Swans Book Review

New York Times bestselling authors Sabrina Jeffries, Karen Hawkins, and Candace Camp, and USA TODAY bestselling author Meredith Duran come together for a sizzling historical romance holiday anthology. This book was an introduction to two authors I've not read before who goes by the names of Sabrina Jeffries and Meredith Duran.  I'm a huge fan of Karen Hawkins and Candace Camp and was giddy with excitement to read their short stories.  I've always heard of Sabrina Jeffries but I've not had the pleasure of reading her work  "The Heiress and the Hothead" .  Now after reading her short story, I want to read more.  Her story was fun and exciting. Especially the part where all the mistletoes seem to have disappeared . Of course, Karen Hawkins book had a starring hard-headed heroine in her story  "Twelve Kisses" , who listens to no one but herself and by that I mean her father. Of course, her stubbornness not only got  herself in trouble b...

This book was not what I was expecting. I thought that this was a novella and I prepared myself for that, but it was longer than I expected and spicy.  It does not have erotica in the genre, but it should, it really should. WARNING: Rated R. Running out on your wedding shouldn't be this much fun. Leah Harvey is frozen and the car she took for her getaway has decided to shut down on her.  Things wouldn't have been so bad if she wasn't in the middle of a snowstorm with nothing but her thin wedding dress. After witnessing her husband halfway up the bridesmaid’s skirt just hours before the ceremony, Leah ran from the wedding with nothing but the clothes on her back. Deciding that trying to get help was better than staying in the freezing car to die, Leah braced herself and took off into the direction of a light she saw in the distance.  Hoping that she can make it there before her limbs freeze off, Leah sets off with determination, even if the ...

This was a fun and sweet novella.  It makes me think of a modern day "The Night Before Christmas" story, minus the Ba Ham-buging. Holly Winterlake is having the most wonderful day on the most wonderful time of the year. Holly loves Christmas and every thing that goes with it.   The best part ( for her anyway ) is getting to skate on ice again. So getting the job as Ice Marshall at London's Somerset House is a dream come true. Noel Summerford gets grumpy around the Christmas Holidays.  Falling on his butt multiple times in the freezing snow does not help his mood. Having promised to bring his Godson to skate on the, was not exactly his idea of fun.  But seeing the ecstatic look on his Godson's face was well worth the torture. Things take an interesting turn when he is approached by the sexy Ice Marshall who is interested in giving his Godson some extra skating lessons, since he seems to be a natural on the ice. Not wanting to disappoint the kid, but als...

It feels so wrong reading this book before even reading Chloe and Sawyer's story.  But first come first serve ( most of the time anyway ). Wild child Chloe Thompson cannot believe how her life has turned out and she has the stomach to prove it.  Having a bun in the oven is making Chloe more cranky than usual.   She takes most of her frustration out on her sexy ( but not as sexy as Ford ) husband  Sawyer, which may or may not have put a strain on their relationship.  Hating that Sawyer is constantly put in danger because of his job, since he has taken on more work recently.  Chloe wonders if Sawyer really has to go on these missions or if he does it just to get away from her. Feeling terrified and alone in a room filled of people who love her, all Chloe wants for Christmas is the reassurance that Sawyer loves her, and of course, Sawyer himself. But going a week without her husband is driving her mad, especially since she is close to her due date...

Two wonderful stories about family, love and determination.  I loved all the characters in this book and the stories just got better with each new story.  BONUS!  There are two short stories for your enjoyment at the end of the book! Simply Irresistible Maddie is having a not so good life right now.  She has just broken up from a bad relationship, lost her job and is close to being penniless.  Not wanting to lose faith, Maddie puts on a brave face and drives to Lucky Harbor where her mother left her and her two sisters an Inn. Feeling good about herself, things came crashing down when she ran someone off the road for one.  The other is that when she arrived at the Inn, it was to discover that it was nothing more than a ramshackle building in need of being torn down. Her sisters decided to sell, but knowing that this is her only shot, Maddie convinces them to take a chance on her. Would she fail them and herself, or would Maddie find everything...

Hmmm, The Dukes of war book 0.5?  Yeah I know, it's weird to read a book marked as 0.5 in a series, yet it has intrigued me. Lady Amelia Pembroke is what you would call a control freak, but in a good way.  She does not rub her knowledge in your face and make you feel inadequate.  She just goes to her memory pantry (yes you heard me right) and predict things that would happen and put things in place to help. Everyone loves and adores her. Including her younger brother who Amelia suspects has not taken a wife because of her.  So in order to remedy that, she knows that she must marry first.  The best way to meet all of her candidates is at the Sheffield's annual Christmas Ball. The only problem with this plan is that there is not going to be a ball this year since the building to host the even was struck by lightning and burned down. Not the one to have such trivial things stand in the way of her plans, Amelia takes it upon herself to safe the party, wh...

Lovers of  +Jill Shalvis  it is time!  It is Launch Day Blitz for Jill Shalvis as she releases her short story for MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY.  I have not read it yet, but I will ans soon.  So look forward to it.  Her is what the story is about. MERRY CHRISTMAS, BABY by Jill Shalvis (December 2, 2014; Grand Central Publishing E-Novella; $1.99) Wild child Chloe Thompson can't believe how much things have changed. She still can't get enough of her sexy husband Sawyer, but he seems to prefer working to impending fatherhood. So tonight, a very pregnant Chloe is escaping her troubles at the town Christmas party. Sheriff Sawyer Thompson hopes surprising Chloe at the  party will give him a chance to set things right. But as the snow begins to fall and the wind rages, he wonders whether he can make it back in time. While mother nature conspires to keep Sawyer and Chloe apart,  an unexpected arrival will require them to kiss and make ...

The best love stories happen around Christmas and this is just one of the many.  The characters in this book will just grasp your heart and not let go. Bailey Voss has got it bad.  Bailey is crushing on an ex-football player named Kenny Scoot,  but she knows that he is out of her league.  Kenny only dates super thin, well endowed women, that are mostly models and actors.  Bailey knows that she does not stand a chance at catching Kenny's attention, seeing as how she is a single mom and battling to lose that extra twenty pounds, but hey, a girl can day dream.   Things change when the mayor of Fool's Gold roped Kenny and Bailey to "volunteer" to run a toy drive. Bailey got to see the sweet, generous and kind side of Kenny and that coupled with his ruggedly good looks, Bailey was falling and falling hard.  To bad Kenny already told her where they stand. Having gone through losing someone important to him, Kenny Scott has vowed to never again dat...

Keeping in the theme of the season, here's a lovely Christmas story for you.  This is a re-issue of a book that Susan Mallery published in 1998 and it was named Wedding Ring Promise back then.  Now it has a new title as well as a  new cover, enjoy! Molly Anderson is having a bad life.  Not only does her mother seem to hate her, her father is indifferent to her and her sister can't stand her.  The love of her life, bad-boy Dylan Black, is moving away from town. Before Dylan left, he gave her a wedding ring ( that he was going to give to her sister ) and promised her that when she is ready to go on an adventure, all she has to do is find him and give him the ring.  With that he drove away on his motorcycle. Years later, Molly's life seems to get worse and the only saving grace is that she and her sister are now on great terms.  After having the most horrible week of her life that begins with her losing her job and her fiance leaving her for his ...

Alright, I read this part of the series after A February Bride and it was okay, I enjoyed a February Bride better but this was good in it's own way. Seth Murphy is in trouble.  He found the perfect woman in Layla O'Reilly, but his best friend beat him to the punch and asked her out first.  If that was not bad enough, his best friend leaves Layla for her cousin and now Layla is putting all the blame on him since he introduced the two. How can Seth fix this, read and find out. Having no date for the wedding of her witch of a cousin and the fiance she stole from her.  Layla was desperate and in a fit of poor helplessness agreed to go to the wedding with the man that made this all happen ( in her twisted mind any way ). Things don't go as plan when a marriage was announced out of duress but it was all a misunderstanding.  Things go from bad to worse before anything can be cleared up and now Seth and Layla are "pretend" engaged. To clear things up now would ...