The Christmas Catch by Toni Shiloh

So my quest to take pictures at various locations with Christmas decorations continues! Can you guess where I took these pictures? OR What are you reading? I will tell you at the end of the post my secret location. I warn you I am getting bolder whipping out books in stores.

 
The Christmas Catch by Toni Shiloh published by is a sweet stand-alone novella. Bebe Gordon has been in Peachwood Bay recovering from her divorce and taking care of her daughter while living in her parents’ former home. She sees that her neighbor Jahleel Walker is coming back to his childhood home on crutches. She has not seen him in 8 years since they parted unhappily before college. How is she going to make it through Christmas!

I was a pleasure to watch Bebe and Jahleel transform in this dual POV story. I was rooting for them. The sweet small-town setting of Peachwood was complete with wonderful Christmas festivities that warmed my heart. I loved the secondary characters, the humor that flowed through the story, and the theme of forgiveness. A lovely story!

This is a fun quick read that has depth, great characters, and a good message. I would add it to your TBR and Christmas list! I highly recommend The Christmas Catch by Toni Shiloh.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

I was taking pictures at Costco!

Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and Christian fiction writer. Once she understood the powerful saving grace of the love of Christ, she was moved to honor her Savior.

She writes soulfully romantic novels to bring Him glory and to learn more about His goodness.

Before pursuing her dream as a writer, Toni served in the United States Air Force. It was there she met her husband. After countless moves, they ended up in Virginia, where they are raising their two boys.

When she’s not typing in imagination land, Toni enjoys reading, playing video games, ​watching K-dramas, and spending time with ​her family.

Runaway Bride and Prejudice by Emma St. Clair

 Runaway Bride and Prejudice by Emma St. Clair is a delightful rom-com filled with swoony moments. It is part of a series, but you can read it without having read the other books in the series.  Van knows not to date the coach’s daughter so he has given her a wide berth. But what happens when he catches her fiancé on their wedding day kissing someone else?  Help!  Amelia has been a rule follower her whole life.  She does what her father wants, the world wants and what she thinks her friends wants.  What is she going to do when her whole life implodes on her wedding day?

I just kept smiling as I read the story. It had all the feels for me including engaging characters, great dialogue, and a sweet setting.  The chemistry between Van and Amelia was electric and practically jumped off the page.  The author does a great job creating memorable moments between the characters!   I enjoyed getting to know the other team members of the Appies Hockey team.  Van’s sisters were so fun to get to know and I enjoyed their relationship with Van. I loved the themes of found family, personal change, and redemption. 

Runaway Bride and Prejudice by Emma St Clair will be a highlight of 2024 for me. I loved the chemistry, characters, and banter in the story.  I was inspired to go back and read the other books in the series.  I highly recommend.  Also on Kindle Unlimited 

I was given a complimentary copy of the book and not required to write a positive review. 

Emma St. Clair is a USA Today Bestselling Author who loves sassy heroines, witty banter, and love stories with heart and humor. Her books have sizzling chemistry while keeping the bedroom door closed.

She has an MFA in Fiction and lives in Katy, Texas (go, Tigers!) with her hubby, five children, and Great Dane. Her favorite place to write is tapping on her phone while on the elliptical machine.

No Emmas have been hurt in the writing of these novels. (Yet.)

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Lost Daughter's Irishman by Carolyn Miller

 The Lost Daughter's Irishman by Carolyn Miller is a delightful story that will brighten your day. It is a standalone book that is part of the collection Our House on Sycamore Street.    Kara Browne is working three jobs and hiding out in Eden Cove after her life fell apart.  She is trying to keep it all together and is not interested in meeting anyone new.  Colin Fairall has come to town to see about acquiring the local hotel.  He is intrigued by Kara Browne and tries to break through her walls.

This was a such a great story.  It was a pleasure to get to know Kara and Colin.  I was rooting for them and watching them both grow and change.  I enjoyed their relationship, banter and love of 80’s songs.   The setting of Eden Cove, a small town in England, was enchanting, and I enjoyed making friends with the people of Eden Cove.  The author did a great job taking the heavy topic of loss and weaving together a beautiful story with humorous and touching parts.

The Lost Daughter’s Irishman is a wonderful contemporary romance that checked all the boxes for me with great banter, sweet romance and wonderful characters.  I highly recommend!

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

Carolyn Miller is an Inspirational Regency romance author who lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia with her husband and four children. Together with her husband she has pastored a church for ten years, and worked as a public high school English and Learning and Support teacher.

A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature, and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives.

She loves reading, music, films, gardens, art, travel and international food, and really enjoy creating worlds where flawed people can grow in faith, hope and love.

Her Regency novels include the award winning The Elusive Miss
Ellison, The Captivating Lady Charlotte, The Dishonorable Miss 
DeLancey, Winning Miss Winthrop, Miss Serena's Secret, The Making of Mrs Hale, and A Hero for Miss Hatherleigh, all published by Kregel Publications.

 

The Blooming of Delphinium by Holly Varni

The Blooming of Delphinium by Holly Varni is one of the most delightful books I have read this year.  Delphinium Hayes owns a flower ship in Moonberry Lake, but she is not your typical florist.  She has the ability to identify people’s scent as flowers and has insight into their character from their scent.  It is a true gift.  Elliot Sturgis is the director of the Moonberry Lake’s senior care facility.  He is trying to control a group of his unhappy residents who keep showing up in Delphinium’s flower shop.  They are so different, and unusual circumstances keep bringing them together. 

It was great to revisit the town of Moonberry Lake.  I enjoyed walking with Delphinium and Elliot as they grew and changed throughout the story.  I enjoyed the banter, chemistry and friendship between them. Their senior friends brought me such joy and I loved their antics.  This sweet story had wonderful themes of forgiveness, redemption, and found family.  I enjoyed the faith elements that were beautifully woven in.  This is a gem of a story.

The Blooming Delphinium by Holly Varni is a sweet and beautifully written story.  The characters are engaging and funny, the setting is sweet, and the seniors had a great layer of humor to the story.  I highly recommend you add this to your TBR! 

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

Holly Varni is a native Minnesotan of strong Norwegian descent, who was raised in the Lutheran Church that Garrison Keillor made a career depicting. Between the lutefisk, grumpy grandparents, and the crazy neighbor who mowed his lawn wearing pajamas, the seed to becoming a storyteller was planted. She wants to give readers characters they can connect with, admire, laugh at, and most of all love.

She is podcast host of “Moments from Moonberry Lake,” and author of the “Moonberry Lake” series.

In her personal life, she married a University Professor with the same chocolate eyes as her romantic lead. They live on the Central Coast of California with their three sons. The characters of Moonberry Lake and their unique stories came about as she was trying to survive being a boy mom. When not doing laundry or writing, she has the privilege of being a Hospice volunteer, where she sits with the dying and listens to their stories.

I Wish I Were Here by Melissa Wiesner

 

Wish I Were Here by Melissa Wiesner is a sparkly feel-good romance that is a stand-alone novel. Catherine Lipton is a mathematician who calculates most things in her life, likes being independent, and prides herself that she is able to keep her life in order. She has just landed a lovely apartment and cannot quite figure out how the doorman, Luca Morelli, keeps his job. She suddenly loses her identity and it is brought into question that she even exists! Her life is now turned upside down and she needs help!

Oh, how I enjoyed this story. I stayed up way too late to finish this delightful novel that stole my heart! Luca and Catherine were engaging characters with depth that will stay with me. I loved meeting their families, the residents of their apartment building, and the many interesting people from Catherine and Luca’s life. I am still trying to figure out how to be a part of the Morelli family! The story had twists and turns that kept me very engaged. I loved the themes of family, found family, and remembering that actions are not always what they seem.

The journey that Catherine takes will remind you of what is really important. This delightful character driven love story will stay with you like glitter in a good way! I absolutely adored Wish I Were Here by Melissa Wiesner and I highly recommend.

The story is considered magical realism and I was all in.

I read as part of a traveling ARC and was not required to write a positive review.

Melissa Wiesner’s mother didn’t allow her to watch much TV as a child and instead, made her play with paint, colorful pipe cleaners, random bits of fabric, and all manner of other crafty things. This set Melissa up for a lifetime of creative pursuits, and it was only a matter of time before things took a bookish turn.

A night-owl, Melissa began writing novels when her early-to-bed family retired for the evening. She is the award-winning author of contemporary romantic comedies and emotional women’s fiction. Her work has earned praise from Kirkus, Booklist, Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly, and has been featured in Women’s World, The Knot, and Book of the Month. Melissa’s novels will soon be translated into a dozen languages. 

Along with her charming husband and two adorable children, she splits her time between the big city of Pittsburgh, PA and rural West Virginia.

Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor by Roseanna M. White

 Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor by Roseanna M. White is a delightful Christmas novella taking place in December of 1902 in Castleton, England.  Lady Mariah Lyons loves her home at Plum Manor and taking care of those around her.  All of this will change when Cyril Lightbourne, a childhood friend, takes over the estate.  He was courting the difficult Lady Pearl was her understanding. Lady Mariah’s family comes together to celebrate Christmas with Cyril, a Danish Lord, and the villagers.  Will the beauty of Christmas and a special Christmas play bring everyone together? 

This was a charming story.  I loved meeting all the engaging characters, felt very connected to them, and was hoping for a happily ever after for everyone.  I enjoyed walking with each of them on their journey of self-discovery.  It was delightful to celebrate and learn about the Christmas traditions of the time.  The story had a beautiful faith message about the true meaning of Christmas. 

Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor by Roseanna M. White is the perfect novella to enjoy some sweet romance, celebrate the Christmas season, or get lost in a wonderful story!  I highly recommend this delightful story! 

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review. 

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

Meddling with Mistletoe by Liz Johnson

Meddling with Mistletoe by Liz Johnson is a sweet Christmas novella that takes place on Prince Edward Island. Whitney Garrett is saving money towards culinary school and she needs a place to make her pies to sell. Her friend at the Red Door Inn will allow her to use the oven at as long as she helps with Breakfast and babysits. Daniel is helping his Aunt her to sell her store. His aunt has plans for Daniel that include falling in love with someone of her choice, but Daniel may have other plans.

This was a great Christmas novella and I enjoyed the characters and watching them grow through the story. The dual POV with Whitney and Garrett was engaging. The sweet children in the story reminded us of the true meaning of Christmas. I enjoyed this quick read that made we want to go decorate a tree, of the importance of family, and the beauty of friendship. I really enjoyed it.

This was a sweet Christmas story with engaging characters, wonderful themes, and a lovely Christmas setting. I found it the perfect Christmas read. I recommend Meddling with Mistletoe by Liz Johnson.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

By day Liz Johnson is a marketing manager. She makes time to write late at night—that’s when she thinks best anyway. Liz is the author of more than a dozen novels, a New York Times bestselling novella, and a handful of short stories. She’s a Christy Award finalist and a three-time ACFW Carol Award finalist. She makes her home in Phoenix, Arizona, where she enjoys exploring local music, theater, and doting on her nieces and nephews. She writes stories of true love filled with heart, humor, and happily ever afters.