WHO'S YOUR HOLIDAY HERO: ARC REVIEWS

A Silver Wolf Christmas is book 17 in the Heart of  the Wolf Universe written by Terry Spear. Amazingly this is the first book of hers I have ever read and now I'm sad that I have been missing this series. I feel like I have been missing out on it and really want to read the series in it's entirety, but this book is just fine to be read as a stand alone, I'm just one of those that hates reading the series out of order.

C.J. Silver is such a sweet guy, he was already head over heals for Laurel he just has to wait until she is read for his courtship. Laurel MacTire and her sisters are there for a reason, they love buying and restoring old buildings but that's not the only reason. But for the first time the MacTire sisters are in a pack they are slowly learning the dynamics of living in a pack and two out of three of them are ready to settle down. Laurel, however, is scared that after they learn the real reason they is there the pack will turn on them.

But when things start to happen right before the grand opening for the Inn the alpha of the pack assigned C.J. to help protect the sisters and their Inn. The ghost stories and the appearance of "ghost hunters" just complicates everything. The more time C.J. and Laurel spend together the harder it is for Laurel to keep from liking him. Now the pack is making bets to see when the mating will happen.

Overall, this was a good read. It was exciting and sweet. It is a very good ghost story mystery.

 A Cowboy Firefighter for Christmas by Kim Redford is the quintessential Christmas story that I would expect to see as a Hallmark movie. Trey Duval is perfect, I'm not kidding, he practically has no flaws! He runs his family's ranch and he's a volunteer firefighter, everyone likes him and he gets along with everybody. He's not dark and brooding, he has a great family no deep dark past, he is a happy guy. It's almost annoying. (lol) Misty Reynolds, however, isn't. Misty had a tough childhood, lost both her parents at Christmas and was raised by an aunt and she hates Christmas. Misty is a troubleshooter she is great at figuring out puzzles and unraveling a mystery. Her latest job is to investigate the rash of fires happening in the little town north of DFW, Wildcat Bluff, that is well known for it's Christmas Tree farms.

Misty is visiting the quaint town under the guise of being on a well needed vacation but on her way in she is immediately pulled into the the problem front and center. Trey flags down Misty's car to help him put out a brush fire that if it gets out of hand can take out the entire town. Trey immediately dubs her the Christmas Angel and falls head over heals for her. Wildcat Bluff is Christmas crazy, and it takes Misty by surprise and she has to fight off a panic attack just by being their. But Trey has a soothing quality about him and soon Misty is finding herself at home in Wildcat Bluff and with Trey.

Overall, aside from Trey being annoyingly perfect, it had a (to me) a predictable mystery. But I loved the small town dynamics and the characters are a hoot.

It's a Twofer! Samantha Chase brings together her two Christmas Cottage books The Christmas Cottage and Ever After. I loved both of these. I must find more Samantha Chase. The writing style and the storyline and characters are all great.

 The Callahan family has had the Christmas Cottage in it's family for generations, and it is said that if you have your wedding night there on Christmas Eve you are destined to have a happy and healthy marriage. Ava grew up with these stories and now that she is engaged she is determined to have her wedding night there and it must be perfect. Ava charges her best friend and maid of honor, Lacey, and the best man with the job of making sure the place is perfect. Ava's fiancee suddenly had a falling out with his best man and the replacement is Ava's older brother Ean. Lacey has been in love with Ean since she was a kid but on the night of her graduation she kisses Ean and messed everything up. 

Ean Callahan had a lot to prove to himself he was the nerdy guy not the popular guy. He reacted badly when Lacey kissed him and as a result avoided her at all costs, unfortunately, Lacey is very close to his family and he ended up avoiding them also. Now years later he's all grown up and very successful he is need of a vacation. He goes up to the family cabin for some R&R before the holidays and his sister's wedding. To his surprise Lacey is up at the Christmas Cottage and a sudden blizzard traps Lacey and Ean in the Christmas Cottage over the weekend. Trapped together they finally reveal everything they left in the past and became romantically involved. 

But when they get back to real life emotions are complicated and with the promise to keep everything quiet because Ava is extremely superstitious about the cottage. 

  

Ever After takes place almost a year later, Lacey and Ean are happily married and Ava is alone. She is carrying on with her life ready like normal until one day Brian McCabe shows up in her life. Brian is the best friend of Ava's former fiancee, Mason, and the whole reason for the falling out is that he fell in love with Ava. Ava is hesitant especially since he is best friends with Mason. But with Ava and Mason talk and they have a double date, Mason with his new fiance and Ava with Brian. Brian courts Ava so sweetly, I almost think he is too good for for her. Ava still has one major character flaw and that she is obsessed with the damn cottage, not even the events of the last book change her mind. She gets so bad with her obsession in this story that she ruins probably the best thing that has ever happened to her, Brian. 

Overall, The Christmas Cottage if you can get past Ava the bridezilla, it's a nice Christmas romance for Lacey and Ean. Ever After if you can get past Ava acting like a spoiled brat with her head stuck in the clouds is a really sweet romance.