Review: One Christmas Eve (Cedar Street #2) by Shannon Stacey

They couldn’t be more different. Or more perfect for each other.

New York Times bestselling author Shannon Stacey returns with a warm and cozy opposites-attract Christmas story.

Zoe Randall is busy living her life as she damn well pleases. She’s back in her favorite town, her divorce in her rearview mirror, and living out her childhood dream of running a bookstore with her cousin. She has no interest in the uptight nerd who opened his boring-ass business next to her shop…until he complains about one of her sexy window displays.

Then it’s game on.

Preston Wheeler knows he takes life a little too seriously. But when the saucy bookseller next door starts pushing his buttons, he can feel that changing. Beautiful, vivacious Zoe challenges him in all the best ways, and soon he’s pushing her buttons right back: teasing and flirting all the way through the holiday season.

As Preston loosens up and Zoe is treated to the man behind the suit (particularly his forearms), she realizes she’s more interested than she cares to admit. And Preston comes to see the beauty—the absolute delight—in adding Zoe’s bright splashes of color to his once very black-and-white existence.

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What I thought about One Christmas Eve

I really liked this sweet holiday story.  Preston is an estate planner and Zoe owns the bookstore next to his office.  They get off to a bit of a rocky start, but that means they are always thinking of each other, and their attraction turns from slow burn to a flame after a kiss.  While they may be opposites, I thought they really worked well together, and Preston isn't really quite as "boring" as he thinks he is.

There's a really cute bit with Zoe and Preston communicating via books they share with each other.  And while there really aren't any surprises here, I really thought this romance works well as a holiday themed novella and it left me feeling good.  There's a nice heat level and One Christmas Eve ends with a heart-warming look into the future, which I loved. Love this cover too!

Enjoyable, sweet, romantic holiday romance. 

An ARC was provided for review. 

About Shannon Stacey

 
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shannon Stacey lives with her husband and two sons in New England, where her two favorite activities are writing stories of happily ever after and off-roading with her friends and family. You can contact Shannon through her website, www.shannonstacey.com, as well as sign up for her newsletter.

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Review: Daddy in Disguise (Crescent Cove #7) by Taryn Quinn

I'm the one who isn't pregnant. Yet…

Expanding my successful café was a no-brainer.

Sleeping with the contractor?

Well, mix some hormones, excellent coffee, and the romantic atmosphere of the movie Halloween, and naked stuff happens.

Yeah, Gideon is smokin' hot, as shown by the photos from that pesky camera crew that's suddenly following us around.

Say what?

Because surprise—he's a single father, and now he's the most eligible one in Crescent Cove.

Every horny woman in our small town wants a go at his tool…belt.

And then we're caught on camera—I still had my pants on, thank you—and all Hades breaks loose.

Now the little secret he kept from me isn't nearly as important as Gideon keeping custody of his daughter.

When that full moon rises on Halloween, I might finally be dropping my mask. And risking it all for love…and really good hammering.

Author's note: This romantic comedy is Macy and Gideon's story—finally!—and has a happily-ever-after ending. 

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What I thought about Daddy in Disguise

Macy is busy with her coffee shop and a new restaurant about to open. She doesn't have time for a man, and she's definitely not looking to "drink the water" in Crescent Cove and end up pregnant, but a little fling might help her get some sleep.  And she knows just who she wants, and that's John Gideon.  

Gideon is busy working on the renovations for Macy's restaurant and when he gets the greenlight from Macy in the form of a kiss, he's going for it.  There's only one problem -- everyone in town knows Macy is not interested in kids (and I mean everyone, it struck me as odd that just about every characters says something about it) and the first bump in the road for them is the fact that Gideon has a young daughter.

There's a cute bit with Gideon's daughter forcing the situation with a social media ad and the conflict is provided by the return of the ex.  Standard stuff, there aren't any surprises in the story.

Macy and Gideon do work well together.  She's hot and spicy and he's solid with a nice streak of "alpha" to him.  He knows he wants Macy and isn't afraid to say it.  They work well together in and out of the bedroom. 

So, overall, no big surprises, a steamy likeable couple, a cute daughter and it's all good romance.  

An ARC was provided for review. 

About the Authors

USA Today bestselling author Cari Quinn likes music and men, so she figured why not write about both? When she's not writing, she's screaming at men's college basketball games on TV, playing her music too loud or causing trouble. Sometimes simultaneously.


USA Today bestselling author Taryn Elliott is obsessed with rock stars, men, and her unending playlists--maximizing these things seemed like a very good idea. When she's not writing, she's losing hours to hot men on TV, and/or a graphic design project. Multitasking is her middle name.


They decided to combine forces and found that hey...this writing deal is even more awesome when you collaborate with your best friend.

Website | Facebook | Taryn’s Twitter

Cari’s Twitter | Taryn GR | Cari GR

 

 

Blog Tour Review & Excerpt: Outmatched by Kristen Callihan & Samantha Young

Outmatched by
Kristen Callihan and Samantha Young

Release Date: November 19, 2019

What happens when a boxer finds chemistry with a geek?

Parker Brown can’t believe she needs to hire a fake boyfriend. When she landed her dream job in renewable energy, she thought she’d be entering a world at the forefront of progressive thinking. But the head boss prefers to promote employees who are “settled.” Thankfully, she’s found the perfect candidate, a fellow intellectual looking for some quick cash. What Parker gets is his protective big brother—Rhys Morgan. The tall, muscled ex-boxer with a foul mouth shows up just as her boss does, and now she’s stuck with the manipulative jerk.

Responsibility weighs heavily on Rhys. Now permanently out of the ring, he’s trying to hold together his late father’s gym and keep his younger brother, Dean, on the straight and narrow. To save Dean from himself, Rhys takes his place, ready to give this society girl a piece of his mind. Instead, he finds an opportunity. Even though they can hardly stand each other, posing as Parker’s boyfriend is a win-win deal. She gets to keep her job, and he’ll charm her star-struck boss into sponsoring his gym.

Problem is, they can barely keep their hands off each other. And what started as an easy deal isn’t so easy anymore. Because what future can a rough ex-boxer, afraid to open his heart, and a polished society geek, who has sworn off real relationships, possibly have?

They say opposites attract. These opposites are about to combust on impact.

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Excerpt:

     AngryTink: Hey. This is Parker. Parker Brown.

My phone dinged loudly. I fumbled around my bed, finally finding the damn thing under a pillow. Wiping the sleep off my face, I rolled onto my back and read the text that had pulled me out of a pleasant sleep. I smiled. It was just so … Parker. Settling in, I answered her.

RhysThis: Don’t have to tell me who you are. Your number is programmed on my phone. What do you want?

AngryTink: Well, good morning to you too, Happy Pants.

My smile turned into an evil grin. The girl was always going to punch back and make it count.

RhysThis: That’s Mr. Happy Pants. Though, TBH, my pants aren’t too happy at the moment. Want to help me out with that?

AngryTink: Tempting. Truly. But, no.

RhysThis: RU sure? ‘Cuz Happy Pants Rhys is much more agreeable than Sad That He Had to Self-Satisfy Rhys.

AngryTink: Would you please behave?

RhysThis: I’m not the one who mentioned the emotional state of my pants.

AngryTink: ARGH!

A chuckle rumbled in my chest as my thumbs tapped out a response I knew would piss her off more.

RhysThis: Was that even English? Honestly, Ms. Brown, I thought you were educated.

She took a moment to answer. I could picture her, phone in hand, grinding her teeth.

AngryTink: You’re deliberately trying to annoy me, aren’t you?

RhysThis: You’re quick. I’ll give you that.

AngryTink: Mr. Morgan, I’m about ten seconds away from finding an alternate fake boyfriend. A goat on a rope would be a better candidate at this point.

It was cute she thought that was threatening.

RhysThis: Yeah, probably. But the goat doesn’t have a signed contract. I do, Tinker Bell.

AngryTink: ARGH@!!

RhysThis: You’re kind of cute when you talk pirate.

 What I thought about Outmatched

I love opposites attract romances since they seem to always have the right amount of steam and conflict for this reader. Outmatched outdoes itself with the career-focused woman and her ex-boxer fake boyfriend. There's great banter between them, along with an explosion of chemistry that had me smiling to the very end.

Parker is perfection as the nerdy, society woman and Rhys thinks he knows how to play it with Parker, but they are both in for some surprises as their pretend relationship advances. Together they light up the page and had me captured to the final pages.There's a lot of passion in this steamy sweet romance to like.

I've read both of these authors in the past and I'm a big fan of collaborative writing and Samantha Young and Kristen Callihan hit the mark together with Outmatched. Loved it!

An ARC was provided for review. 

 

 

 

About Kristen

Kristen Callihan is an author because there is nothing else she'd rather be. She is a RITA winner and three-time nominee and winner of two RT Reviewer's Choice awards. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publisher's Weekly and the Library Journal, as well as being awarded top picks by many reviewers. Her debut book FIRELIGHT received RT Magazine's Seal of Excellence, was named a best book of the year by Library Journal, best book of Spring 2012 by Publisher's Weekly, and was named the best romance book of 2012 by ALA RUSA. When she is not writing, she is reading. 

Connect with Kristen

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/KristenCallihan/

Twitter - Kris10Callihan

Website - http://www.kristencallihan.com/

Amazon - https://amzn.to/2zrf3Lo

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/Kristen_Callihan

About Samantha

Samantha Young is a New York Times and #1 International bestselling author from Stirlingshire, Scotland. On Dublin Street was Samantha's first adult contemporary romance series and has sold in thirty countries. She has since published over thirteen romance titles including the New York Times Bestsellers Into the Deep, Hero, and her most recent contemporary romance Play On. When writing Adult Paranormal romance she writes under the pen name S. Young. 

Connect with Samantha:

Social media links:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSamanthaYoung/

Website – http://authorsamanthayoung.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/authorsamanthayoung/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/AuthorSamYoung

Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.co.uk/samyoungauthor/

Amazon - http://amzn.to/2H47kEP

Goodreads - http://bit.ly/2FWgYdn

Bookbub - http://bit.ly/2D241eO