12 Men for Christmas by Phillipa Ashley

 

If you're looking for some steam for Christmas, this is the novel to read. A contemporary romance that takes place in the Lake District of England, this was a quick read I picked up at B&N last month. 

Emma Tremayne left her job in London for a quiet place to heal her broken heart. Definitely a fish out of water; a city girl in the country. Her new job with the tourist board in the town of Bannerdale has brought her into contact with the rescue team in town. They are raising money to build a new center; their current digs are pretty small and dumpy. Her idea: a calendar featuring the men-naked. One for each month. These men are super fit, handsome, and perfect for a calendar; now to just convince them. Especially one man in particular: Will Tennant. He's completely against it. 

Sparks fly between Emma and Will, and for most of the novel, both are hit and miss in their interactions. But it's clear there's something building between them, and when it does explode...there's some heat! 

Can the two of them work their way through misunderstandings to find true happiness together? Well, of course they can. However, it's a bit of a bumpy road. 

Most of this novel does not take place at Christmas, except for the very end. Will is tapped to be Mr. December on the calendar; otherwise, there's not much holiday in this. But I didn't mind at all. I am annoyed, however, that Emma is described as having dark hair, but by golly she's a blonde on the cover. Ugh. 

This was also a movie on Lifetime starring Kristin Chenoweth ( I can see her as Emma--a blonde Emma!) but it looks like the movie is from 2009? Anyway, I'd love to watch it if I can find it. 

Rating: 4/6 for a holiday romance with plenty of steam, a hunky hero, and a cast of characters that are charming. 

Available in paperback and e-book. 

Komentar

Posting Komentar

Postingan populer dari blog ini

The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins

Gambar
Well, this book was charming for me. A quick read that hopefully is the beginning of a series of tales about the people in Dove Pond, North Carolina.  Karen Hawkins is a romance author, and when I first saw this book, I knew her name was familiar to me-probably because I shelved her romances for years while I worked at B&N! But, fear not. Yes there is some romance in this novel, but it most definitely isn't a romance novel. More of a feel good, Sweet Home Alabama-Reece Witherspoon-ish kind of novel. Yes, it could find a place on the Hallmark Channel. That being said, I'm not a huge fan of Hallmark movies, in that they just are a little too perfect. The folks in Dove Pond, and the two lead female characters, most definitely aren't perfect.  Sarah Dove comes from a long line of women who have special talents. Sarah's talent is one that I think every book lover would wish for themselves: the books talk to her and tell her who they should go to next. Sarah hears them, l
Baca selengkapnya

Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown

Gambar
I zipped through this novel in a day--my first of 2020. It read very quickly, and I had a hard time putting it down.  Why was it so compelling? I'm not sure. It's a dual storyline, between two women: Nellie in 1956, and Alice in 2018. Both are living in the same home, and married. Nellie is married to a man who swept her off her feet, and she quickly realizes he's not a nice man. Not nice at all. He wants a wife who is pretty, looks perfect all the time, cooks, cleans, and has babies. He's not afraid to use some physical force to keep her in line.  Alice is a modern woman, who recently left her job in New York City under a cloud--although she's kept that bit of information from her husband Nate. He thinks she quit. Nate wants to move out of the city and start a family in a home set in the suburbs. Alice, very reluctantly, agrees. She's a big city lady, and used to working a lot. Nate makes enough money that she can stay home and write her novel. Alice and Nate b
Baca selengkapnya

Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue

Gambar
This was a powerful novel, and if not for folks around me talking about it, I probably would have passed it by.  However, fate intervened, and I'm happy to have spent the time reading about Jende and Neni Jonga's experience as immigrants in America.  There is so much to talk about, it is definitely a novel you'll want to discuss with friends.  Jende is a native of Cameroon, and is living in New York City with his wife Neni and their young son, Liomi.  Jende had arrived in New York City alone, and spent a few years working hard, scraping up enough money to marry Neni and bring her to America.  His dream was to leave Cameroon, where opportunities to succeed were slim to none.  Jende is extremely hard working, of noble character, and polite to a fault.  He's also living in the U.S. without a green card, and an expired visa.   Jende's chance to make a huge leap in providing for his family comes when he's offered a job as the chauffeur to Clark Edwards, an executive
Baca selengkapnya