I read a bunch of Christmas novellas recently so I thought I’d put them all into one big post.

Just a Holiday Fling by Tiffany Marie

Blurb: Samantha isn’t feeling very festive as she heads back to her childhood hometown for Christmas—but being alone, homeless, and verging on jobless can do that to a woman. She has no interest in participating in the town Christmas celebrations and would rather just crawl into bed until the holidays are over. Determined to get back into the Christmas spirit, Sam plans on seducing her childhood best friend—and fantasy guy—Jack. A holiday fling will be just the thing to kick her Scrooge-like attitude.

Jack’s been in love with Samantha for years, but he didn’t make his move before someone else did. Now she’s finally single again, and Jack’s not going to waste any time. He has a little over a week to convince Samantha they belong together, and that moving back to their childhood town to be with him is the right thing to do. As he woos her with carriage rides and homemade desserts, he learns Sam has been offered a new job half-way across the country, and he fears he’s about to lose her all over again.

I had a lot of problems with this story. As the blurb says, Samantha isn’t feeling very festive, and she is kind of just ‘blah’ the entire book. She never felt happy or fun or that she even really liked Jack. Jack on the other hand came of flat and I never felt the chemistry between these two. Not so cute and no holiday cheer in this one.

Rating: C-
Goodreads l Kindle

Season of Second Chances by Brighton Walsh

Blurb: When a storm strands Claire Hanlin in Chicago on Christmas Eve, the last person she expects to come to her rescue is Logan Dawes, the man she almost married two years ago. The chemistry between them is dangerously potent, but with nowhere else to go, Claire accepts Logan’s offer to stay with him for the night.
Back in the home they shared, surrounded by reminders of Logan and his young daughter, Claire begins to realize how much she misses the family she almost had. After a few cups of Christmas cheer, she falls right back into her ex’s arms-even though she knows it means setting herself up for heartbreak all over again.
The magic of the season has thrown him together with the woman he’s never stopped loving, and Logan’s not about to pass up this gift. He’s not the workaholic he was two years ago-his family comes first. Now all he has to do is prove it to Claire, before the snow stops and she flies out of his life for good.

This story is super cute and sexy. I just love this author’s voice. I read her previous novella, Plus One and also enjoyed. Claire and Logan are reunited by chance, and although they are wary about starting something up again. they just can’t help themselves. In a very short story (70ish pages I think) they reunite, fall back in love and this author makes it work. Very sexy too. I really hope this author continues to write in 2014 (and writes a full length!)

Rating: B+
Goodreads l Kindle l Nook

Kissing her Scrooge by Kinley Cade

Blurb: Every Christmas, Hannah Jones makes it her mission to give her hometown the perfect pageant. Even malfunctioning inflatable Santas and lost students can’t stop the self-proclaimed Miss Holiday. But the teacher may have met her mismatch in sexy but antisocial tree farmer Griff Green. Hannah’s been lusting after her new neighbor for months—and she’s determined to melt his heart by being naughty as well as nice…
He may sell trees, but Griff doesn’t do Christmas. He’s known as the town humbug—and he likes it that way. Which is why he’s been avoiding Hannah, despite the sexy visions of her that have been dancing through his head. When a surprise visit leads to a passionate kiss, he can’t deny the attraction any longer.
When Hannah discovers Griff isn’t the Scrooge he pretends to be—and she exposes his secret to the whole town—it may take a holiday miracle for their budding relationship to survive into the new year.

This one has some cute moments but the heroine casts a shadow on the story. She overreacts and gets into fights with the hero about petty things. I wanted her to chill out and get over herself more than once. The hero is an anti-social loner which I liked. I just wanted him paired with a different type of love interest.

Rating: C
Goodreads l Kindle l Nook

Holiday for Two by Maggie Robinson and Elyssa Patrick

All Through the Night by Maggie Robinson
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays personal assistant Carrie Moore from the swift completion of her appointed rounds. She is used to delivering for the rich and famous. Can she mend a hunky English lord’s heart and not get him deported?

I like the idea of a present day viscount. I know Maggie Robinson for her historicals and like that she took that aspect and put it into a contemporary setting. I also love two people forced together due to a snow storm. I ended up liking both of these characters, But –and it’s a big but – just not together. I never felt true chemistry between Carrie and Griffin and the end didn’t do it for me at all.

Rating: C

While It Was Snowing by Elyssa Patrick
Felicity Evans and Harry Walsh have been best friends forever, but lately, Felicity has noticed the looks Harry has been giving her. And she’s going to do something about it. Sex solves everything, or so she hopes. But she never knew Harry was a virgin—until now. Being snowbound in a Vermont cabin is the perfect opportunity to take things to the next level . . . and perhaps dare to lay her heart out on the line

Harry is a virgin beta hero. Be still my heart. Felicity starts the book off really cute. They have been friends forever and wants to take it to the next level by waiting for Harry naked covered in whipped cream. But it won’t be so easy to seduce him. Harry is terrified of getting hurt. Which in turn hurts Felicity. I got a bit tired of Felicity at times but overall this one is cute.

Rating: B-
Goodreads l Kindle l Nook