It Must Have Been The Mistletoe by Kate Hoffmann

Christmas selection without much sparkle

3 Stars

This is Blaze’s annual collection of Christmas themed short stories. This lot focuses on the Cole sisters – a trio who grew up in a travelling singing family and who have all been unlucky in love.

When She Was Naughty – Kate Hoffmann

Alison Cole is up in the mountains to record old songs for her job when she meets Dr Drew Phillips and feels an instant connection. Luckily for her, a freak snow storms means she’ll have to stay in his cabin with only one way to keep warm.

This story was a little forgettable. Neither character had much chemistry and I didn’t believe that the couple would have a happily ever after. Disappointing.

Cole for Christmas – Rhona Nelson

When Layla Cole is invited to support a country star on tour, she’s determined but terrified. Luckily for her, tour security chief, Bryant Bishop, is on hand to give her the best kind of distraction.

This was a sweet story of two people who realise they’re perfect for each other but just need time to work it all out. I was disappointed with the ending though – I want happily ever after not just the promise of trying to work it out and not being sure if it’s forever.

A Babe in Toyland – Tawny Weber

Rita Mae Cole was always the wild child of the family. When her high school crush, Tyler Ramsey, comes back on the scene she decides it’s time to show him just how wild she can be.

This was an okay story and I liked the premise of getting together with your high school crush all those years later. I just felt that the story was a little flat although at least it had a proper happy ending!

Overall, this anthology wasn’t really the best I’ve ever read and although Christmas themed, didn’t really have any festive sparkle. It was readable and a quick read to pass the time but nothing overly special, unfortunately. 3 stars.

Sinfully Sweet

Romance and chocolate

4 Stars

Harlequin Blaze puts together a collection of three Valentine’s stories that all centre around decadent chocolate.

WICKEDLY DELICIOUS by Janelle Denison

Sensible Rebecca Moore decides to shake off her sensible image and let loose at her sister’s wedding. With the help of some chocolate from a local shop, Rebecca decides it’s time to give in to her desires for millionaire playboy, Connor Bassett.

This was a fine story although I’m really not a fan of older woman – younger man stories. However it was still sweet, romantic and a good read for an anthology.

CONSTANT CRAVING by Jacquie D’Alessandro

Daniel Montgomery likes order in his life. Unfortunately his neighbour, Carlie Pratt is the complete opposite and constantly manages to disrupt his life. Just before he moves out of town, Daniel decides it might be time to see whether opposites do attract.

This was a sweet, uncomplicated story about two likeable characters. There was enough heat to keep it interesting and the ending made me sigh in happiness!

SIMPLY SCRUMPTIOUS by Kate Hoffmann

Hotel manager, Darcy Scott is stunned when she literally bumps into baseball star Kel Martin at the local sweet shop. The pair had a steamy one-night stand five years before and soon they are picking up right where they left off all those years ago.

While easily readable and ultimately enjoyable, this story was light on the emotion and realism. Having said that, it was still a good read and rounded off the anthology nicely.

Overall this was an enjoyable and interesting anthology. If you’re looking for some fun, short stories that are full of love, romance and chocolate – I would definitely recommend this Blaze anthology to you.

Your Bed or Mine? by Kate Hoffmann

Sweet but unexciting romance

3 stars

Caley Lambert doesn't realise that coming home for her sister's wedding will be so eventful. And to make matters worse, on her first night she accidentally finds herself in the bed of the best man, and her teenage crush, Jake Burton.

All Caley's teenage fantasies involved Jake but now the pair are grown up, Caley's fantasies are so much hotter and this time they might just become reality.

I usually enjoy books in the Wrong Bed mini-series and while this one was readable, it really didn't have any special sparkle. Jake and Caley were both interesting and likeable characters but the emotions didn't run deeply enough for me and while we were told how they felt, it wasn't easy to believe in it.

As you would expect with a Blaze story, there were plenty of sex scenes but again, without the emotion, they felt a little flat and unexciting. The plot moved along nicely but nothing exciting ever really happened and in truth, it was a little predictable at times.

I would still give the book 3 stars as it's a readable and sweet romance but not one that I would read again.

Who Needs Mistletoe? by Kate Hoffmann

Tropical Festive Romance

3 Stars

All that pilot Sophie Madigan wants for Christmas is a man, so she’s delighted when her last minute fare on Christmas Eve turns out to be gorgeous and wealthy Trey Shelton. Before she can think about how much she’d enjoy unwrapping her gift, she’s forced to make a crash landing on a deserted tropical island.

Trey is equally delighted by his pilot and personal tour guide and despite it not being the way he usually spends Christmas Eve, he isn’t exactly heartbroken at being stranded alone with Sophie. Soon their inhibitions and clothes are left behind – but can what starts out as a holiday fling really turn into something more when the pair get back to civilisation?

This was a festive story with a twist as there was no snow, ice or any of the usual Christmas bits and pieces. I didn’t think it embodied much Christmas spirit but this had little to do with the tropical setting.

It took me a long time to warm up to the story and this was largely to do with the characters. Sophie was confident and had absolutely no hang-ups or inhibitions. While this is admirable, it didn’t make her a very real character in my eyes and I never felt that I could identify with her at all. Trey too wasn’t really very desirable to me and I felt he developed little from the ‘male equivalent of Paris Hilton’ that he was dubbed near the beginning of the book.

The story and emotions were believable despite the romance being set over such a short period of time (24 hours) and the writing flowed naturally. There was enough heat between the characters and a good number of sex scenes. The book was just let down by the fact that the two main characters weren’t hugely likeable. Good for a quick read or if you’re a fan of Kate Hoffmann, this book just isn’t a keeper for me. 3 stars.