Nan's 2022 Reads

[Nancy]

101. Twelve Days of Christmas by Debbie Macomber
This Christmas-themed romance features Julia, who is cheerful and friendly, but her neighbor across the way is anything but. Cain Maddox is grumpy and irritated (with Julia's cheerfulness).

When he takes her morning newspaper, she wants to kill him (so to speak). Her best friend Cammie suggests killing him...with kindness. Thus begins the challenge--to be kind no matter what. Added to that she starts blogging about her Twelve Days of Christmas (kindness) with her own personal Ebeneezer. Over the twelve days of blogging, she gets followers and comments galore as she reports her acts of kindness toward him.

Cain eventually succumbs to her kindnesses and returns his own kindnesses. What happens next? Will they become friends, or will he find out about her blog? If he does, will he return to the curmudgeonly ways?

A cute romance with few WTT trends

[Nancy]

102. The Christmas Swap by Melody Carlson
A cute Christmas-themed romance between a substitute teacher/musician, Emma, and West, the "caretaker" of a home that has been swapped out for the Christmas holidays.

Short and sweet with a bit of skiing and machinations from a friend.

Will Emma and West get a happily ever after, or will Gillian mess that up?

[Nancy]

102. A Christmas Snow by Jim Stovall
It's Christmas and Kathleen Mitchell has a 'bah humbug' attitude, but then she has had it ever since her father walked out on her mother and her thirty years ago during the Christmas season. She doesn't celebrate or decorate at all, nor does she allow her restaurant employees to be festive, either. No wonder the food critic panned the restaurant despite the food.

Her boyfriend has to leave his daughter Lucy there for a day or so a few days prior to Christmas, and on an emergency run to the grocery on Lucy's behalf, she nearly hits an elderly man, making him miss his bus. With the snow attaining blizzard status, she can't leave him at the closed, unheated bus station and brings him home.

Lucy, Sam, and reluctantly Kathleen make a Christmas that just might change attitudes. But will it? Will Kathleen have her changed Scrooge moments, or will life go on as before?

[Nancy]

103. Julian's List by Haleigh Lovell
This is a contemporary romance featuring Julian (Vivian's brother from Vivian's List, but Vivian is basically off-screen for the most part) and Sadie Frost, a single mom who is known as the Ice Queen.

When the pair meet at work, Julian knows he wants to be with Sadie (his list), but she holds him at arm's length...that is, until she doesn't. One of the few women at this advertising agency, Sadie knows all too well the pitfalls of becoming involved with anyone at work. Rumors run rife, and nicknames all too easily can cost a person their job especially the women.

Besides, she has her son Evan to consider, especially since his health is precarious, and her mother, who is barely functioning. These two keep her on the straight and narrow, but sometimes even that isn't enough. Will Julian and Sadie end up together, or will other people sabotage the pair? Or even will they sabotage themselves along the way?

This contemporary romance had its moments, both good and bad. Some What-the-trends are seen (Julian has green eyes; there are also smirks, winks, and maybe even a pencil skirt), and there were some hot, spicy scenes between the pair.

Sometimes this reader thought that the author used the thesaurus (my favorite dinosaur, by the way) way too much. Here's an example which made me laugh out loud:
"I heard the crunch of his bones as my elbow slammed into his nose. He howled and staggered back. 'Bitch! You deviated my septum!'
Okay, she probably did hit him hard enough to cause this to happen, but no one would say 'deviated my septum,' even someone from the medical profession wouldn't use it in normal conversation, and certainly not someone who was already drunk as this character was. If I were to re-write it, it would go something like this, "Bitch, you broke my fuckin' nose!"
Here's another example:
Using EXTRUDED rather PROTRUDED, which seemed like a bad word choice.

Overall, an okay romance with some spicy moments.

[Nancy]

104. The Snow Bride by Debbie Macomber
A contemporary Christmas-themed romance finds Jenna Walsh traveling to Alaska to meet a man, Dalton, she met online. Her biologic clock is ticking and she has found what seems to be a soulmate--he quotes poetry, he's charming, etc.

Reid, her seatmate on the plane is anything but charming; he seems grouchy and rude, but he knows the reality of Dalton. When Dalton fails to show up at the airport, Reid "kidnaps" Jenna to his small village of Snowboard, Alaska. Then a blizzard hits, and the pair is stuck together.

Will Jenna marry Dalton as she believes, or will events in Snowboard change Jenna's mind? Will she become a snow bride or return to California to the boss she pined for too many years?

A cute romance overall.