This was a very fun and short Christmas novella. One that transports you back to Pride, Oregon. It’s made me want to dig into yet another one of these contemporary romance series set in small towns. Just too cute and sweet to be real. But a whole lot of fun to read about. The fact that it was set during Christmas time was all that much better. And the fact that although it took place in Pride, it wasn’t actually about one of the couples from this town.
I always love a good childhood friends to lovers kind of trope. Particularly when they’ve always felt that way but been unable to act on their emotions. It’s this great jump from friendship to lovers that show that they know everything about one another. Probably my favourite trope because they genuinely know where each other’s skeletons are buried but choose to fall in love anyway.
Alice and Eric are an incredibly cute and sweet couple. They’re the kind of couple that I love to read about. And the backdrop of a winter storm along a beach at a bed and breakfast? Just ridiculously wonderful and enjoyable. I love the beach, but now I have a ridiculous urge to go and see it in the winter. At Christmas. With the man I love hunkered down into the cottage with me…
This is my first every Jill Sanders book, and I’m definitely feeling like I’m a convert after reading this. Sanders has tones of Robyn Carr, not quite as impossible to put down, but still that great feeling of simplicity and joy that I’ve come to associate with her novels. The small town romances are definitely a catnip for me, one that I love to settle into and drift away with. The fact that this is also a Christmas story, set in the snow was also seriously enjoyable. Even though this started partway through the Pride series, and I was definitely missing a few bits of information, this was a wonderful contemporary romance that had me smiling and just generally enjoying the feeling of falling in love in a tiny town, covered in snow.
There were a few sad moments through this that helped to contrast with the happy feeling of falling in love and finding your happily ever after. For starters, there is Luke’s gran – she is such an integral part of his life, and her loss is definitely a tragic one. I love that Amber is happy to take the moment and let him process his grief without the complications of a new relationship. Plus, he also buys a beagle puppy which made me incredibly happy. I love that as part of the grieving process for Luke, he has the whole town banding behind him as support. This is the dream of a community – one that is there when you most need them without judgement.
There is also Amber’s backstory. At least Luke’s is filled with love, I can’t fathom the difficulties that she goes through and how callous and horrible her parents are. I thought they would be a bigger challenge to the blossoming relationship between Amber and Luke that they were though. I also love that when this knowledge comes to light in the town, the people automatically and unquestioningly band behind Amber in support. Shutting down gossipers and those who are too far into their own delusions to see reality. Both Amber and Luke have negative family moments throughout this story that they are able to support each other through. But, they also are moments which show how loyal and supportive the town of Pride is.
As an introduction to the Pride series, I found this fantastic and overwhelmingly beautiful. The Christmas aspect made it even more enjoyable. And, even though it is a story that takes partway through a established series, I still enjoyed being swept away. Now I just need to find out more about the rest of the characters and fall in love bit by bit with this tiny little Christmas town.
This novel was a little bit predictable, but still very sweet. I mean, it’s a small-town romance – out of towner comes to escape an unpleasant past, finds a dreamy local and falls madly in love. It’s a tale filled with beautiful, happy, small-town vibes. But, sometimes that’s exactly what I’m in the mood for – a completely predictable romance that is a lot of fun and a pleasant departure from the real world.
Although Megan and Todd are the leads in this novel, I do love Lacey and can’t wait for her story. She’s an absolute firecracker and I love how she is able to just control those around her with the force of her personality. She was a bit of a show stealer, and it’ll be interesting when she is the one who falls head over heels. But, I digress, that’s a story that I look forward to delving into in the future. For now, Finding Pride was a fantastic beginning to a new-to-me series by an author I think I’m going to thoroughly enjoy.
Megan’s domestic violence background is not as well written as some of the other characters that I’ve had in my shelves, but it was still well done. I do love how she eventually stands up for herself. And the way in which she is constantly growing into her own independence and regaining that sense of self. The fact that this happens following the loss of her brother is kind of sad and tragic though. I spent the whole book lamenting the fact that Matthew wasn’t there to see Megan’s growth and the way she finds her new home in Pride. Which is probably the way Sanders wanted it to be.
There is tragedy in Todd’s background as well – the loss of a wife. I felt like this could have been used a little more for character development, it was barely touched upon. Even though it was mentioned that he never truly loved her, it just felt like a completely unnecessary and underutilised detail that didn’t need to be there. The death of his father though was a much better point of character development in this tale. Again, it wasn’t as well structured as some of the other stories I’ve read. But it was still well done. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and I’m looking forward to reading the next tale in the Pride series.
Another wonderful contemporary romance set on film sets by Susannah Nix. I love that it talks about the background people as part of an on-set acting crew. Although I watch a lot of TV (as many of us do), I’d never really thought about the background actors, those who say nothing and are just there to fill the set. I loved the insight into this that I had never thought about. And what it would actually be like to work on a TV show set. I love that Alice’s experiences with this are positive, and although some of the toxicity of fame is still highlighted in this novel, Alice’s experiences are overall quite positive. It was a nice little moment of brightness in a storyline that could have otherwise been a really tragic story, partly because of Alice’s backstory and her experiences in academia.
The fact that Rising Star features a woman who is trying to make her way in academia was wonderfully familiar, and not so wonderful in some ways. Alice’s battles within academia are seriously heartbreaking, and I spent a whole lot of this book wanting to reach out and give her an incredibly big hug. It may not be quite my own experience in academia, but it definitely had the effect of bringing up a whole lot of issues that are unresolved from my time in this field. You know that Nix is a good writer when the similarities (and dissimilarities) occur to make you feel some fairly potent emotions from your own experiences. Alright, so Alice’s experiences aren’t necessarily academia-based, their sexual harassment-based. But, considering the difficulties she faces and the potential backlash, it was pretty hard to read in moments. I also love that in this story she chooses not to come forwards – because of the horrors that we inflict upon victims of this total and utter crap. Alice’s points and reluctance are so realistic and what I know a lot of people experiences when in this, and similar positions.
Alice’s counterpart, Griffin, is definitely swoony (at least how I’m picturing him in my head). But he’s also a little bit, incredibly, self-centred. He spends most of this book focused on his own emotions, experiences and desires. And although he obviously cares for Alice from fairly early on, it’s only when the consequences get pretty intense that he actually decides to stop and think about someone else. Relationships aren’t exactly healthy when one person is focused on their own needs and desires, to the detriment of the other’s feelings. Luckily, and because this is just an all-round awesome romance, he grows and is able to seriously stop and consider where exactly he’s gone wrong. I loved imagining at the conclusion of this book the growth that Griffin is able to continue to go through with Alice’s help.
Although this is an amazing slow-burn romance, for me Taco frequently stole the show. Which, admittedly, pretty much always happens for me when a dog is involved. I love how it is through a dog that two people are able to so strongly bond – probably because I just love dogs in general. There are a number of misunderstandings and mistakes along the way, but ultimately, this is a wonderful and adorable novel that I look forward to reading again and again. Not just for the romance, but also for the many Taco moments throughout.
This short story is actually a little bit heartbreaking, not because of the story per se, but because it focuses on society’s reactions to those who are bigger. Don’t get me wrong, it was also an incredibly cute story. It’s just that the crap that the protagonist has to deal with because she has a bigger frame is horrible. And the fact that she has to handle more of this nonsense than her male counterparts… incredibly annoying. Like I said, a bit of a heartbreaking commentary on our society.
I love that both of the characters in this story are plus sized. And that throughout their short interaction, he encourages her to be a little more comfortable and confident. Particularly when confronting her family who is too busy fat-shaming her to be anything but horrifying. It’s a reminder that sometimes the expected “family time” around the festive season shouldn’t necessarily be adhered to. At least, that’s the way I found it.
The idea that words don’t have an impact is highlighted as seriously wrong in this short story. Bell highlights how much can be internalised from bullying, nonsense and constantly being spoken down to. Although the Meet Cute on the plane in this story potentially will lead to a better, more positive outlook, it’s still a very open-ended story. As much as I would love to believe that this helps in the long term, I’m not entirely sure that it does.
Overall, I loved this short story. It was a great approach to have a holiday story which is not so much about the holiday, but the travel to and from it. And, although my cynical side doesn’t quite get the happily ever after from this, I loved the potential for this. I can’t wait to see what a full-length story from Adrienne Bell reads like if the short story is this good.
There’s a positive and negative to this short story. The positive is that this was seriously enjoyable and I kind of fell in love with it a little / a lot. The negative, now there’s another author and series that I’ve got on my ever-growing TBR. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I don’t think I’ll ever catch up on all of the reading that I want to do. Decked Out was a great story featuring a family holiday gone seriously wrong. Kind of hilariously wrong if I’m being honest. It was a little cringy to read, but in the best way possible.
Natalie and Enzo are a wonderfully cute couple. I love that this tale features a woman who is pregnant with twins, and although I know that there is more to their story available in Stripped Down. But, even having not read that, it is possible to put together some of their history and feel the passion of their relationship. Now I can’t wait to see how that developed in Stripped Down. Adding into that Natalie’s ex and the calamities of the two families… this was a seriously wonderful story.
I do love how it is both the best and the worst Christmas. One in which both parties have to find out how to communicate a little better and be a part of a healthy, functioning relationship. Definitely an enjoyable story, that had me giggling quite a bit throughout. Particularly when the pickled grandmother gets involved…
Dave and Tina are a very nice couple. You get behind them from the very beginning and want to see their version of happily ever after completed. Especially as the difficulties in starting their relationship are hinted at. I love that although I haven’t read anything else in this series, it was incredibly easy to figure out the important parts of their relationship. But not enough that you’re not biting at the bit to read the rest of the Love on the Line books. The fact that this short story mentions another couple from the series and is all about spending the holidays with family made them an even cuter couple.
Although most of Dave’s family is completely amazing, Lonnie and Calvin are legitimately the worst family ever. Like, I was completely awestruck by the fact that they not only stole the presents that Tina and Dave were going to give to the rest of the family… they also managed to get half the family arrested and stole identities. It was incredibly impressive and horrible, all at the same time. Makes any chaos within my family seem a little bit more tame.
I loved the proposal twist at the end of this short story. I like when there is a bit of an extra twist to go with all of the stealing and criminal twists throughout this very cute Christmas story. It’s definitely got me intrigued to read more of the Kari Lemor books on my shelf now.
Tristan is just all round yummy. I mean, a literal shepherd who is built, paints and lives on his own? There is something so wonderfully delicious about him that I sunk straight into this story without any hesitation. Like, disgustingly yummy. Also, the Meet Cute between the two involves him in nothing but a towel, standing in the rain, trying to rescue her. And then the towel is swept away… wonderfully delicious an incredibly strong imagery from the very get-go. I enjoyed all three of the Chisholm brothers and their women up until this point, but I definitely enjoyed this couple the most so far.
I like that this is about two introverts finding their happily ever after. Most of the stories I read involve at least one extrovert bringing their introverted lover further out into the world. The change of pace in having two introverts who continued in their introverted ways was a wonderful deviation. One that I can relate to incredibly strongly – my partner and I are incredibly introverted and more than happy just spending our time in one another’s company. It was fantastic that for this happily ever, both are able to continue in their creative, artistic introversion, without having to suddenly become social beings who went out all of the time. A reminder that its really cool being an introvert too.
I enjoyed pretty much everything about this novella. But it was the rescue scene that I loved the most. A calamity of misunderstandings, potential drowning and just all round hilarity ensued throughout this moment. I couldn’t help the grin that was splayed across my face the whole time I read this. I also understood the confusion and frustration both sides felt as they truly and fantastically failed to communicate their intentions and impressions to one another. Lots of loud giggles when I read the opening to this novella.
Finally, I love that the epilogue, whilst tidying up Tristan’s story, also tidied up the other two brothers’ stories as well. And, hints pretty heavily at what is about to happen for the fourth and final brother. It was a great way to round out the three Chisholm Brothers novellas, whilst introducing the theme and challenges that are about to be faced in the final story. One that I now need to get my hands on…
Daisy was completely gorgeous in Bottoms Up – she was just the kind of woman that I like to read about, supportive of someone when she realises where the antagonization comes from. And just genuinely kind of pure and sweet. Which means that I just loved that she got her own tale and romance. It also provided a little more of her backstory, and a little more context into her random move to a tiny, Scottish town. All of which I lapped up incredibly happily. I’m a sucker for a good romance, I particularly love those that are based in Scotland and have a couple that compliment each other like the two in this story.
This novella was a little bit too insta-love for me. I lapped it up and enjoyed it, I also enjoyed that instant attraction moment. But the fact that they were head over heels and tumbling into a relationship when they were both completely addicted to their work? It was a little bit too quick, I think that it honestly just needed one more chapter of building the romantic suspense to make me feel happily content. I may be being a bit pedantic and fussy there though… who knows. Without the build-up and suspense I found it difficult to truly enjoy the lust and the relationship – it felt a little bit like the lead couple just leapt into bed together and suddenly all of their past was totally okay, but this is a novella, so I’m not really sure what I expected.
I did love that both characters were happily obsessed workaholics, and although they are moving forward to a new beginning, that tendency doesn’t exactly disappear. Instead, they figure out how to combine their workaholic natures with their new relationship for a fresh start. They didn’t suddenly drop their work and become relationship-obsessed individuals, rather they continued to be who they are. With a bit of balance. I find this more relatable – I’m a total control freak, that didn’t change just because I’m in a in a happy, healthy, loving relationship. I’m still a nut and a control freak. Which I loved about the couple in this novella.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novella, and I found that Daisy’s backstory was great. Running the Rat Race and then wanting to find a little better balance in life by moving to a small town is incredibly understandable. The fact that she is still driven and a hard worker made me love her more, she just has figured out a way to have a little bit of a life again. Falling for a man who is just as driven was just all round fun.
I have to start this review by admitting that I absolutely loved the pun that was in this title. Which I didn’t get until halfway through. Because it is called Exposed and features two photographers – exposed and cameras. It made me very, very happy. It also highlighted how exposed both of the leads felt in this interaction, but that goes down a whole other rabbit hold.
This kind of had Let it Snow vibes with the whole being stranded on a train in the snow. I kind of love these stories which give you a tiny little bottle in which interactions are forced. When it happens with snow, it feels kind of magical. Although, since I’ve only seen snow maybe twice in my life, it’s a bit hard to actually know if it is as romantic and magical as it reads…
Not only was this a fun novella and one that stands beautifully by itself, it also touches upon two other stories in this series. Firstly, there are a few mentions to the previous novella – Baby, It’s Cold Outside. And then, there’s hints towards what Tag’s story in Catch Me If You Can will be like. Both of which I loved. It’s always nice to have a vein of connection throughout stories which stand beautifully by themselves, but also work well together.
I loved the compromise at the end of this story. I am a strong believer in the idea that relationships are all about compromise. Whether they be romantic or platonic. So the fact that Austin and Delilah manage to find that compromise in their own version of happily ever after left me feeling very content. There’s nothing more that I hate than a story which features a couple in which one has had to give up everything to be with the other.
Finally, it was Austin’s final leap of faith and confidence in each other that made me really enjoy this novella. Those grand gestures that are always in media are just so damn cute and this one definitely gave me all of the happy feelings.
Earth and Skye 