MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

REUNITED AT CHRISTMAS by Debra Ullrick

Shelby Davis loves handling search and rescue with her dog Max.  Not so much today though, when she's asked to help find a man lost in the blizzard and that man is Ryker Anderson.  The one person she didn't expect or want to see again.  Ryker broke her heart 18 month ago when he left with only a recorded goodbye message.  Now Ryker has returned to Grand Lake to win back the heart of the only woman he's ever loved.  He only hopes that Shelby will understand his reason for leaving.  Will she understand and find it in her heart to trust the man who left her?

Reunited at Christmas is the perfect title for this tale.  You might be able to guess what the outcome might be but watch-out for an unexpected twist!  I must say that the cover is very appealing and what drew me to the story.  Once I started reading it, it was one that just kept me turning pages.  All the characters were full of life and just great to get to know.  I enjoyed the spiritual thread that was woven throughout without being heavy handed.  The message that the Lord is always with us in good times and bad was a great reminder to the reader.  Though this has a Christmas theme it's one I would enjoy reading at anytime.   So grab your hot chocolate,  warm fuzzy slippers and curl up with Reunited at Christmas.  The weather outside may be frightful but this story will warm your heart!

File Size: 1095 KB
Print Length: 141 pages
Publisher: Sweet Impressions Publishing (November 25, 2013)
ASIN: B00GXO2FIC

For more information about this book or other books by Debra Ullrick I encourage to visit her website at  http://christianromancewriter.blogspot.com/

CHRISTMAS ON THE TENTH FLOOR by Lisa Page

Abby Daniels accepted an internship in New York City which she was excited about but now she won't be able to go home for Christmas.  So on Christmas Eve, she plans to video chat with her boyfriend, Brad, make her family's famous snickerdoodle cookies and watch some movies.  Things don't turn out the way Abby plans though.  She discovers she doesn't have one important ingredient for the cookies so she asks her neighbor Jason but he turns out to be pretty rude.  Then she phones Brad just to chat but finds out some life changing news.  Feeling down and out she finds consolation from the least likely source.

This was a short and sweet read.  I enjoyed the characters and the Christmas theme.  Abby was a nice lady.  I liked the way she was trying to make the best of being away from her family by doing the things she did with them.  The cover of the book was very inviting and that's what drew me to want to read the book.  The story could have used a good proofreader but other than that it was a cute, short, satisfying holiday read!

File Size: 1007 KB
Print Length: 41 pages
ASIN: B00HB08ERI

A DECEMBER BRIDE by Denise Hunter

Layla O'Reilly is about to attend the wedding of her ex-fiance and her cousin.  When her date cancels due to sickness Layla is wondering what to do.  She runs into Seth Murphy, who was her ex-fiance's best friend.  They decide to go together since neither of them have a date.  Circumstances arise at the reception that cause Seth to announce he and Layla are engaged.  Though it's not true, she gains an opportunity because of it, to win a contract with a major client regarding her home-staging business.  Layla is willing to keep up the deception until she gets the contract.  Seth has secretly loved Layla from afar and is hoping he can convince Layla within the next few weeks to make it real.

This was a cute and quick read although I must admit that I really didn't like Layla very much through most of the story.  You could understand her feelings but I just didn't really connect with her until close to the end.  Seth was such a great guy.  I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him and I loved the way he was with Layla.  His influence made a difference in Layla's life.  Some may say the plot is a bit far fetched but that's what makes it a fun get-away.  I will say that Denise Hunter has a real gift for writing romantic stories with good romantic tension, which I love.   It makes me want to go back an read Barefoot Summer.

*This complimentary copy was provided by Zondervan through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

File Size: 1827 KB
Print Length: 94 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (November 26, 2013)
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishing
ASIN: B00D0YSW5S

For more information about this book or other books by Denise Hunter, I encourage you to visit her website at http://www.denisehunterbooks.com/

SAFE BY THE MARSHAL'S SIDE by Shirlee McCoy

Annie Delacorte's husband was killed and the people responsible now want to keep Annie from testifying against them. Annie and her child go into the witness protection program to keep them safe until the trial. U.S. marshal Hunter Davis is assigned to protect Annie while in the program. He's a pretty straight-forward, by-the-book kinda guy, who never becomes emotionally involved with a case. Annie is different though. No matter how he hard he tries to remain aloof he's drawn to her and her daughter. Annie feels drawn to Hunter as well but knows to him, she's just a job. After the trial, will they go there separate ways or will she remain Safe by the Marshal's Side?

I always enjoy Shirlee McCoy's books and this is no exception. Learning what it would be like to be in the witness protection program was interesting. I'm sure it would be extremely difficult and I think the author did a good job of showing those emotions. Annie was a strong woman for all that happened to her. Her daughter, Sophia, was really cute. Hunter was a great guy who had a tender heart. He was also good at his job. Though this was not an edge of your seat type story, there was some suspense and a mystery that remains open ended, leaving room for the other books in the Witness Protection series. There was some romance but I would say it's on the light side. One thing I really appreciated about Annie was the realization that though she was alone (because of being in the Witness Protection Program) she really wasn't because the Lord had never left her. He was watching over her and her daughter. Overall Safe by the Marshal's Side is a good start to the Witness Protection series.

*This complimentary copy was provided by Harlequin through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Series: Love Inspired SuspenseWitness Protectio
Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired (January 7, 2014)
ISBN-10: 0373445784
ISBN-13: 978-0373445783

For more information about this book or Shirlee McCoy's other books, I encourage you to visit her website at http://www.shirleemccoy.com/

CHRISTMAS CALLING by Colleen L. Reece and Birdie L. Etchison

Christmas Calling is two Christmas Novellas
In 'Christmas Challenge' by Colleen L. Reece, Valerie Shannon O'Shea answers a newspaper ad that challenges a woman to live as a pioneer woman would have in the late 1880s. She travels to Montana to live out the challenge in a one room schoolhouse for one year. But that's also where she grew up and where her father was convicted of a crime he didn't commit and died in prison. It was also where she left her first love, Locke Stuart, behind. It was his father who was the judge that sent her father to prison. Will she live out her challenge, clear her father's name and perhaps run into Locke and remember that through it all the Lord is in control?
 
In 'Christmas Snow' by Birdie L. Etchison, Janie Montgomery is anxious to spend Christmas with her aunt in Spokane. On the way she finds herself in a ditch due to the snow. Greg Kincade is an EMT who comes to Janie's rescue and pulls her out of the ditch. He also gives her his card. That card comes in handy when she found herself in a ditch for a second time. Greg rescues her again and takes her to her aunt's house. Together they help Janie's aunt and Greg's brother decorate there houses. They also decorate the room of a special lady in Greg's life. Was it by chance the snow storm hit and Janie ended up in the ditch? Was it chance that Greg happened to come by at the right time? Or was the Lord orchestrating something as the beautiful as the freshly fallen snow?

Both of these stories are easy-to-read, heartwarming tales that just make you feel good. The characters in each story were fun to get to know and of course they centered around Christmas. Though they are short, the endings leave you completely satisfied. If you enjoy reading Christmas themed stories and are looking for a short Christmas book fix, you might just hear 'Christmas Calling' you!

*This complimentary copy was provided by Lovely Romance Press in exchange for an honest review*

Print Length: 165 pages
Publisher: www.lovelyromancepress.com, Lovely Romance Press (December 4, 2013)
ASIN: B00FQ7AMGY

For information on this book or other book by this publisher I recommend you visit Lovely Romance Press at http://www.lovelychristianromance.com/

TRUST OF THE HEART by E.A. West

Josh Teague is still haunted by memories from his time in Iraq. He's worked through a lot of things and is able to be a stable influence to his friends who are also vets. His desire is to find the girl God meant for him so he can love and share his life as well as the memories with her. He thinks Leann Robak just might be that person. But if he's honest with her about his moods and memories, will she stay with him? Leann Robak has abandonment issues because her father left when she was young and now her mother announced that she will be in Europe for Christmas. Josh invites Leann to spend Christmas with his family. She's excited but can tell he's holding something back. Can Josh trust Leann with his memories and can Leann trust Josh not to abandon her?

I really loved this story. We met Josh Teague in Battlefield of the Heart and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him better. What a great guy! You couldn't help but love him. Leann was such a loving person despite her insecurities. The author does a great job of allowing the reader to listen to each of their thoughts without taking away from their personal interaction and dialog together. I absolutely loved the Teague family. What loving folks they are, who just enjoy being together. It was fun to spend Christmas with them. The message that the Lord is always with us and working all things together for good was encouraging. Though I liked the ending, I really would have liked an Epilogue. I love relationship-driven stories and especially like lots of interaction between the lead couple. Battlefield of the Heart and Trust of the Heart both have that. I have really come to love the folks in these stories and am hoping that the author will have more in this series. I would love to see it continue!

File Size: 478 KB
Print Length: 218 pages
Publisher: Astraea Press (November 25, 2013)
ASIN: B00GX0QXKW

To find out more about this book or other books by E.A. West, I encourage you to visit her website at http://eawest.mcphitty.com/

CHRISTMAS COVER-UP by Lynette Eason

Detective Katie Randall has been trying to find her sister, Lucy, ever since she was kidnapped fourteen years ago. It's caused a break in the relationship with her mother and no matter what Katie does she just can win back her mother's love. She finally hires 'Finding the Lost' to help her. Jordan Grey is an FBI agent that works for Finding the Lost. He's assigned to Katie's case. The problem? Jordan's parents blame Katie for the death of Jordan's brother. Jordan knows it's not Katie's fault and would like to pursue a relationship with her but doesn't want to hurt his parents. As Katie and Jordan begin to piece together the truth of what happened life becomes very dangerous, maybe even deadly.

Christmas Cover-Up was a great romantic suspense. It's definitely a page-turner and is everything you expect to find from this author. It was not really clear just who it was until right near the end and that is always a plus for me. I thought I knew who it was but I was wrong! I thoroughly enjoyed Jordan and Katie's relationship. Both had problems they were dealing with and issues that were not easily solved. There was also great chemistry between them too. The author does a wonderful job showing that love is a gift, you can't earn it, just like you can't earn a gift. That's how God's love is toward us. Great message. This is the second book in the Family Reunions series but you can read it as a stand alone, although you'll find folks here from the previous story. Although this story takes place around Christmas it's not really a 'Christmasy' story, so you can read it any time. If you're looking for a great story to go along with the comfy chair and peppermint mocha latte, Christmas Cover-Up is a great choice.

Series: Love Inspired SuspenseFamily Reunions
Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired (December 3, 2013)
ISBN-10: 0373445741
ISBN-13: 978-0373445745

*This complimentary copy was provided by Harlequin through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

For more information about this book or other books by Lynette Eason, I encourage you to visit her website at http://www.lynetteeason.com/