Monday, August 19, 2024

*Top Ten Tuesday* Relationship Freebie/Netgalley Romance Request Roulette



Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Joood - Hooligan of Platypire reviews bossed me into doing this, so I guess this is a thing I do now. 

This week’s theme is relationship freebie. Obviously that means it's time for me to play a round of Netgalley Request Roulette. Being about relationships, I'll be diving into the romance section to find the ten books I'll be requesting for this week's Top Ten Tuesday. Here we go!

Title: The Rose Bargain
Author: Sasha Peyton Smith
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: February 4, 2025
Request: Approved

Blurb

The Cruel Prince meets The Selection in this captivating duology opener brimming with heart-pounding romance, vicious competition, and beautiful, cruel fae, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch Haven, Sasha Peyton Smith.

Every citizen of England is granted one bargain from their immortal fae queen.

High society girls are expected to bargain for qualities that will win them suitors: a rare talent for piano in exchange for one’s happiest childhood memory. A perfect smile for one’s ability to taste.

But Ivy Benton’s debut season arrives with a shocking twist: a competition to secure the heart of the Queen’s fae son, Prince Bram. A prize that could save Ivy’s family from ruin… and free her sister from the bargain that destroyed her.

Yet every glittering fae deal has a rotting heart—and at the center of this contest is a dark plot that could destroy everything Ivy knows.

Sweepingly romantic and deceptively enchanting, this alternate history romantasy will enthrall readers of Holly Black, Stephanie Garber, and Adalyn Grace.

Title: Tale of the Heart Queen
Author: Nisha J. Tuli
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: November 26, 2024
Request: Approved

Blurb

Don't miss the highly anticipated final installment of the steamy romantasy series everyone on BookTok is talking about!


After Lor makes the biggest mistake of her life, she finds herself on the run from the Aurora King and decides it's time to end this, once and for all. But when a new enemy emerges to claim her freedom, the entire fate of Ouranos comes to rest on her shoulders.         

As the land continues to rebel, Lor must admit she is the key to saving the continent, whether she likes it or not. To fight for Nadir, she must lie, steal, and do whatever it takes to hunt down the remaining arks. 

When the Aurora King finally comes for her, Lor ventures into the Underworld's shadowy depths, where, once again, she finds herself at the heart of another deadly test. Only this time, she’s competing for everyone's future, not just a crown.

The only thing Lor ever wanted was to be free–but she may soon find she was always destined for a cage.


Title: The Starlight Heir
Author: Amalie Howard
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: January 7, 2025
Request: Pending

Blurb

A bladesmith with the power of the stars in her blood and a prince with a dangerous secret will fight to save their kingdom in this spicy and spellbinding romantasy inspired by Persian and Indian mythology—perfect for readers of Sarah J. Maas and Thea Guanzon.

To save the realm from eternal darkness, she’ll have to choose between the truth and the lie—stand and fight or kneel and die. 

“His Imperial Majesty, King Zarek requests your presence as his esteemed guest.”

When the gold-dusted court invitation arrives at Suraya Saab’s forge, she believes it’s a joke. Nobles might seek her skills as a bladesmith—one of few who can imbue her work with precious jadu, the last source of magic in the realm—but she has no qualifications as a potential bride for the crown prince. Still, the invitation is the chance at adventure, and the means to finally visit the capital city her late mother loved.

But what awaits her in Kaldari is nothing she could have imagined—and fraught with danger. It’s not the crown prince, but his impossibly handsome, illegitimate half-brother, Roshan, who draws her interest…and her ire. The invitation isn’t a quest to find a suitable bride, but a veiled hunt for the starkeeper—a girl rumored to hold the magic of the stars in her blood. And across the city, unrest is brewing between the noble houses and the rebel militia.

When the rebels carry out a brutal strike, Suraya and Roshan find themselves on the run, trying to deny their simmering attraction and the knowledge that Suraya herself might be the starkeeper. But Roshan is hiding secrets of his own. And with no control of the power that seems to be stirring within her, Suraya has drawn the attention of the old gods themselves…and the interest of one dark god in particular might be the biggest threat of all.


Title: Impractical Magic
Author: Emily Grimoire
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: October 10, 2024
Request: Pending

Blurb

Perfect for readers of Pumpkin Spice CafĂ©, Erin Sterling and Lana Harper.

In Oak Haven, this witch is about to brew up more trouble than she bargained for…

When Scarlett Melrose receives a call from her estranged sisters, she immediately knows something is wrong. The magic at their mother’s inn – and in fact, the whole of Oak Haven – has gone awry, and they need her help to save it.

As the conflicted middle-child, returning home has given Scarlett the heebie jeebies. And to make matters worse, she’s just come face-to-face with charming old flame and handyman, Nate.

When her spell to fix the magic goes horribly wrong, all Scarlett wants to do is flee back to the peace and quiet of her San Francisco flat. But she can’t keep running away forever, and she’ll need all the help she can to solve this magical mess.

With time slipping away, Scarlett must learn that sometimes the greatest spells really do come with the greatest responsibility – especially when love is involved…


Title: Under Loch and Key
Author: Lana Ferguson
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: December 3, 2024
Request: Pending

Blurb

A woman discovers that not all monsters are her enemy—the opposite, in fact—in this new paranormal romance by Lana Ferguson, author of The Fake Mate.

Keyanna “Key” MacKay is used to secrets. Raised by a single father who never divulged his past, it’s only after his death that she finds herself thrust into the world he’d always refused to speak of. With just a childhood bedtime story about a monster that saved her father’s life and the name of her estranged grandmother to go off of, Key has no idea what she’ll find in Scotland. But repeating her father’s mistakes and being rescued by a gorgeous, angry Scotsman—who thinks she’s an idiot—is definitely the last thing she expects.

Lachlan Greer has his own secrets to keep, especially from the bonnie lass he pulls to safety from the slippery shore—a lass with captivating eyes and the last name he’s been taught not to trust. He’s looking for answers as well, and Key’s presence on the grounds they both now occupy presents a real problem. It’s even more troublesome when he gets a front row seat to the lukewarm welcome Key receives from her family; the strange powers she begins to develop; and the fierce determination she brings to every obstacle in her path. Things he shouldn’t care about, and someone he 
definitely doesn’t find wildly attractive.

When their secrets collide, it becomes clear that Lachlan could hold the answers Keyanna is after—and that she might also be the key to uncovering his. Up against time, mystery, and a centuries old curse, they’ll quickly discover that magic might not only be in fairy tales, and that love can be a real loch-mess.



Title: Gate to Kagoshima
Author: Poppy Kuroki
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Release Date: February 25, 2025
Request: Pending

Blurb

In this exciting historical romantasy in the spirit of The Hurricane Wars and The Time Traveler’s WifeOutlander set in Japan—a young Scottish woman is magically transported to the last Samurai era, where she encounters ghosts from the past, her own Japanese ancestry, and a love that transcends time.

While in Japan researching her family’s history, a vicious typhoon sends Isla Mackenzie 128 years back in time, to the dawn of the Satsuma Rebellion. There she meets her ancestors, and a charismatic samurai, Kei, with whom she unexpectedly finds romance.

But, unlike her Beloved, Isla knows about the looming Samurai rebellion—and Kai’s fate. Should she attempt to change history or somehow make her way back to the life she’d had before?

Compulsively readable, historically grounded, and irresistibly immersive, Gate to Kagoshima is an unforgettable tale of duty, and of timeless love.  


Title: A Song of Ash and Moonlight
Author: Claire Legrand
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Release Date: September 17, 2024
Request: Denied

Blurb

New York Times bestselling author of Furyborn, Claire Legrand, enchants with a lush, steamy enemies to lovers fantasy romance perfect for fans of Bridgerton and A Court of Thorns and Roses.

THE OLD WAR IS OVER. A NEW ONE IS JUST BEGINNING.

The curse plaguing the Ashbourne and Bask families has finally been broken, but Farrin, the eldest Ashbourne daughter, still struggles to find peace. Unflappable and tireless, her composure masks a seething sorrow. Since her mother abandoned the family, Farrin has been their rock—managing her father's temper, running the estate, keeping tight control over her dangerous musical power, and ignoring her own need for rest, distraction, and most of all, love.

In Ryder Bask, Farrin's stubborn strength has met its match. The man infuriates her. He's coarse, arrogant, annoyingly handsome. He's as tired of their feuding parents as she is, and he brims with some secret anger that mirrors Farrin's frustrated rage.

But Farrin must work with every ally she can—even the man she has been raised to hate. With every rising dawn, the Middlemist weakens further. Anointed magicians are disappearing. A fiery Olden creature is stalking Farrin. Strange visions haunt the High Queen Yvaine. And as Farrin and Ryder race to find stolen loved ones, they begin to realize a horrifying truth:

The gods are not dead. They're waking up. And someone is hunting them.



Title: A Harvest of Hearts
Author: Andrea Eames
Publisher: Erewhon Books
Release Date: February 25, 2025
Request: Approved

Blurb

In the beloved tradition of Howl’s Moving Castle, a whimsical and unforgettable story of fantastic adventure, common sense, and the power of love to overcome the greatest of obstacles . . .

Before Foss Butcher was Snagged, she thought no more of the magic-users than did anyone else in her tiny village. Sometimes gorgeous women in impossible carriages rolled into town and took bits of people’s hearts. Everyone knew hearts fueled their magic. But Foss, plain, clumsy, and practical as a boot, never expected anyone would want hers.

True enough, when the only sorcerer in the kingdom stepped from his glossy carriage, he didn’t intend to hook Foss. Sylvester’s riot of black curls and perfectly etched cheekbones caught her eye a moment too long, that was all. Suddenly, Foss is cursed and finds herself stomping toward the grand City to keep his enchanted House, where her only friend is a talking cat and the walls themselves have moods.  

But as Foss learns the ways of magic, she realizes she’s far from its only unwilling captive. Even Sylvester is hemmed in by spells and threats. It’s said this sorcery protects king, country, and order for thousands. If Foss wants to free herself—and, perhaps, Sylvester—she’ll have to confront it all . . . and uncover the blight nestled in the heart of the kingdom itself.



Title: Hex and Hexability
Author: Kate Johnson
Publisher: One More Chapter
Release Date: September 12, 2024
Request: Pending

Blurb

Bridgerton meets The Ex Hex this witchy season with this oh so spicy romantasy Regency romcom!

‘Do you want to see what witches can do?’

Lady Tiffany Worthington has always had a special talent for making the world around her come to life – whether she wants it to or not – but it’s only with the arrival of her mysterious great aunt Esme on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo that she learns she’s a witch … and that the magic she’s long feared is actually a gift to be embraced.

Now, as she’s exposed to a side of London she never knew existed, one with sea creatures, magical portals, time travel, and a handsome duke from a faraway land with a dashing scar that makes him look like a pirate, Lady Tiffany discovers that despite what the ton might decree, there is no limit to what she can do … or who she can be.



Title: Under the Same Stars
Author: Libba Bray
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Release Date: February 11, 2025
Request: Pending

Blurb

From New York Times-bestselling author Libba Bray comes an evocative and groundbreaking young adult historical mystery that examines truth, rebellion, reconciliation, and what must be sacrificed for a better world.

It was said that if you write to the Bridegroom’s Oak, the love of your life will answer back. Now, the tree is giving up its secrets at last.

In 1940s Germany, Sophie is excited to discover a message waiting for her in the Bridegroom's Oak from a mysterious suitor. Meanwhile, her best friend, Hanna, is sending messages too—but not to find love. As World War II unfolds in their small town of Kleinwald, the oak may hold the key to resistance against the Nazis.

In 1980s West Germany, American teen transplant Jenny feels suffocated by her strict parents and is struggling to fit in. Until she finds herself falling for Lena, a punk-rock girl hell-bent on tearing down the wall separating West Germany from East Germany, and meeting Frau Hermann, a kind old lady with secrets of her own.

In Spring 2020, New York City, best friends Miles and Chloe are in the first weeks of COVID lockdown and hating Zoom school, when an unexpected package from Chloe’s grandmother leads them to investigate a cold case about two unidentified teenagers who went missing under the Bridegroom’s Oak eighty years ago.



So there you go, my ten most recent Netgalley requests, all about romance! How many of them do you think I'll manage to get approved for? Do any of them look interesting to you?

If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post in the comments below so I can stop by and check out your relationship freebie list. - Katie

Friday, August 16, 2024

*Stacking the Shelves* 17 August 2024


(Titles link to Amazon via Amazon Affiliate links)

Stacking The Shelves is a feature/weekly meme run by Reading Reality in which you share the books you are adding to your shelves, both physical and virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Now, I already have a monthly post I do featuring the books I get in the mail (and it's a lot because I have a serious Goodreads First Reads giveaway addiction), and I'm posting my monthly Read-A-Thon posts again too, which covers the books I receive through Netgalley. So my STS post will feature all the books I've been one-clicking on Amazon, and any books that I may pick up at Barnes and Noble during the week. 

On that note, here are the books I picked up this week. All Goodreads First Reads ebook wins unless otherwise specified.

Christmas at the Shelter Inn by RaeAnne Thayne - I snagged this beauty on sale for just $2.99 (no longer on sale). I've enjoyed every book I've read by RaeAnne Thayne, so grabbing one I can use for my 12 Books of Christmas reading challenge if I need/want to is amazing. 
The Salamanca Sheiks by Ray Backley
Tales from the Inca Empire by Samuel DenHartog - Got this book as a freebie from a Facebook ad (no longer free). 
Across Cultures and Crisis by Thomas Ridgedell
Silenced Whispers by Afraid Bellisario
Fables from India by Samuel DenHartog - I got this book as a freebie based on a Facebook ad (free at the time of post building). 
The Eternal Secret by Mary Romasanta

And that is all the new books I got this week, all of them of the e-variety, which makes my husband happy. What new books have you added to your shelf recently? If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can be sure to stop by and check out all your new pretties. - Katie


Join the 12 Books of Christmas Challenge Here

*Book Blogger Hop* 16 August 2024 Book to Book Comparisons



We are on to a new week for the Book Blogger Hop hosted by the lovely folks over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. This weeks questions is: 

What are your thoughts on book-to-book comparisons (for example, "It's the next Harry Potter")? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

I have a tendency to make these kinds of comparisons myself when I'm reviewing books, to an extent at least. I will definitely say when books reminded me of other books I've read, or had similar vibes. I don't think I usually go so far as to say any book is the next any other kind of book because who the heck am I to make that kind of judgement call. All that being said, it doesn't bother me when other reviewers do it, and if I'm familiar with the original book being referenced, it can definitely entice me to check out the newer book too. I really think they can help in recommending books, otherwise all you have to go on is whether or not I liked a book and why, but unless we've read some of the same books, my opinions are just that, and maybe not super relevant for you. But if I tell you that this book reminded me of Book X that you are familiar with, you don't even have to go back and see if I reviewed Book X on my blog because you know how you feel about Book X. And now I'm rambling, so I guess I'll just leave it at that. 

How do you feel about book to book comparisons? If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can head over and check out your answer too. - Katie 

 
Join the 12 Books of Christmas Challenge Here

Monday, August 12, 2024

*Top Ten Tuesday* Planes, Trains, and Automobiles



Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Joood - Hooligan of Platypire reviews bossed me into doing this, so I guess this is a thing I do now. 

This week’s theme is planes, trains, and automobiles, or books that feature travel. You may not be aware of this, but I'm like the queen of twisting these topics to suit my purposes. So let's see what books I have on my bookshelves with vehicles on the covers! Also, I will be attempting to not duplicate a mode of transportation. 

 


One Day in December by Josie Silver - Bus


The Institute by Stephen King - Train


Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco - Steamboat


A Wells Landing Christmas by Amy Lillard - Carriage


Hotel Laguna by Nicola Harrison - Airplane


Al Dente's Inferno by Stephanie Cole - Truck


Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham - Bicycle


Freedom's Challenge by Anne McCaffrey - Spaceship
(This is the first book that the Amazon cover image differs from the cover on my shelf. My copy has a much more prominent spaceship on the cover.)


The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes - Horse


Allies by Alan Gratz - Tank

This was actually way harder than I thought it was going to be, and took me longer to find ten books with different modes of transportation than a similar post featuring animals on the cover. Any guesses on which mode of transportation I found last? Because I did not list the books in the order that I found them. 

If you are stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post in the comments so I can stop by and check out what you did with this week's topic. - Katie 

Join the 12 Books of Christmas Challenge Here

Sunday, August 11, 2024

*Platypire Read-a-Thon* August 2024

 

I've been really inconsistent with posting my read-a-thon updates, and blogging in general, and I feel like I'm constantly saying I'm going to try to do better and I do for a little bit, but it never lasts. So I'm just asking for a little (lot) of grace here. We will see just how long I can stay consistent with this. And since it has been months since I last posted, I'm starting over from scratch with just the books that I'm currently reading right now (because it's somewhere around 20 books), and the books that I need to read for upcoming book club meetings. Then I will start adding the books I'm getting through Netgalley with next month's list. Sound good? I think that sounds good. Here we go!

Reviewed
Read
Currently Reading
To Be Read

Currently Reading

The Big Sugar by Mary Logue
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Lizzie by Edward Rand
Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi
Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Hitler's Aristocrats by Susan Ronald
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Scarlet City by Rebekah Haas
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
Credence by Penelope Douglas
You Like it Darker by Stephen King
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
Celestial Academy: Essence by Olivia Pharos
By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult
The Institute by Stephen King

To Be Read

The Only One Left by Riley Sager
All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seals
Gray After Dark by Noelle West Ihli
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

So that's all the books that are making it onto my list for right now. If you've been here for a while, you know I'm absolutely horrible at sticking to my list, although six of these books are for book club meetings that I have yet to attend (The Institute is being discussed Tuesday!), so they are high priority. I will say I'm not likely to make any progress on Darling Girls as it was a library book through Libby that got yanked back because I forgot I had a time limit on it, so I'm on hold again and several weeks out on that, but once it comes back I'm going to hop right on reading it too. Beyond that, how many of these books do you think I'll manage to read this month? 

Join the 12 Books of Christmas Challenge Here

Friday, August 9, 2024

*Stacking the Shelves* 10 August 2024


(Titles link to Amazon via Amazon Affiliate links)

Stacking The Shelves is a feature/weekly meme run by Reading Reality in which you share the books you are adding to your shelves, both physical and virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Now, I already have a monthly post I do featuring the books I get in the mail (and it's a lot because I have a serious Goodreads First Reads giveaway addiction), and I'm planning on posting my monthly Read-A-Thon posts again too, which covers the books I receive through Netgalley. So my STS post will feature all the books I've been one-clicking on Amazon and picking up at Barnes and Noble. 

On that note, here are the books I picked up this week. All Goodreads First Reads ebook wins unless otherwise specified.

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus - I snagged a copy of this book on sale for just $1.99 (no longer on sale). 
The Unprotected Class by Jeremy Carl - I nabbed this on sale for just $.99 (no longer on sale). 
Ross 128 b by Samuel DenHartog - I got this sucker for free because of an ad on Facebook (no longer free). 
Fables from Japan by Samuel DenHartog - This was another Facebook ad freebie (and it was free when I was building this post on Friday evening). 
Whispers Under Western Skies by Samuel DenHartog - You guessed it, another Facebook ad freebie (also free at the time of post building). 
Teslamancer by Matthew Donald 
How to Fake it With a Fae by Amy Boyles - Grabbed this book for a mere $.99 (no longer on sale). 
The Thread Collectors by Shaunna J. Edwards and Alyson Richman - I nabbed this historical fiction novel for just $2.99 (no longer on sale). 
Three Sisters by Heather Morris - Got this sequel to The Tattooist of Auschwitz for just $2.99 (I already had it on loan from the library, but this removes the urgency to read it a bit. No longer on sale). 
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin - Got this beauty on sale for just $2.99 (no longer on sale). 
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez - Snagged this baby on sale for just $3.99 (no longer on sale). 
Gray After Dark by Noelle West Ihli - I needed to buy this book for one of my seven book clubs, so I paid full price for it, but that was only $5.99, so I'm not even that mad about it. 
A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales - I stopped at Barnes and Noble after work today to pick this book up for another one of my seven book clubs. I currently have a job where I can read on the clock, and I get fewer dirty looks from customers when I'm reading a physical book than an ebook on my phone. 
Book Lovers by Emily Henry - Since I was at B&N already, I figured I should check out the rest of the books they had, and this one was part of their Buy One Get One 50% off deal, and was recently rated 5 stars by a fellow book club member who almost never rates books 5 stars, so I just had to buy it. 
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer - This was also part of the BOGO deal at B&N, and if I didn't buy a second book, I would have basically been losing money, and this is a book I've had my eye on for a while now, so it just made sense. 

So that's all the new books I've picked up this past week. Have you read any of them? What books have you added to your shelves recently? As always, if you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to leave a link to your STS post, so I can be sure to stop by and check out what new books you've added to your shelves. - Katie 

 
Join the 12 Books of Christmas Challenge Here

Sunday, August 4, 2024

*12 Books of Christmas Reading Challenge List*

 


It's that time of year again. The time where I decide that in the lawless period between Thanksgiving and Christmas I want to read all the cheesy holiday stories (because I'm a creature of habit, so even though it's barely August and we're not even close to Christmastime yet, I know when we are, I'm going to want all the cheese!) And I'm currently on top of at least this one thing. But I also decided that this year I want to build my goal list by playing a game of Netgalley Request Roulette (that game where I find typically ten but this time it will be twelve books on Netgalley and request them to see if I get approved). So here we go! 

Title: All the Jingle Ladies
Author: Beth Garrod
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: October 4, 2024
Genre: YA Romance
Request: Denied

Blurb

From the author of Blame It on the Mistletoe comes another cozy holiday romcom, perfect for fans of Dash & Lily and To All the Boys I've Loved Before.

Molly hates Christmas. Ever since her parents released a cheesy Christmas song ten years ago―complete with a video of Molly dressed as the cutest little elf―December has gone from Ho! Ho! Ho! to Hu-Hu-Humiliating! This year takes a turn for the worse when the song of Molly's nightmares is included on the soundtrack for the hottest new holiday film. This mortifying tune is everywhere―again!

As Molly tries to hide her true elf, a Christmas connection with a cute guy at the movie's premiere may make this holiday season one to remember. All she has to do is keep him from finding out the truth about the ghost of elf-mas past. But Molly isn't the only one hiding her real identity. Will her Christmas romance have a Hollywood ending…or will it be one big mistletoe mess?


Amazon


Title: Flopping in a Winter Wonderland
Author: Jason June
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: November 12, 2024
Genre: YA LGBTQ+ Romance
Request: Approved

Blurb

Sparks are flying in Winter Wonderland this Christmas in this LGBTQ+ young adult rom-com from Jason June, New York Times bestselling author of Out of the BlueJay’s Gay Agenda, and Riley Weaver Needs a Date to the Gaybutante Ball!

All Aaron wants for Christmas is for his brother, Casey, to get over his ex, Raquel. He’d prefer not to be at Winter Wonderland, the island north of Alaska that’s home to a year-round Christmas theme park. But Casey loves Christmas, so here they are. Unfortunately for Aaron, Casey’s determined to do anything to win Raquel back.

All Kris wants for Christmas is for his uncle to move back to Winter Wonderland to be the first gay Santa. To make that happen Kris needs to win the Race, his grade’s annual competition to see who can get a guest to fall in love with them first. Winning means a trip to New York, where Kris would be able to plead his uncle’s case to the founder of Winter Wonderland himself.

After some slippery ice sends Aaron and Kris literally flopping into each other, Kris agrees to help Aaron with his plan to keep Casey single. But in all their scheming, both can’t stop thinking about kissing the other, and it’s not just because of the mistletoe around every corner. Too bad true love isn’t on either of their Christmas lists. . . .

This adorable rom-com from New York Times bestselling author Jason June unwraps the healing power of love and the magic of the Christmas season. 


Amazon


Title: Happy Bloody Christmas
Author: Jo Middleton
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: September 26, 2024
Genre: Mystery
Request: Denied

Blurb

Anna's Christmas Eve To Do List:

1. Wrap the kids' presents​
2. Peel the potatoes ​
3. Get rid of the dead body?!

Hungover and exhausted after her family's annual party, all Anna Johnson wants for Christmas is to finish her to-do list and finally sit down with the world’s biggest glass of wine.

But when she stumbles across a dead body in her larder, her plans are well and truly buggered.

A mysterious death in her home really is the last thing she needs, but with her judgemental in-laws arriving in less than twenty-four hours, turning her house into a crime scene is not an option. If she’s going to save Christmas, it’s up to Anna to find out what the hell’s gone on. Oh – and figure out what to do with the body before one of the kids finds it.

And you thought burning the turkey was the worst that could happen…


Title: Silent Nights are Murder
Author: Libby Klein
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
Release Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Request: Pending

Blurb

Despite her best efforts, gluten-free baker Poppy McAllister finds herself confounded by a case of murder this Christmas in the latest installment of this delightful culinary B&B mystery series!

Ever since Thanksgiving, when an engagement ring in a velvet box—and no gift tag—was left behind, Poppy and her pals have been left with an unsolved mystery. But at least this mystery isn’t the kind that involves murder. That all changes when the body of a fish supplier is discovered in the kitchen of her ex’s restaurant—and he’s frozen, not fresh.

For once, it’s not Poppy who tripped over the corpse, yet she can’t escape being drawn in since the victim has a note taped to him reading 
Get Poppy. Figures—an engagement ring isn't labeled, but the dead guy is addressed to her. Now, while Aunt Ginny plans a tree-trimming party and pressures Poppy to decode a mysterious old diary, the amateur sleuth is asked to “unofficially” go undercover at the restaurant to help the police. Until then, the only crime Poppy had been dealing with was the cat Figaro’s repeated thefts of bird ornaments from the tree; now it looks like it’s going to be a murder-y Christmas after all . . .


Title: Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret
Author: Benjamin Stevenson
Publisher: Mariner Books
Release Date: October 22, 2024
Genre: Mystery
Request: Approved

Blurb

My name’s Ernest Cunningham. I used to be a fan of reading Golden Age murder mysteries, until I found myself with a haphazard career getting stuck in the middle of real-life ones. I’d hoped, this Christmas, that any self-respecting murderer would kick their feet up and take it easy over the holidays. I was wrong.

So here I am, backstage at the show of world-famous magician Rylan Blaze, whose benefactor has just been murdered. My suspects are all professional tricksters: masters of the art of misdirection.

THE MAGICIAN
THE ASSISTANT
THE EXECUTIVE
THE HYPNOTIST
THE IDENTICAL TWIN
THE COUNSELLOR
 THE TECH

My clues are even more abstract: A suspect covered in blood, without a memory of how it got there. A murder committed without setting foot inside the room where it happens. And an advent calendar. Because, you know, it’s Christmas.

If I can see through the illusions, I know I can solve it.

After all, a good murder is just like a magic trick, isn’t it?


Title: Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge
Author: Kjersti Herland Johnsen
Publisher: HarperVia
Release Date: October 1, 2024
Genre: Mystery/Romance
Request: Pending

Blurb

Travel to the snowy mountains of Norway this Christmas with this feel-good holiday story set at a quaint family innstructured as an advent calendar, with one chapter for each day in December, for your daily reading pleasure.

After a traumatic climbing accident, well-known Alpinist Ingrid Berg has returned to the small Norwegian village that her family has called home for generations. She’s now ready to put away her ice axe and take over the management of the Glitter Peak Lodge from her aging grandmother, who's no longer up to the task. With Christmas rapidly approaching, the hotel staff are busy baking kransekake and saffron buns, decorating an enormous tree with tinsel, and enlisting guests to participate in their Saint Lucia celebration.

But within short order of Ingrid’s return, complications arise. Leaking pipes. Last-minute cancellations. The resurfacing of a long-buried mystery. And the return of two men from Ingrid's past. Will Ingrid be able to keep the inn alive, or will her family's legacy be lost forever?

The ultimate feel-good holiday treat, Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge explores the healing power of family and home, and the magical bonds of community and traditions.


Title: Snowy Mountain Christmas
Author: Sharon Sala
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Release Date: October 8, 2024
Genre: Romance
Request: Pending

Blurb

Christmas is a great time to be snowed in with the woman who saved your life in this heartwarming, small town holiday romance from New York Times bestselling author Sharon Sala.

One minute, Trey Austin is driving through torrential rain; the next, he's being rescued from a car wreck by an angelic woman with the courage to brave the storm. Her face was the last thing he saw before he lost consciousness. No one got her name—but she lost one shoe stuck in the mud. It's Trey's only clue, so he takes to the internet, hoping against hope that he'll find his angel.

Just when he's almost given up, Trey gets a message from Marley Corbett, owner of a cozy bed and breakfast in Colorado, and he instantly knows he's found her. Without hesitation, Trey heads to the mountains to meet Marley just in time to spend an unforgettable Christmas snowed in with his dream girl, who, when finally in front of him, is even more special than he remembers.




Title: The Tanglewood Bookshop
Author: Lilac Mills
Publisher: Canelo Romance
Release Date: September 12, 2024
Genre: Romance
Request: Approved

Blurb

Kazz used to love the excitement of her London life, but lately her passion for expensive city living has begun to wane. So when she's given the opportunity to open a bookshop in picturesque Tanglewood, she jumps at the chance.

But village life is much quieter than she anticipated – is she actually suited for rural living? Resigned to a boring and uneventful Christmas, when she meets gorgeous Saul she is more than ready to have some fun and enjoy the festivities. If only Saul didn't have a reputation for being a player...

Will Kazz become the heroine in her own Christmas romance, or will he love her and leave her under the mistletoe?


Title: Christmas Sweater Weather
Author: Jaqueline Snowe
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: October 8, 2024
Genre: Romance
Request: Pending

Blurb

Christmas is both naughty and nice this year when a single dad and his best friend’s sister celebrate with some secret (steamy) romance and festive fun, perfect for fans of Maggie Knox and Lyssa Kay Adams.
 
Charlotte Calhoun has avoided Hayden Porter, her older brother’s sexy-as-sin best friend, ever since that mortifying night when he flat-out rejected her. Fine. Except this Christmas season, they’re thrown together at a snowy ski resort for her brother’s bachelor party, complete with mistletoe, cozy fireplaces, and adjoining rooms. She can tell herself to get over Hayden, but holiday cheer is turning to holiday lust every time he is within ten feet of her. 

Between being a full-time single father and his high-pressure college coaching job, a romantic relationship is off the table for Hayden. But he’s fought his attraction to Charlotte for as long as he can. A one-night stand is starting to sound like a good idea—as long as her brother never finds out. But with two long weeks until the wedding, hiding their growing feelings is going to take a Christmas miracle.


Title: Snow is Falling
Author: Sarah Bennett
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Release Date: September 13, 2024
Genre: Romance
Request: Read Now

Blurb

When Sadie Bingham’s life takes an unexpected turn, her children treat her to a well-earned break at Juniper Meadows, the gorgeous Cotswolds estate owned by the Travers family.

The festive season is in full swing, and Sadie throws herself into the packed Twelve Days of Christmas programme, relishing the opportunity to make new friends and new memories.

Single father Dylan Travers hasn’t been to his childhood home of Juniper Meadows for decades. Estranged from his cantankerous father Monty, he has made a happy life for himself in the States. But now with teenage children keen to know more about their roots, Dylan has brought them back to the Cotswolds to meet his family.

As Sadie and Dylan both navigate a Christmas very different from the ones they had expected it's soon clear that, geography apart, they have a great deal in common. And as Dylan confronts his past and Sadie contemplates her future, perhaps the miracle of this Christmas will be the happily-ever-after they both deserve.

Let Sarah Bennett whisk you away to a snowy Cotswolds for the perfect winter romance. A Sarah Bennett book is guaranteed to brighten any day, perfect for all fans of Cathy Bramley, Katie Fforde and Phillipa Ashley.


Title: This is Not a Holiday Romance
Author: Camilla Isley
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Release Date: September 4, 2024
Genre: Romance
Request: Approved

Blurb

Two sworn enemies, snowed in over Christmas with chemistry that will melt the ice!
Nina Thompson has one Christmas wish: to avoid her brother's obnoxiously handsome best friend, Tristan, like the plague. From the moment he humiliated her as a teenager to their escalating revenge schemes, Nina and Tristan's relationship can only be defined as an all-out prank war! And there is yet to be a winner.

But it just so happens the ghost of Christmas present has other ideas. When Tristan unexpectedly crashes her family's Christmas, Nina's dreams of a peaceful holiday vanish faster than Santa up a chimney. Determined to end their rivalry for good, she braces herself for one last prank-filled showdown.

But when they find themselves snowed in, with no way of avoiding each other amongst the holiday festivities, they discover their heated exchanges have been masking a different kind of sizzle. Caught in a snow globe of holiday romance, they decide to let their fiery chemistry burn bright—but this is absolutely and unequivocally nothing more than a secret fling destined to melt with the snow, this is not a forever romance...


Title: Christmas is All Around
Author: Martha Waters
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: October 22, 2024
Genre: Romance
Request: Approved

Blurb

A former child star learns that holiday magic can come from a change in perspective in this charming and hilarious holiday rom-com.

Charlotte hates the holidays. As a former child actress, she starred in a modern classic of a holiday movie, and its fans won’t let her move on. When a piece revealing that her reluctance nixed plans for a reboot, she flees to London to spend the five-week countdown to the holidays with her sister.

But the ghosts of Christmas past follow her there when she ends up at Eden Priory, a filming location for the movie she has never visited. There, after being recognized by a fan while viewing the extraordinary holiday decorations, she’s accidently left behind, forcing her to accept a ride back to London from Graham, the son of the owners. Their family business—and the funds to keep their historic house running—relies on holiday cheer, and Graham knows a visit from a holiday star would bring in more visitors.

Now an illustrator, Charlotte accepts a commission illustrating iconic holiday movie scenes in London and its environs. Graham offers to help escort her, as long as she’ll commit to an art workshop at Eden Priory. But as Charlotte’s chaotic family holiday goes awry, she begins spending more time scouting locations with Graham. She may not love a Christmas romance…but what if she has one of her own?


Title: The Anti-Social Season
Author: Adele Buck
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: October 22, 2024
Genre: Romance
Request: Denied

Blurb

In this offbeat holiday romantic comedy, an overworked firefighter turned social media coordinator and a librarian with an unrequited crush break a few rules in the company handbook…

For Thea Martinelli, burnout is real. After working as a firefighter for the Emergency Services Department over the last ten years, she can’t stomach any more close calls. Just when she’s ready to hang up the hose for good, she’s offered an out: stay on as the station’s new social media coordinator. It’s a move that would keep her on the squad and off the truck—
if she makes it through the probation period.

Basically, she needs to learn everything there is to know about social media…fast.

Librarian and social media coordinator Simon Osman is shocked to learn his new responsibilities include showing Thea Martinelli—
his high school crush—the ins and outs of digital engagement. And the fact that she doesn’t even remember him? Not helpful. Still, this could be his chance to finally turn his part-time role into something long-term.

But as the chaos of the holiday season unfolds, Thea and Simon find that the closer they work together, the hotter their attraction burns. Yet giving in to these feelings 
could mean giving up their careers. Are they willing to risk everything they’ve worked toward…for each other?


If you were counting along with my list, you'll notice that there are 13 books listed here, not 12 like I said I was going to request. That's because I had already added Snow is Falling (the book that was available to read now) to the post before I realized it was already available and not for request, so I had to find another book to request in it's place for the purposes of the post (because that's the rules for this game that I created and only play against myself!) And with the rate I've been reading books for most of this year, this is the first year I think I may hit my 12 books without resorting to kids books to do it. 

If reading a bunch of holiday themed books between Thanksgiving and Christmas appeals to you the way it appeals to me, I'd love to have you join me in the challenge. You can find the rules and the sign up for it here or by clicking on the 12 Books of Christmas Challenge 2024 in the menu bar at the top of the page. And may the odds be ever in your favor. - Katie