Maya Connor was already embarrassed after a dare - and a shot of vodka - resulted in one seriously sexy kiss with an even sexier stranger. She had no idea that the man she made out with was hotel magnate and reputed playboy Jamie Sellers. Or that she would soon be working for him

Maya won't let anything get in the way of her ambition. And she's determined to be taken seriously as she begins her career and not give in to the heat that's constantly driving her to distraction. Lust, that's all it is. The more Maya and Jamie ignore it, the stronger it gets. But ending up in the boss's bed won't just be Maya's wickedest fantasies come to life it'll be the end of her dreams.

------------------------

This sounded like just my sort of Blaze - hot, sexy and just a little bit naughty. Sex in the office? Yes, please!

I wasn’t disappointed as soon as I started to read - I just adored Maya. She was fun, feisty but also a card-carrying introvert and I felt an immediate kinship with her. Her first interactions with Jamie were cute, sexy and also very realistic. Apologising for kissing him was genius!

From the start I also really enjoyed the writing style. It was quirky and fresh - a unique voice that even made me laugh out loud at certain times.

But as time went on in the book, I started to seriously lose interest. It seemed like nothing much would happen or if it did, it was a little samey. Let’s be colleagues. No - let’s be lovers. We can’t - let’s try colleagues again. Et cetera. I also really don’t like when sweeping statements are made to show the passing of time. “The next two weeks were much the same…”

With those big gaps in the timeline of the story, I also felt that a lot of the chemistry was missing. Sure, their inner monologues told that they could barely keep their hands off each other but I wasn’t seeing much evidence of their connection. I even started to skim the sex scenes because of this and that’s not like me.

Once the affair came out the story got a little bit interesting again but by that time I felt Maya had changed into a person I didn’t recognise or even like. Some random tells you she’s been sleeping with your man and while you don’t really believe it or even pitch a fit, you still tell him to get out of your life. What?

As other reviewers have really liked this book, I suppose it’s just horses for courses. It’s not one I took a great liking to but I will read more of J. Margot Critch’s books because I can see that if the story grabs me, I’ll really like her writing. Just 2 stars from me for this one, though.

------------------------

224 pages

Click to see other books by J. Margot Critch

Turning a certified disaster into a certifiable dish!

Image consultant Haven Hoyt needs to take former pop superstar Mark Webster from boozing, brawling mess to presentable musician—capable of keeping his tacky boot out of his mouth. Mark has no interest in being molded, but once she's finished with him, he'll be a work of art.

Haven has very simple rules for herself: be perfectly put together, don't crack under pressure and never sleep with your client! But under the scruff and the surly attitude, Mark is hot. Haven's careful image is unraveling with every look of lust and too-tempting touch. This talented musical hunk wants to pluck her strings. If she's not careful, she'll fall for her work of art…and break each of her rules in the process!

------------------------

The premise of this Blaze story is slightly different than any I have come across before - an image consultant making over, and essentially falling for, a scruffy, bad-tempered former boyband singer.

I was a bit surprised by Mark to begin with. Normally in a Blaze story at the very least the heroine can see beyond the scruffiness, bad manners and bad dressing of the hero, to see the man beneath. I’m not sure she did and I certainly didn’t. I also got an image of dirtiness (not the good kind) which made it a little icky for me when our heroine, Haven, first whispered in his (to my mind dirty) ear. That feeling soon wore off for me, thankfully.

The strange thing about this story was that I actually really liked it. It was well written, kept my attention and did have a good depth to the story. There wasn’t as much sex as in other Blaze stories I have read but what there was was enjoyably sexy if not off the charts hot.

I liked both Haven and Mark and liked who they were when they were together. There wasn’t as much focus on the expected drama of falling for someone’s image rather than who they are on the inside, which I was pleased about. Instead, the conflict comes from other sources and felt true to life.

My main issue with this book was that I didn’t feel that connection between the main characters that I like to read about. There was no sizzling, jumpy feeling in the pit of your stomach, chemistry between the pair which really did disappoint me. The book was still a good read but in the end I wanted more. 3 stars.

------------------------

219 pages

Click to see other books by Serena Bell

A lesson in chemistry…

Back in college, Mia Hayes had a secret crush on fellow student Daniel Keegan, who was an obnoxious stuffed shirt. But she fantasized about turning Mr. Uptight into Mr. Hot Sex. Now Mia owns a successful event planning business, and at a bachelor party she’s organized, she runs into Mr. Uptight himself. And she's determined to show overly serious college professor Daniel how to loosen up a little…

Imagine Mia’s surprise when she learns that Daniel has a deliciously wicked side—one that makes her knees weak with lust. It turns out Daniel is a whole lot more than she ever dreamed. But tempting the professor might have been the riskiest thing Mia has ever done. Because in their case, opposites don't just attract… they combust.

------------------------

There’s nothing quite like a light and lusty Blaze to start off the new year and that’s what you get with this book.

Mia and Daniel knew each other in college. Knew each other and didn’t particularly like each other except for that inconvenient lust for each other that they both kept hidden.

Fast forward 10 years and each is successful in their field, each has grown up and moved on - except that pesky lust is still right there.

From that you have the perfect opening for what is a very sexy tale about two people rediscovering each other, and themselves, on their way to their happily ever after.

I wasn't sure if I’d like Mia at first, if I’m honest. Anyone described as brash, opinionated and mouthy is always going to start on the back foot with me. Luckily, she was written really well and while there were times when I wanted to scream at her to shut her mouth, she was a realistic character and realised her faults, apologising when necessary.

Daniel on the other hand, I loved from the start. A slightly geeky, straight-laced professor who hides a wickedly naughty side that seems to only come out when around Mia. I especially liked that the author didn’t make Daniel change - he was still the same guy at heart just a little wilder than even he realised.

There was plenty of sex in the story as well as sexy times. These were hot and well written; lovely for these cold winter nights. I didn’t get bored or skip even a single word - as can sometimes happen with stories like this.

Overall this was a fun, well-written and sexy story that I would recommend to fans of Blaze stories. Really enjoyed it. 4 stars.

------------------------

224 pages

Click to see other books by Tanya Michaels

Stunned by the heat of an unexpected kiss on a cold winter’s eve, two strangers from vastly different worlds turn hotheaded principles into burning passion.

------------------------

This story was first featured in the 2015 anthology What Happens Under the Mistletoe. Although it’s quite a recent book, you might want to check you haven’t got that book before purchasing this as a stand alone story. Although I do quite like having my favourite stories as stand alone books.

This book is one of the Sinful Suitors stories. Amanda first appeared in The Art of Sinning and we also meet characters in this book from future books in the Sinful Suitors series. You might be enticed to read more of the series but this book does stand alone quite nicely.

Amanda and Stephen are quite opinionated and both hold strong views on mills and mill reform - which is the backdrop to this story. What’s nice is that while the mills are a big feature, and richly described, they never take away from the story or from Amanda and Stephen’s romance.

I liked that both Stephen and Amanda were made to work hard for their happily ever after. Both were stubborn and opinionated and both had to realise their own faults stood in the way. It wasn’t just the man, as is often the case in these kind of stories, that made a mistake and had to right his wrong before it was too late.

The consummation of Stephen and Amanda’s love was a little different - at least the location was! I won’t spoil the story by saying too much but while it wasn’t hugely sexy (at least compared to Jeffries’ other works), it did seem realistic and fit the circumstances.

Sabrina Jeffries is one of my favourite authors and this story doesn’t disappoint. Lively characters, strong emotion and an unusual premise give this tale something more than most and it’s a story I’d happily recommend.

------------------------

101 pages

* I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

The Sinful Suitors series:

       

   

  

Click to see other books by Sabrina Jeffries

Grant MacKenzie is ready to settle down and start a family. The only problem is the one woman he’s interested in doesn’t seem to be ready for the long haul. But fate lends Grant a helping hand in getting exactly what he wants under his Christmas tree.

------------------------

I’ll admit that I often expect stories named for families, sagas and the like, to be rather tame. Imagine my surprise when this short tale had a nice punch of heat to it. The sex scenes (yes, there was sex - and chats of sex - packed into these 38 pages) were quite rushed and could have done with a bit more description but I’m attributing that to the fact that the story was short. I imagine in Ms. Hart’s full length novels there’s more time reserved for such things.

Grant was a good character and I feel I got to know him and like him in the short space of time. Annabeth was slightly more of a mystery and I did feel she came across as quite young; Nothing to dislike, however. Perhaps if I’d read the rest of the Mackenzie novels (this is book 9 in the series) then I might feel I knew her a little better.

A bit too much flowery language at the beginning of the sex due to Annabeth’s inexperience. Talk of gifts and miracles - hmmm. I don’t know anyone (thankfully) who speaks like that either before, during or after sex. A couple of sentences wasn’t a huge issue, however.

I liked this story. It was short, sweet with a bit of heat and a nice tale to give you a 20 minute break from the craziness of Christmas. One to check out and I might have a look for Lilian Hart’s longer novels in the future. 4 stars.

------------------------

38 pages

Click to see other books by Liliana Hart

Will a chance meeting on Christmas Eve…

Alicia Sinclair, Countess of Kinvarra, cannot believe that fate has been so cruel as to strand her on the snowy Yorkshire moors with her estranged husband as her only hope of rescue. During their rare encounters, the arrogant earl and his countess act like hostile strangers. Now that Alicia has fallen into Kinvarra’s power, will he seek revenge for her desertion? Or does the dark, passionate man she once adored have entirely different plans for his headstrong wife?

...deliver a second chance at love?

Sebastian Sinclair, Earl of Kinvarra, has spent ten wretched years regretting the mistakes he made with his young bride, but after long separation, the barriers between them are insurmountable. Until an unexpected encounter one stormy night makes him wonder if the barriers of mistrust and thwarted desire are so insurmountable after all. When winter weather traps Sebastian and his proud, lovely wife in an isolated inn, could the earl and his headstrong countess have a Christmas miracle in store?

------------------------

This story seemed awfully familiar to me but since I couldn’t quite remember the exact details, I decided to give it another go. It turns out that this is a story originally featured in The Mammoth Book of Regency Romance where it was called Upon a Midnight Clear. It’s been reworked slightly since then and released as an individual novella.

This type of story is my favourite kind - second chance / reunion romances. The fact that it’s also set at Christmas makes me happy as a clam. Only chocolate could make me happier.

This is the first ever story from Anna Campbell that I read and it really shows off her unique writing style. It’s classy, packed full of emotion and is jammed with the angst that I expect from her. And I do love me some angst. What’s especially good is that both the hero and heroine are tortured by mistakes they made in their past. It’s nice to read a story where both sides admit that they handled a situation badly and weren’t as innocent of wrongdoing as they initially thought. Refreshing and made me believe the couple’s happily ever after would work this time.

Both Alicia and Sebastian are really interesting, fully rounded characters and are so well written that you can’t help but love them both. Despite how we first meet Alicia and her snarky attitude towards her estranged husband, I immediately felt for her and understood the reasons for her actions. Sebastian is the best kind of hero in my eyes; dark, delicious and desperately in love with his wife despite their estrangement. The fact that he maintains a sense of humour through all this makes me love him even more. The way that Sebastian and Alicia interact with each other was also great and I loved seeing their progression from wary distrust and animosity through to honesty and declarations. It was like reading happiness.

The story isn’t too long at just 59 pages and can be easily read in a couple of sittings. My only gripe is that despite the fact that this has been reworked since its original publication, there’s still no epilogue. I’m not deducting any stars because of that fact but I am pouting a little bit. I feel an epilogue rounds out a story and delivers on the promise of the happily ever after. Anyway, still a great tale for a chilly night and one I would recommend. 5 stars.

------------------------

59 pages

Click to see other books by Anna Campbell

Kate Evans is a vibrant beautiful woman.

Chad Rockwood is the personal trainer her mother has hired to help her lose the extra pounds she carries. 

They start out as trainer and client and quickly move to friends, but when Kate’s mom signs her up on an online matchmaking site, Chad sees red.
 
Do opposites attract? Can Chad convince Kate that she is more than a number on a scale?
 
A funny and emotional look at romance when it’s least expected.

------------------------

I make no bones of the fact that stories told in first person are not my favourite - they always make me feel strangely uncomfortable for some strange reason. But for this story - it really works. I like that we only get Kate’s perspective to what’s going on. It makes her journey all the more real and we can truly feel her emotions and how she thinks. That doesn’t mean to say that we don’t get glimpses into what Chad’s thinking; Kate is adorably clueless about her own desirability and it’s clear, to us readers anyway, what’s bothering Chad when Kate starts dating.

My only reason for giving this story 4 stars is that it took me longer than I would have liked to warm up to Kate. She’s our heroine and despite me hugely identifying with the way she was feeling and how she viewed herself, there were times at the start of the book when she was just downright mean. I probably wouldn’t have minded except that she took great pains to remind us that she was nice. Hmmmm. I saw the change in her throughout the book so maybe it was a clever ploy by the author; I’ll never know!

The reason this book wasn’t what I expected is that it’s more than just a romance. The book could have ended at about 50% and I would have been satisfied with the happily-ever-after of Kate and Chad. However, this was also a story about Kate falling in love with herself and coming to terms with who she was. Not to sound all cheesy but I found this part very uplifting and quite, erm, motivational. Maybe I’ll find my own Chad in time for next Christmas.

I really enjoyed this story and was hooked from the first. It’s light on the Christmas element as it’s set throughout the year but you honestly won’t mind as soon as you get into the story. A book I would recommend. 4 stars.

------------------------

191 pages

Click to see other books by AJ Harmon

A mistletoe wish…

All her life, Serena Talbot has been in love with the handsome boy next door, Sir Paul Garside. She always eagerly looks forward to Paul’s visit to her family over the Festive Season, even if he usually brings along his dark, sardonic friend Lord Hallam. This year, Serena is determined that Paul’s kiss under the mistletoe will lead to a proposal. Even if she has to enlist every ounce of Christmas magic she can get her hands on to make that happen.

But the mistletoe gets it wrong!

When Serena slips a sprig of mistletoe from the village kissing bough under her pillow, it’s not Paul who turns up in her dreams as the man she’s going to marry, but brooding, intense, annoying Giles Farraday, Marquess of Hallam. Still more annoying, once everyone arrives for the annual Christmas house party, she can’t stop watching Giles, and thinking about Giles. And kissing Giles, whether there’s mistletoe about or not. Now Paul wants to marry her, and Giles wants to seduce her–and Serena has a bone to pick with the old wives who came up with all this superstitious nonsense in the first place.

A Christmas of confusion lies ahead! Will mistletoe magic lead the way to a happy ending?

------------------------

**Please don't be put off by the reviews of this book on Amazon. Unfortunately there was a problem when purchasing the book and only the cover and first pages downloaded. The issue has now been resolved but customers were understandably annoyed and were trying to warn other customers which has led to a low star rating for the book.**


At 153 pages, this is a sweet tale that is perfect for a short diversion away from all the Christmas madness.

Serena has been in love with Paul since she can remember but this Christmas it’s his best friend, Giles Hallam that she hopes she’ll meet under the mistletoe. Our heroine is but 21 years old and this adds to the sweetness of the tale. What I particularly liked about Serena’s character is that while young, she almost matures before our eyes as she realises the difference between youthful infatuation and real love and desire. She didn’t play games, she was as honest with herself as she could be and I really liked her confusion over her feelings. And her interactions with Giles were fun to read.

Giles is perfectly my type of hero; Brooding and lonely yet filled with love for a woman he knows he can never win. It might be mean of me but I like watching my hero and heroine go through the emotional wringer of doing what they want versus what they should. While Giles is definitely dark and brooding (but himself still young at 25), he also has an easy manner about him that made him more than two dimensional. Anna Campbell excels at angst and while there’s not much of that in this story, there are glimpses of it in the relationship between Giles and Paul.

Paul is worth a mention as a secondary character as it’s easy to write a character that we hate and hope won’t win the girl - it must be so much harder (but so much more realistic) to write one that’s a decent sort of chap. I also really loved the brief scenes of Serena with her mother - such a nice relationship.

For the majority of the book there’s lots of kissing. It’s when you get to the epilogue that anything more occurs. It was nice to see the story - and the relationship between Giles and Serena - continue after their declarations. I do love a good epilogue.

This is a short but satisfying story that has some nice festive touches. It’s sweet, it’s light but you’ll fall in love with Serena and Giles as they fall in love with each other. 5 stars.

------------------------

153 pages

Click to see other books by Anna Campbell

Subject: Major Ben Hawthorne 

Mission: To make one sexy civvy's Christmas wish come true 

Christmas is almost here, and guys are the last thing on personal shopper Ainsley Garrett's list. But her icy resolution melts when she sees an incredibly hot Marine shopping for toys. A man in uniform with a hot bod and a heart of gold? Maybe a gal can believe in Santa after all… 

Major Ben Hawthorne has his career to think about, but when it comes to Ainsley, he's willing to break his own rules, at least for one night—provided they can get this insanely wicked attraction out of their systems. Only, once isn't enough. Now Ainsley's checking her list twice…before she falls for a Marine who's naughty and nice

------------------------

Who doesn’t love a man in uniform? Especially at Christmas. That’s just what Ainsley gets in this story set at Christmas - a sort of opposites attract tale. Ben is a big softie Marine from a poor background while Ainsley is a successful business woman from one of the richest families in America. But they mesh well together and I liked their chemistry, banter and interactions with each other. Both were likeable characters and Ainsley was written especially well since sometimes rich heroines have to work extra hard for me to like them.

Fun supporting characters, too. I suspect that some of the other Marines have either had their stories told previously or will do in the future. A word of warning about the British best friend - generally alright but there are a couple of instances of her taking a ‘British’ word and dropping it randomly into a sentence. A bit cringe if I’m honest.

The sex scenes were enjoyable, too. Not too many to overwhelm the story and warm rather than blazing hot. They bordered on sweet rather than down-and-dirty sexy. Again - nothing wrong with that.

While this was a pleasant read - good characters, interesting situations and well written - it didn’t quite dazzle me or keep me hooked so that I couldn’t bear to stop reading. It was quite clear from the outset what the source of conflict was going to be so you’re just really waiting for when it was going to happen rather than wondering what might happen. That’s not necessarily a bad thing - it just gives a story that’s a little more sedate. Again, warm but not blazing hot.

With that said, this is still a good story with good characters in a Christmas setting. I would recommend it to fans of Blaze, Christmas and the Uniformly Hot! mini-series. 4 stars.

------------------------

224 pages

Click to see other books by Candace Havens

Click to see other Christmas books

 

A feast she wasn't expecting!

Clover Greene would sooner crawl into her oven than host family for Thanksgiving dinner. Yet another annual ritual of too much food, served with a side of criticism over "Clover's Bad Life Choices." This year, she needs to distract them all with a handsome fake boyfriend. And she has the perfect guy in mind.

Contractor Erick Fields is the poster boy for sexy single dads, and Clover has been secretly crushing on him for ages. She certainly wasn't expecting Erick to agree to her insane charade or to add lots of hot, wicked sex to the deal. If they can pull it off, the worst Thanksgiving ever might give them something to be really thankful for!

------------------------

Yay for more festive romance from Blaze - although to be honest this is strictly a Thanksgiving tale rather than anything Christmassy. Not to worry - it’s still a solid story for a cold, wintery night.

I recently read Tiffany Reisz’s earlier Blaze (Her Halloween Treat) and it’s clear from both books that she has a knack for writing sexy, outdoorsy men who are a little rough around the edges with beards and muscles to spare. And who have dirty mouths and wicked senses of humour. My new ideal man!

The beauty of this tale, other than the wicked hot sex, is definitely the banter between the characters. I honestly thought I’d be put off by the fact that Erick is a single dad - it just adds a different dynamic to what’s billed as a sexy story. But it actually adds something extra to the story and Ruthie is hilarious - a typical sassy teen whose relationship with both Erick and Clover is fabulous.

Erick and Clover are a great pair - different and yet so right for each other. They have chemistry and, as I said before, the banter that is wonderful to read. What I liked is that the tale took a ‘fake boyfriend’ trope (which I admit that I love) and turned it quickly on its head to make it even better.

If I had one tiny gripe about this book it would be that the Thanksgiving showdown went on a teeny bit too long, for my liking. It became unrealistic. Satisfying, but unrealistic.

This book is the perfect read for anyone who likes a holiday romance tale from Blaze. It’s humorous, sexy and with enough romance to keep you smiling. It wasn’t perfect but I’m feeling generous with the season and giving it 5 stars.

------------------------

224 pages

Men at Work Series:

     

       

       

Click to see other books by Tiffany Reisz

Click to see other Christmas books