Holiday rivals-to-lovers romance and cozy mystery all wrapped up in one short read? Yes, please!
I couldn’t put down The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year. I even thought I knew what the twist was going to be (I was totally wrong).
Without giving too much away, this was such a fun whodunnit, with a little steam. I’m loving all the holiday books hitting the shelves that aren’t romances!
I’m enjoyed Eight Dates and Nights, even if I didn’t initially love Hannah. Hannah is a NYC Jew who is sent to Texas to visit her grandmother over the holiday break, which means celebrating Hanukkah away from her friends and family.
And, the small Texas town she is visiting is very Christmas centric.
Hannah was very, very whiny for me as a main character at first. But I really loved Noah, the grandson of the owner of the Jewish deli in town. The deli, and Noah, get her t cow around to this small town and celebrating Hanukkah a different way.
This was a short YA romance with some super swoony kisses. Most definitely a delightful Hanukkah read.
Fake it Til You Sleigh It was the perfect read as we move into the holiday season. Very Hallmark movie-esque (especially since our two main characters are the actor and director for the best selling Cherish Channel holiday movies.)
Chase, the writer and director of these Cherish Channel movies, typically spends the holidays in a remote cabin by herself writing her next movie script. But to help promote her current movie, she’s spending the holidays with her leading man and “King of Christmas,” Ethan in Florida.
Not only does Florida (the mainland area near Marco Island) play a huge role in this book, but I also absolutely adored Chase and Ethan, not to mention Bubbles – who stole every scene he was in.
This has fake dating and reverse grumpy sunshine that will have you swooning, and wanting to spend your holidays with a Florida family.
Thank you to Happily Booked for the #gifted audiobook!
Love is Trash by Emily Antoinette was such a cute read, I absolutely binged this swoon romance.
Jake, a raccoon shifter, scents his fated mate out in the back alley, but all that’s there is a pink pair of panties…which happen to belong to his neighbor. Jake, and his neighbor, Hayley, are both weirdos, and I loved every minute of reading this.
Spellcaster was one of those “Bookstagram made me do it” books. The blurb made me think of Fourth Wing, Stealing Embers and other magical academia books.
The pacing was so slow with a lot of set up and world building. A lot about the magic system. The dialogue, especially between the siblings, is so strange. For example, Paisley is the youngest of five siblings, and they all call each other “little sis” or “big sis” throughout the book. I have never once called my younger sister “little sis.”
There wasn’t really a problem/resolution while reading this, either. In fact, if it weren’t for the smut stuffed in here, I would say this should be YA book.
Thank you to Harlequin Tree Publishing and NetGalley for the #gifted audiobook.
Assistant to the Villain was one of my most anticipated reads from my TBR pile. This is such a fun read – lots of banter and unique characters. It had a very Robin Hood feel to it.
I read one review call it like Shrek, which was the best description I can think of for this book!
There was just a little romance, but a lot of chemistry and romantic tension that I hope is setting up a relationship in the next books.
While I’ve never read The Handmaid’s Tale, I have watched the series on Hulu (and sometimes feel like we’re living through at least the beginning of it).
The graphic novel was a much more approachable version of the book, but was also a nice compliment to the show.
This was a quick enjoyable read and I loved the illustrations.
Tricked by a Treat was as sweet as Halloween candy. A second chance romance, with former neighbors. I appreciate the meddling sisters who helped pull off the surprise. This was perfectly short and steamy for a cool fall day.
Everyone loves Lucy Score and I haven’t really read anything by her before, so when I spotted this bright yellow book at my favorite used book store, I grabbed it! And now I totally understand why she is such a beloved author! The Dead Guy Next Door was the perfect mix of romance and mystery, with lots of banter and and fast moving plot.
I always fall hard for the side characters! Gabe was a favorite of mine – totally a zen golden retriever made of muscle. And Riley’s mom, Blossom, was such an unintentionally funny character, that I want her to come and do a tarot reading for me!
This is the beginning of a series, and I will definitely be on the search for more of the Riley Thorn mysteries!
I will always love a strong female main character, and Juliette, in Nosfer-Meet You was definitely a BAMF. A 100s year old Nosferatu who has been living on her own in the sewers, but found a little bit of happiness through music and painting. On the other hand, Scotty is a lousy vampire but a good guy.
I read Sink or Swim by D.J. Russo (from this same series) and absolutely fell in love with Oona. While Nosfer-Meet You is part of the same Femme Fatale Monsters series, I felt like this was a slower story, with more backstory from both characters. That said, I would have happily read on if Nosfer-Meet You had been longer to balance the long character back stories.
Thank you to D.J. Russo for the ARC of Nosfer-Meet You!
Leann Reads Books 