Love, Just In by Natalie Murray

 

This is a very incredible book that deals with illness anxiety. The story of Josie and Zac covers the topic with sensitive detail. Josie suffers from it and the effects have a huge impact on her life.

Zac has been Josie’s best friend for fourteen years even though a two year stretch of no contact happened. When she is transferred to his town they reconnect. As they get to know each other again, they find a deeper connection than before. Zac, a paramedic, wants to help Josie but her anxiety and her uncontrolled thoughts stifle her.

It is a very up and down tale that will make your heart ache at times, be joyous at others.

A Poinsettia Paradise Christmas by Janine Amesta

 

A captivating story of love capturing a denying heart through the sweet interactions of a man with a hopeful heart. The walls built by a fear that love does not ever last are challenged by the pull of chemistry when Natalie meets Mason. Try as she might, he is a force to be reckoned with. Some very delightful and funny quips you do not want to miss. And some spice, too.

Christmas in River's Edge by Nan Reinhardt

 

A chance at true love emerges when Dawson and Jenny connect again over the holidays. He is in his hometown to care for his mother and he lives many miles away. Plus, Jenny’s ex husband is back and causing all kinds of stress for Jenny and for the relationship of Jenny and Dawson. Can Dawson’s short stay in River’s Edge change the world for them or will the miles and Jenny’s ex  prove to be too much for keeping them together? 

Hedging Your Bets by Jayne Denker

 

Cutest friends to lovers novel. Noah and Gillian are so fun. You can just feel the simmering love emotions with each encounter. Plus, there are several nosy neighbor ladies to add to the story.

Principles of (e)motion by Sara Read

An extremely moving and emotional story of two people who find peace and love with each other. Their lives were riddled with emotional and verbal abuse. Meg was crippled by panic attacks brought about by the treatment of her demanding father. Isaac was verbally abused by his grandmother. There are complications they must surmount both emotional and external. A truly excellent novel.

 

The Women by Kristin Hannah

 

A stirring and meaningful story of a young nurse trained on the battlefield of Vietnam, a grueling, horrifying place to be during the Vietnam War. Frankie (Frances) Macgrath transforms from a naive, sheltered, rich girl into a capable, caring professional plagued by the horrors she witnesses and shunned by her family and society when she returns home. 

As a person who remembers the bad treatment of Vietnam vets, this story brought my memories back full force. I could not put the book down.

Her Cowboy Christmas Hero by Jeannie Watt

What is Christmas without a story of new love with complications? A guy wondering about his future and a girl with a wounded heart find an ally in each other while love hovers around the edges. An engaging and captivating Christmas time story,

 

Christmas in Crickley Creek by Laurie Beach

 

A heartwarming and lovely story set in South Carolina and filled with Southern charm and characters. A wealthy woman married to the wrong guy seeks to correct her path by leaving him because they both know they are mismatched. She finds refuge in her mother’s surprise house and begins to rectify her mistakes while growing as an individual. Her true love is fighting his love for her. Everything has to find the true path for her dreams to be realized.

Clover Hendry's Day Off by Beth Morrey

 

A very captivating book blending the story of a crazy and liberating day for Clover with sections relating Clover’s growing up with an exacting mother and her meeting and relationship with her husband. There are many funny and delightful passages of Clover’s thoughts on what she is doing. It is a day for Clover to release herself from being a people pleaser and to grow into a strong version of herself.

A Match by Christmas by Jami Rogers

 

Super delightful enemies to lovers story with meddling, hopeful people involved in attempts to bring New Yorker Tuck back home. Their hope is to convince him and Elle to really let go and fall in love. The schemers develop a plan to throw Tuck and Elle, who are not even liking each other, together everyday and watch them fall in love. The real problem is not falling in love but one of them would have to uproot and move away from their homes. Neither one relishes the idea and it may be a deal breaker.

Homegrown Holiday by Megan Squires

 

Constant competitors Rachel and Holden meet again when she finally returns to her hometown for Christmas. They immediately connect but neither one recognizes the other. They do not share names and call each other by nicknames. But, can romance and love thrive and grow when truth is revealed? It all depends on the strength of lifelong dreams and brave choices.

Merry Christmas, Montana by Elsa Winkler

 

Spicey and fun. The battle of love is happening for Riley and Mitch. Riley is in extreme denial and no matter how much she desires Mitch, it is not going to happen. Mitch is all in for Riley even though they got off on the wrong foot. There is something about her that he cannot forget. He is so perfect to her and checks off all the boxes but she was once left pregnant at the altar and that was one too many times. It is up to Mitch to change her mind. 

Once Upon a Christmas Beauty by Kyra Jacobs

Love is in the air again for Mia and Alex-college friends who never acknowledged how they felt about each other. Alex, seeing Mia on TV, is determined to find and finally win her heart. He is helped by her scheming sister, Del. The fibs they concoct and Alex’s own start piling up and could be the cause of Alex losing Mia forever.

Cute story about lies, telling the truth, and love.

 

The Texas Cowboy's Christmas Miracle by Debra Holt

A very moving and enchanting story of lost love being upended by second chances struggling to happen. I truly loved the story of McKenna and Mateo as they wrestle with the reality of becoming parents to two children of a deceased friend. Their love and care shine brightly for the children as their own love tries to do the same. But, there is a major difficulty to overcome and its day of reckoning soon dawns.

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Susan Wiggs

 

The first books I read by Susan Wiggs were The Lakeshore Chronicles series , delightful tales of emerging love in the small town of Avalon, New York, and of all the trials to get to lasting love. Twelve Dog Days of Christmas begins in Houston and takes the reader to charming Avalon, all decked out for Christmas and alive with Christmas spirit. 

When Brenda is coerced to help bring dogs from Houston to Avalon for their forever families, diehard, no thank you to Christmas Brenda is in for it. The transport van for the dogs gets into a wreck and Brenda meets the handsome and charming Adam. He and his little boy Will love all things Christmas and Adam sets out to transform Brenda to a lover of Christmas, too. All along they are falling for each other but distance between their homes and Brenda’s determination to not fall for anyone brings times of love and anxiety, of love and fear, and of love and maybes.

The Children's Bach by Helen Garner

 

A reissue of a novel from 1984 that is disjointed and confusing. Several characters interplay in a series of short plots, barely related and just plain strange. I cannot say I enjoyed the book as I plodded through it wondering if it was going anywhere and if the author even had an ending. Very disappointing.

Love is an Art by Kathy Strobos

Both bruised by former loves, Tessa and Zeke cute-meet. They begin a relationship but there is a lie in it. Torn apart from the lie, reasonable as it is. Torments them both especially when they have to work together. An irresistible and engaging story of the ups and downs of love.

 

The Exchange by John Grisham

 

Intense and thrilling, The Exchange is a thoroughly engrossing novel. The wits and tenacity of Mitch McDeere are challenged by an unknown terrorist group in Libya. The group has kidnapped a fellow lawyer and demanding and exorbitant ransom. Each chapter is a journey of negotiations, doubts, and petrifying fear.