Mini Reviews: How to Lose a Guy Before Christmas & A Highland Ghost for Christmas by Jo-Ann Carson

After a snowstorm grounds her flight, Lucy makes a last-ditch effort to get home for Christmas using a rideshare app. She thinks she’ll be taking a road trip with a stranger … but the guy who shows up is someone she knows all too well. He’s the hookup she ghosted a few months ago, and now she’ll be stuck in a car with him for the most awkward road trip of her life.

 

Making matters worse, he’s even more gorgeous than she remembers—too bad things between them are frostier than the North Pole. Will the long ride home allow them to get to know each other in surprising new ways? And more importantly, will the season warm things up and send sparks flying yet again? Whatever happens, one thing is clear: It’s going to take a whole lot of Christmas magic to unlock their guarded hearts.

 Publisher: Audible  | Narrators: Jason Clarke, Andi Arndt | Length: 5 h 24 min. | Genre: Contemporary Romance  | Source: Publisher  | Rating: 3.5

If you’re looking for a fun, quick, slightly cheesy Christmas rom-com, this is the book for you. Imagine having to share a rideshare with your one-night stand then getting stuck in a Christmassy little town full of zany residents while trying not to fall for the guy you ghosted. While I did enjoy the majority of this one, it had a few minor issues (mainly the cause of the conflict not being strong enough and a few odd things at the end) but nothing that couldn’t be overlooked.

Overall, it wasn’t the best book in the world but it was fun, especially for an end of the year read. Think of this as a PG-13 Hallmark movie, they’re not the best but they make the season bright. 

Jilted by her fiancé, librarian Maddy Jacobson is nursing a broken heart, when her best friend gives her an early Christmas present. Intended to be a fun, psychic reading in a spooky, tea house, the gift turns out to be life changing. Maddy becomes haunted by a mischievous, Highland ghost.

Ruggedly handsome, Cullen Macfie, the Highlander, has been dead for over three centuries, and never in all those years has he been so attracted to a woman, as he is to Maddy. He falls hopelessly in love and decides to woo her.

Can there be a future for a librarian and a naughty, Highland ghost?

Series: Gambling Ghosts #1 | Publisher: | Genre: Contemporary Paranormal Romance  | Source: Purchased  | Rating: 2.5

A haunted teahouse, a Highlander ghost, and a brokenhearted librarian have a festive holiday season while trying to heal her broken heart.

 

This was a cute concept for a novella and made for a quick, light read. While it was fun, it was a bit over the top and not fully developed. The ending was a little out there, but this concept was a little out there, and, for some reason, there’s a lot of baking going on in such a short amount of time. We’re also treated to a lot of Gaelic quotes straight from Outlander.

 

Winter Wonderland Book Tag

Hello, Lovelies, and welcome back! It’s been cold and snowy in Ohio, which means it’s time for The Winter Wonderland Book Tag. This tag was created by I’m All Booked Up and, unfortunately, I cannot find the blog to tag the original creator. The rules are simple: answer the prompts and tag other bloggers, which I won’t be doing. If you’d like to join in, please feel free to create your own post or leave your answers in the comments as I would love to see your answers.

 

Now, on to the Winter Wonderland Book Tag

 

 

1) Look out the window, it’s snowing! Find a book with snow on the cover.

 

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley 

A group of friends stranded in the Scottish Highlands while a murderer is on the loose makes this the perfect winter thriller.

 

2) The fire is roaring in the fireplace. Pick a cozy read to enjoy by the warmth of the fire.

The Cowboy Cookie Challenge 

by Lori Wilde (Twilight, Texas #16) This was such a cute and cozy holiday romance.

 

3) Winter is time for outdoor sports. Find a book that features a winter sport.

 

Puck and Prejudice by Lia Riley 

As soon as I heard about this one, I was intrigued. While it’s on my TBR list, I’ve not started it yet so here’s the blurb…

 

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a modern single man in possession of a hockey jersey may be exactly what a Regency woman needs to avoid the shackles of marriage...

 

Goalie for the Austin Regals, Tucker Taylor is benched due to health issues. So he decides to visit his sister in England. But an accidental plunge into an icy pond thrusts him back to 1812 where he comes face to face with a captivating blue-eyed woman who regards him as if he’s grown two heads.

 

Lizzy Wooddash dreams of a life surrounded by books, engaging conversation, the presence of literary icons like Jane Austen, and... nary a husband in sight. But in Regency England, only widows like her cousin Georgie enjoy freedom and solitary pursuits, unencumbered by expectations. The only way to quickly become a widow is by marrying a dying man or killing a perfectly healthy one, neither of which Lizzy desires.

 

A visitor from the future might just be the husband of her dreams. Once married, they can figure out how to return Tucker to his proper time, and his absence—aka death—will make Lizzy the widow she always dreamed of becoming. Yet as sparks ignite, they soon realize that matters of the heart rarely adhere to carefully laid plans. Can their love stand the test of time, or will Lizzy get exactly what she wanted...as well as a broken heart?

 

4) Winter means the start of a new year. What is one book that is on your TBR list this year?

Oh my goodness, I have so many books on my 2024 TBR that I haven’t read but if I had to pick just one I think it would be The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness. I’m itching to read this book but, at the same time, I’m wanting to wait until there’s another book from the All Souls Series on the horizon as it’s a series I’m not ready to say goodbye to.

 

5) If you’re not careful, winter weather fun can cause frostbite. Pick one book that was a major disappointment.

Something in the Heir by Suzanne Enoch  

Normally I love her historicals, but this one was just an odd book that didn’t find its footing.

 

6) But by going outside, you can find comfort in a warm beverage. What is your go-to comfort book that never fails to cheer you up?

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte will forever be my London Fog, my cozy sweater, and warm blanket. I absolutely love everything about the classic.

 

 

7) Winter comes to an end and spring emerges. Name a book that you want to read before springtime?

There’s so many…but I’m eager to read A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene. It’s been sitting on my TBR stand just begging me to pick it up and, as it’s an Irish Folk Fantasy, it seems fitting to read as spring emerges.

Designs on You by Jaci Burton

Natalie Parker is in her mid-thirties, divorced, and firmly focused on her newly resurrected career and her two children. When her sister asks her to help design the backyard in the new home she shares with her boyfriend, Linc, Natalie’s more than happy to take on the project. What she isn’t prepared for is Linc’s younger brother, video game designer Eugene Kennedy. He’s smart, incredibly good-looking, and constantly flirts with Natalie. He’s also too young for her, which makes him totally off-limits.

 

Eugene is intrigued by Natalie’s beauty, smarts, and especially her sarcastic wit. When he teases her, she throws it right back at him. Besides that, they have an instant chemistry, but she keeps trying to get rid of him despite the sparks that fly between them. And Eugene never backs down from a challenge.

 

Natalie is running out of reasons to think being with Eugene is a bad thing. Her kids adore him, her sister loves him, and even her always negative mother does, too. The only person holding her back is...her. Maybe it’s time she take that leap and design herself a love for the ages. After all, if she can create the perfect home, she sure as hell can design a happily ever after.

Series: See below* | Publisher: Berkley Romance |  Release Date: 12/03/2024 | Genre: Contemporary Romance  | Source: Publisher | Rating: 3.5

A single mother, a slightly younger man, two young children, and an adorable rescue pup? Yes, please!

When newly divorced Natalie finds herself agreeing to decorate her sister’s boyfriend’s brother’s new place, she’s thrilled to have a new project. What she’s not so thrilled about is Eugene and the attraction they share. While she does not want to get into another relationship, there’s no harm in a little fun. There’s no denying that Eugene’s enamored by Natalie and more than ready for a good time but he has to convince her he’s in for more than just a little fun.

I always enjoy Jaci Burton’s books so I knew that I was in for a good time but I was a bit worried as Natalie wasn’t a favorite of mine in the previous book. Thankfully, she’s changed in this one.

Natalie’s been through some things and she’s trying to figured out who she is and what direction she’s taking with her life. She’s starting a new career, healing things with her sister and mother, and trying raise two young children on her own. She’s also determined not to enter into another relationship. Natalie has a lot of fight and determination in her and, while it’s not a bad thing, it seems to interfere with her happiness at times.

Eugene’s easy to like, which surprised me given his job as a video game designer. I’ve known a few game designers who have been very immature so I wasn’t expecting a lot of maturity from Eugene, so I was pleasantly surprised at how adult he was and how eager he was to enter into a relationship with a single parent. He’s just a fun, charming, family-first guy but I don’t feel that we really go to know Eugene down to his core.

There’s no denying there was chemistry from the start and they fit perfectly into each other lives but Natalie was cautious, which I understood. What I struggled with was how much Natalie was in her own head. Every time something great would happen between the two of them, Natalie would start an inner monologue of why they wouldn’t work. She also made too big a deal out of the fact he was younger than her but it was only 5 years, which I don’t feel is a major difference. I also found the conflict lacking, as it could have been settle with a conversation, which is something I’ve noticed in several of her romances.

I’m on the fence about rating this one. I think I’m going to settle on a 3.5. While I liked this one, I don’t feel that it was a romance but rather a women’s lit with a side of romance due to all the issues Natalie was going through. I also feel like too much of book took place in Natalie’s head.

Overall, I do recommend this one. I enjoyed it but it did have its issues.

  

*I want to say that while this is labeled as a ‘stand-alone’ this does follow Housebroke and they are connected. While you don’t have to read one to follow the other, I do recommend that you read them in order just to get a better sense of the characters and their behavior. I can’t seem to find a title for this series, and I’m not sure if there is one, but if you know what it’s called, please let me know.