A Chaos Moondrawn Advent Calendar Review: Make a Circle by Elliot Joyce

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Oliver surprises Lucas by asking him to come home for the holidays to meet his folks. It’s nice to see an established couple. The author makes it easy to feel Lucas’s nerves at meeting the Han family during an important holiday. Oliver seems just as nervous. Since a lot of them don’t speak English and Lucas doesn’t speak Mandarin, what could possibly go wrong? Apparently, quite a bit. The author is great at capturing the bittersweet torture of a large family gathering. I don’t want to spoil the plot, but not everyone acts respectfully, so it’s quite emotional, but heartwarming too. I really enjoyed this chaste short story.

The cover art is by Brooke Albrecht. I assume it shows Oliver and hints at Chinese culture.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 1st edition, 33 pages
Published December 1st 2018 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781644050538
Edition Language English

A Chaos Moondrawn Review: The Holiday Home Hotel (An Escape from the Holidays Story) by Lou Sylvre

Rating: 3.25 stars out of 5

This is part of the Escape from the Holidays series, but each book is a standalone. The overarching theme for the series is about escaping what is expected and taking a chance on something new. Dee is lonely so his dog Lelia, who is really a minor Slavic goddess wants to bring him love. She cons Leshy, a forest spirit, to help her play matchmaker. As it happens, Gunny is walking in the forest and gets caught in a snowstorm. He stumbles across the Holiday Home Hotel where Lelia’s “owner” lives. As Gunny thinks on his past and the regret he has about his college roommate Darin, Dee is thinking about his bitterness over a man named Gunny…

This is just a fun holiday second chance romance full of magic gifts and paranormal interference. If you would actually like to see them work out their old hurt and build something new in a realistic way, forget that. This is about a magical night of makeup sex in a faerie glade. It’s about a hotel that makes enough money opening for a month in December and a week at Valentine’s day to be able to run camps for the rest of the year to help young people. All winter holidays are celebrated in an inclusive environment with diversity. Darin/Dee/Dare sings in drag and spreads holiday cheer. If this sounds like something that will get you in a festive holiday mood, try it.

The cover artist is Catherine Dair. This shows Darin in front of the hotel with Lelia. The impression is one of fantasy and alludes to Darin love of Kwanzaa and having his hotel be a light in the darkness to welcome people.

Sales Links:

Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Book Details:

ebook, 101 pages
Expected publication: December 15th 2018 by Mischief Corner Books
ASINB07KKBFC1H
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Barb the Zany Old Lady: Christmas Homecoming (The Christmas Angel #4) by L.A. Witt

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

I read this story with a sense of nostalgia as both my father and mother and my father-in-law served in World War II and I could imagine clearly what the times they lived in were like, having been raised on stories of wartime and having lived in neighborhoods where elderly bachelors lived together. We were never to go near their house, though, because God knows why two men would choose to live without wives. I include that here to give a sense of the times. And LA Witt captured it beautifully.

This story was simple and sweet—the story of two young men who parted as teens in 1939 and met again as adults in 1945. But now they were war veterans, marked by the emotional toll the war took on soldiers and sailors, having suffered loss and lived in fear.  And they struggle to find a way to tell each other that they never forgot that kiss goodbye when they parted at their favorite swimming hole.

Roger has a gift for Jack—an angel he picked up in his travels and carried with him throughout the war. She brought him peace as he thought of Jack on those lonely and fearful nights away in a foreign country and she brings them together now.

I can’t describe how good I feel after having lived this story with these men. It wasn’t long, and to be honest, I wish it was longer. It did have some drama, angst, heartache, but mostly it had hope and love and left me feeling warm and fuzzy inside—the hallmark of a sweet romance. I highly recommend it and, in fact, I highly recommend all the books in this series of stories surrounding the Christmas angel.

The cover by Meredith Russell features a 1940’s soldier in uniform standing against a snowy background. A very attractive cover, this represents Roger, home on leave after WWII.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book Details:

ebook
Published December 2nd 2018
ISBN 139781642300352
Edition Language English
Series The Christmas Angel #4

The Christmas Angel Series

Christmas Angel – Eli Easton – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Summerfield’s Angel – Kim Fielding – Amazon US | Amazon UK
The Magician’s Angel – Jordan L. Hawk – Amazon US | Amazon UK
A Soldier’s Wish – N.R. Walker – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Shrewd Angel – Anyta Sunday – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Christmas Prince – RJ Scott- Amazon US | Amazon UK

A Lucy Review: Shrewd Angel (The Christmas Angel #6) by Anyta Sunday

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Pax Polo is the swashbuckling guitarist for Serenity Free.

Correction: Was the swashbuckling guitarist for Serenity Free.

Now he sports a black eye and his bros have kicked him out of their band—three weeks before Christmas. It’s an unfamiliar kick to his over-inflated ego, but . . . whatever.

No problem.

Thanks to some stellar eavesdropping, an unexpected angel ornament, and a bribe to open for his favorite band ever, Pax will weasel his way back into his mates’ good graces.

All he has to do is friend Clifford, the neighborhood man-shrew, for the summer. Distract him a bit so Clifford’s younger sister can sneak around.

It sounds like a piece of beginners Beethoven. Jolly good fun.

Easy.

Because, Pax totally knows how to friend people. He has heaps of friends. This shrew’s no match for his shrewd ways. Or is he?

I don’t know what my issue was but it took me multiple tries to get this book started.  It says to be loosely based on the Taming of the Shrew.  I feel ignorant to admit I’ve never read that, so for me this was an all new experience. 

This is part of a series of books connected by the Christmas Angel.  They are stand-alone, so no need to worry about missing anything.  In this one, Pax is a guitarist and he’s just been ousted from his band, mainly because he acts like a jerk. But he has a plan – he’s just going to get on the good side of Clifford, the crabby neighbor, so that his sister, Biance, who is 17, can go out with two men, Henry (a neighbor) and Luca (Pax’s roommate).  Both of whom I really liked, just by the way.  Clifford is a pretty protective big brother and this is the only way Bianca can get around her brother.  A carrot dangled by Henry makes Pax jump at the chance.

You just know between Pax’s sharp tongue and Clifford’s even sharper one, there’s going to be some excellent back and forth happening, and it does.  “If you love him, he’ll always be in your heart.  If you hate him, he’ll always be in your mind.”  I loved that line.  Clifford isn’t the grump or nag he can seem and he has his reasons for being protective.   Pax is charming, yes, but he’s also more fragile than he appears.  When they start to turn from enemies, to friends, to (slowly) more, you really see how they are made to fit together.  We get to see Pax grow up some and Clifford unthaw a lot.

I am a fan of Anyta Sunday’s work and this one, while not my favorite of hers, has her signature style, humor, snark, banter, wit, all of the above.  I would recommend this one for holiday fans and enemies to lovers fans. 

Cover art by Meredith Russell shows Pax and his guitar set against a golden background and captures the holiday feel.  I only wish Pax had been smiling, because he’s really not such a serious person.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book Details:

ebook, 293 pages
Published December 2nd 2018
Edition Language English
Series The Christmas Angel #6

The Christmas Angel Series

Christmas Angel – Eli Easton – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Summerfield’s Angel – Kim Fielding – Amazon US | Amazon UK
The Magician’s Angel – Jordan L. Hawk – Amazon US | Amazon UK
A Soldier’s Wish – N.R. Walker – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Shrewd Angel – Anyta Sunday – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Christmas Prince – RJ Scott- Amazon US | Amazon UK

Review Tour and Giveaway for Christmas Homecoming (A Christmas Angel story) by L.A. Witt

 

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Length: 24,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Meredith Russell

The Christmas Angel Series

Christmas Angel – Eli Easton – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Summerfield’s Angel – Kim Fielding – Amazon US | Amazon UK
The Magician’s Angel – Jordan L. Hawk – Amazon US | Amazon UK
A Soldier’s Wish – N.R. Walker – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Shrewd Angel – Anyta Sunday – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Christmas Prince – RJ Scott- Amazon US | Amazon UK

Blurb

August 1939. Roger Miller and Jack O’Brien have been close since childhood. By the time they realize there’s more between them than friendship, Jack is leaving their sleepy Iowa town for college. But they console themselves knowing he’ll be home for Christmas. Right?

It is Christmas before they see each other again, but that Christmas comes six years and a world war later. Aged, beaten, and shaken by combat, they’re not the boys they were back then, but their feelings for each other are stronger than ever.

Neither know the words to say everything they’ve carried since that peacetime summer kiss, though. Even as they stand in the same room, there’s a thousand miles between them.

But maybe that’s some distance the little angel in Roger’s rucksack can cross.

This 24,000 word novella is part of the multi-author Christmas Angel series, and can be read as a standalone.

The Christmas Angel Series

In 1750, a master woodcarver poured all his unrequited love, passion, and longing into his masterpiece—a gorgeous Christmas angel for his beloved’s tree. When the man he loved tossed the angel away without a second thought, a miracle happened. The angel was found by another who brought the woodcarver True Love.

Since then, the angel has been passed down, sold, lost and found, but its magic remains. Read the romances inspired by (and perhaps nudged along by) the Christmas angel through the years. Whether it’s 1700s England (Eli Easton’s Christmas Angel), the 1880’s New York (Kim Fielding’s Summerfield’s Angel), the turn-of-the-century (Jordan L. Hawk’s Magician’s Angel), World War II (L.A. Witt’s Christmas Homecoming), Vietnam-era (N.R. Walker’s Soldier’s Wish), the 1990’s (Anyta Sunday’s Shrewd Angel), or 2018 (RJ Scott’s Christmas Prince), the Christmas angel has a way of landing on the trees of lonely men who need its blessing for a very Merry Christmas and forever HEA.

Read Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words review here.  We highly recommend it.

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn’t lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies. She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don’t tell Lauren. And definitely don’t tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut…

Website: http://www.gallagherwitt.com
E-mail: gallagherwitt@gmail.com
Twitter: @GallagherWitt
Blog: http://gallagherwitt.blogspot.com

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Hosted By Signal Boost Promotions

 

Review Tour and Giveaway for Shrewd Angel (The Christmas Angel #6) by Anyta Sunday

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Length: 70,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Meredith Russell

The Christmas Angel Series

Christmas Angel – Eli Easton – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Summerfield’s Angel – Kim Fielding – Amazon US | Amazon UK
The Magician’s Angel – Jordan L. Hawk – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Christmas Homecoming – L.A. Witt – Amazon US | Amazon UK
A Soldier’s Wish – N.R. Walker – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Christmas Prince – RJ Scott- Amazon US | Amazon UK

Blurb

Pax Polo is the swashbuckling guitarist for Serenity Free.

Correction: Was the swashbuckling guitarist for Serenity Free.

Now he sports a black eye and his bros have kicked him out of their band—three weeks before Christmas. It’s an unfamiliar kick to his over-inflated ego, but . . . whatever.

No problem.

Thanks to some stellar eavesdropping, an unexpected angel ornament, and a bribe to open for his favorite band ever, Pax will weasel his way back into his mates’ good graces.

All he has to do is friend Clifford, the neighborhood man-shrew, for the summer. Distract him a bit so Clifford’s younger sister can sneak around.

It sounds like a piece of beginners Beethoven. Jolly good fun.

Easy.

Because, Pax totally knows how to friend people. He has heaps of friends. This shrew’s no match for his shrewd ways. Or is he?


The Christmas Angel Series


In 1750, a master woodcarver poured all his unrequited love, passion, and longing into his masterpiece—a gorgeous Christmas angel for his beloved’s tree. When the man he loved tossed the angel away without a second thought, a miracle happened. The angel was found by another who brought the woodcarver True Love.
Since then, the angel has been passed down, sold, lost and found, but its magic remains. Read the romances inspired by (and perhaps nudged along by) the Christmas angel through the years. Whether it’s 1700s England (Eli Easton’s Christmas Angel), the 1880’s New York (Kim Fielding’s Summerfield’s Angel), the turn-of-the-century (Jordan L. Hawk’s Magician’s Angel), World War II (L.A. Witt’s Christmas Homecoming), Vietnam-era (N.R. Walker’s Soldier’s Wish), the 1990’s (Anyta Sunday’s Shrewd Angel), or 2018 (RJ Scott’s Christmas Prince), the Christmas angel has a way of landing on the trees of lonely men who need its blessing for a very Merry Christmas and forever HEA.
 

Read Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words review here.  We absolutely recommend it and the entire series.

A bit about me: I’m a big, BIG fan of slow-burn romances. I love to read and write stories with characters who slowly fall in love.

Some of my favorite tropes to read and write are: Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Clueless Guys, Bisexual, Pansexual, Demisexual, Oblivious MCs, Everyone (Else) Can See It, Slow Burn, Love Has No Boundaries.

I write a variety of stories, Contemporary MM Romances with a good dollop of angst, Contemporary lighthearted MM Romances, and even a splash of fantasy.

My books have been translated into German, Italian, French, Spanish, and Thai.

Contact: http://www.anytasunday.com/about-anyta/

Sign up for Anyta’s newsletter and receive a free e-book: http://www.anytasunday.com/newsletter-free-e-book/

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Hosted By Signal Boost Promotions

 

An Alisa Review: Celebrations in the Season of Long Nights (Escape From the Holidays) by Mere Rain

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

Having escaped his abusive family by winning a scholarship to college, Shahin promised himself he would never go back. So when his plans for winter break fall through and he’s left homeless for a month, he decides he’d rather camp in the park than go home. But he doesn’t realize it’s the solstice, the longest night of the year, the start of the season when the supernatural is at its strongest.

Yima is a demon-hunter, a duty passed down through his family. He doesn’t resent it, but it does get lonely, especially since his work is at its most difficult and dangerous when everyone else is celebrating with family. After he rescues Shahin from an demon attack and finds that he has nowhere safe to stay, he takes him back to his flat. He just arrived in town and hasn’t even gotten the electricity turned on, leaving the two men with little to do but talk.

It isn’t a surprise when they end up in bed, though what at first feels like a temporary comfort grows over days spent together into a deeper bond. Nomadic Yima has to find a way to stay without demons coming after his lover, and Shahin has to decide whether he can risk his heart loving a man who constantly puts his life in danger.

I felt for Shahin from the beginning, as he is trying to survive without any support from his family.  Yima is quite mysterious and not very open.  While I liked Shahin, I didn’t feel much of a connection to Yima though I know he is used to being secretive.  Shahin finds a surrogate mom along the way too.  It was nice for them both to find acceptance and somewhere to belong.

The cover art by Catherine Dair is nice and is one of the holiday series styles.

Sales Link: Mischief Corner Books | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, ~12,500 words

Published: December 12, 2018 by Mischief Corner Books

Edition Language: English

A Lila Advent Calendar Review: Guess Who’s Coming to Karamu by Cy Blanca

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Grant Cary, a twenty-eight-year-old grad student, has let his Kwanzaa shopping go to the very last minute. In his rush to get home, he quite literally bumps into Will Sheritan, a fortysomething software developer, in the elevator. But luck favors (or curses) the adventurous, because their elevator shuts down due to a blackout. Grant and Will learn about each other’s pasts and find more than just a casual interest.

Will has never celebrated Kwanzaa, and he’s reluctant to enter into a relationship, but exploring a new tradition—with a new friend—might brighten his lonely holiday. And if Will accepts Grant’s invitation to join his family for the Karamu feast, Grant might get his Imani gift early.

Guess Who’s Coming to Karamu is an interesting story about a holiday I have never heard about before. I’m glad the author took the time to explain it but I would have loved to see the actual celebration scene between the two MCs.

The misunderstandings between Grant and Will were a little too many for my taste but they didn’t last more than a couple of silent minutes. I enjoyed how they explain things to each other and their willingness to learn.

Overall, it’s a nice holiday story with unique characters but an abrupt ending. I wanted a bit more of the start of their relationship

The cover by Brooke Albrecht follows the 2018 Advent Calendar | Warmest Wishes template. The picture within matches Grant.

Sale Link: Amazon | Nook | Dreamspinner

Book Details:
ebook, 25 pages
ISBN: 9781644050491
Published: December 1, 2018, by Dreamspinner Press
Edition Language: English

A Barb the Zany Old Lady :The Magician’s Angel (The Christmas Angel #3) by Jordan L. Hawk

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Vaudeville stage magician Christopher Fiend is performing in the little town of Twelfth Junction. Next stop is Chicago where he will audition for the big time, his hopes set on a career in a venue as big as New York City. Edward Smith’s brother not only owns the theater, he lives and breathes it, but Edward wants nothing to do with theater. When he spots the green carnation in Christopher’s lapel during his performance, he realizes they are of a kind and when his attention is returned, they spend “quality time” together during intermission.

Then during the second half of the show, when a dead body turns up in Christopher’s act, everything stops, the performers are stuck in this little town during the investigation, and Christopher’s hopes for his big time audition are crushed. Not only that, the lone police officer suspects him. No one knows he spent intermission with Edward, and he doesn’t want to jeopardize Edward’s reputation so they decide to solve the crime together.  What follows is a highly detailed investigation that nevertheless left this reader in the dark. Kudos to the author for an excellent mystery. 

The one thing that bothers Edmund is that clearing Christopher’s reputation is going to send him on his way to Chicago and, though it’s only been a short time, Edmund is falling in love with the clever magician.  However, the angel, purchased by Christopher in Port Angeles early in his career, may have other plans for them.

Readers will have time to enjoy this and spot the link to the previous book. This is one of several books written by authors using the common theme of a Christmas angel crafted in the 18th century who finds her way to those who need her as time goes by. The series does not need to be read in order, though it is fun to go step by step to try to find the link from one location where she pops up to another. The angel is the only link—there’s no crossover of characters. I love these stories so far, and this is no exception. Those who want a treat that does not put on calories should consider enjoying this series.

The cover by Meredith Russell depicts a gorgeous young man in a tux, sporting a green carnation boutonniere, the scene set against a background of stage curtains. This is the perfect depiction of both the character and the locale of the story.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book Details:

ebook, 108 pages
Published December 2nd 2018 by Jordan L. Hawk
ISBN139781941230336
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesThe Christmas Angel #3

 

The Christmas Angel Series

Christmas Angel – Eli Easton – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Summerfield’s Angel – Kim Fielding – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Christmas Homecoming – L.A. Witt – Amazon US | Amazon UK
A Soldier’s Wish – N.R. Walker – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Shrewd Angel – Anyta Sunday – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Christmas Prince – RJ Scott- Amazon US | Amazon UK

Need another Christmas Story? Check out Our Review Tour and Giveaway for Old Acquaintance by Annabelle Jacobs

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK
 
Length: 50,000 words approx.
 
Cover Design: Natasha Snow
 
Blurb
 

There are two sides to every story, even those buried in the past.


When Sam spots the hot guy moving in next door, he’s all for going round to introduce himself. That soon changes when it turns out his new neighbour is in fact an old school acquaintance, Charles Whitmore. Sam didn’t like him back then, and fifteen years haven’t altered that.


Splitting up from his long-term boyfriend means a move across the city for Charlie. As luck would have it, his immediate neighbour is a guy he went to school with, Sam Gellar. While Sam is less than welcoming, his best mate is more than happy to invite Charlie into their social circle. Whatever problem Sam has with Charlie, Charlie resolves to get to the bottom of it, because, frosty beginnings aside, Charlie likes him.


With Christmas just around the corner, fate thrusts them together, and they get on so much better than they ever did at school. Despite his efforts not to, Sam develops feelings for Charlie, and they appear to be reciprocated. If Sam wants to take things further he needs to either confront Charlie about their past–a past Charlie seems to have forgotten entirely–or let it go and move on. Sam knows deep down that he can’t let it go, but it never seems the right time to bring it up. Until it is.

November 28Amy’s MM Romance Reviews, OMG Reads, November 30Cupcakes & Bookshelves, Urban Smoothie Read, The Blogger Girls, Archaeolibrarian, December 3 – Sexy Erotic Xciting, Mikku-chan, December 5MM Good Book Reviews, BooksLaidBareBoys, December 7My Fiction Nook, Wicked Faerie’s Tales & Reviews, Megan’s Media Melange, Wicked Reads, December 12Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Making It Happen, December 14Bonkers About Books, Mirrigold, Valerie Ullmer, Book Lovers 4Ever, Lillian Francis, Open Skye Book Reviews, Bayou Book Junkie, Bookaholic & Kindle

 

Annabelle Jacobs lives in the South West of England with three rowdy children, and two cats. An avid reader of fantasy herself for many years, Annabelle now spends her days writing her own stories. They’re usually either fantasy or paranormal fiction, because she loves building worlds filled with magical creatures, and creating stories full of action and adventure. Her characters may have a tough time of it—fighting enemies and adversity—but they always find love in the end.
Twitter – https://twitter.com/AJacobs_fiction
Website – www.annabellejacobs.com
Email – ajacobsfiction@gmail.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ajacobsfiction

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Hosted By Signal Boost Promotions