Mills and Boon Annual 2008

Fun, romantic Christmas annual

4 stars

The 2008 Mills and Boon Christmas Annual is once again a delight for fans of romance and Mills and Boon.

The small (A5) annual is packed full of content. There are delicious Christmas recipes from punch and nibbles to main course accompaniments; several puzzles from sudoku to word searches; features on gardening, Christmas traditions and 100 years of Mills & Boon; horoscopes; craft ideas from gorgeous edible gifts to a knitted baby shawl and much more.

And of course there are the stories. You get Modern romance from Kate Walker, Annie West, Trish Morey and Jane Porter; straight Romance from Rebecca Winters, Shirley Jump and Claire Baxter; Historical romance from Elizabeth Rolls, and short stories from Debbie Macomber and Kate Mayhew - the winner of the Woman's Weekly short story competition. Some of the stories are only a page long while others are more in-depth but each is fun and well-written.

The only downside for me was that I would have liked to see some stories by Blaze authors - as this is my favourite Mills & Boon line. But I can't really let this detract from the book as if you are a fan of either the Modern or Romance lines then you will be in heaven with all the stories! Also, being a book out for Christmas with plenty of festive articles, I would also liked to have seen at least a couple of the stories being Christmas themed.

But having said that, the annual is fun, interesting and a perfect purchase if you enjoy Mills & Boon romance and Christmas. There's so much packed into the book that it will keep you engrossed all day and I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Mills and Boon Annual 2007

Festive fun and romance

5 stars

As far as I'm aware - this is the first time that Mills and Boon have ever done an annual and I hope they make it a yearly occurrence, as this really is a fun book for the Christmas period.

Being Mills and Boon - there are plenty of festive romance stories to get you in the Christmas spirit. There are contemporary stories from Carol Marinelli, Betty Neels and Barbara Hannay; a historical story by Deborah Hale and a red-hot read from Sharon Kendrick. Some are very quick reads and others are longer so there's something for everyone. Although not all Christmas stories - they are all still enjoyable, fun reads.

As well as the stories there are a few recipes, numerous puzzles and games, horoscopes, Christmas craft ideas and plenty of festive features and tips throughout.

And don't be put off if you're imagining an annual to be a large, cumbersome book - this is small and lightweight and although hardback, still compact enough to fit in your bag.

If you enjoy Mills and Boon romances of any sort and love Christmas then this is an ideal purchase for you. It will leave you with a lovely, fuzzy festive feeling. Recommended.