Happy Publication Day – 8 October 2024

Love Is For The Birds By Diane Owens Prettyman

The Texas Gulf: beautiful yet unpredictable.

A beach town destroyed. Her mother’s candy store swept away. This is what Teddy Wainsworth faces when she returns to Bird Isle. Meanwhile, Jack Shaughness, owner of a popular barbecue restaurant chain and widower still grieving the death of his wife, receives permission to cross over to the island with a smoker full of brisket to feed hurricane survivors. Soon after arriving, he meets Teddy and immediately finds himself drawn to her—which makes him feel he is betraying his wife. When the two find a lost dog, Jack convinces Teddy to take it home while they attempt to find the owner, creating a bond that brings them closer.

In the wake of the hurricane, Bird Isle residents fear the Aransas Wildlife Refuge will not be ready for the whooping cranes’ annual migration south. Seeing that Jack has important connections and a love for the island, they enlist him to help restore the habitat of the endangered cranes before they fly to Padre Island for the winter. With their rescued dog always nearby, Teddy and Jack work side by side to rebuild Bird Isle for the return of the whooping cranes. But Jack is harboring a secret that may ruin everything he and Teddy are creating—and he won’t be able to keep that secret forever.

The Fake Wedding Project By Pippa Grant

Faking an engagement to my secret high school crush was not on my to-do list when I landed for a short visit home. But when Amanda Anderson announces that she’s my fiancée, I take a leap and play along with the farce.

Why? Because the Capulets and Montagues have nothing on the Andersons and Silvers of Tinsel, Michigan. In the name of bringing peace to our Christmas-themed hometown and ourselves, we’ll play the part of Romeo and Juliet.

If our relatives think we’re in love, they’ll have to end this ridiculous feud. Right? Amanda’s a professional dog walker, and I’m an engineer who loves dogs—how hard could it be to show our families what else we all have in common?

The heat and this town’s infernal holiday cheer are messing with my head, though. And once we start making our fake wedding plans, I can’t seem to keep my heart out of it.

The Promise Of Tomorrow By Samantha Tonge

Elena Swan believes she’s going to die. And soon. 

She’s not ill. She’s not in imminent danger. But she is sure it’s going to happen.

Because many years ago… she’d made a promise to a stranger, in the woods. Elena’s mother was in hospital, after a life-threatening accident. The promise would keep her mother safe, but put Elena’s own life at risk, instead, when she grew up and turned thirty.

Elena put the promise to the back of her mind, over the years. But she’s twenty-nine now, and when something happens that puts her life in danger, she remembers. And she knows.

But Elena hasn’t done everything yet. She’s not brave like her daredevil friend Rory. But she’s also not ready to give up on life. Not before she’s been to Paris. She always wanted to skydive too. She’s never even fallen in love.

Without the promise of tomorrow, can she fulfil all her dreams before fate comes for her?

Mistletoe Season By Sheila Roberts, Kathleen Fuller and Pepper Basham

Say No to Mistletoe by Sheila Roberts

Mistletoe is Hailey Fairchild’s kryptonite. Every time she’s kissed someone under the mistletoe it’s led to love disaster. Not a good thing for a romance writer! When she was a gawky high school girl, her hunky neighbor, Carwyn Davies, star of the basketball team (and her dreams), kissed her under the mistletoe on a dare. But the kiss wasn’t a dream come true. It was a mortifying moment she’s never forgotten, and now she’s about to go home for the holidays, unengaged and . . . determined to say no to mistletoe. Especially if Carwyn is anywhere around.

Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller

Emmy Banks has always loved Christmas. How could she not when she lives in Mistletoe, Missouri? Kieran O’Neill has spent years abroad, renovating an old Irish castle, but returns to Mistletoe for his mother’s seventieth birthday. He reconnects with Emmy, his sister’s close friend, and spends time with her in her charming antique shop. When the weather turns colder, things start to warm up between Emmy and Kieran. But can Emmy risk her heart when she knows he’ll never stay in Mistletoe, and she will never leave?

The Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham

Prince Arran St. Clare has lost his freedom and fairytale life in exchange for a three-month “punishment” in the small town of Ransom, North Carolina. To prove he is ready for the royal life for which he was born, Arran must engage in the Christmas charity fundraiser, The Mistletoe Wish. But when kindness, authenticity, and hard work prove more appreciated in Appalachia than a royal pedigree, Arran must face the mirror and find out who he is beyond the crown. Add a beautiful and intelligent woman who doesn’t recognize her own worth, some mistletoe, and a little Christmas magic and it all might be enough to help the rebel-prince understand what truly matters most.

Christmas Eve Love Story By Ginny Baird

Annie Jones works hard designing windows for iconic New York City department store Lawson’s Finest. So when her Christmas window display gets upended by some rambunctious kids on Christmas Eve, the all-too-realistic store Santa gives Annie a little decorating tip on how to start over. With help from friendly security guard Braden Tate, Annie repairs the damage and heads home. But when she wakes the next morning, she’s bewildered to find that it isn’t Christmas day at all, but Christmas Eve all over again. 

Trapped in a time loop, Annie doesn’t know how she’ll ever make it back to the present. Luckily, she has an infinite number of chances to get things right. As little everyday choices bring her closer to Braden and to Christmas day, Annie starts to picture what her new life— one full of friendship, love, and community—could look like.

Review Card & Book Review – Secretly Married To A Prince By Ally Blake

THEIR REUNION WITH A ROYAL TWIST…

To claim her inheritance, Matilda Waverly must be wed within the year. But Matilda has a secret: she’s already married! She hasn’t seen Henri since she fled their wedding night, so tracking him down is essential­—but exciting and terrifying in equal measure. Especially when she learns Henri is actually a prince! And the undeniable spark between them has never gone away…

About The Author

My Review

Matilda and her three sisters are shocked when their father’s will stipulates that to inherit his Australian estate, each daughter must marry within a year, or the property goes to a family rival. Complicating matters, Matilda is technically already married, but she doesn’t know her husband’s whereabouts.

Matilda’s backstory reveals she secretly married Henri, a young man she met while traveling, without knowing he was a prince in disguise. She rushed home due to her mother’s illness, hoping he’d follow, but he didn’t, breaking her heart. Now, she must find him to secure her inheritance.

Their reunion occurs by chance when Matilda returns to the place they met to start her search. Surprised by Henri’s true identity, she agrees to stay at his castle while they sort things out. Despite rekindling their connection, Henri’s royal duties and insecurities create tension in their relationship. Both struggle with honest communication, projecting their fears and assumptions onto each other.

Their past and present finally converge when they talk about their separation and their feelings. Henri’s failure to search for Matilda earlier causes friction, given his resources as a prince, but their reconciliation and his grand gesture at the end redeem him. Despite the complications, Matilda’s upbeat attitude and Henri’s growth culminate in a satisfying resolution to their relationship and inheritance challenge.

My Rating

Link To Purchase