{Book Review} Mr. 365 by Ruth Clampett

Mr. 365 by Ruth Clampett

Publication date: Nov 19, 2013 Publisher: Clampett Studio Collections
Author Twitter - Author GoodReads

When reality show producer Sophia is assigned to convince Christmas fanatic Will to be on their holiday special, she imagines him to be an oddball momma’s boy wearing a reindeer Christmas sweater. What she doesn’t expect is the handsome, mysterious man who captures her attention, and seems determined to win her heart. Their attraction is undeniable, and as charming Sophia convinces Will to work with her, she slowly unwraps the secrets in his past that make this determined and soulful man still yearn for the childhood he never had. When the chaos of production starts, will Sophia be able to keep her promises to protect Will from being exploited, or will the bitter truth of reality television be a runaway train of disaster for both of them? Join Sophia, Will and his dog Romeo to enter the world of his enchanting holiday house where stars shine indoors and snow is always falling…365 days of the year. (SOURCE)

Contemporary, Adult, Romance
Warnings: Detailed sex scenes

The thing about Mr. 365 that caught my attention was the premise. It was different than anything I've read or heard about. I found myself intrigued and bumped Will's story up on my list of things to read. I'm writing this review long after I read the book and my heart still goes out to him and what he went through.

It's not often I say I wasn't wild about the female lead in a book but there were times Sophia rubbed me wrong. She was incredibly sweet, but I almost felt like she was manipulating Will at times. It wasn't even that I thought she was doing it on purpose because I don't think she was. That aside, I loved the writing and the characters had many redeeming qualities.

When Sophia and Will first meet sparks fly immediately. The only thing is, she's not suppose to get involved with her subjects. It's obvious though, that it'll be impossible for the two to stay away from one another. The description of Will's house really pulls the reader into the story. Once it becomes obvious why he is so into Christmas, it gives Will's character a lot more dimension. At first, everyone assumes he's just a little crazy to be into the holiday year round but it's clearly not true. Sadly, he often gets taken advantage of because of this.

Sophia's dream is to be a producer of documentaries. A reality tv show is just a stepping stone to her goal. Little does Sophia know, not everyone she works with has the same thoughts as she. The project she's shooting is a little different than what she's expecting. Will trusts Sophia, which is hard for him given his past so she's determined to make their time together a success. Things get sticky though, especially with them becoming involved.

Their friendship grows, as does their love for one another. Hearts and trust get broken when things get a little bit twisted. I found myself feeling more sympathy for Will than Sophia. I sort of felt like she should have realized something weird was going on, though that may seem silly. I blamed Sophia a good bit for what happened between the pair. BUT I enjoyed the story, so I guess it's not always a bad thing when a character does things that don't make sense to you. Ruth has a great way with words and I can't wait to read more of her stories.

{Book Review} Season of Second Chances by Brighton Walsh

Season of Second Chances by Brighton Walsh

Publication Date: Dec 5, 2013
Publisher: Carina Press Author Twitter - Author Goodreads

When a storm strands Claire Hanlin in Chicago on Christmas Eve, the last person she expects to come to her rescue is Logan Dawes, the man she almost married two years ago. The chemistry between them is dangerously potent, but with nowhere else to go, Claire accepts Logan's offer to stay with him for the night. Back in the home they shared, surrounded by reminders of Logan and his young daughter, Claire begins to realize how much she misses the family she almost had. After a few cups of Christmas cheer, she falls right back into her ex's arms-even though she knows it means setting herself up for heartbreak all over again. The magic of the season has thrown him together with the woman he's never stopped loving, and Logan's not about to pass up this gift. He's not the workaholic he was two years ago-his family comes first. Now all he has to do is prove it to Claire, before the snow stops and she flies out of his life for good. (SOURCE)

Contemporary, Romance, Holiday

Adult content

Where to start? Can I just...leave a lot of swoony words and nonsense? A whole lot of *flails* *spins* *twirls* *sighs*? Y'all will understand that, right? Especially if I throw in a little "alksjga;skl alkjsd;igufwalkj," right? No? Ok ok. I'll give it a go then.

Season of Second Chances is a holiday novella and there is not much I love more. Yeah, I'm one of those "omg I have to watch every Hallmark Holiday Movie" people. In general, I love novellas and holiday stories but combine them and I'm in h-e-a-v-e-n. Holiday themed stories are always so full of joy, hope and love and sweetness. Novellas give me just what I want, when I want it, a quick story that grabs me from the start  and gets right to the falling in love. This little story did not disappoint when it came to that. I mean, two former loves coming back together at the holidays? *grabby hands*

Claire is stuck in the airport, of all places, on Christmas Eve. Not only is that terrible for most people, but the city she's in is the last place she wants to be. When your ex fiancee lives in said city, it's pretty much the last place you want to be stuck in during the holidays. Especially when you were on your way to see your family. Ugh and omg 'what might have been's and unrequited-ish loves and reconnection always always always get to me. They are my favorite ever.

The last thing Claire expects is to come face to face with her ex. And for him to offer her a place to crash, seriously no. Dude. It's like she's thrown back two years, before things ended between them. The glimpse of the two of them together, the what could have been, is so touching. Logan is a great guy and it's easy to see that he wishes things could have been different. I just wanted to shove him and Claire together and scream OPEN YOUR EYES.

They spend Christmas together, including Logan's young daughter, who Claire had been close with previously. Their time together filled me with squishy love and joy. It gave Logan and Claire hope. Heck, it gave ME hope. Then Logan disappoints Claire when she goes out on a limb for him. There's a lot of miscommuniation between the pair, from their past, to their present. That causes a lot of frustration on both sides of the fence. I wanted to climb inside the book and tell them to talk to one another for goodness sake!! siiiiiigh

SO. I won't spoil it for you but Logan breaks down and goes after Claire (AS HE SHOULD HAVE DONE BEFORE ahem) and I cheered. A lot. It was the ultimate gesture. As if I didn't have reason to like Logan before, this was icing on the cake when it came to him. Claire is one of those characters you feel like you can be besties with so for her to get her happy ending is the best.

I can't say how much I enjoyed Season of Second Chances Brighton is my favorite! Such a joyful and sexy story. I suggest you give it a try.

{Review} Magic at Macy's by Liv Morris

Magic at Macy's by Liv Morris
Publication Date: Nov 19, 2012
Publisher: N/A
Author Twitter - Author GoodReads

My Rating:

Yale University freshman Ally Brown is spending her first Thanksgiving away from home. Feeling alone and restless in a deserted dormitory, she sets off on an adventure to tour the amazing holiday window displays along New York City's Fifth Avenue.
But her plans get sidetracked as she switches from tourist to stalker after spotting her crush, Jack Prescott, who is taking the same train into the city. He's the handsome Editor in Chief of the Yale Daily News and the man of her dreams—if only she could work up the courage to speak to him.
Certain that it would take a miracle for Jack to notice her, Ally experiences her own "Miracle on 34th Street" when things take an surprisingly romantic turn, thanks to a little Magic at Macy's. (SOURCE)

I came across this short story because of a few tweets on the twitter and decided to give it a read. I love short stories, and reading a Christmas themed one is always fun. Unknown to me, this was formerly a Twilight fanfic *shrug* that doesn’t bother me a bit, obviously.

Magic at Macy’s was extremely sweet and fluffy. In short, it was right up my alley. Jack is Ally's best friends older brother. I’m especially a sucker for the “I’m in love with my best friends sibling” kinda thing. I tend to read a lot of those... I sometimes look for this type of story when I’m looking for new things to read.

Ally is an adorable character and very relatable  in my opinion. She’s hesitant to express her feelings for her best friends brother because she doesn't think he 'sees' her. It's easily believable. How often do people crush on someone they assume doesn't feel the same way toward them? I know I've definitely been in that position a time or two in my life. That unrequited thing make me swoon.

Little does Ally know, Jack has a bit of a crush on her too. Except he thinks she's indifferent because when they are around one another, she's super shy. Ally doesn't talk to Jack much, even barely meeting his eyes. He thinks she doesn't like him at all. When he realizes she's following him he decides to take matters into his own hands, surprising her in a few ways. He is a fantastic guy and it's easy to see why Ally has feelings for him.

One of the other things I enjoyed when reading this is that it is written in two parts. First part is Ally's POV, second is Jack's. I love love love getting both perspectives, because once I read the girls thoughts, I find myself dying to know what the boy is thinking too. It's funny to see everything through a different pair of eyes, especially when both characters think the other isn't interested in them.

Magic at Macy's was a fun, quick read. A very sweet story.




These are only my personal observations and thoughts regarding this book. Any and all books blogged about here are paid for with my personal money unless otherwise specified within the review. If you have questions please feel free to contact me.