Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas

Wonderful start to a new series

5 stars

Amelia Hathaway is determined to keep her colourful younger sisters and wastrel elder brother in line – especially since they have recently come into an unexpected title and inheritance. Things are going somewhat to plan until a chance encounter with half-gypsy Cam Rohan in London.

When the pair meet again in Hampshire, neither can deny the sparks that fly but getting involved would be disastrous for both of them. But sometimes fate has other things in mind and as Amelia battles with a multitude of problems – it’s her feelings for Cam that seem to be the biggest problem of all.

This is the start of a new series of regency set romances presumably focussing on the Hathaway family. As well as that, this book nicely ties into the Wallflower series of books with a story for Cam Rohan – the manager from Jenner’s gaming club which appeared in many of those books.

This story was typical Lisa Kleypas with deep, meaningful emotions, hot sex scenes and love that conquers all. Cam was wonderful as the hero – strong and arrogant yet also mysterious and tender. And Amelia was a perfect heroine for him – determined to make sure her family were cared for and just as determined not to lean on anyone. The chemistry leapt off the page between the pair. The secondary characters were also well described and I am looking forward to reading their books in the future. And it was lovely to see Lillian and Marcus (from It Happened One Autumn) making an appearance.

As this was part of a series – there were plenty of things that were left hanging such as Cam’s mysterious tattoo, the relationship between sister Win and the servant Merripen etc. But I really can’t complain as they weren’t integral to this particular book’s plot and it just makes me excited for the next book in the series.

If you’re a fan of Lisa Kleypas or if you like your romances well-written with plenty of heat and emotion then I’m sure you will enjoy this book. An excellent read and definitely worth 5 stars.

Baby, It's Cold Outside by Cathy Yardley

Slow paced and sexy Blaze romance

4 Stars

Jet-setting Colin Reese escaped from small town Tall Pines as soon as he was able - but not without setting a few tongues wagging before he left. But now, years later, rumour has it that he is home for the holidays. And he is desperate for something only sweet, wholesome Emily Stanfield - the town's golden girl - can provide: a room at her inn.

But Emily is bored with her wholesome reputation and is determined that, as a present to herself for Christmas, she will indulge in a sexy, delicious holiday fling. Colin is the perfect candidate - but what will happen when their night of passion is over and everyone in the small town is gossiping about the bad-boy and the town sweetheart? But Colin and Emily soon decide that they aren't quite finished scandalising the town.

I do enjoy a story when a good girl and a bad boy find they are perfect for each other - and this story didn't disappoint.

Emily is, despite being from a small-town, not as wholesome as everyone believes which worked well as she didn't then turn into a stereotype. Colin too was a bad boy alpha male but was very real and someone you would definitely want for yourself! Together the pair were perfect for each other and really scorched the pages with the delicious sex scenes of which there were many.

I liked the small town setting and the many secondary characters although I did feel, like Colin, that Emily was far too nice to those meddling town folk at the end of the book!

And of course this is billed as a Christmas story. While a lot of the story takes place after Christmas, the beginning and end of the story, and the sweet romance is perfect for a festive read.

What made this slightly more unusual compared to other Blaze novels I have read was that the story was a lot more drawn out and slower paced and at times the romance took a little bit of a back seat to the other things that were going on. This isn't necessarily a complaint but it did surprise me slightly in a Blaze romance.

Overall, this was a fun, slightly slower paced romantic story with plenty of heat. I doubt you will be disappointed if you pick up this for a quick, festive read. 4 stars.

A Blazing Little Christmas: A Sizzling Christmas Anthology

Fun & Romantic Christmas Anthology

5 Stars

This anthology of Blaze stories all centre around Christmas at the Timberline Lodge in Lake Placid, New York. Owned by the sweet Mr & Mrs Krause – they are determined that their lodge will be the place for magic and love over the holidays.

Holiday Inn Bed – Jacquie D’Alessandro

Eric and Jessica are determined to spice up their Christmas engagement – especially since they haven’t been together in over a month. But their romantic getaway in a snowy, hide-away lodge is interrupted by their quarrelling relatives – and they have all just been snowed in together.

This was a sweet wintry story and I thought it was an interesting twist to have the main couple together from the outset of the story. It worked well and it didn’t make the story any less dramatic. Sexy, fun and snowy – a truly enjoyable short story.

His For The Holidays – Joanne Rock

Five years ago Heather Dillinger was left at dawn by her delicious army-guy one-night stand without so much as a goodbye. When she receives a letter out of the blue inviting her for a weekend at a lodge in Lake Placid with the same army-man – she sees it as a perfect way for some sensual revenge. But Jared Murphy is determined that this time neither of them will be saying goodbye at all.

I’ll admit that I was worried about this story as I haven’t enjoyed the longer novels by this author. However I am pleased to say that my opinion has changed as this was a wonderful story of forgiveness and second chances with a delicious dose of sex thrown in for good measure. Very enjoyable.

Dear Santa… – Kathleen O’Reilly

When a secret Santa invites Rebecca Neumann for a holiday getaway she needs no encouragement and heads up to the lodge. However, the man Santa had in mind isn’t the man that Rebecca bumps in to – sexy blast from her past, Cory Bell.

This story had to be the strongest of all three and definitely was the most Christmassy. It was however, very different from the other stories as it was highly emotional, very deep and at times quite heart wrenching. It was also sexy, sweet and absolutely adorable. A tortured hero and a heroine with scars find what they have been looking for in each other.

If you’re looking for some quick reads to fit in around all the Christmas madness then this is the perfect book for you. Snowball fights, roaring fires, romance, sex and love – what more could you want for Christmas? Definitely 5 stars.