Holiday Review: Hot Cocoa Hearts

Ever since Emery's grandmother died, she's become a scrooge. She used to love the holidays but now they just make her unhappy. To make matters worse, her parents make her dress up as an elf and work their Christmas photo booth in the mall.

It's the worst!

Especially since she meets a boy in her class who works at the hot chocolate place next to the photo booth. He's definitely got the holiday spirit. 

The boy she's majorly crushing over, Sawyer, also isn't into the commercialization of  the holidays. Emery hasn't spent much time with Sawyer, but he's the perfect boy for her...

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this middle grade romance. I loved the classroom Secret Santa gifts - and the friendships that grew from them. I felt terrible for Emery for losing both her Grandmother and her Christmas spirit. I loved the moments between Emery and Alex - especially their talk of hot chocolate. A sweet story that's all about being true to yourself, friendship, and the Christmas Spirit. 

Cover Thoughts: Super Cute

Source: My library

Library  Recommendation: A great holiday romance for middle grade readers - perfect for your school or library collection.

Holiday Review: Cup of Holiday Fear

* Book 10 in the Bakeshop Mystery series *

The holidays are in full season at Torte Bakery. So many delicious items are being prepared. With everyone working hard, Jules decides a night out is in order.  What better way to celebrate the season than the local inn's Dickens feast?

What starts out as a cozy night with snow falling, fantastic food, and wine flowing ends with disaster. The power goes out. The inn's owner is murdered. The new owner has already made a few enemies along the way.

Can Jules help figure out the murderer in time to enjoy the holidays

My Thoughts: Another fun edition to this great series. As always, my mouth watered while reading about all the treats Torte is cooking up. It was great checking in on favorite characters. I loved the holiday touches in this book - from the tasty treats to the Dickens feast to the carolers and to the holiday spirit. 

Cover Thoughts: Charming

Source: My library

Library Recommendation: This series is perfect for your library's mystery section - great for cozy fans and great for foodie fans.

Holiday Review Thursday: The Santa Trap

Now that's it's snowed, it's officially time to read and review holiday books! They will range from picture book to teen books to adult romances.

Bradley is a horrible boy, so it's not surprise that each year Santa brings him a pair of socks. Bradley's fed up! He wants something more, something better. He devices a plan to trap Santa to take all the presents in his sack. The plan takes the whole year and involve crazy ideas, that just might work. 

My Thoughts: A funny, clever story about a horrible boy who wants everything he wants at the moment he wants it. Everyone can sympathize with that sentiment. However, his behavior is unpardonable.  I loved this book!

Cover Thoughts: Perfect - love the rest of the illustrations too!
Source: my Library.

Holiday Review: The Reader

Now that's it's snowed, it's officially time to read and review holiday books! They will range from picture book to teen books to adult romances.

The Reader is the story about a boy and his dog on a snowy afternoon and together they take a journey. 

My Thoughts: This is the PERFECT picture book. The story is sweet and comforting. The pictures are wonderful. It's simply amazing.  I fell in love with it. I read it to my niece at bedtime and she really liked it.

Cover Thoughts: Great

Source: My Library

Holiday Review Thursday: A Gift from Tiffany's

Now that's it's snowed, it's officially time to read and review holiday books! They will range from picture book to teen books to adult romances.

In New York for the holidays, two couples' world collide in the blink of an eye.  Ethan and his young daughter purchase an engagement ring for his girlfriend. Gary buys his girlfriend a charm bracelet. 

Outside the store, Ethan witnesses a car incident, where a taxi knocks down Gary. He helps the man with medical attention while instructing his daughter to pick up his packages. 

On Christmas, Ethan has a surprise when Vanessa opens a charm bracelet and not the ring he intended. He attempts to rectify the situation, but Gary's in a coma. He's forced to return to London before the matter is settled, but he's not giving up. He's determined to get his diamond back.

My Thoughts: I picked this book specifically because of the cover. I loved the beginning, but then the book took an unexpected turn. I assumed that book's setting would remain in New York, but the couples returned to London and Ireland. After the setting change, I lost a little interest in the book.  
I felt mixed between the characters. I really liked Ethan. I understood his frustration. He had a great heart, which made me root for him. His daughter Daisy was simply adorable. I hated the character of Gary - he was self-absorbed, selfish, and cruel.  The more I saw of him, the more I didn't like. I really liked Rachel and felt bad for her throughout the book. I wasn't crazy about her best friend, either. She kept such a huge secret from her friend. It's hard for me to overlook lies and betrayals. 
I had a hard time with the ending. It wasn't what I expected at all and it threw me for a loop. All of that combined didn't stop me from finishing it, I had to know what happened. So, while it was good, it wasn't what I expected.  I wanted to love this book, but it's not one of my favorite holiday romances.

Cover Thoughts: Perfect
Source: My Library.

Holiday Review Thursday: The Night Santa Got Lost

Now that's it's snowed, it's officially time to read and review holiday books! They will range from picture book to teen books to adult romances.

In the style of The Night Before Christmas, this story shares the night Christmas almost didn't happen. A blizzard moved in causing Santa to disappear from the radar. Instantly fighter jets take to the sky and they recover Santa, who's worried about all the time he lost in the blizzard. He enlists the help of the military to help deliver presents around the globe in hopes of reaching every girl and boy in time. 

My Thoughts: I don't normally review picture books, not be cause I don't read them, but because it's something I'm not used to doing.  I really enjoyed this story. It's a cute picture book that blends perfectly Christmas and the military. The story is clever  and refreshing. The illustrations are bold with the military jets, helicopters, battleships, submarines, and cruisers making their way into the scenes along side Santa's sleigh. My favorite illustration is the second spread of Santa flying beside Big Ben in the snow. It's amazing. I loved the back of the book with the explanations and the history of NORAD tracking Santa's journey.The history behind this story is funny and sweet. The other historical moments concerning Santa Claus were equally interesting and touching. 

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: Sent for review