Christmas Treats #2 - Santa's Nice List

Hello, Christmas! With December just a day a way, boy do I have a treat for you! Christmas Treats #2 - Santa's Nice list is the perfect anthology for this amazing holiday season! Maggie Devine, Darlene Fredette, and Liv Rancourt rocked the pages with their witty chick lit ways! This holiday delight is perfect as a gift, or just for a nice light read while the snow falls!

Here's a sneak peek at the stories!

Mistletoe Accomplished by Maggie Devine
“Cross a faux fur mink mogul with a sexy chef, a little bit of deception, and taste the seduction.”

Chocolate Kisses by Darlene Fredette
"When Jackson Frost returns to Redford Falls, Candi Cane knows he’s not only after her chocolate kisses.”

The Santa Drag by Liv Rancourt
"Things aren't always what they seem, and this shopping mall Santa has a secret that only the love of her life can reveal."

The Afterglow:

This was the CUTEST anthology I've ever had the pleasure of reading! Delicious from beginning to end! Each author as talented as the last! My heart is still warm and filled with love! Christmas Treats Anthology: Santa’s Nice List was amazing from beginning to end!

Mistletoe Accomplished was a delicious read! Grab your cocoa and let the snow fall in the background, this short story is sure to bring warmth into your heart. What better way to start the holiday with a delightful tale of an ex-food critic and a marvelous chef falling in love with one another. Maggie Devine had me salivating for decadent foods and a hunky hero. I loved every little morsel.

Fredette’s Chocolate Kisses is sure to leave you in a candy coma! This delectable tale of love will have you running for all the goodies you can find this holiday season. Candi Cane and Jack Frost are more than just cute names, these spicy characters are sure to leave your heart toasty! Nothing like a fake marriage to heat things up! This duo will leave you giggling at their silly arrangement, signing divorce papers for playing Santa. You’ll want to share this with a loved one!

The Santa Drag. There’s nothing worse than seeing your Ex, while you’re dressed in a Santa costume. Rancourt had me laughing in this adorable short story. She shows that even in the weirdest of circumstances, when you’re in love, nothing stops the connection. PS – for those who love an extra treat, this Santa is a little past the milk and cookies and has a hankering for beer and cold pizza, what’s not to love?

- Review by Jen Daiker

Care to read Christmas Treats - Santa's Nice list OR Santa's Naughty list? Stop by Still Moments Publishing. You might find that you don't only want to read fabulous books, you might also want to submit one yourself!

THE NEXT DOOR BOYS by Jolene B. Perry

The Blurb

With her body still recovering from last year's cancer treatments, Leigh Tressman is determined to be independent. Despite the interference from her overprotective brother, physical frustrations, and spiritual dilemmas— not to mention the ever expanding line of young men ready to fall in love with her— Leigh discovers what it actually means to stand on her own and learns that love can be found in unexpected but delightful places.

Personal Admission

In the spirit of full disclosure I feel like I need to say that—I LOVE Jolene Perry. She is just the nicest author I’ve met since I began blogging. She is always positive and helpful to fellow pre-published authors like me. I’m so excited to get to be the first to review her book here. From the first page I didn’t have any doubt I would love it.

The Afterglow

I fell head over heels in love with the characters in this book. They felt like people I would know, people who would be my neighbors, or people I could spend the day with.  There’s something so moving and raw about the YA contemporary genre—there is no evil society to overthrow, no ancient curses to break, just real life personal demons to overcome. I think what I loved most about this story was the personal growth and the overcoming of everyday problems that we all face.

And I can’t forget the love story. It was rocking too :) None of this, “I’m hot…you’re hot…let’s make out.” No, this story was the best kind of slow burn love story—the kind that leaves you wanting more. I'm so glad Jolene wrote a sequel, because I need more :)

-Angie Cothran

Got some time? Check out Jolene’s blog—Jolene B. Perry. You won’t be disappointed.

LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR by Stephanie Perkins

The blurb, from Goodreads:

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

***

I know, I know, I just reviewed a book on Friday, but I had the wonderful good fortune to read AFTERGLOW books back-to-back. 

I loved LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR. I finished it at 12:30 last night after reading it in one sitting. I think I might have even loved it a little bit more than it's companion book ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS (which I also loved). Here's my review of that from June.


So, what did I love about Lola? Well, I'm a child of the 80's and she reminded me forcibly of Molly Ringwald's character in PRETTY IN PINK. And this time, the character ends up with her best friend, not the wildly inappropriate guy. Which I love! Not that the storyline is at all the same, but the characters share some characteristics. Lola makes her own clothes, and she has a very eclectic style. Cricket (the boy next door) is quirky, nerdy, hot, and brilliant, all at the same time.


I loved her gay parents. I loved Anna and St. Clair from the other book are a part of this book. I loved her friend Lindsay. Oh, and I want to be Stephanie Perkins.


If you love contemporary YA (or even if you don't) read this book. It's perfect.

MOONGLASS by Jessi Kirby

From Goodreads:

I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both.

Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface.

While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever.

***

The Afterglow:


This was a delicious book. Lovely prose, really poetic in some areas, and a beautifully described setting. I could really picture the beach where Anna and her dad live, even though I don't live near the ocean. I loved Tyler (love interest), and I really like the complex relationship between Anna and her father.  I read it because Anna is an athlete and I have a particular affinity for books that feature girl athletes--the sport was nicely tied in, even though it wasn't the main focus of the book.  

If you're a fan of contemporary YA, this is a must-read.