One More for Christmas

 

SARAH MORGAN

Stats: Trade paperback, HQN, 2020.

How acquired: Library.

First line: When Gayle Mitchell agreed to a live interview in her office, she hadn’t expected her life to fall apart in such a spectacular fashion in front of an audience of millions.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: Sarah Morgan is quickly becoming a favorite author. Like previous books of hers I've read, this was a wonderful character study, or rather, character studies. Samantha and Ella grew up with a tough love mother, Gayle, who single mindedly strove to raise them to be self-sufficient, eschewing anything that was not teachable or did not contribute to their education and betterment, including Christmas and Santa Claus. Five years ago, the last time the three of them were together, hurtful words were said, and the girls haven't spoken to their mother since. But now they are spending Christmas together, in Scotland, a working trip for Samantha to look over a family estate in hopes of recommending it as a vacation destination for her clients.

Samantha and Ella are of course easy to like, and the bond between them was enviable. The more we learn about their childhood, the harder it is to feel sympathy for Gayle. Or it should be. But as Ms. Morgan takes us into Gayle's head, it's easy to have empathy for her.

The plots of Ms. Morgan's books aren't complex, and yet the stories are. Relationships are at the core of this one, the relationship between the sisters, between the sisters and their mother, between Ella and her husband and daughter, Tab, between Gayle and Tab, and even between Gayle and Mary, the owner of the estate where they spend Christmas. And there's also a touch of romance for Samantha and a handsome Scotsman right out of the highland romances Samantha loves to read. Well, almost, with a little effort on his part!

Heartwarming and enjoyable family saga, with lots of lighthearted moments that made me smile.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

For sisters Samantha and Ella Mitchell, Christmas is their most precious time of the year—a time for togetherness, love and celebration. Most of all, it’s about making up for everything their childhood Christmases lacked. But this year, they’ll be buying presents for the most unexpected guest of all—their estranged mother. It’s been five years since they last saw each other. But when their mom calls out of the blue and promises that this Christmas will be different, Samantha and Ella cautiously agree to spend it all together…

Gayle Mitchell is at the top of her career, but her success has come at a price—her relationship with her daughters. She never seemed to say or do the right things. Her tough-love approach was designed to make them stronger, but instead managed to push them away…until a brush with her own mortality forces Gayle to make amends. As the snowflakes fall on their first family celebration in years, the Mitchell women must learn that sometimes facing up to the past is all you need to heal your heart…

Typewriter Beach

 

MEG WAITE CLAYTON

Stats: Trade paperback, Harper, expected publication 7/1/25.

How acquired: Won in a Goodreads giveaway.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: When I first started reading, I was immediately captivated by the writing. I love Old Hollywood, old movies, the stars. With the young Isabella being an aspiring actress, and Leo being a blacklisted screenwriter, there was a lot of name dropping. And to my surprise, it bothered me a little at first. When the author would mention someone real, Garbo, Hitchcock, Bergman, and give an anecdote that I’d not ever heard before, I would wonder if it was true, or was the author taking poetic license. From what I could gather, the author did a lot of research, especially about Hitchcock and blacklisting, but even so, how much was true and how much was for the sake of this story? But once I got really settled into the dual stories – Iz and Leo in 1957, Iz and Leo’s granddaughter, Gemma, plus neighbor Sam, in 2018 - I was totally riveted and along for the ride, no longer caring how much was true and how much was not.

Wonderful, realistic characters. Vivid descriptions of Carmel.

Achingly beautiful.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

1957. Isabella Giori is ten months into a standard 7-year studio contract when she auditions with Hitchcock. Just weeks later, she is sequestered by the studio’s “fixer” in a charming little Carmel-by-the-Sea cottage for a secret rendezvous. There, she is awoken by the clack and ding of a typewriter at the cottage next door. 

Léon Chazan is annoyed as hell when Iz interrupts his work on yet another screenplay he won’t be able to sell, because he’s been blacklisted. But soon he’s speeding down the fog-shrouded Carmel-San Simeon highway, headed for the isolated cliffs of Big Sur, with her in the passenger seat. 

2018. Twenty-six-year-old screenwriter Gemma Chazan, in Carmel to sell her grandfather’s cottage, finds a hidden safe with a World War II-era French passport, an old camera with film still in it, two movie scripts, and a writing Oscar that is not in her grandfather’s name—raising questions about who the screenwriter known simply as Chazan really was.

The Deadening (Olivia Callahan Suspense, Book 1)

 

KERRY PERESTA

Stats: Mass market paperback, Worldwide, 2024.

How acquired: Bought.

First line: The stiff bristles of the brush grew coppery as he scrubbed back and forth, back and forth.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I plucked this book off my shelf at random one day, where it had been sitting for a couple of years, and I was riveted pretty much from the very beginning.

Olivia narrates some of the chapters in first person POV, telling us her story as she recovers from a coma following a savage attack that she cannot remember. In fact, she awakens with amnesia, not recognizing or remembering her daughters, her mother, her estranged husband, her life. The rest of the chapters are in third person POV, giving us glimpses of other characters and what's going on with them, but leaving us in the dark about what exactly happened to Olivia.

Olivia's memory begins to return in little bits and spurts, and she and Hunter, the detective assigned to her case, slowly piece events together, which often just leads to more questions and surprising reveals in this intricately plotted story. And while this is not by any means a romance book, I liked Hunter and I liked that they did grow closer, leaving me with the impression that after I turned the last page their relationship would continue to bloom.

I'm now eager to find the second book in the series, and/or anything else I can hunt down from this author.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Discovered on the lawn of a Maryland hospital, bleeding and unconscious, Olivia Callahan is whisked into surgery. She floats in endless darkness. And when she finally awakes, she has no memory of what happened...or who she is. Then her medical tests are tampered with. The doctor's office is ransacked, and her file is stolen. 

She doesn't know the family who comes to claim her or the husband who wants to divorce her. And as her memories begin to return in flashes, she doesn't recognize the meek, compliant wife and mother she used to be. Set on bringing her attacker to justice, a braver, stronger Olivia fights to put together the scattered pieces of her past before a violent predator returns to finish the job.

Dear Santa

 

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS INFORMATION THAT SOME MAY CONSIDER SPOILERS.

NANCY NAIGLE

Stats: Mass market paperback, St. Martin’s Griffin, 2018

First line: Dear Santa, it’s me, Chrissy, again.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: My least favorite Nancy Naigle. I struggled to feel empathy for Angela. Yes, it was sad that her business was floundering, and I felt sorry for her, but we were told more than once that she had resisted doing anything to bring her Christmas store into the 21st century, eschewing tech that may have helped increase her sales. And I liked Geoff well enough, but while treating his employees well, he was still a corporate man whose bottom line was sales and making more money and opening more stores. It wasn't his fault Angela was going out of business, though certainly his big box Christmas store, that also sold everything else under the sun, opening up in the small town of Pleasant Sands did contribute to Angela's declining sales. But I got really tired of Angela hating on him and blaming him for her problems.

I also became very angry with Geoff's mother. All his life he was angry at the father he never knew, who was never around, who had apparently abandoned Geoff and his mother, who never wanted to talk about him or answer questions about him. Not until she experienced a medical event did his mother confess to him that his father was the love of her life, was going to marry her, would have loved him and been proud of him, but died before he was born. Let me repeat that. His father DIED before he was born! How selfish and dishonorable of Geoff's mother to let him grow up believing his father was just out there in the world somewhere, not caring that he had a son, or maybe not even knowing that he had son. Oh I wanted to slap that bitch!

In the end Geoff made a grand gesture for Angela, but there wasn't necessarily any character growth, other than him realizing that he was ready to settle down in one place rather than move every year to oversee the opening of another chain of his store. Fortunately Angela came to her senses and admitted that it was wrong to blame Geoff for her business closing, and she landed on her feet, though it would have been nice if she did so on her own and not because of Geoff's grand gesture - and abundant money.

This review makes it sound like I hated this book, but I didn't. I did like it, and there were some really good parts. But I did not love it the way I've loved everything else I've read from this author.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Angela Carson wants nothing more than to be the third-generation to run her family’s holiday store, Heart of Christmas, successfully. They’ve weathered over sixty tourist seasons, major hurricanes, and urban sprawl, in their old decommissioned lighthouse. But the national chain that set up shop in their small North Carolina town of Pleasant Sands may be more than Heart of Christmas can survive.

Encouraged by her niece to ask Santa for help, Angela gives in and lets the words fly in a way that, if Santa were real, would no doubt land her on the naughty list. What’s the harm when it’s just a computer-generated response?

Geoff Paisley has been at his mother’s side running the mega-chain Christmas Galore for the last ten years. When his mother falls ill, Geoff promises to answer the town’s Dear Santa letters in her stead. Soon he realizes the woman he’s been corresponding with on Dear Santa is Angela. How could the woman that grates his every last nerve in person have intrigued him so deeply through those letters? 

When Geoff reveals that he’s her Dear Santa, will Angela be able to set aside their very public feud to embrace the magic of the holiday and possibly find true love?

The Twin's Bodyguard (Fresh Pond Security, Book Two)

 

VERONICA FORAND

Stats: Mass market paperback, Harlequin Romantic Suspense, 2025.

How acquired: From the author.

First line: For as long as Zoe Goodwyn could remember, she’d put the needs of her twin sister, Allison, first, even if it meant sacrificing her own needs.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I don’t usually like to read series books out of order, but I also know with Harlequin category romance series the books can usually be read as standalones, so when the author offered ARC copies of this, the second book in her Fresh Pond Security series, I jumped at the chance and was very excited to receive a copy. And while I subscribe to the author’s monthly newsletter, I will confess a little secret – I’d not ever actually read any of her books before now.

I’m happy to say that I was thoroughly impressed. It’s very well written, with fully developed and fleshed out characters. When we meet Noah, who other readers had already met in the first book, enough information about the events of that book was seamlessly woven into the narrative that I didn’t feel lost or wondering what I had missed. On the contrary, I was very intrigued by Fiona and especially Jason, who occasionally seemed like a bit of a jerk here, that I’ve already ordered the first book in the series and look forward to diving into their story.

But back to Zoe and Noah. We meet Zoe as she’s on her way to her sister’s apartment to check on her dog, and we quickly learn that Zoe has spent most of her adult life looking out for her twin. It’s obvious that Zoe is the nurturer in the family. When she is attacked in her sister’s apartment, Noah, who works for Fresh Pond Security, happens to be stationed outside the building doing surveillance, and rushes to her rescue. Thinking, of course, that she is Allison, a hard hitting television news journalist working on a corruption expose which has put her life in danger.

Allison. I didn’t much like Allison. She and Zoe may be twins, but they and their lives are worlds apart. Zoe is a schoolteacher, and is thoughtful and considerate. Allison seemed to be thoughtless and inconsiderate, walking all over Zoe. Indeed, at one point her selfish actions put Zoe and the others in even more danger. Of course we don’t get to know Allison as well or get inside her head the way we do with Zoe, but I very much admired Zoe. Noah’s boss wants her to impersonate Allison and go to the television studio, with Noah along pretending to be Allison’s boyfriend, so that Noah can do some covert spying/information tracking. Zoe is naturally afraid, and I really liked that her responses, her feelings and fear, were portrayed realistically for a civilian who does not have any training, security, self-defense, or otherwise. But she does have guts.

I loved Noah. He’d been sidelined to a desk job after taking a bullet on his previous assignment, and being out in the field, guarding Zoe and being active in this investigation, is his chance to prove himself. Close quarters and facing danger together often leads to attraction, but the author allowed their feelings for each other to build up slowly. Of course the events take place over a fairly short period of time, but the relationship still did not feel rushed.

The supporting characters were never wasted in this tense and engrossing story. Once the action ramped up it was nonstop, and for awhile it all felt pretty hopeless, as I had no idea what would happen next or how Zoe would survive. I was riveted from beginning to end.*Received from the author and voluntarily reviewed*

Synopsis from Goodreads:

For Zoe Goodwyn, dog-sitting for her twin shouldn’t be a life-and-death situation. But when she’s mistaken for her hard-hitting journalist sister, security specialist Noah Casey stops the kidnapper. And designates himself her bodyguard to keep her safe. Zoe knows the only way to catch the culprit is to use herself as bait—endangering her life and her heart. The heated attraction between Zoe and Noah is almost as overwhelming as the current threats, even with Noah vowing to protect her. But will this well-meaning mission lead to deadly consequences?

One Big Happy Family

 

SUSAN MALLERY

Stats: Trade paperback, Canary Street Press, 2024

How acquired: Harlequin Reader Service subscription.

First line: “But you’re a woman.”

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I've only previously read one book by Susan Mallery (The Vineyard at Painted Moon), which I very much enjoyed. So when this book arrived as part of my Harlequin Reader Service subscription, and a Christmas book to boot, I was excited to read it. That was in October and it took me until after Christmas to actually get to it, but it was worth the wait. I'd always thought of Ms. Mallery as a romance author (which I have no problem with as I read a lot of romance), but this book was more than that.

There's a large cast of characters, from Julie Parker, the main focus, to her adult children, the 12 years younger man she's been seeing and his young children, and various other partners, exes, friends and family, all coming together for the holiday at Julie's cabin. At it's heart, the story is about relationships. Good ones, bad ones, strained ones, messy ones. One of my favorite characters is Blair, Julie's daughter-in-law, with whom I felt a bit of a kinship.

In her next life she wouldn't know the location of every "safe" bathroom between work and home or home and the grocery store. Her activities wouldn't be defined by whether or not she was going to have a "good" day or if she would be suffering.

Blair has IBS, and if the author's description of that are realistic then it does not sound quite like what I have, but I do have issues for which I'm currently seeing doctors and trying to get a diagnosis and treatment. And if that's TMI for you, I apologize.

A heartwarming read, with lots of great dialogue, lots of moments that made me smile and some that made me laugh, a couple that made me tear up, and of course lots of Christmas spirit. I'm definitely a Susan Mallery fan.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Julie Parker’s kids are her greatest gift. Still, she’s not exactly heartbroken when they ask to skip a big Christmas. Her son, Nick, is taking a belated honeymoon with his bride, Blair, while her daughter, Dana, will purge every reminder of the guy who dumped her. Again. Julie feels practically giddy for one-on-one holiday time with Heath, the (much) younger man she’s secretly dating. 

But her plans go from cozy to chaotic when Nick and Dana plead for Christmas at the family cabin in memory of their late father, Julie’s ex. She can’t refuse, even though she dreads their reactions to her new man when they realize she’s been hiding him for months. 

As the guest list grows in surprising ways, from Blair’s estranged mom to Heath’s precocious children, Julie’s secret is one of many to be unwrapped. Over this delightfully complicated and very funny Christmas, she’ll discover that more really is merrier, and that a big, happy family can become bigger and happier, if they let go of old hurts and open their hearts to love.