CHRISTMAS ARC REVIEW Christmas Angels by Nancy Naigle

Christmas Angels is a sweet Hallmark-esk Christmas Romance it's an easy romance and it I read through it in no time, I thought it was a lot shorter than 300ish pages. I really enjoyed this one it really leaves you with a Christmasy feeling. The main characters both love Christmas and have so much in common. Liz Westmoreland grew up in the city but she's a small town girl at heart all she has ever wanted was to run the Inn her Grandparents owned. Matt Hardy loves his hometown of Antler Creek he's never wanted to leave it he came back after college and lost his fiancee because she didn't want to live in such a small town she wanted the big city and all it's perks.

By sheer chance Liz finds her grandparents Inn up for auction and bids on it sight unseen, well recently unseen. Liz is the winning bid she takes a leave of absence from work, it helps that her best friend is her boss. It seems like every other person thinks Liz is crazy for doing this but Liz is determined this is the life she wants. Liz's heart drops when she walks into the Inn to find it gutted the previous owners ripped just about everything out and turned it into an art gallery. Matt recognizes Liz almost immediately and since he didn't get the winning bid for the Inn he's glad it went to her. When they were younger and she would come to visit her Grandparents he had such a crush on her and now she's back hopefully to stay; to help with that he puts in a bid to fix the Inn and the connected cabins. All of Antler Creek is happy to have Liz there and that she's bringing back the Inn. When ever Liz is in doubt about her choice she seems to find one of her Grandmother's angels laying around and it gives her hope that this is what she's supposed to be doing, until disaster strikes and Liz really begins to doubt herself it's up to all her new friends and Matt to show her she's exactly where she needs to be.

Overall, it's such a sweet read. I really hope Hallmark picks this one up. I can just imagine how beautiful Lights at the Lodge would look. It's a great heartwarming story with great characters and I hope we aren't done with Antler Creek yet it's place I'd love to visit again.

ARC REVIEW The Military Wife by Laura Trentham

A Heart of a Hero #1, Laura Trentham is wonderful when it comes to small town romance, with this new series it's  more Women's Fiction with a romance. What I loved about this book was the alternating of past and present it was a nice touch you get to see all the best and the worst memories Harper and Bennett had with Noah at the same time you get to see Harper and Bennett fall in love and Harper finally finds what she was meant to do with her life. Told in the third person but switches perspective between Harper and Bennett.

We also meet Allison and Darren. Darren is an officer and Allison is his wife, mother of three, and Harper's best friend. Darren is feeling the effects of PTSD but too ashamed to admit he needs help doesn't feel like he deserves the help. Harper can tell Allison needs someone to really talk to and goes to visit her on that visit she attends one of the group meetings for the wives and hears the same stuff she heard when she was in their shoes so she comes up with a plan to help out military wives who feel like they need to do more than just fill the time. Harper has the start up money she was given a large sum when Noah died. But when Allison tells her one of the guys on the team gave her that money and not the NAVY Harper tracks down Bennett Caldwell to return the money.

Bennett meet Noah in BUDs and they formed a fast friendship, they became brother's in every way except blood. When Noah found out Harper was pregnant he had Bennett promise him if anything should happen he would take care of Harper and the baby. The entire friendship Bennett avoided meeting Harper, through all the emails and letter that Noah shared Bennett had fallen in love with her. He left the SEALs after Noah died and thought that giving Harper all that money would be enough to take care of the baby and herself. He never expected to see her again after handing over the money but here she is five years later trying to give it back.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was such an emotional journey not just for Harper and Bennett but for Allison and Darren too. This book made me cry and laugh and cry. This was a wonderful second chance romance and a wonderful story of a woman helping other women and finally getting on with her life and moving on. A lot of lessons in this too, like learning how to accept help and learning to let go of guilt.

ARC REVIEW Dear Santa by Nancy Naigle

My favorite this year, so far, for Christmas books. Dear Santa is a Christmas version of You Got Mail and I think I liked it better than YGM. This was a heartwarming romance with funny situations and lovable characters especially one adorable niece. I haven't read Nancy Naigle before but if her other books are just as good as this one then I have a new potential favorite author for this genre, right up their with Debbie Mason and Emily March.

In the little tourist town of Pleasant Sands is a decommissioned lighthouse. The lighthouse is home to Heart of Christmas an all year round Christmas store. After three generations the store is on the verge of closing. The owner Angela Carson is desperate to keep it open but the mega store that opened up is sealing the stores fate. Geoff Paisley opened Christmas Galore with his mother their success has been enormous in the last ten years they opened fifteen stores the newest in a small town that technically didn't fit their target location but Geoff's mother, Rebecca, wanted it there so they built there.

Angela hates Christmas Galore it seemed everything she tried to save her store didn't work, logically she knows it's not Christmas Galore's fault her store was already starting to go down hill before they opened but they are an easy and convenient target for her anger. Wanting to be helpful her niece suggested writing Santa. Not wanting to hurt her nieces feeling Angela writes one using the Dear Santa app on her tablet. She never expected an actual person to respond or for that person to understand her pain of giving up her dream of keeping the family business alive. When Rebecca winds up in the hospital she tasks Geoff with answering the Dear Santa letters. Geoff begrudgingly agrees he never expected to find a penpal. It takes almost half the book for Geoff to realize the woman who fascinates him beyond believe the same woman who picks fights with him in public and out right hates him is the same woman he's been exchanging emails with online. Seeing things different now Geoff finds himself wanting things he's never wanted before and he wants them with Angela. Angela wants to hate Geoff but he really is a nice guy and even though she's picked fights with him she still wants to kiss him like crazy but her life is too up in the air right now her future undecided she can't worry about a relationship.  

Overall, I loved this book. There is plenty of character development for both Angela and Geoff. Angela is trying to figure out her future and Geoff is finding out about his past. It fits in nicely with the You Got Mail, In the Good Old Summertime, and Shop Around the Corner style, a feel good romantic comedy with plenty of feels and Christmas spirit.  

ARC REVIEW In The Mood Fur Love by Eve Langlais, Milly Taiden, and Kate Baxter

Fur #2, I love punny titles. This is technically book three for this series but the first one didn't have the fur pun and if you want to really get technical Eve Langlais contribution to this set is book 6 of her series Their Furever Mates but it's all good they each can be stand alone titles.

Bearing His Touch: Eve Langlais
Becka was kidnapped and held against her will for over a month before the opportunity for her to escape presented itself. Barefoot and bruised she had nowhere to go and almost got caught again if it wasn't for Stavros. Stavros knew immediately what Becka was to him and he would go to great lengths to protect her. One reason I enjoy Eve Langlais' books is how she combines the humor and the action with all the sexy parts too.  Another reason I like her is how she writes her female characters, strong; even with everything that's happened to her Becka isn't going to easily stand down and let Stavros take care of her, but she's also smart and she knows when to listen for her own safety. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, I think this is my favorite of hers so far.

Fake Mated to the Wolf: Milly Taiden
Mates Fur Hire the website dedicated to finding you a fake mate for all those functions where people are going to needlessly bug you about finding your mate. Really his name was Hawke Hawke?? Or was that just ARC typo? Hawke new immediately that Shawna was his mate. He was surprised to find out that she worked for him and normally he prides himself in personally meeting everyone who works for him. Shawna is the mastermind behind the mates for hire website, it's her brainchild and her chauvinistic misogynist of a boss who takes all the credit fires her. Three months after their initial meeting Hawke finally decides to do something about it only to find out Shawna was just fired so he fixed it. But Shawna's life is about to get way more complicated than they ever imagined. This is my favorite out of this book. I love how devoted the shifters are to their mates even before the mates realize who they are to them. In Shawna's case she is so oblivious because her low self esteem she can't even see it when he practically spells it out for her and it's obvious to everyone else.

The Witch, the Wolf, and the Waitress: Kate Baxter
Cursed by a witch three centuries ago Ellie has known nothing but Lowman, Idaho. Cursed with not being able to leave Lowman and with immortality Ellie has grown complacent, bored, and lonely but she has been for so long it's what she has become use to so when a stranger walks into the diner and stirs all the feelings she never thought she'd feel again especially hope. Colin wants more than anything to become a sentry even if his alpha doesn't agree, he wants more than what pack life has to offer him. But on his way to his appointment for the sentry job he meets his mate and when he finds out about her curse nothing is going to get in his way from making her happy including breaking the curse even if that means he loses her forever. This one is darker than the other two in this set there is more angst than humor and it all the action seems very sucient. Kate Baxter is hit and miss with me and this one is just kind of sitting in the middle as ehh, it was good but it felt like something was missing.

Overall, this was a good set to read I enjoyed it. Each of the authors bring something different and that makes the whole thing enjoyable and worth wild.             

ARC REVIEW The Big Alpha in Town by Eve Langlais, Milly Taiden, and Kate Baxter

Book two of the collaboration that brings us not just one series but three.

Bearing His Name:  by Eve Langlais
Ark received a letter stating that he was going to be a Dad, but six of his male family members also received those letters. Ark knows for sure he's going to get to the bottom of this weather  he's the Daddy or not. Jade though it was a good idea to send those letters for her about ready to pop sister, thinking not only should the father know but he should also support the baby too. Jade wasn't expecting Ark, and she sure wasn't expecting the strong attraction to the guy who could have knocked up her sister. But Jade's sister has an ex-boyfriend who will stop at nothing to get her back and Ark and his huge family will stop at nothing to protect these women.

This was a fun one, I think I enjoyed this one more than the first book. Langais definitely writes some spitfire woman and men who know how to play with fire. 
 

Owned by the Lion: by Milly Taiden

One look was all it took for Keir to realize that his best friend's little sister was his mate. Somehow the family managed to keep them from meeting until recently but know that he knows Keir is working hard to be worthy of her. When his father's health starts to deteriorate he's gives into his father's wishes of mating now all he has to do do is convince Ally that she's his true mate. Ally needed the money and matefinder.com was the best bet to get that money quickly. Luckily Ally and Kier were put together and that works to Keir favor for slowly introducing Ally into his life and his love.

This was a great romance and steamy. Keir is hot and such a good son. Once again I think I liked this one more than the first. 

No Need Fur Love: by Kate Baxter

Owen followed his Alpha to the tiny and isolated town of Stanley with no objection, it was after all for the safety of the pack but the downside to all that was the lack of woman. Owen was ready to settle down all he need was to find his true mate. Mia just needed a willing man to knock her up to secure her birthright, which shouldn't be hard considering the seductive nature dyrads have over humans. What she finds instead is Owen, she takes a chance knowing her seductive ability doesn't work on shifters but he seems willing enough. Owen knew right away what she was, his mate, he also knew that she was a wood nymph, but Mia's end game was a mystery and even after she left before he woke up he knew he wasn't going to let her go that easily, but convincing her she's his mate is only the tip of the iceberg compared to her psychotic father.

Once again I did prefer this one to the first book. The overall story just seemed like it had more substance to it, I like this plot line more than the first I like the character better too.

Overall, a pleasurable collection of stories. I look forward to the next book. Each author has something different about their style and as individual stories they each bring something to the book that makes it enjoyable throughout.