Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Review and Giveaway: Christmas on Main Street

Christmas on Main Street by JoAnn Ross, Susan Donovan, LuAnn McLane and Alexis Morgan

Publication Date: 11/05/2013
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Signet
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 416
ISBN-10: 0451419537
ISBN-13: 9780451419538

(Received for an honest review from Signet)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound

JoAnn Ross on the WEB: Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads

Susan Donovan on the WEB: Website, Blog, Twitter, Goodreads

LuAnn McLane on the WEB: Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest

Alexis Morgan on the WEB: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads

Excerpt from Christmas on Main Street, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:

‘Tis the season to fall in love in these four small towns.
 
In “Christmas in Shelter Bay,” New York Times bestselling author JoAnn Ross returns to Shelter Bay, where Kelli has long tried to keep her feelings for her friend Cole a secret. But when the local matchmakers conspire to send them to a secluded lakeside cabin, the two friends soon discover that a little love will keep them warm.

TV producer Nathaniel Ravelle knows the Bayberry Island mermaid legend is a joke— how could a statue grant a wish for true love? But when a Christmas Nor’easter lands him in close quarters with local Annie Parker, they see magic at work in matters of the heart in New York Times bestselling author Susan Donovan’s “A Seaside Christmas.”

In LuAnn McLane’s “Mistletoe on Main Street,” Clint isn’t sure how to rekindle his romance with high school sweetheart Ava—until his father bows out of playing Santa at the annual Cricket Creek holiday parade and Clint gets the chance to make this Christmas one to remember.
 
And in Alexis Morgan’s “The Christmas Gift”, business is booming at Bridey Roke’s pastry shop. Everyone in town stops in to sample her holiday treats.  But in her spare moments, she’s perfecting a special recipe to charm the handsome new neighbor—who has his own surprise gift for her come Christmas Eve! 


Thoughts:

Christmas on Main Street is a collection of four Christmas novellas that will touch the hearts of readers this Christmas. Each of the four authors gives the reader a novella set in the world of a series they have already created which makes them even more entertaining. Christmas time is such a joyous time of year and each of these stories has the spirit of Christmas at it's heart. 

JoAnn Ross's story, "Christmas in Shelter Bay," centers around the oldest of the Douchett boys, Cole and Kelly. The local matchmakers decide to help turn friendship into love when the two are stranded in a secluded cabin. Ross's Shelter Bay series is one of my favorites and I really enjoyed this story about Cole. I think readers will love the characters and how they interact in this one. Christmas isn't far away and love is in the air.

Susan Donovan's story, "A Seaside Christmas," is set in her Bayberry Island world where a local statue of a mermaid is said to grant true love. When Nathaniel slips on the ice and has to be nursed back to health by Annie, he begins to believe that maybe the stories are true. I thought Donovan did a great job with her small town setting for this one. Bayberry Island really comes to life and readers will find this Christmas season full of surprises.

LuAnn McLane's story, "Mistletoe on Main Street," is a classic second chance romance with two former high school sweethearts that find the sparks are still there after all this time. I loved this one. The story is just very romantic and tender. I like a good Christmas romance and this one really hit the spot. It was evenly paced and had a great feel good atmosphere to it. 

Alex Morgan's story, "The Christmas Gift," was one of those stories that just felt inspiring. Both the hero and the heroine were so deserving of finding love and Morgan adds a bit of a surprise at the end that was very satisfying. I thought it was a great way to close the collection and keep the readers feeling like Christmas even after the book was over.

Overall this was a well put together Christmas collection. I liked the fact that each story corresponded to the world that these authors are used to writing about, it added a feeling of quality vs. quantity to it. Though the stories were short, they were very good. This collection really put me in the mood for Christmas music, cocoa and putting up the tree. It's a good one, you don't want to miss!

Christmas on Main Street is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!



About the Authors:

JoAnn RossJoAnn Ross is the New York Times bestselling author of the Shelter Bay series. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and three rescued dogs. 





Susan DonovanUSA Today bestselling author Susan Donovan lives on the East Coast. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages. Her upcoming novel, Sea of Love, is the first in the new Bayberry Island series.




LuAnn McLaneLuAnn McLane is the author of the Cricket Creek series. When she takes breaks from writing, she enjoys watching “chick flicks” with her daughter and tries to keep up with her three active sons at her home in Florida.







Alexis MorganAlexis Morgan is the author of the Warriors of the Mist series and the Snowberry Creek series, including the novel A Time for Home and the novella  A Soldier's Heart. She and her husband make their home in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She has been nominated for numerous industry awards, including the RITA from the Romance Writers of America, the top award in the romance genre. 




Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Christmas on Main Street by JoAnn Ross, Susan Donovan, LuAnn McLane, and Alexis Morgan.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US Addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, December 10th.

1. Please leave a comment describing a favorite Christmas memory.
2. Please fill out the FORM.

15 comments:

Linda Kish said...

My best Christmas memories are all since my son was born. His first Christmas, he was 10 months old. I put the tree in his playpen to keep the tree safe from him. He had a present in a big box and would push the box around the living room and climb on it to reach things he wasn't supposed to get into. Yes, he was a trouble maker. Nothing was safe.

Nancy said...

My favorite Christmas memory was when I was little and I notieced that Santa Clause had shoes just like my Daddy. lol I think that is the last year that my dad actually played Santa.

Rita Wray said...

My favorite Christmas memories are when my Children were little and the excitement in their faces because Santa had come and left gifts.

Karen B said...

Christmas 1964 when my grandparents from PA, brother and wife from TX, and my family from MN were all at my parents for a week. Wonderful memories - and pictures!

traveler said...

My favorite was when I was a child, the snow enveloped the house and it was cozy. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

Miss C said...

What an incredible looking Christmas book!!!

lag123 said...

When I was five I remember waking up at midnight on Christmas Eve and hearing noises. My father came in my room and said "Guess

Pat L. said...

My fav memory was when "Santa" (my neighbor's dad came to our house to see my kids. Boy the looks on their faces.......

Unknown said...

My favorite memories are of being a child with my parents. My mom always made Christmas about memories and happiness; it was never about money or commercialism. So many things have changed. I try to pass the same values along, but I'm not sure I've succeeded.

Sue Farrell said...

My favorite Christmas memory is of me trying to pretend that I didn't recognize my dad dressed up as Santa.

CrystalGB said...

My favorite Christmas memory is when I was four and I received a shiny, blue pedal car. I was so excited I screamed.

Anonymous said...

My best Christmas memory was when my husband came home from the war on Christmas Eve.

gmapeony@yahoo.com

bn100 said...

decorating the tree together

Brooke Showalter said...

Every year, I get new favorite Christmas memories with my daughters. I love drinking hot chocolate and looking at the Christmas tree on Christmas morning.

Natasha said...

I love putting up all the decorations and opening up presents with my family.
Thanks for the chance to win!