Merry Christmas, Baby

Men of Rogue's Hollow #4

by Donna Kauffman, Nancy Warren, Erin McCarthy

DONNA KAUFFMAN - Making Waves: The last thing playboy captain Burke Morgan needs is a last-minute replacement cook for his yacht who also suffers from motion sickness. But once he sees luscious Kamala Apolo, he's got a perfect idea for getting her body in sync with the rhythm of the water...

NANCY WARREN - Let It Snow: When perky Chicago weather girl Marisa Langley gets stuck in the cold with her survivalist cameraman, Rob Sheridon, she can't begin to forecast just how steamy it can get between the two of them.

ERIN McCARTHY - And About Time, Too: Josh Black is so in love with his friend Cassidy that he writes her into his cartoon strip, making Cassidy think he's fallen for another woman. Can two confirmed "friends" unwrap their true feelings in time to share a night of unforgettable holiday passion?

MARYJANICE DAVIDSON - Undercover Clause: Dressed as a sidewalk Santa, undercover cop Corinne mistakes Tony Danielson for a purse snatcher. What Tony sees is a beautiful, lonely workaholic, and he'd love to take her out of disguise and help her slip into something a little more comfortable...

LUCY MONROE - Silver Bella: Successful model Bella Jackson may look steamy on covers, but under them, she's a total novice. What she needs is someone who can make her feel the way she looks. And hunky Texan Jake Barton seems exactly what she needs in her Christmas stocking...

SUSANNA CARR - Snow Day: Showing up naked in Tyler's bed has more to do with Karen's rotten luck and bad sense of direction than actual intent. But Tyler's sure she's right where she belongs, and he's got one Christmas snowstorm to prove it to her...

Genres: Romance, Anthologies, Christmas, Contemporary Romance, Holiday, Short Stories, Contemporary

307 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2004

About the author

USA Today bestseller and award winning author of the Cupcake Club series and the Blueberry Cove series, DONNA KAUFFMAN has been gratified to see her books get rave reviews in venues ranging from Kirkus Reviews and Library Journal to Entertainment Weekly and Cosmopolitan. She lives in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in southwestern Virginia, where she is happily working on the next book in her brand new Blue Hollow Falls series, set right in her mountain home area. When she's not writing, she can be found recapping the popular tv show NCIS for USA Today, or escaping into her garden to play in the dirt. Donna also works as a volunteer wildlife transporter for two local sanctuaries, giving orphaned and injured wildlife a second chance at survival. You can catch up on all of her adventures via her author page on Facebook, or on Twitter, or Instagram @writerchick. Donna loves to hear from readers!

Donna Kauffman passed away on April 9, 2020 of pancreatic cancer.

Reviews

[Julianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed for THC Reviews
"3.5 stars"
Making Waves by Donna Kauffman – I can't say that I'm terribly enthusiastic about boats and/or sailing, so for that reason alone Making Waves didn't fully resonate with me. I've never seen a yacht up close, so I have no idea what one looks like, especially inside. Unfortunately the author's descriptions left something to be desired on that count, making it difficult for me to imagine the setting. I also thought that her balance between dialog and prose was off kilter, and sometimes both were a bit too verbose. There were some long passages of introspective narration that made the story drag for me, and there were equally long sections of dialog, most of which didn't add much to the plot or characterizations. Some also took place during moments of passion, and I've never really cared much for chatty love scenes. As for the love scenes themselves, they could have been smokin' hot if they had just flowed better. Even setting aside Burke and Kamala's talkativeness, the way they were written was a little too choppy and metaphorical, causing me to have to re-read certain parts just to figure out where they were in the love-making process. I also didn't find their bluntness about their desire for one another to be a particular turn-on. I just favor having a little mystery surrounding the protagonists feelings while still keeping it honest. I was rather ambivalent about Burke and Kam as the hero and heroine. I like alphas, but Burke seemed to be more the cocky playboy type who thinks he can have any woman he wants, which wasn't really to my taste. Even though I was a little skeptical of Burke's “cure” for motion sickness, I did think it was rather sweet that he made the effort to help Kam overcome it. If nothing else, I thought I might like the inter-ethnic aspect of their romance, since Kam is Hawaiian, but she wasn't really a stand-out heroine for me. I admired that she was a woman who had worked hard to become a great chef and wasn't allowing her overbearing family to run her life, but seemingly contrary to her personality, she had quit a job where she was being sexually harassed by her boss and never tried to do anything about it legally. I thought her reasoning for that was weak, and what was even more confusing to me is that since she had no sailing experience, she wore skimpy clothes to meet Burke just in case she needed to use her looks to get the job. Also, the moment she set foot on Burke's boat, she almost immediately allowed him to start groping her, but I guess maybe that's supposed to be OK if you're attracted to the guy. Regrettably this turned out to be another one of the instant lust tales that I'm rapidly tiring of these days, with Burke and Kamala literally tearing each other's clothes off within less than an hour of meeting, and I can't say that I ever felt much of an emotional connection between them. Also, as with some of the other novellas in this anthology, the Christmas theme is something of an afterthought. Making Waves is the fourth story in the Men of Rogues Hollow series. While I rarely ever read series books out of order, I made an exception with this one, because I was eager to wrap-up the anthology. Burke had been mentioned in passing in the first novella, Baby It's Cold Outside (from the Jingle Bell Rock anthology), but since I haven't read the second and third stories, Exposed (from the Bad Boys Next Exit anthology) and Catch Me if You Can respectively, I don't know if he was a part of either one. Burke's three brothers and their heroines from those stories are briefly mentioned in Making Waves with little where-are-they-now updates. In my opinion, Making Waves stood pretty well on it's own, but I had too many issues with it to truly enjoy it. After two so-so reads in a row from Donna Kauffman, I probably won't be in any hurry to complete the series. Rating: **1/2

Let It Snow by Nancy Warren – I've never really been much of a fan of the love/hate relationship in romances, but if the story is long enough to develop the characters and their connection to one another, I can usually buy into their burgeoning love. Let It Snow relies heavily on the love/hate scenario, with weather girl Marisa thinking that her camera man, Rob hates her because he barely ever looks at her or even speaks to her. Of course, Rob is just hiding a case of the hots for a woman he doesn't want to like, because she's his exact opposite. Unfortunately, I found Let It Snow to be too short to develop the characters and plot sufficiently to make their rapid turn-around believable. Another large part of the story had to do with Rob and Marisa getting stranded for hours on the roof of their high-rise office building in a snowstorm, which I thought lacked credibility as well. They were supposedly doing a live video feed for the evening news, so one would think that someone who had been working on that broadcast would have noticed them being missing much sooner. Also, in this technological day and age, it seems likely that one of them would have been carrying a cell phone. While I guess neither scenario is impossible, they were improbable enough to give me pause. In addition, the love scenes lacked the heat of some of the other novellas in this anthology. In my opinion, there just wasn't enough build-up of sexual tension to create the necessary steam. The Christmas theme was really just a token as well, with the events merely occurring on Christmas Eve. Overall, Let It Snow wasn't a terrible story, but it wasn't a great one either. This was my first read by Nancy Warren, but since it seems this may not be the best example of her work, I'll reserve my full opinion on her writing style until I've had the chance to check out more of her books. Rating: ***

You, Actually by Erin McCarthy – The stories in this anthology are so short that I went into reading it with the attitude that they would probably be OK reads, but I wasn't really expecting anything spectacular. Well, Erin McCarthy quickly disabused me of that notion with her novella, You, Actually, that has become the first short story to which I have ever awarded 5-star keeper status. I absolutely loved this little gem about two best friends who are finally able to reveal their long-held feelings for one another and share the best Christmas present of all. Ms. McCarthy definitely has a knack for creating a beautiful love scene. A fur throw “under” the Christmas tree, jingle-bell panties (cute), and a sexy game of Twister all made for a story that was incredibly steamy and sensual, but was infused with just the right amount of tender emotion and light humor to also make it sweet. I loved Josh and Cassidy's Christmas Eve tradition of watching It's a Wonderful Life, which is one of my own traditions. There was just enough back-story given on Josh and Cassidy for me to feel a connection to them, and although I liked the characters so well, I could have read a full-length novel about them, I didn't come away from the story feeling like it was too short. All in all, You, Actually was a perfect first read for me by Erin McCarthy, and if she writes like this all the time, I can't wait to dive into her back-list. Rating: *****

Undercover Claus by MaryJanice Davidson – I am sorry to say that I did not find Undercover Claus to be particularly romantic at all. The two protagonists fall into bed within just a couple of days of meeting and are proposing to each other a couple of days after that without any real build-up of sexual tension or emotional connection of any kind. So far, the other novellas in this anthology have been sizzling hot, and at least had that going for them even if the plot was so-so, but the one and only love scene in Undercover Claus completely fizzled. The details are pretty sparse and what little the author does describe, was not sexy to me at all. The heroine, Corinne, was not really to my liking either. She is a tough, no-nonsense, straight-taking, foul-mouthed cop with no vulnerability that I could identify. I don't mind a strong, kick-butt heroine as long as she has a softer side, but Corrine was just too abrasive for my taste. I honestly couldn't figure out what the hero, Grant, even liked about her, unless he is a masochist who enjoys being spoken to rudely and insultingly on a regular basis. The purse-snatcher mystery plot was a bust for me too, and ended up being pretty silly, and the character's cliched back-stories were equally ridiculous. The only thing I can really say I liked about the entire novella was Grant, a sweet, sexy, rich Brit who seemed to genuinely want to help people. I wouldn't mind having a guy like him around, but since he seems to be attracted to uber-alpha women like Corinne, I don't think I'd qualify.;-) There is a major continuity error between the cover blurb which gives the hero's name as Tony Danielson and the actual story in which he is named Grant Daniels, and I can't say that Corinne ever mistook him for the purse-snatcher at any point in the plot like the blurb says either. The writing was decent and more readable that some stories I've tried, but I just don't think that Ms. Davidson's style is for me, especially if she writes like this all the time. The bottom line: readers who enjoy smart-mouthed, snappy dialog, alpha heroines, and don't mind the lack of an emotional connection may find some enjoyment in this one, but Undercover Claus just didn't pass muster for me. Rating: **1/2

Silver Bella by Lucy Monroe – This 52-page story was readable enough, but unfortunately was far too short to be satisfying for me. The hero and heroine were not nearly as developed as I would have liked to see. Their connection both to each other and to me, as the reader, was minimal at best, so I couldn't really say whether I liked or disliked either one. I can say that the hero, Jake, seemed a little too cocky for my taste, although if I'd had more to go off of, I might have felt differently. I thought the heroine, Bella, had potential, and I was initially intrigued by her virginal status that was at odds with her bad-girl public image. The main problem I had though was that Bella said she had been waiting for a serious commitment from a man who liked her for more than just her body, then she gave it up to Jake who initially offered no commitment nor seemed to have any attraction to her other than a physical one. By the end, it becomes clear that the relationship is being played as love-at-first-sight, which isn't my favorite plot device anyway, but I never really felt a deep connection between Jake and Bella that went beyond lust. Also the Christmas theme was a relatively minor part of the story. Overall, Silver Bella was an OK read, but not up to par with my first Lucy Monroe novel that I recently read. Silver Bella is the first story in the Mercenary series (a prequel of sorts), and I believe that Jake and Bella appear in Ready, the first full-length novel of that series. Although they did not have any actual part in Silver Bella, there is mention of Bella's brother, Joshua and Jake's sister, Lise, who are the hero and heroine of Ready. Also, there was a brief mention of Daisy, Bella's sister, who becomes the heroine of Carter's story in the 3 Brides for 3 Bad Boys anthology. Even though this novella didn't knock my socks off, I still look forward to continuing the Mercenary series soon. Rating: ***

Snow Day by Susanna Carr – This was another sweet, sexy tale about two friends becoming lovers, but in my opinion, it wasn't as good as the Erin McCarthy story in this anthology with the same theme. I felt that the author left a lot of questions about Tyler and Karen's backgrounds. There was an implication that Karen's family were not very nice people, who had left her with a bad reputation to overcome in their small community, as well as a feeling of being an outsider, but these things are never really explained. I also would have liked to have known about how Tyler and Karen became friends. There was never any explanation of this at all, nor whether they had shared any deeper bond than that of casual friends in a small town where everyone knows everyone else. In addition, I didn't really get a particularly favorable impression of their other friends, most of whom didn't seem to like Karen at all or have anything better to do than be nosy and gossip about her. It was pretty much a case of “everybody hates Karen” with no reasons given as to why. In spite of the plot weaknesses though, I would have to say that Snow Day was a pretty enjoyable read for me, since it embodied one of my favorite themes. It was my first read by Susanna Carr, but it was good enough to leave me open to possibly reading more of her works in the future. Rating: ****

[Marcia B · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ fun, sexy, short stories

[David Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy on Goodreads Firstreads.

This is a collection of 6 romance stories wriiten by different authors and all set at Christmas time. All are takes on love at first sight, even if it takes awhile for the couple to realize it. I would describe most of the stories as explicit but not crude, grahic, or overly detailed. The sex scenes get the point across without going into too much detail. Most even advocate safe sex. All of the stories are sprinkled with a nice amount of humor. This would be a good collection to read during the hectic holiday season since they are all feel-good stories that are fun and quick reads.

Donna Kauffman's Making Waves is the tale of a young lady who decides to take the job as the chef on a charter yacht despite the fact that she suffers greatly from seasickness.

In Let It Snow,Nancy Warren presents the tale of a weather girl and her cameraman get stuck outside during a snowstorm.

Erin McCarthy tells the tale of a cartoonist to tries to tell his childhood sweetheart how he really feels in his cartoon strip in You,Actually.

Next MaryJanice Davidson' Undercover Claus has a policewoman going undercover as a bell-ringing Santa to try and catch a purse snatcher and the wealthy foreigner she meets. This is the tamest in terms of the sex scenes but always has some of the roughest language.

Sliver Bella by Lucy Monroe is the story of a high fashion model who is much more innocent than her bad-girl reputation implies.

Finally in Snow Day by Susanna Carr, we have Karen who takes a wrong turn during a blackout caused by a snowstorm and ends up in Tyler's bed by mistake. This is the only story that the characters do not use condoms.

I do not usually read books that are in the romance genre. At least that are labelled romance that is. Truthfully most sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery books that I read have romance elements woven into them. It just isn't necessarily the main thrust (no pun intended). I do tend to like reading the Christmas collections especially around the holidays. If I was more into the romance genre then I would probably have given this collection a 5 star rating.

I have been told by some that with romance you have to expect graphic sex scenes (especially if it is a supernatural for some reason). But if they start to resemble a letter to Penthouse, then I don't care. I have a good enough imagination that I don't need to hear what she rubbed, he stroked, and what they both licked in a blow by blow description that only lacks diagrammed pictures. Thankfully these stories are prime examples of NOT doing that. They are direct enough without crossing that line. If you do want the type that leaves nothing to the imagination,you might be unsatisfied by these stories. But if you like your romances to be actual stories and not just a more acceptable form of smut then give these a try.

[Maura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Making Waves - Donna Kauffman - 3/5 - Burke Adams is a charter captain ready for his first charter on his own boat, but his crew member Dorsey decides to head off for Australia. But, he’s asked his granddaughter Kam to take over his position for the season. When Burke sees Kam he’s head over heels in lust and determined to get her into bed. What Burke doesn’t realize is that Kam has never been on a sailboat and suffers from debilitating seasickness. But she’s determined to keep this job, prove she can do ti and make her money. She’s also pretty quick to decide that she doesn’t mind going to bed with Burke. So this was sexy, but not much of a romance per se. This is entirely focused on Burke and Kam’s attraction to each other with the minor issue of her seasickness and how that puts a jam in Burke’s plans (and turns out not to matter in the least). They don’t really get to know each other and they don’t fall in love. They basically agree to start a sizzling affair. Then we get the epilogue with their marriage proposal. So it’s kinda disappointing that we don’t get to see the “falling-in-love” part. Too short I guess. Also, I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t get any further insight into the Morgan patriarch and what he was up to there at the end of his life. I feel like that didn’t get wrapped up in the 3rd book of the Rogue’s Hollow Series, so I was hoping it would be addressed in this one.

Let It Snow - Nancy Warren - 3/5 - Marisa is a weather girl who has had to deal with a cameraman who hates her for the past 3 months. When the power goes out while they’re delivering a weather report on the roof during a snowstorm, they get trapped together in a smoking shelter for the night. Marisa learns pretty soon that Rob doesn’t hate her, but is attracted to her and doesn’t want to be. She admits to her own crush and the two decide to take it from there. This had some potential and could have been much better if it had been long enough. As it was, it felt like Rob honestly didn’t like Marisa based on his own preconceived notions about her and so I was a bit confused why he was later acting like he’d been in love with her all along. I liked that this is a case of two people who have stereotyped ideas about each other and they learn how wrong they’ve been all along, but Rob’s feelings were confusing. And Marisa’s switched to love real quick. I think these two needed a bit more time to cook in the plot before they were ready for love.

You, Actually - Erin McCarthy - 4/5 - Josh and Cassidy have been best friends since they were teenagers and both have been sporting major crushes on the other since then. Josh is ready to just tell Cassidy how he feels and has been hinting at it in his comic strip, having his main character fall in love with a woman named Kristen, who is supposed to represent Cassidy. But Cassidy has been seeing them and thinking he’s in love with someone named Kristen, so she’s preparing for news that Josh has fallen for someone else and that this will be their last Christmas together. But once they finally kiss, all truth comes to the table. This was actually really cute and very short. It’s only 30 some pages and this is wholly contained on one night as they get past their misunderstandings and finally realize they’ve loved each other the whole time and get their sexy thing on. Very cute.

Undercover Claus - Mary Janice Davidson - 2 /5 - So...this was kinda silly and stupid and not to my taste. Corinne is a cop with a true New-Yorker style of speech and she’s undercover as a Salvation Army Santa trying to nab a purse snatcher. Along comes Grant, a British businessman who falls head over heels the minute he sees her. They banter back and forth, have sex (off screen...this one’s clean) and propose to each other without ever sharing a single spark of chemistry. And the banter honestly felt like it was trying too hard to be funny and some of this is very slapsticky and this just did not work for me. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t find this cute at all. I was really glad it was short. This just reinforces how I dislike “silly” humor in my romance, but YMMV.

Silver Bella - Lucy Monroe - 3 /5 - Bella Jackson is a 26-year-old virgin model of sensual wear whose ex just called her an ice queen to all the tabloids. She’s chatted up by a sexy rancher, Jake Barton and the sparks fly between them. Jake is determined to seduce Bella and take her back to his ranch and to his bed. Bella is on board, but Jake was pretty clear that this wasn’t about commitment, so is there a future for them? This was okay. The virgin thing was a bit overboard here. Bella was overly sweet and innocent given her exposure to the modeling world and she got pretty whiny during sex. And Jake’s attitude was a bit slimy, but typical for romance I think. The two definitely had some great chemistry and there was a nice bit of angst there at toward the end that made this story a bit more enjoyable.

Snow Day - Susanna Carr - 3/5 - Karen and Tyler lived in the same town as teenagers. Karen wanted stability and a place to call her own and Tyler wanted to find adventure, but they both sort of lusted after each other. Last year, at a wedding, Karen accidentally found herself in Tyler’s bed and although he was tempted, Tyler walked out. Now he’s back because he knows he wants Karen, but he has to convince her to take a chance on him and to ditch the loser boyfriend she’s thinking of having sex with. Another decent story. Poor Karen and her issues with belonging - the author really conveys her despondency at being the outsider and not belonging. I was a bit confused about Tyler - if he loved Karen from the start why did he proposition her with an affair? And the whole wrong bed thing really worked for the angst factor, especially in the aftermath. I think though that this could have been a really great story if it had been longer and more drawn out.

[ReadWithE · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only reread 3 of the 6 stories in here but I reread them every year!

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glad that I decided to read this before sending it on. Great stories. The one that I enjoyed the least was the MJD one which is surprising as she is the only author who I have read before. Her story just did not have the substance that the others did. Granted each story was a lust/love at first sight story, but they were fun and told good stories. Definitely steamy enough for a cold winter night. lol
Great anthology. Gonna go check out some of the other books out by these authors.

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

-Whooooa raunchy lol. Each story was so unrealistic, they made me laugh! It's like, "Nice to meet you, let's have sex!"
+"You, Actually" and "Snow Day" were my 2 fave stories because they were more relaistic!
+It was kinda Christmasy and I liked reading it during the holidays. Definitely heated things up;) lol!

[Dawn ♥ romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Six steamy holiday stories (yacht cook, cartoon writer, 2 snowstorms, Santa cop, & model) none of which was believable although I read them all. Maybe too many stories for one book. Friends turning lovers did too good a job explaining why they were only friends and I didn't buy into the new love in a few days.

[Jessica Alcazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

03/25/13: This review is for all 4 stories that make up Donna Kauffman's Men of Rogues Hollow ... ALL FANTASTIC. I loved reading about all four brothers finding their happily ever after. If I had to rate the stories from best forward, I would put Austin as my favorite then Tag, third comes Burke and last is Jace BUT all 4 stories were 5 stars in their own way.....

[Vera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somehow I wasn't in the mood for this book, but kept reading and it was an okay read. A little more sex than I usually like, but okay. I'm not big on anthologies anyway, so I guess I just liked the seasonal topic. (This was a library book.)

[Amanda Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first story was just ridiculous. The 4th one said something about a character named Tony on the book cover and I never even saw that name in the whole story! Some of them were okay but overall it just really wasn't worth the time to read it.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm uusually not wild about anthologies, especially when a story is really enjoyable and you wish it could be a full-fledged book. I borrowed this book as it's part of one of Monroe's series that I want to start.

[Haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only read the Maryjanice Davidson story. Characters unrelated to any of her series, but cute and funny just the same.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow!!

[Laurie Gold · Rating 2 out of 5]

Making Waves by Donna Kauffman - B-
Let it Snow by Nancy Warren - C
You, Actually by Erin McCarthy - C+
Undercover Claus - MaryJanice Davidson - C
Silver Bella - C-
Snow Day by Susanna Carr - B-

[Goge (BARRONS) le Moning Maniac, · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 WOW. I know all of these authors, I want to reread this soon..

[Patrice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Making Waves :/
Let It Snow :/
You, Actually :)
Undercover Clause :/
Silver Bella :/
Snow Day:/

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a fun book. The stories were short, but they were cute and funny. I originally checked this book ot for Lucy Monroe but I read them all and enjoyed them

[Ladyacct]

I don't rate anthologies. Some good ones, and some not so good with no typos/editing issues noticed.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent anthology, but not a keeper. I liked Erin McCarthy's story the best.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I'm 4 stories in and want to quit. The only one I found I liked so far is Erin McCarthy's "You, Actually".
The last 1 of the last 3 stories was good, "Silver Bella" otherwise not so much.

[Theresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Silly stories. Easy read.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Erin McCarthy's story far outdid the others. Everything she writes is funny and touching. The others ranged from boring to just OK.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed these short stories, especially Nancy Warren's Let It Snow and Erin McCarthy's You, Actually. I thought they were sweet and sexy and would highly recommend this book!!

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Merry Christmas, Baby is six stories inside this one book. They were all good stories.

[Liz Shine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this as part of an exploration of the genre of romance. I'm pretty sure this wasn't the best sample.

[Bibliobabe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Collection of Christmas themed short stories. Ok, but nothing that stands out.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful little stories.

[Jacy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Making Waves: ☆1/2
Let It Snow: ☆☆☆
You, Actually: ☆☆☆☆
Undercover Claus: ☆1/2
Silver Bella: ☆
Snow Day: ☆1/2