Review: Sweet Christmas Anthology
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 1, 2014
Season of Second Chances – 5 starsSometimes it’s difficult to understand just how much history is between two characters when you only have so many words to tell a story. Many novellas rush right through things and while the end result is great, I often feel like I’m missing something. Second chance love stories deserve the buildup, the pain and heartache that lead to the second chance and then the love and heartwarming moments that bring them back together.Season of Second Chances was a perfect example of a second chance love story novella done right. By the time I reached the end, I felt every emotion that Clair and Logan felt. I was all over the place with them while they went on this journey and I couldn’t stop reading. I really loved Logan’s connection with his daughter Sophie as well as Clair’s relationship with her. They made a ridiculously adorable family.This is my second Brighton Walsh story and I am definitely hooked. I’ll definitely keep my eye open for her work in the future. I know that she’ll take me on a great ride every time.Mine Under the Mistletoe – 4 starsI was initially sold by the idea of a Christmas house swap. What would lead someone to leave home for the holidays, by themselves? What kind of adventures could they get into? Then I met Ashley and I immediately adored her. She is strong and brave and looking for the best in life. I loved the reason she had for spending Christmas in London and that she wasn’t afraid to do it alone once her friends cancelled on her.Oliver’s story was ridiculously sad, yet he was willing to embrace Ashley and what she wanted when he got stuck in London instead of enjoying Ashley’s home. Oliver was sweet and caring, yet vulnerable and hard. My heart broke for him and then again for Ashley after she allowed herself to care for Oliver, only to watch him walk away.It was beautiful to watch Ashley and Oliver work through their pain together and to find what they needed in each other. The ending was perfect and I look forward to reading more by Kat Latham in the future.Tinsel My HeartTinsel My Heart is a cute friends to lovers story that benefits from absence making the heart grow fonder. I wasn’t really sold on the story as a whole or Jack and Becca, but I really loved how they both had wanted each other since high school. If it hadn’t been for their other best friend Ty, they could have had a shot way back when. But then it was also Ty that ended up bringing them back together.I liked the way that Becca and Jack played off of each other. And I really loved how easily they were able to fall back into helping each other out despite their issues. Although they were hot together as lovers, it was their moments together as friends, helping each other make huge life decisions that I really loved.The only thing I wished would have happened was that someone smacked Ty’s parents around so that they would really open their eyes. The way they treated Jack was horrible and really made me feel for him. This was a really sweet story and I definitely think I’ll check out more by Christi Barth in the future.Arc provided by the publisher via Netgalley