Let it Snow Beth Moran
Goodreads blurb: After the end of a long-term relationship, local weather girl Bea Armstrong has been avoiding her family, and their inevitable ‘I-told-you-sos.’ But with Christmas fast approaching, she is finally on her way home to Charis House, the school in Sherwood Forest that her mum and dad run in their old family home. And to top it all off, the insufferable Henry Fairfax – who her parents have always wanted her to marry – has also been invited.
Relief comes in the shape of a last-minute interview for her dream job. There are just a few minor problems… The interview is in Scotland, Bea has no car, and the snow is falling already. The only solution is for Henry to drive her – could this Christmas get any worse…
But during an unforgettable two-day interview, a stay in a log cabin and a nightmare journey through the snow, Henry turns out to be nothing like she thought. And when Bea’s first love and recent ex shows up, Bea has a difficult choice to make
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher
My take: 3.5 out of 5 this is a really cute Xmas story. Predictable but super cute. First of all love the setting of Sherwood Forest, it totally brought me to Robin Hood and I loved it. I also could just picture the awesome school grounds. As with the other book reviewed here, what is it with Crazy employers making people do crazy work trips at Christmas – totally uncalled for even if it generates the tension needed for the book. I really enjoyed the development of the relationship between Bea and Henri and the flashbacks to Christmas’ past.
Maybe This Christmas by Jill Steeples
Goodreads blurb: When Beth Brown loses her job and her boyfriend in the space of twenty-four hours, she thinks life can’t get any worse. That’s until she finds herself in the depths of the English countryside working for chef, Rocco di Castri. Not only does she have to deal with his legendary moods, but she’s also expected to get his chaotic schedule and workload in check, all while she’s nursing a broken heart.
It’s not long before Rocco’s idyllic home starts to work its magic and soon she sees a softer side to her boss too. And as the festive season approaches, Beth dares to look forward to everything the perfect country Christmas has to offer – and perhaps some romance of her own. Until news of an unexpected proposal threatens to put pay to all Beth’s plans. Will Beth get her happily-ever-after? Maybe, this Christmas.
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher
My take: 2.5 out of 5. I cannot complain about a sexy 3 Michelin star chef as a lead of the book. That was a great plus. What I didn’t love about this book is how little we know about Beth as a person. He falls for her but why? really i didn’t get the buildup other than she being diligent at her job. She’s probably really pretty too. But then again one has to just go with it an enjoy the ride. I did enjoy the misunderstandings and the tension that arose. This falls in the Predictable but naught Hallmark movie category
Christmas in the Ranch by Anita Hughes
Goodreads blurb: It’s days before Christmas and Samantha Morgan is in her Brooklyn apartment when her editor, Charlie, shows up. Her publisher Arthur Wentworth is throwing a Christmas party and wants Samantha to be the guest of honor. Samantha tries to come up with an excuse to miss it. She writes a series of books featuring a female James Bond-type heroine named Sloane Parker and Charlie is the only person who knows that Samantha is the opposite of Sloane, though the marketing team has built up an entire social media presence for her claiming that she is just as adventurous. In reality, Samantha rarely leaves her neighborhood and does her research online. She is afraid of almost everything and is only happy when she’s sitting in her apartment and writing. Samantha reluctantly agrees to go. But instead of taking her to Arthur’s house in Connecticut, the driver goes to the airport. On the phone, Charlie admits that the party is at Arthur’s new ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. For a person who hates even walking around the block when it snows, this is her worst nightmare. But when a handsome stranger sits next to her on the plane, things begin to look up. She feels comfortable enough to spill all her secrets to him, including all of her fears and the truth about her fake Instagram account. However, when she shows up at the house, it turns out that this man, Drew, is Arthur’s son. Now Samantha is worried that Drew will tell his father about her lies. Over the course of Christmas week, Samantha grows closer to Drew. But when his fiancée, Beatrix (who recently gave him an ultimatum about settling down), shows up, things get more complicated. As Samantha’s fears of bison and giant icicles subside, and her feelings for Drew grow deeper, new fears develop… Will she leave this Christmas adventure broken-hearted? Or will true love prevail?
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher
My take: 3 out of 5. Its a cute Christmas story, but it is not amazing, there are better Christmas stories and better romances. What did I like? I like a good meet cute and Jackson Hole’s activities seemed perfectly situated for a Christmas book (i want to go now!). Also I did not see the twist coming. What I didn’t love? What is this about employers expecting their authors to go for a XMas outing? I really didn’t care for the Sloan book stories intertwined within the stories, it took away from the main storyline and they really weren’t relevant or brought the story forward at all and just seemed random. Also, Her parents are crazy. I feel Samantha’s anxiety and fears were a bit caricaturized, but at least there was some character development.
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