Must-read romance boxed set: 'Ten Christmas Brides'
Join me every week as I share a few shout-outs on romance author goings-on, related events and recommended reads.
Introducing the Ten Christmas Brides anthology
Enjoyable to the last drop …
Curled up with my tea and e-reader, I had a marathon read of the Ten Christmas Brides anthology (coming Tuesday) by notable USA TODAY, New York Times and national best sellers. Like a large, delicious sampler box of chocolates, there is a little something for everyone's taste — sweet romance, suspense/thriller, paranormal, steamy — around the themes of the Christmas holiday and celebration of proposals and weddings. Kudos to these multipublished authors who delivered top-notch stories with their brands of storytelling.
So grab your e-book and dig in. Trust me, none of the stories lacks in content or character. I always like to pull out some of the stories that spoke to me personally, such as Ruth Cardello's Recipe for Love, with its quaint, French small-town setting, the young heiress falling in love for the first time, and the sexy, demanding French chef who makes magic in the kitchen and the bedroom. Romantic, fun and filled with a fun-loving family.
Or maybe Nina Bruhns' Must Love Santa that provides the added touch of a suspenseful case to be solved with madcap humor of the canine persuasion and the perfect couple to make this an exciting and rich romantic read.
Or An Almost Perfect Christmas by Donna Fasano, which is heart-wrenching, sweet, touching and requires a box of tissues. In this story, life isn't always perfect, but happy endings are still possible. Fasano captures the range of emotions as life unfolds and brings us into the fold to celebrate this couple's new chapter.
Or Rebecca York's Christmas Captive with its ode to Gothic romance. Happy sigh, took me back to the days when Gothic romances were the rage. Creepy mansion, odd cast of characters, a paranormal twist — great mix for a sexy romance to bloom!
And on and on, the stories don't stop coming with Helen Scott Taylor's The Army Doctor's Honeymoon Baby tribute to the hearty stock of Army doctor and nurse, Patrice Wilton's Kiss Me Santa, Annie Jones' A Cowboy for Christmas and She's Not You by Mimi Barbour with stories about special moms and their children and Christmas wishes from the heart. Who doesn't like a Scrooge at Christmas? Thanks to Alicia Street's The Christmas Honeymoon, any cynics can be persuaded with this holiday romance. And finally, Mona Risk's An Unusual Christmas is endearing and sentimental where sense of family is as important as the romance.
Here are the blurbs about the stories (courtesy of the authors):
Recipe for Love by Ruth Cardello: All Madison Andrade wants for Christmas is a place to hide and she finds it in the home of a lusty French chef. Richard D'Argenson's recipes are famous, but they lack one necessary ingredient — love. Spend a steamy holiday with this unlikely couple and fall in love — Andrade style.
Must Love Santa by Nina Bruhns: Detective Nick Palladin just needs to close one last case in Vice--going undercover as Santa--before getting his Christmas transfer to the K-9 Unit. But when a cute little fluffball and the knockout holding her leash stumble into the op and are attacked, Santa and his faithful dog come running to the rescue!
An Almost Perfect Christmas by Donna Fasano: Aaron Chase is desperate to give his daughter a perfect Christmas and elicits the help of Pediatric Nurse Christy Cooper to do it. When Aaron's impish eight-year-old talks them into a make-believe wedding, can the magic of Christmas make the vows stick?
Christmas Captive (The Decorah Security Series) by Rebecca York: How did hard-driving businessman Jordan Campbell end up in a coma? And can nurse Hannah Andrews use her psychic talent to connect with him and trap his would-be killer? As she and Jordan work together, she knows she's putting her own life — and her heart — at risk.
The Army Doctor's Honeymoon Baby (The Army Doctor's Series) by Helen Scott Taylor: Army doctor Blair Mackenzie secretly loves his childhood friend, Lorna, and protects her in the African refugee camp where they work. Lorna depends on Blair — he's her best friend, the only man she's ever loved. She longs to admit her feelings but a family secret from their past prevents her.
Kiss Me Santa by Patrice Wilton: Widowed schoolteacher, Cindy Harris meets Brad Williams — posing as Santa — when she takes her young son to the mall. Imagine her surprise when he shows up as the hot-shot realtor selling her family home. Sparks fly between them. Can the magic of Christmas give them the best gift of all — love?
An Unusual Christmas by Mona Risk: Running away from Christmas celebrations and the demons of her past, Dr. Jillian has dedicated her life to saving third-world children. In Belarus, a baby girl, four little boys, and a handsome doctor may teach her the true meaning of Christmas.
A Cowboy for Christmas by Annie Jones: A single mom who has pinned all her hopes on reviving a popular tourist dude ranch gets a Christmas surprise that may change everything when her son asks Santa for a new dad. And that very night a Christmas-skipping cowboy shows up at their door.
The Christmas Honeymoon by Alicia Street: Quiet librarian Serena always loved Christmas, until she was jilted before her December wedding. A year later, while trying to rekindle her tarnished holiday spirit, she meets Damien, handsome daredevil — and a total Scrooge. Their unlikely mutual attraction brings on a challenge that leads to one very romantic Christmas.
She's Not You by Mimi Barbour: Sick and widowed, running scared from a man who insists she belongs to him, Belle is forced to let the charmer down the hall help out. Not just for her sake, but it's Christmas, she's in trouble and her little girl has decided their sympathetic neighbor is her special hero.
Michelle Monkou writes for Harlequin Kimani, Evernight Publishing and Boroughs Publishing. Her website is michellemonkou.com. You can also connect with her on Facebook.