Pumpkin flavored everything is everywhere, but I’ve veered off course and jumped right into stocking my pantry with cocoa and reading Christmas romances. I found myself enchanted once again by an author I’ve somehow never read, even as countless readers have loved her for years. JINGLE BELL BEARD, by Julie Kriss, is delightful, especially since the author uses the most hackneyed set imaginable (a failing Christmas tree farm) and nevertheless produces magic. It doesn’t hurt that her male protagonist, Matt, is a hot, grumpy NHL player. He’s on the injured list, so he’s home to lick his wounds and give half-hearted support to his family. But he’s not into Christmas. As luck (and skillful plotting!) would have it, his high school girlfriend, Jasmine, who broke his heart long ago, is on hand to do PR for the failing business. Everything about this novel sits on the cusp of being silly, but the down-to-earth back stories, the witty banter, and the innate goodness of the main characters transform it into something truly special. Kind of like Christmas itself, right?!
But good books aren’t all merry and bright. Gillian McAllister’s latest, FAMOUS LAST WORDS, kept my attention glued to the page with its constantly twisting story of a young woman whose life is turned upside down when she sees her beloved husband on TV, holding hostages and then killing them. The Luke Camilla fell in love with, married, and had a baby with, could never have done such a thing. Yet the evidence is there, broadcast to the world. As she did so expertly in WRONG PLACE WRONG TIME and other titles, Ms. McAllister proves that even “facts” are sometimes not what they seem. Fasten your seatbelt and prepare for a head-spinning adventure.
Talented author Beatriz Williams takes a few scattered crumbs from the enormously popular rock band romance genre and creates an engrossing, thought-provoking tale of a mother sacrificing all for her son in HUSBANDS AND LOVERS. Mallory knew Monk Adams long before he was famous, but she chose to step away from his glittering orbit just as his star was rising. This story, too, is filled with unexpected twists, but its dramatic and lovely conclusion left me with that comforting peace I crave in my hot chocolate.
Mia Sosa’s new novel, WHEN JAVI DUMPED MARI, arrived to rave reviews several months ago, and I’m so happy I finally snagged a copy and learned why. Brazilian American Mari and New York Puerto Rican Javi meet in college, fall into best friendship, and spend far too many years not acknowledging the swoon-worthy love they feel for each other. Javi even has the gall to ghost Mari (see title!) for several of those years while he bounces from one low-paying job to another, working on his libretto, and she builds a prominent career in her father’s law firm. They finally reunite in time for Mari to ask Javi to be her man of honor as she marries her father’s mentee. Will Mari wed What’s His Name? Ms. Sosa tells this simultaneously understandable and infuriating tale through a series of flashbacks, keeping the reader breathless until the very last page.
But back to Christmas! Sarah Morgan’s newest release, A MERRY LITTLE LIE, encapsulates the frustrations, awkward accommodations, and ultimately, the joy of spending Christmas with family. Every member of the Balfour family is stressed about the upcoming reunion, but each of them thinks the others are fine. The pretense of normalcy threatens to bury them all as deeply as the Christmas snow falling on their beloved family home. Dad hates retirement, Jamie’s bringing home a woman no one knows, Rosie can’t understand her new husband, and Becky’s stuck immersed first in a long journey and then in a “little” lie (see title!) with her life-long friend, Will. Ms. Morgan keeps her bargain with romance readers, however, and delivers a lovely happily-ever-after as rich and fulfilling as Christmas pudding.
May all your autumnal evenings be filled with good books (and delicious hot chocolate for addicts like me)! SECOND SIGHT is the perfect volume to fall into as the story opens just as summer fades and a chance meeting leads Catherine and Etienne through an unexpected reawakening of love that transcends time.
Meg's friends during her high school years all expected her romance novels to hit the shelves decades ago, but she foolishly allowed "serious pursuits" to get in her way. Now that her beloved children can feed, clothe, and most importantly, support themselves, she's free to turn her attention to her first passion - putting words to paper that capture your attention and make your heart sing in quiet joy. Her stories tell most frequently of second chances--in life, love, and sometimes even at rediscovering a soul-mate from a previous life.
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