Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Romance Review: The Heavenly Bites Novella Collection (Heavenly Bites #1-3) by Christine S. Feldman

The Heavenly Bites Novella Collection (Heavenly Bites #1-3)
by Christine S. Feldman (Author), Elaina Lee (Illustrator) 

Published April 2, 2014

Description:
At the Heavenly Bites Bakery, three very different women bake up delectable treats and find romance with some unexpected but equally delectable men. Find out how in these three short and sweet novellas, previously available only as ebooks but finally available as a collection and in paperback form…

PASTELS AND JINGLE BELLS: When Trish Ackerly crosses paths with Ian Rafferty, the former bully of her childhood years, her plans for a comeuppance fall by the wayside as she comes to realize that the man he is now is very different from the boy he used to be—and that a Christmas romance might just be in her future…

LOVE LESSONS: When bakery customer Mrs. Beasley guilts Nadia Normandy into mentoring unsuspecting accountant Benji Garner in the world of dating, Nadia soon discovers that this particular accountant has a charm all his own. And with New Year’s Eve just around the corner, it may be time for Nadia to make a resolution to sweep her protégé off his feet before someone else beats her to it…

PLAYING CUPID: Free-spirited Aimee Beasley’s plans to match her widowed grandmother up with a distinguished elderly gentleman hit a snag when she learns he’s the uncle of their downstairs neighbor, grim Doyle Berkely, a man with whom Aimee butts heads on a regular basis. But in the process of nudging her grandmother’s romance along, Aimee uncovers a softer side to Doyle that may lead to a little romance of her own…

My review:
The Heavenly Bites Novella collection is a sweet treat all of its own. All three stories feature the best part of romance, falling in love. 

Pastels and Jingle Bells is ultra-cute. Trish’s failed plot to tell off her grade-school bully is my favorite. The story shows that folks change, sometimes in unexpected ways. Trish’s conundrum is even more interesting as time goes by and she hasn’t built up the nerve to tell Ian they knew each other before. Toss in a zombie loving kid and some Christmas cheer, and you have quite a fun read.

Love Lessons is funny and delightful. Mrs. Beasley made an appearance in Pastels and Jingle Bells, but in this one, she’s jumped right into center stage, put on her matchmaking hat, and tricked Nadia and Benji into meeting up. Nadia thinks she’s going to teach Benji how to be a ladies’ man. Benji thinks he’s going to teach Nadia how to make a financial plan. Plenty of foot-in-mouth moments on Nadia’s part. Plenty of blushing and charm on Benji’s. A romance you’ll root for.

Playing Cupid is sweet and chuckle-worthy. Aimee, the recently hired front counter worker at Heavenly Bites is Mrs. Beasley’s granddaughter. When she comes home one day to find Mrs. Beasley and a charming old fellow, she gets the bright idea to help them hook up. But everything gets turned around when she finds out the man was there to visit her downstairs nemesis, Doyle, a stodgy professor who can’t hide his disapproval of Aimee’s carefree nature. Two sweet romances, some epic arguments, and a bit of a mystery make this story a bit meatier than the other two.

Overall, I loved these novellas. They’re the perfect recipe for a feel-good afternoon, or three. Plenty of happily ever after for everyone.

I picked up this collection while it was on a free promotion quite some time ago. At that time, I'd already read Pastels and Jingle Bells, so I knew I'd probably like the other two. I got a little distracted between then and now, but I finally got around to reading the collection. Good stuff!


About the Author:


Christine S. Feldman writes both novels and feature-length screenplays, and she has placed in screenwriting competitions on both coasts. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her ballroom-dancing husband and their beagle.

Links:

Amazon Profile
Goodreads Profile

Books by this Author:

Friday, November 27, 2015

New Release Announcement and Review: A Fairy Extraordinary Christmas Story by A.J. York

A Fairy Extraordinary Christmas Story by A.J. York
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description:
Upstairs in the Anderson’s attic there is chatter coming from the Christmas, Easter and Halloween boxes. Someone new has arrived. Tallulah the Christmas Fairy wakes to find herself attached to the top of a tree. She soon makes friends and has a magical first Christmas. Once the festivities are over, Tallulah finds herself in the attic with the other decorations from Easter and Halloween. Each year they watch the seasons change as they wait excitedly for their turn to go downstairs. Until one day new boxes appear and then the unthinkable happens. A Fairy Extraordinary Christmas Story is a magical and uplifting tale for the whole family.

What has been said about A.J. York’s other stories.

“Quick, lively and entertaining reading specifically written for children ages 8 to 12, A. J. York's fantasy trilogy is very highly recommended for family, middle school and community library collections.”

Midwest Book Review, Small Press Bookwatch, April 2015


My Review:
This is a lovely short story about a treetop fairy who wakes up one day to find herself the newest addition to a young family’s Christmas decorations. After all go to sleep, the other ornaments awaken and welcome Tallulah. But after Christmas, they go back to the attic, where ornaments from other seasons and holidays are eager to tell her stories and bring her into their world.

I was faintly reminded of Toy Story, though this story feels much more optimistic and hopeful. The ornaments and toys try to be still when the people are around, and most of their shenanigans are at night or when the family is out. As the young family’s children grow up, the ornaments and, later, the toys start noticing differences, but still, each year, they are welcomed downstairs for their turn at adorning the home.

I really liked this story. It’s short and sweet and perfect for reading to a child. There are some cute illustrations throughout, which showed up well even on my plain Kindle, though not all of the chapters have one. I turned the last page with a smile on my face.

I received a free copy of this ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review.


View all my reviews

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Intrigued?

Pick up a copy at Amazon, and then check out some of A.J.'s other fine short stories, all of which I've read and enjoyed. Don't forget to follow the author on Amazon to find out first when a new story is coming.

A.J. York-Amazon Author Page



Live in the UK? Here are some links:
A.J. York-Author Page
A Fairy Extraordinary Christmas Story