Tag: New York City

REVIEW: Blame It on the Mistletoe by Beth Garrod

REVIEW: Blame It on the Mistletoe by Beth Garrod

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Holly is the Christmas Queen, but with a break up on her mind and all the usual family Christmas traditions upended by her mother’s plans to have them move in with her boyfriend and his kids, Holly’s not sure this year will be very merry.

Elle is all about being an influencer. And what better time than Christmas for fun activities to build her follower count?

But when Elle agrees to do an Instagram challenge to gain 15,000 new followers – where all of the losers of the challenge have to delete their accounts – she knows she has to take Christmas to a whole new level.

So Elle and Holly find a way to switch homes for the holidays. Elle heads to Holly’s home in England while Holly heads to America. Each of them are determined to make this holiday unforgettable.

Review

This was billed as “Tweet Cute meets The Holiday,” so there was no way I was going to miss this one! I adored Tweet Cute, and The Holiday is one of my favorite Christmas movies.

This was a cute story. I enjoyed the different Christmas experiences and both of the girls in the story. There’s a lot here that was just plain fun – Christmas treats, Christmas sweaters, Christmas love.

I feel like some of the conflicts and story tension could have been stronger, with more punch. But this is a lot like a Hallmark film. You really just need a small moment to put everything in jeopardy so the audience gets the satisfaction of watching everything work out. And this delivers on that satisfying ending.

If you are looking for a fun, cozy holiday love story, be sure to check this one out.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: A Princess for Christmas by Jenny Holiday

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: A Princess for Christmas by Jenny Holiday

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Avon in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book will release on October 13, 2020.]

Summary

Leo Ricci drives a New York City cab and also is the super of the building where he lives. He’s raising his eleven-year-old sister, Gabby. His neighbor and cousin-in-law, Dani, is a huge help as he feels out of his league almost all of the time.

Her Royal Highness Marie Joséphine Annagret Elana, Princess of Eldovia, is in New York to speak at the United Nations about the refugee crisis and then to handle some negotiations with American businesses, one in particular. Failing to fix the relationship between Eldovia and the businessman will be devastating to her country. And she’s not sure how much more of her father’s disapproval she can take.

Leo and Maria meet when she gets in his cab. His sister is gaga over meeting a real life princess. And Leo’s always had a thing for rescuing damsels in distress. He agrees to help Maria out by serving as her driver while she is in the city. In return, she invites Leo and Gabby to Eldovia for Christmas, like they are in some sort of Hallmark Christmas movie. But Leo and Maria come from two vastly different worlds. He’s barely making ends meet, and she’s a princess with an obligation to marry “strategically.” What business do they have spending Christmas together?

Review

This was delightful! It definitely has a Hallmark Christmas Movie feel to it (though far steamier than Hallmark Channel would ever allow), which is exactly what the author was going for. In fact, according to the acknowledgements, there are going to be two more books in the series. And if I am reading the signs right in the epilogue about where the sequel is headed, I am absolutely here for book 2!

I adored Leo and Marie. They really “get” each other. And they have great chemistry complete with excellent banter. They connect over their lost family members, care well for Gabby, and Leo helps Marie find her way through several conflicts. He sees her as a person, not just as a princess.

The story here is great. I loved that the conflicts are around the differences in their status and in the expectations of Marie in her role. There’s no secret identity or lying involved which is a nice change of pace.

This is another winner for Christmas 2020. Don’t miss this sexy holiday romance! (Language, sex, CW: grief/loss)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = Loved it! Would read again!

REVIEW: Love on Lexington Avenue by Lauren Layne

REVIEW: Love on Lexington Avenue by Lauren Layne

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Claire, Naomi, and Audrey met the day of Claire’s husband’s funeral. It was also the day of Naomi’s lover’s funeral. And Audrey’s boyfriend’s funeral. All three funerals were for the same man. That was the day the Central Park Pact was set. The three women would help each other watch out for manipulative, cheating men.

A year later, and Naomi’s fallen in love with a great guy (Passion on Park Avenue – ♥♥♥♥½). But Claire is still trying to figure out this weird new life. It’s hard to be a grieving wife when you are best friends with your husband’s mistresses – and you know he died on a “date” with someone else. But that’s still what she is – a grieving widow. How does she move forward after such betrayal?

One way is a complete overhaul of the brownstone where she and her husband lived. Scott Turner is an in-demand builder. He usually does multi-million dollar office buildings and skyscrapers. But he’s back in the city for a little while and itching to do a project that lets him work in a different sort of space. He’s pretty sure Claire’s brownstone is NOT it, though. He plans to meet his buddy’s friend, look at her project, and turn her down. Scott refuses to work with stuffy socialites. But Claire is nothing like he expects.

Review

This series has been a delightful surprise! I picked up Passion on Park Avenue from the library so I could read it before reading this one, just so I would have the characters and context in my head. I read it in a day and loved it. I jumped this one ahead in my review schedule because I enjoyed the first book so much. I was not disappointed! I read this in one sitting as well.

I love these characters! They’re complicated and compelling. The cheating jerk has impacted each of these women in different ways. Add to that their personal stories and emotional baggage, and you’ve got characters I wanted to spend time with. They’re fascinating! Then add to that some interesting guys and excellent chemistry, and you’ve got a romance series I would happily read again and again.

If you enjoy contemporary romance, don’t miss this series! Book 3, Marriage on Madison Avenue, releases in January. That will be a must-read for me. And I’ll be checking out the author’s other work because I have adored the two books in this series so far. Highly recommend! (language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½