“Eight Kinky Nights” by Xan West (Review)

West, Xan. Eight Kinky Nights. [Place of publication not identified]: Xan West, 2019. 

ISBN-13: 978-1393329626 | $3.99 USD | 380 pages | Contemporary/Erotic Romance

Blurb

Sometimes the perfect Chanukah gift can change everything.

Newly divorced stone butch Jordan moves into her friend Leah’s spare room, ready, at 49, to take on a new job and finally explore kink and polyamory. But moving to NYC during the holidays sends grief crashing through her, and Jordan realizes that when she isn’t solely focused on caring for others, her own feelings are unavoidable. Including her feelings for Leah.

51 year old queer femme Leah, an experienced submissive kink educator who owns a sex shop, has recently come to terms with being gray ace and is trying to rework her life and relationships to honor that.

Leah has a brainstorm to help them both: she offers Jordan eight kink lessons, one for each night of Chanukah, to help Jordan find her feet as a novice dominant, and to create a structured space where Leah can work on more deeply honoring her own consent, now that she knows she’s gray ace.

She’d planned to keep it casual, but instead the experience opens cracks in the armor Leah’s been using to keep people at a distance and keep herself safe. Now she needs to grapple with the trauma that’s been impacting her life for years.

Can these two autistic queers find ways to cope with the changes they are making in their lives and support each other, as they build something new they hadn’t thought was possible?

This kinky polyamorous Chanukah f/f romance includes a friends to lovers, roommates to lovers, kink lessons, seasoned romance and getting your groove back tropes, and polyamorous, gray ace, pansexual, Jewish, fat, autistic, disabled, arthritis, PTSD and depression representation.

Review

5 stars

I’ve wanted to read Xan West’s Eight Kinky Nights for a long time, having taken the plunge to buy it and their other works not long after their passing in 2020. Unfortunately, while I read several of their shorter books, I could never get around to reading this one at what felt like the opportune time, although I had a feeling I’d love it. But this year, I resolved to make it happen in tandem with Chanukah. And as I suspected, it’s the best thing Xan West has ever written. 

I love both leads and how real they are. Jordan and Leah are 49 and 51 respectively, and that in itself is not super common in romance, but I love how they’re also both Jewish, autistic, fat,  and queer, with Leah having recently realized she’s also gray-ace. With the two of them being longtime friends, it was beautiful to see the two of them exploring sexuality and kink within the context of their identities and their established friendship, with Chanukah as the perfect backdrop for their lessons in kink. There’s a nice tenderness between the two, even if it’s tempered by their respective personal demons. 

While I’ve read polyamorous romance before, I loved the way polyamory was included here, with the supporting cast feeling important to the journey that the protagonists were on as a couple, not to mention being varied and represented of various shades of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, including queerplatonic partnerships. 

My one minor complaint is that the book had a somewhat slow build at first. However, it does pay off, as it helps to set up the dynamics between the leads and the terms of relationship. Once the story got into the titular “eight kinky nights,” I was hooked. 

This is a wonderful book from an author gone too soon, combining some of my favorite tropes, like friends to lovers and sex (or in this case kink) lessons with compassionate portrayals of various marginalizations from an ownvoices perspective. If that sounds appealing to you, I’d recommend checking this out! 

Author Bio

Xan West is the nom de plume of Corey Alexander, an autistic queer fat Jewish genderqueer writer and community activist with multiple disabilities who spends a lot of time on Twitter.

Xan’s erotica has been published widely, including in the Best S/M Erotica series, the Best Gay Erotica series, and the Best Lesbian Erotica series. Their work has been described by reviewers as “offering the erotica equivalent of happy ever after”, and “some of the best transgressive erotic fiction to come along in recent years”.

Xan’s story “First Time Since”, won honorable mention for the 2008 National Leather Association John Preston Short Fiction Award. Their recent collection of queer kink erotica, Show Yourself To Me, is out from Go Deeper Press, and has been described by M. Christian as “a book that changes what erotica can and should be.”

Xan blogs about trans representation in literature, kink, queerness, disability, and writing at https://xanwest.wordpress.com/. 

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“Under the Christmas Tree” by Jacqueline Ramsden (ARC Review)

Ramsden, Jacqueline. Under the Christmas Tree. [Place of publication not identified]: Jacqueline Ramsden, 2023. 

ASIN: B0CNX3NGDX | $3.99 USD | 145 pages | Contemporary Romance

Blurb

What if the only present you want this year is a person?

Katie’s position as an obstetrics doctor has her busy on Christmas Day yet again. Her mother isn’t happy about it—she wants Katie moving home and settling down with someone, but Katie never has time for home or for anyone.

Almost anyone.

Maggie is the one person Katie has time for. The two have been best friends for years, but Maggie’s feelings have long since shifted into something more.

The Christmas season brings friends pushing them to be together and family pulling them in directions they don’t want to go, showing up unexpectedly, and interrupting all of their carefully planned time together, as well as the slow realization that they might both be feeling something more than friendship. Will they get their Christmas wish, or will fate conspire against them and leave them feeling lonely this Christmas?
Under the Christmas Tree is a friends-to-lovers, slow-burn holiday romance, featuring meddling friends, intruding families, and hopeless pining sapphics. Content warning for pushy family dynamics.

Review

4 stars

I received an ARC from the author via BookSprout and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. 

Jacqueline Ramsden delivers a super-sweet sapphic Christmas story with Under the Christmas Tree. It has all the sweet, cozy vibes you want from a holiday romance, along with some angst and drama. 

While I can’t say I’ve never read a romance about an OB-GYN, it’s still a unique career for the lead of a romance novel. Putting aside the obvious Jesus jokes with Katie having to work on Christmas in case of emergencies, I like how the story captured how hectic her schedule is, and how that is further amplified by her contentious relationship with her overbearing  mother, who wants her to settle down and often goes to extreme measures, including gaslighting, to try to control her. I very much rooted for Katie to put her mother in her place, and cheered when she did. 

Maggie makes for a solid romantic counterpart for Katie, also having a rather busy life with an inconsistent schedule thanks to her work as a photographer. Even without her and Katie being best friends, I like that there’s a mutual professional connection between them in addition to their personal friendship, with Maggie making her living primarily photographing expectant mothers. 

The romance was sweet, although there was some initial obliviousness and misunderstandings that caused drama. However, it was handled mostly believably, even if at times I  did want their friends to kindly shake them to make them see what was right in front of them. 

This was such a sweet read, and I’d recommend it to readers looking for a cozy, low-heat sapphic holiday romance to read in the leadup to Christmas.  

Author Bio

Jacqueline (she/they) is a genderqueer, demisexual writer. She spent most of her childhood with her head in a book and is a massive romantic, so it made sense to start writing queer happily ever afters.

They enjoy books, tea, and swooning over their girlfriend. If you would like to see that in action, you can follow them on Twitter.

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“Where the Heart Is” by Lily Seabrooke (ARC Review)

Seabrooke, Lily. Where the Heart Is. [Place of publication not identified]: Lily Seabrooke, 2023. 

ASIN: B0CNSHBDPS | $5.99 USD | 247 pages | Contemporary Romance

Blurb

Kissing her childhood friend on a family Christmas vacation is probably a bad idea…

The Jackson family is primed to explode over Christmas—with Stella’s parents hiding their divorce proceedings from the family during a two-week vacation to the cozy Christmas town of Bellsford, Stella and her sisters are under strict orders not to cause drama.

And falling for her childhood friend she hasn’t seen in years is probably drama.



After a whirlwind relationship during a semester abroad leaves Abigail shattered—and unable to talk about it without outing herself—a cozy Christmas vacation with the Jackson family isn’t ideal, but is better than spending it with her own family. But sharing a room with her childhood friend and hopeless crush, Stella, is the worst—or maybe the best—part.

It should be easy not to follow up an ill-advised whirlwind relationship with another. But Abigail can’t deny the sparks between her and Stella feel… different these days.



As they rekindle a friendship and then something more, can they balance the situation with the precarity of Stella’s family? Or is a Christmas miracle set to turn into Christmas heartbreak?




Where the Heart Is is a 70,000-word cozy Christmas vacation romance between two childhood friends reunited after going separate ways for college, loaded up with only-one-bed, childhood-crush pining, a secret relationship, a messy family, an adorable kid who causes problems for everyone but she doesn’t mean to, Abigail’s ADHD making her want to pass out when there’s too many people squeezed into a room with her, and an elf—er, innkeeper, who knows a little bit of everything about what’s going on. Content warnings for on-page sex scenes, divorce, parental estrangement, familial tension around coming out, and romantic car sex. Sorry, did I say content warning? That last one was more of a content promise.

Review

4 stars

I received an ARC from the author via BookSprout and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. 

Where the Heart Is is a cozy Christmas confection from Lily Seabrooke, and while I have yet to read her other Christmas books, it’s exactly what I’ve come to expect from her writing: super sweet, cozy vibes, and a fairly low-stakes, low-angst sapphic romance that gave me all the feels. 

Stella and Gale are both such solid leads, and I rooted for them. They’re both not in the best of moods going into the holidays, due to personal stuff, but being reunited to spend the holidays together is great. I loved the mutual pining, especially with them having to share a bed! It was sweet watching them reconnect and unravel their feelings for each other. And the fact that Stella’s sister Clarissa is fully aware of their mutual crush and tried to help them along made it even sweeter! 

I adored this book, and I’d recommend it to readers looking for a short and sweet queer romance in the leadup to Christmas! 

Author Bio

Lily Seabrooke is a lesbian, trans woman, and author of sapphic romance that stars food, because odds are, at any given time, she’s hungry.

Her interests include eating food, thinking about food, writing novels about food, and drinking coffee.

You can find her on Twitter to be in the know on everything she’s doing, or you can sign up for her mailing list and be the first to get book announcements and free copies of her books before they release in exchange for honest reviews.

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“For Never & Always” by Helena Greer (ARC Review)

Greer, Helena. For Never & Always. New York: Forever, 2023. 

ISBN-13: 978-1538706558 | $16.99 USD | 368 pages | Contemporary Romance

Blurb

One surprise inheritance, two best friends (now bitter exes), and three months to prove he loves her, forever and always, in this swoony second-chance romance for fans of Alexandria Bellefleur and Ashley Herring Blake.

Hannah Rosenstein should be happy: after a lonely childhood of traipsing all over the world, she finally has a home as the co-owner of destination inn Carrigan’s All Year. But her thoughts keep coming back to Levi “Blue” Matthews: her first love, worst heartbreak, and now, thanks to her great-aunt’s meddling will, absentee business partner. 

When Levi left Carrigan’s, he had good intentions. As the queer son of the inn’s cook and groundskeeper, he never quite fit in their small town and desperately wanted to prove himself. Now that he’s a celebrity chef, he’s ready to come home and make amends. Only his return goes nothing like he planned: his family’s angry with him, his best friend is dating his nemesis, and Hannah just wants him to leave. Again.

Levi sees his chance when a VIP bride agrees to book Carrigan’s—if he’s the chef. He’ll happily cook for the wedding, and in exchange, Hannah will give him five dates to win her back. Only Hannah doesn’t trust this new Levi, and Levi’s coming to realize Hannah’s grown too. But if they find the courage to learn from the past . . . they just might discover the love of your life is worth waiting for.

Review

2.5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. 

I really liked Helena Greer’s debut last year, focusing on a Christmas tree farm run by Jewish people, and a romance blooming amid tensions over transfer of ownership. But unfortunately, the follow-up, For Never & Always, failed to capture that same magic, being rather dull by comparison. 

I do like that the book continues to highlight the complex relationships among the people who live and work at Carrigan’s, from friendships to romance to the more complicated relationships, And to see Carrigan’s transform into an establishment for various holidays throughout the year is a wonderful way to subvert expectations, and highlight not just some other Jewish traditions, but also explore how Carrigan’s might help in celebrating secular holidays, like the Fourth of July. 

And I do like the friendships between the core cast, Noelle and Miriam from the last book, and their respective relationships with both Hannah and Levi. 

But I didn’t care much for either Hannah or Levi as characters, and I found their romance rather underwhelming too. They had no chemistry, so it was so weird seeing them interact with what was meant to elicit tension or make these romantic declarations. 

This book also suffered from a similar issue to a book like People We Meet on Vacation in its excessive use of flashbacks, and apart from the subheading telling you it is a flashback, there’s not much material difference in the text giving you cues that it is one. Their behavior in the present still feels very juvenile, and doesn’t feel like they’ve grown and learned, something I like to see in a second chance romance, so it made it hard to root for them. 

While this book was a miss for me, I am excited to see what’s next for this cast of characters, based on the teaser at the end! And I’d still recommend checking out other reviews for other opinions, and possibly giving it a chance if you’re looking to read more Jewish holiday-centric romance, and you’re open to a second chance romance that heavily utilizes flashbacks. 

Author Bio

Helena was born in Tucson, and her heart still lives there although she no longer does. After earning a BA in writing and mythology, and a master’s in library science, she spent several years blogging about librarianship before returning to writing creatively. Helena loves cheesy pop culture, cats without tails, and ancient Greek murderesses.

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“Finding My Elf” by David Valdes (ARC Review)

Valdes, David. Finding My Elf. New York: HarperTeen, 2023. 

ISBN-13: 978-0063288881 | $19.99 USD | 256 pages | YA Contemporary Romance

Blurb

Single All the Way meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda in this festive romcom about Cam, who’s trying to find the “the one” and also trying to find himself—while spending winter break working at a hectic Santa’s Village. 

Escaping to NYU for college didn’t turn out the way Cameron planned—he’s flunking his theater classes, about to lose his scholarship, and he still hasn’t found anyone he can call his “people.” When he gets home for winter break, he’s so desperate to avoid a Conversation with his dad that he takes the first acting job he can get—as a mall elf. Despite how Scroogey he feels, the plus side is that there’s a cash prize for the most festive of Santa’s helpers.

But the competition is fierce—especially from fellow elf Marco. Christmas spirit oozes out of his veins. At first Cam is determined to see him as nothing but a rival, but as they spend more time together, Cam starts to second-guess himself. What if he’s finally found his people here—in the fakest consumerist nightmare place on Earth, where he least expected it?

Review

4 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. 

Finding My Elf is a cute YA/NA holiday romcom, and I love how it focuses on a younger Scroogey protagonist rediscovering his love of the holiday season. Teens have a lot going on, from graduating high school and going off to college, and I like how the book highlights how hard the change can be, from the new academic challenges, to struggling to make new friends, while also not having that be the central focus of the story. 

I really felt for Cam, and how he’s struggling to deal with it all, and finding himself again a little out of his element being a bit of a “bah humbug” mood while working as a Christmas elf during the big “Elfmas” festival, at his overly festive father’s behest. 

Marco serves as a great romantic interest, helping to inspire Cam to become more spirited, both due to their initial holiday competition rivalry, and because of the growing attraction between them. While this dynamic is by no means original, I loved seeing these two characters find each other, and seeing them connect made me happy. 

This story also radiates holiday cheer in general, even if Cam isn’t into it all at first. I loved how the story revolved so heavily around “Elfmas,” with it starting just prior, and running all through the Twelve Days, and then ending just after. It sets a believable timeline for a holiday romance, with enough potential for a lasting romance to grow from it. 

This was a sweet read, and I’d recommend adding it to your holiday reading list, especially if you’re looking for more queer representation in holiday romance. 

Author Bio

David Valdes is the author of the young adult novels Spin Me Right Round (a New York Public Library Best Book for Teens) and Brighter than the Moon as well as three nonfiction books, including Today Show “Top 10 Holiday Books” pick A Little Fruitcake. His plays have been produced coast to coast and abroad. As a columnist, he has written for the New York Times, Boston Globe, and HuffPost. He lives outside Boston with his teenage daughter.

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“A Holly Jolly Ever After” (Christmas Notch #2) by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone (Review)

Murphy, Julie, & Sierra Simone. A Holly Jolly Ever After. New York: Avon, 2023. 

ISBN-13: 978-0063222649 | $24.99 USD | 432 pages | Contemporary Romance

Blurb

From the authors of A Merry Little Meet Cute comes a steamy holiday rom-com cowritten by #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Murphy and USA Today bestselling author Sierra Simone—about an actress and a perpetually single former boy-band member reunited as costars on a steamy holiday film!

Kallum Lieberman is the funny one™. As the arguably lesser of the three former members of the boy band INK, he enjoyed his fifteen minutes of fame and then moved home where he opened a regional pizza chain called Slice, Slice, Baby! He’s living his best dad bod life, hooking up with bridesmaids at all his friends’ weddings. But after an old one-off sex tape is leaked and quickly goes viral, Kallum decides he’s ready to step into the spotlight again, starring in a sexy Santa biopic for the Hope Channel. 

Winnie Baker did everything right. She married her childhood sweetheart, avoided the downfalls of adolescent stardom, and transitioned into a stable adult acting career. Hell, she even waited until marriage to have sex. But after her perfect life falls apart, Winnie is ready to redefine herself—and what better way than a steamier-than-a-steaming-hot-mug-of-cider Christmas movie?

With decade old Hollywood history between them, Winnie and Kallum are both feeling hesitant about their new situation as costars…especially Winnie who can’t seem to fake on screen pleasure she’s never experienced in real life. She’s willing to do the pleasure research—for science and artistic authenticity, of course. And there’s no better research partner than her bridesmaid sex tape hall of fame costar, Kallum. But suddenly, Kallum’s teenage crush on Winnie is bubbling to the surface and Winnie might be catching feelings herself. 

They say opposites attract, but is this holly jolly ever after really ready for its close-up?

In the series

#1 A Merry Little Meet Cute 

Review

4.5 stars

After loving my first venture into Christmas Notch, I was more than happy to pick up another book in the series, no questions asked. However, I admit my resolve was tested just a tad with some elements of book two, A Holly Jolly Ever After. However, this book is also proof that there are almost no absolute “nopes” when it comes to tropes, as there’s always a way to do it right (although I’m not going to lie, I’d liked to have been given the option to know ahead of time instead of being sent into a tailspin of conflict mid-book). 

But this book continues with the theme of battling purity culture, and I love that the specific way it approached it really hit home with the recent discourse around Britney’s new book (which I also happen to be reading in between my fiction reads). I saw a few stark parallels in Winnie’s story with Britney’s, like her Christian family and the way her family and society at large are reckoning with her reputation being ruined thanks to the demise of her marriage, never mind that her lack of experience in sex played a role in that. And even her career pivot, brought on by all the controversy, only inspires more controversy, but I respect how she comes into her own over the course of the book, asserting herself in a way she never did before. 

And while Kallum is an ex-boyband member, that’s where similarities with a certain former significant other of Britney’s ends. I love how he’s equally mired in controversy, making him a great partner for Winnie as she discovers her sexuality. I also love that he wears his heart on his sleeve, while Winnie is more reticent. 

The structure of the book is quite odd, because I initially expected the book to be about their sex lessons in the midst of them filming, and that’s what it is during part one. But the beginning of part two introduces a plot twist in the form of an accidental pregnancy, thus inspiring my aforementioned bout of conflict. But there was still enough “meat” in the book to allow them to work out where they stood in their relationship, and it didn’t do the thing I hated, where the baby puts a band-aid on a fledgling or dysfunctional relationship. In fact, I respect that, regardless of the stigma, Winnie was willing to take on being a mom on her own with no expectations from Kallum, although once he found out, he both wanted to continue to pursue a relationship with Winnie due to his already established feelings and because he wanted to do the right thing. 

I continue to love the friend group with INK. Nolan and Bee are adorable together, and provide moral support for Kallum and Winnie, individually and collectively, when they need it. I’m also excited at the prospect of a future book with Isaac, and what his HEA might look like. 

While this book took some turns I did not expect, I ended up really appreciating it for how it got its messages across. If you’re looking for a steamy holiday romcom that will also make you think, I’d recommend checking this out! 

Author Bio

Julie Murphy lives in North Texas with her husband, who loves her, and her cats, who tolerate her. When Julie isn’t writing, she can be found planning her next great travel adventure. She is the author of middle grade novels Dear Sweet Pea and Camp Sylvania as well as the young adult novels Ramona Blue, Side Effects May Vary, the Faith series, Pumpkin, Puddin’, and Dumplin’ (now a Netflix original film). You can visit Julie at imjuliemurphy.com.

Sierra Simone is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling former librarian. Her notable works include Priest, American Queen, and Misadventures of a Curvy Girl, and her books have been featured in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Entertainment Weekly, and Buzzfeed. She lives with her spouse and family in Kansas City.

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“Clued In Christmas” (Love & Games #3) by Mia Heintzelman (ARC Review)

Heintzelman, Mia. Clued In Christmas. San Clemente, CA: Tule Publishing, 2023. 

ISBN-13: 978-1961544130 | $4.99 USD | 250 pages | Contemporary Romance

Blurb

Nadia Sikes usually loves the holidays—cozy game nights, snowy mountain girls’ trips, hours decking the halls at Love & Games. But when her two best friends and co-owners find love, all she wants is to tuck away her heart and make it through the season.

Quietly handsome bookstore owner and single dad Micah Hamilton is determined to a) build lasting Christmas memories with his little girl and b) avoid Nadia. When his daughter asks to attend the holiday festivities at Love & Games, though, Micah is forced to introduce the woman who broke his heart, to his child she never knew existed.

The scene would drive anyone to plot their romantic reunion…and someone does. Between turkey dinners, tree decorating, and mistletoe kisses, mysterious notes begin showing up at the game store. As Nadia strings together clues, motives, and suspects for this twisty whodunit, she and Micah are blindsided by the return of their desire.

Is it a mistake to lose themselves in each other again? Or will a Christmas miracle bring them back to where they belong?

In the series

#1 Monopolove

#2 Trivialized Pursuit

Review

4 stars

I received an ARC from the author and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. 

Clued In Christmas is the third and final book in the Love & Games series by Mia Heintzelman. It can be read as a standalone, although I recommend all three and the character relationships among the central group of family and friends are a consistent highlight of the series. 

I’ve loved how each book in the series includes aspects of the board games it’s themed after, and this one is no exception. From actual on-page gameplay, due to the main setting being a game store, to the scattered puns, it remains a lot of fun. And the way it intersects with the holidays was another nice touch, given the presence of board games in many family holiday traditions. 

Nadia and Micah have such an interesting dynamic. Their past fling ended on a bitter note, with him admitting to having feelings she couldn’t admit to at that time. Nadia is also still navigating baggage from a past relationship leading her to have closed the door on love, motivating her actions months ago with Micah. Their reunion was sweet, and I enjoyed seeing them come to trust and open up to each other, in spite of past hurts. 

I also loved Gilly, Micah’s eleven year old daughter. She and Micah have a great relationship, and I loved the little ways he showed his pride in her and how brilliant she was, even at a young age. 

I really enjoyed this book, and this series overall. If you’re looking for a fun, cozy read for the holidays, I’d recommend checking out this one! 

Author Bio

Mia Heintzelman is a polka-dot-wearing, horror and romance movie lover, who always has a book and a to-do list in her purse. She writes fun, unforgettable, more than just laughs romance about strong women, and men with enough heart to fall for them. When she isn’t busy writing fictional happily-ever-afters, she is likely reading, playing board games, or eating sweets. 

She currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband and two children.

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“Yule Be My Duke” (The Matchmaking Chronicles #0.5) by Darcy Burke (ARC Review)

Burke, Darcy. Yule Be My Duke. [Place of publication not identified]: Zealous Quill Press, 2023. 

ISBN-13: 978-1637261668 | $2.99 USD | 106 pages | Regency Romance

Blurb

It was loathe at first sight when Cecilia Bromwell met John Rowley, the Earl of Cosford five years ago at a party where his ill-conceived prank and irascible temper ruined not one but two of her new gowns. Now, at a Yuletide house party, Cecilia learns their parents seek to match them in wedded bliss. However, she has no interest in even speaking with the “Menace,” especially after he spills wine down her bodice, ruining yet another gown.

John has no desire to be paired with the “Shrew” for the Yule log hunt. But if they can suffer each other’s company for a short time, perhaps they can convince their parents that they do not suit. When they’re separated from everyone else and a snowstorm drives them to seek shelter alone in a cottage together, it may not matter what they want.

With marriage all but imminent, can these enemies become lovers by morning?

In the series

#1 The Rigid Duke

#2 The Bachelor Earl 

#3 The Runaway Viscount 

#4 The Make-Believe Widow 

Review

4 stars

I received an ARC from the author as part of her Review Team and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. 

The Matchmaking Chronicles is one of my favorite Darcy Burke series,  and I’ve enjoyed pretty much every installment. This prequel, Yule Be My Duke, an expanded edition of a story previously published in an anthology, is no exception. I loved how it gave some backstory for the supporting characters from the rest of the Matchmaking Chronicles, Cecilia and John, and how they themselves were the targets of matchmaking shenanigans. 

The premise of the book itself did give me a bit of pause, because it struck me initially as a bit too close to a potential former bully situation, which doesn’t make the best romance in my opinion without severe introspection. And while I was still a bit annoyed at what it actually was, which was two people remembering the misunderstandings and pranks of when they were petulant teenagers, the story grew on me from there. The important thing for me was that they each had silly misconceptions about the other that left an impression due to the rashness of youth, and the second impression, once they had gotten over the pettiness of their shared past, showed how they’d each improved over the years. There’s great rivals-to-lovers banter, and the chemistry between them as they’re forced to depend on one another when they find themselves separated from the rest of the party and stranded together feels believable. 

This is a fun, short read, and one I’d recommend for historical romance readers looking for a quick holiday read. 

Author Bio

Darcy Burke is the USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, emotional historical and contemporary romance. Darcy wrote her first book at age 11, a happily ever after about a swan addicted to magic and the female swan who loved him, with exceedingly poor illustrations. Click here to Join her Reader Club.

A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her guitar-strumming husband, artist daughter, and imaginative son who will almost certainly out-write her one day (that may be tomorrow).

They’re a crazy cat family with two Bengal cats, a small, fame-seeking cat named after a fruit, an older rescue Maine Coon with attitude to spare, and a collection of neighbor cats who hang out on the deck and occasionally venture inside. You can find Darcy at a winery, in her comfy writing chair, or binge-watching TV with the family.

Her happy places are Disneyland, Labor Day weekend at the Gorge, Denmark, and anywhere in the UK—so long as her family is there too.

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“With Love, From Cold World” by Alicia Thompson (Review)

Thompson, Alicia. With Love, From Cold World. New York: Berkley, 2023. 

ISBN-13: 978-0593438671  | $18.00 USD | 400 pages | Contemporary Romance

Blurb

USA Today Bestseller!
One of Amazon’s Best Romances of August!

She has a to-do list a mile long and falling for her coworker isn’t on it—yet somehow he’s become her top priority in this romantic comedy from the national bestselling author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers.

Lauren Fox is the bookkeeper for Cold World, a tourist destination that’s always a winter wonderland despite being located in humid Orlando, Florida. Sure, it’s ranked way below any of the trademarked amusement parks and maybe foot traffic could be better. But it’s a fun place to work, even if “fun” isn’t exactly Lauren’s middle name. 

Her coworker Asa Williamson, on the other hand, is all about finding ways to enliven his days at Cold World—whether that means organizing the Secret Santa or teasing Lauren. When the owner asks Lauren and Asa to propose something (anything, really) to raise more revenue, their rivalry heats up as they compete to come up with the best idea. But the situation is more dire than they thought, and it might take these polar opposites working together to save the day. If Asa thought Lauren didn’t know how to enjoy herself, he’s surprised by how much he enjoys spending time together. And if Lauren thought Asa wasn’t serious about anything, she’s surprised by how seriously he seems to take her. 

As Lauren and Asa work to save their beloved wintery spot, they realize the real attraction might be the heat generating between them.SEE LESS

Review

4 stars

While I had mixed feelings about Alicia Thompson’s debut romance, I was prepared to give her another chance, as my issues were more philosophical, as opposed to based on my belief in her ability to tell a decent story. And as a fellow Paramore superfan, I am glad I did, as With Love, From Cold World (which, yes, is inspired by a Paramore song) presented no such issues for me. Part of the attraction is, well…the attraction at the center of the book, Cold World. It’s a fun, well-drawn location, bringing a winter wonderland to the hot state of Florida, and as someone from a different hot region of the US, I’d love for something like this to exist!

I also really liked the characters, a lot more than in Thompson’s debut, although that’s definitely a personal preference. I’m a sucker for a grumpy heroine, and Lauren spoke to me a lot. She’s also quite introverted, and while she’s even a bit Grinchy, I also admired her work ethic. Asa is a great contrast for her, being extroverted and relaxed and easy to get along with. But as is the case with any well-executed  grumpy/sunshine dynamic, there’s layers to both of them, and I enjoyed seeing how each got under the other’s skin and brought their hidden vulnerabilities out. Also, bonus for bi rep (Asa is bi), which worked out perfectly for Bi Visibility Week! 

With its holiday themes, it’s fairly cozy and light. There are some deeper themes, but it’s not in the bait-and-switch “surprise trauma dump” kind of way that some “romcoms” have gotten away with in recent years. And as the cover indicates, there’s a great sense of hot-and-cold, push-and-pull dynamic that comes through, making the romance satisfying. 

This is a sweet read, and I’d recommend checking it out if you’re looking for a fun holiday romcom for the upcoming holiday season. 

Author Bio

Alicia Thompson is a writer, reader, and Paramore superfan. As a teen, she appeared in an episode of 48 hours in the audience of a local murder trial, where she broke the fourth wall by looking directly into the camera. She currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children.

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“Wrapped with a Beau” by Lillie Vale (ARC Review)

Vale, Lillie. Wrapped with a Beau. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2023. 

ISBN-13:978-0593422045 | $18.00 USD | 368 pages | Contemporary Romance

Blurb

In its heyday, Piney Peaks and its beloved Christmas house were made famous by Sleighbells under Starlight, a romantic holiday movie. Fifty years later, the small town is ready for a new love story.

As a successful film liaison, Elisha Rowe has her heart set on one thing and one thing only: putting her hometown back on the map. So, when she gets the chance to secure the long-hoped-for sequel to Sleighbells under Starlight, a beloved holiday movie, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to make sure everything goes smoothly. Unfortunately, that includes claiming to have already gotten permission to film at the historic Christmas house—permission she was very much denied by the gorgeous new owner.

City boy Ves Hollins is only back in Piney Peaks long enough to sell the house he inherited from his great-aunt. The holidays have always been tough for Ves, and it’s not any easier when he’s distracted by memories of a Christmas long, long ago, and the irresistible charm of neighbor Elisha. He has no plans to put down roots or fall in love…even if Elisha unravels his hesitations like a bad Christmas sweater. 

There’s no question the two are opposites in every way. Ves is undeniably frosty. Elisha is brimming with warmth. He doesn’t do commitment. She never runs from a challenge. But as the two grow closer, they quickly realize that the growing spark between them may be just what the season calls for.

Review

3.5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. 

Wrapped with a Beau is your fairly standard Hallmark-with-steam holiday romcom, but Lillie Vale injects enough charm to make it her own. I really liked the concept of a now legendary film and its filming locations of this historic house and the small town of Piney Peaks itself, and I’d love to read more stories set in this location. 

The leads are pretty great spins on traditional holiday romance archetypes. Ves is pretty recognizable as a Grinch-esque, broody hero whose ties to the house have reluctantly brought him home, and while there are certain things about him that I initially was skeptical about, like his noncommittal nature, particularly when it came to relationships, he won me over. I especially love that he writes middle grade fantasy books, and I appreciated going on the journey of connecting with his family history alongside him. 

Elisha is also recognizable, being a bit more passionate about things related to the holidays, in this case, things related to the town’s visibility in relation to the film and its upcoming sequel. She grows on a professional front, and there’s a very recognizable predicament (in the context of holiday movies) as a result. 

While I can’t say the romance rocked my socks off, they do work well together. They come from somewhat different places and perspectives, but that made their bond over what they did have in common more interesting. 

I did feel the book was a bit busy, to the point where it wasn’t sure what it wanted to be at times, like at one point it’s fake dating, and then later it’s a no-strings relationship, and I’m not sure there was enough justification for balancing both, when fleshing out one trope would have worked better. There were also a lot of side characters, and while I like what they do for coloring the town as a setting at times, and Elisha’s family could be fun, I felt they sometimes overwhelmed the story. And the ex, justifying the initial fake relationship felt like a lot of unnecessary drama. 

In spite of these issues, I did enjoy this book overall, and I’d recommend it to readers looking for a fun Christmas romance in the coming holiday season. 

Author Bio

Lillie Vale is the author of books for both teens and adults, including The Decoy Girlfriend, Beauty and the Besharam, The Shaadi Set-Up and Small Town Hearts, an American Library Association’s 2020 Rainbow Books List selection. She writes about secrets and yearning, complicated and ambitious girls who know what they want, the places we call home and people we find our way back to, and the magic we make. Born in Mumbai, she grew up in Mississippi, Texas, and North Dakota, and now lives in an Indiana college town. Find her on Twitter @LillieLabyrinth and Instagram @labyrinthspine, or visit her website lillielabyrinth.com.

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