Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

From the publisher:

Susan Mallery, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Boardwalk Bookshop, returns with the joyful and utterly irresistible story of a mother who couldn’t love her kids more but hopes that, just this once, they please don’t come home for Christmas.  Perfect for fans of Mary Kay Andrews and Julie Murphy! 

Julie Parker’s kids are her greatest gift. Still, she’s not exactly heartbroken when they ask to skip a big Christmas. Her son, Nick, is taking a belated honeymoon with his bride, Blair, while her daughter, Dana, will purge every reminder of the guy who dumped her. Again. Julie feels practically giddy for one-on-one holiday time with Heath, the (much) younger man she’s secretly dating.

But her plans go from cozy to chaotic when Nick and Dana plead for Christmas at the family cabin in memory of their late father, Julie’s ex. She can’t refuse, even though she dreads their reactions to her new man when they realize she’s been hiding him for months.

As the guest list grows in surprising ways, from Blair’s estranged mom to Heath’s precocious children, Julie’s secret is one of many to be unwrapped. Over this delightfully complicated and very funny Christmas, she’ll discover that more really is merrier, and that a big, happy family can become bigger and happier, if they let go of old hurts and open their hearts to love.

“It’s refreshing to read about a slightly older heroine, and her relationship with Heath is both hot and supportive . . . Mallery does a great job capturing both the chaos and the joy of a family Christmas. Readers will be heartened.” –Publishers Weekly

https://amzn.to/4dFvJiP

I love all the holiday books that are out this time of year, and this is a good one! Julie’s been divorced for many years, and she had a good relationship with her ex, which was a good thing since they share two kids who are now grown, but he passed away earlier in the year.

What her family doesn’t know is that she is dating Heath, a man twelve years her junior. Julie isn’t entirely comfortable with the age difference, and fears being ridiculed when people find out. So when her kids end up having plans over the holidays, Julie is secretly thrilled. Heath is divorced and his ex has their much younger kids for the holiday this year, so he is having some work done on his house since they won’t be around. Julie invites him to stay with her for the two weeks the work will take.

But Julie’s kids have a sudden change of heart, and want to spend Christmas with their mom up at the cabin they own where they have spent summers and holidays for many years. They are missing their dad and they feel like this would honor his memory and maybe give them the peace and closure they need. Julie acquiesces, and impulsively invites Heath, too, meaning she has to tell her children about him. Then his ex asks if he could take the kids; her boyfriend has planned a trip away for the two of them. Heath is thrilled to have his kids over the holiday, and while Julie hasn’t met them yet, she invites them to the cabin as well. Her daughter-in-law, who she adores, then tells Julie that her mother has moved to town and asks if she can come along, too. The daughter-in-law and her mother have a terrible relationship, and that really makes things difficult for everyone.

One thing leads to another and Julie has a very full house for Christmas. Luckily, the “cabin” is in actuality a massive house, so there is plenty of room for everyone. Things get more complicated when her daughter’s ex gets shot while working and ends up recuperating at the cabin as well. Then Heath’s ex gets dumped the night before her trip, and Julie ends up inviting her to the cabin too. There is so much drama going on here that it’s a wonder whether anyone will have a good Christmas, but they do, and there are even a couple of happily ever afters.

This was a really engrossing read with characters I couldn’t help but care about. The romances are sweet and there is a lot of humor, despite all the drama. Another excellent read from one of my favorite authors, and a terrific start to the holiday season!

ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY by Susan Mallery. Canary Street Press; Original edition (October 1, 2024). ISBN: 978-1335008404. 320p.

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Lovelight, Book 1

From the publisher:

One of Amazon’s Best Romances of June!

Two best friends fake date to reach their holiday happily ever after in this first romantic comedy in the Lovelight series.

A pasture of dead trees. A hostile takeover of the Santa barn by a family of raccoons. And shipments that have mysteriously gone missing. Lovelight Farms is not the magical winter wonderland of Stella Bloom’s dreams.

In an effort to save the Christmas tree farm she’s loved since she was a kid, Stella enters a contest with Instagram-famous influencer Evelyn St. James. With the added publicity and the $100,000 cash prize, Stella might just be able to save the farm from its financial woes. There’s just one problem. To make the farm seem like a romantic destination for the holidays, she lied on her application and said she owns Lovelight Farms with her boyfriend. Only…there is no boyfriend.

Enter best friend Luka Peters. He just stopped by for some hot chocolate and somehow got a farm and a serious girlfriend in the process. But fake dating his best friend might be the best Christmas present he’s ever received.

“This book is sweetly cozy and charming in a way that you won’t ever want to stop reading it.”—BookRiot

https://amzn.to/4gOHKoP

I read the fourth book in this series, then realized I’d never read any of the others, so here I am, starting with the first book. The central romance here is between Stella and Luka, who have been best friends for years. But Luka has no idea that Stella is actually in love with him, and there is no way that Stella would ever believe that Luka is in love with her.

Stella had purchased a Christmas tree farm the previous year and is in a bit over her head. She didn’t know that the farm came with huge debt (is that even legal??) Worse yet, someone has been vandalizing her farm all year long. Desperate for a cash infusion, Stella enters an online contest held by a social media travel influencer with millions of followers and a grand prize of $100,000. The only problem is that Stella lied on her application and said that she and her boyfriend had purchased the farm. A little romance is always good in these situations. When Stella becomes a finalist with the influencer planning an in-person visit, she panics, and we get that beloved romance trope, the fake boyfriend. And Luka is it.

There are a lot of laughs here and a lot of steamy sex before Luka and Stella reach their happy ending. The romance part dragged on a bit or at least it felt that way to me, but I’m definitely up for book two in this series.

10/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

LOVELIGHT FARMS by B.K. Borison. Berkley (June 6, 2023). ISBN: 978-0593641118. 336p.

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Indiana Summers, Book 2

From the publisher:

“The author masterfully blends heat and sweet in a fast-paced plot helmed by a charming hero and heroine. The result is exactly the heartwarming happily ever after that Foster’s fans expect.” —Publishers Weekly on The Little Flower Shop

How did her love life become a community affair?

Since her divorce, Emily Lucretia—affectionately known as the flower lady to the people of Cemetery, Indiana—has been focused on her flower shop and taking care of her aging aunt and uncle. Her love life is hardly the centerpiece of her busy days.

Saul Culver, the town’s favorite bachelor and owner of the local barbecue joint, has been interested in Emily for a while. But as much as Emily knows about flowers, she can be a little oblivious to her own appeal. Saul is determined to show her just how special she is.

Saul isn’t the only one trying to get Emily out of her shell. Well-meaning locals have started tagging photos of Emily with #theflowerlady on social media—and now the entire town is involved in finding her Mr. Right. Saul won’t give up easily. He’s finally caught her attention, and he’s determined to convince Emily—and the town—that this is the real deal and not just some passing trend.

Don’t miss The Love Shack, an all-new heart-stirring romance from New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster about Berkley Carr, who, while running her animal haven, must confront her past and the undeniable chemistry she shares with her neighbor in a small town determined to play matchmaker.

“The author masterfully blends heat and sweet in a fast-paced plot helmed by a charming hero and heroine. The result is exactly the heartwarming happily ever after that Foster’s fans expect.” —Publishers Weekly

https://amzn.to/3Tu0fF6

I’m filling in the gap here – I read the first and third books of this series before hunting this one down. I didn’t have it on my Kindle for some reason, so in the spirit of chasing my audiobook dreams, I listened to it – thank you, Hoopla! And I really enjoyed it; no surprise, if Lori Foster writes it, I like it. It is narrated by Marni Penning, for those keeping tabs, and she did an excellent job. Didn’t lose me for a minute.

This is set in the small town of Cemetery, Indiana, named for the family that founded it. Saul runs the local BBQ joint, and is one of the town’s most eligible men. But he only has eyes for Emily, the flower lady. Emily owns the flower shop in this small town. She is “perfect” to everyone in town, but she really hates that descriptor. She earned that reputation easily by being friendly, nonjudgmental, and most of all, kind. She is also somewhat oblivious to Saul’s growing interest in her.

Emily had been married before, and it hadn’t lasted. Her ex did a number on her self-esteem, and she hasn’t dated since. But when Saul starts coming around, she realizes she may have feelings for him as well. Things go really fast, emotionally anyway, for this couple but it takes a while for them to become a couple. Meanwhile, rumors are abounding about Emily and her employee, another very good-looking man who she thinks is way too young for her, and she would never date an employee. But this small town likes butting in, and they have a lot of fun in the process.

There’s a secondary romance here as well, and some fun times with Kathleen, the town mascot – a mannequin that various people “kidnap” and dress up, moving her around the local businesses downtown. This is a fairly sweet romance, and while I would have liked more buildup to the Emily-Saul story, in a way, it made sense that it moved so quickly since Emily is 40 years old, with no time or inclination to play games. It was another very enjoyable read by this reliable author.

9/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE LITTLE FLOWER SHOP by Lori Foster. Canary Street Press; Original edition (May 9, 2023). ISBN: 978-1335506382. 336p.

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