A PRINCESS FOR CHRISTMAS – Jenny Holiday

 A PRINCESS FOR CHRISTMAS – Jenny Holiday

Avon

ISBN: 978-0-06-295207-3

October 13, 2020

Contemporary Romance

 

New York City and the Eldovia – Present Day

 

Princess Marie, future queen of Eldovia, is in New York City to give a presentation at the United Nations. Her scheduled ride breaks down, so Marie, against the advice of her two escorts, flags down a taxi. It’s kind of full—not only is there the driver, but he also has a little girl beside him, along with a dog in a cage—but she convinces him to take her to her destination.

 

Leo Ricci has his hands full raising his sister, Gabby, while driving a taxi to support them. Picking up Princess Marie one night, he is at first annoyed by the fare because he was headed some  place else, then intrigued by how grounded she is.  The two hit it off on friendly terms, which ends with Marie hiring him as her personal driver for the next couple of days while she’s in town—throwing in a generous monetary compensation. As Leo drives her around, they begin to connect, and leads to her inviting him and Gabby to her country for Christmas, which is in a few days. Will their friendship turn into something more in Eldovia?

 

A PRINCESS FOR CHRISTMAS is a cute, holiday romance that will tug at the heartstrings of readers. Marie just wants to be treated as any normal person, despite the fact that she is the future queen of a country located in Europe. As the only child of the king, she is being pressed into marrying the man her father has chosen for her—but it won’t be for love. Leo shows her a side of New York that she had never seen before, which is why she decided to reciprocate by inviting Leo and Gabby to her country for Christmas. Of course, for Gabby, it is simply amazing to be around royalty and thinks of Marie as doing no wrong. Leo senses there is turmoil deep inside Marie. Will she confide to him?

 

Once in Eldovia, Leo finds it a whole different experience. He meets Marie’s father and a few of her friends, and quickly settles into enjoying the visit. He also spends time with Marie, and the two soon develop feelings for each other. At first, she only suggests that they have sex, a fling that will last until Leo and Gabby return to the United States. But soon, they are both craving more than a short fling. But can there be any future between a princess and an American commoner?

 

A romance that is both sweet and sensual, A PRINCESS FOR CHRISTMAS by Jenny Holiday will keep you enthralled as you fall in love with Leo and Princess Marie, with the added affection for little Gabby. Don’t miss this engaging tale.

 

Patti Fischer

 

 

The Last Christmas Cowboy -- Maisey Yates

 

THE LAST CHRISTMAS COWBOY – Maisey Yates

A Gold Valley Novel

HQN Books

ISBN: 978-1-335-01404-7

October 13, 2020

Contemporary Romance

 

Gold Valley, Oregon – Present Day

 

Rose Daniels and Logan Heath have worked side-by-side for years on the ranch they all co-own with the rest of Rose’s family.  Rose worries that her older sister, Iris, is going to turn into an old maid, so she decides to take matters into her own hand by finding Iris a potential mate. Logan scoffs at Rose’s plans and says it won’t work. In fact, they have a little bet going. To Rose’s dismay, she loses the bet after her target male ends up being attracted to her, and not Iris. Turns out the prize Logan gets for winning the bet is…Rose.

 

Since Logan has known Rose, he has always been protective of her—and attracted to her once she became an adult. But she is like his little sister, with the added disadvantage that there’s a ten-year age difference between them. Logan thinks her plan to marry off Iris is crazy and that it will fail, which it does. But in the meantime, Logan and Rose go toe-to-toe arguing about who is right and who is wrong. They’ve always been good friends, but suddenly, the sexual chemistry heats up between them. Rose can’t stop thinking about Logan kissing her. Logan wants her, but he’s mindful of how her older brother, Ryder, would likely kill him if he dared to hurt “little sister” Rose. Never mind what her other sister, Pansy, who is the chief of police, will do. As they go back and forth wanting and trying to resist each other, which side will win?

 

Christmas is just around the corner and Logan isn’t looking forward to it in THE LAST CHRISTMAS COWBOY by Maisey Yates. Logan’s mother and Rose’s parents were friends, with the link being their children, but the adults died in a plane crash together while on a trip to Alaska. Rose was only seven and her older brother Ryder (who was eighteen at the time) took over the raising of Rose and her two sisters. Along the way, Logan moved in, as did Sammy, who is now married to Ryder. Logan hates Christmas and tries to avoid celebrating it, but will this year be different if he has Rose in his bed? It certainly looks like they’re about to have a fling, yet Logan feels he is betraying Ryder if he did. However, any reservations he has about making love to Rose flies out the window when they finally give in to the passion. But how long will it last before one of them regrets what happened? Can they even work together anymore?

 

If you haven’t read the prior Gold Valley novels, then you might be wondering about who many of the other characters are in THE LAST CHRISTMAS COWBOY. While this tale could be read as a standalone, I suggest reading at least the last two: THE BAD BOY OF REDEMPTION RANCH (Pansy and West’s story) and THE HERO OF HOPE SPRINGS (Ryder and Sammy’s story) because these three books are closely connected.

 

THE LAST CHRISTMAS COWBOY is a friends-to-lovers tale about a seemingly forbidden love that soon can’t be denied. Logan and Rose’s journey to a happily-ever-after is both emotional and sensual. Add in the holiday season and THE LAST CHRISTMAS COWBOY is one that you won’t want to miss reading.

 

Patti Fischer

In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren

 IN A HOLIDAZE – Christina Lauren

Gallery Books

ISBN: 978-1-9821-2394-9

October 6, 2020

Contemporary Romance

 

Utah – Present Day

 

Christmas is over and everyone is cleaning up in preparation to leave the cabin where Maelyn Jones, her parents and brother, as well as their longtime friends, have been staying for the past week. For as long as Mae can remember, she has been secretly attracted to Andrew Hollis, the son of one of their cabin friends. But Mae did a stupid thing last night. She was feeling tipsy and ended up kissing Andrew’s brother (and Mae’s good friend), Theo. As she shuffles into the kitchen for breakfast feeling hungover, Theo is there—but he won’t look up from the bowl of cereal he’s eating. She feels guilty for betraying Andrew, though nothing has ever been romantic between her and Andrew. Then, just as they’re about to leave, Mae discovers that Andrew had seen the kiss. Mae had hopes she could’ve started something with Andrew, but now all is lost. As Mae and her family drive away, she wonders how she could change what happened during the Christmas holiday. Then, a car comes hurtling toward them on the highway. As the sounds of metal hitting metal reverberate in her head, Mae loses consciousness…and wakes up back on the plane, several days earlier, and her life is about to take on a Groundhog Day (the movie) existence.

 

IN A HOLIDAZE is certainly different in that our heroine, Mae, is given several chances to “get it right” before she reaches the end of this book. Where did she veer off that caused her to be forced back into the past to live her days at the cabin all over again? At first, Mae can’t figure out what is going on. Is she experiencing hallucinations about reliving it again…and again? Heck, she can “predict” when something will happen within the group because she had already experienced it. She finally confides in one of her parents’ friends, Benny, who is skeptical of her claims at first, but then he begins to realize she might be telling the truth. Mae doesn’t know when she will end up “going back,” but when she is “allowed” to finally go forward and not go back, she wonders if it is a sign she is on the right track. Of course, will this mean changing the course of where she kissed Theo and losing any chance with Andrew? Will she get that second chance?

 

This tale has numerous minor characters, too many to list, but IN A HOLIDAZE is centered around Mae’s dilemma in having to “re-do” the week before Christmas. It has an intriguing and yes, unusual, plot. There is humor blended in. After all, Mae and the other characters aren’t perfect, especially when the group has known one another for years. When Mae appears to be on the right track and things start to go the way it should, then things start to tilt wrongly for her once again. Will she have to “return to the past” again and do it all over? Will she end up happy?

 

If you love a contemporary romance that is different and intriguing, then don’t miss IN A HOLIDAZE.

 

Patti Fischer