Winter Wishes

Dec 03, 2012 Lynn Spencer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, holiday-romances

I actually reviewed this book for AAR back in 2010, but I reread one of my favorite stories from the anthology last night, and still liked it a lot. Here's what I had to say: Even though Christmas is nearly upon us and I've been reading Christmas stories for a couple of months, I felt the need to add one more Christmas anthology to my reading list. With its various paranormal creatures and fun stories, Winter Wishes definitely hit the spot for me.

Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend gets the antholog...more

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May 14, 2011 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Winter Wishes gives you the opportunity to pick up three fun, spicy, and very different and unique paranormal romance stories in one volume. If you're new to any of these authors, then this is an excellent place to start, while experienced readers will find more of the stuff they love in this offering.

First up is Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend, starring proud cat shifter Kyle Branegan, an agent with the super secret Cougar Corp masquerading as a useless playboy, and Eloise Scott, a cop with the...more Winter Wishes gives you the opportunity to pick up three fun, spicy, and very different and unique paranormal romance stories in one volume. If you're new to any of these authors, then this is an excellent place to start, while experienced readers will find more of the stuff they love in this offering.

First up is Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend, starring proud cat shifter Kyle Branegan, an agent with the super secret Cougar Corp masquerading as a useless playboy, and Eloise Scott, a cop with the LAPD who'd rather forget that she's a shifter all together. Circumstances thrust (har!) them together and they end up spending Christmas with El's kind of wacky family so that El can keep Kyle in protective custody. There's irrefutable chemistry between these two but both of them have trouble imagining a future beyond the expiration date on El's directive to keep Kyle in custody. When it turns out that the shifter world won't be ignored no matter how hard one may try, they have to decide whether pursuing a relationship is worth it. This story was very fun, and the antics of El's family are not to be missed. Grade for this story: A

The middle child of this book is No Angel by Vivi Andrews. Sasha thinks her family is unusual, what with her mom being half-angel and her parents being super famous, but she doesn't realize that they can't hold a candle to her boyfriend Jay's family. Apparently, Jay is a half demon- his mother is a demoness and his step-dad is Lucifer himself. Jay hasn't told Sasha this, though, and instead has gone out of his way to be the nice guy that he thinks Sasha wants him to be. When Jay is rudely summoned back to Hell and Sasha is charged with a holy quest to get him back, it certainly makes things awkward, since they'd been in the middle of breaking up when all the drama went down. Once the dust has settled and the holy mandates have been satisfied, will these two even want to be together? I LOVED Sasha's snarky outlook on life and her "don't-take-shit" attitude. The scene where she's accosted by a wannabe starlet in line at the grocery store is not to be missed. The quest element is perfectly proportioned for a novella and there aren't so many details that the story bogs down, nor does the story feel incomplete. I was satisfied with the resolution to some pretty hefty issues that would bar Jay and Sasha from being together and look forward to reading more by this author. Overall Grade: A

If I had to pick a story that was slightly weaker than the others it would have to be the third and final offering in this book, Freeze Line by Moira Rogers. Set your phasers to stun, please, and hear me out on this one.

The setting of Freeze Line is very unique; a semi postapocalyptic world in the not too distant future where an ice age has left a frozen wasteland for people- and supernaturals- to inhabit. Our hero, Shane, is a werewolf, and our heroine, Nadia, is a witch who's escaped from a laboratory where she was slowly being tested to death by scientists who were looking for...something. They come together out of necessity because Shane is a decent person who can't let Nadia waste away when he comes upon her; he also fights his attraction to her because he's afraid that his wolfiness would result in Nadia getting hurt or killed. While they do work things out towards the end and figure out a way that both of them can be together, there's significant angst between the onset of the relationship and the ultimate resolution.

I think my issues with the story (and to be fair, they weren't major enough to make me want to stop reading or anything like that so no worries there) stem from the fact that a whole lot of whallop has to be packed into a relatively short story. I think Freeze Line would have been an AWESOME full length novel, with time and space to explain how the world that serves as the setting came into existence, why the conflicts between the different tribes and groups of people exist, how the magical connection between the earth and the supernatural folks works, and especially to give the relationship between Shane and Nadia more time to blossom. Like I said, the raw material was all here, I think the story was just too short to do the epicness of the setting and the depth of the conflict justice. Overall Grade: B

I was super excited for this anthology when I first heard about it and overall it didn't disappoint. There was just enough holiday spirit to give me the warm fuzzies but there was plenty of innovation and novelty to make this more than just the same old same old when it comes to holiday books. I can definitely recommend this one to fans of paranormal romance across the board.

Check out more reviews and other fun stuff at What Book is That?!(less)

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Apr 02, 2011 Cleffairy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Review published at: Over A Cuppa Tea

Date reviewed: 12 Feb 2011

Review link: http://cleffairy.com/?p=4752

I've been putting off from reading this ARC from Netgalley. Why? Well, because the summary for the stories in this book was sinfully delicious and I wanted to find the right time to read it so that I would not be disturbed. I managed to pick up this book last night and boy, was I ecstatic to find that the summary actually did the stories justice. The stories in this book is sinfully delicious...more

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Jan 21, 2011 Book Binge Blog rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review

I was pleasantly surprised by all 3 entries in this series. I picked it up because I'm a fan of Moira Rogers. I hadn't read the other two authors before. I will be picking up more soon, however.

This collection features strong women, lots of action and men who need saving - either from outside danger or from themselves.

Three romance novellas in three paranormal worlds...

Freeze Line by Moira Rogers

A twenty-first century ice age dulls the magic that emanates from the earth. Shane Sullivan is a lon...more

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Dec 12, 2010 NovelReaction added it

Tangled Tinsel By Vivian Arend

Kyle Branegan is a agent for the super secret Cougar Corp, a branch of the Shifter Enforcer League, but one glimpse of Eloise Scott, a cat shifter, and he is ready to forget all about his mission and to follow her just about any where. Eloise Scott is an undercover police agent sent to capture Kyle and keep him secure until he testify at court and handcuffing him naked to the bed seemed like a good idea at the time, now she is not so sure as her playful cat side is...more Tangled Tinsel By Vivian Arend

Kyle Branegan is a agent for the super secret Cougar Corp, a branch of the Shifter Enforcer League, but one glimpse of Eloise Scott, a cat shifter, and he is ready to forget all about his mission and to follow her just about any where. Eloise Scott is an undercover police agent sent to capture Kyle and keep him secure until he testify at court and handcuffing him naked to the bed seemed like a good idea at the time, now she is not so sure as her playful cat side is pulled out by the sexy Kyle.

In order to keep Kyle with her, Eloise decides to take him home for the holidays. Unfortunately she hasn’t been home for several years and is shocked to find her family home replaced by a mansion, her parents incredibly wealthy, and her ex-boyfriend showing up to rekindle their past romance. The only way for Eloise to keep everything running smoothly and keep Kyle with her is to announce their engagement to everyone.

Tangled Tinsel is an entertaining read with great description by Vivian Arend of the cat-like motions of both characters. I really enjoyed the secondary characters of Eloise’s family and the antics that all the characters got into. The sex scenes (or almost sex scene where Kyle ends up naked handcuffed to the bed) were very hot and descriptive.

No Angel By Vivi Andrews

With a famous actress mother, Sasha has grown up keeping people at a distance but she finally lets Jay in only to have him sucked through a fiery vortex into Hell. Sasha is given one chance and one night to brave the depths of Hell to get him out, armed with a pair of Glocks given to her by an angel.

Jay wasn’t really surprised to find himself sucked into Hell, after all he had already over stayed his agreed upon sabbatical on Earth by three months but had been unwilling to leave Sasha, the only woman he has ever grown close to. Unfortunately, his manipulative mother is not happy with his unwillingness to return and Jay is going to have to deal with his new stepfather, Lucifer.

I was highly entertained by reading No Angel as Sasha finds herself first dealing with wanna-be starlets on Earth and then clever demons in Hell. Jay’s surprise at Sasha’s blasting through his holding cell was great and I flew through this story in one sitting.

Freeze Line By Moira Rogers

Shane Sullivan is a lone wolf who is used to the quiet and peace that comes from living above the freeze-line where the Earth’s magic is deadened. Shane realized early on that the feeling of the magic can turn shape-shifters feral but when Shane stumbles upon an injured witch he knows he is going to have to help her get to the border before the lack of magic kills her.

Nadia is a powerful warrior witch in her tribe but she was captured and taken to a lab where experiments were performed on her, if she doesn’t return to the south soon she will die from the lack being connected to magic. Her only hope is Shane but they have miles to travel before they can reach the freeze line and a nasty blizzard is right on their tails.

Rogers’ created world in Freeze Line was interesting with the magic being connected to the warmed Earth and the freeze line being so far south of the Canadian border. Nadia was both strong but vulnerable without being whiny or annoying. Shane was the sexy injured wolf that I just wanted to hug and kiss(less)

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Jan 07, 2011 Jess the Romanceaholic rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, free-reads, anthologies, paranormal-romance, 2011-read, werewolves-or-other-shape-shifters, angels-and-or-demons, family-issues, celebrity-or-fame, magick, secret-identity, law-enforcement

Winter Wishes is an anthology including three amazing authors of Paranormal Romance, each with a Christmas or winter theme. Out of the three authors included, I'd only ever read anything by Moira Rogers, and was very pleasantly surprised to discover that she was well-matched in talent and creativity by the other two authors.

Tangled in Tinsel by Vivian Arend 4/5 Stars

Five miles of leather-clad leg is all it takes to lure Kyle Branegan out from his carefully hidden lifestyle as part of the Cougar...more

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Dec 07, 2010 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010

Three authors that I thoroughly enjoy I one shiny package. Sweet!

Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend - Guys, this story was awesome! The writing was playful and fun, which perfectly matched the mood of the cougars. I loved Kyle's flippant attitude. I loved the way he tore down El's walls and made her burn for him. I enjoyed their banter, the way they got sucked into the holiday traditions of El's family, the hot sex. It was the perfect start to this anthology and I am totally down with sexy, playful...more

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Dec 02, 2010 Wenj rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, read-2010

Review provided by Black Lagoon Reviews:

Tangled Tinsel

'Tangled Tinsel' was a fun, playful story about a pair of cat shifters who are tethered together through the holiday season. Perfectly capturing the Christmas atmosphere this novella had moments of scorching romance and a nicely paced sense of action and intrigue.

While the novella starts off with a blisteringly sexual allure, the characters and the readers are quickly doused with cold water. Because of this I think I came to like El's charact...more

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Nov 30, 2010 Caitlin rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Tangeled Tinsel" by Vivian Arend: Oh, the opening scene had me totally fooled about El’s personality just as it fooled Kyle. She seemed like a cat who was totally unrestricted with her sexuality but in reality she tries to be more human and caged her cat so well that when she lets it out it’s the most fun she had…ever.

Kyle is enamored with El just like you as a reader will be. When she pissed, happy, thoughtful, in any mode he finds her hot and intriguing. I liked how the relationship grew in...more "Tangeled Tinsel" by Vivian Arend: Oh, the opening scene had me totally fooled about El’s personality just as it fooled Kyle. She seemed like a cat who was totally unrestricted with her sexuality but in reality she tries to be more human and caged her cat so well that when she lets it out it’s the most fun she had…ever.

Kyle is enamored with El just like you as a reader will be. When she pissed, happy, thoughtful, in any mode he finds her hot and intriguing. I liked how the relationship grew in his eyes to more than just sex; he wanted to spend real quality time with her. She has real fears about getting to close to a guy because she doesn’t want to be like any other female cat giving up her career to pop out kittens. Which is understandable for her, but I like how her character grows.

"No Angel" by Vivi Andrews: Sasha and Jay are a really fun couple with witty repartee that had me cracking up. Sasha has some one liners that were classic. Jay has a demon cousin Verin who have great conversations. I thought when reading the description I wouldn’t love the story but I was wrong. Vivi Andrews was a new author for me and this very fun story is a reason for me to pick up more stories by her.

"Freezing Line" by Moira Rogers: This was a very simple story with only the two characters, Nadia and Shane. In this world, the Earth gives or takes power from Witches and werewolves depending on how close they are to the borders. Nadia seems weak in the beginning because she has just escaped a compound where they were using her for experiments and being so far North the Earth is taking all her power. However, with Shane’s help she gets stronger as the move South.

Shane is afraid of the monster inside of him so he keeps to himself and stays North so he doesn’t become wild like others of his kind. When he notices a stranger on the road freezing he doesn’t hesitate on helping her. He may think he is a monster but he is sweet and gentle. The tension, sexual tension, grows between these two as they travel south.
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Dec 17, 2010 Chelsea [Vampire Book Club] rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: smexy, uf-pnr, vampires, weres, fae-angels, demons

This review was originally posted on Vampire Book Club.

Carina Press pulled together holiday-themed novellas from three great paranormal romance authors – Vivian Arend, Vivi Andrews and Moira Rogers. With Christmas parties, angels and demons and lots of snow, Winter Wishes will surely heat up a winter afternoon. Plus, those who enjoy shifters will particularly enjoy this anthology as two of the three stories feature weres (panthers and wolves).

Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend

Kyle is happy to revel...more

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Dec 14, 2010 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, novellas, paranormal-romance, romance-novels

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is a collection of three winter/Christmas-themed paranormal romance novellas: Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend, No Angel by Vivi Andrews, and Freeze Line by Moira Rogers. Overall, it was OK, but probably not something I'll re-read every winter or anything.

Tangled Tinsel

Unlike most "erotic" romances, this one had enough of a plot to not bore me, and I felt the characters were not just placeholders for the sex scenes. One thing really didn't work for me though. Both main characters are cougar-s...more This is a collection of three winter/Christmas-themed paranormal romance novellas: Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend, No Angel by Vivi Andrews, and Freeze Line by Moira Rogers. Overall, it was OK, but probably not something I'll re-read every winter or anything.

Tangled Tinsel

Unlike most "erotic" romances, this one had enough of a plot to not bore me, and I felt the characters were not just placeholders for the sex scenes. One thing really didn't work for me though. Both main characters are cougar-shifters, and supposedly shifters are just all really turned on all the time and totally OK with casual flings because that's how their animal sides just naturally are. I can get that for the men shifters, but apparently it's true for the women too, and that's just..not. Female cats, and I'm assuming it's true for cougars, are only interested in reproductive activities for a limited of window of time each cycle, not 100% of the time. Also apparently shifters are magically immune from sexually transmitted diseases. So, not really the type of story I seek out, and bits of it bothered me, like ignoring the whole female cats in heat thing while using their natural animal behavior to explain other things, but overall, I didn't mind this story.

No Angel

Nothing exceptional, but a fun story, more sensual than erotic on the romance novel spectrum. Sasha's grandfather is an angel (although she doesn't know it), and her boyfriend, Jay, is half-demon (although she doesn't know that either). She's sure he's going to break up with her on Christmas Eve, but little does she know he's about to spill the truth to her about the reason he can't spend Christmas with her; he isn't allowed to be on Earth on Christmas Day. He gets pulled into hell before he can tell her though, and she gets sent by an angel to rescue him. Or maybe not? I have enjoyed the other Vivi Andrews paranormal romances I've read so far, and this is no exception

Freeze Line

Again, nothing exceptional - OK. Dying witch found in the frozen north by a werewolf, escaped from a scientist's lab (for experiments...not really sure). Apparently witch's can't feel magic when the earth is frozen, and neither can werewolves, which makes it great for a werewolf who hates being a werewolf, but bad for a witch who needs to feel a connection to her magic or die. I just didn't feel the chemistry between these two characters, but it wasn't a bad story. Another one more sensual than erotic.

Technical notes: purchased .epub version directly from Carina Press website. Nicely formatted. Only weird thing is that the blurb is at the beginning of each novella, and I'm not really sure what the point of that is. I'd like it better if it just went straight to each story, no need for blurbs within - that stuff should stay on the listing in the store.(less)

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Nov 22, 2010 Lillie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is A FLASH OF FICTION review (brief spotlight review)

I Liked -- Plot (TANGLED TINSEL): I admit that I am not much of a cat person, but Vivian Arend made me laugh out loud with the antics that she put her cat shifters up to. Because El is a cop, and she is ordered to protect the irascible Kyle from some unknown harm, she ends up fake engaged to him. The two of them are now obliged to spend the winter holidays together under El's parents' roof. Kyle wants to get in her pants, and El has to em...more

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Jan 03, 2011 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 144-books-in-2010, december-2010, read-in-2010

I was pleasantly surprised by all 3 entries in this series. I picked it up because I'm a fan of Moira Rogers. I hadn't read the other two authors before. I will be picking up more soon, however.

This collection features strong women, lots of action and men who need saving - either from outside danger or from themselves.

Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend

This was my least favorite story in the collection. Though I enjoyed it, it wasn't as well fleshed out as the other two. I think there was too much g...more I was pleasantly surprised by all 3 entries in this series. I picked it up because I'm a fan of Moira Rogers. I hadn't read the other two authors before. I will be picking up more soon, however.

This collection features strong women, lots of action and men who need saving - either from outside danger or from themselves.

Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend

This was my least favorite story in the collection. Though I enjoyed it, it wasn't as well fleshed out as the other two. I think there was too much going on in the background - I kept feeling like I was missing things. I assume, just based on what I read here, that this is part of a series. Unfortunately, having never read any of the previous books, I felt left out and confused much of the time.

The romance was well done. The couple worked well together and I liked that the heroine was just as strong as the hero. It isn't often that a female bodyguard is actually a strong bodyguard. I like that Arend didn't try to "weaken" her. Not only that, but the hero appreciated that she was the strong type. That doesn't happen often either.

No Angel

Much to my surprise, this was my favorite of the collection. Having never read Andrews, I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm excited to report a mouthy, strong, capable heroine is what I got. She was everything I love in a heroine - sarcastic, kickass and relate-able. She wasn't perfect, or too independent or stupid. She was very refreshing. And her man was, of course, totally worthy of her. I can't wait to read more from Vivi Andrews.

Freeze Line

Rogers long ago became a favorite of mine and she doesn't disappoint here. I'm used to strong emotions from her characters along with a gripping plot, but this was better than I had anticipated. The hero was a perfectly balanced alpha male - strong, tortured and angry, but also tender and caring. Rogers often writes heroes closer to the beta side, so this was a nice surprise. The heroine was another strong woman, though she was also very vulnerable.

Overall a great collection. (less)

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Dec 10, 2010 Paranormal Haven rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-read-by-stephanie

Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend

Kyle Branegan works for the Cougar Corp which is a secret part of the Shifter Enforcer League. What he thought would be a hot night of sex with a fellow shifter turns into him being hand cuffed to bed. And not in a good way. Eloise Scott is cougar and a undercover cop with LAPD. Her latest assignment has her protecting Kyle until he can testify in court whether he wants the protection or not. As if fighting the the attraction between them wasn't enough, El is forced...more

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Mar 31, 2011 Diana (Offbeat Vagabond) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: anthology, witches, werewolves, shifters, erotic-pnr, netgalley

Review originally posted here: Offbeat Vagabond

Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend

First story of this anthology was Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend. Now I have never read a book by Vivian Arend, but I have always seen her name around, specially for Erotica. Well Erotic doesn't even describe it, just downright nasty. And well, I loved every last minute of it.

Tangled Tinsel starts off with us following our male lead, Kyle Branegan, who is a werecat. He is hiding and on the hunt...for a fellow playmate...more

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Feb 05, 2011 Ronda Tutt rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotic, paranormal-romance

3 Enjoyable Winter Stories for this cold time of year of February 2011 with its unusual Freezing temperatures making its way across the states.

(3 STARS) Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend was a cute read about two cougars both working for the law, one working with the human force and the other working for the shifter secret service but when their paths cross, solving the mystery is just the beginning of their adventure as they fall in love with each other.

(3 STARS) No Angel by Vivi Andrews was pret...more

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Dec 04, 2010 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, advanced-review-copy

I received an ARC of this through NetGalley. Stories are available as an anthology or separately.

Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend
Overall, this story is funny, playful and sexy.

However, there were certain word choices and references that made me go huh?, like when there was "palatable" tension in a room. It's possible that that was a stylistic choice, but it read more like an error that hadn't been caught in the editing process. Those instances didn't happen too often, but in something the size of...more I received an ARC of this through NetGalley. Stories are available as an anthology or separately.

Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend
Overall, this story is funny, playful and sexy.

However, there were certain word choices and references that made me go huh?, like when there was "palatable" tension in a room. It's possible that that was a stylistic choice, but it read more like an error that hadn't been caught in the editing process. Those instances didn't happen too often, but in something the size of a novella they tend to stand out. Also, the plotline about Kyle's undercover investigation efforts and his super-powerful family knowing nothing about the agency he worked for really didn't make any sense to me. It might be related to an ongoing series that I'm not familiar with, but as a new reader I found that whole storyline distracting and baffling.

My issues with the plotting aside, the characters were so charming and the energy of the story so positive that I'm glad I read this and am looking forward to trying more by the author.

No Angel by Vivi Andrews
Sasha, a Hollywood stunt double, wants to bring her boyfriend Jay home to meet her mother for Christmas. Jay doesn't know how to tell Sasha that the reason he can't is because he's a half-demon. Before he gets the chance, he's abducted to Hell... and Sasha is charged by an angelic visitor to retrieve him.

I'm not normally a fan of the angels, demons, Christmas sweetness shtick, but the story is so vivid and funny and smart that I was sucked in despite myself. Very nicely done.

Freeze Line by Moira Rogers
After the humor and lightness of the first two stories, entering this dark, cold, dystopian landscape was quite a shock. At its best, it was like a fabulous blend of Ilona Andrews and '90s-era Linda Howard--tender, sexy and adventurous. At it's worst, there were some awkward transitions, both in writing and in character development, that made me wonder if perhaps some scenes had been edited out because of space constraints. Overall, though, I enjoyed the characters enough to hope that the authors plan to write more stories in the saga of Shane and Nadia.(less)

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Dec 05, 2010 Barbara ~*Lindt Ninja*~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, arc

When my TBR pile is loaded with 500-page monsters, it’s nice to take breaks with collections (I hate it when they get called anthologies, mostly because I’ve learned to hate most long anthologies through bad trial and error), especially when they’re like this one and contain novellas by authors that I already know and enjoy. Each of the stories here is full of its own paranormal goodness and will appeal to varying degrees to a different audience, but putting them in a collection, for me, reminde...more When my TBR pile is loaded with 500-page monsters, it’s nice to take breaks with collections (I hate it when they get called anthologies, mostly because I’ve learned to hate most long anthologies through bad trial and error), especially when they’re like this one and contain novellas by authors that I already know and enjoy. Each of the stories here is full of its own paranormal goodness and will appeal to varying degrees to a different audience, but putting them in a collection, for me, reminded me of the line from the song, “one of these things is not like the other….” Two flirt with different types of humor and sexuality with a Christmas theme and the other is stark and gritty, involving the solstice. While all three are worthy reads on their own, I’m not sure the last works as part of this trio.

"Tangled Tinsel" is Vivien Arend’s contribution: cougar shifter Kyle (who Arend somehow makes incomprehensibly sexy in about two pages) catches a whiff of another hot cougar and follows her into a lingerie shop where El proceeds to molest herself in front of him. She leads the drooling Kyle back to her place and handcuffs him to her bed, revealing she’s a cop sent to put him in protective custody until a court date because he’s some sort of material witness. Little does she know, he’s a cop that works for the feds and his case is much, much bigger than El’s. When she takes him home for the holidays to hide him, hijinks, mysteries, a lot of cop things and sexy stuff happens.

I liked the silly concept of El’s family (I don’t want to reveal spoilers, so I’m just going to say that it’s an unconventional take on what you’d think shifters would be doing) and the juxtaposition of Kyle’s more traditional shifter family dynamic. The reason El had trouble with a relationship with him seemed a little iffy given that shapeshifters had been outed for a while, but she was likeable enough that it was easy to get past. There were some plot issues that bothered me: the ex-boyfriend’s appearance seemed unnecessary and the plot involving Kyle’s investigation didn’t seem to really do much other than introduce his family into things. I still really don’t know what happened with it. All in all though, I enjoyed this; it was funny and sexy and I still keep having all these kitty puns running through my head a day later. A 4 with an extra .5 because of the kitty reruns.

"No Angel" is from Vivi Andrews: Sasha Christian is pissed. Her rather bland boyfriend Jay has been ducking her questions about where he’s going for Christmas and her mom’s been nagging her about why she hasn’t brought him home to meet her. When a somber Jay gives her the whole, “I have to go away,” bit, she’s sure he’s dumping her, at least until he gets sucked into a vortex and yanked into Hell. When she thinks things can’t get any weirder, an angel drops in telling her she’s a Champion and that she’s got until Christmas morning to get Jay out of Hell, bring him back to earth and redeem him. He neglects to tell her that her boyfriend’s half-demon.

This is another story that has a lot of humor woven in, although this time it’s snappier and moves just as quickly as the story (fast!). Sasha’s a Hollywood stuntwoman, so she’s pretty kick-butt; when she gears up to go get Jay, she does it just as well as any UF heroine, with a katana, throwing stars, a pair of .44s given to her by the angel in side holsters and all sorts of knives, all concealed in a long leather coat (red, yay!). There’s a lot of fighting, not a lot of romancing, but there are some especially nice moments at the end; the last chapter is hilarious. What hung me up was believing that Sasha would settle for the Jay she knew before she went to Hell for him: she described him as Clark Kent and she kept waiting for Superman to come out and didn’t describe their sex life all that passionately. I still enjoyed it for the action and humor. A clear 4.

"Freeze Line" is the final story and it’s from Moira Rogers. I really, really wish this not only had been given a different collection, but also more space (a whole book!). There were so many things I wanted to know that would have made this story work and I was frustrated that I didn’t get them. Shane is a werewolf who lives alone above the freeze line, far from others of his kind; Nadia is a witch, kidnapped from her tribe below the freeze line by scientists. Her powers sapped from the cold and being unable to draw strength from the frozen earth, she needs Shane to get her closer to home and he agrees, but only will take her so far. They have an attraction to each other, but he has some huge fears to conquer before they can have a relationship.

This is a post-apocalyptic story and off the bat, I wish I knew what the apocalypse was. I knew there were witches, werewolves and humans in there (other shapeshifters too, I believe), and that the witches were generally considered evil, they had tribes that fought and that was mostly it. There was a freeze line, the werewolves were less controlled near it which was why Shane refused to live close to it, the witches lived under it because they drew power from the earth and couldn’t feel it under the cold, but why were the werewolves out of control near and under the freeze line? What happened to the scientists who kidnapped Nadia? How did she get kidnapped in the first place if she’s a warrior?

Beyond all of that, this really had the makings of a good story. Shane and Nadia were both interesting people; I didn’t feel like their relationship needed to be rushed, I enjoyed the way the two of them talked to each other and that Shane needed to deal with his past before he could handle Nadia. I liked her intensity and that the closer she got to the freeze line, the more the warrior in her came out. If anything, the ending made me crabbier, because I wanted so much more for the beginning. A really grouchy 3 for this one.
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Dec 04, 2010 Kelsey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

Overall these were three good stories. Nothing to serious in any of them, they are just fun, quick reads. My favorite story was No Angel and my least favorite was Freeze Line.

In Tangled Tinsel two cougar shifters are handcuffed (literally) together for the holiday season. Their attraction to each other is very obvious. Kyle Branegan comes from a wealthy cougar clan and has been on his own for quite some time. Eloise Scott (not a fan of the name, sorry) works as an undercover cop and she is in ch...more

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Dec 18, 2010 Carmel (Rabid Reads) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I picked up this book because it's been forever since I read a holiday themed book. Also, I hoped it would put me in the holiday spirit. It achieved at least one of my two objectives! The three tales in this anthology occur "around" Christmas but that's where the theme ends. Not to say that that's a bad thing! All three stories were fun reads with steamy r-rated action.

Tangled Tinsel is the first tale and my second favorite of this anthology. Two cat shifters find themselves stuck with each othe...more I picked up this book because it's been forever since I read a holiday themed book. Also, I hoped it would put me in the holiday spirit. It achieved at least one of my two objectives! The three tales in this anthology occur "around" Christmas but that's where the theme ends. Not to say that that's a bad thing! All three stories were fun reads with steamy r-rated action.

Tangled Tinsel is the first tale and my second favorite of this anthology. Two cat shifters find themselves stuck with each other under unusual circumstances. Their first meeting was pretty hot but somewhat anti-climatic as the true reason of why El lures Kyle back to her place comes to light. It is however a nice foreshadowing of things to come! The power-play between the two main characters was quite entertaining. Kind of like good cop vs naughty cop. El's trying to be all professional while Kyle is constantly trying to jump her bones. I'll let you figure out for yourselves how that turns out! Shifter related content was scattered through the story and was a great addition. Believable but not too overdone.

Next up was my favorite out of the three: No Angel. The lead female character's name is Sasha, same as my dog. Does that make me biased? Hmm... perhaps. Regardless, it's a really great read. I actually finished it wishing that it was a full length book! In this story Angels and Demons are a common part of humans' daily lives. Sasha happens to be unknowingly dating one. That is until the shit hits the fan. Jay gets called back to hell. Although No Angel is only about 100 pages, it's action packed with lovable characters and hot booty time. How Vivi Andrews managed to pack that munch punch into such a short story eludes me.

Last but... yeah, kinda least, was Freeze Line by Moira Robers. I expected great things after having seen this author's name the most over the rest while researching the book. The tale itself was good, I just don't think that it was appropriate for a short story. The sheer size and depth of the world created in Freeze Line was impossible to grasp in less than 100 pages. It left me confused and with too many unanswered questions. Which was disappointing for me, this being the tale that included werewolves. Another huge oversight was that Nadia and Shane didn't get it on until the very end. I expected toe curling goodness in-line with the two previous tales and had to wander around confused for 90% of the story with no sexual distractions. Don't get me wrong, if Free Line was 300 pages I think it would probably be an excellent novel. The premise is original and the characters are charming but 100 pages just didn't cut it.

Winter Wishes is a light read that'll get your mojo going. As for getting you in the "Christmas spirit"? Not so much. But in this case, who cares!? It has variety, great tales and isn't overly complicated. A great read for anyone looking for a nice combination of sex and paranormal without the commitment involved in a full length novel.(less)

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Feb 05, 2011 Riley Quinn rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was an awesome book. It's an anthology with stories by three of my favorites - Vivian Arend, Vivi Andrews and Moira Rogers.

Usually with anthologies, it's a mixed bag for me, but I have to say that I enjoyed each story in this book so much.

Arend's tale of cougar shifters at Christmas started it off. Both characters' arcs were done well and the story as a whole was very good.

Andrew's story about a demon and his girlfriend was great. She's got a light paranormal voice with just enough humor to...more

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Jan 02, 2011 Amber (buriedbybooks) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I know I'm a bit tardy getting this one published. The holidays are over, but I am one of those readers who can read holiday stories any time of year.

I don't think I've read a holiday novella collection quite like this one. I'm a big anthology fan in general. Anthos allow me to sample new-to-me authors without the time commitment of an entire full-length book. And the inclusion of a better known author will help get me to pick up the book...something the marketing pros at the publishers clearly...more

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Dec 31, 2011 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Three shortstories set in the PNR world.
Vivian Arend´s Tangled Tinsel, Eloise got a mission to keep Kyle in protective custody for his own safety, traps him with the promise of hot cougar smexin and the snowball is rolling. Next thing you know they´re investigating relatives and go undercover as engaged.
Vivi Andrews´ No Angel, Sasha sees her boyfriend suddenly abducted to the fiery pits of Hell and then an angel comes to give her the task of saving him or joining him.. .
Moira Rogers Freeze Lin...more

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Dec 22, 2010 Steph rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, arc-netgalley, author-웃

Winter Wishes was a deliciously delightful holiday read. I enjoyed it very much. I'm not a fan of anthologies, but was drawn to this book because of the authors involved. I was looking forward to a peek at their writing and enjoyed them all, enough to be interested in pursuing other books by them.

"Tangled Tinsel" by Vivian Arend

This story was a hot riot from start to finish. Kyle is a werepanther who embraces his animal sexual nature. However, El is the opposite. She tries very hard to be "norma...more

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Jan 06, 2011 Rhianna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Festive Holiday Season Sampler
Not everyone loves anthologies. When it comes to seasonal tales (ie. Christmas, Solstice, Halloween) an anthology makes a nice forum for authors to dabble in a holiday event without bogging down an entire novel. Winter Wishes brings together three previously unknown to me authors with paranormal romance offerings set either around Christmas or in wintery climates. While all three are available in this one volume they are also available for individual purchase.

[TANGL...more Festive Holiday Season Sampler
Not everyone loves anthologies. When it comes to seasonal tales (ie. Christmas, Solstice, Halloween) an anthology makes a nice forum for authors to dabble in a holiday event without bogging down an entire novel. Winter Wishes brings together three previously unknown to me authors with paranormal romance offerings set either around Christmas or in wintery climates. While all three are available in this one volume they are also available for individual purchase.

[TANGLED TINSEL by Vivian Arend] Opening the anthology, Arend's Tangled Tinsel brings together two sexy cat shifters for a holiday season filled with investigation and copulation. As a reader I don't care for stories that jump straight into sexual situations within the first few pages, especially when the characters don't know one another. That started me off on the wrong foot with this one. Unfortunately nothing went on to redeem it. A pretty convoluted plot, cookie-cutter characters, a jumpy pace and too much sex (yes, there may actually be such a thing) had me skimming for dialog to bring the story back. If you're looking for cat shifters having a lot of sex with a mention of the season being Christmas and New Years this one is for you. 1/5 stars

[NO ANGEL by Vivi Andrews] When Sasha's boyfriend, Jay, gets sucked into Hell on Christmas Eve she's charged with going after him. But has she been sent to kill him or redeem him? Can their relationship survive both the trials Hell has to offer and the truth about their bloodlines? Not only was this a great Christmasy themed offering, it was a darned good bit of world building using angels and demons. I was so impressed I was only a couple of chapters in before I went and started adding Andrews' other titles to my wishlist. 5/5 stars

[FREEZE LINE by Moira Rogers] Shane Sullivan is a werewolf just trying to survive in solitude above the freeze line. When he finds Nadia, a witch dying because there's no magic to connect to so far north, he does the only humane thing and tries to help her. As the two fight their way south to get Nadia to safety both feel the changes their respective kind has to the magic in the earth. But could there be another magic brewing, a magic between them? This one wasn't bad. But it wasn't great either. As with most short stories it's tough to fit in enough world building to make it work. I liked the characters and enjoyed their chemistry but I felt like I didn't know enough about their world to really enjoy it. It did serve to pique my interest in this author's work though so I have to say it was worth reading. 3/5 stars
***Notes: I received this one as an ebook review copy through NetGalley. (less)

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Dec 23, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, books-i-own-kindle, for-review-read, read-in-2011

I'm a big fan of Vivian Arend and Moira Rogers and I was looking for a holiday read so the Winter Wishes anthology seemed perfect. I really enjoyed the anthology and would highly recommend it to paranormal romance fans looking to get in the Christmas spirit.

Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend - 5 stars

Kyle works undercover for a secret organisation who police shape shifters, making sure any of their less acceptable behaviour is kept out of the public eye. Even though he should have his mind on his la...more I'm a big fan of Vivian Arend and Moira Rogers and I was looking for a holiday read so the Winter Wishes anthology seemed perfect. I really enjoyed the anthology and would highly recommend it to paranormal romance fans looking to get in the Christmas spirit.

Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend - 5 stars

Kyle works undercover for a secret organisation who police shape shifters, making sure any of their less acceptable behaviour is kept out of the public eye. Even though he should have his mind on his latest job as soon as he spots fellow cougar shifter Eloise he can't resist taking a break to pursue her. As it turns out El is actually an undercover police officer and her latest mission is to monitor Kyle and make sure he is available when he is needed at an upcoming trial. Deciding to take him home with her to visit her eccentric family for the holidays leads to all sorts of unexpected complications for the pair of them.

I'm a massive fan of Vivian Arend's Granite Lake Wolves series but I have to say I think I might like her cougar shifters even better! I'm really hoping that Tangled Tinsel is going to be the first story in a new series as I think there is plenty of scope for more fun stories with Kyle and El at the lead. Kyle also has two brothers so the possibilities are endless. I loved this novella from the moment I picked it up, full of humour it had me laughing out loud several times while I was reading. The main characters are both fab, the chemistry is scorching hot and I loved the way their relationship develops throughout the story. The Christmas scenes with El's family make it a perfect holiday read and I'm sure I'll be picking up this story again next year.

No Angel by Vivi Andrews - 3 stars

When Sasha's boyfriend refuses to spend Christmas with her family and tells her that they "need to talk" she assumes the worst and thinks she is about to be dumped on Christmas eve. But before Jay can tell her his big secret she gets to witness as he is sucked into hell. Sasha is given the option of entering hell to try and rescue him but if she fails she will find herself trapped there with him. When she discovers his secret she'll have to decide if she even wants to save him after all the lies he has told her.

This is the first story I've read by Vivi Andrews and although it wasn't my favourite story in the Winter Wishes anthology I liked it enough to check out more of her work in the future. I really liked Jay's character, I enjoyed the scenes in hell with him and his family - his mother really is a piece of work but I was surprised to find myself quite liking his step dad. I didn't really like Sasha all that much though, she was constantly complaining that Jay was too good for her and that she preferred bad boys but if that was the case I couldn't see why she even wanted to be with him in the first place. It made it difficult to believe in their relationship, although I did see more of a connection between them towards the end of the book once she has discovered his secret. I also started to like Sasha a lot more when she stepped up to fight the demons and rescue her man. No Angel has humour, action and was a fun quick read.

Freeze Line by Moira Rogers - 4 stars

An ice age has split the world in two, above the freeze line the cold has dulled the earth's magic making it a safer place for werewolf Shane to live. The last thing he wants is the magic calling to his animal nature. Nadia is a witch who needs to be able to connect to the magic to survive, she was kidnapped and forced above the freeze line so that she was unable to protect herself using her magic. She may have escaped but she needs to find a way home and restore her energy levels or she won't survive. When Shane finds Nadia by the side of the road and discovers what has happened to her he offers to help get her back to the other side of the freeze line. As they approach their destination Nadia becomes stronger but Shane's wild side gets closer to the surface, can they fight the attraction that is growing between them? Do they even want to?

I was already a big fan of Moira Rogers so it was no surprise to me that I loved Freeze Line. With the apocalyptic setting this story is darker than the other novellas in the Winter Wishes anthology but I really enjoyed the world building and would happily read more stories in this world if it becomes a series. Shane and Nadia are both great characters and I love the way their relationship develops as the get to know each other. This was a sweet and sexy romance and one I'd definitely recommend.(less)

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Dec 22, 2010 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, netgalley, anthologies, stars-3, au-rogers

Tangled Tinsel - Vivian Arend - 4 Stars - I don't think Vivian Arend can write a book that does not interest me. Tangled Tinsel has everything, witty characters, great environments, a little mystery and hot lovin'.

No Angel - Vivi Andrews - Unrated - This story failed to captivate me. The characters seemed interesting enough however after 5 chapters I felt no need to continue. I've never read anything by Ms Andrews before but I won't count her out if I come across her in the future.

Freeze Line ...more

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Dec 08, 2010 Brenda rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 09, 2012 Musing Bookworm rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: anthology, contemporary, shifters, short-story, writers-i-love, magic, witches, wolfies

Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend (4 Stars)

Cougar meets Cougar and sparks fly. I'm a huge fan of Vivian's work and she has kept up with her high standards. Intrige, cops, crazy family members and a sting operation plus some sizzling love. Whats not to like?

No Angel by Vivi Andrews (DNF)

I had trouble getting into this world and unfortunatley couldn't get through the first couple of chapters. More due to the Angel world rather then the author's writing ability.

Freeze Line by Moira Rogers (4 stars)

War...more

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Jan 02, 2011 Nocturne Romance Reads rated it 4 of 5 stars

READ OUR REVIEW:
http://paranormal-romancejunkies.webs...

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