Christmas Charms by Teri Wilson

 

*Disclosure of material connection- I received the book in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

About the book-

She never dreamed her holiday would include her hometown, a dog, or a firefighter. But a mysterious charm bracelet predicted it all…

Ashley’s supposed to be having the Christmas of her dreams. After four years of working at an upscale jewelry store in Manhattan, she’s finally going to get a little velvet box of her own—from her boyfriend Jeremy, who’s taking her on a romantic trip to Paris. What could go wrong?

Well, everything.

Ashley heads home to Owl Lake instead, falling asleep on the train ride there…and waking up with a beautiful antique charm bracelet on her wrist. Soon, she realizes that each silver charm predicts an event that happens in real life. What does this mean for her and Jeremy…or her and Aidan, her former high school boyfriend, who’s now a local firefighter? Is there still a chance that she could have the perfect Christmas?

My thoughts-

If you love Hallmark movies and you are already aching for the holiday tradition of watching them, Christmas Charms is definitely a great book to read to get yourself into the holiday spirit. I am going to have to read it again when it comes out in October, and maybe again in December. It was such a charming novel! It was full of Christmas magic and romance. I absolutely could see this story in my mind as a live action Hallmark movie so I hope they do turn it into one! I loved the small town charm and the rekindling first love story, and well anything involving firemen is up my alley! This was a sweet and pure romance great for people who love sweet love stories. I will definitely be re-reading it again soon! 

Christmas on Reindeer Road by Debbie Mason

 *Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are 100% my own. 

About the book-

Mallory Maitland knows all too well what it's like to feel abandoned, which is why she's sworn never to give up on her two stepsons - her late husband's children. But when the teens land in hot water, she's got a whole new problem: how to resist the caring and incredibly hot Chief of Police Gabriel Buchanan. All Mallory wants is to give the boys a magical holiday. She doesn't need the distraction of wondering what it would be like to kiss Gabriel under the mistletoe.

After his wife died, Gabriel left his job as an adrenaline-chasing New York City homicide detective to focus on raising his three sons. But back in Highland Falls, he doesn't have to go looking for trouble. It finds him - in the form of a beautiful neighbor and her troublemaking stepchildren. With Gabriel's mother-in-law looking for any excuse to gain custody of his sons, Gabriel can't risk getting involved with Mallory, even though she's the only woman capable of making this Christmas - and all the rest to come - his best ever.

My thoughts-

This was pretty much the cutest romance novel I have read in a long time! I absolutely loved the first book in the Highland Falls series (Summer on Honeysuckle Ridge) and I was so excited to get to see a focus on Mallory and Gabe. Christmas on Reindeer Road was equal parts endearing, heartwarming, and hiliarous. I particulary enjoyed the always adorable and incredibly precocious Teddy, who I think stole the show a lot of the times and added a new level of heart to the story. This is the perfect book to usher in the fall holidays and get in the Christms spirit early. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good love story.

What You Wish For by Katherine Center (Audio Version)

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are 100% my own. 

About the book-

Samantha Casey is a school librarian who loves her job, the kids, and her school family with passion and joy for living.
But she wasn’t always that way.

Duncan Carpenter is the new school principal who lives by rules and regulations, guided by the knowledge that bad things can happen.
But he wasn’t always that way.

And Sam knows it. Because she knew him before—at another school, in a different life. Back then, she loved him—but she was invisible. To him. To everyone. Even to herself. She escaped to a new school, a new job, a new chance at living. But when Duncan, of all people, gets hired as the new principal there, it feels like the best thing that could possibly happen to the school—and the worst thing that could possibly happen to Sam. Until the opposite turns out to be true. The lovable Duncan she’d known is now a suit-and-tie wearing, rule-enforcing tough guy so hell-bent on protecting the school that he’s willing to destroy it.

As the school community spirals into chaos, and danger from all corners looms large, Sam and Duncan must find their way to who they really are, what it means to be brave, and how to take a chance on love—which is the riskiest move of all.

With Katherine Center’s sparkling dialogue, unforgettable characters, heart, hope, and humanity, What You Wish For is the author at her most compelling best.

My thoughts-

What You Wish For was engaging right out of the gate. Sometimes I have difficulty getting into audio books when they are fiction because they can be very long and I am usually a fast reader and get inpatient. However, when there is an excellent narrator and the story is fast paced I can get behind them and this narrarator was great at keeping me interested! I also liked that it was set in Galveston, TX where I was born. There are not a lot of books I have come across set in Galveston, and it's a cool place so it's nice to see it featured in a book. I absolutely loved the story. It was funny, emotional, and an overall great contemporary book.