Book Review: Flirting With the Beast by Jane Porter

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

FLIRTING WITH THE BEAST (Modern Love Book #2) by Jane Porter is an emotional romance/women’s fiction addition to the Modern Love series. This is a story featuring a mature woman in her sixties moving forward after major life changes. This book is a part of a series, but each book stands on its own.

Andi McDermott has mourned for her husband and long-term marriage for five years and has decided it is time to move on and date again with the encouragement of her girlfriends. When her stepson disappoints her by not coming for her planned Christmas dinner to meet his fiancée, she refuses to mope and takes off for the family cabin at Lake Arrowhead and invites her best friend, Margo to join her. Everything is going well, until Andi once again must deal with her closest neighbor, who had been feuding with husband for years.

With the threat of a major snowstorm, Margo returns home, but Andi does not leave in time to safely get home and finds herself snowed in. When her power goes out, she turns to the neighbor who is not quite what she imagined.

Wolf Enders enjoys the solitude of living full time at Lake Arrowhead. The Marine vet, divorced father lives as he pleases and while Andi has always found him intimidating, when she comes to his cabin, she finds him kind and uncomfortably sexy. Wolf finds he is attracted to Andi and wants to take this good girl to bed, but he is not interested in a relationship. But life keeps throwing these two together and Andi just might be the one to tame the beast.

This is a wonderful read, not just a romance, but an all-around emotional journey not only for the H/h but their family members also. Andi has grown personally since her marriage ended and while she now stands up for herself and what she wants, she is still kind and loving. Wolf needs his space, is gruff on the outside and is one of those men that takes care of his family in the things he does for them and not necessarily verbally. The on again off again relationship is very believable as they both deal with family drama, grief, and fear. The sexual relationship was well written and steamy. This story is based around the romance between Andi and Wolf, but the realistic situations with grown children, friends, and life in general makes this story multilayered and memorable.

I highly recommend this mature romance/women’s fiction!

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About the Author

USA Today, and New York Times bestselling author of 65 romances and women’s fiction titles, Jane Porter has been a finalist for the prestigious RITA award six times, with her Tule Publishing novella, Take Me, Cowboy, winning the Novella Category July 2014. Today, Jane has over 15 million copies in print, including her wildly popular Flirting with Forty, a novel picked by Redbook Magazine as it’s Red Hot Summer Read in 2006 before being turned into a Lifetime movie in 2008 starring Heather Locklear.

Jane holds an MA in Writing from the University of San Francisco and makes her home in sunny San Clemente, CA with her surfer husband three sons, and two dogs. You can learn more about Jane at janeporter.com.

Social Media Links

Website: https://janeporter.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjaneporter

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorjanep

Feature Post and Book Review: Christmas, Actually by Anna Adams. Melinda Curtis and Anna J. Stewart

Grab your mug of hot chocolate, your favorite fuzzy blanket, and get ready for a dose of holiday spirit! Here are three connected, sweet holiday romances set in charming Christmas Town where local legend has it that a kiss beneath the gazebo on the town square during the holiday season means a wedding in the new year.

Book Description

Welcome to Christmas Town, Maine!

The Banning siblings are in need of a little magic this holiday season, the kind that brings love and happy-ever-afters. There’s Jack, a trauma surgeon who would prefer working to dealing with memories of his time in service. Then there’s Callie, a grade school teacher who’s trying to fill the void left by her mother and volunteering too much around town. And finally, there’s Nick, one of the town’s handymen. He’s got an unrequited crush on the owner of The Tea Pot and is going to great lengths to get a date with her this Christmas.

This set kicks off the Heartwarming Christmas Town series which has over 60 connected sweet romances, all written by Harlequin Heartwarming authors (past & present). Be sure to check out our companion series – The Christmas Carousel (The 12 Days of Heartwarming Christmas) – featuring one novella and 12 full-length holiday romances. These books, also set in Christmas Town, feature the restoration of a carousel and preparation for a Christmas wedding.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63891334-christmas-actually?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=XOhUqC3rSF&rank=2

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

CHRISTMAS, ACTUALLY (Christmas Town, Maine series) by Anna Adams, Melinda Curtis, and Anna J. Stewart is a trio of sweet holiday romance novellas featuring three siblings living in Christmas Town, Maine. This Christmas may be the one where they will finally meet the person they want to kiss beneath the mistletoe in the gazebo and fulfill the local legend.

The Banning siblings have all grown up in Christmas Town, but they all have led very different lives.

In the first novella, The Christmas Gift by Anna Adams, Dr. Jack Banning has come home to work as a trauma surgeon in the local hospital after years of service in Afghanistan. Since he has been home, he has buried himself in his work rather than deal with his memories. Sophie Palmer is on her way to Bangor to try to reconnect with her mother and work in a less stressful job than the ER since she is going to be a single mom. After she is hit by on oncoming car, her reflexes kick in and she saves the other driver’s life until Jack and the hospital’s Life Flight arrive. Jack is instantly attracted to Sophie and recognizes her PTSD symptoms. Will Sophie be able to share with Jack and take a chance on an instant attraction or will Jack’s own reticence to share keep them apart.

The second novella, The Christmas Wish by Anna J. Stewart, has Callie Banning trying to fill everyone’s expectations and requests for help over the Christmas season, since her mother is away. Callie is a second-grade teacher and has duties of her own, but she just cannot say “no”. When Callie calls in single father, Dean Galloway about his daughter Eliza’s problems with all things Christmas, she wants to help get to the reason rather than punish her. Dean is a free-lance photographer who is constantly on the move with Eliza in their RV home since his wife’s death three years ago. They have their work cut out for them because Eliza no longer believes in Christmas wishes.

In the third novella, The Christmas Date by Melinda Curtis, Nick Banning is a divorced father of one young son and the town handyman. He has never felt as accomplished as his siblings who all have college degrees, but he has a dream of getting his contractor’s license and restoring historic homes. He has had a crush on Gina Vernay, the owner of The Tea Pot since they were young. Gina had an accident that left a scar on her face and has eroded her confidence around people. When Nick discovers Gina has gone on a dating website, he replies, and they share things they haven’t in person. Nick is learning that people believe in him more than he does himself and he wants Gina to realize she is more than her scar that he just considers a part of her. Nick and Gina have the same dreams if they are willing to rely on each other and bravely face the future together.

I enjoyed this trio of novellas so much! I do not normally give novellas five stars, but these three stories have beautifully fully drawn characters and realistic scenarios all leading to heartfelt HEAs. They are the perfect sweet quick reads to get you in the mood for holiday romance.

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About the Author

Anna Adams was in the US Navy, also working on a business degree full-time, when her first child was born. That little guy changed her life–created priorities. She wanted her children to grow up, believing they could do the most unlikely things.

Like writing–which she’d done since she was old enough to force someone to listen to stories and then old enough to pick up a pencil and a piece of paper.

She switched to an English degree–and ignored her husband when he asked if she planned to “open an English store,” and eventually found jobs doing any kind of writing. And she learned to write books.

Twenty-something books later, she’s a USA Today Bestseller, and she’s still believes in unlikely things. Like true love that everyone can believe in.

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About the Author

Prior to writing romance, award-winning, USA Today Bestseller Melinda Curtis was a junior manager for a Fortune 500 company, which meant when she flew on the private jet she was relegated to the jump seat—otherwise known as the potty. After grabbing her pen (and a parachute) she made the jump to full-time writer. Between writing sweet romance and sweet romantic comedy, Melinda finds time to bond with her husband over home remodeling projects. She recently came to grips with the fact that she’s an empty nester and a grandma, concepts easier to grasp than jet-setting on a potty.

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About the Author

A geek at heart, USA Today and national bestselling author Anna J Stewart writes “refreshingly unique, quietly humorous, and profoundly moving romance.” (RT Book Reviews) Her books include The Butterfly Harbor series for Harlequin Heartwarming, along with the Blackwell continuity series. She also writes the Honor Bound series for Harlequin Romantic Suspense and has written in the ongoing Colton family saga. As her first love is paranormal romance, she’s published a number of novellas, including the Tome Wardens trilogy collection. EXPOSED, her first book of The Circle of the Red Lily romantic suspense series with CAEZIK Romance will be released in November of 2022. Readers can get a taste for what’s to come with her Nemesis Files Trilogy (light romantic suspense), available on audio through Scribd.

Anna lives in Northern California where she deals with a serious Supernatural & Jason Momoa addiction, surrounds herself with friends and family and tolerates two devious cats named Sherlock and Rosie.

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Wyoming Christmas Reunion and A Cowboy Thanksgiving by Melinda Curtis

Book Descriptions and Elise’s Thoughts

Wyoming Christmas Reunion and A Cowboy Thanksgiving by Melinda Curtis are the last in two different series, the Blackwells and the Monroes. What makes a Melinda Curtis book special is the different emotions the readers take along with the characters, making the story very realistic.

Wyoming Christmas Reunion is book five of a compilation of stories by five different authors, Anna J. Stewart, Amy Vastine, Carol Ross, Cari Lynn Webb, and Melinda Curtis. Everything comes to a head in this book along with the mystery settled. The Blackwells of Eagle Springs must thwart those who want to turn the ranch and town into a developed area with a lake.

This story has Helen and Nash Blackwell divorced because of his alcohol problems. She realizes that she has never stopped loving Nash. He is dealing with trying to help his family save the ranch and legacy that his grandmother built by training cutting horses to sell for top dollar. He is also fighting his feelings for Helen who he believes deserves better than him. 

After Nash makes a wild bet that Helen can win the cutting competition, they are forced to spend a lot of time together considering Helen hasn’t ridden since a childhood incident caused her injuries. She reluctantly agrees to train if Nash is willing to work on the issues that caused the breakup of their marriage. Communication is their biggest obstacle because Helen wants to discuss her feelings about their past and Nash would rather keep his feelings to himself. A welcome character is their son Luke who brought humor and sweetness to the story.

A Cowboy Thanksgiving is book twelve in the “Mountain Monroe Family series.” This story has both the hero and heroine needing to overcome childhood issues and finding a family.  Maxine was orphaned at a young age and passed around to family members, never feeling like she was wanted. Her insecurities are enforced after her marriage implodes where she once again feels abandoned. She accepts an invitation for her and her four-year-old daughter Luna to come for Thanksgiving in Second Chance Idaho.  There she meets Bo Monroe.

He always feels no one is taking him seriously because of his good looks.  To make matters worse one of his cousins is reviving the Monroe Holiday Challenge, a weeklong event of fun and games, something Bo has never won.  One of the teams will be Bo, Max, and Luna.  To her surprise, Max finds herself warmly embraced by the huge Monroe family who has gathered to celebrate Thanksgiving and compete in the Monroe Holiday Challenge.  While competing Max and Bo get to know each other and realize there is a strong attraction. 

Both these books are about family helping family.  The theme is overcoming obstacles and working together to achieve a goal.  What makes the stories even more enjoyable is the banter between characters.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: You wrote the finale in this Blackwell series titled Wyoming Christmas Reunion?

Melinda Curtis:  In talking about the Blackwell series, I decided to write a story based on the Kevin Costner series Yellowstone and his character but turning it into a sweet romance. I thought what a normal person would do if they were in an accident and had to kill their favorite horse because it was so injured. This would probably ruin their life.  I took Kevin Costner’s character in a different direction. I had to tie all the threads together.

EC:  How would you describe Helen?

MC:  Boisterous, diplomatic, timid at times, blunt, and can be calming. She was brash and confident but found it safer to retreat from hardship so at times she was timid.  The old Helen was pushier and more assertive, while the new Helen was withdrawn after the divorce. Then she came to realize if she wanted to have that life again, reuniting with her ex-husband Nash, she had to bring back some of the old Helen.

EC:  How would you describe Nash?

MC:  He carries a lot of weight on his shoulders from his past.  He needed to find a way to forgive himself and move forward for all his past mistakes. He is proud, caring, troubled, impulsive, protective, and stubborn. I have this book quote about Nash, “All the Blackwells rolled into one. Stubborn like Denny (grandma).  Kind like Adele (sister).  Driven like Levi (brother).  Clever like Wyatt (youngest brother).  And bossy like Corliss (older sister).”

EC:  How about the relationship?

MC:  She ended her engagement to Phil because he treated her like an accessory and wanted to shove it in Nash’s face, “I have your woman.” He never loved her but used her to flaunt his power to the Blackwells. Just as she had to face her fear of riding a horse, she had to face her fears with Nash. They are funny, both are driven with a lot of pride. Nash’s accident affected both.  He feels he is damaged goods, not good enough for her with regret, guilt, and helplessness.  She feels frustrated, shut out, and alone because of the accident.

EC:  What is the role of Christmas?

MC:  It is a great time of year to embrace family and have forgiveness with peace.

EC:  What about the other book, A Cowboy Thanksgiving?

MC:  I wanted a light and breezy story with some emotional undertones, an easy, fun read. Since this is the last book in the series, I wanted to highlight many of the past characters, including my favorites like Shane and Franny.

EC:  How would you describe Bo?

MC:  Just like my husband, very competitive. He is the good-looking one whom people thought that is all to him.  He has a chip on his shoulder because of his pride. He can be protective, a charmer, presumptuous, and a planner.

EC:  How about Maxine (Max)

MC:  She always felt she is the one no one ever wanted since she was abandoned by so many family members and her husband divorced her. Max felt she never belonged. She is very guarded, very bright, shy, and wants to be a part of things, but from a distance. She is also tough, vulnerable, determined, and a spitfire. 

EC:  What about the relationship?

MC:  She thinks he is too pretty for her and does not care what he thinks about her.  This attracts his attention because he is feeling there is more to me than just my good looks. They sparred a lot.  Max wants to be friends and sets boundaries to protect herself. Max saw Bo’s large family as a way to experience unconditional love, emotional security, and a sense of belonging.

EC:  Why the Holiday Challenge?

MC:  Because ranch was a theme.  I put in scarecrow stuffing, the roping, the sleigh decoration, gingerbread house making, and being in winter, skiing. 

EC:  What about the role of children and dogs?

MC:  I love them.  They make me laugh. Hopefully, the readers saw them as comic relief.  I enjoy putting them in my stories just as dogs and children are in real life. They have so much personality and can be inconsistent.  They show loyalty.

EC:  What about your next book?

MC:  A Cowboy Worth Waiting For comes out in February.  It is about a woman who is starting a matchmaking business for ranchers and rodeo riders. Her first client is a rodeo star and her best friend’s widower. This will be the first in my “Rodeo Academy Series” with six books. All the heroes have been fostered.

In April, It Happened One Night comes out where a man and a woman spend the night together years ago.  Now they bump into each other years later.

THANK YOU!!

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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Book Review: High Impact by Freya Barker

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

HIGH IMPACT (High Mountain Trackers Book #4) by Freya Barker is another exciting romantic suspense in the High Mountain Tracker series. This is Lucy and Bo’s story that faithful readers of the series have been waiting for. This book can be read as a standalone, but the characters are all evolving in their relationships throughout the series.

Bo Rivera has been a member of the High Mountain Trackers since his discharge from the service. Unlike the other members of the team, Bo lives in town so that he can keep an eye on his elderly and feisty mother. Bo is a flirt with all the ladies, but he is really interested in Lucy, the prickly assistant to his boss’s wife at the animal rescue down the road. But he feels she is too young, so he keeps his distance. When he discovers her age and realizes she just looks young, he is ready to change their status.

Lucy Lenoir finds more comfort and trust with animals than humans. She has never let anyone know about her true background even her best friend and boss. She is independent and sometimes wishes for the type of relationships she sees happening around her, but she is also afraid to jeopardize anyone else’s safety. After Lucy rescued some abused goats, strange incidents have been happening at the rescue and she begins to feel she is being watched and set up for the murder of the goats’ abusive owner. Bo believes in her innocence and is determined to protect her even as she fights his attention.

Lucy slowly begins to allow Bo into her life and when she tells him about her past, he feels even more protective. But Lucy’s past is closer than anyone knows, and it may destroy her future.

I have been looking forward to this pair coming together after the brief glimpses of their attraction in previous books. Even though I knew Lucy’s past was bad, it was much worse than I expected and broke my heart. Bo had secrets of his own which could have broken up this pair even before they started, but Lucy understood about not being believed. Lucy and Bo’s romance proceeded at a believable pace with honest discussion of triggers during sex scenes. It is great to catch up with the crossover characters from the previous books, also. The suspense plot continues to ramp up the tension at an ever-increasing rate until the climactic confrontation and rescue. This story has everything I was hoping for and more.

I highly recommend this romantic suspense and the entire High Mountain Trackers series!

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Author Bio

USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories. 

Driven to make her books about ‘real’ people; she creates characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills in their lives.

Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We’ve Read All Year Award for “Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, and Finalist for the 2020 Kindle Book Award with “When Hope Ends”, Freya continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

Social Media Links

Facebook: http://bit.ly/FreyaFacebookTwitter: http://bit.ly/FreyaTwitter
Instagram: http://bit.ly/FreyaInstagram
Web: http://bit.ly/FreyaWeb
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/FreyaGoodreads
Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/Freya_Newsletter Bookbub: http://bit.ly/FreyaBookBub

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Christmas Wedding Crashers by Amy Vastine

Book Description

’Tis the season…
To prevent a wedding!

Holly Hayward is shocked when she learns that her great-uncle is planning to marry Jonah Drake’s grandmother. Have they forgotten about the bitter generations-old Hayward-Drake feud? Now Holly is determined to thwart the disastrous Christmas wedding—even if it means teaming up with her nemesis, handsome and way-too-perfect Jonah. But crashing one forbidden romance might just be the beginning of a completely new one…

From Harlequin Heartwarming: Wholesome stories of love, compassion and belonging.

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Christmas Wedding Crashers by Amy Vastine is a great holiday read.  People should refererence to the McCoy-Hatfield feud that involved two rural families.

In this story two elderly people, Randall Hayward and Clarissa Drake announce their intention to get married.  The problem is that the Haywards and Drakes have a major family feud.  The Drakes come off as superior, the haves, while the Haywards are the have nots who have struggled to succeed. When the families hear about the Christmas wedding, they decide to do all in their power to break up the couple.

Great niece Holly Hayward is enlisted along with grandson Jonah Drake to have the wedding canceled. They first try to show the elders how incompatible they are with each other.  After all, Randall likes rodeo stuff, being rough and tumble, while Clarissa likes to volunteer at all the Christmas trimmings. But, instead of seeing each other as mismatched they realize each is willing to do a give and take.

Instead of succeeding at their plan, Holly and Jonah realize that they also have a lot in common and their assumptions from the high school years are unfounded.  Holly begins to see that Jonah is caring, kind, and funny, while Jonah sees that Holly is spirited, intelligent, and daring.

Although there are some scenes that are heartbreaking, most of the story will put a smile on readers’ faces.  The banter is fabulous, allowing people to take the journey with the characters.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Did the McCoys and Hatfields influence the story?

Amy Vastine: Right.  I like the idea of family rivals.  This is the second to last book in the “Stop the Wedding series.”This one had an older generation getting married, somebody’s grandma with the family not happy about it. The rival family had an elder who was an uncle.

EC:  The rivalry?

AV:  The Haywards are considered vandals and thieves, while the Drakes were arrogant, liars, and rescinded a land plot. The Drakes are the wealthy rancher family, and the Haywards are the workers. It stemmed from the Drake great-great-grandfather who promised land for work to the Haywards.  After he died the family did not follow through to give the land, making the Haywards feeling cheated. This created hard feelings throughout generations. Oliver Drake is the epitome of the arrogance who had a cushy upbringing.

EC: How would you describe the grandson, Jonah Drake?

AV:  Scholarly, book smart, but not totally relationship smart. He is not aware of how he came across.  He is very black and white.  If someone said something incorrect, he would correct them.  He did not think about how that person called out would feel. He is a rule follower, compassionate, protective, honest, and patient.

EC:  How would you describe Holly?

AV: She is street smart, sassy, and sarcastic. She is loyal to her family to a fault. She is funny, interesting, a hard worker, creative, and savvy.  Holly is also direct, competitive, tough, and confident.

EC: What about the relationship?

AV:  In high school, Holly felt Jonah intentionally made her feel stupid. She assumed it was because Jonah always felt superior. The family feud gets in the way. Initially, they think they are so different, but when they spend time together their assumptions go out the door.  Both think oil and water will never mix but end up as a delicious salad dressing. They realize they have more in common than they thought.  As they work together, they drop their guard. The older couple noticed that there was a connection between Holly and Jonah, before the younger couple did.

EC:  What about the older couple Clarissa and Randall?

AV:  They met at the little local diner. Both lived long lives and found someone who made them happy.  They realize it is causing some drama, but they do not let it get in the way of something good.  Clarissa is very kind, gentle, and accepting.  Randall makes her feel like a Queen. He is a charmer. They enjoyed the fact that they were not the only crossovers who could see that there does not have to be this forever long family feud.

EC:  What about Holly’s sister Maisey?

AV:  She did not even know what the family drama was, living her own life.  She did not realize who is mad at who and why.  She is not burdened by other people’s old hang-ups.  She was left out of the nonsense.  Maisey does not live in the past and only cares about what is happening in her world.

EC:  Why those events?

AV:  I spent one whole day brainstorming as many Christmas activities as I could, writing my own Hallmark Christmas movie. There had to be a Christmas Tree Lighting, a gingerbread contest, an ice-skating rink, and the Frontier Freeze based on the Polar Bear Plunge in Chicago. I thought of events that strongly represented Randall and other events that strongly represented Clarissa.

EC: Next book?

AV:  It is the last one in my “Stop the Wedding series,” titled Texas Runaway Bride coming out in August.  The heroine is a people pleaser. After canceling her wedding day, she decides to visit this little town in Texas that her grandmother talked about. She runs into a widowed Sherriff with a four-year-old boy.  She is offered the job of live-in nanny.

THANK YOU!!

***

BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: A Wingman for Christmas: A Sweet Water Novella by Barbara Barth

Hi, everyone!

Today is my turn to share my Feature Post and Book Review for A WINGMAN FOR CHRISTMAS: A Sweet Water Novella by Barbara Barth on this WOW (Women on Writing) Blog Tour.

Below you will find a book summary, my book review, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Summary

The annual Sweet Water, Georgia, Christmas parade is nearing but relationships are fractured on Wild Rose Lane. Antique dealer Cheryl Calloway’s holiday spirit has tanked. It’s been a horrible year with her divorce, her ex marrying younger and perkier Miriam across the street, and Mama moving into Cheryl’s Victorian cottage with her Amazon parrot right before Thanksgiving. A party girl in her eighties, Mama smokes up a storm, likes her nightly vodka, has a hankering for men, and now a wingman named Nigel. If that isn’t enough, the Historical Society wants Cheryl to clean up all the projects on her porch waiting to go to Spivey’s Antique Mall for their Christmas Open House. Her desire to work her booth is as dead as her marriage. Miriam, President of the Historical Society, chastises her, “If it ain’t pretty don’t put it on the porch.” Then there’s Alice, her strange neighbor with the six-foot fluorescent light bulb cross nailed to the huge Magnolia tree in the middle of her rose garden. Alice watches all the neighbors too closely. Just when Cheryl thinks things can’t get worse, an incident shakes her to the core, and a mystery follows revealing family secrets long forgotten. Cheryl wants to believe in miracles and love again, and Dr. James may just be the man of her dreams as he helps her and Mama sort things out.

Filled with quirky characters, mystery, family secrets, and sweet love, all set in a hot Georgia small town.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63001459-a-wingman-for-christmas?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=IpIBVuOuwo&rank=1

A WINGMAN FOR CHRISTMAS: A Sweet Water Novella

By Barbara Barth

Publisher: Gilbert Street Press

ISBN-10: 0983171599

ISBN-13: 978-0983171599

ASIN: ‎B0BJ9CWHGT

Print length: 198 pages

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

A WINGMAN FOR CHRISTMAS: A Sweet Water Novella by Barbara Barth is a perfect holiday quick read novella from a new to me author. I almost never give a novella five stars, but this story is a heartfelt, charming, quirky, and funny mash-up of small-town holiday fiction/Southern women’s fiction/cozy mystery and romance with memorable characters all packed beautifully into a small package.

Cheryl has had a very rough year and is in no mood for Christmas. She caught her husband having phone sex with the younger woman across the street, divorced him and he immediately married the neighbor, and she must see them every day. Her elderly mother is having problems, so Mama moves in with Cheryl rather than her brothers of sister because Mama has become the proud owner of an Amazon parrot named Nigel and they do not want that bird in their homes.

When Mama’s boyfriend, Franklin passes out in Cheryl’s family room, the ambulance is called. When Cheryl and Mama rush to the Emergency Room, Cheryl is introduced to the handsome Dr. James. The holiday may be looking up for Cheryl, but then her home is broken into and Nigel is stolen.

With help from unlikely sources, a suspicious neighbor next door, and a handsome doctor, Cheryl just might find the holiday spirit and Nigel.

This is such a fun holiday novella, and I did not put it down until the end. The characters are believable and lovable. Cheryl is full of love even as she is exasperated with Mama and depressed about her failed marriage, but she learns forgiveness leads to unexpected friendships and romance. The small-town setting is perfect for all these quirky characters and the short, but sweet cozy mystery plot thread of Nigel’s theft.

This is a must read holiday mash-up novella that I highly recommend!

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About the Author

Barbara Barth turned to writing and adopting dogs to heal after her husband died fourteen years ago. Known as ‘Writer With Dogs’, Barth currently lives with four Chihuahuas in a charming town forty miles outside of Atlanta. She is Literary Arts Chair at a small art center where she promotes writing activities, author events, book launches, and hosts an online group Walton Writers. Inspired by the wonderful artists around her, Barth started painting and has won several awards with her whimsical art.

Social Media Links

Website: https://bb-bjd.wixsite.com/barbarabarthwriter/home

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barbara.barth.37

Twitter: https://twitter.com/writerwithdogs

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Purchase a copy of A Wingman for Christmas on Amazon.com.