Weekly Reading Wrap Up (IMWAYR?/SP)

 

The Christmas Escape by Sarah Morgan

Christy and Alix became friends as young girls and are now family.  A planned holiday trip to a magical place causes all sorts of unneeded suffering because of not communicating and assumptions.  A bit of drama ensues that is repetitive, but ends up an overall good holiday read.

*Thanks to HQN/NetGalley for this review copy*

The Christmas Wedding Guest by Susan Mallery

A great small town holiday story. The Sommerville family has a lot going on this holiday season. Reggie reluctantly returned to town to help out with her parent's vow renewal ceremony. Last year she was engaged and dumped in a spectacular way over a weekend. Dena is juggling early pregnancy, teaching and running her B & B.  Both are not looking for romance and are surprised when things take that turn. Great characters with plenty of humor and a fantastic dog! Looking forward to visiting the town of Wishing Tree again.

*Thanks to HQN/NetGalley for this review copy*

I'm Only Wicked With You by Julie Ann Long #3

Third book in this series has a new crop of guests staying at the Grand Palace on the Thames.  The Vaughn family is temporarily displaced from their home.  Lillian the oldest daughter is bored and frustrates her parents with her choices.  Hugh is in town searching for a friend daughter that left America and travelled to England on her own. He is eager to find her and get back to build the life he has planned.  Lillian and Hugh intrigue each other, and when their interest gets them caught, they have no choice but to get engaged. As they get to know each other will they discover they have more than an interest in each other, or will they find a way to break the engagement without damaging their reputations?  

A Little Christmas Spirit by Shelia Roberts

Lexi and her son Brock are settling into their neighborhood despite Stanley the grumpy old guy next door.  Stanley has been grieving his wife by avoiding everyone.  He gets help to begin to live again in an unexpected way. Events happen where Lexi and her son need Stanley's help.  He beings to open up to new things. When his help goes a bit too far and causes Lexi some pain, will their tentative friendship end?  A new family in the neighborhood could also be a new beginning for Lexi, will she take a chance?  A fun, heartwarming holiday story.

*Thanks to MIRA/NetGalley for this review copy*

Stronger Than You Know by Lori Foster #2 (audio)

The McKenzie family has a secret side business of finding vulnerable people who have been trafficked. Reyes owns a gym in a seedy part of town as a means to teach self-defense and gather information.  He meets Kennedy there and is intrigued by her. They form a tentative friendship.  When her past comes back to threaten her she calls Reyes as she knows he is more than he seems.  Their relationship grows slowly as Reyes understands she needs time and space.  As those threatening her get closer the whole family pulls together to help.  Looking forward to Madison's story.  John Lane narrated with just the right amount of tension and suspense.

*Thanks to HarperAudio for this review copy*

The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs #20

Temperance Brennan  gets a call about a medical waste container that washed up after a storm.  When she arrives and find two bodies there are similarities that remind her of a case she couldn't solve 15 years ago.  She goes to Montreal to look at that case again and begin her investigation to see if there is any connection.  What she and Ryan find leads them on a chase that twists and turns and just when they think they've hit a dead end a breakthrough lead them in another direction. A couple of side stories help keep the story moving.  

Up Next:

When Stars Collide by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop

Mistletoe Christmas: An Anthology

It has been a couple of fun weeks reading Christmas themed books.  Helps get into the spirit of the season.  Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful. We are thankful that we were all able to get together and pray we can do the same for Christmas!

Linking to these memes:

Kathryn at Book Date hosts IMWAYR?, a place to  meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week.  It's a great opportunity to organize yourself, visit, comment, and add to that every growing TBR pile.

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.