Category: Books Read-2015

For Colleen, life is spinning out of control. She just lost her husband, and her relationship with her young adult son Jamie is crumbling. Should she confess to him the secret that has been haunting her for twenty years? Jamie has a few secrets of his own. When he announces his plans to join the military, Colleen decides it's time for the two of them to take a trip together--to Ireland. The truth they discover there could fulfill both their dreams in a way neither ever thought possible. An Irish Christmas is a captivating story of love, deception, and secret passions, from popular and prolific author Melody Carlson.

Today I am going to be doing just a mini review on An Irish Christmas because its this is a novelle book so there isn’t alot to write about without giving away what the book is.

The book takes place in the early 1960’s and a family is grieving the lose of a dad/husband. The book is about Colleen (the mom) and Jamie (her son). For Colleen the world as she knows it is shifting and she doesn’t like it. She has just lost her husband of 22 years and her relationship with her son is going down the drain fast.

The Vietnam War is beginning and Jamie wants to join the Air Forces but Colleen would rather him stay home were he is safe. Jamie has no desire to go into the family show business and to add to that whenever Jamie is asked about his college he gets vague making Colleen wonder how truthful Jamie is being with her and how will she react when Jamie tells her his secret?  Speaking of being truthful, Colleen has been feeling guilty since her husbands death because she has a secret of her own that she thinks its time to tell Jamie about. Will these secrets be to much for each to bare?

Colleen decides that her and Jamie need to get away so she books tickets to spend Christmas in Ireland. She figures this is the perfect time to bond and perhaps share her secret with Jamie. Will Jamie do the same thing?

The book is told in Colleen and Jamie’s point of views so you get the story from both points of views.

I really enjoyed reading this especially this time of the year because you want everyone to be happy and honest with each other. Christmas is a time for loving and being with family no matter what they have done in the past.

After reading The Winter Wedding I couldn’t wait to dive into Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Abby Clements. I was so happy that I found this at chapters and the added bonus was it was on the bargain table.

I have to start off by saying I love the cover. Its prettier in person.

This was Abby Clements debut novel and since then she has written six books in total and I have to say after reading two of them I really want to read her other books. One quick thing I should add is that in the back of this book there is a recipe for gingerbread stars and a DIY for a snow globe.

Rachel and Laurie were high school best friends and I think they always envisioned they would be but once out of high school the friends parted ways and grew apart which is normal with most friendships. For Rachel she got married young and had kids and they are living that life of being in a small city with the white picket fence living life and enjoying the simpler things. While Laurie is single. living in the city and has all she can have in life. She has the career in fashion and things are going good until she makes a mistake that could cost her her job. It almost does when she is asked to take a leave of absence.

Its almost a blessing in disguise when out of the blue Rachel contacts Laurie to see if it would be possible to stay with her in London while her mother in law is in the hospital. With things heading south fast Laurie suggests a house swap. This is the perfect thing Laurie need to get out of the city. Both quickly realize how the other lives. Each is a bit shocking to the other. How will each other survive in each others worlds?

The only thing I wish for the book was that there was more of an interaction between Rachel and Laurie. I would have loved to seem them rekindle their friendship. I think Laurie would have benefited from having that friendship back in her life again.

I should tell you that the book is told in Rachel and Laurie’s point of views and that each chapter is dated which I thought was find of fun.

As I was reading this I instantly thought of the movie The Holiday which sort of had the same premise behind it which I loved.

I really enjoyed reading this and I have to say it was the pefect book to read at this time of the year. It was just what I needed to read. It was light hearted and perfect. I have to admit that I didn’t want it to end.

One of the things I truly love about being a book blogger and working with publishers is that I get to discover new books and new authors. This was the case for The Winter Wedding by Abby Clements. I was contacted by Simon & Schuster UK asking if I would be interested in reading this and I was. I have to say that I am so happy that I did because I absolutely loved the book and since reading this I managed to find two of her books on the bargain table at Chapters that I had picked up and one will be reviewed tomorrow on my blog.

She has five previous books and they are all stand alones so you don’t have to worry about this being a series of books.

I just have to say this before beginning my review, all of Abby’s books have the cutest covers and I love them all. I tend to find that all the books coming out if the UK always have the best covers. Is that just me?

This month I am trying to post as many Christmas book reviews as I can (to give you some stocking stuffer ideas for the book lover in your life)  so I have to say this is sort of a Christmasy read but I would say its more of a winter read. Its the perfect read for this month in my opinion. I love reading light, heart warming, magical kind of books this time of the year. Its a quick and easy read.

Hazel and her twin sister, Lila are living and working in London. It has always been Hazel and Lila and then Lila meets Ollie and they fall in love and are getting married. So with that Lila is moving out of the flat leaving Hazel to wonder about her own life. She is trying to have it all and she is trying to make it work. She wants things to stay like they are but she realizes that they aren’t. So the first step she makes is finding a roommate and thankfully someone at her work (Amber) is looking for a place.

I think Hazel and Amber make the perfect team and they seem to compliment each other.

Things getting interesting when Lila asks Hazel to help with the wedding planning because she is busy with her dancing. Lila takes her up on it because her real life job is the pits and she is tired of being tried like crap and busting her butt off for nothing really. She works hard and someone else takes the credit with no chance and advnancing.

Hazel quickly realizes how much she is enjoying the wedding planning and seeing her sister’s wedding turn into a success she is quickly snatched by friends of Lila and Ollie’s to plan their weddings. Hazel has to decide does she risk it all and go out on her own or does she stay with what she knows?

I loved this book and the characters and I can’t wait to read more of Abby’s books.