Hope Ramsay

A Christmas to Remember

Source: Netgalley/Library
Dates Read: 12/1/23 - 12/21/23
Average Stars: 3.5

Dream a Little Dream - Lucky Harbor, Book 8.5 - Jill Shalvis - 4 Stars - Ian O’Malley, Melissa Mann - This is super cute and super steamy at one point. Starts off a little scary with Melissa caught in a building fire but I think you can guess she gets her HEA in the end.

Every Year - Chaos, Book 2.5 - Kristen Ashley - 2.5 Stars - Shy Cage, Tabby, Landon Cage, all of Tabby’s family - This was okay. Probably would have been more impactful if I knew the characters better. I did skip the last sex scene, not in the mood. I was also annoyed by Tabby always calling Shy “my man”. Glad she cut that out about halfway through.

Silent Night - Last Chance, Book 6.5 - Hope Ramsey - 4 Stars - Daniel Jessup, Maryanne Carpenter, Joshua Carpenter -Very sweet. I’d actually love to see more of how their relationship builds as neither character is really ready for romantic entanglements as this ends. It was also nice to have a small cast. A lot of Christmas stories are these big coming together of many parts of a family, which I love, but I also appreciated this small quiet time with just a few characters. Oh, and they better adopt that cat.

Have Yourself a Messy Little Christmas - Everson, Texas, Book .5 - Molly Cannon - 4 Stars - Lincoln Jones, Dinah Mason - Very instalovey but also cute.

A Family for Christmas - Tallgrass, Book 1.5 - Marilyn Pappano - Did Not Read - Character Names - I ran out of steam and didn’t read this one. My moody little heart could not stand to meet any more new people. I’m sorry Ms. Pappano.… (mais)

The Beachside Bed & Breakfast by Hope Ramsay is a 2022 Forever publication.

This is a book I added as part of my summer beach reading binge, despite the fact it is the fifth book in the series. For the record, it can be read as a stand-alone, though there are some hints at past relationship issues that aren’t addressed here. This didn’t damper my enjoyment of this story, though.

The story is centered around Ashley, a widow, who runs a bed & breakfast she inherited from her grandmother. Her father has moved in with her, while raising her son, Jackie.

Micha St. Pierre, a local minister, wants to marry, but his choices are limited due to the church’s rules about dating his church members… which means he must ignore his attraction to Ashley.

Each must decide if they are willing to make the necessary changes so they can be together, or if they should accept that it just wasn't meant to be.

This is a cute story, mostly clean, with some mild language and closed-door sexual situations, but the plot is a bit uneven at times- maybe because there were too many things going on at once, with several threads coming to a hurried conclusion.

Despite that, this is a warm, feel-good story, overall, and enjoyed Ashley and Micha’s journey to HEA- land.… (mais)

2.75 out of 5 stars!

When the heroine's parent is going to marry the hero's parent, what happens when one offspring is opposed to it? Well, this book explores the views from offsprings, parents, and even a grandparent as the group of people adjusts to a blended family structure. Along the way, relationships are evolving as feelings and viewpoints changes throughout the book.

My expectations of this book certainly ended up changing as I read the book. Certain characters got on my nerves due to their actions and personality. I did enjoy the wonderful setting of the book. Overall, it may not be my fave Hope Ramsay book but I still look forward to reading the author's works in the future.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own.**… (mais)

'He was tired of living in the dark. He wanted to light up the world, if for no other reason than to see those holiday lights shining in Maryanne's eyes.'

A Christmas to Remember is a collection of short Romance stories with a festive theme. Each story is from a different Author and starts with a foreword from the Author about a particular Christmas that they remember well. I liked these sections, as I could often see a link between the Author's Christmas experience, and the events in their stories.

Dream a Little Dream by Jill Shalvis

Plot

Melissa has always kept men at a safe distance, and never got too involved. This is especially true when it comes to Ian, her sexy firefighter friend with benefits. Until one night, when she realises that life is too short not to act on the feelings that she's been trying to hide.

My Thoughts

This story from Jill Shalvis was short and sweet. Ian and Melissa were friends with benefits before this story, and Ian is finding it hard to adjust to not having her around. Melissa is trying to kid herself into believing that she doesn't need a man, especially not Ian, but deep down she misses him and wishes she hadn't pushed him away. Fate intervenes and presents them with a second chance at Christmas, and this time Melissa is determined that she won't make a mess of things.

I liked the concept of this quick read. Because the characters already have a history together this story works as a short. We get a brief idea of their backstory, which was enough to set up this story nicely. I enjoyed reading this but not as much as some of the other stories so I'll give it three stars.

Every Year by Kristen Ashley

Plot

The Holiday season doesn't come easily for brothers Shy and Landon Cage, since their difficult childhood. But with a little help from Tabitha Allen and family, and a bit of Christmas magic, these brothers are about to get the gift of a lifetime.

My Thoughts

This is one of my favourite stories from this collection, although that's mostly because I was already familiar with some of the characters. This is a novella from the Chaos series by Kristen Ashley, and although I haven't read any of the other books in this series, I was introduced to Tabitha Allen and her father Tack Allen in Motorcycle Man. For this reason, I found it easy to get myself into this story, as it was more like revisiting Motorcycle Man, rather than trying to get into a new story.

This story is based around Shy Cage, Tabby's boyfriend, and his brother Landon. After losing their parents and being sent to live with their resentful Aunt when they were children, the brothers haven't had a happy Christmas. However, they're spending this Christmas with the Allens and it could be just what they needed.

This story was full of Christmas joy and I loved it. The Allens are a loud, boisterous, but happy and loving family who love nothing more than to spend time together. The two young children, Ride and Cut, really made this story for me,as they were just like I was at that age; up far too early and excited for Christmas. Four stars for this one.

Silent Night by Hope Ramsay

Plot

Single mother Maryanne has been down on her luck lately and is hoping to find a new start in the small town of Last Chance. When the snow starts to fall, it looks like her baby boy Joshua might spend his Christmas Eve in a Manger; and Maryanne might spend her Christmas with a handsome stranger.

My Thoughts

You could say that this story was fairly cheesy, with a desperate mother seeking refuge in a barn on a cold winter's night. But for me, Christmas is all about cheesy love stories so I didn't let this bother me. There's even a few similarities with names, since the mother is called Maryanne, her baby is called Joshua and when she was young, she dreamed up a friend for herself called Joe.

Put all of that aside however, and what you have is a short and sweet story about a Christmas miracle when it's needed the most. It's not just Maryanne that needs a miracle though, because Daniel needs somebody to bring happiness into his life. Three stars.

Have yourself a Messy Little Christmas by Molly Cannon

Plot

Lincoln is a bachelor who is set in his own ways until a pretty woman in a Mrs. Claus outfit arrives at his door, ready to re-organize his home, and his life.

My Thoughts

This was one of my favourite stories from this collection. It was also one of the shortest, but it got the point quickly and didn't leave me disappointed. It even had room for a unexpected twist at the end. Lincoln is very reluctant to have Dinah Mason, a professional organizer, rummaging through his disorganized home. He has things exactly how he wants them, both in terms of his clutter, and his love life. But he soon comes to enjoy her company, and dreads the quiet loneliness that greets him when she leaves.

I loved the concept of this story because I hadn't read anything like it before and if the story was longer it would make a great Christmas film. I loved the twist at the end, as I wasn't expecting it at all. Four stars.

A Family for Christmas by Marilyn Pappano

Plot

War Widow Ilena Gomez doesn't mind spending this Christmas alone with her baby John. But when a handsome new Doctor arrives in town, will Ilena's wish of finding love again come true?

My Thoughts

This was the last story in the collection and I thought it was a great one to end with. For me it really summed up what a Christmas story should be, as it was about overcoming tragedy and finding new love and happiness. I loved how Ilena managed to stay positive after losing her husband, and found a way to carry on with the support of other military wives. She is a beautiful person inside and out, and certainly deserves another chance at happiness.

She definitely isn't the type of woman that Doctor Jared Connors though he would ever fall for, and his snooty parents wouldn't approve either. But there's something about her that draws him in, and I loved watching their love blossom in this lovely short story. Five stars.

Overall, I enjoyed each of these lovely short stories, some more so than others. Each one was different and full of Christmas joy. I'd definitely recommend this if you're looking for a nice collection of festive love stories in the build up to Christmas.… (mais)