Mona Risk

A sweet twist on the Grinch scenario. Gordon bottles up his anger and resentment along with loneliness and pain to the point where his bitterness overshadows everything that has importance in his life. Holly is the optimist that turns his life upside down and pulls him kicking and screaming into the magical season of hope, charity and faith. Maybe even love. I am not normally a fan of stories with Grinch or Scrooge like characters but there was something so compelling about Gordon that I show more couldn't look away. Deck the Hearts exposes what an open heart and open mind can do for the soul and the difference one action can make in the lives of others. show less

I love to read books about Christmas all year long. This collection is filled with joy, love and excitement. Each author has a wonderful story that captures the season with characters that jump off the pages. I was blessed to read one of the stories in this great collection. Make sure you get your copy and enjoy hours of reading enjoyment.

Loving Winter by Lyn Cote:

The first thing I loved about the story is the main characters name. I love unusual names and I think it would be fun to be show more named Winter. Of course Winter had to hear all those jokes about her name but she took it with such grace. I loved when Winter and Clay first meet. Clay is not very cordial at all. You would think he was in front of a firing squad instead of being in a wedding party. The author describes Winter's greenhouse with vivid picturesque words. I can smell the flowers and see the beautiful greenery she has. Someone must have it in for Winter when she discovers vandals have destroyed a display she worked tirelessly on. I could feel her pain and disappointment when she saw all her hard work gone . Soon there are more break-ins and Winter is worried about losing her shop.

Kaitlyn who is Clay's little sister really stood out to me. She is a young teen girl who feels like she isn't wanted and tries to fit in living with her older brother. It's not easy going to school and having everyone know your brother is the football coach. Do the boys like her because of who her brother is? Can Winter help Clay make Kaitlyn feel more at ease when they go shopping together? I think Kaitlyn was a perfect character who all teens and parents can relate to. It is hard being the new kid at school. It's even harder when you are so far away from your mom. Will Kaitlyn accept Winter's friendship and guidance?

I loved the mystery in the story of who is trying to put Winter out of business. It is well written and I sure did have a list of suspects. I was very surprised who it was and why they did it. I love when an author writes a story that has intrigue, romance and gives you characters that are so realistic. This is one story you don't want to miss reading. The author does an excellent job of giving readers a story with a small town feeling and people who pitch in and help each other. Will Winter and Clay be able to let go of their insecurities and find love? Can Kaitlyn find hapoiness in a new school? Don't miss this enchanting story that gets you in the Christmas spirit.

I received a copy of this story from the author. The review is my own opinion. show less

I've received a ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wham! Bam! The main characters meet and fall in love within a day or two. Not really realistic nor was there any sort of build up. Obviously I felt like the romance was rushed between Scott and Charlene, and the chemistry? What chemistry?! There was none nor any connection between them. Series was just a quick and easy read. I'm pretty sure the series summary was a lot more interesting than the story itself. Nothing to rave show more about but I will say, what made me even consider reading this was the concept. I really wished the author took that into consideration and really had made this story worth while. It could have been something to rave about. show less

The cancer-related death of two-year-old Sarah’s mother sends the child to David Dutton, the doctor who cared for the woman during her illness. A letter explains the child’s circumstances and asks the doctor to find a loving home for little girl. Touched by the letter and the woman’s faith in him to make certain her daughter finds a good home, the doctor vows to find her father’s family or to find a loving family to adopt her.

David’s estranged wife, still struggling with the crib show more death of their infant son, finds that the toddler has stolen her heart. Jennifer abandons her divorce plans, moves home to care for Sarah, and decides to adopt her. But the search for the child’s relatives puts her plans . . . and Sarah . . . in grave danger.

While readers may easily predict the outcome in this pleasant, quick-read novella, the story offers a few unexpected twists and turns along the way as it builds some keep-the-pages-turning tension into the telling of the tale. It’s a charming narrative filled with compassion and guaranteed to touch the reader’s heart.

I received a copy of this e-book from NetGalley.
#ForSarahsSaske #NetGalley show less