Review: A Fun Holiday Anthology
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 13, 2013
Loving Mindy by Karen EricksonKnowing that I love Erickson's work under the name Monica Murphy, I was excited to read Loving Mindy. This is a novella that is part of a on-going series, but I honestly didn't feel that I was lost or missing the details. Erickson did a solid job of giving just enough history, without dragging the current timeframe down.Having both a second-chance-romance and a friends-to-lovers theme, Loving Mindy is a beloved trope double-whammy. Mindy and Josh were both engaging characters, and I did become invested in their story in a very short amount of time. Bonus: this has me interested in reading the rest of Erickson's Lone Pine Lake series!Favorite Quote:"This is the best Christmas present I've ever received," she whispered. I'm so glad you almost hit my cat."He laughed, the warm, rich sound making her smile. "That is the strangest thing you've said yet, Min, but I gotta agree. I'm glad I almost hit your cat, too."White-Hot Holiday by Coleen KwanThis was another really sweet, quick-paced holiday read. Set in Australia, White-Hot Holiday is the story of Aaron, who needs a break in the worst way, and Naomi, a woman who's been recently burned by love. This story had a good bit of angst, with Aaron and Naomi fighting their feelings. The angst is well-placed, though. Naomi is Aaron's best friend's niece, and he's been warned away from her. Naomi is dealing with a recent break-up with a man whom Aaron seems similar to. And there's also the pesky issue of the fact these two not only live on different continents, but almost an entire globe away. Naomi teaches Aaron to embrace the holiday spirit. Aaron convinces Naomi that she doesn't have to give up who she is for love again. The ending of this one was particularly good.Favorite Quote:"I'm very good at customer service. See these dimples here?" He pointed at his cheek. "They're my secret weapon. I've closed major deals with them."A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "I see. So dimples are worth more than an MBA from Columbia?""Used judiciously, yes. They don't teach you the proper use of dimples at Columbia. It comes from experience."An Officer and a Rebel by Cindi MadsenCindi Madsen is a favorite of mine, and I love her Accidentally in Love series. Remember Wes from Falling for her Fiance? Nate is his cousin, so I think that is pretty much all I need to say to convince fans that An Officer and a Rebel is worth the read.As always, Madsen has created a story that made me laugh, and warmed my heart at the same time. Her heroine, Kelsey was a little bit crazy, a whole lot funny, and adorable. She's a little bit of a disaster, the good kind, so of course I loved her and her purple hair and potty mouth.This story has a nice little forbidden(-ish) romance, with Kelsey being the ex-girlfriend of Nate's younger brother. There is also the fact that Nate has always had a bit of a crush on Kelsey, but thought she could never go for him. Of course things work out, but in this story, the getting there was a whole lot of fun.Favorite Quote:His heart pounded in his chest, and he pushed his hand into her hair, desire flooding his veins once more. Addictive--that was the right word for being with Kelsey. Never enough, always wanting more.Saving the Sheriff by Roxanne SnopekOf the four author in the anthology, Snopek is the only one whose work I wasn't familiar with. Saving the Sheriff was fast-paced and fairly humorous story. I enjoyed the premise, with Frankie infiltrating a man who's endangering game, and she's determined to save them from the butcher. Red is the sheriff in need of rescuing, which, I think what needed to be saved was his surly attitude. (just kidding, he was fine)Frankie was fun and lively. Red was coping with his first Christmas since divorce, and was understandably a bit of a sad sack. I never really fell in love with the characters as much as I enjoyed the premise. What made this fun for me was the humor. I loved how these two teased one another. And the ending, it was another sweet and satisfying conclusion.Favorite Quote:"You look good in the morning." Red half-sat up against the couch, his arms crossed behind his head, a lazy grin on his face."You could dial back the crazy a touch, though."