A Cajun Werewolf Christmas (Stormy Weather 6) by Selena Blake

Hello to all,

December isn't finished yet but i think i will close my discovery of the holiday romance today to have a short break before a 2013 year full of discoveries.

To finish on an happy note, i will give you my opinion on another holiday paranormal romance novella but don't worry even if you will learn a bit about a vampire it's mostly about werewolves , i had to have some diversity this month after all.

So without waiting, here comes A Cajun Werewolf Christmas by Selena Blake.

Happy Reading!

Publisher: Selena Blake

Publication: 2011

Genre: holiday romance, paranormal romance

Violence: none
Language: normal
sex: none
Public: 18+

Source: free

Short description from goodreads :

 (The Happily Ever After)
paranormal romance – the final Stormy Weather story

Join Deveraux Pack for their first Christmas together. With Angel and Jules’ wedding days away, the pack braces the snow and cold for an unforgettable day. The men place a bet to see who can come up with the best baby present. And Mother Nature provides one last surprise for everyone.

My opinion:

          So sweet, I didn’t know the series before but, even if I haven’t read any book from Selena before, I can tell that I really enjoyed this novella. The author Selena Blake gives us just the right amount of information to understand why this Christmas together is really special for the characters, we know they suffered, all of them, differently yes but the result is the same they wouldn’t have dreamed such a happy reunion.

We get to see the evolution for each man for the pack and we have glimpses of how they met their respective mate like a little summary of the series because this novella was thought as a conclusion. Of course we don’t get all the background, that’s for the books but if for someone who has read the series this novella is a perfect conclusion for someone who hasn’t started yet it works well as a stand alone.

I admit though that I’m really interested in reading the series now, yes there will be hardship but at least I know they will have a real happy end. It’s a real treat the author did to her reader, in my opinion.

The writing style is engaging, the different personalities are well described so I didn’t feel like I was missing something. It’s sweet, cute but also funny and romantic, a fabulous novella for the season.

I recommend it.

Score:  4/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:

This book enter in the Romance and Me Challenge

The Million Dollar Gift by Cheree Alsop

Hello to all,

 I hope you had a great Christmas or whatever you celebrate. I enjoyed a quiet meal with my family and i can tell you that i'm really grateful for it.

There are only a few days left before New Year and i will try to take a little time for myself but not before completing my 2012 goals so i continue my discovery of the holiday romance subgenre but today i will change a bit and speak about a contemporary one instead of a paranormal one^^ no worries  the rest of the year will be back to holiday paranormal romance ( mixing several favorite things is so good^^).

Thanks to Ali Cross i won this book to help my discovery of this subgenre and i really loved it so here is my opinion on " The Million Dollar Gift" by Cheree Alsop

Happy reading and happy holidays!

Publisher: Cheree L. Alsop

Publication: 2012

Genre: contemporary romance, holiday romance
Violence: mild
Language: normal
sex: none
Public: 18+

Source: won (thank you Ali)

Short description from goodreads :

 When Chase risks his life to save a brother and sister just before Christmas, his life becomes entwined with theirs more intricately than he could have imagined. Emotional and moving, this is a story of a young man whose troubled heart is tested by the one thing he is unprepared to face, love.

My opinion:

          When I won this book, I hadn’t started my discovery of this genre yet or I only read one book  so I loved the excerpt I saw and the description but I didn’t know what to expect.  Let’s say that the description doesn’t do justice to this excellent story… it’s really emotional and more than moving. You will need tissues at several moment but Cheree managed to write a wonderful story that can’t let you unfeeling, unmoved.

Chase had a sad life and ended being on the street  when he isn’t thirty, he also has some troubles with gangsters but when he heard Clara’s cries for help the hesitation was short before he went to help even if he just been severely beaten minutes before.

Clara didn’t expect to be aggressed when she went out with her little brother; she even less expected to be saved by a stranger covered in grim and blood. However, she can’t let that young man alone on the street, in the cold after what he has done and seriously injured as he is so she invited him to her family’s home even if she know nothing of him except that his name is Chase.

Chase didn’t act to be awarded anything, he just did what his heart told me, so he is a bit surprised by the way he is invited and welcomed in Clara’s family without questions or doubts despite his appearance.  He doesn’t feel at his place, still hurt he thinks isn’t worth their kindness but the family keeps being kind to him and attentive and soon he can’t leave them especially Clara. He didn’t believe in Christmas since a long time but their joy and generosity overwhelm him and he is starting slowly to heal body and heart by living with them. Slowly he also opens himself and we discover the reason for all his suffering and I cried for this little boy so alone and hurt. We really can understand him thanks to that. The relationship he gets with Daniels, one of the boys of the Clark’s family who has withdrew in himself since the death of his best friend is lovely described and the words sound rights. They learn from each other, each one being in a way the answer the other was waiting for…; a wonderful message of forgiveness and faith.

The romance is there slow and true, growing as Clara and Chase learn about each other and spend time together. They are obstacles, tragedy and sometimes I got the impressions that fates were really against Chase, since it seemed so cruel but everything fit, has their reason to arrive so even if they are sad parts I really enjoyed this story and I’m glad to have had the opportunity to discover it.

To recommend but if you are really emotional like me, don’t forget  to keep your tissues at hand

Score:  4/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:

This book enter in the Romance and Me Challenge

All i want for Christmas by Alexis Morgan in the anthology " A vampire for Christmas"

hi!
 Like i say because this day is a happy one even if it didn't start like one, i will continue my discovery of the holidays romance with another novella  without waiting.

I discovered Alexis Morgan thanks to  the anthology  i started this month :A Vampire For Christmas ( lots of vampire today don't you think?^^) her participation is a novella with the title "All I Want for Christmas"; very promising^^.

Enjoy!

Publisher: Harlequin

Publication: 2011

ISBN:  0373776446

Genre: paranormal erotic romance, holiday romance

Violence: mild
Language: normal
sex: strong
Public: 18+

Source: won

Short description of the anthology  from goodreads :

 All they want for Christmas is you…

It's the time of year for twinkling lights on trees and kisses under the mistletoe. Yet the passing of another year means nothing to the stunning immortals who lurk in the shadows of the new-fallen snow.

And they don't care if you've been naughty or nice.

Let four fanged lovers open your eyes to a passion you never dared to imagine. After all, there's no place like home for the holidays—and these dazzling vampires can't wait for an invitation.

My opinion:

          I loved it! This novella is really good and I love Alexis Morgan‘s writing style a lot! The plot is well though even if not that original and the characters so interesting; a mix of suspense romance, paranormal romance and holiday romance…all I love in one novella!

In Alexis Morgan’s world vampires are other supernatural creatures lives among the mortal who ignore their existences (except a few of them). Eagan is a born vampire working as an undercover cop: his job? Protect the mortals from the supernatural beings breaking their own laws. Not an easy job, even less when he must investigate the death of several teenagers. Alone on the street illuminated by the Christmas decorations he is attracted to a small coffee shop on the corner, so warm and welcoming. When he catches the owner looking, he wants to leave as to avoid blowing up his cover but the temptation is too big and he enters.

Della is a kind but lonely woman with a very generous heart. Having opened a small coffee in a dangerous area, she stays kind and welcome everyone, trying to help when she can with a good cup of coffee or a good meal in exchange for a little help or completely free. Loving Christmas, she gives her shop a welcome and warm feeling all the year long but even more at this season. When a stranger arrives after she saw him staying a long time on the street, Della is captivated but tries to stay professional…until he saves her from 2 thieves becoming in her eyes her hero. She is so open-minded and she hides her hurt so well, trying to stay positive and for example opening her coffee the 24 and 25 December all day so people who need it can come and be warm when in the same time she isn’t alone. I loved her character.

Their relation is building slowly and then it accelerates but I loved to see how Eagan doubted his choice and still couldn’t avoid going back to see more of Della. How he likes her kindness and wants to protect her, to keep her ignorant of the reality of her world. The way the secondary characters like Lupe and Harry are close to Della and either approving or completely antagonising Eagan presence all as discreetly as they can. I liked how he is dedicated to his work too, how he is ready to sacrifice his happiness to protect others.

It’s the first work of Alexis Morgan I‘ve read but I fully planning to look for more, I would be so happy to see a series like this novella or in the same universe with some characters being recurrent for example. However I know there is some fantasy too since I got one book that I can’t wait to start now.

To recommend without a doubt

Score:  4/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:

This book enter in the Romance and Me Challenge

Book read for the 2012 TBR reading

To join in, copy and paste these rules and the above banner into your Fanged Mania post and add your link to this week’s Fanged Mania post at Elisabeth Wheatley’s Blog. Fanged Mania is a Friday meme counting down to the release of Fanged Princess and displaying all things vampire and awesome. Fanged Mania posts can be a review of a vampire book, a quote from the latest Vampire Diaries episode, a showcase of a cool vampire book’s cover, or whatever you like so long as it is vampire related. Don’t forget, participants will be entered in the drawing to win a fanged-abulous prize pack!

Monsters don’t do Christmas by Michele Hauf in the anthology "A Vampire for Christmas"

Hello to all,

                     Today i will continue with the novellas from the anthology " A Vampire for Christmas" with the second one titled " Monsters don't do Christmas" by Michele Hauf. Not my favorite from the anthology but we can't love everything.

Happy reading!

Publisher: Harlequin

Publication: 2011

ISBN:  0373776446

Genre: paranormal erotic romance, holiday romance

Violence: mild
Language: normal
sex: strong
Public: 18+

Source: won

Short description of the anthology  from goodreads :

 All they want for Christmas is you…

It's the time of year for twinkling lights on trees and kisses under the mistletoe. Yet the passing of another year means nothing to the stunning immortals who lurk in the shadows of the new-fallen snow.

And they don't care if you've been naughty or nice.

Let four fanged lovers open your eyes to a passion you never dared to imagine. After all, there's no place like home for the holidays—and these dazzling vampires can't wait for an invitation.

My opinion:

          A Little disappointed to be honest, the story is good, has some originality but it didn’t feel right to me in the way that it wasn’t memorable. I was missing something but I can’t really put my finger on it.

Daniel is a new vampire, bitten one year ago is still trying to adjust and he doesn’t accept himself. The Christmas season is for him a reminder of how his life changed and even if he wasn’t one to celebrate and enjoy it before now it’s just hurtful. However, Daniel is trying to keep his humanity while in the same time he thinks of himself as a monster with, at best, a black dark soul. He wants to help those who have been attacked like him; he doesn’t want them to be left alone without advice, information and the choice to stay human.

Not used to the vampire world yet, he is quite surprise to see a human mortal woman interfering during his fight with two werewolves.

Olivia is a famous singer but she wants to find some confidence, she has lost her mother who was her greater supporter and since then she is feeling insecure. When she decides to invite Daniel, it’s partially because of than and the fact he is very handsome. A bit afraid when she learns that he is a vampire she stays calm on the outside and intrigues him…while speaking with she discovers a man who doubts himself as much as her and soon she gives up to the attraction .

What I loved about this story is that they love each other as they are no need to transform, to change nothing just to trust the other and to take the risk to love. Already difficult without adding the species problem. That’s something I love a lot and quite rare in the paranormal romance as I‘ve discovered.  I also appreciated the fact that there was an opportunity to choose (when you have the info and when you are motivated)

But for example I didn’t understand why Olivia saw herself as a monster… because she is a celebrity? It doesn’t feel right, the Christmas’ magic is only an allusion sometimes a hope there isn’t a real manifestation of it. Perhaps it’s the reason I was a bit bored when I finished this story

Michele Hauf ‘s writing is really good and I like it but this story wasn’t the one for me. 

Score:  2,5/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:

This book enter in the Romance and Me Challenge

Book read for the 2012 TBR reading

L’inconnu du château par Anne Gracie

Bonjour à tous,

           Même si le coeur n'y est pas trop après les horreurs que le monde peut nous offrir, je veux poursuivre ma découverte des romances de saison et y trouver j'espère un peu d'espoir car on l'oublie trop souvent mais il y a aussi des gens biens,et des bonnes actions malheureusement ces derniers marquent moins les esprits et en tout cas à une moindre échelle mais ce sont tous ces petits gestes, tous ces sourires et ses mains tendues qui font de ce monde un monde meilleur.

Nous voici arrivé à la troisième nouvelle de l'anthologie " Trois mariages au Château" avec L'inconnu du château par Anne Gracie. Cela sera peut-être aussi le dernier avis en français de ce mois car le reste des livres que je possède pour ce thème sont en anglais mais qui sait, les découvertes ça arrivent.

Bonne lecture et ne perdez pas espoir.

Editeur VF: Harlequin  2005
Titre original:The Virtuous Window( edited 2002)
Genre: holiday romance, christmas, régence anglaise
Violence: moyen
Langage: normal
sexe: moyen
Public: 18ans+
Obtenu par achat

Quatrième de couverture de l'éditeur Harlequin:

Depuis son veuvage, Ellie a perdu son insouciance. Son avenir, et plus encore celui de sa petite fille, lui semble bien sombre - jusqu'à ce soir de neige où elle trouve un inconnu évanoui sur le seuil de sa porte. Amnésique, l'homme a oublié jusqu'à son propre nom. Ellie le recueille, le soigne, et, en l'aidant à retrouver son identité, est entraînée dans une incroyable aventure...

Avis:

          Sans trop de surprise, une bonne petite histoire de Noël au temps de la régence anglaise. En soi, l’intrigue est très prévisible  sans réelle surprise mais Anne Gracie a réussit à l’écrire avec charme et on y prends donc du plaisir même si on devine immédiatement les grandes lignes.

Ellie est une jeune femme courageuse qui malgré les difficultés et la misère dans laquelle elle se retrouve à la mort de son mari cherche à rester forte et un modèle pour sa petite fille qui n’a pas encore 4ans. De bonne naissance, elle en a gardé les valeurs ainsi qu’un sens profond de l’honneur et est parvenue jusqu’à présent à maintenir la tête hors de l’eau malgré le comportement harassant de son propriétaire.

Lorsqu’un étranger à demi nu et blessé se présente à sa porte, elle ne peut le repousser et elle l’accueille malgré le fait qu’elle manque de tous et les rumeurs que cela pourrait susciter si cela s’apprenait.  Rapidement elle se trouve face à ce qu’elle n’aurait pu envisager : de l’attirance, cet inconnu qui ne sait plus son propre nom l’attire et ce dernier lui fait des avances plus que prononcées.  Toutefois, redoutant d’avoir le cœur brisé si il a une famille de son côté elle tente d’étouffer ses sentiments tant bien que mal.

Notre bel inconnu, superbement bâti, a tout d’un gentilhomme et en même temps son corps semble le contredire car il dénote d’une vie dure et dangereuse, amnésique il croit qu’Ellie est sa femme suite au fait que la petite Amy l’appelle sans cesse papa. Attiré par la jeune femme, il se montre un amant attentif avant de se faire repousser et d’apprendre que c’est un malentendu, son honneur le pousse a respecter le choix d’Ellie alors que dans le même temps il se décide à la conquérir si il n’a personne qui l’attend ailleurs.

Leur romance est assez bien faite, j’ai aimé le trouble d’Ellie qui jusque là n’avait pas connu l’amour mais un simple mariage de convenance et lui qui veut agir mais ne pense pouvoir le faire qu’une fois sa mémoire revenue. Par la suite le changement de pensée d’Ellie est un peu troublant car il ne survient qu’après quelques jours or vu qu’elle y était farouchement opposée au départ cela me semble un revirement trop soudain mais on passe dessus aisément. L’élément que j’ai le plus aimé c’est la petite Amy, qui croit tellement fort à la magie de Noël et au fait que sa bougie magique peut réaliser son vœu pour son anniversaire. Elle est touchante et adorable.

Bref bon moment sans prise de tête mais toutefois assez banal pour quiconque souhaiterait lire une petite romance courte se déroulant à la période de Noël

Score:  3/5

Disclaimer: Toutes les opinions exprimées ici sont les miennes, il s’agit de d’un avis honnête et personnel. Aucune compensation n’a été fournie en échange de ce dernier.

Challenges:

This book enter in the Romance and Me Challenge

Book read for the 2012 TBR reading

Two Ghosts for Sister Rachel (The Hollows 5.5) by Kim Harrison in the anthology «Holidays are Hell»

Hello to all,

           Christmas is approaching fast and  the exams even faster but i will pursue my discovery of stories for my holiday romance and holiday books challenge. Today, i 'm sharing with you a novella from a series i love "The Hollows" written by Kim Harrison; this novella is part of the anthology " holidays are Hell" but if you are a fan  of the series and want to read it in order then this is book 5.5 ( no worries if this is your first discovery of the series though^^)

i loved this story a lot and  it explain a bit why Rachel is hesitant with her vampire friend Ivy... her first experience with vampire was quite explosive after all and we get to understand her "first" love as well.

Happy reading!

Publisher: Harper

Publication: 2007

ISBN:  0061239097

Genre: urban fantasy, holiday romance, paranormal romance
Violence: mild
Language: normal
sex: none
Public: 18+

Source: bought

Short description from goodreads

 Kim Harrison introduces us to a younger Rachel Morgan- an undergraduate witch-in training-who naively resurrects a spirit and sparks a terrifying showdown with a deadly undead adversary.

My opinion:

          This short story could be read as a stand alone without problem but it’s a must have for the fan of the Hollows series, I will try to avoid spoilers but I will give you my opinion on this novella as part of the story too.

It’s funny to see the past of some characters; in the Hollows series, we have glimpses of Rachel‘s past but they are just allusions, small details here and there. Here we get to see how Rachel was before entering the IS (the agency she is leaving in book 1), we see how passionate she was already but also how frail she was and we can judge how she improved. She was already really stubborn and brilliant though.

It’s the story how she met Pierce, the same ghost who reappears later when she doesn’t expect him. Pierce was a witch went the paranormal creature were still undercover, he was a kind of investigator, policeman for the paranormal world. At that time, he was working on the case of a vampire who captured young children, he wanted to save a little girl but the vampire in question turned the situation to his advantage by revealing Pierce’s real nature to put the blame on him. The young man was killed and put in unrest state in the purgatory since he was buried in an unsanctified ground. While trying to make her father’s ghost appears, Rachel accidentally manages to get Pierce and in corporal form even.

At that time, on all the news a picture of a little girl is shown , she has been kidnapped, Pierce sees immediately the links between this case and the one on which he died, it’s the same vampire and his opportunity to redeem his soul. When the authorities doesn’t believe them, it’s up to him and Rachel to save the little girl by confronting the old Vampire…a test for Rachel too to see if it’s really what she wants to become.

I enjoyed to see that the story fitted perfectly what was said in the series, there is not a real link so it could be read as a stand alone but for a fan it’s a real bonus and it’s also a bit funny to see Rachel without Jenks and Ivy and how she could already put herself in danger so easily. Kim Harrison gave us a real treat with this short story written with a fantastic style as always.

To recommend to all fans of the Hollow series and to the others too and if you like this jump on the series it’s even better^^

Score:  4/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:

This book enter in the Romance and Me Challenge

Book read for the 2012 TBR reading

To join in, copy and paste these rules and the above banner into your Fanged Mania post and add your link to this week’s Fanged Mania post at Elisabeth Wheatley’s Blog. Fanged Mania is a Friday meme counting down to the release of Fanged Princess and displaying all things vampire and awesome. Fanged Mania posts can be a review of a vampire book, a quote from the latest Vampire Diaries episode, a showcase of a cool vampire book’s cover, or whatever you like so long as it is vampire related. Don’t forget, participants will be entered in the drawing to win a fanged-abulous prize pack!

Un parfait gentleman par Lyn Stone

Salut à tous,

                    avec un temps si froid, on aimerait vraiment rester au chaud et hiverner mais les cours étant ce qu'ils sont et la vie en général , ce n'est pas un luxe dont je dispose. Quoiqu'il en soit je continue sur mon temps libre ma découverte des lectures de saison avec aujourd'hui " Un parfait gentleman" par Lyn Stone

Bonne lecture

Editeur VF: Harlequin  2005
Titre original:christmas Charade ( edited 2002)
Genre: romance historique, holiday romance
Violence: légère
Langage: normal
sexe: moyen
Public: +18ans

Obtenu par achat

Quatrième de couverture de l'éditeur Harlequin:

En âge de se marier, Beth n'a pourtant aucune envie de convoler avec l'odieux baron que son père lui a choisi pour époux. C'est alors que Jack, l'un de ses amis secrètement épris d'elle, lui propose de sceller de fausses fiançailles afin de la débarasser de son encombrant prétendant. Beth accepte sa proposition et tout se passe à merveille- jusqu’à ce que les sentiments s’en mêlent…

Avis:

         Une histoire au temps de la régence anglaise qui me fait rire et sourire, un très bon moment lecture.

Lyn Stone nous offre ici une  petite histoire assez fraîche, cela ne m’a pas semblé très réaliste je l’avoue mais entraînée dans l’histoire je n’ai pas fait attention à la logique où aux vérités historiques.

Beth est tellement entêtée d’un côté j’admire sa détermination et ensuite j’ai envie de la gifler pour la secouer et lui ouvrir les yeux. Elle a bon cœur mais en même temps elle est aussi utopique, ses intentions sont louables mais elle en oublie la réalité.

Jack quant à lui n’a jamais envisager de devenir noble aussi lorsque cet héritage lui tombe dessus il est un peu troublé et veut avant tout trouver quelqu’un qui n’en voudra pas à son titre. Or dès qu’il aperçoit Beth, son amie d’enfance, il est attiré et déterminé : elle sera sa femme… sauf que celle-ci se déclare ouvertement contre le mariage, contre la noblesse et promise à un autre. Ne baissant pas les bras, il accepte de se faire passer pour son soupirant dans l’espoir de parvenir pendant ce temps à se faire aimer d’elle tout en gardant son secret.

Jouant la comédie afin de gagner du temps chacun pour leur propre raison, ils jouent également un rôle l’un peu l’autre ce qui amène des moments touchants et d’autres exaspérants. Les personnages secondaire tels que le frère de Jack, Colin, qui se fait passer pour l’héritier et la cousine Phemie, pour les intimes, vivent leur propre romance de leur côté mais soutiennent également Jack et Beth en tentant de leur ouvrir les yeux parfois et surtout en leur prêtant une oreille attentive voir parfois un peu plus car dans cette histoire au final tout le monde joue un rôle afin que Noël soit vraiment heureux et pour tous.

Une gentille petite romance, avec de l’humour et de la tendresse et donc une agréable petite lecture pour la saison, à recommander à ceux qui souhaite une lecture sans prise de tête pour se mettre un peu dans l’ambiance des fêtes et qui aime la régence anglaise.

Score:  3,5/5

Disclaimer: Toutes les opinions exprimées ici sont les miennes, il s’agit de d’un avis honnête et personnel. Aucune compensation n’a été fournie en échange de ce dernier.

Challenges:

This book enter in the Romance and Me Challenge

Book read for the 2012 TBR reading