12 Christmas Romances To Melt Your Heart

by Catherine Gayle, Jami Davenport, Riley J. Ford

100% of the proceeds from sales of this anthology go to the Autism Society of America and straight into support groups for families touched by autism

Count down your Christmas holiday with a fantastic assortment of holiday romances written especially for this set. Humor, drama, suspense, and military heroes abound. Fall in love with new characters from a series you've never read and learn more about characters from your favorite author's series you've been dying to hear about.

Each book is EXCLUSIVE to the anthology and NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED. Help us support a cause near and dear to each author in the set and to so many we love.

From NYT & USA Today Bestselling Authors & More!
~ Catherine Gayle​ ~ Mistletoe Misconduct ~ Portland Storm Series ~
He says everyone deserves a second chance. She thinks it’s high time for him to turn that idea around on himself.
~ Jami Davenport​ ~ Hearts On Ice ~ Game On Series ~
Drawn together by tragedy and broken apart by practicality, can two lost souls find each other again during a magical holiday season?
~ Riley J. Ford​ ~ Romance. Avalance.Love ~ Romance.Earthquake.Love sequel ~
Feisty Brooke has finally met her match when she meets a sexy world traveler on Christmas Eve. Sparks fly during their steamy one-night encounter...but has she just met the love of her life?
~ Krystal Shannan writing as Emma Roman​ ~ The Runaway Sleigh ~ Somewhere, TX, Bachelors Series ~
Kidnapped from her front yard by Santa, a woman who hates Christmas finds unexpected joy in a holiday she swore to ignore for the rest of her life.
~ Allie K. Adams​ ~ Merry TREXmas ~ TREX Series ~
Christmas turns to chaos when all the McKoys get together for the holidays. It takes a 12-yr-old autistic boy and his faithful companion to teach them all the true meaning of TREXmas.
~ Geri Foster​ ~ Holiday Mischief ~ Twisted Sisters Series ~
The five Avery Sisters create a little Holiday Mischief and find romance in the process.
~ Tammy S. Falkner​ ~ Yes You ~ Reed Brothers Series ~
You might remember them. They have two children named Reagan and Lincoln. Find out how their love story started in Yes, You. One bad boy, one good girl. The question - Who? Me? Yes. You.
~ Tawdra Kandle​ ~ Underneath My Christmas Tree ~ Always Series ~
When two hearts ignite, the most unexpected gifts can turn up under the tree.
~ Chris Keniston​ ~ Love Walks In ~ Aloha Series ~
Annette Deluca believes you only get one chance at the love of a lifetime. It's up to Michael Becker and his young autistic son to prove her wrong.
~ Katy Regnery​ ~ Marrying Mr. English ~ Blueberry Lane 1 - The English Brothers Series ~
Long before the English brothers met their wives and girlfriends, their father, Tom, captured the heart of their mother, Eleanora. Travel back in time to Christmas 1981 and find out how it all began!
~ R.L. Syme writing as Becca Boyd ~ As We Dream By The Fire ~ Line of Fire Series ~
Sadie never expected a handsome firefighter to crash into her living room on Christmas Eve, but when her tree catches on fire, he could save more than her life...
~Jodi Vaughn​ ~ Christmas In Cloverton ~ Cloverton Series ~
A blizzard, a lost cat, and a little bit of Christmas destiny gives Eliza a chance with the man she's loved from afar for too long.

Genres: Christmas, Anthologies, Romance, Hockey Romance, Contemporary Romance, Sports, Fiction

632 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 17, 2015

About the author

***Please note that series numbering of the Portland Storm series is different at Goodreads than it is on Catherine's website or at any retailer. Goodreads policy will not allow the series numbering to match anything else. If this confuses you, please complain to Goodreads, as it is not Catherine's fault.***

Catherine Gayle is a USA Today bestselling author of more than forty contemporary hockey romance and Regency-set historical romance novels and novellas. Soon, she'll be launching her debut contemporary small-town romance series. She's sold more than three-quarters of a million books. She’s a transplanted Texan living in North Carolina with two extremely spoiled felines. In her spare time, she watches way too much hockey and reality TV, plans fun things to do for the Nephew Monster’s next visit, and performs experiments in the kitchen which are rarely toxic.

Catherine doesn't check messages on Goodreads very often. Please contact her through her website for a timely response.

Reviews

[Dali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melt your heart they will! This collection of short stories are not just heartwarming, they’re perfect for fans of these wonderful authors, like myself, or any romance enthusiast looking for holiday love. They’re also an ideal way to give and help a wonderful cause.

100% of the proceeds from sales of this anthology go to the Autism Society of America and straight into support groups for families touched by autism.

Through this compilation of stories written specifically for this special edition you can have more of your series or add new ones to your list.
My review will focus on two of my all-time favorite authors. Lucky me I get to read their work in one anthology, huh?!

Tammy Falkner writes Yes. You. and goes back in time to when Reagan’s parents met. Do you remember her from Calmly, Carefully and Completely? When I briefly met them back then I loved Madison’s understanding towards her daughter and Bob’s protectiveness. So as parents and secondary characters they were pretty awesome and getting a chance to know how their love began is a great nugget. Especially since their meeting is similar to Reagan and Pete’s.

Bob is a bad boy who’s given a second chance. Madison is a rich girl who apparently has it all. They might seem like complete opposites, but Madison doesn’t just see his outer persona, she also sees all the good in him. Their kindred spirits connect and over the holidays they start their forever.

“Who am I?” he asks.
His blue eyes look deeply into mine. “You’re everything,”

I really enjoy Tammy’s unique writing style with so much heart and humor I can’t help but fall for her characters and stories.

And speaking of second chances, I’ve read about this man constantly giving second chances and a helping hand to everyone he can except himself. Catherine Gayle writes Mistletoe Misconduct, a story about the Portland Storm’s general manager, Jim Sutter.

Jim has been a constant in the background throughout the Portland Storm series. Everyone loves him, from his players, the kids and the player’s wives. So in a sneaky move from the wives they set out to find him, his perfect match as a Christmas gift. They didn’t imagine that this would bring back the only woman he’s ever loved but who pushed him out of her life and divorced him 20 years back.

Elaine has come back to fight for love. Even though Jim made a mistake, she knows he’s not perfect and now realizes she could have fought for them because he’s not just a good man, he’s the only man she’s ever loved. Armed with forgiveness and mistletoe she hopes she can convince Jim to move on and give them a second chance.

This was a lovely story about love and forgiveness that ended too soon for me because I can’t have enough of a good thing. But I’m confident we’ll get to see more of Jim and Elaine in future Portland stories. Hopefully they won’t be in the shadows.

These and all the stories in this anthology are inspiring, heartfelt and perfect for the holidays!

Amazon -> http://amzn.to/1MPjUCG

* I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via NetGalley. The excerpts are from that copy. *

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[Cranky - The Book Curmudgeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

***** 5 Cranky Stars *****



I am slowly making my way through this beautiful anthology.  One hundred per cent is donated to charity for autism awareness.



Currently, this review focuses on Marrying Mr. English by Katy Regnery. I'm a big fan of Kate Regnery, loving the way she brings characters to life in ways we rarely see them any more. She builds a world you want to inhabit, make friends with the people in there, and be adopted by the English family.



This is the pre-equal, the backstory, where we learn how Barrett, Fitz, Alex, Stratton, and Weston came to be.  It's a chance meeting, a once-in-a-lifetime experience, between their parents: Tom English and Ellie Watters.  



Sparks fly, worlds collide.  The two are meant to be together.  Both recognize it, but true love never runs smooth.



This story is magical.  It had my heart thumping.  I cheered for Tom and Ellie the whole way through.  Their love bleeds off the page.  



Once you've recovered from this story, grab Breaking up with Barrett and discover the rest of the fantastic English brothers, and why people are falling for Katy Regnery.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars for 'Marrying Mr. English' (Part One).

[Suzi (Obsessive Reading Disorder) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is on just two of the stories in the anthology. I follow these two series and authors and enjoyed reading their submissions here.

Mistletoe Misconduct
This little novella gives a peak at Mr. Storm himself, GM of the Portland Storm, Jim Sutter. Throughout the series, he has been helpful to anyone in need, generous and giver of second chances. We haven’t heard of him being with any women during the previous seasons.

His second chance is about to come up thanks to the player’s wives. Submitting an on line dating profile for Jim brings them in contact with his ex-wife. Elaine still loves Jim and wants to give it a try. She just needs to convince him!

I so wanted this to be a full length story. Jim's reaction to her was priceless. The fact he had spent a lifetime feeling unworthy just broke my heart. Loved the chemistry starting between these two and would love to see where they land after the New Year. Great story!

Yes. You.
Tammy Falkner takes us back in time to see how Reagan’s parents met. Madison and Bob meet in much the same way as Reagan and Pete Reed meet in the Reed Brother’s series by this author. Bob is a reforming bad boy and Madison is a sweet privileged college student. Their hearts recognize each other right away. Their Christmas wishes all come true as they plan out their forever together. Great sneak peek at these secondary characters we have seen in other books.

*I received an ARC of this title for an honest review

[Stacy Barr-sooter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book! I knew a few of the authors that wrote some of the novellas in this book. Some I didn't know but rest assure I will know them in the future. Great book! Awesome cause! Without spoiling any of the short stories this is a must read book. Always looking for new authors to fill in the gaps when waiting for new releases from my favorite authors. This book definitely introduced some new ones to me. Also a few series I will definitely purchase in the near future. Even though the stories are short you don't need to necessarily be familiar with the series some of the books belong to to read them. They provide enough detail so you know what is happening without having read the series. Rest assure after reading the short stories you will want to purchase those series if you haven't already read them. Triple A rating for this Book!

[Morgan Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

***Reviewed by Morgan at Twisted Soulmates Book Reviews***

***This review focuses on Marrying Mr. English by Katy Regnery as I have yet to read every story***

Oh my, if there's one thing I love about Katy Regnery, it's the way she brings her characters to life in ways I rarely see any more. She makes me want to live in the world of the English's, to become friends with them, and to just want to experience life through their eyes. Something even more amazing to love about Katy? She's generously donated this story to a cause so noble and near and dear to many readers hearts. This book is part of an anthology where 100% of all proceeds of the sale go towards autism awareness. Every single cent

In this glorious tale, we learn where Barrett, Fitz, Alex, Stratton, and Weston truly have their start: the once-in-a-lifetime chance meeting of their parents, Thomas "Tom" English and Eleanora "Ellie" Watters. The moment they lock eyes across the diner Ellie worked at, you saw the sparks right away. And when they shook hands and finally met, sparks turn into a sky full of blazing, colorful fireworks.

Immediately their worlds blissfully collide, leading them into a deep, fast and whirlwind journey. Add in a very fun and eccentric cousin, Evie, and a playboy best friend, Van, and this book takes you on a magical adventure proving how taking a crazy chance for a secure future can turn into one of the most romantic and sweetest love stories for the ages.

From the start, you can see that Tom and Ellie are meant to be together. Even Ellie recognizes it (though maybe not at its full potential quite yet) when she states:

What set Tom English apart was the way he’d looked at her when he said,“We’d have to go to Vegas”—like he was willing to take a chance on her, like she was somehow worth the chance he was taking.

And in the end, it's Tom who says it beautifully (and may have caused a few tears for this reader to shed):

“I don’t have all the answers, Eleanora. Maybe six months from now, you’ll think I’m a prick and leave. Maybe I’ll find out you’re crazy and beg you to go. But right here? Right now? I want you. I want you so bad, I can’t think straight. I want you so much, I just turned down fifteen million dollars. Like it or lump it, you’re my wife, and I just . . . God, I just want to give us a chance.”

Very early on my heart was thumping so hard, getting excited and rooting for Tom and Ellie. You can feel the love seeping out of the pages. If this is the first time you're reading Katy's work, then I believe it's a great start! Jump straight into Breaking up With Barrett and see why readers have fallen head over heals for the English brothers and Katy Regnery! And don't forget, please buy this wonderful anthology to help support autism awareness!

Now let the agonizing wait for the conclusion of this heartwarming story to come in December begin now!

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A review of Mistletoe Misconduct by Catherine Gayle

I am a big fan of Catherine Gayle's Portland Storm series so was excited to get Jim Sutter's story. He is the Portland Storm hockey team General Manager. He is a good guy who takes care of his team, treats them like family, and often gives people that need them a second chance to succeed or make something out of their life. We have seen him do that for his assistant Rachel when she really needed it and for some down on their luck players. But Jim has never forgiven himself for a a mistake he made that cost him his family. He's built his own pseudo family with his team and their wives and is well loved, but he has no relationship with his own son and lost his wife.

But when his ex, Elaine sees a profile for Jim on a dating site, the years fall away and she decides to take it as her own second chance.

Jim was always good at giving others another chance, but not himself. He has a big heart and is kind, but he beats himself up with guilt over one bad choice and feels unworthy. But Elaine is realizing that she could have fought harder for him too. And she has decided to take charge and be brave. Can she convince him that he deserves love and his own second chance?

This was a short, sweet, second chance love story. It moved pretty fast due to it's short novella length for this anthology and it was light on drama and details. But the connection between them was established and was heartfelt. The side relationship with their son Dillon also added depth to the story. And it was fun to get some cameos by some of the characters from other books and we met a new player Chris Hammond "Hammer". I really enjoyed getting to know more about Jim and seeing others look out for him for a change.

Additional note: This collection offers a variety of authors and types of characters that will make it a fun anthology to have when you need quick holiday pick me ups to make you smile, swoon, and get you the in the holiday spirit. They are of perfect length for fitting in when you have limited time, and for trying out new authors.

ARC provided by Catherine Gayle in exchange for an honest review.

[DJ Sakata · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided with Marrying Mr. English by Katy Regnery as part of this anthology, which is a fundraiser for Autism awareness - and 100% of proceeds are being donated.

Favorite Quotes:

“It occurred to Tom that he should stop staring at her, but he couldn’t. It was the first time she’d smiled at him, and his heart thundered from the way it made him feel to see her face light up. She was young and bright and ridiculously beautiful, and he’d been captivated from the first moment he’d laid eyes on her.”

“Her eyes had watered as he confessed that he wanted to help her. She wasn’t the type of girl who’d had much help in life – no lucky breaks, no windfalls, no happy twists of fate. Not until Tom English had walked into her life… And suddenly she heard herself whisper, “You’re something between a dream and a miracle… E-Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote that,”

“And she was his wife. The words circled in his mind as he watched her: This goddess-angel is my wife. In the eyes of the law, she belongs to me, and I belong to her.”

My Review:

I have said it before and I can almost guarantee I will state it many more times - I adore Katy Regnery. The hardest task I face in reviewing her superbly written work is deciding on which favorite quotes to include, as I always have several pages of them earmarked. Her books typically contain the magic formula with all the ingredients that I highly desire… a HEA - check, sweet and steamy love story – check, interesting and likable characters – check, wit and humor – check, clever dialogue and banter – check, a well written story and interesting plot line – check and check. And she makes it seem oh so easy. I am hopelessly addicted and already eagerly awaiting her next offering.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't had a chance to read every story in this anthology so this review will focus on Katy Regnery's "Marrying Mr. English"

This is only the 4th story by Katy Regnery that I have read and I just love each one. If you are familiar with the English brothers this is a no brainer for you. This story focuses on how Tom and Eleanora met, fell in love and got married. Seems simple right? Isn't that how it all is supposed to work.. Well...

I do not want to put in any spoilers but sometimes people take an unconventional road to true love. And this is true for Tom and Eleanora. Theirs is such a sweet love story. Full of a little Christmas hope and promise and wonder. I am an emotional reader. I love when an author can make me cry. Katy has the perfect talent for this, (not all tears are bad). This story does that in parts that are so simple, so poignant.

And the A-Ha moment in this book for me is priceless!! I am sure you all will feel the same way when you all get to that moment in the story.

I can't wait for everyone to fall in love with this couple, and hear all about the beginnings of the English Family. the way that I have!!

[Casey Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!!
I received an ARC copy of 12 Christmas Romances to Melt Your Heart for an honest review.

Mistletoe Misconduct by Catherine Gayle honest review:
Jim Sutter is the kind of guy you want to know - he's kind, always looking out to help people needing that second chance and caring beyond else. He has a past, which he doesn't share with anyone for his own reasons, penance maybe for a past wrong?
People make mistakes, it's a fact of life, and forgiveness isn't always forthcoming.
What happens if 20 years after a huge mistake was made you get the chance to rectify the past with the one person you've always loved?
Read and enjoy Mistletoe Misconduct as much as I did and find out if the chance worth the risk?

Hearts On Ice by Jami Davenport honest review:
True Love Scores
Timing and circumstance tore Blake and Sarah apart, can they bring these two back together?
Once found true love never dies, it takes compromise and trust to make it work.
Enjoy Hearts On Ice and see how this love story unfolds.

More reviews to come ...

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

*This review is ONLY for the first story by Catherine Gayle titled Mistletoe Misconduct*
(If I read the rest of the book, I will alter my review accordingly.)

Jim is the kind of man to give everyone a second chance. We saw it with Soupy and we saw it with Rachel and we saw it with most of the players on his amazing Portland Storm team. But why doesn't Jim seem happy? Where is his family? We've been given hints over the course of the series, but this book explains what happened with Jim and Elaine. This book shows that there is always more to a story.

Mistletoe Misconduct is a short story/novella, but it is one of the sweetest stories I have had the pleasure of reading. Jim deserves a second chance. Elaine deserves a second chance. And the wives/girlfriends of the Portland Storm are just the women to put these things in motion.

Sweet story. Worth the read.

Spend the 99 pennies. It's worth it and it goes to a good cause.

[Elaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received and ARC copy of Katy Regnery's Marrying Mr. English Part 1 in exchange for an honest review. I have, however, pre-ordered the anthology and 100% of the proceeds will be donated the Autism Society of America.

For fans of the English Brothers series, this is the story of how Tom and Eleanor English (their parents) met and fell in love. This can be enjoyed as a standalone novella even if you haven't read any of the English Brothers books, but be warned, you will be hooked.

I have read all of the English Brothers books and have "met" Tom and Eleanor, but it is great to hear their story. In this novella we see a different side of these two that we are not afforded in their sons' stories. Theirs is a sweet story that starts out as a marriage of convenience but could end up as something much more. And although we all know how their story turns out in the end, I find myself anxious for part 2 to read more about their journey.

[Lenore Kosinski · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://celebrityreaders.com/2015/12/...

3 stars overall -- I bought this anthology for one specific novella, but I wanted to read them all b/c I'm a holiday season reader! This was definitely a hit and miss set of novellas. I think there were a few that were really merely fan service, and so were not as enjoyable for someone who hadn't read the rest of the books in the series. And then there were some I just simply didn't enjoy. But I found a few gems that were sweet and perfectly Christmas-y, and I left the book I'd been waiting for til the last and it was a perfect ending. So here are my reviews for the individual stories:

Mistletoe Misconduct ~ Catherine Gayle​
3 stars -- For a girl that hates cheating, reading about the aftermath of it happening was hard for me...I'm about as forgiving as Elaine originally was. So there was that. And apparently I'm also ageist b/c I found I wasn't as sucked in to the romance of this older couple. But maybe that wasn't age so much as the story was just meh for me? I don't know. It was nice, just not outstanding.

Hearts On Ice ~ Jami Davenport​
3 stars -- I think I might have enjoyed this one more if I'd read the previous books featuring these 2 characters. Not that you had to to understand the books (there was sufficient background). I just didn't feel invested in the characters. But then again, that's hard to achieve with a short story anyways. Also, the one word steamy scenes (they made quick fun love; they made slow love) was kind of startling (disappointing -- I'd rather have fade to black). I wonder if it's always like that in her books.

Romance. Avalanche. Love. ~ Riley J. Ford​
2 stars -- Uh no. Didn't enjoy the characters at all. I'm just not a forgiving kind of reader, and the hero's behavior in the relationship was just atrocious (well, maybe not quite that strong of a word, but I can't think of a better one). I was also not a fan of his recklessness. So when you don't like the characters, there's not much left, you know?

The Runaway Sleigh ~ Emma Roman​
3.5 stars -- I was a little bit thrown by the heroine at first...that much anger and bah-humbug was kind of hard to fathom. But otherwise I thought the story was quite sweet, and for a short story it had some good things going for it. Peter was adorable.

Merry TREXmas ~ Allie K. Adams​
2.5 stars -- first things first, for an anthology that's named 12 Christmas *Romances* to Melt Your Heart, I kind of expect a romance you know? And there definitely wasn't one in this short story. I think this one was geared towards readers of Ms. Adams series, b/c for the life of me I could not keep up with all the different characters, and even the shifting POVs.

Holiday Mischief ~ Geri Foster
2.5 stars -- Another book with multiple POVs that I didn't understand, and only a hint of romance near the end. I just didn't feel it that much. There was a lot going on, so the plot wasn't quite as clear. The "Father" was quite the jerk too.

Yes You ~ Tammy S. Falkner​
3 stars -- Had some uber sweet moments, but then mixed in some volatile moments that I was less sure of. Everything happened kind of quick, but that's the nature of short stories...

Underneath My Christmas Tree ~ Tawdra Kandle​
3 stars -- a bit of a different take on a romance, with the girl wanting the no strings sex and the guy holding out. I liked that even in a shorter story we could see the relationship sort of building over time. I wish we'd been told what happened in Trent's past that had him taking a break, but I guess that's why there's another story for them coming.

Love Walks In ~ Chris Keniston​
4 stars -- OK, this one was just all sorts of sweetness and "awwwww" and laughing at the sassiness of Annette. Loved how Annette and Mike interacted with each other, and thought the glimpse into life with an autistic child was well done (not that I would know, but you know). Ended a bit abruptly though...or at least I wasn't expecting to turn the page and have it be done.

Marrying Mr. English ~ Katy Regnery​
4.5 stars -- Oh yes!! This was the book I bought the anthology for in the first place, and Ms. Regnery didn't let me down. The chemistry between the characters was phenomenal -- gah, I wanted more! And Eleanora was delightfully sassy and strong willed. Even though it was a fast romance, it didn't feel that way b/c of all the time they spent together. I found myself laughing and sighing and all sorts of goodness. The great thing is that even though this is a 2-part story, this story ends off with a satisfying enough ending that you don't *need* to read the 2nd part...though if you're like me, you'll want more. I also LOVED the tiny bits of fan service with the hints of where the boys names came from. Can't wait to read part 2!

As We Dream By The Fire ~ Becca Boyd
4 stars -- sweet and slowburning!! At first I wasn't sure about Sadie, but I warmed up to her. She and Hudson had some great little bits of banter, and I could feel the feelings starting to develop. :)

Christmas In Cloverton ~ Jodi Vaughn​
3...maybe 3.5 stars -- Cute characters, fun "pushed together" situation. It had all the makings of a Lenore book, but I just ended up losing it nearer to the end. Could be my attention just wandered for other reasons. Still, I did like it...

[Maria Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a review for three of the stories in this collection. It's safe to say that they are all going to melt your heart!

Catherine Gayle​ - Mistletoe Misconduct
What a delightful second chance romance story! Jim and Elaine were married but divorced early on in their relationship, after Jim committed an unforgiveable sin. Or was it? What I really appreciated about this story was that while Jim made a mistake, it's clear that Elaine did too, and that if they had only spent some talk talking about the issues between them, and considered couples therapy, they could have saved themselves twenty years of heartache. I enjoyed seeing them reconnect. This was my first romance story by this author, and I'm definitely going to look into her sports romance backlist.

Katy Regnery​ - Marrying Mr. English
Having thoroughly enjoyed all of the English brothers stories, it's a treat to get this novella that tells the story of how Tom and Eleanora met. Tom's a very wealthy man and in a bind - he's supposed to be getting married, a marriage of convenience, in order to claim his inheritance. But his partner fell for someone else and ditched him right before the alter. Eleanora is a lovely, smart, spitfire of a waitress. She's wary of Tom's interest in her. But she's also thinking long term - and a business arrangement to marry for the sake of money will suit both of them well. So they go for it - getting married in Vegas. It's supposed to be a short term thing but even after just a few days, the spark between them is strong enough to make them consider a possible future together. I loved the two of them together, and Tom is definitely a keeper! He's a sweet and generous man, and realizes quickly that while they may have started off this marriage on a lark, the thought of ending it is not an option for him, as he's falling for his new wife. This is the first of a 2 part story, so while it ends on a happy for now note (and we know because of the other stories in the series that they stay together), they still have some hurdles to cross before their commitment to each other is real. Looking forward to part 2!


Becca Boyd - As We Dream By The Fire
This was a really sweet story of a woman who is trying to recover from a broken heart due to her past relationship. She's got a list from her sister, a Christmas wish list of all the things that should help her heal as she takes in the joy of the season. The last thing she expects is a handsome firefighter to try to save her from a 'chestnuts roasting on an open fire' experiment gone wrong! I loved Hunter in this, he's a dedicated, strong man and saving a woman in distress is just his thing. Of course, as it turns out, there was never any danger for Sadie, but he's able to see that things are not all the great for her, and his savior instincts kick in. They have a sweet friendship that progresses to something more as Sadie opens up her heart to new possibilities. A lovely Christmas story!

[Save Your Money For Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love holiday anthologies. Christmas is my favorite time of the year, add a little romance and a cup of hot cocoa in front of the fireplace and I am in heaven.

To be honest the main reason I wanted to read this collection was for the Catherine Gayle's novella, Mistletoe Misconduct. I am a big fan of her Portland Storm series. In Mistletoe Misconduct, General Manager, Jim Sutter gets his happily ever after in this heartwarming second chance romance. I enjoyed Jim and Elaine's romance and fans of this series will love getting to visit with some of their favorite people from the series. I also loved the Jami Davenport story, in fact I think I would love to see it expanded as a full length novel. I also discovered a few new authors that I can't wait to read other books by them.

Such a great group of stories by an amazing group of authors with 100% of proceeds going to the Autism Society of America! What's not to love about that?

PS> I was given access to an ARC copy of this anthology in exchange for an honest review. I do however plan to purchase this book now that it has been released. I love any excuse to support a great cause!

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received an ARC of Marrying Mr. English in exchange for an honest review.....

I was so excited when I heard that there was going to be a prequel to the English Brothers books. Not only because I was curious about how their parents got together, but because I'm a huge lover of nostalgia. I loved all of the early 80's pop culture references throughout the story. It wasn't totally overkill, just enough to let you know what time period you were in. I also loved the little hints about their future children sprinkled throughout the story. However, despite those references, this story can be read as a standalone. I do highly recommend that you read the other English Brothers books as well.

I haven't had a chance to read the other eleven romances in this anthology, but if Marrying Mr. English is any indication of the rest of the stories, I'm sure I'll love them just as much.

[Kathy Piekarz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Christmas Romances!! I haven't had the chance to read all the stories yet so this review is focusing on Marrying Mr. English by Katy Regnery! I have been a fan of Katy's for a while now and her stories just keep getting better and better! If you've had the chance to read any of her English Brothers stories you can get a chance to see how it all began because this story is about the English Brothers' parents Tom and Eleanora! What a great treat to be taken back and see the incredible love between these 2! I especially like this book because all of these authors came together for a cause almost everyone can relate to... Autism. All the proceeds from this book will be donated towards Autism Awareness. I can't wait to read the rest of these stories!!

[Amber Duff · Rating 5 out of 5]

***This is a review for Katy Regnery's "Marrying Mr. English"***
I have a book hangover!! Enough said (haha).
When Katy creates her characters they draw you in, you fall in love with them, cry for them, and at the end of the day- you cannot get enough of them!
Marrying Mr. English is no exception. All of my childhood fairy tale fantasies were answered in this unique, modern love story (yes modern- except for envisioning shoulder pads and wild hair styles).
This story is a must read in my opinion, I promise you, you will not be disappointed!
Grab a glass of wine, get cozy infront of the fireplace, and be prepared to be swept off of your feet!

[Angie McGuire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC for an honest review. This short story was a great depiction of Jims life in a small amount of time, but truly explained his reasons for always being alone in all of the Portland storm books. Although none of the previous books went into depth about it.. This book told his past experience in a brief time, and was quite sad at times. It showed what truly could happen when you forgive and love one another. I hope in the future books we get to see more of these two. What a blessing to find a great second chance.

[Nancy Stopper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mistletoe Misconduct gives fans of the Portland Storm series the chance to finally give Jim his happily-ever-after. With some help from the players wives, Jim reconnects with his estranged wife of 20 years and the both quickly realize their love never died, despite their struggles. I really liked both of the characters in this book and thought it was a realistic look into a marriage gone wrong and shows that second chances are possible. Readers of Portland Storm will celebrate right along with owner Jim Sutter as he finds the happiness and second chance everyone else has enjoyed.

[The Book Lover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review of Mistletoe Misconduct I was happy to read about Jim and Miss Gayle once again didn't disappoint! I really liked Elaine and their chemistry! it was an easy and nice read! I can't wait from more of this author because it means more hockey!!

[Charity Chimni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mistletoe misconduct was a great addition to the Portland storm series. We have grown to love Jim as the patriarch of the Portland storm family. It was great to see his back story and his HEA! Short and sweet!

[UltraMeital · Rating 2 out of 5]

This Anthology is different than the usual I tend to grab, but since I REALLY wanted to read Katy Regnery's novella I "had no choice" but to grab it even though ALL the short novellas in this one are a part of a series. The only way I can describe this Anthology is a HUGE disappointment. I had a few DNFs and mostly I rated these between 1-2 stars.

I started writing individual reviews, but as I continued on reading and was annoyed with most of what I read, I decided bashing everything ISN'T the way I want to go.. So I'm rating (without review) the ones I wasn't impressed with, while writing a positive review to the ones I DID like.

1. Mistletoe Misconduct By Catherine Gayle (Portland Storm, #7.6) ★★

2. Hearts On Ice By Jami Davenport (Game On in Seattle, #4.5) ★★★

3. Romance.Avalnce.Love By Riley J. Ford (Romance.Earthquake.Love sequel) ★

4. The Runaway Sleigh by Emma Roman (Somewhere TX Bachelors #0.5) ★★★★★
I really enjoyed this one. Always nice getting a story about a more mature couple. Peter and Carolyn meet on Christmas when he is dressed like Santa, doing his "routine" in his sleigh, missing his dead wife who used to play "Mrs. Santa" with him. Though his wife asked him to live his life and be happy, he have been alone for years. Now for the first time he finds himself interested in Carolyn, a woman he almost runs over with an out of control mare. Offering to help, and refusing to take no for an answer, Peter reminds the only woman in town who hates Christmas what the holiday's spirit is about. Though Carolyn have her misgivings about the holiday (being left by her husband on this day) when Peter puts on the charm she's unable to keep on the cool facade and she finds she is interested in him as much as he is interested in her.

5. Merry TREXmas By Allie K. Adams (TREX #5.5) DNF

6. Holiday Mischief By Geri Foster (Twisted Sisters ?) DNF

7. Yes You By Tammy S. Falkner (The Reed Brothers, #9.5) DNF

8. Underneath My Christmas Tree By Tawdra Kandle (Always, #1.5) DNF

9. Love Walks In By Chris Keniston (Aloha, #6.5) ★★★★★
Back in the day, before I started reading Romance (but wasn't reading Fantasy anymore) I used to favor reading about people/kids with special needs (I used to volunteer helping people with special needs for years, it's still something I hope I'll have time to do in the future). Yet this IS a romance novella which was very sweet and touching.
Mike recently moved into town with Brian, his Autistic kid, his wife has died two years ago and he hopes the small town will make it easier on him to take care of his son. When Annette's son Adam punches a bully for tormenting Brian their paths cross.
At first it's more about Annette wanting to help Brian against the bully as well as Adam offering to be Brian's friend (even though he is different which was sweeter than sweets!) but after Mike and Annette spending time together talking about Brian and Adam and the whole situation it becomes more. As Annette shares the death of her husband in a plan crash something else starts to build between the two of them. While they both love and miss their dead spouses they are both interested in one another. I loved how tender their interaction was. It has to do with who they are, what they've been through and naturally the fact that they both have families, and Mike's is quite complicated yet I guess this is exactly what made this story so special, one to cherish.

10. Marrying Mr. English By Katy Regnery (Blueberry Lane 1 - The English Brothers, #6.5) ★★★★★
This short novella was TOTALLY worth this whole disastrous Anthology.. Also I truly think that even if you haven't read the series there is no problem getting sucked into the story. The Epilogue though does mention all the new and expected English women but it's just a teaser to the next installment which will be continuing the story of Tom and Eleanora English.
This is NOT what I expected I'll tell you that! Tom and Eleanora meet on Tom's "honeymoon" though he didn't actually get married... In order to inherit 15 million dollars his grandfather demands Tom to be wedded before his 32th birthday. He had it all planned with a girl he knew most of his life, but she ran off.. Now 4 days before his birthday he meets Eleanora the waitress and with every word he hears from her he is more interested and intrigued. When he tells Eleanora the reason for his stay SHE actually offers to marry him. Well, a poor girl struggling to meet ends and dreams of owning a book shop (after finishing college) getting 1 million dollars for shortly being married to a gorgeous kind guy (even if 10 years her senior) isn't bad.. well, it's not at the start but then they both start to fall for one another which complicates things for each of them separately. It was so believable, even though they were a few days together I could totally believe they fell in love. Also knowing the close relationship between Tom and the gardener from the previous books in the series made me believe it even more that for Tom, Eleanora's past and upbringing didn't mean that much. She overcome so much, and she was willing to fight in order to do the things she wished for against all odds - that's exactly what made him see her and appreciate her, and yeah, fall in love with her.
I loved both of them! Together and alone. They made sense, even with their life's stories being so different, and they both were so special on their own. Tom is a good guy, even if what he was giving Eleanora was convenient he treated her decently the whole time. He was thinking of her the whole time. Eleanora was so true to herself, the whole time. Yeah she did a very rushed decision marrying Tom, but everything else she did was SO her - the back bone, the spite to look life in the eye and claim her dreams.
BEAUTIFUL. All is left now is getting to the second part of the story.

11. As We Dream By Becca Boyd (Line of Fire, #3.5) ★★★

12. Christmas In Cloverton by Jodi Vaughn (Cloverton, #2) ★★

Next time I'm "forced" to buy this kind of Anthology I'll stick to reading the one/s I bought it for. I don't like reading novellas which are a part of a series I haven't read. Yet I AM glad about the novellas in this one I DID enjoy. Each was so different and special.

More Reviews HERE

[Coral Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of these were wonderful stories and I was able to read them all without reading any other the other books related to each series.

~ Catherine Gayle​ ~ Mistletoe Misconduct ~
Jim believes everyone deserves a second chance. His mother did not receive many while he was growing up, but those second chances meant the world to him. This policy has served him well during his hockey career and he is still paying it forward while he is the general manager of a successful hockey team. Elaine, his ex-wife, wants to move on and find someone to fill the hole in her heart. Only, Jim still holds her heart and she compares each man to him.
A beautiful story of second chances and finding the ability to forgives others and ourselves. A different story of love in our later years.

~ Jami Davenport​ ~ Hearts On Ice ~
Blake and Sarah were drawn together by tragedy and broken apart by practicality. She lives on an island and he travels with his hockey team. Sarah found the long distance relationship would not work when she wanted a committed relationship and family. Blake is severely injured and must decide what the next step in his career should be and decides to spend some time on the island recovering.
Relationships take effort. This story gives us some of that effort and the life decisions we must face to make good relationships work.

~ Riley J. Ford​ ~ Romance. Avalanche. Love. ~
Selma and Shaun decide to celebrate their anniversary with a Christmas ski vacation. When he reveals a huge secret he's been hiding, she is crushed by an avalanche of emotions. She questions whether they're meant to be together...until a real avalanche hits.
A heart wrenching story and reacting before we let our partner talk to us. Too many relationships rely on poor or partial information and mistakes happen.

~ Krystal Shannan writing as Emma Roman​ ~ The Runaway Sleigh ~
Peter loves Christmas and he and his wife, Diane, played Santa and Mrs. Claus in the parade and the gift giving afterward. Diane died but Peter continues their traditions. Carolyn swore she would never celebrate Christmas and despises everything about it. She is run down by the runaway Santa sleigh, kidnapped by Santa, and ends up playing Mrs. Claus.
Another great story of love in later life after personal tragedies and finding the ability to believe in ourselves and those around us.

~ Allie K. Adams​ ~ Merry TREXmas ~
TREX is the Tactical Retrieval Experts, a privately funded agency employed to find things. The director decides to get them all together for Christmas and it all turn to chaos. His motive is not to celebrate but to use the time to force them to get along. It takes a 12-yr-old autistic boy and his faithful companion to teach them all the true meaning of TREXmas.
A nice story of a group to discover the true meaning of Christmas. This group is a close-knit, family group that needs to work on their communication. The boy, Hunter, sees the bigger picture and lets the adult know what he sees.

~ Geri Foster​ ~ Holiday Mischief ~
The five Avery Sisters create a little Holiday Mischief set up by their father, Thomas, who wants them to take over his security business for him. Maybe one of them can find romance in the process.
I love the sisters! Fighting, supporting, and loving as much as any sisters could.

~ Tammy S. Falkner​ ~ Yes You ~
Madison and Bob are from two different worlds. Madison's parents are well off and Bob has no family and is an ex-convict. One bad boy, one good girl. Madison is attracted to Bob and he wants to make himself and his life better.
I love that Madison takes a chance and approaches Bob. Both must try something new, with a person they may never have met.

~ Tawdra Kandle​ ~ Underneath My Christmas Tree ~
Elizabeth is a lawyer on Florida, working hard and managing her office by herself. Trent is in town selling Christmas trees when they have a chance encounter. Trent is not after any relationship or casual sex and turns Elizabeth down cold. They end up spending more time together than either one of them expect. Trent is trying to fix himself and his image and attempts to avoid emotional entanglement with Elizabeth because of his past.
Not all relationships are bad, even when you are trying to put yourself on a better path. Take a chance, take a leap!

~ Chris Keniston​ ~ Love Walks In ~
Annette and Michael have both had their chance at the love of a lifetime. Both have suffered heartbreaking losses and are trying to be a single parent to their children. Michael's young autistic son and Annette's son have an encounter at school with a bully and draw these two families closer. Annette and Michael must learn that you can have more than one love of a lifetime.
Such a wonderful story that I did not want it to end. Life is full of many types of love and loss does not preclude you from ever loving again.

~ Katy Regnery​ ~ Marrying Mr. English ~
Long before the English brothers met their wives and girlfriends, their father, Tom, captured the heart of their mother, Eleanora. Travel back in time to Christmas 1981 and find out how it all began! Ton and Eleanora meet under strange circumstances and their relationship one of convenience.
A great introduction to wonderful characters. I cannot wait to read more about this family.


~ Becca Boyd ~ As We Dream By The Fire ~
Sadie never expected a handsome firefighter, Hudson, to crash into her living room on Christmas Eve, but he refuses to leave after damaging her door to keep her safe. Hudson was looking for an arsonist that had already started two Christmas tree fires. Hudson is attracted to Sadie and wants her Christmas to be special after learning about a difficult break up she is trying to get over.
I love Hudson and Sadie. Sadie is brave and trying to change her life. Hudson is persistent.

~Jodi Vaughn​ ~ Christmas In Cloverton ~
A blizzard, a lost cat, and a little bit of Christmas destiny gives Eliza a chance with the man she's loved from afar for too long. Jake finds Eliza searching for her cat, with no coat on in a blizzard. Luckily, for both of them, they get locked in a restaurant and must face what both have been hiding.
Awesome story. Everyone judges others, but unless we get to know them we cannot rely on that judgement or who we think they really are.

[Jo-Ann Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit that when I first chose this book, I never noticed it was a fundraiser for autism. I got it because of the short stories which focused on Christmas.

These are all books which are associated with series but are testers for the series I think.

Not all books had anything to do with autism - some had no connection while others has secondary characters which were autistic. I loved when they did this, due to my nephew having suspected autism and he's nonverbal.

However, the writing on some really stunk. Others bored me. If it were just these I wouldn't have rated it. However, others wanted you to keep reading the stories and get to know all the chapters more. If it were only these books, it would have gotten a 5 rating. However, it seemed the whomever chose these stories threw some of them in there whereas others were well thought out stories. Because of the mishmash, the rating reflected it.

[Barbara Higdon · Rating 1 out of 5]

EDITING!!!!!

Trying to read these stories was very frustrating. Pages were out of order and I think another story got in the middle of one story. I got so frustrated I just quit reading at 59%

[Jennifer Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute stories.

I actually read this a couple years ago. It had some really cute stories in it that I really enjoyed.

[CeeVee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gooey like chocolate

OMG....i loved it.
Every one of them.
Felt like chocolate flavors bursting in your mouth.
It was amazing, thanks for the feast :)

[Tami Talbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this collection of Christmas Novellas promises to warm the heart this holiday season, at this point I have only had the opportunity to read one of the stories. The following is my review for Marrying Mr. English Part 1 by Katy Regnery

I have read Katy Regnery’s entire English Brothers series and was absolutely elated to learn that she was going to take us back in time and tell us the story of how their parents, Thomas and Eleanora, met. Since Thomas’ birthday is on Christmas Eve, their story takes place during the holiday season. Christmastime has always been my favorite time of the year and adding to that this amazing love story has just made it even better.

Being forced to wed before his 33rd birthday or risk losing his inheritance, Thomas travels to Colorado to get married simply to save his future. But when his prospective bride runs out the night before the wedding, Thomas is left with no options. Eleanora left home with her cousin three years ago and now lives her life working as a waitress, trying to make her way through college and avoiding the unwanted advances of the rich privileged men who regularly come into the diner in which she works. When Thomas arrives with a friend who attracts the attention of Eleanora’s cousin, despite her reservations, she agrees to a double date for her cousin’s benefit. However, she quickly becomes aware that there is more to Thomas than money. Thomas is also quickly intrigued by Eleanora’s feistiness as well as her intelligence. When they both agree they could benefit from a temporary marriage of convenience, Thomas and Eleanora decide to head to Vegas prior to going to Philadelphia to introduce her to his grandfather. But neither Thomas nor Eleanora anticipate the connection they begin to feel for one another that leads them both to question whether that could hinder their agreement which is for nothing more than a temporary arrangement.

First let me just say that having now been introduced to Thomas and getting to know him, I have a complete understanding of why I fell in love with each one of the English Brothers. Despite the fact that Thomas comes from a family with money, he is one of the most down to earth and swoon-worthy characters I have had the pleasure of reading about. And though Eleanora’s background is quite different with her having a simple and somewhat humble upbringing, she has an amazing elegance about her that absolutely sprang from the pages from the moment we met her. Despite such opposite backgrounds, there is an almost immediate connection of souls which develops from the moment Thomas and Eleanora’s eyes meet ultimately bringing forth an irrefutable and undeniable love that neither of them can ignore. It’s as if these two souls were made for each other and once they finally met, they immediately melded together and nothing was going to stand in their way.

Once again, Katy Regnery has gifted us with another amazing and fantastic story. I look forward to with great anticipation to Part 2 of Marrying Mr. English hoping to delve more deeply into the overwhelming and incredible love shared between Thomas and Eleanora as they begin their lives together. Bravo Ms. Katy. 5++ Heartfelt Stars!!!

[Jaime Fiction Fangirls · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
~ Catherine Gayle​ ~ Mistletoe Misconduct ~
I wouldn't normally pick up a story about a couple in their 50's but I really enjoyed this sweet second chance romance and probably need to rethink my stance on the mature romance thing. The writing was great and the story made me smile.

~ Jami Davenport​ ~ Hearts On Ice ~
This was a short, sweet and fun second chance sports romance. I definitely need to check out the rest of the series by this author.

~ Riley J. Ford​ ~ Romance. Avalanche. Love. ~
I didn't enjoy this one. It was a little heavy on the cheesy dramatics for me.

~ Krystal Shannan writing as Emma Roman​ ~ The Runaway Sleigh ~
This was a sweet second chance at love story with a return to the Christmas spirit theme. Yet another book about a more mature couple that I fell in love with. Definitely changing my opinion on this mature romance genre.

~ Allie K. Adams​ ~ Merry TREXmas ~
Hunter was definitely the highlight of this story. I enjoyed it but I had a hard time keeping all the characters straight.

~ Geri Foster​ ~ Holiday Mischief ~
In the beginning I almost skipped this story because I wasn't getting into it. Then Alex showed up and things got interesting. Now I feel the need to check out the rest of this Twisted Sisters series.

~ Tammy S. Falkner​ ~ Yes You ~
Reformed bad boy falls in love with rich, good girl. Yes please!!! I loved the writing in this story and I'm already adding this author's books to my TBR.

~ Tawdra Kandle​ ~ Underneath My Christmas Tree ~
This anthology is single-handedly doubling my TBR list. This story was so good and sweet but left me with so many questions. It's a good thing I'll get more of Trent and Elizabeth in January.

~ Chris Keniston​ ~ Love Walks In ~
I'm a little bit in love with this story. I loved Mike and Annette together but it was the relationship between Brian and Adam that really sealed the deal for me. I was really sad to see this story come to an end.

~ Katy Regnery​ ~ Marrying Mr. English ~
We finally get Eleanora and Tom's story and I just have to say, no wonder we've all fallen for the English brothers. Look at who they came from!

This story was sweet and fun and, honestly, not at all what I was expecting. Which only serves to make it that much more awesome.

Katy's storytelling ability never ceases to amaze me. She just keeps stepping up her game and I for one am thankful to have been around since the very beginning and plan on sticking around even longer.

~ Becca Boyd ~ As We Dream By The Fire ~
Did somebody say hot fireman? Yes please!!

~Jodi Vaughn​ ~ Christmas In Cloverton ~
You can't go wrong with a story about a girl and her lifelong crush being stranded and discovering that maybe the feelings were mutual the whole time. This story was sweet and funny. I just wish that I could have more of Eliza and Jake's story.