Donna Kauffman, Jill Shalvis, and HelenKay Dimon, three of the most recognized names in women's fiction, have joined together in a fun holiday anthology, TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT. I have read pretty much everything these talented women have written and trust me, they know how to do romance right - gorgeous, manly men, the sexy, intelligent women they can't live without, humor and sensuality - it all adds up to excellent reading entertainment if you ask me.
I was very fortunate to get a copy of this gorgeous book from HelenKay for review - together with an extra copy for giveaway - try and tell me you're not excited!! The cover shouts Christmas, doesn't it? The red door on the cover looks exactly like the front door on the house where I grew up, which makes it extra special! I always loved that bright red door. I've written a review - try to read it all the way through before going to the contest info, ok? Just kidding, I'd probably rather skip to the good stuff too!
My review:
TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT Donna Kauffman
Emma Lafferty agrees to house sit and pet sit for an eccentric billionaire over the holidays, knowing the pay and references it would generate would be a hefty boost to her new pet sitting business. When she arrives at his country home in the middle of an ice storm, the last thing she expects to find is the gorgeous great-grandson of the CEO, and although she doesn't quite believe the story he's telling about why he's there, she finds his charm irresistible.
Trevor Hamilton knew his great-uncle was going out of the country for two weeks and was certain he could pay off whoever had been hired to pet sit so he could search the mansion for clues to a family secret - a secret that has eaten at him for several years. It immediately becomes clear that Emma isn't budging. It isn't long before Trevor is totally captivated by Emma and he finds himself questioning the importance of the supposed family secret in comparison to his desire to build a relationship with Emma.
Emma and Trevor are absolutely charming together, despite a slightly rocky start. The sparks fly immediately, although they're a little hesitant to trust each other. Trevor's questions and doubts about his place in his family is heartening, as is Emma's gentle persuasion for him to do whatever is necessary to ease his mind and allow him to find the peace he has desperately wanted for several years.
FINDING MR. RIGHT Jill Shalvis
Maggie Bell is a chemistry genius, working extremely long days on what she hopes is the next medical miracle. Maggie seems to be a Mr. Wrong magnet - finding him time and time again. When she decides to just go ahead and find Mr. Wrong right off the bat, who better than her high school crush, Jacob Wheeler, a contractor who is working in her building. The trouble is, once the two start spending time together, Jacob is beginning to look more and more like Mr. Right.
Seeing Maggie for the first time since high school, Jacob is incredulous that he's never noticed how beautiful she is. When he learns that she's decided to "use" him as her Mr. Wrong, he decides to make the most of it and convince her that he wants more than a temporary fling, encouraging her to use her lab for more than test slides.
Jill Shalvis has done a great job with this reunion story. Past familiarity spares Maggie and Jacob time in the "getting to know you" stage and despite their differences in profession, they find that there's a definite attraction that both are eager to investigate and research. Add a little intrigue and danger and Maggie and Jacob's story is especially interesting.
CAN YOU HAND ME THE TAPE? HelenKay Dimon
Natalie Pritchard breaks her engagement to a sleazy, self-centered jerk only to discover that he's unknowingly in possession of a naughty tape she made for him in an effort to boost her self-confidence. She decides the only person she can go to for help is her ex's law partner, Spencer Donovan. To say that Natalie and Spencer don't see eye to eye is an understatement and it takes tremendous courage for her to even talk to him about the tape. Somewhere in the course of their meetings to discuss strategy, the two share their secrets and feelings and soon begin to see each other in a totally different light.
Spencer Donovan would be the first to admit that he had never really noticed Natalie before. As the fiancee of his law partner she was off-limits so he had no reason to check her out as a woman. Now that she's no longer taken and has requested his help, he has checked her out - and plans to continue checking her out. Because Natlie's self-esteem is nearly broken, Spence knows that a soft-touch is needed. He's counting on gentle attentions and the success of a grand gesture to prove to Natalie that she's the perfect woman for him, just the way she is.
HelenKay Dimon has written Natalie with vulnerabilities that are shared by so many women. Spencer sees these vulnerabilities immediately and rather than act on them for his own benefit, he's determined to make Natalie see how very beautiful and special she is. Talk about dreamy! It was a pleasure to see these two gradually move from verbal sparring to passionate whispering!
I give this book the highest of recommendations - everyone should have it on top of their stack of holiday reads!
Now for the contest. Please post a comment about holiday romances - do you like them? Love them? Are they just so-so for you? Do you have a favorite? I wrote an article at Romancing the Blog once that discussed holiday romances and the responses were very interesting. The general consensus seemed to be (and I heartily agree) that they are most enjoyable in the fall/winter before the holidays. There were a few who read them year-round, which reminds me of my mother who watches taped Christmas movies all year. If you send a friend who mentions your name, I'll put your name in the draw an extra time for each friend doing the mentioning. I'll draw a name on Sunday evening, the 28th. Good luck, everyone!
TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT is available on shelves now, or if you prefer ordering from the comfort of home, here's an Amazon link.
Laurie
