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Silver Bells
Sparks fly between Alice and Niko in and out of the kitchen.A series of coincidental events leave Alice with more questions than answers. Could the sick little girl in need of a bone marrow transplant be the daughter she gave up for adoption? To become close to the girl without revealing her identity, she develops a plan to cast the girl’s uncle as a contestant on a live Christmas Eve cooking show.
A television cooking competition was never in Niko’s plans, but when his sick niece expresses her wish for him to compete on the show, he reluctantly agrees. His past as an MMA fighter taught him to guard himself from punches being thrown his direction, but he wasn’t prepared for the fallout of letting his emotional guard down for Alice.
When sparks fly between Alice and Niko in and out of the kitchen, will the secrets Alice keeps shatter the budding relationship?
A television cooking competition was never in Niko’s plans, but when his sick niece expresses her wish for him to compete on the show, he reluctantly agrees. His past as an MMA fighter taught him to guard himself from punches being thrown his direction, but he wasn’t prepared for the fallout of letting his emotional guard down for Alice.
When sparks fly between Alice and Niko in and out of the kitchen, will the secrets Alice keeps shatter the budding relationship?
381 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 13, 2020
About the author
Anne Shaw
41 books106 followersAnne Shaw is the author of both contemporary and historical romances. She lives in western Washington with her four-legged friend Larry, a quirky cat who stares at her for hours on end while she loses herself in a world where a sexy hero, and bold heroine face insurmountable odds to reach the ultimate goal, a happily-ever-after.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 3, 2020
This is a lovely little contemporary romance. I found it really told a nice story and was so enjoyable to just be part of and see what happened.
The author did very well to create a detailed world, with a few unknowns thrown in, to keep it all very realistic. Throughout you are given great personalities, characteristics and a solid story to rally make the book enjoyable and fun. I found it flowed well, and all of this really combined together to make it and enjoyable, easy read.
Overall. I liked the story and found it was unique and great to rally warm you up during what’s looking to be a cold winter. I definitely recommend it.
The author did very well to create a detailed world, with a few unknowns thrown in, to keep it all very realistic. Throughout you are given great personalities, characteristics and a solid story to rally make the book enjoyable and fun. I found it flowed well, and all of this really combined together to make it and enjoyable, easy read.
Overall. I liked the story and found it was unique and great to rally warm you up during what’s looking to be a cold winter. I definitely recommend it.
November 11, 2020
This book was such a fun, exciting, spirited, adorable, hopeful, and delicious holiday themed treat!!
I absolutely loved the creative, intriguing story line concept!
As soon as I read the book blurb, I was instantly hooked! I couldn’t wait to start reading and this book did not disappoint one bit! I was quickly drawn in while the story unfolded and kept completely captivated ‘til the last page!
I really liked Alice, Niko, and Chloe. These strongly developed characters were likable, realistic, and genuine. I adored Alice and Niko together! Their attraction was undeniably intoxicating! I really liked that this book had a reasonable love story timeline between Alice and Niko that didn’t feel fake, rushed, or unrealistic.
Niko definitely has some walls up and as a former MMA Fighter he knows how to protect himself. At first, he is distant and guarded, but it doesn’t take long for Alice to win him over. Alice is clearly dealing with her own issues over giving Chloe up for adoption and her decision to keep those secrets from Niko. These character struggles made them feel even more raw, practical, convincing, and true to life. I love when authors can build such multi-dimensional characters that are so easy to relate and connect with; and Shaw proves page by page she clearly has this skill.
As this book focuses on Chloe’s leukemia cancer diagnosis, I felt such a strong connection to this story line as I had just very recently had a bone marrow biopsy as my cancer team believes I may have bone marrow cancer (still undetermined). My procedure was one of the most painful experiences I have ever had in my life and it is barely a fraction of what Chloe has had to go through! I connected with this book on so many levels and couldn’t help but get completely wrapped up in the story!
I love TV Cooking Competition Shows so I was so intrigued by this plot theme! Even though this wasn't the focal part of the book, it was still well received and felt accurately written.
I truly appreciate the author’s extensive amount of in-depth research she conducted while constructing this book. Her ability to provide elaborate details on a vast array of topics from Chocolate Gastronomy and cooking competition shows to bone marrow transplants and childhood cancers to the adoption process and their state laws to everything in between only added credibility and authenticity to the story.
I also really liked the author’s impressive writing style that kept me engaged throughout the story!
This book is pleasantly satisfying with a HEA ending that this reader enjoyed, appreciated, and approved of!
This was such a perfect holiday read that got me totally excited for the holidays!
The only tiff that I have to say and it’s not about the writing or the content, it’s about the aesthetics. I really liked the previous book cover. It was fun, flirty, catchy, romantic, and playful! It definitely caught my attention! It’s what got me to read the blurb and quickly sign up for the tour! And if I had been in a bookstore and seen that original cover, I am sure I would have stopped to check it out - if not bought it on the spot. The new cover, I like, but definitely not nearly as much. Plus, this new book cover looks wayyyy less holiday-ish, with just snow and a distant tree in the background. Again, I still totally love the book, just honestly preferred the author’s original book cover choice as I felt it really captivated Alice and Niko’s fun and playful relationship.
There are some predictable scenes. However, there are still some unexpected twists and turns that you won't see coming!
This book is listed as part of the A 3Square Christmas Romance Series. This book can be read as a standalone.
All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book and would absolutely recommend it! I think all contemporary romance readers and holiday romance fans will like this book too! So, add it to your TBR List and get to reading - you won't be disappointed!
**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations.**
I absolutely loved the creative, intriguing story line concept!
As soon as I read the book blurb, I was instantly hooked! I couldn’t wait to start reading and this book did not disappoint one bit! I was quickly drawn in while the story unfolded and kept completely captivated ‘til the last page!
I really liked Alice, Niko, and Chloe. These strongly developed characters were likable, realistic, and genuine. I adored Alice and Niko together! Their attraction was undeniably intoxicating! I really liked that this book had a reasonable love story timeline between Alice and Niko that didn’t feel fake, rushed, or unrealistic.
Niko definitely has some walls up and as a former MMA Fighter he knows how to protect himself. At first, he is distant and guarded, but it doesn’t take long for Alice to win him over. Alice is clearly dealing with her own issues over giving Chloe up for adoption and her decision to keep those secrets from Niko. These character struggles made them feel even more raw, practical, convincing, and true to life. I love when authors can build such multi-dimensional characters that are so easy to relate and connect with; and Shaw proves page by page she clearly has this skill.
As this book focuses on Chloe’s leukemia cancer diagnosis, I felt such a strong connection to this story line as I had just very recently had a bone marrow biopsy as my cancer team believes I may have bone marrow cancer (still undetermined). My procedure was one of the most painful experiences I have ever had in my life and it is barely a fraction of what Chloe has had to go through! I connected with this book on so many levels and couldn’t help but get completely wrapped up in the story!
I love TV Cooking Competition Shows so I was so intrigued by this plot theme! Even though this wasn't the focal part of the book, it was still well received and felt accurately written.
I truly appreciate the author’s extensive amount of in-depth research she conducted while constructing this book. Her ability to provide elaborate details on a vast array of topics from Chocolate Gastronomy and cooking competition shows to bone marrow transplants and childhood cancers to the adoption process and their state laws to everything in between only added credibility and authenticity to the story.
I also really liked the author’s impressive writing style that kept me engaged throughout the story!
This book is pleasantly satisfying with a HEA ending that this reader enjoyed, appreciated, and approved of!
This was such a perfect holiday read that got me totally excited for the holidays!
The only tiff that I have to say and it’s not about the writing or the content, it’s about the aesthetics. I really liked the previous book cover. It was fun, flirty, catchy, romantic, and playful! It definitely caught my attention! It’s what got me to read the blurb and quickly sign up for the tour! And if I had been in a bookstore and seen that original cover, I am sure I would have stopped to check it out - if not bought it on the spot. The new cover, I like, but definitely not nearly as much. Plus, this new book cover looks wayyyy less holiday-ish, with just snow and a distant tree in the background. Again, I still totally love the book, just honestly preferred the author’s original book cover choice as I felt it really captivated Alice and Niko’s fun and playful relationship.
There are some predictable scenes. However, there are still some unexpected twists and turns that you won't see coming!
This book is listed as part of the A 3Square Christmas Romance Series. This book can be read as a standalone.
All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book and would absolutely recommend it! I think all contemporary romance readers and holiday romance fans will like this book too! So, add it to your TBR List and get to reading - you won't be disappointed!
**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations.**
November 25, 2020
The link to my review on NovelsAlive.com is below along with the review.
https://novelsalive.com/2020/11/25/4-...
SILVER BELLS: A 3SQUARE CHRISTMAS ROMANCE by Anne Shaw reeled me in from the beginning. I loved the premise that something in Alice’s past was driving her to do her cooking contest in Seattle, but things got out of hand for her pretty quickly. She thought she could hold her emotions in check and keep up her defenses, but that went by the wayside pretty quickly. Little did she realize that the proposal for the show would set things in motion and have her past meet her present. I loved all the cooking challenges and the chocolate items that Niko created.
Alice and Niko had a connection the moment they met, and it wasn’t his cute niece, Chloe, who secretly entered him in the contest with her mom, Niko’s sister. The sparks were flying, but Alice was engaged and dealing with the moved up time frame from Easter to Christmas for the cooking challenge. She tried to keep him at arm’s length, but that backfired more than once. There are secrets, lies, betrayals, hidden feelings, friends and family, memories, laughter and tears, lots of loving and love. The characters had a depth to them, and we get to know them a little at a time. The descriptions of the cooking activities and the filming of the show made me feel that I was there. There were loose ends with some hints of closure, but the book ended too abruptly for me, and the happily ever after in my eyes wasn’t guaranteed. I turned the page on my iPad and was surprised that I was at a preview of a different book.
Ms. Shaw is a new to me author, and I look forward to reading more of her books while hoping for better closure. There were excerpts of several of her books at the end of this one, and they all tempted me to read more. I will give some of her other books a try!
https://novelsalive.com/2020/11/25/4-...
SILVER BELLS: A 3SQUARE CHRISTMAS ROMANCE by Anne Shaw reeled me in from the beginning. I loved the premise that something in Alice’s past was driving her to do her cooking contest in Seattle, but things got out of hand for her pretty quickly. She thought she could hold her emotions in check and keep up her defenses, but that went by the wayside pretty quickly. Little did she realize that the proposal for the show would set things in motion and have her past meet her present. I loved all the cooking challenges and the chocolate items that Niko created.
Alice and Niko had a connection the moment they met, and it wasn’t his cute niece, Chloe, who secretly entered him in the contest with her mom, Niko’s sister. The sparks were flying, but Alice was engaged and dealing with the moved up time frame from Easter to Christmas for the cooking challenge. She tried to keep him at arm’s length, but that backfired more than once. There are secrets, lies, betrayals, hidden feelings, friends and family, memories, laughter and tears, lots of loving and love. The characters had a depth to them, and we get to know them a little at a time. The descriptions of the cooking activities and the filming of the show made me feel that I was there. There were loose ends with some hints of closure, but the book ended too abruptly for me, and the happily ever after in my eyes wasn’t guaranteed. I turned the page on my iPad and was surprised that I was at a preview of a different book.
Ms. Shaw is a new to me author, and I look forward to reading more of her books while hoping for better closure. There were excerpts of several of her books at the end of this one, and they all tempted me to read more. I will give some of her other books a try!
January 17, 2021
I was drawn to this story because of the plot involving Alice seeking her daughter she had given up for adoption 10 years before, and hoping that she can help save her biological daughter's life. And honestly, that was the part that I focused on the most while I was reading this book. The romance was more a part of the background for me. That's not to say that there was anything wrong with the attraction between Alice and Niko, who also happens to be the uncle of the little girl.
I admit that I wasn't a huge fan of Alice at first. I had to warm up to her. But as you learn more about her background, it makes a lot of sense why she comes off as more abrasive in the beginning. But you have to really admire her tenacity and desire to help this little girl. That was the Christmas miracle I took away from this story.
The scenes from the TV show were probably my favorite parts. I could actually see all of the action playing out in my head. I don't watch a ton of those cooking contest shows, but I felt like I was right there on the stage observing and participating. And I have had a serious craving for chocolate since about halfway through the book. I really want to try that last one in real life!
I appreciated this novel for not being your typical holiday romance. In fact, she describes it more as a contemporary romance. It just happens to take place during the Christmas season. But miracles still do happen, just as you would expect. And I do think that this would make for a fun made-for-TV holiday movie.
Thank you to the author and to Goddess Fish for providing me with a requested review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I admit that I wasn't a huge fan of Alice at first. I had to warm up to her. But as you learn more about her background, it makes a lot of sense why she comes off as more abrasive in the beginning. But you have to really admire her tenacity and desire to help this little girl. That was the Christmas miracle I took away from this story.
The scenes from the TV show were probably my favorite parts. I could actually see all of the action playing out in my head. I don't watch a ton of those cooking contest shows, but I felt like I was right there on the stage observing and participating. And I have had a serious craving for chocolate since about halfway through the book. I really want to try that last one in real life!
I appreciated this novel for not being your typical holiday romance. In fact, she describes it more as a contemporary romance. It just happens to take place during the Christmas season. But miracles still do happen, just as you would expect. And I do think that this would make for a fun made-for-TV holiday movie.
Thank you to the author and to Goddess Fish for providing me with a requested review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 7, 2020
Do you love cooking competition shows? I know I do, I’m especially keen on the baking ones with delicious looking desserts. In Annie Shaw’s fun Christmas romance, “Silver Bells”, we are taken behind the scenes of one such show.
Alice Carlson is young and driven. Driven by her past and her desire to succeed, she jumps at the chance to produce a cooking contest when she realizes it could help her in two ways. One, setting herself apart in the producing world and two, having a chance to meet the child she gave up years ago. What she didn’t expect was meeting Niko, a man who could change her life. A man should have to betray in order to protect and to keep her past a secret.
I loved this story. It was a fun, Christmas-themed romance. A quick, but entertaining read. I love how the author really brought the cooking show to life, taking us behind the scenes and bringing the food creations to life. I could almost taste and smell the chocolate Niko lovingly created.
I really felt for Alice and her struggles, her past colliding with her present and her desire to keep everyone happy even at her own expense.
The characters are relatable, the story was fun and engaging, and the ending, though not surprising, was sweet. I hope to meet these characters again in future books and would love to read more about the 3Square family. Great book, perfect for Christmas, and I highly recommend it.
Alice Carlson is young and driven. Driven by her past and her desire to succeed, she jumps at the chance to produce a cooking contest when she realizes it could help her in two ways. One, setting herself apart in the producing world and two, having a chance to meet the child she gave up years ago. What she didn’t expect was meeting Niko, a man who could change her life. A man should have to betray in order to protect and to keep her past a secret.
I loved this story. It was a fun, Christmas-themed romance. A quick, but entertaining read. I love how the author really brought the cooking show to life, taking us behind the scenes and bringing the food creations to life. I could almost taste and smell the chocolate Niko lovingly created.
I really felt for Alice and her struggles, her past colliding with her present and her desire to keep everyone happy even at her own expense.
The characters are relatable, the story was fun and engaging, and the ending, though not surprising, was sweet. I hope to meet these characters again in future books and would love to read more about the 3Square family. Great book, perfect for Christmas, and I highly recommend it.
November 5, 2020
If you are fans of holiday romance and cooking type shows, Silver Bells is the book for you. I adored the story which was a little different.
Alice gave up a child years ago and Niko's niece Chloe is that child. She's suffering from leukemia and may not have long to live. Niko is reluctantly appearing on the show 3Square to help pay for her medical bills. (Its a food competition show)
If this isn't the recipe for a Hallmark Style Movie I don't know what is. I kept thinking...OMG, I don't usually watch those kinds of movies, but this book..well it would make a perfect holiday film!
Alice would give anything for the daughter she gave up, but she has to keep things from Niko and that's hard because the chemistry between to the two is electric.
Niko is a wonderful mix of tough guy and softie. He is a fighter turned chocolatier. His family background is great too.
Alice's life however has been far from great. She spent years in foster care and then looked for love in all the wrong places. The man who fathered Chloe....what a douche canoe!
I loved the bits of the competition as well as Alice and Chloe's developing relationship.
This was really a heartwarming story with a bit of a steamy side to it.
Alice gave up a child years ago and Niko's niece Chloe is that child. She's suffering from leukemia and may not have long to live. Niko is reluctantly appearing on the show 3Square to help pay for her medical bills. (Its a food competition show)
If this isn't the recipe for a Hallmark Style Movie I don't know what is. I kept thinking...OMG, I don't usually watch those kinds of movies, but this book..well it would make a perfect holiday film!
Alice would give anything for the daughter she gave up, but she has to keep things from Niko and that's hard because the chemistry between to the two is electric.
Niko is a wonderful mix of tough guy and softie. He is a fighter turned chocolatier. His family background is great too.
Alice's life however has been far from great. She spent years in foster care and then looked for love in all the wrong places. The man who fathered Chloe....what a douche canoe!
I loved the bits of the competition as well as Alice and Chloe's developing relationship.
This was really a heartwarming story with a bit of a steamy side to it.
November 20, 2020
Romance may not be a favorite genre of mine but there aren’t many steamy type scenes in this one. It’s just a really sweet story. Of course the food and cooking helped a lot too. I don’t think there’s anyone who wouldn’t think this is everyone’s Christmas story. I suppose it might be like one of those sweet romantic movies you argue over to get to watch it on tv, but it is heartwarming and fun too.
A truly, enjoyable heartwarming story.
A truly, enjoyable heartwarming story.
December 23, 2020
That is how you make a comeback.
The past did not hold her back when she found her true love. Alice had carried a secret for so long. Alice was determined to finally be happy. Niko so loving caring to everyone. He had sweet loving family. This man sacrificed so much for his niece. What a man. There were errors in the book but it was worth the read.
The past did not hold her back when she found her true love. Alice had carried a secret for so long. Alice was determined to finally be happy. Niko so loving caring to everyone. He had sweet loving family. This man sacrificed so much for his niece. What a man. There were errors in the book but it was worth the read.
November 15, 2020
This sweet story simultaneously put me in the holiday mood and gave me a huge craving for both chocolate and a man like Niko! Despite the at times angsty subject matter, I laughed out loud many times and thoroughly enjoyed meeting Alice's and Niko's friends and family.
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