Wild Holiday Nights: An Anthology

by Samantha Hunter, Meg Maguire, Debbi Rawlins

Satisfy your Christmas cravings with

HOLIDAY RUSH by Samantha Hunter

Cake guru Calla Michaels is canceling Christmas to deal with fondant, batter and an attempted robbery. Then officer Gideon Stone shows up at her door. Calla thought her kitchen was hot enough before

PLAYING GAMES by Meg Maguire

With her plane grounded on Christmas Eve, Carrie Baxter agrees to share a rental car with her secret high school crush. Sure, Daniel Barber is hotter than ever, but he's still just as prickly, too. It's gonna be one looong drive and an unforgettably X-rated night!

ALL NIGHT LONG by Debbi Rawlins

Overworked paralegal Carly Watts needs Jack Carrington's signature, but he'll do whatever it takes to buy more time before selling his grandfather's company. Including having one very naughty night before Christmas!

Genres: Romance, Christmas, Novella, Harlequin Blaze, Fiction, Anthologies, Contemporary

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 18, 2014

About the author

Samantha Hunter grew up in the Finger Lakes Region and now resides in Syracuse, NY with her husband. She showed early interest in being a writer when she signed her name as the author of an encyclopedia when she was seven years old. As an adult, she has published over 25 romance and mystery novels with new ones on the horizon.

Sam loves to travel and is always inspired by the places she's been, sharing her experiences with readers through her stories. She is also a serial hobbyist and volunteers for local animal shelters (which means she's always trying to figure out how to take more dogs and/or cats home!).

You can find out about new releases at www.samanthahunter.com or at her Samantha Hunter Books page on Facebook.

Reviews

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holiday Rush by Samantha Hunter

Calla Michaels bakes cakes in NYC as performance art/bakery. When she thwarts an attempted robbery, her protective Texan brothers send fellow cop Gideon up to NY to check on her.

Calla is bitter because 8 years ago (at age 22), she'd wanted Gideon to be her first. But Gideon declined because her brother was his training officer and he did not want to be disrespectful or dishonorable. Calla, however, was very sad and humiliated, especially since the only man she liked in culinary school refused to have sex with her because he didn't want the responsibility of sleeping with a virgin.

Now 30 and no longer a virgin, Calla is surprised at the flood of emotions that arrive with Gideon on her doorstep. Gideon, too, had hoped that their attraction had faded with time. He still feels iffy about putting his hands on Nathan's sister.

This being a romance, you already know how things turn out. The sex was good but not amazing.

3 REAL STARS, 4 ROMANCE STARS
…

Playing Games by Meg Maguire 12/02/2014

A woman meets up with an asshole she knew in high school and they have to share a car in order to get home in time for Christmas.

I disagree with the basic premise that creeper assholes who stared at you while smoking under the bleachers when you were running track end up to be secretly sweet, caring guys who just had a rough childhood but really are in love with you. Bullshit, I say.

However, this is a GREAT story and it is very well-written and absorbing. Even though I started out very skeptical and doubting I ended up enjoying the sex and actually liking the story a lot. Even though in real life this man would be the kind I'd avoid like the plague because of his personality, Maguire weaves a intricate and interesting story here.

The whole story has an accurate, gritty, realistic feel and it is amazing. I like the way Maguire talks about bodies and foreplay and control and what those things mean. It was fascinating and I think she makes some great observations about sex.

This definitely isn't a typical romance story, but I really enjoyed this breath of fresh air from Maguire.

3 REAL STARS, 5 ROMANCE STARS
...

All Night Long by Debbi Rawlins

Isn't this a Lionel Richie song?

Anyway. I did not like this story at all. Carly is a paralegal who is sent over to Jack Carrington's Christmas party in order to get his signature on some papers that will finalize an important sale. He proceeds to act like an enormous sleaze. This woman has come over here to do her JOB, okay, her JOB and he is like “here is some champagne. I'm telling your cab to leave – don't worry, I'll pay for it. Why don't you take that blazer off? Why don't you open a few more buttons on your blouse?” *keeps giving her more champagne* “Oh, we're standing under the mistletoe, kiss me!” “Oh, I'm going to tell everyone you're my girlfriend!” Blah blah blah, excuse me while I go vomit in a corner. This guys is DISGUSTING. There is nothing even remotely sexy about this situation. He is using the fact that she has to be here and can't leave without getting his signature (unless she wants to be fired) as a tool for sexual harassment and it is horrifying. Not romantic. Not sexy. Repulsive.

We're are supposed to feel better about this – we are supposed to think Jack is an okay guy – basically because (get this) Carly's boss and Jack's father are bigger sleazes than he is. Yes. His father is cheating on his wife – and his mistress – right at this very moment with a receptionist who is being fired tomorrow (there's class for you), and Carly's boss has PIMPED HER OUT. That's right. He specifically sent her over here because during negotiations he saw Jack checking her out and said, “If you want, I can make that happen.” Ew! Ew, ew, ew.

So, Carly has been sent to Jack Carrington's party as a kind of favor/bonus and Jack tells her all this really seriously, like “I'm sorry to inform you that your boss is a piece of shit pimp,” and anyway, the end result of this story is that she indeed ends up in bed with Jack. Jack, who is a huge sleaze, practices very immoral behavior, has no ethics, and could have been telling her “of course, I told your boss to go to hell” JUST BECAUSE he will then be seen as a good guy and more easily convince her to have sex with him. I mean, the author doesn't SAY that, but it would be the conclusion I'd reach after seeing Jack in full swing.

The whole concept of the story is disgusting, the 'hero' is a piece of shit sleazebag, and I was pleading with the heroine to walk away THE ENTIRE TIME.

1 REAL STAR, 1 ROMANCE STAR.

Harlequin Blaze December 2014

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I delve into the review, readers deserve a full and honest disclosure. I am be slightly obsessed with Meg Maguire/Cara McKenna. I am slowly (as fast as they can read?) working their way through her back list. With that in mind, proceed to the reviews.

So my review is only about Meg Maguire's books. I have an admitted obsession with Meg Maguire/Cara McKenna's writing style. Maguire is the kind of author I put down whatever else I am reading to read something of hers. She has this way of writing characters so realistically, like I know them or maybe, I am one of her characters. Playing Games (the second story in the Wild Holiday Nights anthology) is a short story, not a full novel and it is light and fun, but damn reading this story is like sitting down with a good friend for a beer and talking about what she did over her holiday break. It feels real, it feels comfortable and it is just really really good. The setting is perfect -- a winter storm, two weary travelers forced to be together to find their way home, long last friends from high school -- what more could readers want for a wild holiday night?

[Sometime · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only read Playing Games by Meg Maguire

This was a short little romance with the H/h forced to share a rental car after their flight is cancelled due to snow. They went to school together but haven't seen each other for 13 years. The H was best friends with the h's boyfriend at the time and it killed him to have to watch them together, the H was so in love with her but didn't know how to tell her. The h was convinced he hated her so even though she shared his attraction, she never brought it up.

Because of their forced proximity (you know the roads were so bad that they had to share a hotel room too!) They finally open up and share their feelings. Hot sexy times ensue and since this was a novella, we don't get an epilogue. The way things are left in the end left me feeling hanging. You know they will keep seeing each other but not much else. The romance was left too open-ended for my taste.

This book had a growly, grumpy H with a bad childhood, and a sweet, optimistic h who is the one woman to get him to drop his walls and be open and real.

I was interested to see that Meg Maguire is a pen name for Cara McKenna who is a favorite author of mine. I'll have to track down more of her books.

Safety Neither virgins. H only has ONS with no feelings involved and h has had various relationships over the years, but nothing serious. 13 years in the past, mild OM drama since H was in love with h while she was dating his best friend. H overheard them having sex during a camping trip. Nothing on page, just the H mentioning it to the h.

[Angie Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wild Holiday Nights is a Christmas Anthology from Harlequin featuring three short stories that each include a sexy Christmas interlude.

I'm going to kick off this review with my favorite of the trio, and that's Meg Maguire's Playing Games. What this woman does with such a limited word count is nothing short of amazing. We're immediately drawn into the character's worlds and holiday frenzy when they have to share the last rental car on the lot to make it home in time for Christmas. Toss in a semi-sordid past, and we're off. Carrie and Daniel thought they were over their high school 'crushes,' but after being stranded together for a night, feelings are rekindled. After ironing out some misunderstandings on both sides, hot, meaningful sex ensues. And if you've read Meg Maguire or Cara McKenna before, you know I mean it when I say it's hot. I've said this before, and I'll say it again: this author has a way of writing a sex scene where it is an integral part of the plot. It always starts out with one character learning more about themselves, but it ends up so both of them are enlightened in some way, and it blows them wide open. The characterization and established pasts here were fantastic! 4 Skulls for this one!

My second favorite of this one was All Night Long from Debbi Rawlins. All Carly wants is to get home for Christmas, but until she can get one of her law firm's clients to sign on the dotted line, she's out of luck. Determined as she is, that doesn't stop her, and she sets off in search of a Christmas miracle. I thought the characterization in this one was great, too. It's clear from the get-go how kind and compassionate Jack is, and that makes it harder for Carly to try and persuade him to give her what she needs; convincing him to sign means convincing him to compromise his integrity, and Carly's not sure she can ask him to do that even if it does put her career in jeopardy. This was a nice story about two good-hearted people torn between doing what they're being pressured to do and doing what's right. 3 Skulls to this one!

Holiday Rush from Samantha Hunter was a decent read. I loved the premise--a young woman trying to make it in New York whose older brother sics his best friend on her to keep her safe after an attempted robbery. Calla and Gavin had a relationship that never was, because Gavin felt guilty putting the moves on his buddy's younger sister. It's been years now, but Gavin is still determined to keep his distance from Calla; Calla, however, is all grown up and resolves not to let him. My issue with this story was that the attraction felt forced at times and a bit awkward. It was still a sweet read, and I enjoyed watching Gavin realize the depth of his feelings for Calla. This one gets 2.5 Skulls!

This review was originally posted at Badass Book Reviews.

[Kelly]

The second story (Playing Games) is definitely my favorite, and I think it's worth purchasing the anthology just for that one. (Keep in mind that I have a definite bias: I go apeshit for grumpy heroes, and this one is epic in his grumpiness. I LOVED it.) The third story (All Night Long) is decent, too. The first story made me angry, but I suspect other readers would love its combination of cake and hot, sweet love. :)

[Moi · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** REREAD January 2019 ***
upped to 4 stars to reflect cara's contribution. i didn't bother to reread the other two stories.

*** REREAD January 5, 2015 ***

only bothering with the maguire (mckenna). the rest aren't worth my time. but she'll get a regular revisit from me. sweet, sweet story. totally earned.

*** ORIGINAL REVIEW: December 2, 2014 ***

DO READ THIS BOOK for the Maguire tale.

COLLECTION: 3 stars in aggregate
MAGUIRE: 4+ stars

Holiday Rush by Samantha Hunter
2 stars: what should have been a fairly straightforward plot construct was shoehorned with implausibility, cheesiness, and unnecessary patronizing (misogynist-lite) behavior (minor spoilers):

(1) gideon flies to NYC on **christmas** as, i dunno, a favor.
(2) if the situation were that critical -- "drop all the things and fly to new york city! on christmas!" -- then why didn't calla's own family go help her?
(3) gideon's business plan for her -- public romance -- was rando, weird, and not believable (i'd totally be weirded out and walk away if my cake lady started feeling up some guy in her cake-making window).
(4) as soon as he shows, he begins taking over her life -- bossing her, stalking her in the name of protection, taking over her business plan. it's way less "sexy" than it is "totally patronizing and creepy IRL."

i may have thought this short a harmless but fairly forgettable read, but it compares unfavorably to the maguire (mckenna) short in this collection, Playing Games (review following), where the feminism is so carefully woven into the psyches of the two characters that it reads completely naturally (and makes Holiday Rush's ham-handed paternalism stand out even more).

Playing Games by Meg Maguire (Cara Mckenna)
4 stars: charming and thoroughly emotionally mapped (earned). some classic mckenna cuteness (see: dead spider in romance tub). there were one or two noticeable weak spots, but they were mere blips on the radar. in the aggregate, the story was a total win -- cohesive, well-directed, and emotionally engaging. and, bonus, her ladies are ALWAYS strong, self-actualized, and inherently feminist without ever being mary sues. she's a goddess, mckenna is; read all of her things.

ADD-ON AFTER FINISHING COLLECTION: one thing (among many) i just ADORE about meg maguire (cara mckenna) is that she is thoroughly realistic about her time lines and what she can accomplish believably within them: (1) she carefully paces emotional and psychological development, realistically and satisfyingly advancing and developing it within the story's time restrictions, but then at the same time (2) she doesn't push for her couples to be MORE committed than they naturally, realistically, should be by the end of the story; rather, things end with an optimistic, gleeful ambiguity that promises very, very good things but doesn't overdeliver. and when i read a story that emotionally delivers AND is believable? well. she's just THEBEST.

All Night Long by Debbi Rawlins
2 stars: moments of real charm thoroughly marred by the hero whose marked selfishness and creepy predation we're supposed to think is cute/forgivable/hot because he's GOODlooking. grody double-standard: if chubby, sweaty, middle-aged Norm from the factory floor had grabbed and bossed and innuendoed all over our heroine like that, we would have been horrified, blowing our rape whistles. but i guess because the cut of our hero's suit was nice and he's super rich, it's all, "NBD! 'coercive, aggressive asshole' looks good on you, bro! she totally wanted it. *high-five*" noooooo.

plus, the author sacrificed plot believability/cohesion in order to give the couple's chemistry time to develop. for example, within minutes of her arrival, he strong arms her off the factory floor into his office so they can be alone. minutes later he drags her back to the factory floor because he ought to mingle with his workers. minutes later, he drags her back to his office because whatever it is that had to happen on the factory floor has happened and now the author wants them to have alone time. all this in the space of, what, an hour? less? see what i mean? sort of nonsensical, all over the place. those elements needed to be better massaged, the action better mapped to the psychological development. furthermore, in the end, the time line (less than twenty-four hours) was MUCH too brief for me to buy their level of emotional commitment and talks of Forever by the end of the story.

it's too bad -- the author's voice had a tendency toward a really compelling, light playfulness that was overshadowed by the mechanical and philosophical problems.

[girlwithhearteyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Playing Games by Meg Maguire

4.25 stars

The only one car trope! Carrie is stuck driving home for Christmas with her high school boyfriend’s best friend. Who she had a secret crush on. And who she’s pretty sure hated her.

The yearning in this novella was A+, and I am so impressed with Meg Maguire/Cara McKenna’s writing. She really writes good sex — hot and dirty, but also intimate.

[D.G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This rating and review belongs to Playing Games by Meg Maguire (given reviews, I'm just not reading the other two.)

What do I have to say about Playing Games? Super hot and emotionally satisfying...review to come.

[Harlequin Books]

"This trio of holiday love stories is sure to make an enjoyable stocking stuffer" (RT Book Reviews, 4 stars).

[b.andherbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Disclaimer* I only read Playing Games by Meg Maguire from this collection of Holiday novellas.

Carrie is determined to make it home in time to greet her brother at the train station when he arrives home from his latest tour of duty on Christmas day, but finds out her flight is grounded because of the inclement weather. Making matters more awkward, she finds out her high school nemesis was supposed to be on the same flight, and she's now sharing a rental car with him.
Daniel, no longer the cigarette smoking burnout who she secretly had a crush on, despite him being her high school boyfriend's best friend, is even more delicious but just as grumpy. But, a scary car ride and a stay in the honeymoon suite leads to some major truth telling and perhaps a Christmas miracle.

Super sexy, and a fun short read for the holidays. I love the "just one bed" trope and this one was done very well. I also love a good unrequired romance and Daniel's pining for Carrie is so yummy.

CW: parental neglect, drinking

[T Rojo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Playing Games by Meg Maguire


Looooved

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the first 2 stories the best.


Satisfy your Christmas cravings with

HOLIDAY RUSH by Samantha Hunter

Cake guru Calla Michaels is canceling Christmas to deal with fondant, batter and an attempted robbery. Then officer Gideon Stone shows up at her door. Calla thought her kitchen was hot enough before

PLAYING GAMES by Meg Maguire

With her plane grounded on Christmas Eve, Carrie Baxter agrees to share a rental car with her secret high school crush. Sure, Daniel Barber is hotter than ever, but he's still just as prickly, too. It's gonna be one looong drive and an unforgettably X-rated night!

ALL NIGHT LONG by Debbi Rawlins

Overworked paralegal Carly Watts needs Jack Carrington's signature, but he'll do whatever it takes to buy more time before selling his grandfather's company. Including having one very naughty night before Christmas!

[Cris Conquers · Rating 4 out of 5]

With short stories it's sometimes hard to really build interest in the characters and make the relationship seem like it didn't just spring up out of nowhere, but all three authors did a great job of making you root for the heroes. Samantha Hunter's Holiday Rush was both sweet and funny, and a great example of the 'Best Friend / Little Sister' trope, which is one of my favorites. I loved the way that Calla's prospective customers played a role in getting her and Gideon together. It added a vein of humor to the story and really played off the spirit of the holidays.
Playing Games was my favorite of the three stories, which didn't surprise me as I'm already a big fan of Meg Maguire (even under her other pen name, Cara Mckenna). Carrie and Daniel had so much history and intensity that you couldn't help but feel like this romance had been stewing for a long time. Their banter is hilarious and their revelations sweet. But damn, the sex scenes were just fantastic, with the perfect amount of dirty talk. I honestly couldn't get enough of Carrie and Daniel together and if this were ever turned into a full length novel I would buy it in a heartbeat. But that said, I think the story was well paced for its short length and used the headache of holiday travel and awful winter weather as a springboard for a sexy, enthralling story.
The final story in the anthology, All Night Long by Debbi Rawlins, revolved around a holiday party and a business relationship that turns into much more. Rawlins did a great job of creating characters we could route for and laugh with. I loved the secondary characters at the factory and the facets of the hero's personality that they brought to the forefront. Carly and Jack definitely got in a few quips and we got just the right amount of back story to understand who these characters really were and how they got to be in this predicament. Overall, it was a short and sweet conclusion to a great holiday anthology.
If you're looking for a read to get you in the Christmas spirit, Wild Holiday Nights has three sexy stories that'll add some sugar and spice to your holiday cheer.

Disclaimer: I received this book free in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions shared are my own.

[Michela Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is filled with three stories: Short Review - read them all. They’re all cute, fun and fluffy. My Favorite – Meg Maguire’s hot & steaming story, Playing Games

HOLIDAY RUSH by Samantha Hunter – Cake guru Calla Michaels is canceling Christmas to deal with fondant, batter and an attempted robbery. Then officer Gideon Stone shows up at her door.

This story was so sweet and lovely. Calla is your usual workaholic who left her little town in search of a better life. When she’s robbed outside of her cake shop, her brother’s best friend flies in to make sure she stays safe. He swoops in and saves the day and her heart.

PLAYING GAMES by Meg Maguire – With her plane grounded on Christmas Eve, Carrie Baxter agrees to share a rental car with her secret high school crush. Sure, Daniel Barber is hotter than ever, but he’s still just as prickly, too. It’s gonna be one looong drive and an unforgettably X-rated night!

This was my favorite story of the bunch. Meg Maguire’s writing is flawless, and steamy and so freaking sexy. The tension between Carrie and Baxter is palpable. The push and pull is absolutely magnetic and fabulous to read.

ALL NIGHT LONG by Debbi Rawlins – Overworked paralegal Carly Watts needs Jack Carrington’s signature, but he’ll do whatever it takes to buy more time before selling his grandfather’s company. Including having one very naughty night before Christmas!

Another delightful story. Carly and Jack’s chemistry is so well done. I loved the back and forth banter of these two as they try to navigate through Jack’s company holiday party and Carly determination to complete the job she was sent to Chicago to accomplish.

[Tina · Rating 2 out of 5]

"To be honest, I only bought this Blaze book to get the Meg Maguire story, and I was not disappointed. With her. The other two stories sucked d***, and not in the good way (the kind where you don't have to swallow).

Holiday Rush by Samantha Hunter: In which we learn a lot about cake decorating but not a whole lot about f***ing. I took a cake decorating class once. It's as boring as it sounds. Lesson learned: Cakes, like sex, can be fun, but only if you spend the majority of your time eating the ever-lovin' shit out of it. Skimmed this.

Playing Games by Meg Maguire: In which we learn that if you have to get stuck in a snow storm driving home for Christmas, you might as well do it with a smokejumper, because, ya know, JUMPING. As in, ON IT. Daniel and Carrie know each other from back in the day when Carrie was dating his best friend, and they hated each other. Which means they secretly wanted to play Seven Minutes in Heaven with each other but couldn't act on it. In the present time, forced to wait out a storm in a shared hotel room, they decide to play cards. Really? Did you REALLY believe that? No, Daniel and Carrie talk about their feelings and then rub their genitals together until sparks fly because it's damn cold out there. And we're talking FUCKING, not fucking. Because Daniel likes it HARD and ROUGH. Merry Christmas to me.

All Night Long by Debbi Rawlins: Carly's sent off to get a signature on a contract and ends up boning the owner of the company during a Christmas party. Makes ya wonder what they put in that egg nog. Beware The Nog. Not a bad story; just not great. "

[CL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5*

Cover: Yay

HOLIDAY RUSH by Samantha Hunter:

4*

PLAYING GAMES by Meg Maguire:

5*

This was my favourite story out of the lot. I loved Daniel's grumpiness and his hidden feelings for Carrie.

ALL NIGHT LONG by Debbi Rawlins:

4*

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Blaze. :(

[Mem · Rating 5 out of 5]

B825 Dec14 Three stories:
Holiday Rush, Calla Michaels and Gideon Stone, he saves her when a robber attacks her.
Playing Games. Carrie Barter and Daniel Barber get caught in an ice storm, all flights are cancelled. She's in line for a rental car and he rents the last available car. They leave together, his best friend was her boyfriend who broke up with her just before prom. They get the las hotel room available and their attraction is to much to resist.
All Night Long Carly Watts goes to Chicago to get Jack Carrington's signature on the sale papers. He's changed his mind about selling his grandfather's business.

[Dorel · Rating 2 out of 5]

WILD HOLIDAY NIGHTS 🌃: HOLIDAY RUSH: This is the 1st book I read by Samantha Hunter. I liked this book's storyline. I liked the action in this story. I liked the hot 🔥 & steamy scenes. I liked Calla's character. I liked Gideon's character. I liked the ending. PLAYING GAMES 🎮: This is the 3rd book I read by Meg Maguire. I'm sorry I stopped reading this story 📖 at chapter 6 because it didn't grab my interest. ALL NIGHT 🌃 LONG: This is the 2nd book I read by Debbi Rawlins. I'm sorry I stopped reading this story 📖 at chapter 6 because I didn't like Jack.

[Abbie]

The first short by Samantha Hunter was a nice holiday story. The second one bored me and the third one seems to be about a man using his power over a woman in a work situation to get with her physically based on the beginning, yuck.

[Mysterious · Rating 3 out of 5]

[I read the first two stories by S. Hunter and M. Maguire.]

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

TW: past childhood abuse

[Crystal Alexander-Bentley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three short and steamy stories.

[bookedrightmeow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holiday Rush - Samantha Hunter - 3/5 stars

Such a cute story. Calla is a baker who runs her own cake shop in New York. Several years ago, she had a huge crush on Gideon, her brother's friend and fellow cop in Houston. But Gideon didn't pursue Calla because she's his buddy's younger sister.

Now, they're both a little bit older and wiser. So when Calla is robbed and her brother sends Gideon up to NY to keep an eye on her, the sparks fly pretty quickly.

I liked how assertive Calla is in her pursuit of Gideon. And even though he's there to help watch over her, I also appreciated that he doesn't coddle her overmuch.

It's a very short story so the pace moves quickly, but I'm a sucker for romantic gestures and this story definitely hit all the right notes for me.

Playing Games - Meg Maguire - 5/5 stars

LOVED this story. I love Meg Maguire/Cara McKenna and this story is classically her. When flights are cancelled due to a winter storm just before Christmas, fate (along with Mother Nature) conspires to bring together Carrie and Daniel. They once knew each other as kids, including back in high school, when she dated his best friend. Oh, and Daniel happens to be responsible for their breakup somehow.

Now they're both in their 30s and separately headed home for Christmas. They end up at the same rental car counter with only one car left. They recognize each other and agree to share the ride, despite the fact that Daniel always treated Carrie with animosity as teenagers. It's going to be a long drive home.

It turns out that Carrie had harbored a secret attraction for Daniel all those years ago, though she never acted on it. Come to find out, the feeling was actually mutual.

Daniel had a rough home life growing up, so even though he's a cynical grump, he's terribly endearing. He doesn't allow himself to feel emotion because he's afraid of being hurt.

The weather just gets worse, so they have to stop at a motel for the night to wait out the storm. A bottle of cheap wine + a game of Never Have I Ever lead to some very interesting revelations by both of them.

The tone of this story is at first bittersweet, then steamy (SUPER steamy, in fact), then just lovely. The ending left me with a smile on my face. I didn't want this story to end.

All Night Long - Debbi Rawlins - 2/5 stars

This story didn't work for me. It's a corporate romance between a lowly paralegal and a CEO (or whatever he is--it wasn't clear to me what his actual title is). Sure, he has a heart of gold and cares about his employees more than getting richer from a lucrative deal. But I didn't really buy the attraction between Carly and Jack. It's not a badly written story; I just wanted more sparks between the main characters.

Overall, I liked the first two stories a lot, so I would still recommend the book.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review.

[Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love reading these anthologies over the holidays, and finishing a story a night. Overall this was a fairly enjoyable collection.

The first story is about a woman who runs a bakery in New York City. Her brother's friend from Texas stops by to check on her when her family is worried after her store is broken into. During their time together, they revisit an attraction they had for each other thirteen years earlier. I liked this story, but in the beginning, I was annoyed about how indignant the guy was about respecting his partner (Calla's brother). She's 30 years old and I found it insulting that he would think her brother had some control over who she slept with. They got over that fairly quickly though.

My favorite story was the second one. These two people run into each other at the counter for a rental car after their flights are cancelled. They'd known each other in high school - she'd dated his best friend. And they'd each secretly harbored a crush for the other. I loved the way this story played out as they made the long road trip home. Then when the roads get too difficult to drive, they have to pull over to a motel and of course, there's only one room left. This story was really great - exactly what I want in a quick holiday story.

I didn't like the third story all that much. A woman gets sent on a trip a few days before Christmas to get some papers signed. In the process she finds herself drawn to the man who is supposed to sign the papers. I found this story to be a little bit sleazy, the paralegal hooking up with the rich business guy. Might have worked for a full length story if there had been time to develop their relationship, but not in this short format. I sort of skimmed over this one because I didn't like it very much.

Overall though, worth the read for the first two stories, especially the second one.

[Hsiau Wei · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book consists of three short stories by three different authors; Samantha Hunter ( Holiday Rush), Meg Maguire (Playing Games) & Debbi Rawlins (All Night Long) each was set during the season of giving.

Holiday Rush is about damsel in distress was rescued by an officer who turned out to be her brother’s best friend. Playing Games is about two friends who met each other after being stranded on a Christmas Eve and All Night Long tells the story of a business relationship that turned out to be something much deeper.

Overall, it is a short and sweet romance read for me with a great conclusion to a great anthology that adding some spices to the holiday cheers.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

HOLIDAY RUSH by Samantha Hunter 4 Stars


PLAYING GAMES by Meg Maguire - Interesting, witty quips. - Loved it! 5 Stars


ALL NIGHT LONG by Debbi Rawlins - Did not like this one at all - 2 Stars

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed Meg Maguire's story. Didn't much care for the other two.

[The Suburban Eclectic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holiday Rush & All Night Long 2 stars Playing Games - 5 stars.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just read "playing games by Meg Maguire":)