Publisher: Roane Publishing
Release Date: December 16, 2013
BEGINNING OF FOREVER By Terri Rochenski
When Wayne Edwards moves to town, Lillian Douglas experiences stirrings she thought were long dead. Guilt ridden over betraying her deceased husband and the feelings Wayne inspires, Lillian reluctantly lets him in. Secrets of the past – an old promise emerges, but will it threaten their forever?
MELT By Shaya Roy
Newlyweds in an arranged marriage, Naina and Dev go to the mountains of Shimla, India in search of snow. Unfortunately, they find fifteen inches more than they expected.
Being snowed in with her husband is not necessarily a bad thing. It gives Naina an excellent excuse to snuggle up to her deep, quiet man, but every time Dev spurns her, a little more of her heart drips away. Melting the ice around her husband’s heart before the snow outside does might take more pride than Naina’s ready to surrender.
ONE IN A MILLION SNOWFLAKES By Michelle Ziegler
Angela is in love with someone she can never have--her best friend, Rebecca’s older brother.
Stranded in the bitter cold after a disastrous blind date with yet another company Christmas party looming, a standing offer from the boss’ nephew gets a little more appealing. Desperation. Not a good sign. Surely when Rebecca rescues her from the blinding snow, she can also convince Angela to just go to the party alone. She can always count on her best friend.
That is, as long as she never finds out about Angela’s secret crush.
AN UNEXPECTED WREATH By Annabelle Blume
Stella’s got everything she needs in life: a great job, a beautiful house, and her independence. But on last minute trip to the local Christmas tree lot she finds something, or rather someone, she desperately wants - Grayson. An emergency trip to Target, an unexpected wreath, and a little Christmas magic make the season much brighter.
SANTA BEBE By Lily Carlyle
Disillusioned by men and her belief that they see her only as an object, Bebe is determined to find a man with money. Her geeky, but unfailingly kind, next-door neighbor James tries to convince her of the possibility of real love, even as she reveals to him the troubled childhood that made her so cynical about relationships. When her mother dashes her hopes for a perfect Christmas, Bebe finds herself turning to James once again, and in the process, learning a lot about herself and the promise their relationship holds.
This is a new anthology of sweet
romantic stories by various authors. I was sent an ARC in exchange for an
honest review.
The first story, ‘An unexpected Wreath’ by
Annabelle Blume caught my attention with the character of Stella, who is
determined to have the kind of Christmas she wants after becoming newly single.
All five stories, though very different, centre around hopes and
misunderstandings at Christmas time.
The second story in the anthology, ‘Santa
Bebe’ by Lily Carlyle tells the story of Bebe who sells lingerie and is
determined not to follow the same path as her mother. Her only hope is to marry
a rich man as in the meanwhile she struggles to pay her tuition fees in order
to better herself. Will love blossom between Bebe and her neighbor or will her
past hurts stop her from seeing what is literally on her doorstep?
I loved the third story,’Melt’ by Shaya
Roy’ as it’s a Christmas story with a difference set in India. Naina can’t
understand why her husband is so distant towards her. Dev on the other hand has his own reasons for keeping his wife at a distance. It is a very touching story as you wait to see if they will manage to
overcome their differences. Spending Christmas in Shimla so that Naina can see
snow for the first time, Naina feels that she has lost her husband until she
discovers a secret that warms her heart.
‘One in a million snowflakes’ by Michelle
Ziegler warns what happens when you fall in love with the brother of your best
friend. Nick is out of bounds warns her friend Rebecca and so Angela has to
make the choice between the two of them. The bad dates that she has along the
way as she tries to put Nick out of her mind will have you giggling and
groaning.
The final story, ’Beginning of Forever’ by
Terri Rochenski is unusual in the anthology is that it’s set in 1955 and moves
to the early sixties. I probably enjoyed this story the most because of the
evocation of a simpler time and the emotional heartstrings that it pulled. You
may find yourself shedding a tear at this one, so hankie at hand is in order.
All in all a delightful collection of
Christmassy short stories that anyone who enjoys sweet but not cloying romances
will enjoy.
Best for....
Dipping into with a sneaky mince pie and a Bailey's as you get into the mood for Christmas.
My rating
3.5 out of 5 - As with any anthology, there will be some stories that appeal more than others but all of them are worth a read.
Dipping into with a sneaky mince pie and a Bailey's as you get into the mood for Christmas.
My rating
3.5 out of 5 - As with any anthology, there will be some stories that appeal more than others but all of them are worth a read.
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