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Urban Fairytales #3
Priceless
All she wants for Christmas is him. All he wants is everything…for her. Urban Fairytales, Book 3 As Christmas bears down on Eric Athers’s empty wallet, one question plagues What to get the love of his life when he has less than nothing? It doesn’t help that his wife, Nia, who works extra shifts to support him through his medical residency, practically glows with holiday spirit. Her determination to put the “Merry” in Merry Christmas only serves as a painful reminder of everything he’s unable to provide for her. Nia loves her husband to distraction, and she can’t for the life of her figure out how someone so smart can be so dumb when it comes to something as simple as a little holiday. Christmas is so much more than presents and shopping malls. All she has to do is show her own personal Scrooge that the best gifts come from the heart. This story is guaranteed to melt your snowman.
115 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 29, 2011
About the author
Lena Matthews
61 books410 followersLena Matthews spends her days dreaming about handsome heroes and her nights with her own personal hero. Married to her college sweetheart, she is the proud mother of two children, three evil dogs, and a mess of ants that she can't seem to get rid of.
When not writing she can be found reading, watching movies, lifting up the cushions on the couch to look for batteries for the remote control and plotting different ways to bring Buffy back on the air.
When not writing she can be found reading, watching movies, lifting up the cushions on the couch to look for batteries for the remote control and plotting different ways to bring Buffy back on the air.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 19, 2012
I keep coming back to this author because she does great relationships. Especially married couples relationships.
This novella is a sweet take off of the O.Henry classic The Gift of the Magi. Eric and Nia are young marrieds who aren't exactly rich. He is a resident at a local hospital, she is working two jobs so they can pay off their student loans and keep debt low. They are also stupid in love with each other, with each not quite believing their luck having landed their soul-mate. At Christmas, both make a sacrifice of something special to make sure that the other gets a wonderful Christmas gift.
I totally bought Nia and Eric as this loving couple. There was a rhythm to their dialogue that made me feel like they really knew each other. Actually all the dialogue across the book was great. I felt like I was listening to real people talk esp. with the peppering of pop-cultural references and the light humor throughout. Nia was an especially great character, she was warm and optimistic without seeming overly naive. Eric was a little more closed, but you also felt the sense of strain in him that came from his overwork and tiredness and his disaffection with their current life situation. You could also tell he felt more vulnerable in the relationship, which I thought was also a nice realistic touch and a change because for once the heroine wasn't the one having the emotional journey.
Oh yeah, the sex was also hot!
Good book.
This novella is a sweet take off of the O.Henry classic The Gift of the Magi. Eric and Nia are young marrieds who aren't exactly rich. He is a resident at a local hospital, she is working two jobs so they can pay off their student loans and keep debt low. They are also stupid in love with each other, with each not quite believing their luck having landed their soul-mate. At Christmas, both make a sacrifice of something special to make sure that the other gets a wonderful Christmas gift.
I totally bought Nia and Eric as this loving couple. There was a rhythm to their dialogue that made me feel like they really knew each other. Actually all the dialogue across the book was great. I felt like I was listening to real people talk esp. with the peppering of pop-cultural references and the light humor throughout. Nia was an especially great character, she was warm and optimistic without seeming overly naive. Eric was a little more closed, but you also felt the sense of strain in him that came from his overwork and tiredness and his disaffection with their current life situation. You could also tell he felt more vulnerable in the relationship, which I thought was also a nice realistic touch and a change because for once the heroine wasn't the one having the emotional journey.
Oh yeah, the sex was also hot!
Good book.
November 30, 2011
I want to start by saying WOW this book is great. After chapter two I thought if the book ended here it would be a great five star short story. Of course I am thankful for more story, more fun, and more table rocking hot scenes from Ms. Matthews.
The main thing that set this story apart from others is the H/h are already married. Not only are Nia and Eric married but they are married with school loans to pay, overtime to work, and Christmas coming right around the corner.
LENA WILL BE OUR HOLIDAY GUEST ON 12/2 AND GIVING AWAY A COPY OF PRICELESS
To read Charnel's full review visit
http://www.guiltypleasuresbookreviews...
The main thing that set this story apart from others is the H/h are already married. Not only are Nia and Eric married but they are married with school loans to pay, overtime to work, and Christmas coming right around the corner.
LENA WILL BE OUR HOLIDAY GUEST ON 12/2 AND GIVING AWAY A COPY OF PRICELESS
To read Charnel's full review visit
http://www.guiltypleasuresbookreviews...
December 5, 2011
Another great read from Lena Matthews!
June 26, 2016
Poorly written PWP Lendle loan. :-s
February 22, 2012
Nia and Eric Athers are young and in love. Thanks to Eric’s student loan debt, they live paycheck to paycheck but as long as they have each other nothing else matters. Nia works two jobs to help make ends meet and saves for everything. This year Nia has saved enough to buy Eric a flat screen TV for Christmas. However, Eric’s sentimentality may not only prevent Nia from buying his special gift, but ruin Christmas for both of them.
Priceless is Lena Matthews’ adaptation of The Gift of the Magi and it, just like the original, makes you go awww. Even when Eric was acting like a stubborn cuss, it was easy to see the love and affection between him and Nia. While Eric had trouble believing the depths of Nia’s love for him, their affinity made the giving up their most prized possession for the other’s benefit believable.
If you’re familiar with Lena Matthews’ work, you’ll be pleased to know that Priceless has all that you’ve come to expect from Ms. Matthews – hot, kinky sex, witty dialog and a scene stealing secondary character. In this book, Julia is our scene stealer and we’d all be better people if we had a friend like her. I’m hoping that Ms. Matthews will write Julia and Dominic’s story. Although Priceless is set during Christmas, it is a story that you can enjoy all year long.
Reviewed by Nikki
For Joyfully Reviewed
Priceless is Lena Matthews’ adaptation of The Gift of the Magi and it, just like the original, makes you go awww. Even when Eric was acting like a stubborn cuss, it was easy to see the love and affection between him and Nia. While Eric had trouble believing the depths of Nia’s love for him, their affinity made the giving up their most prized possession for the other’s benefit believable.
If you’re familiar with Lena Matthews’ work, you’ll be pleased to know that Priceless has all that you’ve come to expect from Ms. Matthews – hot, kinky sex, witty dialog and a scene stealing secondary character. In this book, Julia is our scene stealer and we’d all be better people if we had a friend like her. I’m hoping that Ms. Matthews will write Julia and Dominic’s story. Although Priceless is set during Christmas, it is a story that you can enjoy all year long.
Reviewed by Nikki
For Joyfully Reviewed
March 14, 2012
Originally posted at: http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...
Nia and Eric are living on love and Christmas is right around the corner. Although they are surviving paycheck to paycheck while paying off Eric’s med school loans, their love burns brightly, keeping the fiery passion alive. When it comes time to give each other their gifts, Nia and Eric want this year to matter.
This story is a very sexy retelling of Gift of The Magi. From the first words of the book, the characters demanded my attention with their super hot chemistry. Nia and Eric were cute, funny and adorable but the secondary characters nearly stole the show.
Priceless is fun and fast paced with witty dialogue that kept me riveted until the very end. While I enjoyed this book thoroughly, I got caught up in the end of the book where it abruptly ended. Although the blurb mentions Eric being a Scrooge, I didn’t really get that vibe. Instead, he warmed my heart with how much he loved Nia. This gorgeous interracial couple had enough sexual tension to make me want to re-read it again.
Wrap this book up in a bow and give it to your favorite friend for Christmas! I can’t wait to see what is up next for the secondary characters. This book is recommended for readers who love hot, steamy romance to keep them warm on winter’s nights with a dash of holiday flair.
Nia and Eric are living on love and Christmas is right around the corner. Although they are surviving paycheck to paycheck while paying off Eric’s med school loans, their love burns brightly, keeping the fiery passion alive. When it comes time to give each other their gifts, Nia and Eric want this year to matter.
This story is a very sexy retelling of Gift of The Magi. From the first words of the book, the characters demanded my attention with their super hot chemistry. Nia and Eric were cute, funny and adorable but the secondary characters nearly stole the show.
Priceless is fun and fast paced with witty dialogue that kept me riveted until the very end. While I enjoyed this book thoroughly, I got caught up in the end of the book where it abruptly ended. Although the blurb mentions Eric being a Scrooge, I didn’t really get that vibe. Instead, he warmed my heart with how much he loved Nia. This gorgeous interracial couple had enough sexual tension to make me want to re-read it again.
Wrap this book up in a bow and give it to your favorite friend for Christmas! I can’t wait to see what is up next for the secondary characters. This book is recommended for readers who love hot, steamy romance to keep them warm on winter’s nights with a dash of holiday flair.
December 14, 2011
Description: While poor newlyweds, Nia and Eric spend their first Christmas together in the cold city where he’s doing his residency, they heat up the winter nights with love and passion.
The Good: Ms. Matthews does a wonderful job of making married sex very hot. She sets up great situations for the couple, and the love scenes are very well-executed. Nia is lovely and sweet and easy to root for. I was also a big fan of Eric’s best work friend, Dominic, and Lena’s best work friend, Julia. Can’t wait to read their BW/AM story. Last but not least, this story was a great length for the price.
The Bad: The “Gift of the Magi” plot itself doesn’t really kick in for several chapters, so there’s not much but sex and banter to drive the story for quite a while. And I wish that publishers would just retire that stock photo already. Not Ms. Matthews fault, but it’s been seriously overused, and I really couldn’t be more tired of seeing it.
The Naughty: Erotic. Hospital sex, closet sex. Highly recommended for couples who want to enjoy a sexy co-read.
Editing issues: None.
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Length: 140 pages
Final Grade: B
Happy Reading,
Theodora from IRbookreviews.com
The Good: Ms. Matthews does a wonderful job of making married sex very hot. She sets up great situations for the couple, and the love scenes are very well-executed. Nia is lovely and sweet and easy to root for. I was also a big fan of Eric’s best work friend, Dominic, and Lena’s best work friend, Julia. Can’t wait to read their BW/AM story. Last but not least, this story was a great length for the price.
The Bad: The “Gift of the Magi” plot itself doesn’t really kick in for several chapters, so there’s not much but sex and banter to drive the story for quite a while. And I wish that publishers would just retire that stock photo already. Not Ms. Matthews fault, but it’s been seriously overused, and I really couldn’t be more tired of seeing it.
The Naughty: Erotic. Hospital sex, closet sex. Highly recommended for couples who want to enjoy a sexy co-read.
Editing issues: None.
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Length: 140 pages
Final Grade: B
Happy Reading,
Theodora from IRbookreviews.com
September 8, 2013
synopsis:
eric can't believe that his wife, nia, loves him, because he's dragged her across the country, he has little to no money while he completes his residency and nia has to work a couple of jobs just to keep them afloat. as a result, eric isn't happy with the christmas preparations that nia is making. nia loves eric and would do anything for him, including living in their sometimes warm and sometimes freezing apartment with little to no complaints. when she can't understand why eric won't sell his car so that they can get one that is more reliable, even if it did belong to the father that left him, they have a fight. nia sells her family necklace so that eric's car can be fixed up. eric sells his car so that he can buy a chain for the necklace.
what i liked: the twist on the "gift of the magi". i liked eric and nia, both together and apart. i liked the surrounding characters. i liked the story.
what i didn't like: eric's self esteem issues. he seemed like a good guy with a plan in place for the future: why wouldn't nia love him?
eric can't believe that his wife, nia, loves him, because he's dragged her across the country, he has little to no money while he completes his residency and nia has to work a couple of jobs just to keep them afloat. as a result, eric isn't happy with the christmas preparations that nia is making. nia loves eric and would do anything for him, including living in their sometimes warm and sometimes freezing apartment with little to no complaints. when she can't understand why eric won't sell his car so that they can get one that is more reliable, even if it did belong to the father that left him, they have a fight. nia sells her family necklace so that eric's car can be fixed up. eric sells his car so that he can buy a chain for the necklace.
what i liked: the twist on the "gift of the magi". i liked eric and nia, both together and apart. i liked the surrounding characters. i liked the story.
what i didn't like: eric's self esteem issues. he seemed like a good guy with a plan in place for the future: why wouldn't nia love him?
January 30, 2012
This story is a decent depiction of a working marriage between two active participants. Eric and Nia demonstrate their love and devotion to each other through acts of kindness, selflessness, and intimacy - even when misunderstandings and hurt feelings occurred. I enjoyed this story. Good job Ms. Lena!
December 4, 2011
I am big fan of Ms. Lena Matthews' romances and this one is no exception! Once again she has created lead characters, Eric and Nia, you will love and the same goes for the two secondary characters, Julia and Dominic, who are surely going to get their own story!
July 29, 2016
The story itself was really good, along with the great characters both H/H and supporting, there was a lot of snappy dialogue. I would have enjoyed it more without all the public places they have sex.
October 9, 2012
This was sweet.
September 27, 2013
A modern, rather sexy retelling of "The Gift of the Magi". Cute. I'll probably read it again around the holidays.
August 11, 2015
This was an easy read and I like how they both bend over backwards for their Christmas gifts but end up botching it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews