Tag Archives: Jill Shalvis

Bah, Handsome! by Jill Shalvis

January 29, 2025Book ReviewChristmas, Contemporary romance, Jill Shalvis, Kissing Santa Clausskyebjenner

Title: Bah, Handsome!
Author: Jill Shalvis
In: Kissing Santa Claus (Donna Kauffman, Jill Shalvis & HelenKay Dimon)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Contemporary romance
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novella
Year: 2009

Hope and Danny start out this Christmas novella on two different sides of the fence to begin with. But, I love that Danny quickly decides to work with Hope, rather than against her. Indeed, her fight with her brother to keep her B&B inspires him to move forward with his life in a different direction to what he had maybe previously planned. They end up working incredibly well together, and I really enjoyed how Danny’s quiet support and presence is what ultimately wins Hope over. Even if she fights it right up until the very end.

Although I really enjoyed this story, I didn’t love that Hope’s financial pressures and situation weren’t actually resolved at the end of this story. I mean, there was the great happily ever after, but I wanted to know more about her wonderful future. It’s all well and good that Danny’s future is kind of sorted, and that he’s told the horrible loan shark to go take a hike. But, I wanted to know that that had some kind of positive impact on Hope’ls looming deadline.

I really enjoyed the idea of a couple falling in love at a cute little B&B. At Christmas time. As the snow falls all around them. This was just cute, simple and sweet. Nothing really intense as far as plot line, but I didn’t need an intensity to the plot line when I chose to read this Christmas romance. I wanted something cute, enjoyable and with all of the happiness and sweetness that a good Christmas romance entails.

<- Lock, Stock and Jingle Bells

It’s Hotter at Christmas ->

Image source: Amazon

Kissing Santa Claus by Donna Kauffman, Jill Shalvis & HelenKay Dimon

January 25, 2025Book ReviewChristmas, Contemporary romance, Donna Kauffman, HelenKay Dimon, Jill Shalvis, Kissing Santa Claus, Short Story Collectionsskyebjenner

Title: Kissing Santa Claus
Author: Donna Kauffman, Jill Shalvis & HelenKay Dimon
In: Kissing Santa Claus (Donna Kauffman, Jill Shalvis & HelenKay Dimon)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Contemporary romance, Short story collections
Pace: Slow
Format: Anthology, eBook
Year: 2009

Kissing Santa Claus was a fun anthology to read at Christmas time. It was three fun novellas placed in wildly different settings. But, all with the undertones of Christmas and love in the festive season. Each and every story had a feeling of moving on and new beginnings, all emphasising the turn of the season and the start of a new year. It was fun, light and a wonderfully easy read. Just the thing for someone who was really struggling to get into the whole idea of Christmas this year.

Even though I enjoyed this anthology, it definitely wasn’t my favourite set of Christmas novellas. It started really strong and I seriously loved Kauffman’s story, Lock, Stock and Jingle Bells. But then it just got weaker and weaker until ultimately I wasn’t even that fussed about finishing the final novella in this anthology. Yet, it was still a fun set of stories, and not one I would necessarily delete off of my shelves.

As much as I didn’t love this anthology, it was still a great way to get into the Christmas mood. It was also really nice, and somewhat rare, to read a Christmas story that was not based in the snow. It was nice to have a Christmas tale that was a whole lot more familiar than the idea of a White Christmas. Or just any kind of snow and cold really…

<- It’s Hotter at Christmas

Lock, Stock and Jingle Bells ->

Image source: Amazon

The Night Before Christmas by Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy, Kathy Love, Jill Shalvis, Kylie Adams & Katherine Garbera

January 26, 2021Book ReviewChristmas, Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Erin McCarthy, Jill Shalvis, Katherine Garbera, Kathy Love, Kylie Adams, Lori Foster, Short Story Collections, The Night Before Christmasskyebjenner

The Night Before Christmas by Lori Foster

Title: The Night Before Christmas
Author: Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy, Kathy Love, Jill Shalvis, Kylie Adams & Katherine Garbera
In: The Night Before Christmas (Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy, Kathy Love, Jill Shalvis, Kylie Adams & Katherine Garbera)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Short story collections
Dates read: 17th – 26th December 2020
Pace: Slow
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Brava
Year: 2005
5th sentence, 74th page: “Why, for God’s sake?”

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Tis the night before Christmas and all through the house, things are definitely stirring… because if you’re going to wait up for Santa, you might as well have some very sexy company…

“White Knight Christmas” is by “New York Times” bestselling author Lori Foster.
Officer Parker Ross hates Christmas; Lily Donaldson lives for it. She’s determined to introduce him to the pleasures of the season, and he’s looking forward to being deliciously converted…

“Snowed Under” is by Erin McCarthy.
Justin Fairbanks has always been attracted to Claire Robbins. When she gets soaked by a snowplough and asks him to help remove her wet clothes, well, what sane man could possibly say no?

“Ms. Humbug” is by Jill Shalvis.
Wild, daring, a complete rebel, Matt is the man no woman can tame – until he kisses his nemesis, Cami, at the office holiday party, and suddenly, all bets are off…and running…

“I’ll Be Home For Christmas” is by Kathy Love. Seven years ago, Rob Marsten chose work over the love of his life, Erica. Now, a snowstorm and a car rental mix-up leads to a reunion, and this time, Rob will show Erica exactly how much he wants her…

“Seducing Scrooge” is by Katherine Garbera
It’s Christmas Eve, and workaholic Jackson Peters is annoyed that his staff has left early. Only Krista Miller is still there, but from the look on her face, she doesn’t seem to have work on her mind…

“The Good Girl’s Guide To A Very Bad Christmas” is by Kylie Adams
Peri Knight has had it with being good. She’s made a list of her top five sexiest fantasies, and in the week before Christmas, she’s going to live out every single one…

I read a few Christmas anthologies at the same point at the end of 2020, and this was most definitely the sweetest of them. It was very cutesy. And kind of completely adorable. There is something hopeful about Christmas Eve, or the night before Christmas. Something that always feels filled with potential. I feel like it never truly is… but it always feels like it could be.

I only knew two of the authors when I started this collection. It was a lovely, pleasant surprise when I discovered the other four. I’ll most definitely have to do some research and add some more of their books to my wish list. Not that I really need to add any more to my wish list… considering how damn big and kind of out of control that thing is…

The Night Before Christmas helped to cure a little bit of that humbug in me and remind me what it is about Christmas that I normally love. It was filled with more cute and sweet stories than lustful ones. And was just generally a seriously enjoyable and easy way to spend a few nights in the lead up to the festive season.

<- The Good Girl’s Guide to a Very Bad Christmas

White Knight Christmas ->

Image source: Goodreads

Ms. Humbug by Jill Shalvis

January 18, 2021Book ReviewChristmas, Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Jill Shalvis, The Night Before Christmasskyebjenner

Title: Ms. Humbug
Author: Jill Shalvis
In: The Night Before Christmas (Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy, Kathy Love, Jill Shalvis, Kylie Adams & Katherine Garbera)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 24th December 2020
Pace: Slow
Format: Novella
Publisher: Brava
Year: 2005
5th sentence, 74th page: “You.”

Wild, daring, a complete rebel, Matt is the man no woman can tame – until he kisses his nemesis, Cami, at the office holiday party, and suddenly, all bets are off…and running…

This was such a great Christmas novella. Not that I’ve ever been to a work Christmas party, but this one sounded like great fun. And a great way to begin a relationship. Or at least, it is when it’s in a novella and there is all sorts of potential in the air. I’m not so sure about what it would truly be like in reality, but isn’t that the reason that we read?

I didn’t really get the title containing humbug for this story. I was expecting someone who was just totally anti-Christmas. But Cami in this story really isn’t. Don’t get me wrong, she’s not exactly Christmassy, but she’s also not grinchy. I wanted a little more resistance to the whole Christmas thing in this story, but it all worked out alright in the end.

This was, honestly a fairly typical Christmas, contemporary romance novella. It was cute, sweet and kick. A pleasant read. And one that I wouldn’t mind revisiting next Christmas, but also nothing ground shaking and impossible to forget.

<- Snowed Under

I’ll Be Home for Christmas ->