Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren

Title: Twice in a Blue Moon

Author: Christina Lauren

Publisher: Gallery Books 2019

Genre: Romance

Pages: 366

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

Sam Brandis was Tate Jones’s first: Her first love. Her first everything. Including her first heartbreak.

During a whirlwind two-week vacation abroad, Sam and Tate fell for each other in only the way that first loves do: sharing all of their hopes, dreams, and deepest secrets along the way. Sam was the first, and only, person that Tate—the long-lost daughter of one of the world’s biggest film stars—ever revealed her identity to. So when it became clear her trust was misplaced, her world shattered for good.

Fourteen years later, Tate, now an up-and-coming actress, only thinks about her first love every once in a blue moon. When she steps onto the set of her first big break, he’s the last person she expects to see. Yet here Sam is, the same charming, confident man she knew, but even more alluring than she remembered. Forced to confront the man who betrayed her, Tate must ask herself if it’s possible to do the wrong thing for the right reason… and whether “once in a lifetime” can come around twice.

I was so incredibly excited for this book after reading and loving The Unhoneymooners last year. And this one just fell completely flat for me. I wasn’t a fan of the pacing of the novel. Splitting the book in half slowed the entire story. I wanted less of Tate and Sam in London and much much more of them as adults. Related to pacing, I was not a fan of the inclusion of parts of the screen play. It really dragged me down. Beyond the pacing, I wasn’t a fan of Tate as a character. She didn’t seem to flushed out enough to be a main character. I couldn’t get beyond it. Overall I just did not enjoy this book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

Title: The Book of Life (All Souls #3)

Author: Deborah Harkness

Publisher: Viking 2014

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 561

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

After traveling through time in Shadow of Night, the second book in Deborah Harkness’s enchanting series, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home at Sept-Tours, they reunite with the cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency. In the trilogy’s final volume, Harkness deepens her themes of power and passion, family and caring, past deeds and their present consequences. In ancestral homes and university laboratories, using ancient knowledge and modern science, from the hills of the Auvergne to the palaces of Venice and beyond, the couple at last learn what the witches discovered so many centuries ago.

Finally finished this wonderful book series. I was all in Diana and Matthew’s story through time. Thankfully this volume was set in the current er and revisited all our favorite characters. I wish we could have seen more from Gallowglass and Miriam, but at least we get more Marcus and Phoebe. I loved the conclusion of the series. Benjamin was a great villain. Plus we get see the downfall of Peter Knox and Gerbert (at least partly). Overall I loved this epic story. Now I need to find another great fantasy series to read.

All Souls Trilogy:

Next up on the TBR pile:

Daybreak by Brian Ralph

Title: Daybreak

Author: Brian Ralph

Publisher: Drawn and Quarterly 2013

Genre: Comics

Pages: 160

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

You wake up in the rubble and see a ragged, desperate one-armed man greeting you. He takes you underground to a safe space, feeds you, offers you a place to sleep, and then announces that he'll take the first watch. It's not long before the peril of the jagged landscape has located you and your newfound protector and is scratching at the door.

What transpires is a moment-to-moment struggle for survival―The Road meets Dawn of the Dead. Daybreak is seen through the eyes of a silent observer as he follows his protector and runs from the shadows of the imminent zombie threat. Brian Ralph slowly builds the tension of the zombies on the periphery, letting the threat―rather than the actual carnage―be the driving force. The postapocalyptic backdrop features tangles of rocks, lumber, I-beams, and overturned cars that are characters in and of themselves.

We watched the television series last month and I had to pick up the original material. I sped through this slim graphic novel in record time. I was fascinated by the story and couldn’t wait to see what happened to our unseen narrator and the few we meet along the way. The last page was harrowing! I loved every single cell in this book. So good.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Scholar by Dervla McTiernan

Title: The Scholar (Cormac Reilly #2)

Author: Dervla McTiernan

Publisher: Penguin Books 2019

Genre: Crime Thriller

Pages: 384

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

When Dr. Emma Sweeney stumbles across the victim of a hit-and-run outside Galway University early one morning, she calls her boyfriend, Detective Cormac Reilly, bringing him first to the scene of a murder that would otherwise never have been assigned to him. The dead girl is carrying an ID that will put this crime at the center of a scandal--her card identifies her as Carline Darcy, heir apparent to Darcy Therapeutics, Ireland's most successful pharmaceutical company. Darcy Therapeutics has a finger in every pie, from sponsoring university research facilities to funding political parties to philanthropy--it has even funded Emma's own ground-breaking research.

As the murder investigation twists in unexpected ways and Cormac's running of the case comes under scrutiny from the department and his colleagues, he is forced to question himself and the beliefs that he has long held as truths. Who really is Emma? And who is Carline Darcy?

The Girly Book Club selection for January. I had to read the first book in the series as I am a completionist, but it’s not necessary to understand this volume. I really liked this story of murder and corporate intrigue. I loved following the murder mystery and DS Reilly. This is not my usual type of book, but I did enjoy it. I wasn’t a huge fan of the background storyline of Emma and her involvement in the case. It seemed a bit much and I could have done without that storyline piece. I’m pretty sure that I’ll read the third book in the series when it releases.

Cormac Reilly

#1 The Ruin
#2 The Scholar
#3 The Good Turn

Next up on the TBR pile:

Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid

Title: Neanderthal Seeks Human (Knitting in the City #1)

Author: Penny Reid

Publisher: Cipher-Naught 2013

Genre: Romance

Pages: 376

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

There are three things you need to know about Janie Morris: 1) She is incapable of engaging in a conversation without volunteering TMTI (Too Much Trivial Information), especially when she is unnerved, 2) No one unnerves her more than Quinn Sullivan, and 3) She doesn't know how to knit.

After losing her boyfriend, apartment, and job in the same day, Janie Morris can't help wondering what new torment fate has in store.

To her utter mortification, Quinn Sullivan—aka Sir McHotpants—witnesses it all then keeps turning up like a pair of shoes you lust after but can't afford. The last thing she expects is for Quinn to make her an offer she can't refuse.

A book club friend recommended this series and I’m so glad I picked it up! This is such a fun romp with fun characters and a great premise. I found myself laughing out loud at a few of the interactions between characters. Janie was annoying at times, but a decent lead character. Quinn was much more interesting. But I was very intrigued by the rest of the knitting group. I can’t wait to read their stories!

Knitting in the City

#1 Neanderthal Seeks Human
#1.5 Neanderthal Marries Human
#2 Friends Without Benefits
#3 Love Hacked
#4 Beauty and the Mustache
#.475 Ninja at First Sight
#5 Happily Ever Ninja
#6 Dating-ish
#7 Marriage of Inconvenience
#8 Neanderthal Seeks Extra Yarns

Next up on the TBR pile:

The One by John Marrs

Title: The One

Author: John Marrs

Publisher: Hanover Square 2018

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 416

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

A simple DNA test is all it takes. Just a quick mouth swab and soon you’ll be matched with your perfect partner—the one you’re genetically made for.

That’s the promise made by Match Your DNA. A decade ago, the company announced that they had found the gene that pairs each of us with our soul mate. Since then, millions of people around the world have been matched. But the discovery has its downsides: test results have led to the breakup of countless relationships and upended the traditional ideas of dating, romance and love.

Now five very different people have received the notification that they’ve been “Matched.” They’re each about to meet their one true love. But “happily ever after” isn’t guaranteed for everyone. Because even soul mates have secrets. And some are more shocking than others…

I grabbed this one from the Prime Reading selections after hearing good reviews from various bloggers. Once I started reading, I just couldn’t stop. I read at a break-neck pace not wanting to wait to see what happens to each of the main characters. I hated that the storylines kept switching as I kept wanting to know exactly what happened next. It’s hard to really categorize this book, but I felt that this ended up being a thriller. Very entertaining. It definitely kept my attention. I loved Nick and Ellie’s stories the best, but each story was interesting in it’s own right.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Old-Fashioned by Robert Simonson

Title: The Old-Fashioned: The Story of the World’s First Classic Cocktail

Author: Robert Simonson

Publisher: Ten Speed Press 2014

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 176

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

No single cocktail is as iconic, as beloved, or as discussed and fought-over as the Old-Fashioned. Its formula is simple: just whiskey, bitters, sugar, and ice. But how you combine those ingredients—in what proportion, using which brands, and with what kind of garnish—is the subject of much impassioned debate.

The Old-Fashioned is the spirited, delightfully unexpected story of this renowned and essential drink: its birth as the ur-cocktail in the nineteenth century, darker days in the throes of Prohibition, re-ascension in the 1950s and 1960s (as portrayed and re-popularized by Don Draper on Mad Men), and renaissance as the star of the contemporary craft cocktail movement.

Random pick from the library shelves last week. I love a good Old Fashioned and I love history, so this book was perfect for a lovely afternoon of reading. I really enjoyed learning the history of the drink. The variations throughout history were fascinating. Loved this slim volume.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Match Made at Christmas by Patty Blount

Title: A Match Made at Christmas (Christmas in New York #4)

Author: Patty Blount

Publisher: Tule Publishing 2014

Genre: Holiday Romance

Pages: 150

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Thirteen years ago, two teens met on the ramp to Ground Zero, on a cold and snowy day, strangers bonding in a moment of grief. The boy pressed a crystal snowflake ornament into the girl’s hand and disappeared into the crowd, unaware that his simple act of kindness saved her from the guilt that threatened to consume her.

Not the best at all. I didn’t really engage with the two main characters. And the storyline was very contrived. I just didn’t really like this one at all.

Christmas in New York

#1 This Christmas
#2 Christmas Light
#3 All I Want for Christmas
#4 A Match Made at Christmas

Next up on the TBR pile:

Bewitched and Betrothed by Juliet Blackwell

Title: Bewitched and Betrothed (Witchcraft Mystery #10)

Author: Juliet Blackwell

Publisher: Berkley 2019

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Pages: 332

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Cloak and Dagger

When Lily Ivory stumbles on the uniform of a former prisoner from Alcatraz and SFPD inspector Carlos Romero’s cousin is kidnapped, Lily suspects something dangerous has been unleashed on the ghost-ridden island of Alcatraz. She'll have to sleuth out the culprit—when she’s not busy entertaining her visiting relatives and resolving romantic conflicts as her wedding date approaches. Could recent omens be pointing to the magical threat in her adopted city? If so, she'll have to line up her allies to change the fate of the Bay Area. Because no matter what, Lily's determined to celebrate her marriage with her friends by her side—even if it means battling a demonic foe before she can make it to the altar.

We finally get another Witchcraft Mystery. I loved the big mystery/adversary in this one! The location of Alcatraz was great and way too fun as someone who lived in the San Francisco area. And we get so much more from Oscar this volume. I loved it! My biggest problem with this series and specific volume is too much Sailor and too little Aidan. Seriously we need more about the larger magical community and upcoming battle. I’ll probably have to wait at least another year for the next volume.

Witchcraft Mystery

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan

Title: The Ruin (Cormac Reilly #1)

Author: Dervla McTiernan

Publisher: Penguin Books 2018

Genre: Crime Thriller

Pages: 380

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Cloak and Dagger

When Aisling Conroy's boyfriend Jack is found in the freezing black waters of the river Corrib, the police tell her it was suicide. A surgical resident, she throws herself into study and work, trying to forget--until Jack's sister Maude shows up. Maude suspects foul play, and she is determined to prove it.

Cormac Reilly is the detective assigned with the re-investigation of a seemingly accidental overdose twenty years ago--the overdose of Jack and Maude's drug and alcohol addled mother. Detective Reilly is under increasing pressure to charge Maude for murder when his colleague Danny uncovers a piece of evidence that will change everything...

This unsettling small-town noir draws us deep into the dark heart of Ireland, where corruption, desperation, and crime run rife. A gritty look at trust and betrayal where the written law isn't the only one, The Ruin asks who will protect you when the authorities can't--or won't.

Our Girly Book Club selection for January is the second in this series (The Scholar). I couldn’t possibly read the second without reading the first, so I grabbed this from the library last week. It took me a few days to get through this one, but I ended really enjoying this murder mystery. The conclusion shocked me a bit and there were definitely some horrific bits. Obviously the series will follow Cormac Reilly’s cases, and I’m interested to see what happens next.

Cormac Reilly

#1 The Ruin
#2 The Scholar
#3 The Good Turn

Next up on the TBR pile:

Christmas Light by Jolyse Barnett

Title: Christmas Light (Christmas in New York #2)

Author: Jolyse Barnett

Publisher: Tule Publishing 2014

Genre: Holiday Romance

Pages: 157

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Adirondack girl-in-transition Jade Engel comes home to recharge after ending a career she never truly wanted, but soon realizes she’s in danger of also being swept off her feet by the boy-next-door, her former best friend, Ben Stephens. If only he’d stop kissing her every time she falls into his arms.

Everything local celebrity Ben Stephens ever wanted is in Starling. Then Jade comes home after an eternity away and sends his simple world into a tailspin. He’s determined to pursue her—the one girl who got away. But when their friends-with-benefits arrangement blows up in their faces, will they have the courage to put their pasts to rest in order to forge a future together?

I liked this one much more than the first in the series. Jade and Ben are great characters. I loved their shared history. Starling is a great setting for a cute romance. I almost miss there was more to this story…

Christmas in New York

#1 This Christmas
#2 Christmas Light
#3 All I Want for Christmas
#4 A Match Made at Christmas

Next up on the TBR pile:

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman

Title: Challenger Deep

Author: Neal Shusterman

Publisher: HarperTeen 2016

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Pages: 320

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - 365 Days of YA; Popsugar - “Pop, Sugar, Challenge”

Caden Bosch is on a ship that's headed for the deepest point on Earth: Challenger Deep, the southern part of the Marianas Trench.
Caden Bosch is a brilliant high school student whose friends are starting to notice his odd behavior.
Caden Bosch is designated the ship's artist in residence to document the journey with images.
Caden Bosch pretends to join the school track team but spends his days walking for miles, absorbed by the thoughts in his head.
Caden Bosch is split between his allegiance to the captain and the allure of mutiny.
Caden Bosch is torn.

This is a very rough, but compelling accurate portrayal of mental illness in a teen. I didn’t quite know what to expect when I picked this one up. I quickly dove into the abyss within Caden’s mind. As in many YA novels, the writing isn’t dense but it took me many days to finish this one as I had to take so many breaks. The subject is just so incredibly heavy. I couldn’t read more than 25 pages in one sitting. However, I found the characters so compelling. I had to keep at it to see where the story led. I’m glad I stuck with it until the end.

Next up on the TBR pile:

This Christmas by Jeannie Moon

Title: This Christmas (Christmas in New York #1)

Author: Jeannie Moon

Publisher: Tule Publishing 2014

Genre: Holiday Romance

Pages: 141

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

Single mother Sabrina Gervais has built a happy life with her daughter Charlotte in their eastern Long Island hometown of Holly Point. Having Charlie meant putting some of her own dreams on hold, but Sabrina is content to surround herself with family and friends, safe from the realities of the outside world. She had enough of that when the man she loved broke her heart.

Jake Killen’s career in professional hockey has brought him many rewards on and off the ice, but returning to New York brings back a flood of memories. When he sees Sabrina again, he discovers that he didn’t just run away from her ten years ago, but also from their unborn child.
Struggling with anger, guilt, and chemistry that’s off the chart, Sabrina and Jake wonder if they can find love again and, this Christmas, make all their wishes come true.

One of those free Kindle reads that I picked up at some point. I am always ready for a holiday romance this time of year. Unfortunately this one fell a bit flat for me. I really enjoyed Jake and Charlie. They were amazing characters! Sabrina was just way too immature and annoying. I couldn’t deal with her. Not great and definitely not for me.

Christmas in New York

#1 This Christmas
#2 Christmas Light
#3 All I Want for Christmas
#4 A Match Made at Christmas

Next up on the TBR pile:

25 Days 'Til Christmas by Poppy Alexander

Title: 25 Days ‘til Christmas

Author: Poppy Alexander

Publisher: William Morrow 2019

Genre: Holiday Fiction

Pages: 348

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Motif - December

Kate Potter used to love Christmas. A few years ago, she would have been wrapping her presents in September and baking mince pies on Halloween, counting down the days and hours to Christmas. But that was before Kate’s husband left for the army and never came home. Now she can hardly stand December at all.

Kate can’t deny she’s lonely, yet she doesn’t think she’s ready for romance. She knows that her son, Jack, needs a Christmas to remember—just like Kate needs a miracle to help her finally move forward with her life. So she’s decided if there isn’t a miracle on its way, she’ll just have to make her own.

As Kate’s advent countdown to the best Christmas ever begins, she soon realizes that even with the best laid plans, you can’t plan for the unexpected. For when the path of the loneliest woman in town crosses with that of the loneliest man, these two destined hearts might find a way to save the holiday for both of them.

I picked this one up as a fun holiday read, but it ended up being a lot more somber than I was expecting. Ultimately, I really enjoyed this story of two lost souls finding one another during the Christmas season. Kate annoyed me at times with her unwillingness to accept help and yet I found her very realistic. Daniel is a great character and I kind of wish we had spent a bit more time with him throughout the story. Be warned that there are some heavy themes in this story (death, suicide, poverty, sexual harassment) but they were all handled in a very realistic portrayal of life.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Finding Christmas by Karen Schaler

Title: Finding Christmas

Author: Karen Schaler

Publisher: William Morrow 2019

Genre: Holiday Romance

Pages: 384

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Keyword - Dec.; Literary Escapes - WA

With all the glittering decorations, twinkling lights, snow angels, gingerbread men and mistletoe, Christmas is Emmie’s first love.

This year, she can’t wait to share her favorite Christmas traditions with her boyfriend, Grant. She thinks he’s “the one.” So when Grant’s hectic work schedule has him more “Bah Humbug” than “Ho, Ho, Ho,” Emmie creates a holiday-themed scavenger hunt to help him find his Christmas spirit. At the end of the journey, Grant will arrive at the charming town of Christmas Point where she’s planned a romantic weekend filled with holiday activities.

But Emmie’s plan backfires when a mix-up has the wrong guy following her clues! Sam, a best-selling mystery writer, thinks Emmie’s clever Christmas riddles are from his agent, who is trying to help him get over his epic writer’s block.

Pretty cute holiday romance that often reads like a movie screenplay. Makes sense as the author writes screenplays also. I loved Emmie and Sam and the setting of Christmas Point. I was let excited about some of the extra long descriptions of settings or scenes. I really want to visit the town of Holiday cheer and experience all the fun activities Emmie planned. Cute little story. Definitely felt like I was watching one of those Hallmark movies.

Next up on the TBR pile:

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

Title: My Brilliant Friend (Neapolitan #1)

Author: Elena Ferrante

Publisher: Europa Editions 2012

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 331

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Random TBR Pick; Alphabet Soup - F

The story begins in the 1950s in a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples. Growing up on these tough streets, the two girls learn to rely on each other ahead of anyone or anything else. As they grow - and as their paths repeatedly diverge and converge - Elena and Lila remain best friends whose respective destinies are reflected and refracted in the other. They are likewise the embodiments of a nation undergoing momentous change. Through the lives of these two women, Ferrante tells the story of a neighborhood, a city, and a country as it is transformed in ways that, in turn, also transform the relationship between her protagonists.

Our book club pick for this month and I was pretty disappointed. I just couldn’t really dive into this world and these characters. The storytelling felt stilted at times. And all the characters were so incredibly unlikeable. I know many many people have loved this series. I just don’t think this one is for me at all.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Kiss of Christmas by Jillian Eaton

Title: A Kiss of Christmas

Author: Jillian Eaton

Publisher: Bay Horse 2014

Genre: Holiday Romance

Pages: 246

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

Two Christmas novellas guaranteed to warm your heart this holiday season...

THE WINTER WISH

Lady Sarah Dawson has one simple wish for Christmas: to gain the attention of Devlin Heathcliff, the handsome viscount whom she has loved for as long as she can remember. All hope seems lost...until one afternoon fate steps in and Sarah learns that sometimes, with a little holiday magic, winter wishes can come true.

Hmmm…. I wanted to really like this story, but it was a little too time-rushed for me. I just didn’t buy Devlin’s sudden transformation. I needed more from him to understand the why. And Sarah was just a bit too much for me.

THE RISQUE RESOLUTION

Due to a clause in her father's will, Lily has until Christmas to find a husband. It's a seemingly impossible task...until she meets the mysterious, insufferable, and oh so handsome Captain James Rigby. But the last thing on the embittered soldier's mind is marriage, especially to Lily Kincaid, a woman who is as infuriatingly stubborn as she is beautiful. With time running out, can Lily convince James - and herself - that true love really does exists?

Another super rushed story. I really wished to spend more time with Lily and James, but it just wasn’t meant to be.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Once Upon a Royal Christmas by Robin Bielman

Title: Once Upon a Royal Christmas (Palotays of Montana #2)

Author: Robin Bielman

Publisher: Tule Publishing 2016

Genre: Romance

Pages: 244

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; Literary Escapes - Wyoming

Rowan Palotay hopes she never runs into the too-handsome Prince Theodore Chenery ever again after she leaves an embarrassing first impression. But fixing her mistake garners even more attention from the prince, and when he requests she be his reporter for a news story, she can’t say no.

Prince Theo is completely enchanted with Rowan and finds her special brand of kindness and honesty impossible to ignore. Back home, his choices are made for him, but here in this small town where his mother grew up, he feels connections he never has before. And the more time he and Rowan spend together, the more he wants her—all of her.

When obligations back home take a turn he didn’t see coming, he’s ready to stake his claim. But when his father and the media get wind of his relationship with Rowan, Theo must decide whether to follow his heart or his royal duty.

Another fun and fluffy romance for this month. I really enjoyed Rowan and Theo’s story. It was nice to be back in Marietta, even if we didn’t spend much time with any of the other characters. And hoo boy! This had some very steamy scenes!

Palotays of Montana

#1 Falling for Her Bachelor
#2 Once Upon a Royal Christmas

Next up on the TBR pile:

Twenty-one Truths About Love by Matthew Dicks

Title: Twenty-one Truths About Love

Author: Matthew Dicks

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press 2019

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 341

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Daniel Mayrock's life is at a crossroads. He knows the following to be true:

1. He loves his wife Jill... more than anything.
2. He only regrets quitting his job and opening a bookshop a little (maybe more than a little)
3. Jill is ready to have a baby.
4. The bookshop isn’t doing well. Financial crisis is imminent. Dan doesn't know how to fix it.
5. Dan hasn’t told Jill about their financial trouble.
6. Then Jill gets pregnant.

This heartfelt story is about the lengths one man will go to and the risks he will take to save his family. But Dan doesn’t just want to save his failing bookstore and his family’s finances:

1. Dan wants to do something special.
2. He’s a man who is tired of feeling ordinary.
3. He’s sick of feeling like a failure.
4. He doesn't want to live in the shadow of his wife’s deceased first husband.

Dan is also an obsessive list maker; his story unfolds entirely in his lists, which are brimming with Dan’s hilarious sense of humor, unique world-view, and deeply personal thoughts. When read in full, his lists paint a picture of a man struggling to be a man, a man who has reached a point where he’s willing to do anything for the love (and soon-to-be new love) of his life.

I loved the idea of this book, told completely in lists. Unfortunately, it just didn’t land for me. I couldn’t stand the main character and saw absolutely no growth throughout the book. I felt so much sympathy for his wife. He kept so many secrets that there was no way that I could have liked him at all. Definitely not a book for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Santa's On His Way by Lisa Jackson, Maisey Yates, Stacy Finz, and Nicole Helm

Title: Santa’s On His Way

Author: Lisa Jackson, Maisey Yates, Stacy Finz, Nicole Helm

Publisher: Zebra Books 2018

Genre: Romance

Pages: 346

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Literary Escapes - Oregon

A BABY FOR CHRISTMAS * Lisa Jackson
The uneventful Christmas Annie McFarlane expected is suddenly anything but. First, there’s the adorable baby left on the snowy doorstep of her Oregon cabin. Second, there’s the extremely attractive, yet extremely angry man claiming to be the father. Liam O’Shaughnessy may be intimidating, but this is one precious gift Annie isn’t giving up so easily . . .

My least favorite of the anthology. I just couldn’t really buy the romance of Annie and Liam at all. Everything was so incredibly rushed. I would have loved to have spend much more time with them seeing the relationship develop over time.

WHAT THE COWBOY WANTS FOR CHRISTMAS * Maisey Yates
When Meg O’Neill’s longtime boyfriend lets her down, again, on Christmas no less, she braves an Oregon blizzard to get to her best friend Noah’s comforting arms. But this time Noah’s not telling her what she wants to hear—he’s telling her the truth, from his heart . . .

This story was so steamy! Seriously, I wasn’t expected that steamy of a story starting it. But, it was really really good.

SNOWED IN * Stacy Finz
Rachel Johnson has found the perfect spot for her second Tart Me Up bakery in Glory Junction, California. Except she’s in fierce competition with hunky bar owner Boden Farmer. Worse, while the icy rivals await the city’s decision, they end up catering the same Christmas Eve mountaintop wedding—and getting snowed in . . .

This was my favorite story! I loved Rachel and Boden and their unintended Christmas. I loved the little town of Glory Junction. I loved the fun progression of their story. Really enjoyed this one.

A COWBOY WEDDING FOR CHRISTMAS * Nicole Helm
Big city art teacher Lindsay Tyler isn’t just back home in Colorado for her brother’s wedding at the Barton Christmas Tree Farm and Ranch. She’s back for good. She just hasn’t told anyone yet—including Cal Barton, the ex-boyfriend she left behind . . .

Hmmm… a decent story, but not the bestest story. I was not quite a fan of Cal even understanding his past traumas. Lindsay is a great character and I loved Sarah and Mrs. Tyler. Just wish the romance was a bit better.

Next up on the TBR pile: