the gift.

Extremely successful executive, Lou Suffern is always overstretched, immune to the holiday spirit that delights everyone around him. The classic workaholic who never has a moment to spare, he is always multitasking while shortchanging his devoted wife and their adorable children. And ever since he started competing for a big promotion, he has barely seen his family at all.

One frigid morning in an uncharacteristic burst of generosity, he buys a cup of coffee for Gabe, a homeless man huddled outside his office building. Inspired by his own unexpected act of kindness, Lou decides to prolong his charitable streak and contrives to get Gabe a job in his company's mailroom. But when Gabe begins to meddle in Lou's life, the helping hand appears to be a serious mistake. Gabe seems to know more about Lou than Lou does about himself, and, perhaps more disturbingly, Gabe always seems to be in two places at once.

With Lou's personal and professional fates at important crossroads and Christmas looming, Gabe resorts to some unorthodox methods to show his stubborn patron what truly matters and how precious the gift of time is. But can he help him fix what's broken before it's too late?
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Cecelia Ahern is one of my favorite authors. That might seem odd when you consider she has less than 10 books published, but it's true. I have read five of her seven books and only one was less than stellar (There's No Place Like Here). The first one I read was PS I Love You and it remains one of my favorite books. What I love about her books is the mix of fantasy and reality. How she makes me think "What if this really was happening?" If you've never read her books, pick one at random and go!

Now, on to this book in particular. As expected, Ahern has crafted an unbelievable story with The Gift. Lou is not a great guy. He does a lot of hurtful things to his family that he doesn't even realize until this time in his life. He's probably like a lot of men, a lot of people that way. But in this book, Lou is given the chance to redeem himself. Every action, every chapter, every page is laced with the idea of second chances, of life/work balance, of spending your time here on Earth wisely without pushing and being overbearing. The story is, in true Ahern fashion, thought provoking and heartbreaking. It makes you think and, more importantly, it makes you feel. Yes, it's another holiday story out of the holiday season, but it is fantastic. I suggest you read this one or any of her other books pronto.

a season of seduction.

A Season of Seduction by Jennifer Haymore

Although the widowed Lady Rebecca has sworn off marriage, men are another matter. London's cold winter nights have her dreaming of warmer pursuits-like finding a lover to satisfy her hungry heart. Someone handsome, discreet, and most importantly as uninterested in marriage as she is. Someone like Jack Fulton.

A known adventurer and playboy, Jack seems like the perfect choice. There's just one problem: Jack isn't interested in an affair. He needs the beautiful, mysterious Lady Rebecca to be his wife. And he doesn't have much time to persuade her. A secret from Jack's past is about to surface, and by Christmas Day he'll be either married to Rebecca or dead.
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Apparently, this was not posted, because the review was written. And now, I don't remember the story! Don't you hate when that happens? You know what that means, right? I'm going to be quite quick about this. Not only do I not remember the specifics, but I'm not entirely sure where the book is right now. Eek.

Hm. What I do remember is that I enjoyed reading this. I have the hardest time finding good historical romance these days and decided to give this author a try. Oddly enough, the other new historical author I read is also named Jennifer (Ashley). Here, Rebecca is attempting an affair, while Jack is planning to marry her. He ensures that her family finds them in a compromising position and spends the next few weeks courting her and trying to convince her to marry him. Obviously, she finds out the true meaning behind the courtship and flees. I do remember really liking the characters and the feeling in the book. I've also felt like historicals have more depth of feeling than some of the other romance subgenres.

Though it was released as a holiday title, don't let that scare you off (I read it in April, I think). Or you can wait til the holidays come back around again. I do so love holiday themed romances.

i'll be home for christmas.

Abby Harper and Reece Winston have known each other most of their lives. Their parents owned vineyards right next to each other. While Abby has stayed close to home to run the family business, Reece moved to France to become a successful race car driver. Around the holidays, Reece returns to sell his family's vineyard. However, a fire burns Abby's place and he invites her to stay with him.

It's obvious that the two are attracted to each other. A mistaken identity incident when they were in college has made both curious about how they would be together. Predictably, the close quarter brings those feelings to the surface and it's not long before they succumb to the lust between them. Samantha Hunter writes good love scenes here, tossing in some Tantric type elements. Overall, it was an ordinary Blaze with a good balance of romance and ses, which can't be sad about all of the Blaze books.

christmas eve at friday harbor.

Book Description:

ONE LITTLE GIRL NEEDS A FAMILY

One rain-slicked night, six-year-old Holly lost the only parent she knew, her beloved mother Victoria. And since that night, she has never again spoken a word.

ONE SINGLE MAN NEEDS A WIFE

The last thing Mark Nolan needs is a six-year-old girl in his life. But he soon realizes that he will do everything he can to make her life whole again. His sister’s will gives him the instructions: There’s no other choice but you. Just start by loving her. The rest will follow.

SOMETIMES, IT TAKES A LITTLE MAGIC…

Maggie Collins doesn’t dare believe in love again, after losing her husband of one year. But she does believe in the magic of imagination. As the owner of a toy shop, she lives what she loves. And when she meets Holly Nolan, she sees a little girl in desperate need of a little magic.

…TO MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE

Three lonely people. Three lives at the crossroads. Three people who are about to discover that Christmas is the time of year when anything is possible, and when wishes have a way of finding the path home…

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I really, really liked this story. Lisa Kleypas is one of my favorite historical authors, but I was never tempted to try her contemporary writing until now. Her previous attempts didn't interest me at all. But when I read the blurb for this one, I figured I'd give it a shot.

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor is exactly what it professes to be. A simple, contemporary romance with no wild plot twists or crazy secrets. I have said before that it's difficult to find what I call "regular" romances these days. So many authors and publishers are pushing paranormal (which I truly dislike) and leaving us regular story lovers behind.

I loved the Nolan brothers and Holly. While Maggie wasn't the best heroine Kleypas has ever written, she served her purpose here. I liked the speed of their relationship (patient) and the description of Friday Harbor (made me want to visit Washington). Basically, Kleypas did quite a good job here. Honestly, the only thing that readers might not care for is that the two don't sleep together until the end and it's more of a fade to black scene. I would've preferred a bit more passion, but I enjoyed the story nonetheless. Great for the holidays!

This book is available here.