Review: Bottom line: worth reading for sure!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 24, 2014
There’s a lot of stories in this anthology, and frankly most of these authors are my first reads, so we have a mixed bag of goodies here.Keep in mind that this is an anthology, therefore the stories are short and fast moving. These kinds of stories are not for everyone, but I do recommend you read them for the most obvious reason: getting to know and ‘feel’ the authors you’re not familiar with, and enjoying the ones that you are familiar with.That said, here we go:‘Dream a Little Dream’ by Jill ShalvisI was impressed with Ms. Shalvis’ character development within the constraints of this short story.Melissa and Ian’s relationship was well developed, and fun to read about.If you’re familiar with the Lucky Harbor series, you will defenatly love it, and if this is your first time reading this author, have no fear, this story stands on its own.‘Every Year’ by Kristen AshleyI’ve never read this author before and after this short story I’m debating if I should try her. I was a bit confused by the plot and the characters were not as well rounded as they could have been.However, this may not be the case for you, so I think you should still give it a try.‘Silent Night’ by Hope RamsayLeave it to Ms. Ramsey to make me cry. I just adored this story. It was well told, well-rounded and altogether just sweet, poignant and filled with hope in humanity.Maryanne and Daniel with little baby Joshua, will steal your heart.This is a perfect story for all of you that have never read this author before. You’ll be searching her other books after you’ve read this story. I guarantee that!And for us that are getting more familiar with her, this one just makes us want for more!‘Have Yourself a Messy Little Christmas’ by Molly CannonMolly Cannon is a new author for me, but this story will make me seek her out again.I actually enjoyed the predictability of this romance. It was fun watching Dinah, a personal organizer, who gets hired by Lincoln, a messy accountant to organize a home of his parents.And the sparks get ignited as these two personalities come together.Fun and sweet, with some heat mixed in.‘A Family for Christmas’ by Marilyn PappanoAgain, an unfamiliar author to me, and again, I’m conflicted about will I or won’t I read her again.I just didn’t connect with the hero and heroine.The story was good, but the characters just fell flat to me, and once that happened, I didn’t feel emotionally vested in their happily ever after. That doesn’t mean that you’ll feel the same, though, so give it a go.Bottom line: worth reading for sure!*Melanie for b2b*Books provided by the publishers through NetGalley.