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Morgan Ranch #5.5
A Season to Celebrate
Featuring Christmas Homecoming by #1 New York Times bestselling author Fern Michaels, now the hit Hallmark movie Unlocking Christmas!
Make it a merry Christmas with four stories of the special way the holidays warm our hearts...
CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING * Fern Michaels
Former Air Force Pararescueman Kevin Matthews is back home in Texas, working at his family's Christmas tree farm while deciding his next move. Or maybe he won't move at all, if sparks keep flying with the town's new surgeon, Kate Stafford . . .
AN UNEXPECTED GIFT * Kate Pearce
Widower Billy Morgan wishes his grown children still needed him. Good thing his longtime friend, Bella, does. She's planning her son's Christmas wedding and Billy is happy to help. Along the way they just might discover their own occasion to celebrate . . .
CHRISTMAS IN BLUE HOLLOW FALLS * Donna Kauffman
Attorney Moira Brogan expects her brother's Christmas wedding to be a peaceful affair. She doesn't expect to be cornered by an unwanted lothario, rescued by a gorgeous Aussie chef--or be swept off her feet by said chef. Nursing a broken heart, the last thing she wants is a new romance. But Hudson Walker has other ideas . . .
HOLIDAY HOMERUN * Priscilla Oliveras
Event planner Julia Louisa Fernandez dreams of a life in Chicago. But her family in Puerto Rico expects her to take over the catering business. Former pro baseball player Ben Thomas knows what that's like--and when they meet, he might be the one to inspire a winning strategy, just in time for the holidays . . .
An Official Military Spouse Book Club Pick
Make it a merry Christmas with four stories of the special way the holidays warm our hearts...
CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING * Fern Michaels
Former Air Force Pararescueman Kevin Matthews is back home in Texas, working at his family's Christmas tree farm while deciding his next move. Or maybe he won't move at all, if sparks keep flying with the town's new surgeon, Kate Stafford . . .
AN UNEXPECTED GIFT * Kate Pearce
Widower Billy Morgan wishes his grown children still needed him. Good thing his longtime friend, Bella, does. She's planning her son's Christmas wedding and Billy is happy to help. Along the way they just might discover their own occasion to celebrate . . .
CHRISTMAS IN BLUE HOLLOW FALLS * Donna Kauffman
Attorney Moira Brogan expects her brother's Christmas wedding to be a peaceful affair. She doesn't expect to be cornered by an unwanted lothario, rescued by a gorgeous Aussie chef--or be swept off her feet by said chef. Nursing a broken heart, the last thing she wants is a new romance. But Hudson Walker has other ideas . . .
HOLIDAY HOMERUN * Priscilla Oliveras
Event planner Julia Louisa Fernandez dreams of a life in Chicago. But her family in Puerto Rico expects her to take over the catering business. Former pro baseball player Ben Thomas knows what that's like--and when they meet, he might be the one to inspire a winning strategy, just in time for the holidays . . .
An Official Military Spouse Book Club Pick
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 30, 2018
806 people are currently reading
3331 people want to read
About the author
Fern Michaels
424 books6,514 followersFern Michaels isn’t a person. I’m not sure she’s an entity either since an entity is something with separate existence. Fern Michaels® is what I DO. Me, Mary Ruth Kuczkir. Growing up in Hastings, Pennsylvania, I was called Ruth. I became Mary when I entered the business world where first names were the order of the day. To this day, family and friends call me Dink, a name my father gave me when I was born because according to him I was ‘a dinky little thing’ weighing in at four and a half pounds. However, I answer to Fern since people are more comfortable with a name they can pronounce.
As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.
Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.
READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/
As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.
Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.
READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews
October 6, 2022
A collection of novellas, some standalones, others from the author’s existing series. I especially enjoyed Fern Michaels’ tale of Kevin, who is returning home to Texas after several tours of military service to help out at his family’s Christmas tree farm, and Kate, who is relocating to a town outside of Austin with her young daughter. They meet, and some funny scenes occur between Christmas tree deliveries, gingerbread house making, and Christmas tree lightings. This was a great, holiday-filled tale. The last novella also had lots of neat Puerto Rican Christmas traditions!
October 30, 2018
4.5 - "I wouldn’t wish a broken heart on anyone…" Stars!
Review for ~ Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls by Donna Kauffman
This is essentially novella 2.5 in the Blue Hollow Falls series. Moira Brogan is the focus of this book. Being Seth’s sister we were introduced to her in book two; Bluestone & Vine and although you definitely don’t have to read it to know what is going on with her in this one, I would heartily recommend it as it is a great book, actually I would recommend the whole series on that basis.
"Time is the least accurate and reliable measure for how long it takes to fall in love… For some people it can take months… years. For others, it can happen in the blink of an eye."
Aussie chef Hudson Walker, isn’t expecting to end up arrested and in the slammer for looking in on his mate’s sister after the wedding party has broken up, but that’s exactly where he finds himself after rescuing Moira from a nasty situation, that escalates into an all-out bar brawl.
"The very last thing I’d ever do is let myself fall in love while I’m away on holiday… Again."
Moira is at a crossroads in her life, and Hudson revels in taking the unexpected turn at any crossroads he comes across, so as you can deduce they are quite the pair of opposites. One is a planner, the other lets life lead the way, but their attraction is undeniable, their connection deeper and more meaningful than either anticipated, and over a short space of time they discover more about each other (and themselves) but is it enough to make either of them take the decision to take the next road traveled together, especially when Moira has been hurt by what she thought was love quite recently…
"You can’t figure things out in pieces… Life tends to come at you full on. My experience is embrace it for what it is, get out of it what you can. Discard what doesn’t work, consider it a learning opportunity, and build on what does…"
I loved this little seasonal novella, getting to return to Blue Hollow Falls for any length of time is always a treat, but like always with this authors work, I wish it was longer!
ARC generously provided, in exchange for the above honest review.
Review for ~ Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls by Donna Kauffman
This is essentially novella 2.5 in the Blue Hollow Falls series. Moira Brogan is the focus of this book. Being Seth’s sister we were introduced to her in book two; Bluestone & Vine and although you definitely don’t have to read it to know what is going on with her in this one, I would heartily recommend it as it is a great book, actually I would recommend the whole series on that basis.
"Time is the least accurate and reliable measure for how long it takes to fall in love… For some people it can take months… years. For others, it can happen in the blink of an eye."
Aussie chef Hudson Walker, isn’t expecting to end up arrested and in the slammer for looking in on his mate’s sister after the wedding party has broken up, but that’s exactly where he finds himself after rescuing Moira from a nasty situation, that escalates into an all-out bar brawl.
"The very last thing I’d ever do is let myself fall in love while I’m away on holiday… Again."
Moira is at a crossroads in her life, and Hudson revels in taking the unexpected turn at any crossroads he comes across, so as you can deduce they are quite the pair of opposites. One is a planner, the other lets life lead the way, but their attraction is undeniable, their connection deeper and more meaningful than either anticipated, and over a short space of time they discover more about each other (and themselves) but is it enough to make either of them take the decision to take the next road traveled together, especially when Moira has been hurt by what she thought was love quite recently…
"You can’t figure things out in pieces… Life tends to come at you full on. My experience is embrace it for what it is, get out of it what you can. Discard what doesn’t work, consider it a learning opportunity, and build on what does…"
I loved this little seasonal novella, getting to return to Blue Hollow Falls for any length of time is always a treat, but like always with this authors work, I wish it was longer!
ARC generously provided, in exchange for the above honest review.
November 27, 2018
I always look forward to reading Christmas books this time of year, really helps me get into the season. This was a fun one in the sense that it had 4 novella length stories in it so it's a great way to get a taste of each author's writing style. Of the 4 author's I had only read, Donna Kauffman before. I enjoyed all the stories and just look at that cover, so appealing!
Pub Date 30 Oct 2018
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington Books through NetGalley. Thank you. All opinions are my own.
Pub Date 30 Oct 2018
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington Books through NetGalley. Thank you. All opinions are my own.
October 11, 2018
Each story in this novel brings you good tidings at Christmas. All four stories bring family together and romance unexpectedly.
Christmas Homecoming had me laughing. Kate Safford is the new surgeon who meets Kevin Mathews who was an Air Force pararescueman that returned home. The teenage romance that circled around these two was romantic. Love makes us act weird and not think straight.
An Unexpected Gift gives Billy Morgan a second chance at romance and spending time with his family. A wedding sometimes leads to another wedding for an attendee. Past friendships can lead to romance.
Christmas in Blue Hollow Moira hasn't been having the best love life. She is an attorney and her career hasn't been going how she planned. At a bar while a fight breaks out hot Aussie chef Hudson Walker comes to the rescue. Hudson was sent to by Moira's brother to keep an eye on her. Well her sure keep his eyes on her. A wedding at Christmas is my dream wedding.
Holiday Homerun what a lovely spanglish novel. I loved that my Puerto Rican heritage was celebrated in this story. Strongly can relate with the heritage, family values and strict family. Julia Fernandez hit a home homerun to create a spectacular event with Puerto Rican traditions. Ben Thomas the hot former baseball player falls in love with Julia. They have great chemistry.
Christmas Homecoming had me laughing. Kate Safford is the new surgeon who meets Kevin Mathews who was an Air Force pararescueman that returned home. The teenage romance that circled around these two was romantic. Love makes us act weird and not think straight.
An Unexpected Gift gives Billy Morgan a second chance at romance and spending time with his family. A wedding sometimes leads to another wedding for an attendee. Past friendships can lead to romance.
Christmas in Blue Hollow Moira hasn't been having the best love life. She is an attorney and her career hasn't been going how she planned. At a bar while a fight breaks out hot Aussie chef Hudson Walker comes to the rescue. Hudson was sent to by Moira's brother to keep an eye on her. Well her sure keep his eyes on her. A wedding at Christmas is my dream wedding.
Holiday Homerun what a lovely spanglish novel. I loved that my Puerto Rican heritage was celebrated in this story. Strongly can relate with the heritage, family values and strict family. Julia Fernandez hit a home homerun to create a spectacular event with Puerto Rican traditions. Ben Thomas the hot former baseball player falls in love with Julia. They have great chemistry.
November 12, 2018
Wished for more details and info on the characters and plots. My fault for not realizing these were connected to their series so did not work as well as a standalone book.
October 10, 2018
With the exception of Kate Pearce, these are the first stories I've read by these authors. I adore Ms. Pearce's Morgan Ranch series so reading Billy's story was really the icing on the cake for me. Definitely my favorite in this collection!
Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls left me wanting to read more so I will be checking into Ms. Kauffman's series. Very engaging and enjoyable story. I enjoyed Holiday Homerun immensely as well and will certainly see what Ms. Oliveras has to offer in her backlist. As for Christmas Homecoming, it didn't flow quite as nicely and the ending was very abrupt.
Overall, if you are looking for light stories to get you in the holiday spirit, this anthology certainly fits the bill!
Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls left me wanting to read more so I will be checking into Ms. Kauffman's series. Very engaging and enjoyable story. I enjoyed Holiday Homerun immensely as well and will certainly see what Ms. Oliveras has to offer in her backlist. As for Christmas Homecoming, it didn't flow quite as nicely and the ending was very abrupt.
Overall, if you are looking for light stories to get you in the holiday spirit, this anthology certainly fits the bill!
September 3, 2018
The first thing you need to know is that I will auto-buy most holiday books – I am a sucka for ‘em! As soon as I heard this collection was being released, it went on my to-buy list. I always purchase Ms. Michaels books and Ms. Oliveras was a new author to me, but this set of stories came with a favorite author (Donna Kauffman) and a “newly” favorite (Kate Pearce)! I was fortunate in that I received an early copy from NetGalley but I still pre-ordered. It really was an enjoyable read.
The four stories are about novella length so they move quickly. I also love, love, love Ms. Kauffman’s Blue Hollow series and her contribution is a part of that. I have also been reading Ms. Pearce’s Morgan Ranch series and her story is also from that series. No worries; they were all standalone reads. However, I had already “met” the characters from Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls and An Unexpected Gift.
I had some favorite lines in all the stories however I don’t want there to be any spoilers. In Christmas Homecoming, that line was almost at the end but Kevin’s and Kate’s story is sort of based on a comedy of errors. They keep misreading each other’s signals and it is Kate’s little girl that will steal the show with her one-liners, IMHO. In An Unexpected Gift, Billy Morgan finds love with an old friend, Bella. My favorite line? Bella’s Navy SEAL son tells Billy, “And all you need to remember is that if you hurt her I’ll come after you, and no one will ever find your body.” “Understood.” Billy nodded. Cracked me up, as you’ll see when you read it. Billy has a past and it plays a very large part of this story. In Holiday Homerun, if you have ever dealt with family expectations, the story will hit home. Julia and Ben both have things in their pasts that are probably direct opposites if you compared them, but they both have to deal with that in order to move forward. Touching and sometimes funny, but always enjoyable.
My absolute favorite of the stories was Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls by Ms. Kauffman. Again, it is a standalone however I’ve “met” Moira Brogan in a previous book about her brother Seth however this, too, stands alone. As a matter of fact, she is “rescued” by Hudson Walker after Seth’s wedding, and they are adorable together. Hudson is one of those characters where you think, this guy is too good to be true, but he never gets…sappy, for lack of a better term. And I loved his choice of housing! Moira’s life is in turmoil as she has had some disappointments and discouraging events in her past but always has the love of her big Irish family behind her. She just wishes that sometimes they were fa-a-a-a-a-a-a-arrrrrrrrrr behind her! I love these two and it was a peek into life around Blue Hollow Falls and it made me sigh and say, ‘Awwwwwwwwwwww!’ I love the series and it just carried thru with this story.
All in all, well worth the purchase of the book! I will re-read in years to come.
The four stories are about novella length so they move quickly. I also love, love, love Ms. Kauffman’s Blue Hollow series and her contribution is a part of that. I have also been reading Ms. Pearce’s Morgan Ranch series and her story is also from that series. No worries; they were all standalone reads. However, I had already “met” the characters from Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls and An Unexpected Gift.
I had some favorite lines in all the stories however I don’t want there to be any spoilers. In Christmas Homecoming, that line was almost at the end but Kevin’s and Kate’s story is sort of based on a comedy of errors. They keep misreading each other’s signals and it is Kate’s little girl that will steal the show with her one-liners, IMHO. In An Unexpected Gift, Billy Morgan finds love with an old friend, Bella. My favorite line? Bella’s Navy SEAL son tells Billy, “And all you need to remember is that if you hurt her I’ll come after you, and no one will ever find your body.” “Understood.” Billy nodded. Cracked me up, as you’ll see when you read it. Billy has a past and it plays a very large part of this story. In Holiday Homerun, if you have ever dealt with family expectations, the story will hit home. Julia and Ben both have things in their pasts that are probably direct opposites if you compared them, but they both have to deal with that in order to move forward. Touching and sometimes funny, but always enjoyable.
My absolute favorite of the stories was Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls by Ms. Kauffman. Again, it is a standalone however I’ve “met” Moira Brogan in a previous book about her brother Seth however this, too, stands alone. As a matter of fact, she is “rescued” by Hudson Walker after Seth’s wedding, and they are adorable together. Hudson is one of those characters where you think, this guy is too good to be true, but he never gets…sappy, for lack of a better term. And I loved his choice of housing! Moira’s life is in turmoil as she has had some disappointments and discouraging events in her past but always has the love of her big Irish family behind her. She just wishes that sometimes they were fa-a-a-a-a-a-a-arrrrrrrrrr behind her! I love these two and it was a peek into life around Blue Hollow Falls and it made me sigh and say, ‘Awwwwwwwwwwww!’ I love the series and it just carried thru with this story.
All in all, well worth the purchase of the book! I will re-read in years to come.
October 25, 2018
I loved all the stories. I didn't see any reviews on Holiday Home Run but it was my favorite if I had to pick a favorite. I enjoyed each and every one and they definitely put you in the mood for Christmas.
October 13, 2018
This was a very enjoyable Christmas anthology, perfect for getting you in the holiday spirit. I must say that the only one of these authors I had previously read was Kate Pearce. Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the rest of her Morgan Ranch series, it was very nice to see Billy (the dad) get his own happy ever after. Although even if you've never read any of the books in the series, this short story can be read on its own.
After reading Donna Kauffman's short story set in her Blue Hollows Falls series, I find myself wanting to read more from the series simply because I enjoyed the writing. Small town contemporary romances are some of my favorites.
So while these two stories were my favorite, all in all it was a great collection of stories.
After reading Donna Kauffman's short story set in her Blue Hollows Falls series, I find myself wanting to read more from the series simply because I enjoyed the writing. Small town contemporary romances are some of my favorites.
So while these two stories were my favorite, all in all it was a great collection of stories.
November 15, 2018
Reviewed by Jen
Book provided by Netgalley
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
I love Christmas anthologies. I get several short, hopefully well rounded romance with all the magic from the Christmas season. And A Season to Celebrate delivered that feel-good feeling I wanted.
CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING by Fern Michaels — I think Fern Michaels is the queen of Christmas short stories. Her tales headline many anthologies, several of which have a keeper place on my shelves. In this story, Kevin is returning to his hometown after an injury sustained ends his military career. And then there is Kate who has moved to town with her daughter to advance her career as a surgeon. It’s a small town, so they keep running into each other and there are definite sparks. But there are also misunderstandings that provide a little tension in this novella. The characters are likeable and the situation believable. I’m not always fond of kids in stories, but Kate’s daughter added a little comic relief. All in all, I finished the story with a smile on my face.
AN UNEXPECTED GIFT by Kate Pearce — Kate Pearce is a new-to-me author. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting her, but I hadn’t read any of her books until this anthology. I didn’t know what to expect going in to the story, but what I found was a story featuring mature characters finding love later in life. Billy and Bella have know each other for years but never really looked at each other that way. But they’re thrown together and they just… fit. I don’t read many books with older couples and it was refreshing to have one included in this anthology. I walked away wanting to read more by Ms. Pearce.
CHRISTMAS IN BLUE HOLLOW FALLS by Donna Kauffman — I’ll admit, this story was the main reason that I picked up this anthology. I have read a couple of the books in the Blue Hollow Falls series and was interested in returning to the small, unique community. The story does stand on it’s own, but there’s enough connection to the series that it’s richer if you’ve read the other books. Moira is an attorney who comes to Blue Hollow Falls for her brother’s wedding. Enter Hudson who is drawn to Moira, but she isn’t looking for a relationship but rather to advance her career. But the magic of the holiday, a persuasive Aussie and an enchanting community has her rethinking her priorities. This story is another winner by Donna Kauffman.
HOLIDAY HOMERUN by Priscilla Oliveras — Ms. Oliveras is another new-to-me author. The twist with this book was the heroine with a Puerto Rican heritage. This is another aspect (like the mature characters) that isn’t commonplace in romance novels, and it was quite welcome to me. Julia, an event planner, and Ben, a famous ex-baseball player, are thrown together in the planning of a charity event. Julia wants nothing to do with Ben and he wants everything to do with Julia. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and will be looking forward to reading more by Ms. Oliveras.
Overall, this anthology had a little of everything and I’m glad I picked it up. I found two new authors and a variety of stories to help me start to get in the Christmas mood.
Book provided by Netgalley
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
I love Christmas anthologies. I get several short, hopefully well rounded romance with all the magic from the Christmas season. And A Season to Celebrate delivered that feel-good feeling I wanted.
CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING by Fern Michaels — I think Fern Michaels is the queen of Christmas short stories. Her tales headline many anthologies, several of which have a keeper place on my shelves. In this story, Kevin is returning to his hometown after an injury sustained ends his military career. And then there is Kate who has moved to town with her daughter to advance her career as a surgeon. It’s a small town, so they keep running into each other and there are definite sparks. But there are also misunderstandings that provide a little tension in this novella. The characters are likeable and the situation believable. I’m not always fond of kids in stories, but Kate’s daughter added a little comic relief. All in all, I finished the story with a smile on my face.
AN UNEXPECTED GIFT by Kate Pearce — Kate Pearce is a new-to-me author. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting her, but I hadn’t read any of her books until this anthology. I didn’t know what to expect going in to the story, but what I found was a story featuring mature characters finding love later in life. Billy and Bella have know each other for years but never really looked at each other that way. But they’re thrown together and they just… fit. I don’t read many books with older couples and it was refreshing to have one included in this anthology. I walked away wanting to read more by Ms. Pearce.
CHRISTMAS IN BLUE HOLLOW FALLS by Donna Kauffman — I’ll admit, this story was the main reason that I picked up this anthology. I have read a couple of the books in the Blue Hollow Falls series and was interested in returning to the small, unique community. The story does stand on it’s own, but there’s enough connection to the series that it’s richer if you’ve read the other books. Moira is an attorney who comes to Blue Hollow Falls for her brother’s wedding. Enter Hudson who is drawn to Moira, but she isn’t looking for a relationship but rather to advance her career. But the magic of the holiday, a persuasive Aussie and an enchanting community has her rethinking her priorities. This story is another winner by Donna Kauffman.
HOLIDAY HOMERUN by Priscilla Oliveras — Ms. Oliveras is another new-to-me author. The twist with this book was the heroine with a Puerto Rican heritage. This is another aspect (like the mature characters) that isn’t commonplace in romance novels, and it was quite welcome to me. Julia, an event planner, and Ben, a famous ex-baseball player, are thrown together in the planning of a charity event. Julia wants nothing to do with Ben and he wants everything to do with Julia. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and will be looking forward to reading more by Ms. Oliveras.
Overall, this anthology had a little of everything and I’m glad I picked it up. I found two new authors and a variety of stories to help me start to get in the Christmas mood.
October 28, 2018
A Season to Celebrate by Fern Michaels; Kate Pearce; Donna Kauffman; Priscilla Oliveras
This is such a great box set with some cute and feel good stories. This box sets total about 305 pages with four different stories by different authors. This is a great way to get a 'taste' of authors you might not have read before and also to get you a great quick story to get you romance fix for the day.
Overall loved each story and would recommend this book. Here is a copy of the stories you are getting with a blurb from each:
CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING * Fern Michaels
Former Air Force Pararescueman Kevin Matthews is back home in Texas, working at his family’s Christmas tree farm while deciding his next move. Or maybe he won’t move at all, if sparks keep flying with the town’s new surgeon, Kate Stafford . . .
AN UNEXPECTED GIFT * Kate Pearce
Widower Billy Morgan wishes his grown children still needed him. Good thing his longtime friend, Bella, does. She’s planning her son’s Christmas wedding and Billy is happy to help. Along the way they just might discover their own occasion to celebrate . . .
CHRISTMAS IN BLUE HOLLOW FALLS * Donna Kauffman
Attorney Moira Brogan expects her brother’s Christmas wedding to be a peaceful affair. She doesn’t expect to be cornered by an unwanted lothario, rescued by a gorgeous Aussie chef—or be swept off her feet by said chef. Nursing a broken heart, the last thing she wants is a new romance. But Hudson Walker has other ideas . . .
HOLIDAY HOMERUN * Priscilla Oliveras
Event planner Julia Louisa Fernandez dreams of a life in Chicago. But her family in Puerto Rico expects her to take over the catering business. Former pro baseball player Ben Thomas knows what that’s like—and when they meet, he might be the one to inspire a winning strategy, just in time for the holidays . .
This is such a great box set with some cute and feel good stories. This box sets total about 305 pages with four different stories by different authors. This is a great way to get a 'taste' of authors you might not have read before and also to get you a great quick story to get you romance fix for the day.
Overall loved each story and would recommend this book. Here is a copy of the stories you are getting with a blurb from each:
CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING * Fern Michaels
Former Air Force Pararescueman Kevin Matthews is back home in Texas, working at his family’s Christmas tree farm while deciding his next move. Or maybe he won’t move at all, if sparks keep flying with the town’s new surgeon, Kate Stafford . . .
AN UNEXPECTED GIFT * Kate Pearce
Widower Billy Morgan wishes his grown children still needed him. Good thing his longtime friend, Bella, does. She’s planning her son’s Christmas wedding and Billy is happy to help. Along the way they just might discover their own occasion to celebrate . . .
CHRISTMAS IN BLUE HOLLOW FALLS * Donna Kauffman
Attorney Moira Brogan expects her brother’s Christmas wedding to be a peaceful affair. She doesn’t expect to be cornered by an unwanted lothario, rescued by a gorgeous Aussie chef—or be swept off her feet by said chef. Nursing a broken heart, the last thing she wants is a new romance. But Hudson Walker has other ideas . . .
HOLIDAY HOMERUN * Priscilla Oliveras
Event planner Julia Louisa Fernandez dreams of a life in Chicago. But her family in Puerto Rico expects her to take over the catering business. Former pro baseball player Ben Thomas knows what that’s like—and when they meet, he might be the one to inspire a winning strategy, just in time for the holidays . .
November 18, 2021
3 1/2 "Very Sweet Holiday Romances." Stars!
Four sweet short stories. A little something for everyone- Second chance, Sports, Mature Love Over 50, Single Parent. I really enjoyed all the stories. All clean romances. Happy reading!
Four sweet short stories. A little something for everyone- Second chance, Sports, Mature Love Over 50, Single Parent. I really enjoyed all the stories. All clean romances. Happy reading!
October 18, 2018
Every time there is a compilation of short stores that hinge on authors series stories there are always ones that stand out. I loved AN UNEXPECTED GIFT by Kate Pearce which allows Morgan Ranch fans to get the low down on widower Billy Morgan. His chance for a happily ever after is stumbled upon when Bella, Billy's childhood friend, plans a party at the ranch for her son. The other excerpt that stood out to me was CHRISTMAS IN BLUE HOLLOW FALLS by Donna Kauffman This was a new author to experience and I loved this story. A meeting between an attorney and a chef makes for a tasty bit of prose. A copy of this book was provided by Kensington Books via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."
October 31, 2018
A Christmas Homecoming - Two extremely well-adjusted people with positive outlooks on life move to the same town and make googly-eyes at each other for like 80 or so pages. Really. That's it. For the bulk of the story, the two leads don't even interact, it's all just other people trying to shove them together and/or discussing inane domestic topics. The story ends right after the leads realize the other is single and just smile across the room at each other. And there were so! many! exclamation! points! Also, I'm a veteran from Texas, and even I think the opening of this book went waaay overboard on harping that Kevin is a vet from Texas. Yeesh.
An Unexpected Gift - Widower Billy saves his old friend Bella from an altercation, and the two rekindle a friendship that quickly grows into a romance. Both leads are over 50, which is not something I encounter a lot in this genre, and it was really nice to see them discussing elder-oriented concerns. They were very cute together. Short, sweet, and uncomplicated, which is just about right for a short story like this. Might be frustrating to those who haven't read Kate Pearce's series; there are a LOT of characters mentioned as if the audience should already know them.
Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls - After her brother's wedding, Moira finds herself in a bar trying to drink her way through her blues, and winds up in an altercation with a smarmy jackass. She gets rescued by Hudson, and they hit things off. Much as I liked both characters, I feel like this short story really should have been a full novel. The bar-fiend and the altercation that resulted gets waved about as a villain, but then nothing comes of it. Both leads have a lot of issues and backstory, but instead of being delved into, the two just talk about it. A lot. In depth and with no hesitation. Because how else are you going to get through the whole arc in such a short time? A lot of potential here, but just not truncated well. Does make me want to check out the author's actual series, though, and see what she can do with the proper amount of page time.
Holiday Homerun - Julia is in Chicago, visiting from Puerto Rico, to spend time with family and help host a charity event. Unbeknownst to her family, Julia is hoping that the event will lead to an offer of full-time employment and she can move to Chicago permanently. Things get complicated when the emcee of the event, a very handsome baseball player, takes an interest in her. I liked Julia's relationship with her family (both the family she's visiting and the family back in PR) and her concerns about moving and breaking the news. However, when it comes to her and Ben...the tension felt a little forced. She doesn't want to get involved...because he's a baseball player? And that...is bad? There was definitely the beginning of a conflict there, as his job tied back to her emotional history with the sport, but it wasn't followed through because, well, because it's a short story. The focus was on her job/moving drama. So when sports drama came up, it was mentioned and then they just kept going on dates anyway. Another case of "I can see good ideas here and I'm curious to check out the author's full length work," I guess. :)
See more reviews at Sarcasm and Lemons
An Unexpected Gift - Widower Billy saves his old friend Bella from an altercation, and the two rekindle a friendship that quickly grows into a romance. Both leads are over 50, which is not something I encounter a lot in this genre, and it was really nice to see them discussing elder-oriented concerns. They were very cute together. Short, sweet, and uncomplicated, which is just about right for a short story like this. Might be frustrating to those who haven't read Kate Pearce's series; there are a LOT of characters mentioned as if the audience should already know them.
Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls - After her brother's wedding, Moira finds herself in a bar trying to drink her way through her blues, and winds up in an altercation with a smarmy jackass. She gets rescued by Hudson, and they hit things off. Much as I liked both characters, I feel like this short story really should have been a full novel. The bar-fiend and the altercation that resulted gets waved about as a villain, but then nothing comes of it. Both leads have a lot of issues and backstory, but instead of being delved into, the two just talk about it. A lot. In depth and with no hesitation. Because how else are you going to get through the whole arc in such a short time? A lot of potential here, but just not truncated well. Does make me want to check out the author's actual series, though, and see what she can do with the proper amount of page time.
Holiday Homerun - Julia is in Chicago, visiting from Puerto Rico, to spend time with family and help host a charity event. Unbeknownst to her family, Julia is hoping that the event will lead to an offer of full-time employment and she can move to Chicago permanently. Things get complicated when the emcee of the event, a very handsome baseball player, takes an interest in her. I liked Julia's relationship with her family (both the family she's visiting and the family back in PR) and her concerns about moving and breaking the news. However, when it comes to her and Ben...the tension felt a little forced. She doesn't want to get involved...because he's a baseball player? And that...is bad? There was definitely the beginning of a conflict there, as his job tied back to her emotional history with the sport, but it wasn't followed through because, well, because it's a short story. The focus was on her job/moving drama. So when sports drama came up, it was mentioned and then they just kept going on dates anyway. Another case of "I can see good ideas here and I'm curious to check out the author's full length work," I guess. :)
See more reviews at Sarcasm and Lemons
October 25, 2018
If you are looking for a cozy Christmas read, this anthology is for you!
I read the first story with a hero’s homecoming and a new girl in town. Usually, anthologies skip the background details, but this one was all about inner thoughts and personal histories. The Christmas theme and family dynamic was heartwarming, but I prefer more action and less internal dialogue.
The second book, cute story. Billy and Bella’s story is a mid-life second chance romance. The characters were fun and the story was short but sweet.
Book 3, Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls starts with a bar fight and ends in a caboose. What a ride! Delightful story of young Moira finding her way after several hard knocks. I liked the setting and characters so much I may read the rest of the Blue Hollow Falls series.
The final book was a delightful mix of a woman trying to reach her career goals while mixing romance with a retired baseball hero. I love the Christmas theme in this one, and how Julia stayed true to herself through the many challenges she faced.
ARC provided by Netgalley, thank you!
I read the first story with a hero’s homecoming and a new girl in town. Usually, anthologies skip the background details, but this one was all about inner thoughts and personal histories. The Christmas theme and family dynamic was heartwarming, but I prefer more action and less internal dialogue.
The second book, cute story. Billy and Bella’s story is a mid-life second chance romance. The characters were fun and the story was short but sweet.
Book 3, Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls starts with a bar fight and ends in a caboose. What a ride! Delightful story of young Moira finding her way after several hard knocks. I liked the setting and characters so much I may read the rest of the Blue Hollow Falls series.
The final book was a delightful mix of a woman trying to reach her career goals while mixing romance with a retired baseball hero. I love the Christmas theme in this one, and how Julia stayed true to herself through the many challenges she faced.
ARC provided by Netgalley, thank you!
January 3, 2019
My last book for cheesy Christmas reads was a bit of a let down. Though, in the book's defense, perhaps I was just a little burned out after Christmas to continue on in this genre. But, I think the most I would have given this book, even at my peak Christmas enjoyment, would have been 3 stars.
Christmas Homecoming by Fern Michaels: 1*—sweet Jesus this story was horrible. It was about two people who were new/newly returned to a small town and want to ask each other out. But, through a series of misunderstanding, incorrect assumptions, and just immaturity, they dance around each other for 100 pages. And then the story ends with them finally realizing they are actually both single. It just did not work for me.
An Unexpected Gift by Kate Pearce: 2*—this story was better than the first. Though that is not saying much. I did like that it was about two people in their late 50s who have known each other their whole lives but finally realize that they have a spark. That was cute. But, oh my word, their romantic interactions were freaking painful. I cringed while reading it. And then they were magically in love after like a hot minute despite knowing each other since kindergarten. Eh.
Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls by Donna Kauffman: 2.5*—I wanted to like this one more, but it was a classic case of a man telling a woman he just met everything that is wrong with how she is living her life and she changes everything for him while he doesn't change a damn thing. It was a little too much pontification on life for me. But I now want to live in a refurbished train car, so there is that.
Holiday Homerun by Priscilla Oliveras: 4*—save the best for last! This was a cute story about a young woman from Puerto Rico who is working a temporary event planning job in Chicago in hopes that it turns into a full time gig. Of course, her future career hinges on a successful Christmas fundraiser to benefit local children with Chicago Cubs All-Star emceeing the event. I just liked these two people. The guy was a little too intense, the girl doth protest just a little too much. But I can overlook that when there are adorable children involved.
Christmas Homecoming by Fern Michaels: 1*—sweet Jesus this story was horrible. It was about two people who were new/newly returned to a small town and want to ask each other out. But, through a series of misunderstanding, incorrect assumptions, and just immaturity, they dance around each other for 100 pages. And then the story ends with them finally realizing they are actually both single. It just did not work for me.
An Unexpected Gift by Kate Pearce: 2*—this story was better than the first. Though that is not saying much. I did like that it was about two people in their late 50s who have known each other their whole lives but finally realize that they have a spark. That was cute. But, oh my word, their romantic interactions were freaking painful. I cringed while reading it. And then they were magically in love after like a hot minute despite knowing each other since kindergarten. Eh.
Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls by Donna Kauffman: 2.5*—I wanted to like this one more, but it was a classic case of a man telling a woman he just met everything that is wrong with how she is living her life and she changes everything for him while he doesn't change a damn thing. It was a little too much pontification on life for me. But I now want to live in a refurbished train car, so there is that.
Holiday Homerun by Priscilla Oliveras: 4*—save the best for last! This was a cute story about a young woman from Puerto Rico who is working a temporary event planning job in Chicago in hopes that it turns into a full time gig. Of course, her future career hinges on a successful Christmas fundraiser to benefit local children with Chicago Cubs All-Star emceeing the event. I just liked these two people. The guy was a little too intense, the girl doth protest just a little too much. But I can overlook that when there are adorable children involved.
August 28, 2018
I totally blew through Donna Kauffman's Christmas at Blue Hollow Falls, which features Seth's sister Moira. There was a teaser for this one in the back of Bluestone and Vine and I've been salivating. I'll get around to the rest of the novellas as we edge closer to actual Christmas, but this one was no disappointment. Super adorable, with our sexy Aussie chef Hudson and control freak Moira. The attraction is instantaneous and they just balance each other really well. This is far more a story about feels than conflict. It's not long enough for much conflict--which entirely centers around whether Moira's ready to take a risk (because remember she got her heart stomped on in Ireland). Two thumbs up and wishing it were about twice as long just because I wanted more of these two.
November 13, 2018
A couple of the books were really good and a couple were a bit off. But, if you are looking for holiday stories, this one has a couple of good ones.
October 29, 2018
Look, I’m going to be 100% honest with you. I completely picked this up for Priscilla Oliveras’ story, because all the other authors are completely new to me. Also, while the cover is cute, it’s usually indicative of the kind of romance I don’t particularly enjoy, so I had pretty low expectations going in. Luckily, most of the stories were quite good and I got to add a few new authors to my TBR!
“A Christmas Homecoming” – Fern Michaels – ★★
This was a not great start to the anthology. On the surface, it sounds good. Kevin is returning home to his family and their Christmas tree farm after six years in the military, and Kate and her young daughter have just moved to town after she accepted a position at the local hospital. From their initial meeting at church to a tree delivery, there’s definite interest between the two of them and this honestly should’ve been a slam dunk. Unfortunately, the entire story revolved around judgey misconceptions – View Spoiler » There was actually a large chunk of the story from Kevin’s mom’s POV, which felt like an odd choice in such a short story. There were a couple of other turns of phrases that struck me wrong (some nasty fatphobia right in the beginning that nearly had me throw out the whole anthology, plus a weird remark about PC police not letting kids cut out paper stars?), plus Kate’s kid was an absolute plot moppet. This was the first thing I’ve read by this author, and I think it’ll also be the last!
“An Unexpected Gift” – Kate Pearce – ★★★★
This story itself is, like the title says, an unexpected gift! It’s the usual story of two people from a small town who’ve known each other since kindergarten – the only difference is, kindergarten was fifty years ago! Both Billy and Bella have been married before, and both have grown children who have apparently gotten their HEAs. This is set in an existing series (the Morgan Ranch series), and while I definitely felt like I was missing out on some things (there are a LOT of characters), I don’t think it affected the main romance. At heart, this is a sort of second chance romance, in the sense that this is the second “big love” in both their lives. I appreciated the older hero and heroine and the gentle humor. Overall, heartwarming, and I’ve added the first in the series to my TBR! (A sidenote: though the rest of the stories in this anthology don’t involve sexual content beyond kisses, this one has several sex scenes)
“Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls” – Donna Kauffman – ★★★★
In Blue Hollow Falls for the Christmas wedding of her brother to a famous Irish folk singer, Moira’s hiding out a hotel bar drowning her sorrows in soda when she’s propositioned – and then assaulted – by a slimy guy. Luckily Hudson – the wedding caterer and her brother’s good friend – is there and steps in to help rescue her, and then brings her back to his place (a renovated train carriage, no less). Moira is recovering from a relationship gone wrong and failing the California bar exam. Normally Moira’s quite staid – she has plans upon plans – but recently she’s tried to do some things spontaneously and it backfired spectacularly. So she’s enchanted by Hudson, who’s spent his time wandering around the globe and having adventure after adventure, and has currently been the chef of her brother’s restaurant for a year. It’s got laugh-out-loud touches of humor and also a philosophical discussion of how to approach life – Moira’s goal-oriented control freak versus Hudson’s go-with-the-flow. I also loved the descriptions of Moira’s crazy Irish family, and deeply identified with her conflict over loving them and wanting to be near them, but not quite too near. This is part of the aptly named “Blue Hollow Falls” series, and I will definitely be picking up the first book!
“Holiday Home Run” – Priscilla Oliveras – ★★★★
Saving the best for last! Julia is an event planner and the cousin of the sisters from the Matched to Perfection series. She grew up in Puerto Rico helping her mom run her catering company and dealing with her baseball-obsessed brothers. While she loves her family, she, too, feels suffocated by their expectations that she take over the family business, so she’s looking at making the move to Chicago. The linchpin of her plan is pulling off the best holiday soiree fundraiser for the Chicago Youth Association that the town has ever seen in the hopes of landing a permanent job there. If only the fundraiser didn’t come with a certain handsome retired baseball player involved…
At first, Ben is seemingly only interested in Julia because she doesn’t seem as starstruck around him. Gradually, though, as they work together on the fundraiser, the spark turns into something more. Julia, however, has zero interest in dating an athlete after spending her whole life submerged in baseball, even if Ben is kind, compassionate, a good listener, and did I mention handsome? The big problem, though, is that Ben doesn’t understand why she wants to move away from her family, when he’s so desperately missing the family he found in his baseball team. Watching the two of them work it out was so sweet and at times heart wrenching. I also loved the touches of Puerto Rican holiday traditions, though I did finish the story hungry for pernil and arroz con gandules!
Another great story from Ms. Oliveras, and I’m so looking forward to Lilí’s book next month!
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
“Before I left, I was just going through the motions, living from one day to the next, not fully realizing what I had and what I could do with my life. Now I understand how important it is to be grounded. Be a part of something. The loyalty. The love. The unwavering attention you give to each other. Everyone needs to learn to love just a little more and learn to accept it.”
“A Christmas Homecoming” – Fern Michaels – ★★
This was a not great start to the anthology. On the surface, it sounds good. Kevin is returning home to his family and their Christmas tree farm after six years in the military, and Kate and her young daughter have just moved to town after she accepted a position at the local hospital. From their initial meeting at church to a tree delivery, there’s definite interest between the two of them and this honestly should’ve been a slam dunk. Unfortunately, the entire story revolved around judgey misconceptions – View Spoiler » There was actually a large chunk of the story from Kevin’s mom’s POV, which felt like an odd choice in such a short story. There were a couple of other turns of phrases that struck me wrong (some nasty fatphobia right in the beginning that nearly had me throw out the whole anthology, plus a weird remark about PC police not letting kids cut out paper stars?), plus Kate’s kid was an absolute plot moppet. This was the first thing I’ve read by this author, and I think it’ll also be the last!
“Everything he’d had and lost, everything he’d ever wanted to achieve with the blessing of this second chance now made sense. Bella made sense of it. Coming home to his old friend completed a circle he hadn’t even been aware he was traveling.”
“An Unexpected Gift” – Kate Pearce – ★★★★
This story itself is, like the title says, an unexpected gift! It’s the usual story of two people from a small town who’ve known each other since kindergarten – the only difference is, kindergarten was fifty years ago! Both Billy and Bella have been married before, and both have grown children who have apparently gotten their HEAs. This is set in an existing series (the Morgan Ranch series), and while I definitely felt like I was missing out on some things (there are a LOT of characters), I don’t think it affected the main romance. At heart, this is a sort of second chance romance, in the sense that this is the second “big love” in both their lives. I appreciated the older hero and heroine and the gentle humor. Overall, heartwarming, and I’ve added the first in the series to my TBR! (A sidenote: though the rest of the stories in this anthology don’t involve sexual content beyond kisses, this one has several sex scenes)
“I’m a pretty goal-oriented person. I like to make plans, and stick to those plans. But, I guess I came to a turning point, and for the first time ever, I finally made a few bold, completely unplanned choices. The end result of which was a complete train wreck.” Her smile widened. “You, on the other hand, wander the globe on a whim, and end up making the wrecked train into an amazing home.”
“Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls” – Donna Kauffman – ★★★★
In Blue Hollow Falls for the Christmas wedding of her brother to a famous Irish folk singer, Moira’s hiding out a hotel bar drowning her sorrows in soda when she’s propositioned – and then assaulted – by a slimy guy. Luckily Hudson – the wedding caterer and her brother’s good friend – is there and steps in to help rescue her, and then brings her back to his place (a renovated train carriage, no less). Moira is recovering from a relationship gone wrong and failing the California bar exam. Normally Moira’s quite staid – she has plans upon plans – but recently she’s tried to do some things spontaneously and it backfired spectacularly. So she’s enchanted by Hudson, who’s spent his time wandering around the globe and having adventure after adventure, and has currently been the chef of her brother’s restaurant for a year. It’s got laugh-out-loud touches of humor and also a philosophical discussion of how to approach life – Moira’s goal-oriented control freak versus Hudson’s go-with-the-flow. I also loved the descriptions of Moira’s crazy Irish family, and deeply identified with her conflict over loving them and wanting to be near them, but not quite too near. This is part of the aptly named “Blue Hollow Falls” series, and I will definitely be picking up the first book!
“Sometimes, a move away from the place where we’re the most comfortable allows for the best kind of growth.”
“Holiday Home Run” – Priscilla Oliveras – ★★★★
Saving the best for last! Julia is an event planner and the cousin of the sisters from the Matched to Perfection series. She grew up in Puerto Rico helping her mom run her catering company and dealing with her baseball-obsessed brothers. While she loves her family, she, too, feels suffocated by their expectations that she take over the family business, so she’s looking at making the move to Chicago. The linchpin of her plan is pulling off the best holiday soiree fundraiser for the Chicago Youth Association that the town has ever seen in the hopes of landing a permanent job there. If only the fundraiser didn’t come with a certain handsome retired baseball player involved…
At first, Ben is seemingly only interested in Julia because she doesn’t seem as starstruck around him. Gradually, though, as they work together on the fundraiser, the spark turns into something more. Julia, however, has zero interest in dating an athlete after spending her whole life submerged in baseball, even if Ben is kind, compassionate, a good listener, and did I mention handsome? The big problem, though, is that Ben doesn’t understand why she wants to move away from her family, when he’s so desperately missing the family he found in his baseball team. Watching the two of them work it out was so sweet and at times heart wrenching. I also loved the touches of Puerto Rican holiday traditions, though I did finish the story hungry for pernil and arroz con gandules!
Another great story from Ms. Oliveras, and I’m so looking forward to Lilí’s book next month!
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
October 29, 2018
I seriously don’t know how I got lucky enough to get another holiday anthology ARC. I’m sure not complaining though. First, I got to read Santa’s on His Way last month. Now I get to read this one, with some new-to-me authors and some old favorites. On top of that, this book has an amazing cover that really got me into the Christmas spirit. I love it!
A Christmas Homecoming
by Fern Michaels
Believe it or not, I’ve never read a Fern Michaels book. I don’t know if you find that odd, but I sure do. With as many books as she has under her belt and with how many books I read you’d think I would have crossed paths with her writing before now. While this story piqued my interest in her storytelling, I’m not sure exactly how I feel about her writing. It’s hard to tell from such a short story. While I definitely felt the spark between Kate and Kevin, all while things were kept G-rated to boot, there were other issues I had. I know, I know, not everyone is such a stickler for how accurately military matters are presented in such stories. But I am. It was nothing drastically wrong, but enough that it stuck in my craw. I also felt a bit like the author didn’t give nurses the respect they deserve. Again, nothing overt…just enough to annoy me. Overall, this is a really sweet story that really lets the reader fill in the blanks to their own liking. I’ll most likely look into reading more of her work now that I’ve had my introduction. ~3 stars (G)
An Unexpected Gift
by Kate Pearce
I just adore this author and her Morgan Ranch series. Although you don’t have to have read that series to enjoy this short story, I recommend you do because they’re all amazing reads. Other than getting to revisit some of my favorite characters, I enjoyed that this story is about an older couple. When I say older I mean early 50’s. But let’s face it, most contemporary romance deals with the 40 and under crowd. So it was wonderful to read about a patriarch and matriarch of two different families finding their second chance at love and have sexual feelings to go along with that love. ~5 stars (R)
Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls
by Donna Kauffman
Although I haven’t read this author’s Blue Hollow Falls series, obviously this story ties into those books. I didn’t feel lost in the story or like I was missing anything by not having read them yet though. The chemistry between Hudson and Moira is great and I was rooting for them through the whole thing. The beginning scenes in the bar were phenomenal and truly had my stomach in knots and anger welling up inside of me. The dialogue in this one was as mixed bag for me. This story is extremely dialogue heavy. At some times, I found that to be a good thing. At other times, it was a bit overwhelming. All in all, this was a really interesting and solid story. ~3.5 stars (PG)
Holiday Home Run
by Priscilla Oliveras
Now this is a new-to-me author I actually never heard of, and I loved her! I can’t wait to get my hands on more of her work. The chemistry is amazing even while keeping this story totally PG. Even though I could tell some of the more peripheral characters must be in this author’s other books, this was a complete story and I didn’t feel as though I was missing anything by having not yet read the other books. This story has a sprinkle of sports, it dabbles in the holidays, and it highlights some wonderful cultural celebrations. I was duly impressed. ~4 stars (PG)
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
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A Christmas Homecoming
by Fern Michaels
Believe it or not, I’ve never read a Fern Michaels book. I don’t know if you find that odd, but I sure do. With as many books as she has under her belt and with how many books I read you’d think I would have crossed paths with her writing before now. While this story piqued my interest in her storytelling, I’m not sure exactly how I feel about her writing. It’s hard to tell from such a short story. While I definitely felt the spark between Kate and Kevin, all while things were kept G-rated to boot, there were other issues I had. I know, I know, not everyone is such a stickler for how accurately military matters are presented in such stories. But I am. It was nothing drastically wrong, but enough that it stuck in my craw. I also felt a bit like the author didn’t give nurses the respect they deserve. Again, nothing overt…just enough to annoy me. Overall, this is a really sweet story that really lets the reader fill in the blanks to their own liking. I’ll most likely look into reading more of her work now that I’ve had my introduction. ~3 stars (G)
An Unexpected Gift
by Kate Pearce
I just adore this author and her Morgan Ranch series. Although you don’t have to have read that series to enjoy this short story, I recommend you do because they’re all amazing reads. Other than getting to revisit some of my favorite characters, I enjoyed that this story is about an older couple. When I say older I mean early 50’s. But let’s face it, most contemporary romance deals with the 40 and under crowd. So it was wonderful to read about a patriarch and matriarch of two different families finding their second chance at love and have sexual feelings to go along with that love. ~5 stars (R)
Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls
by Donna Kauffman
Although I haven’t read this author’s Blue Hollow Falls series, obviously this story ties into those books. I didn’t feel lost in the story or like I was missing anything by not having read them yet though. The chemistry between Hudson and Moira is great and I was rooting for them through the whole thing. The beginning scenes in the bar were phenomenal and truly had my stomach in knots and anger welling up inside of me. The dialogue in this one was as mixed bag for me. This story is extremely dialogue heavy. At some times, I found that to be a good thing. At other times, it was a bit overwhelming. All in all, this was a really interesting and solid story. ~3.5 stars (PG)
Holiday Home Run
by Priscilla Oliveras
Now this is a new-to-me author I actually never heard of, and I loved her! I can’t wait to get my hands on more of her work. The chemistry is amazing even while keeping this story totally PG. Even though I could tell some of the more peripheral characters must be in this author’s other books, this was a complete story and I didn’t feel as though I was missing anything by having not yet read the other books. This story has a sprinkle of sports, it dabbles in the holidays, and it highlights some wonderful cultural celebrations. I was duly impressed. ~4 stars (PG)
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
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September 17, 2018
I am a total nut job for Christmas Anthologies! I've only read the story by Donna Kauffman so far, because I have read all the other books in her Blue Hollow Falls series and there was no way I was going to wait for Christmas to read it. This is the story of Moira. It starts out with her sitting in a bar and drinking in her bridesmaid dress for her brother's wedding. Can you picture that? It's not a hideous bridesmaid dress, but still...it's a bridesmaid dress!
Enter Aussie chef that's been sent to keep an eye on her and flames are flying all over the place and there's not even a Bananas Foster in his hands. (I really didn't mean for that to be dirty). Since she's recovering from a broken heart, going back to her law practice soon, and he's here from Australia there is no way they should act on it--but sometimes the heart just does what it wants to!
I loved this story and can't wait to read the rest in the book!
Enter Aussie chef that's been sent to keep an eye on her and flames are flying all over the place and there's not even a Bananas Foster in his hands. (I really didn't mean for that to be dirty). Since she's recovering from a broken heart, going back to her law practice soon, and he's here from Australia there is no way they should act on it--but sometimes the heart just does what it wants to!
I loved this story and can't wait to read the rest in the book!
September 2, 2018
I really enjoyed this book, but I'll be honest my favorite was the Donna Kauffman story. She was just better at giving me character development in this short story collection, but I say that having only read her books before and having no familiarity with the other authors that I can recall.
The other stories were very cute as well and I like that some stories have divorcee's and kids. That keeps it fresh because it's a completely different emotional journey when you involve kids or divorce.
I'm giving this 4 stars for just the lack of character development that I like to see in books from a couple of the authors, but remember that this could be just because of the shortened length of the stories. I'm not naming names purely because I do think all of them were worth the read and put me in the holiday spirit.
The other stories were very cute as well and I like that some stories have divorcee's and kids. That keeps it fresh because it's a completely different emotional journey when you involve kids or divorce.
I'm giving this 4 stars for just the lack of character development that I like to see in books from a couple of the authors, but remember that this could be just because of the shortened length of the stories. I'm not naming names purely because I do think all of them were worth the read and put me in the holiday spirit.
October 30, 2018
I have only read one story so far, Christmas in Blu Hollow Falls by Donna Kauffman, but can't wait to read the other stories. I love Christmas anthologies, perfects for the busy season. Loved the beginning of the story, with barroom brawl. Moria is home for Christmas for her brother's wedding when she is rescued from the brawl by sexy aussie chef< Hudson. Moria is not looking for a relationship at this point of her life, but there is no denying the chemistry between the two.
Loved these characters, so perfect for each other. Great character development even in the short story. Love visiting Blue Hollow Falls. I highly recommend, can be read as a stand alone from her series.
Loved these characters, so perfect for each other. Great character development even in the short story. Love visiting Blue Hollow Falls. I highly recommend, can be read as a stand alone from her series.
January 12, 2020
I originally started reading this book to continue on with my Blue Hollow Falls series by Donna Kauffman. However, I had never read anything by any of the other authors. With that said, this turned out to be a very good book. I especially would like to read more by Fern Michaels. I will leave you with a quote from the "Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls" novella that I thought was fascinating. On my kindle it can be found at location 3394. Here it is - "My experience is embrace it for what it is, get out of it what you can. Discard what doesn't work, consider it a learning opportunity, and build on what does."
August 25, 2018
I read the Donna Kauffman addition to this anthology, Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls, and loved it! I always enjoy a visit to Blue Hollow Falls and found this return to the area as delightful and touching as previous visits (although for someone who hasn't read the other books in the series, this book stands alone and can be enjoyed just as much). There was laughter, plenty of emotion, romance, and a warm feeling all wrapped up in an enchanting tale of love, belonging, and finding your way. I look forward to reading the other stories in the anthology, but this story alone is worth getting the book.
December 31, 2021
I'm not even here sure how I ended up in the book club for 90 year old outdated americans, but here we are.
You'll like this if you're 60+ and an extreme right wing conservative.
As for the remaining, sane, portion of the population, this should absolutely be avoided.
You'll like this if you're 60+ and an extreme right wing conservative.
As for the remaining, sane, portion of the population, this should absolutely be avoided.
March 6, 2023
I enjoy compilations like this. It comprises of novellas by multiple authors and gives you a taste of each author. I've found authors I hadn't read before and added to my TBR pile in that past. Enjoyed these books, sentimental because they revolve around Christmas, but good stories too.
December 16, 2024
A Christmas Homecoming - Cute Hallmark movie 4/5
An Unexpected Gift - One of those Hallmark movies that are so bad, yet you can’t turn away. 2/5
Christmas in Blue Hallow Falls - A partially terrible hallmark movie. 2.5/5
Holiday Home Run - Ended on a cute hallmark movie at least 3/5
An Unexpected Gift - One of those Hallmark movies that are so bad, yet you can’t turn away. 2/5
Christmas in Blue Hallow Falls - A partially terrible hallmark movie. 2.5/5
Holiday Home Run - Ended on a cute hallmark movie at least 3/5
February 10, 2019
Usually I don't like novellas because I prefer something with a bit more depth, but I can never resist anything with Fern Michaels' name on it, so I indulged. I'm glad I did!! I enjoyed all the stories, and got introduced to some new authors, and I would certainly enjoy reading more about the Morgan Ranch. If you like Christmas themed stories with some romance thrown in you will like this book.
December 10, 2019
I really struggled to read these short stories. I didn’t find them engaging or at all believable. The plots were too rushed!
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