Tag: Holloway

Review: Holiday Kisses: A Holiday Romance Collection

Posted July 28, 2014 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Holiday Kisses: A Holiday Romance CollectionReviewer: Holly
The Season for Love: A Shannon Stacey Holiday Box Set by Shannon Stacey
Series: Holloway #1,
Also in this series: Lean On Me (Holloway, #2)
Publisher: Carina Press
Publication Date: December 1st 2014
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 274
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...Love!

A man gives the gift of trust and receives a second chance at love in return. A woman helps to heal the wounded heart of a soldier. A couple finds that true love knows no distance. And a young widow learns that there can be two great loves in a lifetime. Love, romance and passion come together in this collection of four seasonal shorts.

Anthology includes:

This Time Next Year by Alison Kent
A Rare Gift by Jaci Burton
It's Not Christmas Without You by HelenKay Dimon
Mistletoe and Margaritas by Shannon Stacey

Sometimes I like to pull out Christmas stories in the summer to get away from the heat, if only in my mind. This collection is available as one anthology or as individual releases in e-format. I’ve included links to both formats, for your convenience.

this time next yearThis Time Next Year by Alison Kent

Brenna Keating is on her way to spend Christmas with her grandmother when treacherous roads and a skittish deer put her car in a ditch. Riding to the rescue—literally—is Dillon Craig, a reclusive doctor who insists she weather the storm in his cabin.

Since returning from Afghanistan where he treated wounded soldiers on the front lines, Dillon’s made it a point to avoid any emotional involvement. But his unexpected guest has him dangerously close to breaking his own rules.

Brenna has a plan for her life—until she’s stranded for three days with Dillon. Soon, the chemistry sizzling between them forces her to reexamine her priorities. The man is gorgeous, if taciturn, and a true hero in every sense of the word. No woman in her right mind could resist him, and so Brenna doesn’t—even though she can’t stay…

Brenna and Dylan really drew me in. I loved their friendship and how the romance didn’t progress until both of them were ready. The ending felt a bit rushed, but that may just be because I wasn’t ready for the story to end. 

4/5


a rare giftA Rare Gift by Jaci Burton

With a disastrous marriage behind him, Wyatt Kent has no interest in getting involved with any woman, let alone his ex-wife’s younger sister. But when Calliope Andrews hires him to build an addition onto her day care center, Wyatt can’t help but notice she’s a desirable woman, as warm and funny as his ex was cold and aloof.

Calliope fell hard for Wyatt the first time he walked through the door of her family’s home, and can’t believe her sister let him get away. He’s still the star of all her fantasies, and she’s determined to prove to him she’s nothing like his manipulative ex. Wyatt may be all business, but Calliope sees the way he looks at her when he’s supposed to be working…

It’s not long before Wyatt and Calliope are keeping each other warm on cold December nights. But it’s going to take a Christmas miracle for Wyatt to put his trust in love a second time.

I can’t help being a little bothered by the premise. I wonder how heroine’s sister feels about baby sister dating her ex-husband? I realize time has passed and etc, but I was a little hung up on that. I liked Calliope but Wyatt was a little…one dimensional. I generally enjoy Burton’s stories, but this one fell a little flat.

2.75/5


its not christmas without youIt’s Not Christmas Without You by HelenKay Dimon (Holloway, Book 1) 

Carrie Anders officially broke up with Austin Thomas when she accepted a dream job in the city. Unofficially, she misses him and is tempted to sneak back to her West Virginia hometown to see him. That’s why this year, she’s not going home for the holidays. Her heart can’t take any more mornings-after where nothing has changed–and Austin has made it clear he’s not interested in relocating.

Austin’s been waiting for Carrie to realize she can’t live without him. But when he hears she’s not coming home for Christmas, he decides to take action. If Carrie won’t come to the country, he’s going to bring a piece of the country to Carrie–in the form of a Christmas tree lot just minutes from her apartment. He’s certain daily meetings will entice her to come home with him, this time for good.

Their attraction is as hot as ever, but with such contrary Christmas wishes, can either of them get what they really want this year?

 I love reunited lover stories and this one hit all the right notes. Both Carrie and Austin act a bit immature at times, but I was able to overlook that in favor of the sweet romance. 

4/5


mistletoe and margaritasMistletoe and Margaritas by Shannon Stacey  

Claire Rutledge still believes in love, despite losing her husband. So, after two years, she’s not surprised by the steamy dreams telling her it might be time to start moving on. But she didn’t expect her friend Justin to have the starring role.

Justin McCormick has loved Claire since the moment he first saw her, but his best friend got there first. Now that Claire is ready to move on with her life, Justin is finding it harder than ever to hide his true feelings. And when they both get caught up in the holiday spirits at a party, their simmering mutual attraction boils over into a night neither of them can forget…

This was such an emotional read for me. I love that Claire stood her ground and forced Justin to look at his life and his choices. I also sobbed like a damn baby at certain parts. Such a wonderful read.

4.5/5

This is a great collection. I enjoyed all four novellas. Each touched me in some small way. I found myself emotionally invested in all four couples, no small feat considering they’re all relatively short stories.

Overall grade: 4/5

This book is available from Carina Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

four-stars

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Guest Author (+ a Giveaway): HelenKay Dimon

Posted June 17, 2013 by Holly in Giveaways, Promotions | 9 Comments

Just What Travis Wants by HelenKay Dimon

We all have insecurities. We all wrestle with those things we wish we could change or hide or forget. For my heroine in Just What He Wanted, Andie, body image is tough issue for her. I’ve phrased it in terms of weight a few times, but it really is body image. She used be about a size 20 and has lost a lot for weight and is now about a 12/14. It’s the average size for women in the U.S., but a few seconds paging through glossy magazines might suggest otherwise.

But Andie isn’t just about her size. She’s smart and tough. She’s a country girl who can shoot a gun and handle herself. And just as she’s getting her emotional footing after a bad break-up – moving to a new town, starting a new job – she meets Travis. He’s younger, attractive and isn’t hiding his feelings for her. He’s confused she doesn’t see what he sees…and isn’t that the best kind of man? The one who finds you beautiful inside and out and doesn’t care what the number on your clothing tags say.

He describes his immediate attraction to her this way:

But the sensation of being knocked over and dragged a mile at the mere sight of a woman was new. Shocking and strange, and he had no idea how to handle it. Especially not when the woman in question dropped an age block between them. No part of him, from his brain to his lower half, noticed the years. She sure did.

Convincing Andie how he feels about her takes some time:

“You own a mirror, right?”

The temptation to turn her hand over and slip her fingers through his hit her hard enough to make her dizzy. She blinked a few times to stop the room from spinning. “Meaning?”

“The smoking blonde thing.” A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as his thumb rubbed over the back of her hand.

It was the double whammy of hotness. Touching, sexy talk, true or not, and her body joined her head in floating around the crowded room. “Me?”

He glanced to his left and right. “Who else is sitting here?”

“Come on. I don’t exactly have the ideal body type.” And why was she talking about that with him?

His gaze dipped then. Went right to her breasts and came back. “Who says?”

“Uh, everyone?” Magazines, doctors, men, women…her mother had even let it slip now and then, usually under the guise of suggesting no one needed second helpings at dinner.

“You can’t be serious.”

Much more of that and she might just crawl over the table and right onto his lap. Andie pulled back her hand and broke the contact before she could talk herself into doing exactly that.

Watching Andie handle her insecurities and her growing feelings for Travis were the best parts of writing this book. Because, really, every woman deserves to feel beautiful.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Review: Lean on Me by Helenkay Dimon

Posted November 11, 2012 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Lean on Me by Helenkay DimonReviewer: Rowena
Lean On Me (Holloway, #2) by HelenKay Dimon
Series: Holloway #2
Also in this series: The Season for Love: A Shannon Stacey Holiday Box Set
Publisher: Carina Press
Publication Date: October 22nd 2012
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 118
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Cassidy Clarke once climbed the world’s highest mountains, but after an unexpected illness ends her career she’s back in her hometown, broke and hoping for a little luck. But the townsfolk aren’t exactly putting out a welcome mat for the woman who once snubbed them in the media, despite her apologies now.

Mitch Anders knows someone has set up camp on the grounds of his plant nursery, and he’s surprised to find his sexy high school crush ducking questions about where she’s staying. Though he’s sworn to stop cleaning up other people’s messes, Mitch offers Cassidy a job and a place to stay—his place. Bedsharing optional, but definitely welcome.

Out of options and too attracted to Mitch to keep things platonic, Cassidy says yes to his offer. She wants to get back on her feet financially and start a new career. She never expects to suffer a different kind of fall, one that has her believing Mitch just might bring her something bigger and better than luck.

Out of options and too attracted to Mitch to keep things platonic, Cassidy says yes to his offer. She wants to get back on her feet financially and start a new career. She never expects to suffer a different kind of fall, one that has her believing Mitch just might bring her something bigger and better than luck.

This was an enjoyable short story by Helenkay Dimon that I thought was cute. Cassidy Clark is a famous climber that has fallen on some hard times and has come home to figure out what happens next. What she wants to do with her life now that her life has fallen into the toilet. But her step-dad is acting weird and hiding from her. She can’t stay at her childhood home and she has no money to stay at the hotel so Cassidy finds herself squatting at the town’s plant nursery…which just so happens to be co-owned by Mitch Anders. Cassidy remembers Mitch from high school but they didn’t run in the same circles so he wasn’t really on her radar back then. He’s not really on her radar now but that doesn’t stop him from putting himself there, time and time again.

Mitch has always had a bit of a crush on Cassidy Clark back in the day and seeing her now, brings that all surfacing to the top. Only difference this time around is he’s going after what he wants. When he starts to find out more about why Cassidy is back, he can’t help himself. Captain Save a Hoe to the rescue.

Mitch and Cassidy were the perfect fit for each other. They complimented each other and they just kind of fit together. I loved the way that Mitch threw himself into helping her. He was such a strong and solid presence in her life and she needed him. I was thrilled that he could be there for her because I adored him. That blip toward the end made me want to smack some sense into him but I forgave him for that because well, he’s so damn hot.  Cassidy was strong and I loved the way that she just kind of dealt with what was thrown at her, all the while still keeping a sense of humor about life in general. She was funny, she was smart and she wasn’t perfect. I liked her.

I wasn’t a fan of the way that Alan chose to deal with the whole house thing but it was dealt with and I liked that. The secondary characters grew on me as well. At first, I wanted to smack Spence upside his head but he grew on me as the story progressed.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. For such a short story, I didn’t think the story suffered at all. I was a happy camper after I finished it. Kudos to Helenkay for writing another entertaining and too cute for words story.

Grade: 4 out of 5

This book is available from Carina Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher for an honest review.

four-stars

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Review: Lean On Me by HelenKay Dimon

Posted October 25, 2012 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Holly‘s review of Lean On Me (Holloway, Book 2) by HelenKay Dimon

Cassidy Clarke once climbed the world’s highest mountains, but after an unexpected illness ends her career she’s back in her hometown, broke and hoping for a little luck. But the townsfolk aren’t exactly putting out a welcome mat for the woman who once snubbed them in the media, despite her apologies now.

Mitch Anders knows someone has set up camp on the grounds of his plant nursery, and he’s surprised to find his sexy high school crush ducking questions about where she’s staying.

Though he’s sworn to stop cleaning up other people’s messes, Mitch offers Cassidy a job and a place to stay—his place. Bed-sharing optional, but definitely welcome.Out of options and too attracted to Mitch to keep things platonic, Cassidy says yes to his offer. She wants to get back on her feet financially and start a new career. She never expects to suffer a different kind of fall, one that has her believing Mitch just might bring her something bigger and better than luck.

This is the second book by Dimon set in Holloway, but the first I read. I didn’t realize it was part of a series until I’d finished it.

Cassidy was on top of the world – literally. She climbed some of the world’s tallest mountains, until an illness grounded her. About the same time her career collapsed, her accountant ran off with her money and left her dead broke without a lot of options. Now she’s back in her hometown looking to stay with her stepdad until she can get back on her feet. Only there are a couple problems with that..first, her stepdad is dodging her. Second, the town hates her because she accidentally talked trash about them in the national media.

Until she can figure things out, she’s camping in the back 40 of the local nursery. Until Mitch Anders discovers her, anyway. Cassidy tries to make up an excuse, but Mitch realizes pretty early on she’s in dire straights. He just thinks it’s for the wrong reason…

Mitch is done with helping people…or so he says. Too bad he can’t seem to stick to that. Especially when it comes to Cassidy Clarke, the town’s Chosen One. He had a crush on her back in the day, and it’s back full force now that he sees her all grown up. If he can help her get back on her feet and get a little nookie on the side..well, he’s not going to turn her away.

But things aren’t quite what they seem. Not with Cassidy or her stepdad. Pretty sure Mitch is wrapped up in her life, even though he swore he wasn’t going to be.

This was a cute read with quite a bit of humor. Cassidy’s down on her luck, but she isn’t a victim. When Mitch catches her lying and hiding out in the nursery, I seriously cracked up. Her outlook on life was a pretty good one and I admired her strength in returning home, even if that was the last place on earth she wanted to be. I also admired the way she owned up to her past mistakes and did her best to atone for them.

Mitch was a good guy who wasn’t afraid to go after what he wanted. In this case, Cassidy. He was happy helping her get back on her feet and exploring his attraction to her. I thought it was sweet the way he came to care for her and start envisioning a future with her.

I was bothered by his actions at the end of the novel. Maybe it would have made more sense if the novel had been longer and his past explored more fully. As it was, it seemed over the top and really out of character, especially considering how much he’d championed Cassidy up until that point.

The town’s negativity toward Cassidy didn’t make a lot of sense. I understand they felt slighted by her comments to the media, but their reaction seemed a bit extreme considering the nature of the remarks and their feelings about her prior to that. I cheered on the inside (and maybe a little on the outside) when Cassidy set the record straight. You go girl!

Though flawed, I enjoyed the romance and Cassidy’s personal journey. I’m looking forward to the next book.

3.5 out of 5

This book is available from Carina Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

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