Merry & Bright, book #32

I was about half way through this book before I realized I had read it before, but it was a quick read and every so often it's fun to hold an actual book!  

Merry Knight is pretty busy these days. She’s taking care of her family, baking cookies, decorating for the holidays, and hoping to stay out of the crosshairs of her stressed and by-the-book boss at the consulting firm where she temps. Her own social life is the last thing she has in mind, much less a man. Without her knowledge, Merry’s well-meaning mom and brother create an online dating profile for her—minus her photo—and the matches start rolling in. Initially, Merry is incredulous, but she reluctantly decides to give it a whirl.  Soon Merry finds herself chatting with a charming stranger, a man with similar interests and an unmistakably kind soul. Their online exchanges become the brightest part of her day. But meeting face-to-face is altogether different, and her special friend is the last person Merry expects—or desires. Still, sometimes hearts can see what our eyes cannot. In this satisfying seasonal tale, unanticipated love is only a click away.  (Picture and description from Amazon)

Happy Reading!

O:)

Melissa
 

The Cowboy Christmas Reunion, book #31

 

So I have gotten out of sync with this, but I actually finished this book before Caitlyn's Christmas, for anyone who is counting or cares :)

A jilted cowboy gets a second chance at love when his ex-fiancée returns with her small daughter. When Kade Delgado joins his buddies in a Cowboy Santa program to shower Christmas blessings on old folks and single moms, he doesn’t expect his former fiancée to return to Saddle Springs, in need and with a child in tow. Does God really expect him to treat Cheri the same as the others on his new Christmas list? Cheri Mackenzie has never forgiven herself for the pain she caused Kade by fleeing a week before their wedding, but undoing the past is impossible. Circumstances force her back to her aging grandparents’ Montana ranch, where Kade, now a widower with a toddler, is making himself cheerfully indispensable. When she receives kindness instead of the hostility she surely deserves, she can’t help but pray for a Christmas reunion with the cowboy she’s never stopped loving.Is there any hope for a second chance at love?  (picture and description at Amazon)

Merry Reading!

O:)

Melissa

Unlikely Santa, book #30

 

What would you do if you were mistaken for Santa?  Amish Bishop Christopher Stoltz had no idea a shopping trip with his fraa could change his life. But when young Jaycee Parker mistakes him for Santa Claus, his heart is moved with compassion for the boy and his family. Will this unlikely pair discover more than just a holiday filled with food and gifts?  At eighteen, Englischer Shannon Parker is left the sole caretaker and provider of her three younger siblings. All she truly wants for Christmas is to be able to provide a happy holiday and decent gifts for each of them. Not an easy feat, given that her low-paying waitressing job is their only source of income. When a handsome stranger walks into the restaurant offering kindness, she has a feeling her life will never be the same again.  (picture and description at Amazon)

Caitlyn's Christmas, book 29

 

This book is one Marsha picked out for Book Club and it was a perfect length and story for this month!  It is one in a long series, but I could totally enjoy the story without reading all the others before it.

When an injured cat runs across the road, Caitlyn doesn’t hesitate to rescue the feline. But she isn’t prepared to witness a brutal murder. She slips away, only to lock eyes with the murderer, recognizing him as someone she’d seen earlier. Now the killer knows who she is, too. Caitlyn calls her cop friend Devon Rainer for advice, humbled when he agrees to protect her.  Devon is concerned about Caitlyn’s safety, especially after they return to the scene of the crime to find the dead woman gone without a trace. The escalating attacks against Caitlyn, prove the killer intends to silence anyone who can identify him. Devon’s priority is to keep Caitlyn safe, while finding the killer. Will they survive long enough to celebrate Christmas and their newfound love?  (picture and description at Amazon)

I can't wait to tell you about the next Christmas book I'm reading now!  

Keep Reading!

Melissa

Enchanted Christmas Series, books 26-28

 

Well, I can't figure out how to make these line up side by side so here we are.  But just like sometimes recipes you make don't end up looking like the picture, but they still taste good, that is the important part :)  And these three were all super yummy with great and funny stories and characters.  They were all quick reads and I highly recommend if you want some short Christmas books to read this season.  I will tell you, though, these are only available as Kindle books so you cannot find them at your local library or bookstore.

One Enchanted Christmas (Book 1)

Last December, mystery author Maren Grant had the most perfect night of her life. On a glimmering winter evening, she got to watch the photo shoot for her very first book and ended up on a magical date with the cover model himself—Colin Renwycke.  Fast forward one year. This December, with a looming deadline, restless spirit and her creative spark long since gone, Maren is desperate to get unstuck. And she can’t get Colin out of her head…or his year-old open invitation to spend a couple weeks writing at his family’s farm. Drew Renwycke never planned to come home and take over the Renwycke family farm. But he’s spent too many years watching his siblings unravel, including his brother, Colin, after one terrible family mistake. If moving to Maple Valley, Iowa, renovating an old farmhouse and switching careers is what it takes to put the Renwycke family back together, he’ll do it. But his simple plan upends when a scrappy author lands on his doorstep. And she just might be the key to coaxing his brother home. But what if he wants her all to himself? Drew will have to choose between his Christmas wish and the enchantment of a holiday romance that just might be the happy ending they all long for. (picture and description at Amazon)

One Enchanted Eve (Book 2) 

After years of mistakes and regret, Colin Renwycke finally has a plan: Hone his baking talent at the Denver Culinary Institute and embark on a new career as a pastry chef. If he's lucky, he might even manage to earn back his family's respect. But despite his skills in the kitchen, Colin's a mess in the classroom and his ongoing disasters are proving too much for his prickly instructor. If he loses his spot at the school, he's out of backup plans.  Culinary school instructor Rylan Jefferson has the chance to reclaim her dream of running her own bakery. But she only has until Christmas Eve to come up with the perfect recipe to impress an eccentric investor. She has no time for holiday parties or family plans . . . and especially not for the unruly student baker who couldn't follow a recipe if his life depended on it.  But Colin has the one ingredient Rylan needs most—talent. Lots of it. And when he makes a proposal that just might solve both their problems, Rylan can't say no—even if it does mean traveling all the way to Iowa. It just might be that the snow-covered plains and a charming small town full of postcard Christmas cheer are exactly what her hungry heart needs . . . along with a man who is much more than he seems. (picture and description at Amazon)

One Enchanted Noel (Book 3)

Seb Pierce isn't exactly a cowboy, but after fifteen years on a ranch in Texas, he might as well be. And he'd do just about anything to keep the rancher who took him in so many years ago from losing his land...including returning to the wealthy roots he's long since abandoned. Seb agrees to work for his stern grandfather for one year in return for an early draw on his inheritance. But he never expected the agreement to land him in a quirky small town in Iowa at Christmas-time, renovating a dilapidated theater...and running into a woman he never thought he'd see again. She might not remember him, but he remembers her. After too many years away from her hometown--and too many failures to count--Leigh Renwycke is finally back in Maple Valley and living the stable life she used to wish for. If only she could shake the old restlessness that used to get her into trouble. When Seb Pierce waltzes into her world and begs for her help planning the theater's holiday reopening, it could be the solution to her discontent. If she pulls it off, it might be enough to jumpstart a new career...and to prove once and for all that the new-and-improved Leigh is here to stay.  But between old secrets and new sparks, restoring a town treasure in time for Christmas may not be as easy as it seems...especially once Leigh learns the truth about Seb. (picture and description at Amazon)

Happy Reading!

O:)

Melissa

Christmas at Pebble Creek, book #25

 

Sorry Vannetta, but this one was a snooze fest.  The only thing good about this was that i figured out how to ready my Kindle books on the computer at work (on my lunch break) ~ ask my how! :)  But really, I knew it would be short, it was only 25 pages, but I literally read it in 20 minutes or less.  And there was no conflict, no turmoil, no nothing .... <yawns>

Heavy snow blankets the southwestern Wisconsin Amish community as nineteen-year-old Grace Miller closes the schoolhouse for Christmas break. She’s looking forward to having extra time to help the family prepare for the holiday, and she is hoping to get a few more drawings in of the beautiful, snowy Pebble Creek landscape. Her courtship with Adam Lapp is going on six months, and Grace can’t wait to give him his present: a blue-and-brown buggy blanket she crocheted for him. Yes, this Christmas is going to be especially joyful. Yet, amid the cheer of snowshoe outings, church potlucks, and holiday festivities, Grace is given a bittersweet reminder of the Christmas story. Grief is present with celebration, and though the future is rarely certain, she is given a heartwarming glimpse that God knows our needs before we do and will provide. (Picture and description at Amazon)

I've already started my next one and it looks much more promising!

O:)

Melissa

Strands of Truth, book #24

 

This book took a while to read, but I thoroughyly enjoyed it!  I finished up at the nail salon while I was getting my nails done, which was tricky, but I told Steven [my guy at the salon :)] "I'm not being rude, but she just got kidnapped and I gotta figure out what happens!!"  

Harper Taylor is used to being alone—after all, she grew up in one foster home after another. Oliver Jackson finally took her under his wing when she was a runaway teenager, and now Harper pours her marine biology knowledge into Oliver’s research as his business partner. But she’s never stopped wishing for a family of her own. When a DNA test reveals a half sister living just two hours away, Harper is shocked. She meets with Annabelle, whose story is strikingly similar to her own. Is it just a coincidence that both of their mothers died tragically, without revealing their father’s name? When Harper’s business partner is attacked, his son Ridge steps in to help. Ridge still sees Harper as a troubled teen even all these years later, but he soon finds himself working with her to uncover dangerous secrets that threaten to destroy them all. Ridge and Harper must unravel her past before they can have any hope for the future. Harper’s childhood is resurfacing—but will the truth save her or pull her under? (picture and description at Amazon)

It's November, which means its time to read Christmas books!

O:)

Melissa