My Kind of Christmas (by Robyn Carr)

And Angie saw him. He was standing on the porch of the bar, leaning a shoulder against a post. He was most definitely watching her. When their eyes met he did that smile thing again––half his mouth lifted.

When Patrick loses his best friend in combat, he takes a medical leave and heads to Virgin River to get himself together and make some decisions about his future.

Angie has lived her entire life pleasing her mother, but a serious car accident has left her questioning her goals. Unable to decide if she wants to continue at med-school she escapes to Virgin River to collect her thoughts. When she meets Megan, a young girl with an ugly scar across her face, she decides to step in and make a difference. She makes it her mission to raise the money that will restore little Megan’s face.

Patrick and Angie are both being pulled in different directions. In a few short weeks they will be forced apart, but until then they are able to find a measure of comfort in each other’s arms. Before long they have fallen in love but with Patrick’s commitment to Navy and the widow of his friend, there doesn’t seem to be any room for Angie in his life.

My Kind of Christmas is very much what we have come to expect from Robyn Carr. It’s a light and fluffy love story with an upbeat and optimistic message. A fun book to read over Christmas.

Many thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

Merry Ex-Mas (by Sheila Roberts)

As Christmas approaches, three divorced women find themselves having to deal with their ex-husbands.

Cass’s daughter is getting married and she wants her father to walk her down the aisle. Confronted with a husband who has been absent for years and then swoops in with his check book and new wife like a knight in shining armor, Cass struggles with jealousy and feelings of inadequacy.

Ella is living in the same house with her ex-husband. She is trying to get on with her life but is confronted on a daily basis with her past. A man she still has feelings fall. A man who despite evidence to the contrary, insists he never cheated on her.

After running off with another woman, Charley’s husband has returned looking for forgiveness and a second chance. His betrayal destroyed her, he took her money and set up house with the other woman. Can she forgive him and does he deserve it?

Merry Ex-Mas is a short and sweet holiday season book. As you would expect from a Christmas novel, it’s not too challenging and has an optimistic and upbeat message.

Many thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

Five Days Grace (by Teresa Hill)

…she felt an urgency in his touch that she hadn’t felt before.

He did want her. Very much.

She felt a little thrill as that knowledge shot through her. It had been so long since she’d felt like a man wanted her urgently, like he was greedy to have as much of her as she was willing to give.

https://i0.wp.com/photo.goodreads.com/books/1347811257l/16028730.jpgFollowing the death of her husband, Grace discovers that he was unfaithful to her. Feeling betrayed and alone she travels to the scene of his infidelity, a small and rustic lake front cabin, looking for evidence of his betrayal.

After sustaining serious injuries while deployed in Afghanistan as a Naval Intelligence operator, Aidan is using the cabin to recover both physically and psychologically.

Both Aidan and Grace have baggage, both are heart-sick. Over one week they are able to begin healing each other and start looking to the future.  But they also have lives waiting for them, Aidan is career Navy and Grace has an established business in Ohio. The question is can they turn five days together into a lifetime promise.

Five Days Grace is a sweet and easy to read contemporary romance. I thought it was a little longer than it needed to be, but it was still a very satisfying read.

Many thanks to ePublishing Works and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC

White Ninja (by Tiffany Hall)

https://i0.wp.com/photo.goodreads.com/books/1346487616l/15977661.jpgAll the things I hate –– Chinese burns, pimples, cheese, answering questions in class –– are Christmas compared with having to walk through the gate to school.

Roxy Ran is a 13 year old girl who doesn’t quite fit in. She goes to school at Hindley Hall where she is getting some special treatment from the school bully, Hero. Then one day while rescuing a kitten Hero is attempting to flush down the toilet, Roxy discovers she has some super ninja powers.

All of a sudden she finds herself on a quest to find the White Warrior and the Tiger Scrolls before the powers of evil get them.

White Ninja is a very short and cute story for early teens and perhaps a little younger about a girl finding the strength to face her fears. Tiffany Hall manages to weave a subtle anti-bullying message into this story without ever preaching.

I think this book would be great for young people who find reading difficult. It’s great fun and easy to read.

Many thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC