I wish all who celebrate a very Merry Christmas!
Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanza!
Wishing you all a new year filled with love, laughter,
and lots of good books!
As always, thanks for reading and stay safe.
Happy Holidays!
December 24, 2025Wishing you all a new year filled with love, laughter,
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Spotlight Review: LOVE IN PLANE SIGHT by Lauren Connolly
December 23, 2025
From the publisher:
With her brother’s grumpy best friend—and her longtime nemesis—as Beth’s flight instructor, her pilot lessons could be a plane disaster or their first-class ticket to forever.
Mayday. Mayday. Engine failure.
When flying with George Bunsen, the last thing Beth Lundberg wants is to be horny in the cockpit. But when her first ride-along dives toward disaster, the perpetually stoic George is forced to execute a skillful emergency landing, and Beth is horrified to find herself with an adrenaline-fueled crush on the pilot. She’s even more shocked when her brother’s best friend offers her discounted flight lessons—possibly out of guilt for almost killing them.
And despite George’s annoying habit of departing any room the moment Beth enters, she really wants to accept. No matter that it’s an egregiously expensive hobby, or that her waitressing wages go right toward her mother’s medical bills, or that she’s already in debt up to her eyebrows. Flying is Beth’s dream, and she could use her private license to earn real money.
The more time they spend navigating the sky, the more the turbulence between George and Beth dissipates. But Beth has seen the burning wreckage that comes from mixing business with pleasure—plus, she’s been keeping a secret that, once revealed, will send all her relationships into a tailspin. Can she really take a risk on romance when her pilot career isn’t even off the ground?“Connolly doesn’t shy away from the real-life concerns that affect her characters, including physical and mental illness and estranged family. This slow-burn romance delivers, and the chemistry between two supporting characters will have readers wanting a sequel.”—Library Journal
“[An] enjoyable high-flying romance.”—Booklist
Beth Lundberg has always dreamed of becoming a pilot, but at twenty-four, that dream feels impossibly out of reach. She’s broke after covering her mother’s mounting medical bills, stuck in a dead-end waitressing job, and has put her ambitions firmly on hold. Everything shifts when George Bunsen—her brother’s best friend and a man who has always seemed cold and dismissive—offers to take her up in a small plane. When the engine fails mid‑flight, Beth panics, while George remains calm, skillfully landing the plane on a highway and saving them both. The experience leaves Beth shaken—and suddenly very aware of her attraction to him, an attraction she has no idea how to manage.
Determined to rein in her crush, Beth tries to keep her distance, but is thrown off when George begins showing up at the diner where she works—sometimes with her brother Shawn, sometimes on his own. The restaurant staff, grateful to the man who saved their favorite waitress, even named a sandwich after him, dubbing it “The Hot Pilot.”
When George discovers Beth’s secret wish to fly, he offers her free lessons. Beth suspects it’s just charity, a favor to Shawn’s little sister. Still, despite her pride and the heavy burdens she carries—medical debt, a house in disrepair, and an estranged, wealthy father who refuses to acknowledge her—she can’t resist the chance to chase her dream.
As she spends more time with George, Beth discovers he’s nothing like the distant, unreadable man she imagined. He’s gentle, thoughtful, and—most shocking of all—completely smitten with her. Yet falling in love feels dangerous when her life already teeters on the edge of collapse.
The emotional stakes here are high. Beth’s devotion to her mother, her financial struggles, and her complicated family dynamics make her a deeply sympathetic character. George, for all his grumpy edges, radiates golden‑retriever warmth. Watching them stumble toward each other is pure joy.
From the very first page, I was hooked. The story made me laugh out loud more than once, and I rooted for these messy, lovable characters to find their happy ending. I adore slow‑burn romances that balance humor with heart and heat, and this one delivers in spades. I’m looking forward to whatever Connolly writes next.
12/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
LOVE IN PLANE SIGHT by Lauren Connolly. Berkley (December 16, 2025). ISBN: 978-0593815687. 400p.
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Audiobook Sunday: CHECKING IT TWICE by Kendell Ryan
December 21, 2025Narration by Grayson Owens & Rose Dioro
Must Love Hockey, Book 3
From the publisher:
Fake dating a hockey player for Christmas wasn’t on my bingo card.
Clare Johnson’s job is handling PR for the Dallas Stampede—not getting tangled up with one of the players. But when Mitchell Drake—charming forward, fan favorite, and very off-limits—asks her to pose as his girlfriend for one week in small-town Minnesota, she reluctantly agrees. What’s the worst that could happen?
Mitchell’s had six months to get over his very public broken engagement, and his family is done waiting. The last thing he needs is pitying smiles and whispered gossip. Clare is smart, sharp, and strong enough to hold her own with both fans and family—the perfect fake girlfriend.
But holiday lights and snowy nights have a way of blurring the line between pretend and real. Clare fits too easily into his world—bonding with his grandma, winning at pond hockey, and looking unfairly good in his flannel. The more time they spend together, the less fake it feels.
Full of small-town holiday magic, meddling relatives, and sizzling chemistry, Checking It Twice is a hockey romance about second chances and falling in love when you least expect it. Perfect for fans of fake dating, one-bed tension, forced proximity, and happily-ever-afters wrapped in Christmas lights.
Because sometimes the best gifts aren’t under the tree—they’re standing right in front of you.
Clare loves her job in PR for the Dallas hockey team, but she has one firm rule: never get involved with the players. After being burned at her last job, she’s determined to keep her distance. That resolve wavers, however, when Mitch enters the picture. Despite his profession, she thinks highly of him, so when he asks her to pose as his fake girlfriend and go home with him for the holidays, she actually considers it. His family has been relentless since his ex left him for his best friend, and even six months later, he’s still not fully over it.
Clare reluctantly agrees, and the holiday adventure begins. The two are forced to share Mitch’s childhood bedroom—complete with the tiny bed he grew up in—and his family’s meddling only adds to the chaos. Clare rolls with it, reminding herself it’s all pretend and will be over soon. Of course, the more time they spend together, the less fake it feels.
As real feelings start to surface, Clare does her best to keep them in check, while Mitch is more than ready to lean into whatever’s happening between them. He understands her hesitation and past hurt, and his patience and kindness only make him more irresistible. Eventually, they surrender to the simmering attraction, and sparks fly.
This is a charming holiday romance filled with warmth, humor, and plenty of heat. Ryan proves once again that she’s a dependable storyteller who delivers every time. My only real complaint was the female narrator, whose constant whispery delivery made her sections frustrating to listen to. Mitch’s narrator, thankfully, did a great job. I found myself constantly adjusting the volume—turning it up for her parts and down for his—and while driving with Apple Maps, the sudden blare of navigation directions was genuinely jarring. It wasn’t the most enjoyable listening experience, even though I liked the story itself. I may need to start keeping track of narrators I don’t enjoy and steer clear of their audiobooks in the future.
12/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
CHECKING IT TWICE by Kendell Ryan. Narrators: Grayson Owens & Rose Dioro. Dreamscape Media. November 25, 2025. Listening Length: 7 hours and 56 minutes.
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CLAIMING THE PRINCESS by Charis Michaels
December 19, 2025
Hidden Royals, Book 3
From the publisher:
A Hidden Royals Historical Rom-Com of Love, Arranged Marriage, Royalty, and Spice
USA Today bestselling author Charis Michaels concludes her delicious Hidden Royals series in this enchanting romance between a young woman, unaware of her royal birth, and the rugged sea captain who comes to claim her as his future wife.
Princess Danielle Allard d’Orleans grew up believing that she was a simple village girl raised in Kent by surrogate parents. That simple life vanishes when she discovers she’s actually a princess in hiding— especially as the first order of royal business is to marry a war hero she’s never met.
Captain Luke Bannock wasn’t trying to become a hero—and even less so, a husband. But he shows selfless courage in a fierce Naval battle and the Crown offers him a reward for valor. His chosen prize? The hand in marriage of an obscure princess, living in exile. The reason? Revenge against his sworn enemy.
What begins as an arranged marriage between a village girl and a cynical captain evolves into dance of passion and self-discovery. As Luke helps Dani reckon with her secret royal blood, his thirst for revenge is replaced by desire for his new wife. The shock and hurt burn away, and an all-consuming love sails this fated couple into their happily ever after.
Luke, a career naval officer, ends his latest battle by saving the royal prince’s cousin. As a reward, the crown offers him anything he desires—and without hesitation, Luke asks to marry Dani, a French princess who has been living in exile in England. Though he has never met or even seen her, his time as a prisoner in France left him intrigued: the man who captured Luke and his crew was obsessed with Dani and wanted to marry her to increase his estate. Luke’s true motive, however, is more complicated—his beloved mentor, a father figure, remains captive, and Luke believes that presenting the princess may be the key to securing the old man’s freedom.
The crown grants Luke not only Dani’s hand but also an estate in the quiet Kent village where she was raised. Upon arrival, Luke discovers that Dani has been brought up by an older couple who concealed her royal lineage and station. Handsome and charismatic, Luke quickly wins Dani’s agreement to marry him—especially once she learns that their union will give her access to property that could help save her struggling village.
From the start, Dani and Luke share undeniable, fiery chemistry. While it may seem difficult to root for a man who intends to use a woman as leverage, the author skillfully makes their romance compelling. Dani, who has been deceived her entire life, now faces the painful truth that her new husband has also hidden secrets from her. The story brims with intrigue and deception, yet the satisfying happy ending redeems the twists and betrayals.
Romantic, witty, and unexpectedly heartfelt, this novel delivers everything fans of historical romance crave: depth, humor, passion, and a feisty heroine. Michaels once again proves her mastery of the genre with a captivating tale.
12/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
CLAIMING THE PRINCESS by Charis Michaels. Avon. (October 28, 2025). ISBN: 978-0063280175. 400p.
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DATE NIGHT IN DECEMBER by Jaqueline Snowe
December 19, 2025
From the publisher:
‘Tis the season for second chances in this charming and delightful festive romcom—perfect for fans of Maggie Knox and Jenny Bayliss.
“Cozy small town charm dominates, with plenty of snowfall, cocoa, and cheer to get readers in the Christmas spirit as the romance heats up between Laney and Connor. It’s adorable.” ―Publishers Weekly
He has one month to make a Christmas miracle happen.
Laney Reynolds knows there’s only one place that can help her heal a broken heart: Cherrywood Creek. The small town where she grew up, with its holiday festivals and snow-covered streets, is exactly where she needs to be this December. It feels good to leave the bustling city, where her husband was too busy climbing the corporate ladder to notice the growing distance between them. But she’s got his attention now …
Connor received his wake-up call loud and clear when Laney left, and there’s no way he’s giving up on his marriage. If that means dropping everything and trading high-rises for gingerbread houses to sweep his wife off her feet in her hometown, then so be it. This time, he’s listening; but it’ll take more than hot chocolate dates and even hotter nights to win Laney back.Can he prove that being a CEO is nowhere near as important as being her husband?
“Cozy small town charm dominates, with plenty of snowfall, cocoa, and cheer to get readers in the Christmas spirit as the romance heats up between Laney and Connor. It’s adorable.”―Publishers Weekly
After nine years of marriage, Laney walks away from a relationship that has left her lonely and unseen. Heartbroken and exhausted from always coming second to her husband’s demanding career, she returns to her hometown of Cherrywood to heal and rediscover herself. What she doesn’t expect is Connor following her there.
What follows is a tender, holiday-infused second-chance romance. Connor proposes a daring plan: for the next 30 days, Laney will date him again, giving him the opportunity to show her that their love is worth saving. With the magic of Christmas as his backdrop, Connor plans heartfelt dates that remind Laney of the joy they once shared, while also confronting the ways his priorities have cost him the woman he loves.
As a photographer, Laney throws herself into documenting Cherrywood’s holiday festival, and in the process, she realizes how deeply she’s missed her family, her community, and the life she once imagined. Cherrywood works its quiet magic, showing her that happiness might look different than she thought—and that choosing where to belong may be the biggest decision of all.
The story drops readers straight into the aftermath of Laney leaving and filing for divorce, allowing Connor’s emotional reckoning to take center stage. The relationship feels layered and immersive, and even the potential “other woman” storyline is handled with nuance and restraint, avoiding tired tropes in favor of realism and respect.
With Christmas cheer, emotional growth, honest communication, and plenty of heat, this marriage-in-crisis, second-chance holiday romance delivers a heartfelt reminder that love isn’t effortless—it’s intentional. A thoughtful, hopeful story about choosing each other again.
12/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
DATE NIGHT IN DECEMBER by Jaqueline Snowe. Forever (October 14, 2025). ISBN: 978-1538739853. 304p.
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EXIT STRATEGY by Lee Child & Andrew Child
December 16, 2025
From the publisher:
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Jack Reacher will make three stops today. Not all of them were planned for. The “blockbuster” (Esquire) new Jack Reacher thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling authors Lee Child and Andrew Child, featuring “the best villain yet” (USA Today)!
First—a Baltimore coffee shop. A seat in the corner, facing the door. Black coffee, two refills, no messing around. A minor interruption from two of the customers, but nothing he can’t deal with swiftly. As he leaves, a young guy brushes against him in the doorway. Instinctively Reacher checks the pocket holding his cash and passport. There’s no problem. Nothing is missing.
Second—a store to buy a coat. Nothing fancy. Something he can ditch when he heads to warmer climates. Large enough to fit a man the size of a bank vault. As he pulls out his cash, he finds something new in his pocket. A handwritten note. A desperate plea for help.
Third—wherever this bend in the road takes him. Impressed by the guy’s technique and intrigued by the message, Reacher makes it his mission to find out more . . .“Exactly what fans of the long-running series want . . . features one of the series’ most interesting villains . . . it’s sure to please.”—Booklist
Don’t miss the hit streaming series Reacher!
The new Jack Reacher novel is more of the same, while I was hoping for more.
Reacher, the former Army cop turned perpetual drifter, is in Baltimore to catch a band. As usual, he stops for coffee—his most essential fuel—and while on his second cup, he notices what looks like a con targeting an elderly couple. Being Reacher, he follows the scammer outside and intervenes before the couple loses their money. A stranger bumps into him, a classic pickpocket move, but his money and toothbrush remain where they should.
Later, while buying a coat, Reacher discovers a note slipped into his pocket: a plea for help and a request to meet. Intrigued, he stakes out the location. What unfolds is a case of mistaken identity, but it still pulls him into a conspiracy—one he can’t walk away from once he realizes a fellow Army veteran is involved.
The villain here is one of the most despicable in the Reacher canon: a ruthless private military contractor with a twisted plan, aided by someone high up in government. The book includes grim, unsettling scenes meant to highlight his cruelty. As expected, it falls to Reacher to unravel the plan and stop him. But the investigation is convoluted, slow-moving, and—worst of all—boring, a cardinal sin for a thriller. Predictably, violence erupts before the finale, and Reacher departs on the next bus out of town.
I found myself repeatedly setting the book aside, searching for something more engaging. It lacked the spark and intensity I’ve come to expect from this series. At this point, I’m beginning to think Lee Child’s first instinct may have been right—kill off Jack Reacher and just end it. His brother simply isn’t doing the series justice. But money talks…
12/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
EXIT STRATEGY by Lee Child & Andrew Child. Bantam (November 11, 2025). ISBN: 978-0593725849. 320p.
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Audiobook Sunday: HONEYMOON PHASE by Amy Daws
December 14, 2025Duet narration by Erin Mallon & Teddy Hamilton
Mountain Men Matchmaker, Book 3
From the publisher:
Fact or fiction: proposing to your best friend so she can inherit her family business is a great idea.
When Addison “Roe” Monroe tells me she’s going on a husband hunt at the local lumberjack competition so she can inherit her father’s lumberyard, desperate times call for desperate measures.
She’s sworn off romance. Says she’s been through enough tragedy. So I offer myself as an alternative, ’cause that’s what best friends are for.
But my stubborn friend, who would rather drive a forklift than get her nails done, refuses to accept my help, and now I find myself training to become a lumberjack.
I refuse to let Roe hitch her wagon to some hulking ax wielder who might be a serial killer. She means too much to me.
And I swear there are moments where she looks at me like I mean something more to her, too.
On the surface, I’m offering a marriage of convenience to protect her. But the truth is…I’m hopelessly in love with my best friend.
So if I have to marry her and move her up to Fletcher Mountain just to see if she could love me back, so be it.
Because my only regret would be losing her forever, and that’s a fact.
Mountain Men Matchmaker:
Book 1: Nine Month Contract
Book 2: Seven Year Itch
Book 3: Honeymoon Phase
I’m so glad I gave this series another chance! I liked the first book, wasn’t crazy about the second, but this third installment might be my favorite yet.
Addison “Roe” Monroe has spent her life working at her family’s lumberyard, and with her father thinking about retirement, she’s poised to take over. There’s just one complication: her grandfather’s will stipulates that only married family members can inherit. Roe has never been interested in marriage, but if a wedding is what it takes to secure the business, she’s willing to make it happen. Her plan is simple: find someone willing to marry her for a year, fulfill the estate’s terms, then divorce amicably.
Her best friend, Luke Fletcher, is horrified. He’s been secretly in love with Roe for years, but has accepted friendship as all she’ll offer. After the longtime lumberyard workers politely decline her proposal plan, Roe turns her sights to the annual lumberjack competition, assuming she can easily find a willing candidate there.
Luke, determined not to lose her to a stranger, writes Roe a heartfelt letter offering to marry her. She refuses, afraid of jeopardizing their friendship—he’s the only friend she has. Undeterred, Luke enters the competition himself, with the full support of his family and the enthusiastic matchmaking schemes of his niece, Everly.
The competition doesn’t go Luke’s way, but ultimately, he wins where it matters: Roe agrees to marry him. She abandons her plan to wed a stranger and instead chooses the man she trusts most. She moves up to Fletcher Mountain so their marriage will look legitimate. Roe believes she can divorce him after the required year and return to their friendship, while Luke sees the year as his chance to prove his love and make their marriage last.
Their courthouse wedding doesn’t sit well with Roe’s father, who insists on giving her a proper ceremony in six weeks before he retires to Florida. Roe is completely overwhelmed, but fortunately, her new mother-in-law is thrilled to take over the planning.
Meanwhile, Everly warns Luke that when Roe sees his face as she walks down the aisle, she’ll know that he’s truly in love with her—and she needs to feel the same for the marriage to have a future. The following weeks are full of highs and lows, but in the end, Roe and Luke get their well-earned happily ever after.
This was such a fun read with characters I genuinely cared about. The narrators did a fantastic job bringing them to life, which really speaks to the material they had to work with since they also narrated the first two books. Now that all the Fletcher brothers are happily married, it looks like it’s finally Everly’s turn to find her happily ever after, and I can’t wait to read her story.
12/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
HONEYMOON PHASE by Amy Daws. Narrators: Erin Mallon & Teddy Hamilton. Harlequin Audio. November 11, 2025. Listening Length: 11 hours and 40 minutes.
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THE SECRET OF ORANGE BLOSSOM CAKE by Rachel Linden
December 12, 2025
From the publisher:
A magical cookbook and a summer on her family’s Italian olive farm help a brokenhearted social media chef cook up a satisfying new life in this delectable novel from the bestselling author of Recipe for a Charmed Life.
Rising star Jules Costa loves re-creating vintage recipes for her popular online cooking show. But when personal and professional disaster strikes, her only chance to save her career is to complete her new cookbook before the end of the summer. Panicked, Jules returns to her family’s beloved olive farm on the shores of Italy’s stunning Lake Garda. Seeking culinary inspiration, she’s hoping to convince her spunky eighty-year-old Nonna Bruna to share her precious collection of family recipes.
Jules’s plans quickly go awry as she discovers that Nonna’s cookbook has magical and unpredictable powers. It reveals only one recipe at a time, offering a cooking experience guaranteed to satisfy the chef’s palate and bring clarity to their life. Yet the pages remain stubbornly blank for Jules. To make matters worse, the olive farm is in deep financial trouble, and Jules soon uncovers a web of family secrets involving the cookbook and a lost recipe for orange blossom cake that holds the key to everything. Then there’s Nicolo, the boy next door, who broke her young heart years ago. He is now all grown up, even more attractive, and the only person poised to help Jules find answers.
In a whirlwind summer beyond her imagination, Jules begins to unravel the mysteries baked into her family’s history and discovers the essential ingredients to create the future of her dreams.
“Filled to the brim with comfort and coziness… A super sweet, food-filled family story with a side of romance.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Fans of cozy romances and magical realism will not be disappointed in Linden’s latest.”—Booklist
Juliana Costa never expected her pandemic pastime to change her life. Alongside her roommate Drew, she began posting fifteen-minute Instagram reels re‑creating vintage recipes under the name The Bygone Kitchen. The quirky show quickly attracted attention, and soon a publisher offered Jules an advance for a cookbook. She spent it upgrading her kitchen—only to discover the publisher wanted something different: family recipes. Meanwhile, a producer dangles the promise of streaming her show to a wider audience, but instead, he steals Drew away for another project entirely.
With her career teetering, Jules accepts an unexpected opportunity: spending the summer at her grandmother’s olive farm on the shores of Italy’s Lake Garda, while chaperoning her teenage half‑sister Alex, whom she doesn’t know very well. Jules hasn’t returned in fifteen years, not since her father drowned in the lake. But she hopes Nonna Bruna’s treasured recipes, passed down through generations, will be the key to finishing her cookbook.
When Jules arrives, she finds the family cookbook mysteriously blank. As a child, she had learned to cook by opening its pages at random, preparing whatever recipe appeared. Now, the book reveals nothing—until she discovers its secret. The cookbook is magical, offering only one recipe at a time. For Jules, it reveals the recipe for orange blossom cake, said to grant whoever takes the first bite a vision of the sweetest happiness still awaiting them, only the page is torn, and half the recipe is missing.
Life at the farm is not simple. The olive groves are in financial trouble, and her Nonna’s decades-long feud with the neighboring matriarch has left scars. Jules’s first romance with Nicolo, the boy next door, ended badly many years earlier, but he is still working his family’s very successful farm, and helping out her Nonna, too.
As Jules cooks under her grandmother’s watchful eye, reconnects with her surly sister, and rekindles feelings for Nicolo, she realizes the summer may hold more than just recipes. To save the farm, heal old wounds, and decide her own future, she must recover the missing half of the orange blossom cake recipe—and dare to taste what happiness still lies ahead.
This is another charming, sweet, food-centric romance and an enchanting, magical read.
12/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE SECRET OF ORANGE BLOSSOM CAKE by Rachel Linden. Berkley. (September 30, 2025). ISBN: 978-0593816639. 384p.
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SNOW KISSED by RaeAnne Thayne
December 12, 2025
From the publisher:
‘Tis the season for a little white lie…
Christmas has always been single mom Holly Goodwin Moore’s favorite time of year. The twinkly lights on the tree, the cookies in the oven, the snow on the ground. But she’s just not feeling it this year. The wedding in her ex’s family is almost here, her daughter, Lydia, is bursting at the seams to be a flower girl…and Holly couldn’t be dreading it more. She told a little white lie about having a new boyfriend as her plus-one, hoping to save face. She needs a date for the wedding…and she needs it now.
Ryan Caldwell wants to be free this holiday season. So even he isn’t sure how he landed in Shelter Springs, looking after his niece, Audrey, with his estranged father down the road. But when he meets Holly, she makes him want to belong for the very first time. So they make a deal: he’ll be her date if she’ll help him give Audrey a true Christmas to remember while her mom is away.
This holiday season, escape to Shelter Springs for a heartwarming story of unexpected romance, festive charm, and the joy of finding love where you least expect it. Perfect for fans of Jill Shalvis and Susan Mallery.
Holly is a single mom raising her daughter, Lydia—who has Down syndrome—in the charming small town of Shelter Springs, Idaho. Her husband walked out years ago, unable to handle parenting a neurodivergent child, and he’s since remarried and started a new family.
Holly’s best friend is battling alcohol and drug addiction, and when her brother Ryan—a naval helicopter pilot sidelined by an injury and temporarily on desk duty—returns home, it feels like the right moment for her to enter rehab. Ryan agrees to look after his teenage niece, Audrey, during that time. Audrey normally watches Lydia after school while Holly works, so when Ryan steps in, he and Holly meet. Their connection is immediate and undeniable, even though neither is looking for romance.
When Lydia is asked to be the flower girl in Holly’s ex-husband’s sister’s wedding, Holly is invited too—and she desperately needs a plus-one. Her twin sister, Hannah, suggests the perfect solution: ask Ryan. Meanwhile, Ryan wants Audrey to have a wonderful Christmas despite her mom’s absence, but he could use some help with the holiday magic. It’s the ideal trade: he’ll be Holly’s date, and she’ll help him create a warm, festive Christmas for his niece.
As Ryan and Holly spend more time together, their bond grows stronger, and Ryan’s tenderness toward Lydia is especially moving. With Christmas charm woven through every moment, this sweet, heartwarming romance is a true seasonal delight. I love RaeAnne Thayne’s books—especially her holiday stories—and this one is another uplifting read sure to fill anyone with the joy of the season.
12/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
SNOW KISSED by RaeAnne Thayne. Canary Street Press (October 7, 2025). ISBN: 978-1335013170. 320p.
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Spotlight Review: BED CHEMISTRY by Elizabeth Mckenzie
December 9, 2025
From the publisher:
One bed. One (very awkward) shared past. What could go wrong?
With a fun and steamy twist on the only-one-bed trope, this debut contemporary romance will delight fans of The Love Hypothesis and The Paradise Problem.
Chemistry teacher Ashleigh Hutchinson knows better than anyone that love and lust don’t mix. The feelings come from different hormones, they trigger different responses, and they demand different reactions. Which is why she doesn’t date. She hooks up. No catching-of-feels required.
When Ashleigh is fired from her job without notice, she signs up to participate in a month-long sleep study, which will pay her enough to cover rent while she job hunts. It seems easy enough—until she walks into the clinic and finds herself staring right into the gorgeous eyes of Xander Miller, the only man to have ever tempted her to abandon her no relationships rule.
When Xander and Ashleigh realize the study is only looking for couples, they agree to pretend to be together—which means sleeping in the same bed every night for the next few weeks. How hard can it be to keep their cool under the covers?
With steamy “will they or won’t they” tension and plenty of hilariously awkward moments, Bed Chemistry is sure to appeal to fans of Christina Lauren, Ali Hazelwood, and Meghan Quinn.“[This] debut takes the “there was only one bed” trope to new extremes . . . [With] witty banter and palpable sexual tension. It’s a promising start.” —Publishers Weekly
Ashleigh, a chemistry teacher recently fired from her job, signs up for a month-long sleep study to cover her bills while she searches for new work. At her intake interview, she’s stunned to run into Xander—her college one-night stand whom she promptly ghosted. Xander is there because he struggles with insomnia, while Ashleigh can sleep through anything. When the doctor explains they’re now only accepting couples, the two reluctantly team up and pretend to be in a relationship.
Ashleigh carries a lot of emotional baggage. After her father’s infidelity destroyed her parents’ marriage, her devastated mother reinvented herself as a champion for sex without relationships, penning a bestselling self-help book and landing a Netflix series. Ashleigh adopted her mother’s philosophy, building her life around strict rules: no dating, no entanglements, and absolutely no falling in love. It’s how she keeps her heart safe—at least, that’s what she tells herself.
But spending so much time with Xander rekindles all the feelings she once ran from, and those emotions spill over into constant bickering. When their arguments begin skewing the study’s results, the researchers order them to start doing some fun things together – to date – something Ashleigh wants no part of. Still, she needs the money, so she goes along with the outings Xander plans for them. One thing leads to another, and soon they’re sleeping together again… which brings all of Ashleigh’s long-buried fears crashing to the surface.
Along their journey, the story delivers humor, steamy encounters, and heartfelt growth. The sleep study proves to be a quirky but effective plot device, making this debut both engaging and memorable. It’s a promising start, and I’m eager to see what comes next from this author.
12/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
BED CHEMISTRY by Elizabeth Mckenzie. Alcove Press (December 9, 2025). ISBN: 979-8892423779. 304p.
Kindle
Hardcover
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Posted by Stacy Alesi
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