Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor (Friday Harbor #1) by Lisa Kleypas

Title: Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor
(Christmas With Holly)
Series: Friday Harbor #1
Author: Lisa Kleypas
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Published: April 11th 2010
Format: Paperback | Pages:  224
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Holiday
Source: BookOutlet
★★★✩ (3.5/5) Stars!

Lisa Kleypas | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Now a Hallmark Hall of Fame television movie (December 2012), CHRISTMAS WITH HOLLY (previously published as CHRISTMAS EVE AT FRIDAY HARBOR) is the first book in New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas’s new series, which begins during the most magical time of year...

ONE LITTLE GIRL NEEDS A FAMILY 

One rain-slicked night, six-year-old Holly lost the only parent she knew, her beloved mother Victoria. And since that night, she has never again spoken a word.

ONE SINGLE MAN NEEDS A WIFE 

The last thing Mark Nolan needs is a six-year-old girl in his life. But he soon realizes that he will do everything he can to make her life whole again. His sister’s will gives him the instructions: There’s no other choice but you. Just start by loving her. The rest will follow.

SOMETIMES, IT TAKES A LITTLE MAGIC… 

Maggie Collins doesn’t dare believe in love again, after losing her husband of one year. But she does believe in the magic of imagination. As the owner of a toy shop, she lives what she loves. And when she meets Holly Nolan, she sees a little girl in desperate need of a little magic.

…TO MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE 

Three lonely people. Three lives at the crossroads. Three people who are about to discover that Christmas is the time of year when anything is possible, and when wishes have a way of finding the path home… 

For the last few years there's been a movie that I have to watch, usually more than once, once the Christmas movies start hitting the television. It's this adorable movie called Christmas with Holly, on the Hallmark Channel. Part of the appeal for me is the fact that it's set on one of the islands just a ferry ride off from the town I live in, but mostly because it's a cute, sweet and heartwarming story. My powers of observation failed me for the last few years because it wasn't until quite a few months ago, when browsing through BookOutlet and saw the title Christmas with Holly that I realized it was based off of a book by Lisa Kleypas. Of course I couldn't resist getting my hands on it and with it being the Christmas season I finally allowed myself to dive in!

While the basic storyline is pretty much the same as it is in the movie, there's also a lot...a lot that is different. Normally I'm a read the book before I see the movie type of person but since I was oblivious of the book up to this point I've come to the realization that I seem to be loyal to whichever I get to first. In this case that would be the movie. I mean, don't get me wrong this book was fine. But that's just it. It was just "fine" for me. I feel like had I read the book first I would've ended up skipping the movie all together simply because it was based off of this book. Thank goodness that didn't happen!

The thing that rubbed me the wrong way the most was Nolan brothers and just how vastly different they are between the two formats. In the movies Mark, who this first book centers around, is kind of boyishly handsome and he's sweet, like so, so sweet. I absolutely adored him. Then I read the book and he's just so cold and stern almost, very untrusting and way too buttoned up and serious. And the vibe I get from Maggie is that she views him as intimidating. For me, he was extremely unlikable. Well at least before Maggie starts rubbing off on him and he eventually lightens up again and I saw minuscule glimpses of the guy I loved from the movie.

Plus one of the things that had me really excited to read the book version was I liked the dynamic you had with the three brothers. They weren't exactly close and thick as thieves but you could see the way they looked out for one another and there was an easy banter between them. In the book they're almost all indifferent towards one another throughout most of the book. It was a pretty sad discovery.

Both Maggie and Holly were the bright spots of this reading experience. They were exactly as I was expecting them to be, so that was a plus. Maggie is the type of character you'd want to surround yourself with. She's like positivity, optimism and happiness personified. She's been through a lot and even though she has this sad side and has given up on one part of her life you still can't help but feel happy when she's on the pages and spreading hope and, well, the magic that is her. And Holly, well you can't help but fall in love with this adorable little girl who's lost so much at such a young age. I want to pull her out of the book/movie, either one, and protect her and care for her.

Though once again, the timeline in which certain aspects of the story play out were very jumbled and different. The one thing piece of the storyline that captures my heart the most, the reason I watch this movie year after year and get all emotional about is like wham, bam and done in just a couple chapters. I feel like that piled on top of just how different and unlikable Mark was left me feeling quite a bit indifferent to this book. 

I mean, I feel horrible, terrible saying this but...find the movie and watch it. I kind of wish I'd skipped read this one by myself. 

A part of me kind of wants to check out other books in this story and see what happens with Sam and Alex, the two brothers, now that I know there's a whole series. I am really, really curious. But a bigger part of me is telling me that I should just stick with her historical romances which I absolutely love!

It really makes me sad that I didn't love this one as much as I wanted to!

On the sixth day of Christmas, Sheri recommended to me...

On the sixth day of Christmas, Sheri recommended to me...
Six Sizzling New Adults!

Boomerang (Boomerang #1) by Noelle August
[Goodreads]

The first book in a sensational New Adult trilogy from Noelle August

Welcome to Boomerang.com, the dating site for the millennial gen with its no-fuss, no-commitments matchups, and where work is steamier than any random hook-up

Mia Galliano is an aspiring filmmaker. Ethan Vance has just played his last game as a collegiate soccer star. They’re sharp, hungry for success, and they share a secret.

Last night, Ethan and Mia met at a bar, and, well . . . one thing led to another, which led to them waking up the next morning—together. Things turned awkward in a hurry when they found themselves sharing a post hookup taxi . . . to the same place: Boomerang headquarters.

What began as a powerful connection between them is treated to a cold shower courtesy of two major complications. First, Boomerang has a strict policy against co-worker dating. And second, they’re now competitors for only one job at the end of summer.

As their internships come to an end, will they manage to keep their eyes on the future and their hands off each other, or will the pull of attraction put them right back where they started?

Scoring Wilder by R.S. Grey

[Goodreads]

What started out as a joke— seduce Coach Wilder—soon became a goal she had to score. 

With Olympic tryouts on the horizon, the last thing nineteen-year-old Kinsley Bryant needs to add to her plate is Liam Wilder. He's a professional soccer player, America's favorite bad-boy, and has all the qualities of a skilled panty-dropper. 

• A face that makes girls weep – check. 

• Abs that can shred Parmesan cheese (the expensive kind) – check. 

• Enough confidence to shift the earth’s gravitational pull – double check. 

Not to mention Liam is strictly off limits . Forbidden. Her coaches have made that perfectly clear. (i.e. “Score with Coach Wilder anywhere other than the field and you’ll be cut from the team faster than you can count his tattoos.”) But that just makes him all the more enticing…Besides, Kinsley's already counted the visible ones, and she is not one to leave a project unfinished. 

Kinsley tries to play the game her way as they navigate through forbidden territory, but Liam is determined to teach her a whole new definition for the term “team bonding.” 

Losing It (Losing It #1) by Cora Carmack
[Goodreads]

Love. Romance. Sex. There's a first time for everything...

As far as Bliss Edwards can tell, she's the last virgin standing, certainly amongst her friends. And she's determined to deal with the 'problem' as quickly and simply as possible.

But her plan for a no-strings one night stand turns out to be anything but simple. Especially when she arrives for her first class and recognises her hot new British professor.

She'd left him naked in her bed just 8 hours earlier... 

Rome (Marked Men #3) by Jay Crownover

[Goodreads]

Sometimes the wrong choice can be just right . . .

Fun and fearless, Cora Lewis knows how to keep her tattooed "bad boy" friends at the Marked in line. But beneath all that flash and sass is a broken heart. Cora won't let herself get burned again. She's waiting to fall in love with the perfect man—a baggage-free, drama-free guy ready for commitment. Then she meets Rome Archer.

Rome Archer is as far from perfect as a man can be. He's stubborn, rigid, and bossy. And he's returned from his final tour of duty more than a little broken. Rome's used to filling many roles: big brother, doting son, supersoldier—but none of those fit anymore. Now he's just a man trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life while keeping the dark demons of war and loss at bay. He would have been glad to suffer through it alone, until Cora comes sweeping into his life and becomes a blinding flash of color in a sea of gray.Perfect may not be in the cards, but perfectly imperfect could just last forever . . . 

Love, in English (Love, in English #1) by Karina Halle

[Goodreads]

He’s thirty-eight. I’m twenty-three.

He speaks Spanish. I speak English.

He lives in Spain. I live in Canada.

He dresses in thousand-dollar suits. I’m covered in tattoos.

He’s married and has a five-year old daughter.

I’m single and can’t commit to anyone or anything.

Until now. Because when they say you can’t choose who you fall in love with, boy ain’t that the f*#king truth.

***

To a restless dreamer like Vera Miles, it sounded like the experience of a lifetime. Instead of spending her summer interning for her astronomy major, she would fly to Spain where she’d spend a few weeks teaching conversational English to businessmen and women, all while enjoying free room and board at an isolated resort. But while Vera expected to get a tan, meet new people and stuff herself with wine and paella, she never expected to fall in love.

Mateo Casalles is unlike anyone Vera has ever known, let alone anyone she’s usually attracted to. While Vera is a pierced and tatted free spirit with a love for music and freedom, Mateo is a successful businessman from Madrid, all sharp suits and cocky Latino charm. Yet, as the weeks go on, the two grow increasingly close and their relationship changes from purely platonic to something…more.

Something that makes Vera feel alive for the first time.

Something that can never, ever be.

Or so she thinks.

Wait for You (Wait for You #1) by J. Lynn

[Goodreads]

Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…  

Hey everyone! I hope you all have had a wonderful Christmas filled with family, love, laughter and joy!! When I saw Trish mention that she was going host this 12 Days of Christmas feature I jumped at the chance to be a part of it. Below is a giveaway that she is hosting as part of this as well as links for the rest of the days. Each day is being hosted by a different blogger so be sure to stop by and show them some love and hopefully find some new books along the way! I will update the list and add links as the posts go live. Enjoy the last hours of 2014 and have a safe and Happy New Year! See you in 2015 :)

Twelve YA’s with lots of Kissing - Chelsea @ Starbucks & Books Obsession [Jan 5th]

Eleven covers for Adoring - Rachel @ Confessions of a Book Geek [Jan 4th]

Ten books with Dancing - Trish @ Between My Lines [Jan 3rd]

Nine Plots A-twisting - Miranda @ Tempest Books [Jan 2nd]

Eight Maids Kick-Assing - Jessica @ Lovin' Los Libros [Jan 1st]

Seven Dystopias Awaiting - Rita @ View From My Home [Dec 31st]

Six Sizzling New Adults - Sheri @ Tangled Up In Books [You're here!]

Five Co-z-ies - Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library [Dec 29th]

Four Contemporaries - Jenna @ Rather Be Reading YA [Dec 28th]

Three Time Travels - Terri @ Second Run Reviews [Dec 27th]

Two Chick Lits - Lola @ Lola’s Reviews [Dec 26th]

And a Thriller where the family flee - Trish @ Between My Lines {Dec 25th]

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BLOG TOUR: The Perfect Gift by Dani-Lyn Alexander [ARC Review + Giveaway]

Title/Series: The Perfect Gift

Author: Dani-Lyn Alexander

Publisher: Pocket Star

Published: November 17, 2014

Format: eARC | Pages: 80

Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Source: InkSlinger PR

★★★✩ (3.5/5) Stars!

Dani-Lyn Alexander | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

It’s the season of second chances in this heartwarming, contemporary holiday romance where two single parents find each other—and another chance at love—in the most unexpected of places!

’Tis the night before Christmas…and businessman and single father Jason is scrambling to find the dollhouse of the season for his seven-year-old daughter Emily. But when he finally strikes gold at an obscure toy store, he’s met with resistance—literally, as a beautiful woman named Leah is grabbing onto the dollhouse box from the other side of the aisle, determined to get the same Christmas present for her own daughter.

Desperate not to let the other win, Jason and Leah forge a pact: stay together until they find the same dollhouse at a different toy store. It sounds simple, but ten stores and many hours later, they still come up empty. They might not be finding another dollhouse, but they sure are finding a lot to talk about and, as their mutual attraction grows, the unlikely pair finds the greatest holiday gift of all—love.

I received a copy of this book from InkSlinger PR, for a blog tour, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!

Holy cute and sweetness overload with this book! It really is a shame that it was so freaking short. I started it next thing I knew it was done and I was pretty bummed! I wanted more of the cuteness.

By the time I realized that this was a novella I had a little bit of panic seep in because normally that can only mean one thing. Insta-love. This book is basically about a two day time period from beginning to end so thankfully for The Perfect Gift that didn't happen to be the case. There were no declarations of love by the end or immediately hopping into bed together. It was just two people who had lots in common, a lot of similarities when it came to their parental situation and over the period of the book the base of a strong connection formed. Of course there was an instant attraction but that's only natural and the sparks...were pretty intense. I was highly relieved.

I've never read anything by Dani-Lyn Alexander before but I loved and was very excited by the summary and knew I had to give this one a try because it was just calling out to me the possibility of being a very fun read. I wasn't disappointed, well except for it being too quick! But that's more in a complimentary way as I didn't want it to end. It really put me in the holiday mood and I could just picture these two scrambling around at the last minute trying to be super parents and get their kids the perfect gifts.

Both Jason and Leah were great characters. You could tell they were both awesome, caring and loving parents that would do anything to make their kids happy. They worked hard and devoted any free time they had to their girls. It was so heartwarming! Both of them were also funny and full of humorous moments. I enjoyed the fact that for once the guy in the story had the curse of being a bit on the klutzy side. I laughed out loud a couple times, right along with Leah, as Jason found himself on the ground.

It was funny, it was sweet and it plastered a smile on my face. A perfect and quick book to snuggle up with and read when you're feeling the holiday spirit. I really liked this one and look forward to giving more from Dani-Lyn Alexander a read in the future.

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

Dani-Lyn Alexander lives on Long Island with her husband, three kids and three dogs. She loves spending time with her family, at the beach, the playground, or just about anywhere. In her spare time, which is rare, she enjoys reading and shopping—especially in book stores. Some of her favorite things include; Bernese Mountain Dogs, musicals, bubble baths and soft blankets. She’s an incurable insomniac and has an addiction to chocolate.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

The Perfect Gift by Dani-Lyn ALexander [Release Day Launch + Giveaway]

The Perfect Gift

by Dani-Lyn Alexander

Publisher:

Pocket Star

Genre:

Adult

Contemporary

Romance

Summary:

It’s the season of second chances in this heartwarming, contemporary holiday romance where two single parents find each other—and another chance at love—in the most unexpected of places.

’Tis the night before Christmas…and businessman and single father Jason is scrambling to find the dollhouse of the season for his seven-year-old daughter Emily. But when he finally strikes gold at an obscure toy store, he’s met with resistance—literally, as from the aisle across from him a beautiful woman named Leah is grabbing onto the dollhouse box with similar intent, determined to get the same Christmas present for her own daughter.

 Desperate not to let the other win, Jason and Leah forge a pact: stay together until they find the same dollhouse at a different toy store. It sounds simple, but ten stores and many hours later, they still come up empty. They might not be finding another dollhouse, but they sure are finding a lot to talk about and, as their mutual attraction grows, the unlikely pair finds the greatest holiday gift of all—love.

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

Dani-Lyn Alexander lives on Long Island with her husband, three kids and three dogs. She loves spending time with her family, at the beach, the playground, or just about anywhere. In her spare time, which is rare, she enjoys reading and shopping—especially in book stores. Some of her favorite things include; Bernese Mountain Dogs, musicals, bubble baths and soft blankets. She’s an incurable insomniac and has an addiction to chocolate.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Southern Born Christmas Books Blog Tour: The Trouble With Christmas [ARC Review + Giveaway]

Title/Series: The Trouble with Christmas | Southern Born Christmas #4
Author: Kaira Rouda
Publisher: Tule Publishing Group
Published: November 10th 2014
Format: eARC | Pages: 108
Genre; Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source InkSlinger PR
★★★ (3/5) Stars!

At 35-years-old, Cole Stanton is burned out. His high-paced, uber-successful career has left him yearning to start over. He finds Indigo Island, buys a restaurant and settles into an uncomplicated life. But Christmas is a mess. He has over-committed the small restaurant’s resources again, and is over his head. He finds himself longing for everything he has left behind, until a chance encounter with gorgeous Lily offers a spark of salvation to his business and, perhaps his life.

Beautiful pastry chef Lily Edmonds is thirty years old and heartbroken. It’s just before Christmas and she’s just been dumped by via telephone by her fiancee. Her best friend Avery Putnam invites her to Indigo Island, hoping to add joy back into Lily’s life. A chance encounter with the sexy owner of a local restaurant makes Lily feel an attraction she thought she’d never feel again, and offers her a business challenge to keep her mind focused on something other than her broken heart. 

Cole Stanton and Lily Edmonds are both starting over. Will the joy of the holiday season bring them together or will the troubles with Christmas push them apart?

My Review:

I received a copy of this book from InkSlinger PR, for a blog tour, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!

I was instantly attracted to both the title and the summary for this book. It started off really strong and had me instantly curious and excited to get to know these characters. The trouble with some novellas though is having to squeeze so much into such a small space. Sometimes it works but others, especially when you're telling someone's love story who have no prior knowledge of each other at the start of the book, you dip into the whole insta-love problem.

In The Trouble with Christmas I definitely felt that sort of rushed falling into forever vibe. Which was sad for me because everything was great up until about an hour after Lily and Cole meet. Lily was so sad and nursing a 2 week old broken heart after five years with the guy and I just felt so awful for her. I was loving how her best friend Avery and Avery's entire family were there and supportive of her. To them she is part of their family and it was heartwarming and left me with a smile and filled me with hope.

The way that Lily and Cole meet was just the cutest and sweetest thing ever. I was falling into full on swoon mode! But it lost something after that moment. That's when everything started to jolt forward at warp speed. Cole confessing secret shame of his past within hours of meeting her and other situations and bits of dialogue that didn't exactly feel natural or smooth. I understand feeling an instant connection to someone and an attraction, this though went beyond that into instant trust and "we just met but let me tell you about the things from my past that I'm embarrassed about."

So while, yes, I was a bit bothered by the pacing, there were still things that I couldn't help but like about this book. There was still always and underlying sweetness and cuteness to Lily and Cole's story. It would have been perfect as a full length novel, that much I could tell for sure. I truly was sucked in and excited from the opening chapters. The bottom line is if you aren't bothered by insta-love you will probably really enjoy this book and if not this one probably won't be for you.

Giveaway:

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About the author:

Kaira Rouda is an award-winning and bestselling author of both fiction and nonfiction. Her books include: Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs; Here, Home, Hope; All the Difference; In the Mirror; and the short story, A Mother's Day.  She lives in Southern California with her husband and four children and is at work on her next novel. Connect with her on Twitter, @KairaRouda, and on Facebook at Kaira Rouda Books. And of course, on Pinterest! For more about Kaira and her books, please visit her website KairaRouda.com.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

My reviews for the other books in this series here:

Holiday at Magnolia Bay (Southern Born Christmas #1)

by Tracy Solheim

Just in Time for Christmas (Southern Born Christmas #2)

by Kim Boykin

A Very Married Christmas (Southern Born Christmas #3)

by Erika Marks

Southern Born Christmas Books Blog Tour: A Very Married Christmas [ARC Review + Giveaway]

Title/Series: A Very Married Christmas | Southern Born Christmas #3
Author: Erika Marks
Publisher: Tule Publishing Group
Published: November 3rd 2014
Format: eARC | Pages: 120
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: InkSlinger PR
★★★ (3/5) Stars!

Cookbook author Marley Chambers can’t think of a more festive way to spend Christmas than at a friend’s holiday wedding in her hometown of Magnolia Bay. If only her soon-to-be ex-husband, all-star pitcher, Beckett “Beck” Chambers wasn’t bringing his new girlfriend—and if only he wasn’t still the sexiest man to ever walk out onto the mound…

Beck never wanted the chaotic life of a sport star—especially not at the cost of his marriage to the only woman he’s ever truly loved. But his career is a runaway train—and he’s afraid it’s too late to hit the brakes.

But when a mix-up leaves Beck and Marley stranded together for Christmas Eve on the barrier island where Beck proposed years before, old memories burn bright—and sparks fly hotter than a bonfire on the beach.

Could the magic of the season bring the gift of a second chance, just in time for Christmas?

My Review:

I received a copy of this book from InkSlinger PR, for a blog tour, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!

I was extremely excited for this one. Who doesn't enjoy a second chance at love? Overall I enjoyed this book, though there were parts that I struggled with greatly. I feel like this one would have gone over better with me had it strictly been in Marley's point of view. I was highly sympathetic towards her and found her extremely likable. When it switched out of her point of view however, for a good portion of the book, that's when things went downhill and fast.

I found it difficult in the beginning whenever it would switch to Beck's point of view because we get to know Marley at first and like her and feel for her and then to have his new relationship in our faces with the younger, skinnier and flashier new girlfriend had me feeling less understanding and more dislike than anything else. To see him all over her even in the privacy of their own room left a really bad taste in my mouth. It paints him in more of the bad guy roll. He's not even divorced and him bringing his new girlfriend to a holiday wedding knowing his not quite ex-wife was going to be there was really distasteful in my opinion. It is grudgingly, and very much so at that, that I will now confess that by the end of the book I actually found the guy to be kind of decent.

Everything seemed so black and white in this book at first. I had my mind made up early on but the less I had to deal with hearing about the plastic bimbo the easier it was to accept that thing that people always say to be accurate. There's 3 sides to every story. Yours. Mine. And the truth. Beck wasn't the bad guy I was judging him to be. They both made mistakes at the end of their marriage. Something that was very hard to see, at least for me, when dealing with some of those early scenes I was talking about.

I know all of this probably sounds extremely negative and maybe even like I hated this book. I honestly didn't. There were obstacles and hurdles to jump, but once I did I may have even swooned a little bit. Okay, maybe a lot. There was a sweetness and romantic quality to how their story comes to an end. I really enjoyed it, but I would have enjoyed it just a little bit more had it stuck to the one point of view and Beck hadn't looked like such a monster.

Giveaway:

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About the author:

Erika Marks is a women's fiction writer and the author of LITTLE GALE GUMBO, THE MERMAID COLLECTOR, THE GUEST HOUSE and IT COMES IN WAVES (July, 2014). On the long and winding road to becoming published, she worked many different jobs, including carpenter, cake decorator, art director, and illustrator. But if pressed, she might say it was her brief tenure with a match-making service in Los Angeles after college that set her on the path to writing love stories (not that there isn't romance in frosting or power tools!) A native New Englander, she now makes her home in Charlotte, NC, with her husband, a native New Orleanian who has taught her to make a wicked gumbo, and their two little mermaids. For more on Erika’s books, visit her website at http://www.erikamarksauthor.com

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

My reviews for the other books in this series here:

Holiday at Magnolia Bay (Southern Born Christmas #1)

by Tracy Solheim

Just in Time for Christmas (Southern Born Christmas #2)

by Kim Boykin

The Trouble with Christmas (Southern Born Christmas #4)

by Kaira Rouda

Southern Born Christmas Books Blog Tour: Just in Time for Christmas [ARC Review + Giveaway]

Title/Series: Just in Time for Christmas | Southern Born Christmas #2
Author: Kim Boykin
Publisher: Tule Publishing Group
Published: October 27th 2014
Format: eARC | Pages: 113
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: InkSlinger PR
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Nobody does Christmas like Miranda Hamilton, and now that she finally has her chance to chair Magnolia Bay's tree lighting and the cotillion, which benefits her late mother’s breast cancer foundation, this Christmas is shaping up to be the best ever. That is until her childhood nemesis Logan Mauldin buys his way on her committee and starts making plans of his own.

Logan Mauldin loves to get under Miranda's very sexy skin, and it's only fair. She's been getting under his since long before their first kiss at 13. Logan’s the last man interested in co-chairing a Christmas committee or participating in a sexy bachelor auction, but since that night he interrupted Miranda on a date and cornered her under the mistletoe, he can't stop thinking about her. Or vying for her attention and bugging the hell out of her.

Christmas cheer isn’t the only thing that heats up between the Miranda and Logan, but, thanks to a lie that is as much her fault as it is his, he loses the woman he’s loved since forever. Logan will need a Christmas miracle for Miranda to forgive him. A grand gesture to melt her heart and win her back just in time for Christmas.

My Review:

I received a copy of this book from InkSlinger PR, for a blog tour, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or rating!

It was basically impossible for me to find any fault with this one. Except for maybe the fact that, once again, it was over way too quickly!! Had this been a full length novel I'd have been trying to cram more stars onto my rating. It was hilarious and sweet and absolutely swoon worthy.

I love, love, love stories where the couple have this intense sort of love/hate rivalry thing going on. Miranda and Logan get a thrill out of pushing each others buttons. They may as well have been on the playground pulling hair and shoving each other into the ground. It was so much fun and yet you could feel the sexual tension radiating off of them and you just know it's only a matter of time before something happens. It was read with a huge grin on my face.

I adored Miranda so much. Her love and joy of the Christmas season is so contagious. At the start of the book she's whirling through the B&B she owns getting things ready for her guest in the morning and as she goes from room to room a very descriptive picture is painted as to how she has everything decorated and I was loving it. I could picture it all in my mind and wish I was there. I'm normally not one for overly descriptive passages and sometimes end up skimming them but for this book I soaked every little bit in and couldn't get enough.

While I adored Miranda, I all out fell in love with Logan. The lengths he went to for Miranda were just...sigh...you know? Huge romantic gestures? This guy has them down! I. Am. Smitten! Though I had the opposite reaction to the lie that's mentioned at the end of the blurb. I assumed I had it figured out quite early on and instead of being outraged like she was I was thinking aww and once again, grinning like an idiot. The other thing I loved was the dynamic he has with his brothers. I am so hooked on those Mauldin boys it's not even funny. I'm going to be getting Sweet Home Carolina ASAP! Which is one of Logan's older brother's story, Trent. Eeep! I cannot wait!

Though I've liked both of the books that I've read so far in this series, I've fallen quite a bit harder for this one and all the fun characters in Magnolia Bay that these authors have woven together. Oh and the sort of Christmas lore and traditions that are shown to us through this book of Magnolia Bay were so unique and so much fun! There are pirates and a Pirate King and his Queen and treasure, trust me these things were very, very cool and I liked the nontraditional aspects that were added to the story that blended perfectly with the more traditional and Christmasy ones. You have no idea how much I wish I could have transported myself there for the holidays! Such a fun book and I look forward to reading more of Kim Boykin's books in the very near future!

Giveaway:

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About the author:

Kim Boykin is a women's fiction author with a sassy Southern streak. She is the author of The Wisdom of Hair, Steal Me, Cowboy, and Palmetto Moon (Summer 2014.) While her heart is always in South Carolina, she lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, 3 dogs, and 126 rose bushes.

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My reviews of the other books in this series here:

Holiday at Magnolia Bay (Southern Born Christmas #1)

by Tracy Solheim

A Very Married Christmas (Southern Born Christmas #3)

by Erika Marks

The Trouble with Christmas (Southern Born Christmas #4)

by Kaira Rouda