Review – Misplaced Mistletoe by Isabel Jolie

Misplaced Mistletoe 
(A standalone novella)

Publication Date: November 8, 2021

Genre/Tropes: Novella/Second Chance/Holiday Romance

Author: Isabel Jolie

Review Rating: 5 Gold Stars

Review/Synopsis:

Review:

Reading this book was like watching an adorable holiday movie, full of charm with all the holiday mistletoe moments.

Nora and Ashton’s story moved back and forth between past and present from the first time they met at a holiday party to the present when they reconnect.

While their meet-cute is a sort of a drunken hookup where they first kissed under the mistletoe, there was a connection that neither one of them could deny. However, Nora was fresh in New York City and just beginning her job. She really didn’t have time to commit to a long term relationship, but neither did Ashton. He was attending med school and in deep in his surgical residency, but he didn’t exactly end their brief time together in the best way and now it’s eight years later and Nora is once again standing under the mistletoe.

Nora is steadfast in trying to keep Ashton in her past. She doesn’t want to repeat the mistakes she’s made before by letting Ashton in, but he’s relentless in his pursuit of her this time around. Knocking down her walls and forcing his way past of every obstacle she throws up. This time he’s ready for a relationship and he doesn’t want to lose her again, not for another eight years.

A great novella just in time for the holiday season.

Synopsis:

One secret kiss under the mistletoe can never lead to happily ever after…right?

Once upon a time, Nora shared the hottest kiss ever—followed by an equally steamy Christmas—with her boss’s super-sexy brother. Then he ghosted her. That was eight years ago. Now, she’s completely over it. And when he shows up at the annual holiday party, she will not let herself repeat past mistakes. This time, she’ll stay far away from the mistletoe…

Ashton doesn’t lose control. Ever. Well, except for that one time. His focus has always been on completing his residency and fellowship programs. But seeing the gorgeous redhead again makes him think that losing a little control, just once more, might be just what the doctor ordered…

Will the magic of the season—with an assist from a certain mischievous matchmaker—convince Nora and Ashton to take a second chance on love? It might just take a Christmas miracle…

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Review – Jingle Bell Beard by Julie Kriss

Jingle Bell Beard; Kringle Family Christmas #3 
(An interconnected standalone)

Publication Date: November 5, 2021

Genre/Tropes: Sports/Second Chance/Holiday Romance

Author: Julie Kriss

Review Rating: 5 Gold Stars

Review/Synopsis:

Review:

A super cute holiday book that will get you in the mood for the holiday season.

Matt Kringle comes from a family that runs a holiday family business and with a name like Kringle that’s perfect, but the business is currently in crisis. Jasmine was Matt’s high school girlfriend who dumped him seventeen years ago, but now is the PR guru hired to help out the Kringle family to get their business back in the black. Matt doesn’t necessarily care about the business, but he does care about Jasmine. So, since he’s currently benched with the NHL, it looks like he’s heading home for the holidays.

Matt returns home, all because Jasmine asked for his help, but truly it doesn’t take much everytime she asks for a favor. It may have been seventeen years, but Matt will do anything to get her back. He’s never forgotten her and he hopes she feels the same.

Light on drama and loaded with Christmas cheer, this family holiday book is excellent to begin the holiday season and interconnected with Matt’s siblings for the perfect Kringle trilogy, but also can be read as a complete standalone.

Synopsis:

My to do list:
Revive my crashed PR career.
Turn around the Kringle family business by Christmas.
Convince my ex-boyfriend, NHL legend Matt “the Mountain” Kringle, to help me, even though I broke his heart when we were seventeen.
Easy, right?

Matt is huge, he’s hot, and he’s the grumpiest player in the league. I’ll have to brave his bad attitude and his sexy beard if I want him to help bail out the family business and put my career back on track. I’ll also have to try to forget – again – what an amazing kisser he is.

None of it is going to be easy. Not when Matt’s arrival in town leads to the Airport Incident and the Candy Cane Scandal – talk about embarrassing. But as Matt and I navigate disaster after disaster together, I’ll have to get over the fact that I never got over him. And that love with Matt is a game I just might want to play.

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Review – Empire of Desire by Rina Kent

Empire of Desire; Empire #1 
(An interconnected standalone)

Publication Date: November 4, 2021

Genre/Tropes: Marriage of Convenience/Age-Gap/Workplace/Forbidden Romance

Author: Rina Kent

Review Rating: 5 Gold Stars

Review/Synopsis:

Review:

This may not be Kent’s normal dark romance, but it’s a well written, outstanding story that contains a lot of forbidden tropes.

Nate Weaver, my favorite lawyer, is here and everything I was hoping for. Nate  may not be the kind of man to openly show that he cares, just ask his nephew, but he is a ninja carer. What does that mean? He basically sneaks in undercover and without you knowing he takes of everything in your life and you never even have a chance to thank him for it. Especially don’t thank him, it makes him uncomfortable. I love how unattached he seems, it’s delightful.

Nate’s circle is small, he doesn’t like emotions, but he’s also really amazing. Like, will drive a person crazy kind of amazing, but once he’s under your skin he’s impossible to to kick out. Ask Gwen who’s been trying for years.

Gwendolyn Shaw is the daughter of Nate’s best friend, Kingston. A daughter that King had during his last year in high school and Nate has been there every step of the way. Nate never once saw Gwendolyn as anything other than King’s daughter, until she kissed him on her eighteenth birthday. That is when everything changed.

Gwen has been in love with Nate since she understood what that meant, outside of familial love. She has had a singular focus when it came to loving Nate, her favorite flavor in the world, which is vanilla, and loving her dad, which should be hard considering Nate is her dad’s best friend, but the heart wants what the heart wants.

Gwen never thought she’d get a chance with Nathaniel, considering he didn’t give her the time of day, but when everything in her life careens out of control, he’s there taking charge and suddenly her husband.

While this isn’t a dark romance, it also isn’t a happy-go-lucky romance either. It’s forbidden and sinful, while also being emotional (and remember Nate doesn’t like those). Rina really captures everything that is important in an age-gap romance that makes that soul deep connection burn and thrive, but also makes you cheer for the HEA. It’s delicious.

❛ He’s my dad’s best friend, my new boss, and my forbidden fantasy. ❜

Synopsis:

My forbidden husband.

I kissed my father’s best friend and it kind of didn’t go well.
Not only because he’s eighteen years older than me—but he also didn’t like it.
Not one bit.
In my defense, I didn’t mean to fall for him. It just happened.
Nathaniel Weaver is the most attractive man I’ve ever seen with enough charisma to blind the sun.
He’s bigger than the world, owns half of it and conquered the other half.
He was forbidden.
Wrong.
So I totally got over him. Or so I told myself.
Until we’re forced to get married.
Now I’m trapped.
But maybe he’s trapped too.
Because we’re both reaching for that forbidden fruit dangling between us.

Empire of Desire is a complete STANDALONE. No book should be read prior to this.
Note: This is NOT a dark romance.

EMPIRE OF DESIRE IS A COMPLETE STANDALONE!
Forbidden age gap, father’s best friend, marriage of convenience romance.

AMAZON US ➜ https://amzn.to/3qR7ac1
INTERNATIONAL ➜ https://smarturl.it/EODBuy
AUDIOBOOK ➜ TBA

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