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Noelle is trying to forget all about Christmas, both the holiday and the town. Currently in a dressing room she hears noises coming from the room next door. Oh great now she gets to hear a couple going at it, she truly needs a life. After hearing some commotion outside her door it flies open and a very hot man literally ends up in her almost naked lap. After one very scorching kiss he leaves her room so she can get dressed again. She hightails it out of there hoping no one sees her.

Mark waits a minute and returns to the dressing room area to get the name of the woman who just blew his mind with a single kiss. She is no where to be found, great. Work calls then, as he is needed at the station to get information on the latest robbery in town. A business was targeted and their Christmas funds stolen. Heading to the location he asks to see the owner to get more information on the theft and runs smack into his mystery kisser.

Noelle and Mark do all they can to avoid each other but the universe has other ideas for them. When Mark heads to the town of Christmas, Noelle’s hometown, to follow up on some leads on the thefts he sees exactly the life she is trying hard to leave behind. Pretending to be her boyfriend to stop the town gossip mill has him falling even harder for her.

Holiday themed romance with light mystery, was a good read for the holiday season for me. Part of the Santori Stories series, this is book #3
  
HT
Hunt the Moon (Cassandra Palmer, #5)
Karen Chance | 2011 | Paranormal, Romance
Hunt the Moon is a great addition to the series because it takes us Deeper than ever before. Prepare to light up the dark side of the moon, because this book is a super-bright flashlight on the mysteries and mythologies that fuel the Cassandra Palmer world and the overall plot of the series. But be ready for some shadows and more questions to be thrown in as unexpected twists and turns take us on a whole new, thrilling angle.

I really enjoyed Hunt the Moon. Karen Chance onces again nails the pace of action, romance and deepening our understanding of the loveable characters she has created. In Hunt the Moon we learn a lot about the big three, Cassie, Pritkin and Mircea which puts their behaviour and way of reacting to life in a whole new light. It's a work of art.

In Hunt the Moon, Cassie finds herself a brand new enemy, because rogue vampires, black wizards and gods were't enough. Now she gets to throw in the fae and demi-gods too. Who bring with them a whole new bag of tricks. And while you shouldn't laugh at someone who always seems to find herself and her bodyguards in the midst of explosions, but, well, it's damn funny when a stoned pythia is glaring at a possessed fridge. Karen is able to be serious and cover some unsettling topics like war, politics and childhood trauma (of all varieties) and balance it with pleasant prose and just straight-up fun. That's the best word for the Cassie Palmer series, it is fun to read.
  
Christmas in London: A Novel
Christmas in London: A Novel
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book I thought would be more about one couple getting to know each other and the other being a young man they get together and see more of London at Christmas. This did somewhat happen though not the way I pictured it.

It about two women, one a pastry chef and the other network producer. The one named Kate was a better story line that kept me reading. I was half attempting to not complete reading it and making it DNF. It was boring to read. It was a romance. There was not much going on about this cooking show. The woman Louisa was more worried about her dreams. She did not see that she had two men falling for her. If the author had made it more about cooking and her recipes. I would then see how Louisa was acting. No, that not what I got.

The subplot with Kate seems more like what I was expecting. Her penning for her love and see London with her lost love. She runs into him at the hotel and spends the week sightseeing. This story is a better storyline and more enjoyable. I enjoy meeting Trevor. Their story was more of a love story and seeing their experience in London at Christmas.

I enjoyed hearing about some of the places in London. Imaging the couples there experiencing London during Christmas. Kate and Trevor's story is one that I would have read more about. Trevor and Kate have a history together. Reading about St. Andrews and their past. I may be happy to read. I was could picture the area. Scotland and some of the landmark the best parts.
  
This review and more can be found at my blog https://aromancereadersreviews.blogspot.com

A Romance Reader's Reviews

This has been borrowed from the Kindle Unlimited Library.

Awakened and Betrayed carries on from the previous book, The Lost and the Chosen, with Vinna on her way to a meeting with the Elders. It does not go well and she is separated from her guys and Lachlan's coven and ends up with Enoch and his. Things get a little complicated as Vinna's magic is assessed by the Elders and they realise how strong she is, if not what she is.

I feel like I should point out a LOT happens in this book. The above happens within the first couple of chapters but it sets in motion a series of events that occur throughout the book. She also meets a pack of werewolves, has a meeting with a certain lamia/vampire, makes friends with some people again, gets some new magic etc. It is filled to the brim with stuff.

I liked this but it didn't quite have the same feel to it as the first. It wasn't as smoothly written and if I'm honest, I'm finding it hard to keep up with who everyone is. As I mentioned in a status update on Goodreads: "She could end up with the biggest harem going because it doesn't matter who she meets, they're always drawn to her."

I don't know if I'll be continuing the series. My Kindle Unlimited runs out in less than two weeks and I have a few other books I want to get through before then. I may eventually come back to it.
  
The Vampire Games
The Vampire Games
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
*I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

The beginning was a little rocky, I didn’t know what was happening and the style of how it was written felt a little awkward. By the quarter point it had smoothed out a little and I could read it easily and quickly.

Being the sucker that I am for romance books, the first hint of something, even the slightest hint of something, gets me excited. So that meeting of gazes had me smiling like a loony. I like my paranormal romances. From then I was scouring every page for more interactions between Bianka and Phillip. I quickly fell into their story. I was kind of on tenterhooks near the end wondering what she was going to choose.

The other part of the storyline; the fights, was an interesting take. It reminded me of The Hunger Games in the sort of “kill or be killed” way but this is with vampires so it’s all a little more intense. It was also filled with political undercurrents of the vampire society.

I loved the names the author came up with for the fiefdoms: Twilight Falls, Dawn Hold, Nightfall Keep…they just make me think of dark places but at the same time they sound pretty cool, right?

I liked some bits a lot more than others, but I do think I’d be interested in continuing the story at some point in the future when they’re released.

If you like paranormal romances or vampires or dystopian, maybe all three, then you’ll probably like this.
  
I'll start by saying I LOVE THIS SERIES! Darynda Jones has written such an amazing likeable but slightly dumb, sometimes genius character in Charley Davidson. You can't help but like her.

This starts with Charley sitting in a psychiatrist's office as she equally does a job and confesses everything that she's learned about herself over the last ten books to the doctor in the chair. Turns out the shrink is dead and haunting the office. There is one big case that Charley is working on in this and it's the couple who kidnapped Reyes when he was a baby. There's a few other smaller things thrown in and we see Charley learn how to be who she was born to be with a little help from Reyes.

As I've already mentioned, I love this series. It is right up my street with it's snark, humour and romance. Characters that we've grown to love over the last ten books make reappearances, some new characters pop up and some that have been mentioned peripherally make themselves known. It's hard to give too many details without spoiling it for those who haven't got this far in the series.

If you've not at least started this series, then I can't recommend it enough, really. That is, if you like urban fantasy/paranormal romances. Or demons. Gods...

I have book 12 in paperback, too, and haven't decided whether to read it straight away yet - despite that bit of a cliff hanger that happened at the end! - as I feel I would immediately want to read book 13 to finish the series and I don't have it yet. It's on my to-buy list.
  
Bound (Chinatown Demons #1)
Bound (Chinatown Demons #1)
Rhys Ford | 2020 | LGBTQ+, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
cant wait to see where this series goes!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book one, a short introduction if you will, into a new series by Ford, Chinatown Demons, and I bloody loved it!

Spencer moved to San Francisco, for a last chance to save himself from his demons. Only to find himself working with a different sort of demon he never knew existed.

It's only short, this book, some 100 odd pages, but it pulls and tugs you in so far and so deep, you keep reading til you blink, and poof! The book is finished and you didn't see it coming! I loved that!

I haven't tagged this one as a romance, because, quite simply, it isn't one. Oh there is attraction between Xian and Spencer, but there is nothing else. Xian, though, seems to know something more is going on between him and Spencer.

There is something going on, that isn't made clear yet, much like why Spencer came to town from the LAPD. Hints are all we get, and I'm not able to currently put the pieces together fast enough, but hey! I don't mind that. Makes future books far more able to pull me in again, like this one did.

I can't wait to see where this series goes, and I know it will probably be some time before we get the next instalment, but I'll wait!

I'm sorry this review is short, but I'm in a difficult place right now.

5 full and shiny stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
The Frame-Up (The Golden Arrow Mysteries Book 1)
The Frame-Up (The Golden Arrow Mysteries Book 1)
Meghan Scott Molin | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Great idea but could've been executed better
When I first saw the synopsis of this book, I thought it sounded great - superheroes, geeks and comic books is right up my street. However what is a great idea for a story isn't executed very well.

My main problem is the character of MG herself. A female geek character is a great idea, but my issue is that I found MG very unlikeable. Her attitude and actions started off fairly well, but by the end I found myself getting so irritated by her inability to listen to other people and her stubborn and rash attitude. The romance aspect of this novel doesnt help matters - it sounds like every geeks dream and so farfetched and ridiculous it's laughable. This could not be any more predictable and cliched than it already is. Matteo as a character too seems fairly undeveloped and comes across as a rather one dimensional love interest.

This is a shame as the idea behind the story is quite interesting and rather fun to read. There's also some very decent minor characters like Lawrence who are a lot more intriguing and fun that should've been featured more. I also loved the references to geek and pop culture, and overall this aspect of the book was a lot of fun. I did find the lack of resolution in some parts of the story frustrating - your typical sequel baiting. I do have the sequel to read which I probably will read as I enjoyed this book enough, but I pray for a resolution as I doubt this series will hold my attention enough longer than that.