#Review: Operation White Christmas: An Escape to the Country Novella by Nicki Edwards - 3.5 Wine Glasses

Title: OPERATION WHITE CHRSTIMAS: AN ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY NOVELLA
Series: Escape to the Country #2.5
Author: Nicki Edwards
Format: Kindle, 153 pages
Published: Momentum (December 17, 2015)
ISBN: ASIN: B0177DK458
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviewer: Linda
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 Wine Glasses

No one expects to find love in the middle of a snowstorm.

Hollie Douglas has always dreamed of a white Christmas: carolers, pudding, chestnuts roasting on an open fire. But in her dreams, she shared that fire's hearth with a husband, and two months before her big day, her fiancé broke her heart and left.

Now, determined to go ahead with her honeymoon anyway, Hollie's plans are going awry. It's the day before Christmas Eve and she is stuck in the middle of a snowstorm in rural Canada. Thankfully, luck is on her side.

When Jim Bell braved a snowstorm to search for one of his orphaned animals, he didn't expect he'd be rescuing a stranded Australian tourist too. A widower, Jim has been dreading another Christmas without his wife, and he wonders if offering the stranded Hollie shelter is something he can bear.
Jim quickly realizes Hollie is carrying as much emotional baggage as him. But as he helps Hollie fulfil her dream of a white Christmas, the winter wonderland and spirit of Christmas may yet work their healing magic on both of them.

A sweet Christmas romance in the tradition of Melissa McClone and Alissa Callen.

Linda's Thoughts
It had been a long time since he'd had a woman wrap her arms around his waist and hang on like her life depended on it. It felt nice. Very nice.

After two months on her own, the touch of a man felt nice. Very nice.

#Review: Sealed with a Christmas Kiss by Rachael Lucas - 3 Wine Glasses

Title:  SEALED WITH A CHRISTMAS KISS
Author: Rachael Lucas
Format: Kindle, 88 Pages
Published: Pan (November 6, 2014)
ISBN: ASIN: B00OHWAZPC
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviewer: Linda
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 3 out of 5 Wine Glasses!

Kate has taken to life on the remote Scottish island of Auchenmor like a seal to water: she's given a new lease of life to the Laird's estate in her day job; she's befriended the once-nosy locals; and even young Laird Roddy is not quite so grumpy these days.

Better still, Kate has just had her best idea yet: they'll turn the castle into the most gorgeous wedding venue in Scotland. The pressure's on as the first wedding is booked in for Christmas Eve - just weeks away. But with a mismatched bride and groom, a hysterical PR on her case, her own relationship woes and a huge storm blowing in, can Kate pull it off in time?

Escape the stresses of the Christmas season with this warm, funny and truly inspiring novella from bestselling author Rachael Lucas

Linda's Thoughts:
"You've got a brand new wedding venue, darling, and I'm launching a brand new wedding website...we're a perfect match!"

Dan Sharpe’s Top 5 New Year’s Resolutions with Nicole Helm of Rebel Cowboy (#Giveaway)

Dan Sharpe’s Top 5 New Year’s Resolutions

When Dan Sharpe is left without a team, his NHL career is put on hold. So, Dan does what any enterprising romance hero would do, he decides to fix up his grandparents’ deserted ranch in Montana. Life in Montana and on a ranch is sure different than the life he’s always led, but he’s a goal oriented guy, and with these five resolutions he may just survive his first few months in Montana.

#Review: Under a Falling Star by Caroline Fyffe - 3 Wine Glasses

Title: UNDER A FALLING STAR
Series: Prairie Hearts #4
Author: Caroline Fyffe
Format: Kindle, 288 Pages
Published: Montlake Romance (December 8, 2015)
ISBN: ASIN:B010DC4K64
Links:  Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviewer: Linda
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 3 out of 5 Wine Glasses

Two sweethearts find their new love put to the test in Book Four of USA Today bestselling author Caroline Fyffe's Prairie Hearts series.

Wyoming Territory, April 1883

After a disastrous marriage, Sheriff Albert Preston never expects to fall in love again…until a feisty, take-charge young woman sneaks past his defenses. Now, he’d like nothing more than to make Susanna Robinson his wife. But when a train crashes just outside of town, the secrets it carries threaten to derail his plans for a happy future.

Susanna Robinson adores everything about her new hometown of Logan Meadows. She loves her job at the café, the beauty of the night sky over Wyoming, and the handsome lawman by her side. But after learning a hard lesson about fickle hearts from her mother’s bad example, she doubts she can commit to Albert. And when Albert’s shocking secret comes to light, all her fears are confirmed. Will his steadfast, tender heart and gallant ways be enough to rebuild her trust in him?

Linda's Thoughts: 
"Susanna, I'm not exactly sure how to begin. Where to start. I know I was in the wrong by not telling you sooner, but I was in an incredibly tight spot."
She crooked her brow.
"I'm still in an incredibly tight spot?"
She nodded.

Wine Wednesday: Monks and Rome

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Welcome to Wine Wednesday, where ever Wednesday you'll learn a fun and interesting fact about wine! Have a fact of your own? Join the fun and leave us a comment or a link to your own post!  

Fact: 
We have monks to thank for our wine

Monastic orders such as the Cistercians and Benedictines preserved and innovated the art of winemaking during the Middle Ages. It is thanks to their research and indefatigable efforts we have such an elaborate winemaking technology today. One of the world’s most famous Champagnes Dom Pérignon was named after a monk. Dom Pierre Pérignon (1638-1715), an early advocate of organic wine-making, experimented with new methods, successfully improving the winemaking process. His practices and techniques are still used today.

#CoverReveal: The Lie by Karina Halle

The Lie 

(The McGregors #4)

by Karina Halle 

Expected publication: February 15th 2016

The Good, the Bad, and the Fabulous with Sara Humphreys of The Good, the Bad, and the Vampire (#Giveaway)

The Good, the Bad, and the Fabulous of Netflix 
by Sara Humphreys


Netflix and chill? Oh yeah…

#Review: Untouchable Darkness by Rachel Van Dyken - 3.5 Stars

Title: Untouchable Darkness
Series: The Dark Ones Saga #2
Author: Rachel Van Dyken
Publication: December 29th 2015
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviewer: Crystal
Source: Author Assistant
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Wine Glasses

To love a Dark One is to invite death...

It is wrong to love her.
It is worse to want her.
It is sin to consume her.
I desire all three.

I've been given thirty days to prove my love to another immortal--as a human. Cursed to use nothing but the side of myself I've always despised to win her affection. I am Cassius, the King of the immortals, A Dark One.
And today I tasted fear for the first time.
How can I win her when my human emotions over take every ounce of logic I possess?
A darkness is brewing.
One I cannot stop as a human.
One that Stephanie, my loves visions, have shown, will be my end.
Thirty days ago I was King of the immortals.
Today I know fear.
Today I know how I will die.
By her hand.
The woman I love. 

Crystal's Thoughts:

Rachel Van Dyken entices with her world of the Dark Ones, and in her latest installment of Untouchable Darkness, delves into the dark, violent, and poignant world of the King of Immortals - Cassius.

#Review: First Touch by Laurelin Paige - 3.6 Wine Glasses

Title: First Touch
Series:  First and Last #1
Author: Laurelin Page
Format:  Paperback & eBook, 384 pgs
Published: Dec. 29, 2015 by St. Martin’s Griffin
ASIN: B00UFS7C1M
Links: Goodreads  | Amazon | B&N
Source: Netgalley
Reviewer: Kimberly
Rating: 3.6 out of  5 Wine Glasses

When Emily Wayborn goes home to visit her mom while on hiatus from her hit TV show, she receives a voicemail from her former best friend, Amber. Though the two were once notorious party girls, they haven't spoken in years. Although the message might sound benign to anyone else, Amber uses a safe word that Emily recognizes, a word they always used to get out of sticky situations during their wild days. And what's more chilling than the voicemail: it turns out that Amber has gone missing.

Determined to track down her friend, Emily follows a chain of clues that lead her to the enigmatic billionaire Reeve Sallis, a hotelier known for his shady dealings and play boy reputation. Now, in order to find Amber, Emily must seduce Reeve to learn his secrets and discover the whereabouts of her friend. But as she finds herself more entangled with him, she finds she's drawn to Reeve for more than just his connection to Amber, despite her growing fear that he may be the enemy. When she's forced to choose where her loyalty lies, how will she decide between saving Amber and saving her heart?

Kimberly’s Thoughts:

#Interview with Sophie Barnes of The Earl's Complete Surrender (#Giveaway)

Our guest today can speak Danish, English, French, Spanish, and Romanian and her favorite board games are incredibly hard to find. But she also writes Regency period romances and that we can relate to. Welcome to the blog Sophie Barnes!

Lexi: Tiramisu is a most perfect dessert and the fruit flavor of Rappu wine from Domaine Gentile compliments the chocolate/coffee. Much like your background and traveling compliments your chosen profession of writing. How much of your experiences come into play when you are writing your historicals?

Sophie: Quite a lot. As much as I complained about all the historic buildings (castles, churches, cathedrals) and museums that my parents dragged me to when I was growing up, I’m now able to apply the atmosphere of these places to my writing. For Secrets At Thorncliff Manor, the underground passageways are largely inspired by the catacombs in Paris and the casements at Kronborg Castle in Denmark. The ballrooms in my books are almost always inspired by the Grand Salon at the Palais Garnier while nature scenes and gardens come from a mixture of different places, depending on what I’m looking for.

#Review: Cougar's Mate by Terry Spear - 4 Wine Glasses

Title: COUGAR'S MATE
Series: Heart of the Cougar, Book 1
Author: Terry Spear
Narrator: Laura Jennings
Format: Kindle, 254 pages and Audible, 6 hrs and 59 mins
Published:
Audio: Terry Spear (27 Aug 2014)
Kindle:Amazon Digital Services, Inc. (27 Feb 2014)
ISBN: ASIN:B00IP492CU
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Audible
Reviewer: Linda
Source: Contest win (kindle) and Author (audible)
Rating: 4 out of 5 Wine Glasses!

Cougar’s Mate: Instinct told her to run…

Shannon Rafferty learns that hanging out with the bad boys could be a dangerous business, but hooking up with a cop is even worse. Now she’s on the run, trying to avoid being murdered by his cougar shifter brothers and uncle. If that isn’t bad enough, a deputy sheriff hunts her down while she’s running as a cougar and trying to survive in the Colorado wilderness. He vows to protect her no matter what she’s done. With three dead boyfriends to her name, she’s sure she will be the death of Chase Buchanan before either of them can prevent it. No matter how much she knows she has to run again, he soon holds her heart hostage. But will that be enough to keep them both alive?

Chase Buchanan—as wilderness cabin resort owner, former US Army Special Forces, and part time deputy of the small town of Yuma, Colorado that boasts a love of cougars—is tasked to track down a cougar reported to be hunting human prey. Chase soon learns she’s a shifter, not a full-time cougar, and she’s on the run. When he takes her in, he vows to protect her. After losing his wife and baby to the human kind of predator years earlier, he’s not letting Shannon’s hunters kill her, too. But how is he going to hold onto the wild-cat woman, who is unpredictable at every turn, without losing his heart to her, and then losing her as well?

Linda's Thoughts:
"I haven't done anything wrong. "Get off me!"
"You're kidding, right? You've injured a sheriff, broken in and entered a house, stole a car - mine - stole Hal Haverton's clothes, broken a glass, and littered."

Why Mountaineer's Make the Best Book Boyfriends with Lia Riley of With Every Breath (#Giveaway)

5 Reasons Mountaineer's Make the Best Book Boyfriends
Hey there, and thanks so much for having me on your blog today!

#Review: Mistletoe Magic by Laurel O'Donnell - 4.5 Wine Glasses

Title: MISTLETOE MAGIC
Author: Laurel O'Donnell
Format: Kindle, 92 Pages
Published: ODONNELL BOOKS (November 15, 2015)
ISBN: ASIN:B0182MKLZG
Links: Goodreads | Amazon
Reviewer: Linda
Source: Purchased from Amazon
Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 Wine Glasses

Mistletoe Magic is a medieval romance novella.

A confident knight arrives home to find his childhood friend grown into much more than he remembered. The lady of the castle keeps a dangerous secret that threatens all she holds dear. Will Mistletoe Magic save them?

Linda's Thoughts: 
“Before we light the Yule log, I want to give you this. You have been a very good girl this year, and a wonderful daughter.” He held something out to her. 

Jaclyn hadn’t noticed he was carrying anything. She looked down to see he was holding a branch with green leaves and white berries. She gasped, “It’s beautiful!” and took the branch from his hand. 

“The berries reminded me of the winter snow,” her father said softly.

Jaclyn nodded. “But the green leaves belong in the summer!” She looked up at him. “The trees have long since lost their leaves. Where did you find it?” 

“I had to travel very far to find it.” he told her, leaning in to add, “It’s magical.”

Kentucky Pecan Bars #Recipe with Patricia Davids of An Amish Noel

Holiday Bon Appétit and a Book: 

Merry Christmas from me, Patricia Davids. If you love pecans the way I do, you'll want to enjoy this delicious holiday recipe all year round. They are called Kentucky Pecan Bars and they are YUM. Pair them with a cup of hot peppermint cocoa and you'll have a real treat to savor while you enjoy my latest book, An Amish Noel.

Saturday Sangria: Cranberry & Rosemary White Christmas Sangria (#Wine #Sangria #Christmas #Recipe)

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Welcome to Sangria Saturday, where ever Saturday you will find a delicious sangria recipe to go with your weekend reading! Have a recipe of your own? Join the fun and leave us a comment or a link to your own post!  

Cranberry & Rosemary White Christmas Sangria