Keep Me Warm at Christmas by Brenda Novak

Keep Me Warm at Christmas by Brenda Novak

Published by MIRA ISBN 978077831256

Mass Market Paperback, $9.99, 416 pages

Last Christmas I read Brenda Novak's A California Christmas (my review is here), the seventh book in her Silver Springs series and was pleased to see we return to Silver Springs again this Christmas for Keep Me Warm at Christmas.

Tia Bennett is a young actress recovering from a terrible car accident that left her face disfigured. She is recuperating at the home of Maxi, the producer of her breakout film, which has just been released and is garnering Oscar buzz for Tia and the movie.

The paparazzi swarmed her Los Angeles condo, so Tia takes Maxi up on his offer to hide out at in the guest house of his gated home in the small town of Silver Springs. All she has to do is feed and care for his pet parrot while is he out of the country.

While Tia is severely depressed about her situation, she discovers that Maxi has also invited Seth, a reknowned artist and sculptor, to stay in the main house. Seth is still mourning the loss of his young wife three years ago. He grew up in Silver Springs, one of many young boys adopted by Aiyana, the woman who runs a school for troubled teens.

Seth is back to teach an art class Aiyana's school. While he loves Aiyana, he is still troubled by his past. His birth mother gave him and his two brothers up, and later reclaimed his older and young brother but not him. As a young teen, Seth had problems with the law, but straightened his life out.

After Seth sees how depressed Tia is, he becomes determined to reach out to her. He cooks for her, encourages her to exercise, and when a paparazzi comes looking for her, Seth protects her.

Tia and Seth are both going through difficult times. Tia fears her burgeoning career is over, and her Mennonite family is pressuring her to come home to Iowa. Seth is missing his wife and dealing with his in-laws who see him as only an ATM. Can they bring each other out of the depths of their sadness?

Keep Me Warm at Christmas is about forgiveness. Seth has to decide if he can forgive his birth family and in-laws, Tia has to work on forgiving her family,  and Tia has to think about forgiving Seth for something he says that hurts her deeply.

We learn a little bit about the Mennonite religion in this novel, something I found interesting as I don't know much about the relgion. We don't see much of Aiyana and her family as we did in the last book, this one really revolves around Tia and Seth. I hope to revisit Silver Springs again next Christmas and see  more of Aiyana and her family.

Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on their Holiday Romance Blog Tour.

The Christmas Wedding Guest by Susan Mallery

The Christmas Wedding Guest by Susan Mallery

Published by Harlequin  ISBN 9781335522450

Trade paperback, $16.99, 432 pages

Last Christmas, I was enchanted by Susan Mallery's Happily This Christmas, a holiday story in her Happily Inc. series, so I was excited to see that she has a new Christmas book in a new series. The Christmas Wedding Guest is the second book set in Wishing Tree, Washington, a town that celebrates Christmas year-round.

Sisters Reggie and Dena are helping their mother plan a Christmas vow renewal. Their parents didn't get the big wedding 35 years ago, and now Mom wants all the bells and whistles.

Dena is a schoolteacher who also owns the town's B&B, left to her by her aunt. She is also pregnant, ready to be a single mother after she feels that love has passed her by. Last year on Thanksgiving weekend, Reggie's boyfriend proposed on Friday, hosted a big engagement party on Saturday, and broke up with her on Sunday.

Reggie moved to Seattle for her job, and is not excited to see everyone again after last year. Her high school boyfriend Toby moved back to town with his eight year-old son to live with his grandmother. He is a hugely successful businessman, and his son is in Dena's class.

Micah is a rock star who lost his wife and unborn baby in a car accident last year. He came to Wishing Tree to work with a friend and get away from it all, and ends up staying in Dena's B&B. Dena, like every other woman, is attracted to the handsome man, and Micah seems to like Dena as well.

The characters in The Christmas Wedding Guest don't necessarily have secrets, it's more that they have complications in their life. Dena is a pregnant soon-to-be single mom with horrible all-day sickness, Micah is trying to move on from his tragic accident, and while Reggie is thrown together with Toby who left town abruptly at age eighteen without a word to Reggie, Toby is determined not to get romantically involved with anyone.

No one creates these charming towns populated with characters that you feel like you know as friends as well as Susan Mallery. On her website susanmallery.com, you can see maps of the towns like Happily, Inc. and Wishing Tree, with all of the charming small businesses highlighted. Looking at them makes you feel like you are walking through the town you just read about. Her books are Hallmark Christmas movies waiting to happen.

I adored The Christmas Wedding Guest as much as Happily This Christmas, and like last year, I will be giving this book to someone I know who loves Christmas. I can't wait to read more books in the series so I can get to know the people of Wishing Tree better.

My review of Happily This Christmas is here.

Thanks to Harlequin Books for putting me on their Holiday Romance Book Tour.

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer

Published by MIRA, ISBN 9780778311584

Trade paperback, $15.99, 416 pages

At this time of year I enjoy reading Christmas books, and the opportunity to read a Hanukkah story intrigued me, especially Jean Meltzer's The Matzah Ball with its unique leading lady. Rachel is the daughter of an esteemed rabbi father and doctor mother. She's also secretly Margot Cross, the bestselling author of twenty Christmas romances.

Rachel's lifelong best friend Mickey is one of few people who know she is Margot, and the only one who has seen her Christmas room- filled to the brim with all kinds of Christmas decorations, including her beloved and numerous Santa collection. It's every Hallmark movie come to life in one room. 

The other secret Rachel has is that she has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Most people don't understand the disease, believing that people who suffer from CFS are just low-energy or lazy. Rachel can be bedridden for days, unable to even raise her arms without pain. (Jean Meltzer also has CFS, something that gives the reader a better understanding of the disease.)

When Rachel's publisher tells her that this year they want her to write a Hanukkah romance, Rachel is stunned. How can she write a Hanukkah romance? Christmas is so festive, with so many different traditions, like the Rockefeller Christmas tree, and the Radio City Music Hall Christmas show. Hanukkah doesn't have all that.

Rachel decides that she must do some serious research for her Hanukkah book to get it right. She hears about the Matzah Ball, a big weeklong party for wealthy Jewish people to be held at a ritzy New York hotel. That's perfect! There will be lots of single people there, she can soak up the atmosphere and get some good details for her book.

There are some problems though. The host of the event is Jacob Greenberg, CEO of Greenberg Entertainment, one of the premier event organizers in the world. Jacob is also the guy who humilated and broke Rachel's heart at summer camp when she was twelve.

The event is sold out, but Jacob is willing to let Rachel come if she volunteers the week of the event. Jacob has a different view of what happened when they were twelve; he believes that Rachel broke his heart.

What happens when Rachel and Jacob spend the week working together? There are misunderstandings,  mishaps, and yes, sexual tension. The Matzah Ball is a funny, sweet enemies-to-friends story. The characters are delightful, and as someone who has planned events in the past, I reveled in the descriptions of the event coming together. I liked learning about Hanukkah, the traditions and the food, and you will pick up a fair amount of Yiddish phrases. 

The Matzah Ball is a welcome addition to the canon of holiday romances, and I hope that Jean Meltzer continues Rachel and Jacob's story in future books.

Thanks to Harlequin Books for putting me on their Holiday Romance Tour.