Great book filled with Christmas stories that have the right amount of Christmas spirit, laughs and steamy romance! I was already a fan of Piper Rayne and Kyra Fox, and now I have a whole new handful of authors to read. I’ve written a review for each story in the collection so sorry it’s such a long review!
...I received Christmas Treats as an ARC and I am leaving my honest review ...
The Gingerbread Showdown
Instant lust/attraction. Very steamy but realistic scene. Trent & Sophie are HOT! Sophie doesn’t “do relationships” and found out Trent is more than meets the eye. Sophie is having a bad day and decides to have a one night stand with who she assumes is some beach bum. Turns out Trent is WAY more than meets the eye, and has set his sights on Sophie. What path will Sophie follow to find her HEA? Fun story, easy to read, you definitely fall in love with the characters.
Sweet Girl
Evan and Remi. Cute story about a husband and wife. It’s clearly a novella about already established characters. I haven’t read the previous books so I felt a bit left out of the storyline. I might have enjoyed the book more if I had read her previous books. I loved their chemistry and how much they obviously love each other. Remi is pretty horrible in the kitchen so her husband Evan gets her cooking lessons to boost her confidence. Too bad the teacher hits on Remi sending Evan into caveman mode, and he decides to accompany his wife. Things get crazy and Evan has to kiss up to Remi when he gets them kicked out of the class. Sweet story all in all.
‘Tis The Season To Be Jelly
Eloise and Declan. Connor is the sassy BFF we all need in our life. Eloise has been working with Declan for almost a year and has had a crush on him the entire time. The day she decides to FINALLY ask him out is the day their company lands a huge client. Declan is the lead and guess who he chose for second in command? And guess who doesn’t date coworkers? As Elle says “Well, FML” Turns out Dec has had a thing for Elle as long as she’s been crushing on him. What ensues is witty banter, late nights, sexual tension, almost defiling a desk, and a botched drunken booty call that ends up with a possible skull fracture. When they finally give in?... whew, scorching hot! Fun story, loved it!
Baker’s Dozen
Scott and Nova. Scott has been a widow for a year. With a coffee shop to run and 10 kids to raise, he’s got a lot on his plate. Nova is moving back to Silverton after her nasty divorce. Her ex’s shenanigans left her homeless and jobless and she needs to start over. Nova’s aunt, who has become a surrogate grandma for Scott’s family, has talked Nova into moving in with her and taking a job to help out Scott. What Scott and Nova don’t realize is that there’s a lot of Christmas magic floating around when the coffee shop is entered into the Christmas Soirée contest. I loved this story! So sweet, but with the right amount of heat and sassy dialogue. Your heartstring are pulled hearing about what the Baker’s have been through and you want them to have all the happiness ever. Nova is a breath of fresh air, and Vera Kay is amazing. Plus, we all need a Millie in our lives! Great characters, great plot... enjoyable read!
Deck... the Balls
Reese and Jesse. These two have known each other since high school. Their relationship has been tense. Reese hates that Jesse in all his perfection called her names and taunted her. Jesse thinks she’s hot but kind of rude because she’s always snapping at him. After being away for awhile, Jesse is back as the principal for the school Reese teaches at. The straw that breaks Reese’s proverbial back is when Jesse beats her in a baking contest. His flippant “Good luck with the Christmas bake off” makes Reese determined to win at all costs. All of these angry and tense interactions between the two suddenly become filled with sexual tension when they realize that these explosive situations have been because they are both extremely attracted to each other. I loved these two together. Even when sniping at each other the chemistry was hot. They both gave as good as they got and made it so much better when they finally got together. Once Reese realized she was taking what Jesse said out of context, and Jesse realized why Reese was so mad, they turned into a sweet and sassy couple. Very enjoyable!
Muchas Smoochas
Freya and Enrique. To be blunt, Freya’s life sucks right now. She’s just signed the divorce papers she was served (in her bridal boutique no less) by her soon to be ex husband (that was cheating) and she literally walks into her past (the new owner of the brewery next door.) Enrique was her first love, first everything, including her first heartbreak when he abruptly drives out of her life and doesn’t look back. Enrique is excited for his new business venture when a blast from the past walks into his present. He thought he was over Freya, thought what they had wasn’t as big as it seemed in his head. Boy was he wrong! After a night of alcohol, a wedding dress, some tears and a lot of talking... Freya and Ricky realize that second chances make the best Christmas present. How can you not fall in love with these two?! I love second chance romances, and these two are just so sweet. A quick easy read, it has that insta love feel but is so much better knowing that a couple meant to be together finds their way back.
Nog or Never
Belinda and Luke have grown up together. Luke is Belinda’s older brother Brendan’s best friend. Belinda was always the tag along and always had a crush on Luke. The night Belinda gets the courage to tell Luke how she feels, Luke panics and takes a job that puts him in another country. Flash forward a year and suddenly Luke is back in Belinda’s life. She thought she was over him, but one look and she knows she’s still in love. Luke knew the moment he left he made a mistake in leaving Belinda. He’s in love with her too but wanted to feel worthy of her love. That was part of the reason he left, that, and his over protective best friend. Luke is back in town and is hoping the Christmas spirit will help him when Belinda over for good. This was a great book! Belinda’s Christmas puns are the best, and she’s so sassy! Luke and Belinda are so hot together, and I love seeing their playful side. Insta love with all the greatness of a second chance romance. Perfect Christmas story!