Christmas Spirit Update #4

So I failed at the movie watching, but surpassed my goal at the book reading! I’m calling this readathon a win!

My Goals:

• Read 6 Christmas related books (9/6)

• Review all books read (9/9)

• Watch 5 Christmas movies (2/5)

My TBR:

• Alaskan Holiday by Debbie Macomber ✓

• That Mistletoe Moment ✓

• Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand ✓

• Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand ✓

• Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa de la Cruz ✓

• Bell, Book, and Candlemas by Jennifer David Hesse

• Married for Christmas by Noelle Adams

• A Family for Christmas by Noelle Adams

• Christmas with You by Tracey Alvarez

• Christmas Lovebirds by Rachelle Ayala

• Christmas Light by Jolyse Barnett

• Christmas with the Black Sheep by Natalie Nicole Bates

• Once Upon a Royal Christmas by Robin Bielman

• A Match Made at Christmas by Patty Blount

• A Pirate for Christmas by Anna Campbell

• Her Christmas Bonus by Rain Danvers

• A Kiss of Christmas by Jillian Eaton

• Santa Baby, I Want a Bad Boy for Christmas by Justine Elvira

• My Christmas Curse by Joan Gable

• The Christmas Bargain by Shanna Hatfield

• A Cotswold Christmas by Kate Hewitt

• Melody’s Christmas by ID Johnson

• Once Upon a Christmas by Lisa Plumley

• A Christmas Gift by Stella Wilkinson ✓

• A Town Called Christmas by Stella Wilkinson ✓

• Mischief and Mistletoe ✓

• The Night Before Christmas ✓

The Night Before Christmas

Title: The Night Before Christmas

Author: Lori Foster, Jill Shalvis, Katherine Garbera, Erin McCarthy, Kathy Love, Kylie Adams

Publisher: Kensington 2005

Genre: Romance

Pages: 304

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Christmas Spirit

Six sexy Christmas tales--by Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy, Kathy Love, Jill Shalvis, Kylie Adams, and Katherine Garbera--come together in a seductive collection that will thaw the icicles off the eave, with stories of office romance, infatuation, lust, and fantasy

A very uneven collection of stories. I get that these are to be short stories, but most of them were too short. I wanted just a bit more substance before we got to the “I love you” stage of the story. I just wasn’t a huge fan of this collection. Oh well.

Next up on the TBR pile:

That Mistletoe Moment

Title: That Mistletoe Moment

Author: Cat Johnson, Kate Angell, Allyson Charles

Publisher: Kensington Books 2016

Genre: Romance

Pages: 265

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Christmas Spirit

MADE UP
Like a Christmas miracle, the Build a Boyfriend App lets you simply input the stats of your dream man, and witty texts, passionate emails, and hot Instagram pics start flooding in. No more awkward questions or pitying looks as you face the holidays alone!
 
MIXED UP
But even the best technology has its glitches. When real-life emotions come into play, this trio of twenty-somethings find themselves in a tangle of crossed signals, flying wrapping paper, disastrous Christmas parties…and surprising kisses.
 
MATCHED UP
Yet despite the confusion of their mistletoe misadventures, when the New Year dawns, these very satisfied women just may find themselves waking up with true love beside them.

“A Boyfriend by Christmas” by Cat Johnson — Such a cute story. I really loved Noelle and her joy at Christmas. And the entire plot line, while predictable, was just the right amount of sweetness and meet-cute. Loved it!

“All I Want for Christmas is…” by Kate Angell — Another fun and cute story. I loved Riley and Daniel. The ending was a bit much for me, but I still enjoyed the story.

“Her Favorite Present” by Allyson Charles — My least favorite of the three stories, but it was still really good. Loved Rachel even if Gabe wasn’t the best male protagonist.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Mistletoe and Mischief

Title: Mistletoe and Mischief

Author: Melanie Karsak, Margo Bond Collins, Erin Hayes, Blaire Edens, Pauline Creeden, Jayne Fury, Katie Hayoz, S.K> Gregory, Evan Winters, Carrie L. Wells, Bokerah Brumley, Anna Albergucci, T.K. Bradley, Angelique Archer, J. Mills, Deb Christie, Ella Malone

Publisher: 2017

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 392

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Christmas Spirit Readathon

Sixteen magical holiday stories from NY Times and USA Today bestsellers and award-winning authors are sure to get you in the holiday spirit. This collection will whisk you from Christmas season in steampunk London to Yule celebrations with the coven to Hanukkah celebrations with a supernatural twist. Battle Krampus, ghosts, vampires, demons, and a hell of an eggnog hangover in this special collection of paranormal, horror, urban fantasy, and steampunk holiday tales.

This collection was such a mixed bag. There were a few good stories, but many of them were clearly part of a series and presented with limited background info. I just didn’t understand the worlds I was being thrown into. Those stories really brought my star rating down. My favorite story was actually the very first one. Loved the alternate London full of monsters and interested characters. Loved that one!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Christmas Spirit Update #3

My Goals:

• Read 6 Christmas related books (6/6)

• Review all books read (6/6)

• Watch 5 Christmas movies (2/5)

My TBR:

• Alaskan Holiday by Debbie Macomber ✓

• That Mistletoe Moment (in progress)

• Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand ✓

• Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand ✓

• Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa de la Cruz ✓

• Bell, Book, and Candlemas by Jennifer David Hesse

• Married for Christmas by Noelle Adams

• A Family for Christmas by Noelle Adams

• Christmas with You by Tracey Alvarez

• Christmas Lovebirds by Rachelle Ayala

• Christmas Light by Jolyse Barnett

• Christmas with the Black Sheep by Natalie Nicole Bates

• Once Upon a Royal Christmas by Robin Bielman

• A Match Made at Christmas by Patty Blount

• A Pirate for Christmas by Anna Campbell

• Her Christmas Bonus by Rain Danvers

• A Kiss of Christmas by Jillian Eaton

• Santa Baby, I Want a Bad Boy for Christmas by Justine Elvira

• My Christmas Curse by Joan Gable

• The Christmas Bargain by Shanna Hatfield

• A Cotswold Christmas by Kate Hewitt

• Melody’s Christmas by ID Johnson

• Once Upon a Christmas by Lisa Plumley

• A Christmas Gift by Stella Wilkinson ✓

• A Town Called Christmas by Stella Wilkinson ✓

• Mischief and Mistletoe (in progress)

• The Night Before Christmas (in progress)

A Town Called Christmas by Stella Wilkinson

Title: A Town Called Christmas

Author: Stella Wilkinson

Publisher: Amazon 2017

Genre: Romance

Pages: 68

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Christmas Spirit

Returning home for the festivities isn’t high on Dulcie’s wish list. But it soon becomes obvious that she's needed, mainly to sort out the love lives of the boys she grew up with. They all seem to be involved with exactly the wrong person. Can Dulcie untangle them in time for Christmas, and maybe even find love herself?

Very cute little Christmas story. I loved the all the characters and the plotline. It was a little week on really fleshing out the characters, but it is a short story. Still an enjoyable read!

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Christmas Gift by Stella Wilkinson

Title: A Christmas Gift

Author: Stella Wilkinson

Publisher: Amazon 2014

Genre: Romance

Pages: 32

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Christmas Spirit

Holly and Caleb had been best friends as children, growing up on the same street, but as teenagers they couldn't be further apart. When Caleb unexpectedly asked Holly to help him pick out a Christmas gift for his girlfriend, neither of them anticipated where it would lead.

Such a cute little short story. I love these short Christmas themed romances in December. I picked this one up for free on Kindle, but I would definitely continue reading these sweet stories from Wilkinson.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand

Title: Winter Stroll (Winter #2)

Author: Elin Hilderbrand

Publisher: Brown and Company 2015

Genre: Romance

Pages: 261

Stars: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Christmas Spirit Readathon

Another Christmas on Nantucket finds Winter Street Inn owner Kelley Quinn reflecting on the past year as he writes a holiday letter to friends and family. Though the year has had its share of misfortune and worry, the Quinns have much to celebrate. Kelley, now single, at least is on better terms with his first wife Margaret, who is using her celebrity to lure customers to the inn in record numbers. Their son Kevin has a beautiful new baby, Genevieve, with the Inn's French housekeeper, Isabelle; and their daughter, Ava, is finally dating a nice guy--her devoted colleague, Scott. 

Now the Quinns are looking forward to celebrating Genevieve's baptism, welcoming Isabelle to the family, and enjoying the cheer of Nantucket's traditional Christmas Stroll. But just when a peaceful family gathering seems within reach, Kelley's estranged second wife, Mitzi, shows up on the island after souring on her relationship with the inn's former Santa Claus. Soon Kelley isn't the only Quinn entertaining a surprise guest from Christmases past as lovers old and new gather beneath the mistletoe. With jealousy, passion, and eggnog consumption at an all-time high, it's going to take a whole lot more than a Christmas miracle to get the Quinns--and the inn--through the holidays intact. 

Another Christmas themed book that I sped through in two days. I really am falling for the Quinn family. I felt so bad for Isabelle and Kevin in this volume. Ava annoyed the crap out of me.(Seriously woman! Get it together!) It was nice to hear from Jennifer and even Mitzi (although she’s is definitely not a favorite). I think my favorite character of this volume was Margaret. Really loving her. I can’t wait to see what happens next in the series!

Winter:

• #1 Winter Street

• #2 Winter Stroll

• #3 Winter Storms

• #4 Winter Solstice

Next up on the TBR pile:

Christmas Spirit Update #2

My Goals:

• Read 6 Christmas related books (3/6)

• Review all books read (3/3)

• Watch 5 Christmas movies (0/5)

My TBR:

• Alaskan Holiday by Debbie Macomber ✓

• That Mistletoe Moment

• Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand ✓

• Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand (in progress)

• Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa de la Cruz ✓

• Bell, Book, and Candlemas by Jennifer David Hesse

• Married for Christmas by Noelle Adams

• A Family for Christmas by Noelle Adams

• Christmas with You by Tracey Alvarez

• Christmas Lovebirds by Rachelle Ayala

• Christmas Light by Jolyse Barnett

• Christmas with the Black Sheep by Natalie Nicole Bates

• Once Upon a Royal Christmas by Robin Bielman

• A Match Made at Christmas by Patty Blount

• A Pirate for Christmas by Anna Campbell

• Her Christmas Bonus by Rain Danvers

• A Kiss of Christmas by Jillian Eaton

• Santa Baby, I Want a Bad Boy for Christmas by Justine Elvira

• My Christmas Curse by Joan Gable

• The Christmas Bargain by Shanna Hatfield

• A Cotswold Christmas by Kate Hewitt

• Melody’s Christmas by ID Johnson

• Once Upon a Christmas by Lisa Plumley

• A Christmas Gift by Stella Wilkinson (in progress)

• A Town Called Christmas by Stella Wilkinson (in progress)

Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand

Title: Winter Street (Winter #1)

Author: Elin Hilderbrand

Publisher: Back Bay Books 2014

Genre: Romance

Pages: 249

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal Series - Leaf as Bookmark; Christmas Spirit Readathon

Kelley Quinn is the owner of Nantucket's Winter Street Inn and the proud father of four grown children: Patrick, a hedge fund manager; Kevin, a bartender; Ava, a school teacher; and Bart, who has recently shocked everyone by joining the Marines. As Christmas approaches, Kelley looks forward to spending the holidays with his family at the inn. But when he walks in on his wife Mitzi kissing another man, utter chaos descends, and things only get more interesting when Kelley's ex-wife, news anchor Margaret Quinn, arrives on the scene. 

Before the mulled cider is gone, the delightfully dysfunctional Quinn family will survive a love triangle, an unplanned pregnancy, a federal crime, and endless rounds of Christmas caroling in this heart-warming novel about coming home for the holidays.

Going into this book, I thought it was going to be a fun and fluffy romance. Not quite. This volume had much more serious topics, plot points, and issues. Once i got into the story, I was very interested in seeing the progress of each character. I especially fell for Margaret. Such a contradiction! Now I’m intrigued as to what happens next with the Quinn family.

Winter:

• #1 Winter Street

• #2 Winter Stroll

• #3 Winter Storms

• #4 Winter Solstice

Next up on the TBR pile:

Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa de la Cruz

Title: Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe

Author: Melissa de la Cruz

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press 2017

Genre: Romance

Pages: 225

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Christmas Spirit Readathon;

Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe from New York Times bestselling author, Melissa de la Cruz, is a sweet, sexy and hilarious gender-swapping, genre-satisfying re-telling, set in contemporary America and featuring one snooty Miss Darcy.

Darcy Fitzwilliam is 29, beautiful, successful, and brilliant. She dates hedge funders and basketball stars and is never without her three cellphones―one for work, one for play, and one to throw at her assistant (just kidding). Darcy’s never fallen in love, never has time for anyone else’s drama, and never goes home for Christmas if she can help it. But when her mother falls ill, she comes home to Pemberley, Ohio, to spend the season with her family.

Her parents throw their annual Christmas bash, where she meets one Luke Bennet, the smart, sardonic slacker son of their neighbor. Luke is 32-years-old and has never left home. He’s a carpenter and makes beautiful furniture, and is content with his simple life. He comes from a family of five brothers, each one less ambitious than the other. When Darcy and Luke fall into bed after too many eggnogs, Darcy thinks it’s just another one night stand. But why can’t she stop thinking of Luke? What is it about him? And can she fall in love, or will her pride and his prejudice against big-city girls stand in their way?

A cute little gender swapped contemporary version of Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice. I immediately loved connecting the the contemporary characters with the ones from the original text. Overall, it was a cute little romance that I sped through in only two days. My only quibble with this book is how horrible Darcy acted at times. I understand her insecurities and misunderstandings, but at times it might have gone a bit too far. She was made out to be far more of a royal bitch than she was. I’m excited that everything turned out in the end (of course it was going to!), but slightly annoyed at a few pages.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Alaskan Holiday by Debbie Macomber

Title: Alaskan Holiday

Author: Debbie Macomber

Publisher: Ballantine Books 2018

Genre: Romance

Pages: 256

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Christmas Spirit

Before beginning her dream job as sous chef in one of Seattle’s hottest new restaurants, Josie Avery takes a summer position cooking at a lakeside lodge in the remote Alaskan town of Ponder. Josie falls for the rustic charms of the local community—including Jack Corcoran, the crotchety keeper of Ponder’s famed sourdough starter, and, in particular, the quiet and intense Palmer Saxon, a famed master swordsmith.

Josie and Palmer become close during the long Alaskan summer days, but Josie knows that, come fall, she’ll be returning to reality and the career she’s worked so hard for. Palmer, on the other hand, would like nothing better than to make Josie his wife and to keep her in Ponder. But Josie can’t imagine abandoning her mother back in the Emerald City and sacrificing her career to stay in this isolated town—not even for a man she’s quickly coming to love.

I’m usually always up for a Christmas romance story (no matter how cheesy they can be), but this one just didn’t sit right with me. I was bored with the main characters. The side characters, specifically Jack, seemed very silly and one dimensional. You know how this is going to end, but it was just so repetitive. The constant internal questioning of each other’s motives instead of saying something really had me wanting to yell at all the characters. I finished it, but I just don’t think this book was for me…

Next up on the TBR pile:

Christmas Spirit Update #1

I didn’t start my Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge until December 1st, so not much to report. I did pick up Debbie Macomber’s newest holiday novel, Alaskan Holiday. I started with that yesterday.

My Goals:

• Read 6 Christmas related books

• Review all books read

• Watch 5 Christmas movies

My TBR:

• Alaskan Holiday by Debbie Macomber

• Married for Christmas by Noelle Adams

• A Family for Christmas by Noelle Adams

• Christmas with You by Tracey Alvarez

• Christmas Lovebirds by Rachelle Ayala

• Christmas Light by Jolyse Barnett

• Christmas with the Black Sheep by Natalie Nicole Bates

• Once Upon a Royal Christmas by Robin Bielman

• A Match Made at Christmas by Patty Blount

• A Pirate for Christmas by Anna Campbell

• Her Christmas Bonus by Rain Danvers

• A Kiss of Christmas by Jillian Eaton

• Santa Baby, I Want a Bad Boy for Christmas by Justine Elvira

• My Christmas Curse by Joan Gable

• The Christmas Bargain by Shanna Hatfield

• A Cotswold Christmas by Kate Hewitt

• Melody’s Christmas by ID Johnson

• Once Upon a Christmas by Lisa Plumley

• A Christmas Gift by Stella Wilkinson

• A Town Called Christmas by Stella Wilkinson

Christmas Spirit Starting Line

My Goals:

• Read 6 Christmas related books

• Review all books read

• Watch 5 Christmas movies

My TBR:

• Married for Christmas by Noelle Adams

• A Family for Christmas by Noelle Adams

• Christmas with You by Tracey Alvarez

• Christmas Lovebirds by Rachelle Ayala

• Christmas Light by Jolyse Barnett

• Christmas with the Black Sheep by Natalie Nicole Bates

• Once Upon a Royal Christmas by Robin Bielman

• A Match Made at Christmas by Patty Blount

• A Pirate for Christmas by Anna Campbell

• Her Christmas Bonus by Rain Danvers

• A Kiss of Christmas by Jillian Eaton

• Santa Baby, I Want a Bad Boy for Christmas by Justine Elvira

• My Christmas Curse by Joan Gable

• The Christmas Bargain by Shanna Hatfield

• A Cotswold Christmas by Kate Hewitt

• Melody’s Christmas by ID Johnson

• Once Upon a Christmas by Lisa Plumley

• A Christmas Gift by Stella Wilkinson

• A Town Called Christmas by Stella Wilkinson

Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge

From Christmas Spirit:

It's that time of year again!

As usual, there are multiple levels for participation, like children's books and watching Christmas movies AND the Christmas Spirit Readathon is back again this year. Keep reading for details!

Details and sign up:

• challenge will run from Monday, November 19, 2018 through Sunday, January 6, 2019 (Twelfth Night or Epiphany). 

• cross over with other challenges is totally permitted AND encouraged! 

• These must be Christmas novels, books about Christmas lore, a book of Christmas short stories or poems, books about Christmas crafts, and for the first time...a children's Christmas books level! 

Levels:
--Candy Cane: read 1 book
--Mistletoe: read 2-4 books
--Christmas Tree: read 5 or 6 books (this is the fanatic level...LOL!)

Additional levels:
--Fa La La La Films: watch a bunch or a few Christmas movies...it's up to you!
--Visions of Sugar Plums: read books with your children this season and share what you read

*the additional levels are optional, you still must complete one of the main reading levels above

• The Christmas Spirit Readathon is back again this year. I'll be hosting once again over at Seasons of Readingalso starting Monday, November 19 through Sunday, December 2! Details and sign-up can be found HERE.

• the most important rule? Have fun!!! 

• I will have a review linky posted as a page the day the challenge starts. You will find it at the top of the right sidebar. 

• Sign up in the linky below (link to your post with your reading list...you can change up your list during the challenge...I just want to be able to stop by to welcome you and see what you plan to read).

One final note: The giveaway this year will be a $15 donation to the winner's choice of a human rights organization, such as the ACLU, Boys and Girls Club, Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD, Amnesty International, It Gets Better, Planned Parenthood, or another human rights organization of your choice, perhaps your local chapter or organization. This giveaway is open internationally.

I hope you will join me!

Grab a button...check the right sidebar...there's a grab code. And don't forget to check out the Readathon details at Seasons of Reading!

I’m in! Going to go for the Christmas Tree level of 5-6 books. I have a Kindle full of fun Christmas romances that I plan on devouring this season.