Christmas Shorts

by Mimi Barbour, Mona Risk, Stephanie Queen

The Authors’ Billboard has a special holiday treat for you this year! Spanking new short stories – from the naughty and the nice list – to add fun to your 2019 season and keep your spirits high.
Eighteen of our masters of romance have contributed to this incredible deal for your entertainment this Christmas. Eat goodies, drink hot toddies, read, enjoy, make wishes and… dream.
**NOTE: Some stories contain Adult Content**


Christmas Runaway: Mimi Barbour, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author: A teenager, mad at her father, runs into the bush and is saved by Sara’s big white Samoyed.

The Captain’s Christmas Leave: Mona Risk, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author: The wounded captain is resigned for the worst. But his soon-to-be ex-wife has some ideas to cheer him up.

Christmas Games: Stephanie Queen, USA Today bestselling author: He's got game with an old flame.

Second Chance Christmas: Jen Talty, USA Today bestselling author: Will Angel be able to put the past where it belongs and give Darren a second chance?

Meeting Sam Klaus: Melinda De Ross, USA Today bestselling author: Can two people fall in love after only a few hours spent together?

Stuck On The Naughty List: Joan Reeves, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author: Can the new Police Chief mend Cassie's broken heart?

A Match Made in Mistletoe: Leanne Banks, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author: Can a scarred attorney and his assistant find love when they're trapped in an Inn haunted by a romance-happy ghost?

Candy’s Christmas Rescue: Cynthia Cooke, USA Today bestselling author: A broken-down car, a dog on the run, a wedding cake in peril, what else does Candy have to lose other than her heart?

A Christmas Creek Caper: Rachelle Ayala, USA Today bestselling author: Someone’s stealing packages off the Christmas Creek porches. Sheriff Brad Wing is on the case--until he’s caught with his hands up and his pants down.

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fearies: Taylor Lee, USA Today bestselling author: Can the drool-worthy financier persuade her that Christmas dreams can come true?

Peter Elph: Dani Haviland, USA Today bestselling author: A gambler finds a huge surprise in 1886 Tombstone.

Christmas Cupid: Nancy Radke, USA Today bestselling author: Cupid uses all his arrows to help two strangers find romance.

A Love on the Edge: Jennifer St. Giles, USA Today bestselling author: He expected to quickly catch a stalker and send the celebrity heiress on her way, but the case is more complex, and she might not be the wrong woman

Because We’re Snowflakes: Susan Jean Ricci, USA Today bestselling author: When a grad student from across the pond meets the campus librarian, will he teach her the true spirit of Christmas?

A Magical Christmas: Jacquie Biggar, USA Today bestselling author: When a little girl goes missing, it takes faith, love, and the help of a Christmas angel to guide her to safety.

613 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 14, 2019

About the author

Mimi is an incredibly busy NYT and USA Today award-winning, best-selling author who has nine series to her credit, as well as over 45 books and numerous multi-author box collections.

Mimi lives on the East coast of Vancouver Island with her pup, Charli, and writes her various romances with tongue in cheek and a mad glint in her eye.

She’s been known to say: “If I can steal a booklover’s attention away from their every-day grind, absorb them into a fantasy love story, and make them care about the ending, then I’ve done my job.”

**1st place prize of the 2015 - Chanticleer Reviews - Clue Awards. Special Agent Francesca
**A TOUCH OF PASSION, has just become the 2016 WINNER of The Romance Reviews Readers' Choice Awards.

Reviews

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awh, this is like eating peppermint bark, you can't just eat one piece! These bite sized short stories are short enough to devour in one go, but still give you that warm tingly feeling you get from watching a Hallmark Christmas movie.

Some are sweet - I guess those are the 'Nice' ones referred to in the blurb, and some are Spicy (most definitely the deliciously naughty ones).

Jen Talty's, 'Second Chance Christmas' was probably my favorite and left me feeling warm and cozy. A quarreling couple on the brink of divorce find they are able to reconnect at Christmas time when they both find that compromise goes a long way.

Mimi Barbor's story was also a fun read- one of the sweet/ nice ones. Caught up in a snow storm, a chance discovery of a lost child, a rescue mission, and some good old Christmas sparkle, leads two people to a second chance romance.

One of the spicy/ naughty ones, was by Mona Risk and involves an injured soldier returning home. A misunderstanding between him and his wife has left them both shattered and on the brink of divorce, but when his wife sees him at the airport, she figures out away to trick him into seeing her again, and their love for each other is rekindled in this sexy short story.

There is something for everyone in here, all are fast paced, short reads that will satisfy your cozy Christmas romance cravings

[Sharon Grow · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable Christmas or anytime read. I enjoyed all of the stories, especially Christmas Runaway - a young girl feels neglected by her father, finds herself lost in the woods and is rescued by our heroine by Mimi Barbour; Second Chance Christmas – Angel & her police officer husband are at a crossroads in their marriage when she learns she is pregnant. Can they work things out or is really too late for them? by Jen Talty; Stuck on the Naughty List – Cassie thought she was doing the right thing by leaving Ben, but should she have stayed and fought for their love? by Joan Reeves; Peter Elph – a single mother trying to survive in the west and raise her son without the man she loved by Dani Haviland; and A Magical Christmas – a return visit to the charming characters from the Gambling Hearts trilogy as a missing girl is saved by a special visit from her great grandmother by Jacquie Biggar. (by paytonpuppy)

[Julie Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas Shorts by Mimi Barbour, Mona Risk
The book out of the collection that I was given to review:
.
The Chocolate Box Christmas by Josie Riviera
This short story is about Maise who's relocated from Alaska to CA and she's taken a job being a food/writer reporter.
On this assignment she must judge the chocolate contest at a nearby shelter. She knows many of the contestants as she's been around town.
She is able to meet Ben and she discovers his secret as to why he is there. He also finds out why she doesn't really want to be a judge, especially with anything to do with chocolate.
Fun Christmas read, enjoyed it.
Book ends with a note from the author, recipes, and about the author, other works by the author in series format but all can be read as stand alone.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.

[Susan Hamann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This compilation of short stories is a lot of fun to read. The authors include a lot of my favorites. Each story is different and unrelated to the others. Like a box of chocolates, you don't know what each story will bring you, but you know that every one is good. Some you'll like more than others. I enjoyed reading every story. Not for young readers or those who want an entirely "clean and sweet" story. Great for many of us romance readers.

[Mert Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas Shorts

I sure enjoyed all the short and to the point stories by different author's. All different styles and genres making the experience delightful. I really did not know what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed these stories and being introduced to different author's. Great imaginations and plots all coming together differently. Thank you to you all for making it available for me to read and enjoy.

[Elaine Magud · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing

I picked this book of stories because I love short romance stories. I was disappointed when I found that some of the entries were excerpts from books and blatant advertising to buy the whole book. No HEA unless you buy the book. No thanks! I didn't continue reading.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok

This was an okay set of books. I do like some short stories. Jennifer St. Giles book upset me because it left you hanging and no way of knowing who the stalker was. You that is upsetting.

[Peni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please see individual stories for review.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Chocolate-Box Christmas - Short and sweet romance. Love happens when you least expect it.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

These little short novella's are your HEA there's about 17-18 books at the most 5 chapter's so they are easy to read in one sitting great little stories.

[Janet Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok read

[Karen Zinkargue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was not crazy about all of them so skipped to the ones that I found I could read. Mostly enjoyed the true romance stories.

[Patricia A. Boyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holiday romances

Just the thing for times when you don't have much time. Everyone ends up in love and lives happily ever after