I'm an award-winning romantic suspense novelist, but in my free time I love to review books and my fave TV shows, as well as pass along great book deals, and eat Canadian chocolate---not necessarily in that order.
I barely squeaked in and read my goal of 120 books in 2020. Whew! There were some really great books released this year. It was SO hard to narrow it down, but here are my top twelve that I loved. (And it was super hard to choose which is why I have 12!)
The Doctor and the Midwife by Sarah Alva
Roommaid by Sariah Wilson
Forget-Me-Not by Sarah Eden
A Captain for Caroline Grey by Julie Wright
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I was so excited to see that Karen Tuft had a new release out! And we're almost twinners with books that have nearly the same titles! (I have The Marquess Meets His Match and hers is The Duke Meets His Match.) In this one we meet Susan Jennings who is nearly thirty years old and definitely "on the shelf." She's fine with her circumstances, though, until she receives an invitation to London that she cannot refuse. Once there, she meets a man named George, the Duke of Aylesham, who she's already had a negative encounter with years ago. He's still arrogant and rude, and Susan doesn't mind letting him know her opinions. But when political intrigue rears its ugly head, George and Susan are thrown into a set of circumstances that will have life-changing consequences. I loved this enemies to lovers romance. It had great characters, witty repartee, and a pull-you-in plot to round out this fantastic story. I loved all the political intrigues and seeing George's reactions to dealing with a spoiled monarch and a woman who stirs his heart and tries his patience. Susan was such a great character as well, with her strength and vulnerabilities and how she finally started to see the real George. Their romance was so sweet! I do wish Susan's ex-flame would have gotten his comeuppance and I wish the book could have gone on a bit longer, but other than that, Karen Tuft never fails to deliver a story I can get lost in. I think The Duke Meets His Match is one of my favorite historical romances this year! Get your copy here Here's the back copy: At thirty years of age, Susan Jennings has long been considered a spinster. Exceptionally intelligent, she has little tolerance for London and the dreaded Season—if that’s how one is expected to find love, it’s not for her. But when an invitation arrives that cannot be ignored, Susan leaves her comfortable life in the country and enters the fashion and frivolity she most despises. She quickly discovers, however, that there is more to loathe in London—and his name is George Kendall. George, Duke of Aylesham, has learned to keep his distance from cloying females chasing the title of duchess. Susan Jennings, however, proves an entirely different challenge—a woman who has pushed him to the limit of his patience with their every encounter. But their simmering hostility is disrupted by a thoughtless slipup: to avoid a marriage of political strategy, George claims he is already betrothed. And when pressed for the name of the lucky woman, only one name comes to mind: Susan’s. Their forced betrothal proves advantageous, but when their verbal sparring must change in order to be convincing, the line between fact and fiction becomes blurred by something neither expected: love. | ||
One of our favorite family traditions at Christmas is watching The Forgotten Carols. The story is so heartwarming and sweet, with some truly funny moments and lots of great music.
This year, we couldn't watch it be performed on stage, but there is a 2020 Theatrical version of it! I wasn't sure I would love the DVD version as much as seeing it live, but I did! The sets were great and there were a few changes to the show with some new music and new dialogue in some scenes. Michael McLean is amazing, as always, and the actress who plays Constance really shines. All of the extra touches, combined with the story and acting, really added to the overall charm of the show and finding the true joy of the season. Our whole family enjoyed it!
This is a timeless classic and one you'll definitely want to have in your family's library.
You can get your copy here
See the movie trailer here
Here's a little more about the show:
The Forgotten Carols stage performance tells the story of Connie Lou, a nurse whose empty life is changed when Uncle John, a new patient she is attending, recounts the story of Christ’s birth as told by little known characters in the nativity story. The accounts from the Innkeeper, the Shepherd and others help the nurse discover what the world has forgotten about Christmas, ultimately encouraging her to open her heart to the joy of this special season.
A Family for Christmas by Rose Pearson, is a Christmas regency. It looks so cute and it's FREE today! I know what I'm downloading to read this weekend.
Get your free copy here
Here's the back copy:
When a penniless woman is gravely injured, she is saved by a handsome Lord and a kind Lady – only to have her chance at a better life threatened by the selfish nephew of her new Lady.
I went to the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square concert where this was performed that year and Richard Thomas read it. It was such a powerful concert, I can still feel the sentiment and emotion from it. (And it was fun to see "John Boy" again. Growing up, my family never missed The Waltons back in the day!)
Christmas Day in the Morning is one story our family reads every year and I'm so glad to have this book now, with the beautiful illustrations (and music lyrics) in it. I didn't realize that in the original story, it was a man looking back on his most memorable Christmas. Once he's looked back on that memory of his boyhood, he writes his wife a letter of love and gratitude. There is also room in this book for the reader to write a letter of gratitude of your own and gift it to someone else. Such a great personalized gift to give!
You can get your copy here
Here's the back copy:
In this adaptation of “Christmas Day in the Morning,” Rob looks back on his boyhood and remembers giving an unusual gift of self—a gift that filled him with Christmas joy. Now, fifty years later, Rob realizes he can still give a gift from his heart.
The original Pearl S. Buck story, published in Collier’s magazine in 1955, concludes with the older Rob writing a letter of gratitude and love to his wife. As he does, Christmas joy is awakened in him once again. The final pages of this book provide a place for you to write your own letter of gratitude and love—a letter that will naturally be included when you give this book to a family member, neighbor, or friend. As you do, you may experience what Rob learned as a boy, and then again as a man: the gifts most likely to rekindle Christmas joy are not just the presents we give with our hands, but the gratitude we express from our hearts.
Richard Thomas, Emmy Award-winning actor of stage, television, and motions pictures, first presented this story in the annual live Christmas concert of The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square. As a young man, Mr. Thomas came to international acclaim portraying the eldest son in The Waltons, a television series about a large family struggling to support itself on a farm during the Great Depression.
The Walton family was much like the family in “Christmas Day in the Morning,” and the character played by young Mr. Thomas was not unlike the boy Rob himself. As Mr. Thomas joined the Choir and Orchestra on stage, he entered a re-created farmhouse kitchen. In that setting, his warm, familiar presence reminded many of their past family Christmases. Audience members young and old were also reminded of their own childlike desires to be good, and to find their hearts bursting with Christmas joy.
Most of you know my new favorite TV show is SEAL Team. I binge-watched the whole series so far in just a few weeks, and the couple I like finally had their first kiss. In honor of that, I wrote a little one-shot about what our hero Jason might have been thinking as he took that long walk to get to Mandy. (This is just for entertainment purposes and I don't own any of the characters. No copyright infringement is intended.)
I hope my fellow Jason and Mandy fans enjoy it! (Takes place at the end of Season 3 Episode 20 No Choice in Duty.)
Jason had last spoken with Mandy a few hours ago, but her words had echoed through his head ever since: “The hardest part now is knowing I chose to become this person.”
She’d walked away, but the haunted look in her eyes had made him want to call her back. To remind her of the good she’d done because of the person she’d chosen to be. But he’d let her go.
And wished he hadn’t.
She’d been different since Caracas. Lost, somehow. Her drive and sense of purpose had dimmed. He’d always been able to
count on her to find a clear path to executing a mission and helping him get the job done. She was thorough and
good at what she did. But after seeing Samim’s widow, the small spark she’d had left
inside her flickered out. As soon as the woman had started screaming at Mandy, he’d
gotten her out of there, but he hadn’t been fast enough. Mandy believed every word Samim’s wife had flung at her and accepted them as fact. Nothing he’d said to counteract the damage had touched the shadows in Mandy’s eyes. He put his hands in his pockets and blew out a long breath.
He shouldn’t have let her go without helping to drive those
shadows away.
He wasn’t used to this Mandy. She was trying to appear unruffled
by everything she’d done and seen this deployment, but her guilt and anguish were just
beneath the surface like a riptide waiting to drag her down. Mandy’s normal warmth
had been replaced by the signature blank face of every other CIA officer he’d
ever known. He could feel her slipping away
and he didn’t like it. She was one of
the few who had seen the best and the worst in him and it hadn’t shaken her. Seeing Mandy like this was starting to shake him, though. He wanted to protect
her---he always had---but there wasn’t an enemy to shield her from in this
situation. She was fighting her own demons.
And he didn’t want her to fight alone. Like he'd had to.
He knocked on her door and waited. When she answered, he
took a moment to appreciate how beautiful she was. She was more than
just a woman who looked great in a t-shirt and pair of jeans, with a smile that would
make any man’s blood run hot. Mandy had a strength about her, a calm
and confidence that made him and everyone else instinctively trust her. She could walk in and own a room or be
an observer in the back, but she always stood out---especially to him.
She stared at him, her interrogating
skills kicking in as she tried to read his facial expression. “You okay?” she finally
asked.
That should have been his question. “I’m good.” Jason
stepped closer. He didn’t have to ask if she was okay. He could see the dark
smudges under her eyes, the weariness in her face. She hadn’t been sleeping. The demons were winning.
And he couldn’t have that.
He wanted to fight them off for her. To hold the darkness
back. Looking into her eyes, he silently asked her permission and she gave it,
backing up a step so he could shut the door before his lips came down on hers.
He walked her backwards until she was against the wall, never
breaking the kiss. Over the years he’d let himself wonder briefly how it would
be to kiss her, but he’d always hesitated to make that a reality.
Now he wished he hadn’t taken so long. The scent of lavender clung to her, which was a small miracle since all he ever seemed to smell in the heat of Afghanistan was sweat, earth, and sand. He inhaled again and pressed closer, raising his forearms to each side of her head, caging her between him and the wall. His heart pounded through his chest as their kiss deepened. Her arms found their way around his neck and she held on tightly, as if her knees couldn't hold her upright anymore.
He leaned his head back
slightly to look at her. “Mandy,” he said, his voice hoarse, the only other sound in the room her unsteady breaths. “Are you sure?”
She didn't hesitate and pinned him with her gaze. “Yes.”
He brushed his lips against hers again, then trailed little kisses across her jawline
to her ear. “We’ll get through this,” he whispered to her. She’d been on his comms---the voice
in his ear---on more operations than he could count, warning him of danger and helping him keep his team safe. Tonight
he wanted to be the one keeping her safe. “I’ve got
you.”
He pulled her closer and threaded his hands through her
hair. In the moment, she seemed so fragile, but he was going to help her be
strong again. They’d always done that for each other.
“Jason,” she murmured, closing her eyes and leaning her
forehead against his.
“I know.” He gently cupped her face and lifted her mouth to
his. The pain and grief they’d suffered was wrapped up in the tenderness of the
moment, giving them both a respite from the storm they’d been living and
allowing the kiss to say everything their voices couldn’t.
Their connection was deep and undeniable. What he shared with her was more than friendship. He couldn't describe what she meant to him, but he didn’t have
to. She was Mandy. His Mandy. Everything else faded away until it was just
them. In this room. Right now.
And that’s all that mattered.
The picture book, Ming's Christmas Wish, is a sweet story of a Chinese girl who wants to fit in with the other children, but is not having much success. There are heartwarming moments and the story is full of beautiful descriptions of the setting that really pull the reader in. Ming's family has a surprising depth for a children's book as they've tried to adapt their way of life and traditions in America.
My favorite part of the book is when Ming goes with her father for the day and they visit lifelong friends who talk of the old days and share what the intricate carvings in their cabin mean. The author hints at prejudices toward the Chinese people, but the main focus was about a girl finding where she belongs in between two cultures and making new traditions. The illustrations were eye-catching and colorful for this tender Christmas story. This is one you'll want to add to your family's Christmas collection!
Get your copy here
Here is the back copy:
Inspired by family stories.
