get a lot read in December.
Much Ado About You by Samantha Young
At thirty-three-years old Evangeline Starling’s life in Chicago is missing that special something. And when she’s passed over for promotion at work, Evie realizes she needs to make a change. Some time away to regain perspective might be just the thing. In a burst of impulsivity, she plans a holiday in a quaint English village. The holiday package comes with a temporary position at Much Ado About Books, the bookstore located beneath her rental apartment. There’s no better dream vacation for the bookish Evie, a life-long Shakespeare lover. Not only is Evie swept up in running the delightful store as soon as she arrives, she’s drawn into the lives, loves and drama of the friendly villagers. Including Roane Robson, the charismatic and sexy farmer who tempts Evie every day with his friendly flirtations. Evie is determined to keep him at bay because a holiday romance can only end in heartbreak, right? But Evie can’t deny their connection and longs to trust in her handsome farmer that their whirlwind romance could turn in to the forever kind of love.
I really enjoyed this. I loved the small town vibes and the romance.
Big Witch Energy by Molly Harper
Caroline Wilton has no time for romance. She’s too busy running her family’s bar to even think about dating. She’s also one of Starfall Point’s resident witches, responsible for keeping the local ghost population in check. But even the most magical of witches can use a shoulder to lean on, which is what happens when Ben Hoult, the handsome doctor she never quite got over, walks back into her life. Ben is a single dad now, and as he and Caroline reconnect, they discover that they both have a knack for helping and protecting the people near and dear to them. Soon they’re working together to unravel a centuries-old murder, and Caroline has to face the wrath of angry ghosts…and the uncertainty of opening her heart back up to love. She’s not sure which one is worse. All she knows is that keeping her heart safe will take every ounce of magic she’s got.
I enjoyed this. Loved the romance and all that happens in here. Can’t wait for the next book!
Rosario + Vampire Vol. 1-10 by Akihisa Ikeda
The story revolves around Tsukune Aono, a boy who inadvertently enrolls in a boarding school for monsters. He quickly befriends Moka Akashiya, a vampire who soon develops an obsession with his blood, and later meets other monster girls who soon take a romantic liking to him.
I loved this series! The characters are amazing and I loved getting to spend my time with them. There is a season two manga series of this that I really want to get and read.
Stealing Your Perfect Heart by Bethany Monaco Smith
This was a short story in the anthology Breaking the Bff Pact. This is what the anthology is about:
We all know the rule – Do not lust over your best friend’s sibling. But what happens when you break all the rules? Will Breaking the BFF Pact get you a happily ever after? Or will you lose it all? Over twenty five titillating stories from USA Today best-selling and award-winning romance authors in a spicy Best Friend’s Sibling collection curated by The New Romance Cafe, with ALL proceeds going to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
I loved this! So sweet and loved the characters.
Good Luck With That by Kristan Higgins
Emerson, Georgia, and Marley have been best friends ever since they met at a weight-loss camp as teens. When Emerson tragically passes away, she leaves one final wish for her best friends: to conquer the fears they still carry as adults. For each of them, that means something different. For Marley, it’s coming to terms with the survivor’s guilt she’s carried around since her twin sister’s death, which has left her blind to the real chance for romance in her life. For Georgia, it’s about learning to stop trying to live up to her mother’s and brother’s ridiculous standards, and learning to accept the love her ex-husband has tried to give her. But as Marley and Georgia grow stronger, the real meaning of Emerson’s dying wish becomes truly clear: more than anything, she wanted her friends to love themselves.
I loved this so much! So many hard topics that were done well. I loved the romances in here.
A World Without You by Caitlin Moss
Five years ago, Olivia Baker was snowed in and stranded in a small town, unable to make it back to the city for Christmas. Five days later, she broke up with her corporate boyfriend in Seattle and made the rash decision to stay in the small town, promising to save the local paper and fall in love with the rugged country boy who knew how to sling an ax and make her weak in the knees. Now, five years later, she’s miserable signing divorce papers and wanting back the life she had before that Christmas. But when she goes to sleep at night, a new world wakes up, and she gets to learn what would happen if she lived in a world with the man whose heart she broke five years ago on Christmas Eve. Armed with her beloved camera, her childhood friend, Bennett Holland, and glimpses of what could have been, Olivia has to wade through the Christmas season as she rediscovers herself and rectifies a love she’s been missing for years. But as it starts to fall apart in the parallel universe, Olivia has to realize if they were never meant to be or simply meant for a second chance in a different world.
I really enjoyed this. Love getting to see Olivia’s life side by side. I adored Bennett!
A Very Merry Mistake by Lyra Parish
After several flirty glances and heated mistletoe kisses, we create rules—no strings attached and no falling in love. Agreeing to the impossible might be my biggest mistake yet. I visited the small town for one reason only—to prove a point to my father. Now I’ve got a fake boyfriend. A secret to keep hidden. And a choice to make that will determine more than just my future.
I loved this! Great Christmas vibes and I loved the characters. Can’t wait for the next book!
To Catch A Highlander by Karen Hawkins
When her father gambles away the family estate to darkly dangerous Lord Dougal MacLean, Sophia MacFarlane is determined to use her wiles to regain it. Forced to stake the one thing she has left—her virtue—she desperately hopes her skill can limit her losses to a few kisses…no matter how hotly tempting Dougal turns out to be. Dougal MacLean knows that Sophia has some trick up her sleeve, but he can’t resist the challenge—or her ravishing beauty. So when she proposes a card game with most unusual stakes, Dougal is delighted to accept. But as the game ends, Dougal and Sophia discover they’ve wagered something even more precious—their hearts.
I really enjoyed this. I love this series and the characters in here. So much fun!
It Happened One Christmas by Chantel Guertin
All year long, Zoey Andrews lives and breathes Christmas–not just because she loves everything about the festive season, but because, as the director of countless Christmas movies, she’s perpetually (and happily) surrounded by 24/7 holiday cheer. And this year Christmas has come early: After years of making other people’s movies, Zoey finally has the chance to make her own. There’s just one thing standing in her way of that: Benoît Deschamps, the sexy, bearded, grouchy and utterly frustrating, plaid shacket-wearing tree-farm-owner-slash-mayor who refuses to grant Zoey the permit to film in Chelsea, the cozy and snowy Quebec hamlet at the center of her screenplay. With just four days left before Christmas, Zoey must change Ben’s mind, but not before an unscripted ice storm leaves them stranded in the middle of nowhere, with nothing–no food, no phone, no electricity–except . . . each other. Will Ben’s chilly resolve shatter Zoey’s Christmas movie wish? Or will Zoey be able to melt through his stubbornness–and maybe even his heart?
This was really cute and fun. Loved the romance and Christmas vibes.
Always The Last To Know by Kristan Higgins
The Frosts are a typical American family. Barb and John, married almost fifty years, are testy and bored with each other…who could blame them after all this time? At least they have their daughters– Barb’s favorite, the perfect, brilliant Juliet; and John’s darling, the free-spirited Sadie. The girls themselves couldn’t be more different, but at least they got along, more or less. It was fine. It was enough. Until the day John had a stroke, and their house of cards came tumbling down. Now Sadie has to put her career as a teacher and struggling artist in New York on hold to come back and care for her beloved dad–and face the love of her life, whose heart she broke, and who broke hers. Now Juliet has to wonder if people will notice that despite her perfect career as a successful architect, her perfect marriage to a charming Brit, and her two perfect daughters, she’s spending an increasing amount of time in the closet having panic attacks. And now Barb and John will finally have to face what’s been going on in their marriage all along.
I really enjoyed this. Loved the romances and all the complex relationships. I cried hard at the end…
The Heart of Christmas by Brenda Novak
Eve Harmon has always enjoyed Christmas, but this year it reminds her of everything she doesn’t have. Almost all her friends are married now, and that’s what Eve wants, too. Love. A husband and kids of her own. But the B and B she manages, and even Whiskey Creek, the small Gold Country town where she was born and raised, suddenly seem…confining. Eve’s worried that her future will simply be a reflection of her past. There’s no one in the area she could even imagine as a husband—until a handsome stranger comes to town. Eve’s definitely attracted to him, and he seems to have the same reaction to her. But his darkly mysterious past could ruin Eve’s happily ever after—just when it finally seems within reach. And just when she’s counting on the best Christmas of her life!
I loved this! Such amazing characters and a friend group I wish I belonged to. Loved the romance so much. This book was hard to stop reading.
Those are all the books I read this month! Hope you enjoyed. Until next time.