"Awakening the Warriors" (S.E. Gilchrist)

"Awakening the Warriors" by S.E. Gilchrist.  The story of Fran, a human from Earth that travels to an colony in space only to be imprisoned.  She must awaken the inner lust of 2 warriors that are the only hope to save the prisoners.  While I enjoyed the "pull" between Fran and the warriors, overall, I wasn't overly excited or thrilled with the story as a whole.  At times, I felt lost like I missed something so I went back and re-read it but still didn't "get it".  Maybe it was due to it being in "space" or just being a novella that some details weren't there.  This is a newer genre for me - haven't read too many futuristic tales before this.   Being a novella, it is a fairly quick read so I was able to finish it quickly.  (Received copy from NetGalley)   ✔✔✔

"Operation Saving Daniel" (Nina Croft)

"Operation Saving Daniel" by Nina Croft.   This is a paranormal story of Melissa and Daniel.  They knew each other when they were young but then hadn't seen each other for 10 years.  During that time, Daniel underwent some drastic changes.  His sisters worry about him and enlist Melissa's help to "save" him.  It took me a bit to like Melissa - she came off as being so tough but then as her tender, softer side emerged, she became more likable.   Daniel was so torn about his situation and protecting those he loved that I couldn't help but like him.  The story progresses as Daniel and Melissa reconnect but he tries to deny the feelings due to his lifestyle and Melissa being in danger if she stays near him.  I liked how Melissa is a strong female but also vulnerable, especially when it comes to protecting the ones she loves.   This story had drama, romance, love and action and a bit of suspense as well.  There was a different take on the werewolf aspect of this story, as compared to others that I have read which made it interesting as well.  I will be checking out other works my Ms. Croft as I liked the story more and more as it progressed.  ✔✔✔.5  (Received a copy from NetGalley)

"Have Yourself a Curvy Little Christmas" (Sugar Jamison)

"Have Yourself a Curvy Little Christmas" by Sugar Jamison.  This is the story of Ben and Dina.  Dina, a single mom is looking for support from her baby's father.  Ben is the baby's uncle.  Dina came off as being a real tough cookie in the beginning but it was to hide her vulnerability.  Ben also came off as a cold business man but he was missing one thing in his life to warm him up - Dina and her boy!  It was so enjoyable to see the relationship develop and watch them fall in love.  Definitely a heartwarming holiday tale!  ✔✔✔✔
(Received a copy from NetGalley - There were some grammatical errors though - at least on the copy I received from NetGalley - hoping that they were corrected for final publication.)

"A Christmas to Remember" (Jill Shalvis, Kristen Ashley, Hope Ramsay, Molly Cannon, & Marilyn Pappano)

This is a collection of Christmas shorts.  They are wonderful stories filled with holiday spirit and hope. Great for a quick read while waiting for those cookies to bake or sipping a cup of hot cocoa while sitting by the tree.

At the end of each short, is an excerpt from another book by the author - enjoyed those too.  Added them to my "want to read" list!

"Dream a Little Dream" by Jill Shalvis.  This is a short story that takes place in Ms. Shalvis' Lucky Harbor.  It's the story of Ian and Melissa - Ian's a firefighter madly in love with Melissa.  Melissa is afraid to give her heart so she pushes Ian away.  A life-threatening event has Melissa realizing what's missing in her life and she is determined to change things.  Ian has old hurts as well and it's so cute how Melissa works at helping Ian move past those hurts.  A really quick, fun read - perfect for the holiday season.  ✔✔✔✔  (The excerpt is from "Once in a Lifetime")


"Every Year" by Kristen Ashley.  This was an enjoyable short.  It's the first Christmas together for Shy and Tabby.  Tabby's family loves Christmas but Shy and his brother don't have many happy holiday memories.  Watching Shy and his brother, Landon, celebrate with the Allen family was sweet, tender and emotional.  Shy and Tabby had a previous story by the author which I hadn't read.   Although I didn't need to read it, it did take me a bit to catch on to the different characters and I didn't quite get some references to other things mentioned.  After reading the excerpt at the end that is from Shy and Tabby's book, I look forward to learning more about them.  ✔✔✔✔  (The excerpt is from "Own the Wind")

"Silent Night" by Hope Ramsay - Wow!  This was my type of story-- a down-on-her luck single mom and lonely lawyer - the Christmas spirit engulfing them both.  This story made me cry and smile and cry again - both good and bad cries. My heart broke for MaryAnne and Daniel was a real sweetie - even when he was a bit of a jerk, he felt bad. I was rooting for them the whole time.   It's an inspiring story of hope and miracles - making you believe in the kindness of people.  My only wish was it was longer!  ✔✔✔✔✔  (The excerpt is from "The Last Chance Knit & Stitch")

"Have Yourself a Messy Little Christmas" by Molly Cannon - Loved it!!  I loved Dinah - she was fun, happy and cheerful.  She works hard at making a go of her business and tries really hard to resist her client.  Lincoln was a typical work-a-holic.  I liked that he liked Christmas but not the commercialism of it - don't see that expressed often in stories, especially by the male lead.   It was fun to see the joy brought back to Lincoln through Dinah while she decorated and he reminisced.  Check it out! ✔✔✔✔
(The excerpt is from "Flirting with Forever")

"A Family for Christmas" by Marilyn Pappano -Another great Holiday story!  Jared has moved from NYC to a small town as the local pediatrician for a term of two years.  He's doing it more in defiance of his parents and the life they believe he should lead.  While there, he meets upbeat and cheerful Ilena.  She is a widow with a baby but despite the sad circumstances, she's always has a smile on her face.  Jared can't help but be taken by her.  She helps show him the good things of small town living.  He's torn because he misses the big city but is falling in love with Ilena and her son.   It's fun to see they love develop between them but will Jared be able to make the transition to such a simple way of life.✔✔✔✔  (The excerpt is from "A Man to Hold On To")