Review: The Christmas Wishing Tree

The Christmas Wishing Tree by Emily March
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After 15 books, Emily March's Eternity Springs series is still going strong. Despite its rather weighty setup, "The Christmas Wishing Tree" is super cute and a worthy addition to the series. I really enjoyed getting to know Jenna and her son, Reilly. She was a great match for Devin Murphy, who we've gotten to know a bit in previous books. It was nice to see him finally get his own HEA.

The great thing about these books is that they can stand very well on their own for readers who do not have previous experience with the series, while also allowing longtime fans the opportunity to check in with favorite characters from past books. That was certainly true of this book, in large part because of the "Maternity Springs" baby boom. I look forward to watching the new additions grow up in future books in the series!

*ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

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Review: The Promposal

The Promposal by Sariah Wilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was just as cute as the first one in the series. Reading that first book ("The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back") undoubtedly provided valuable context for the events of this one, but the author sprinkles in enough reminders along the way that readers new to the series probably won't feel too lost. The characters are, for the most part, very likeable, and it's nice to see how they've grown since their story began. It will be interesting to see where the author takes them in Book 3.

*ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Second Chance At Two Love Lane

Second Chance At Two Love Lane by Kieran Kramer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, as I have so many of Kieran Kramer's previous titles. The challenges facing Ella and Hank were concrete and easy to understand, and I appreciated that the author really made them work for their HEA. That said, there were a few little things that bothered me as I read, mainly in regards to the story's timeline. For example, both characters repeatedly mention that their breakup was "10 years ago," but if I'm remembering correctly, Ella says that she is 29. This is a problem because Ella and Hank's first date supposedly wasn't until after Ella graduated from college in Charleston and moved back to NYC, when she would have been 21 or 22. I get that people often round off when talking about numbers and time, but it still would have made a lot more sense if they had said their breakup was "ALMOST" or "ABOUT" 10 years ago, rather than repeatedly referring to it with an exact number. It also made it seem as if their relationship was very short, which didn't make sense since it was obviously such an important time in both of their lives.

On the bright side, Ella and Hank were both very likeable, and the secondary characters (especially Ella's Italian grandmothers, aka "the Nonnas," and Hank's cousin Pammy) were a lot of fun. I wouldn't mind seeing a couple of them get their own books.

This was the third book in a trilogy about three friends who own a professional matchmaking agency in Charleston, South Carolina. I have read the first two books, but I believe this one stands well enough on its own to be enjoyed by readers who are new to the series. The Charleston setting is delightful, especially for those (like me) who have had the pleasure of visiting the city. In fact, Kramer's descriptions of the city have me ready to plan a return trip right now! :-)

*ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Rogues Rush In

Rogues Rush In by Tessa Dare
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Tessa Dare's story was delightful, as her writing always is IMO, and deserves a higher rating than the 3 stars I gave this book. Unfortunately, my rating was dragged down by the inclusion of Christi Caldwell's story, of which I was not a fan. I hate "big misunderstanding" plots and usually spend the entire time being annoyed with the characters for not having a simple conversation that would have cleared up many of their issues. My dislike of this trope was compounded in this case by the fact that I didn't care for Caldwell's writing style, which may have benefited from some better editing. In any event, I can't see myself picking up any of Caldwell's other works in the future.

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Review: The Luck of the Bride

The Luck of the Bride by Janna MacGregor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really liked the first two books in this series, so it was a nice surprise to be chosen to review this latest installment through Netgalley. I enjoyed meeting March Lawson, the novel's heroine, in a previous book, and have been looking forward to reading her story ever since. March is a really admirable character, despite the questionable legality of some of her choices, because her actions are motivated by such deep love for her family. There aren't very many 17-year-old girls who could (or would) step up and raise their younger siblings as she did! Granted, she was probably more mature than the average modern 17-year-old, but it was still a huge challenge, and March faced it head on despite the personal sacrifices looking after her siblings required.

McCalpin was also a very interesting character, mainly because of his learning disability. It's pretty amazing that he was able to keep it hidden for so long during his education, but as he himself noted, it helped to be a duke's heir because it allowed him to get away with a lot of things other boys couldn't. His brother Will's help was also required, and is another great example of the power of fraternal love in this story. (Sidenote: I really hope Will is going to get a story of his own!) I think McCalpin's strong family ties made it easier for him to understand (and forgive) March's actions.

At any rate, this was a great read, and it does stand well on its own (though if you haven't read the first two books in the series yet, you will probably want to do so after catching up with some of those characters in this installment!). I look forward to the next book in the series.

*ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

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Review: Royal Treatment

Royal Treatment by Tracy Wolff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved the first book in this series, so I was thrilled to be able to read and review this one through NetGalley. Thankfully, the book not only lived up to my expectations, it exceeded them. Garrett and Lola were incredibly likeable characters who came together to become a great couple. From the descriptions of Garrett in the first book, I expected him to be uptight and perhaps a somewhat unlikeable character, but he turned out to be funny and sweet in a lot of unexpected ways. He certainly suffered from his time in captivity, but his determination not to let it break him was clear. Lola was just the perfect heroine for him - strong and feisty without being overbearing. They really brought out the best in each other.

I wish Garrett and Kian had more siblings! I would happily keep reading books in this series.

*ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

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Review: Vegas Dumb Luck

Vegas Dumb Luck by Sharon Kleve
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This story was cute and funny, kind of in the vein of the Stephanie Plum series but without some of the mystery elements. However, it was very short - more of a novella than a full-length novel, really. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but IMO it would have been nice to learn more about PJ's relationships with Bruno, her aunt, and some of the other side characters. It sounds like PJ and Bruno met in a really interesting way, and maybe there's a (prequel?) story there. I don't think this is currently part of a series, but I may have missed something. Whether it is part of a series or not, it certainly stands well enough on its own for readers not to feel lost, but I would definitely read more stories about PJ and her family and friends if the author decides to write them.

*Ebook provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

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