Change of Heart by Jude Deveraux

The best thing I can say about "Change of Heart" is that, between this book and "For All Time," I'm finally ready to give up Deveraux as a Must-Read. I will probably never be able to give her up fully (Sweet Liar alone keeps my hopes up) but the last few two and a half miler books have gotten rounded up to three stars based on sentiment alone.
I actually squeed and did a happy dance when I realized that Eli and Chelsea were getting a story. Children from an earlier Deveraux short story, the two drifted apart but are now ready to find each other and their own HEA.

Wow. Just. wow. I kept reading to see if Chelsea would really put up with all of Eli's shit. I was so hoping that she'd just pop him one. I mean, Eli heads straight past Alpha and sails into Asshole. He sees Chelsea in a picture, decides she's not happy and that he's going to fix her life. She's too skinny, so he changes her restaurant order. She hates camping so he takes her into the woods (and then gets pissed off when she complains). He pours the guilt on her for their childhood friendship ending and her never noticing him as a male, when he never stepped up to show her how much he loved her. And then tells his teenage doppelganger Scully that he knows she would have just laughed at him. And she puts up with all of this shit. I wasn't too impressed with Chelsea either. She complains that no one ever expected anything of her because she was so pretty. This is after Deveraux has clearly shown that her parents did expect more of her and then goes on to explain that Chelsea wasn't even the prettiest of her sisters. Pilar- she doesn't want to work with Eli and doesn't really like him but then they're portrayed to be friends. She helps out disconnecting lights and stealing papers but then tells Chelsea that she's never given any responsibility. And what school in this day and age would let unknown adults attend prom? I just... I can't even... My level of suspended disbelief was so beyond stretched at that point that I... argh.

A Pretty Mess by Carla Caruso

Image linked from Goodreads

This was on the low end for a three-mile book for me. I can't quite remember what was annoying to me about this story since most of the parts I can remember were things I would have liked (thus the three stars) but the main character was irritating to me. She was a stereotypical "klutzy mess" but was supposed to be a big-time organizer? Eh. Celeste Pretty has just opened her new business, "Professional Organizer on Pink," the initials of which she only just realized. And her first huge client is a fitness professional, Natalia Samphire. But Natalia's life is not all the peaches and cream it seems to be. In fact, Celeste finds blackmail notes that threaten to unveil the truth of Natalia's past.

And the ending... should have been triumphant and climactic with Natalia outing herself, but it felt sort of felt flat. I also wasn't feeling the romance. Was this book a mystery with romantic elements? Or a romance with some cozy mystery added? I guess it doesn't really matter but both aspects suffered from trying to be in equal parts.

Definitely the ending is sequel bait. Secondary characters were pretty good, though.

Once Upon a Christmas Kiss by Manda Collins

I didn't realize this was a novella when I requested it from NetGalley. I keep thinking that I'll like Manda Collins but her stories have never really gotten above "Meh" for me. Until this one. I really liked this story. I was grateful that Sir Lucien Blakewell and Miss Winifred Nightingale were given a really complete back story. I got about 60 pages into it and was thinking about how most short stories weren't so thorough about establishing a prior relationship, and only then noticed this was only 126 pages. So anyway, Sir Lucien has gotten to know Winifred since she is the governess at his friend's house. The differences in their positions has been a little awkward, so when she's a guest at his other friend's Christmas house party, he's excited that they are closer to being equals. Winifred, on the other hand, isn't so sure. Her parent's marriage was one where they came from different classes and it ended badly. But when threats start popping up, she's grateful to Lucien for his help. And their relationship has a chance to grow. This book came out on the 14th. Enjoy!

On the Naughty List (anthology)

Image linked from Goodreads

Christmas Bonus by Lori Foster
Eric Bragg is worried that his boss won't realize that he's a desirable man. He's been in lust with the long-legged Maggie since she was nineteen, but of course that was just too young. But, just when he thought he might make a move, her father died and now she's in charge. But he's ready to make his move.
This story irked me and I kept thinking that it was old-school and that I had read it before. It's not as old as I would have thought given the character ages and the "Me he-man, I'm right" attitude of the hero (2000). Can't remember how I felt when I read it the first time but this time I flew through the pages, just trying to get done so I could read something else. Probably would have skipped if it hadn't been and ARC.

Naughty Under the Mistletoe by Carly Phillips
And... I've read this one before too! I hate when they repackage books and don't put on the cover that these are reprints. 
Antonia Larson is ready to make a play for her boss (sound familiar) but ends up kissing his twin instead. Good thing the twin, Max, is eager to be kissed.
I know this is a short story but the whirlwind romance of it didn't appeal to me. They knew each other barely 24 hours and are in "Twu Lurv"? Meh.

Some Kind of Wonderful by Beth Ciotta
Daisy Monroe, cupcake baker extraordinaire is back in her home town to celebrate Christmas. And her childhood best friend, Zach, is also back. Will visits from a few ghosts and an unexpected storm help them to reconnect in a more visceral manner?
Liked that the penpal confusion didn't last. No Big Misunderstanding for the whole story. But the ghost aspects left me cold. 

Have Yourself a Curvy Little Christmas by Sugar Jamison
I loved the first book in this series but the second book left me cold and the third, disgusted. Again, I probably wouldn't have read this story if it hadn't been an ARC. And I would have missed the story that dragged this book into three star territory for me (well, high two but I'm rounding up).
We learned about Dina Gregory in the first book. She was the mean and evil sister of that heroine and now she's getting her own HEA. I was a bit irritated by her seemingly quick turnaround ("I had a baby! I'm wonderful (and somewhat pudgy) now!"). It would have been nice to learn about more of her hardships that led to this attitude change. 
But, now she's calling on the man who impregnated and then dumped her. But he's gone and his widower brother is there in his place. And Ben doesn't want to let her go.
Again, a fast falling in love and a lot of big emotions that were dealt with impossibly quickly, but I rather enjoyed the story.

Lems Sweet Jane Cordova

Okay, I haven't talked much about sportwear (or, at all) on this blog, but thought I'd branch out. Now, these shoes aren't technically sportwear, they're for everyday.

The Christmas Wedding Ring by Susan Mallery

Image linked from Goodreads

A Susan Mallery book that isn't set in Fool's Gold? No shoehorning every ex-hero/heroine into the book by hook or by crook (hee, I rhymed)? If this story had had better protection worked in (and Goodreads allowed it), it would've rated a four and a half.
Molly fell in love Dylan when he was dating her older sister. He was the bad boy who left when her sister married someone else. As he was heading out of town, he gave her the wedding ring he had bought, and promised that, when she grew up, they could have a grand adventure.
Well, now she's grown up and having a REALLY crappy life at the moment. When the ring pops out of her lingerie as she's packing, she figures, "Well, why the heck not?"
Dylan, now a super successful motorcycle designer, is at a crossroads himself. A two week vacation seems like a great way to clear his mind.
There were many things about this book that should have annoyed me but

I really like the way the breast cancer scare was handled. Molly does a monthly check (which we ALL should be doing) and, granted, she ends up not having it but that has happened to a couple of my friends now so I could buy it. Also, these two fall in love so fast but it wasn't insta-lust, at least on Dylan's side.
Published on Oct. 7, 2014

Season of Desire by Theresa Romain

Lady Audrina is NOT having a good day. She's been drugged and kidnapped by the same man who took her only commodity.
Giles Rutherford isn't exactly in a good mood either. His father has dragged him across the Atlantic after a puzzle box that supposedly holds a diamond parure owned by Giles' mother. And Giles is starting to feel the same symptoms of arthritis that crippled his mother.
But the two are forced together when Audrina's father forces Giles and his father to help rescue her and then to take her to the wilds of York so that he can ensure her kidnapper arrives in London separately and she can arrive later, suitably chaperoned by the sharp-tongued Lady Irving.
But while in York, Audrina and Giles get to know each other in a way they couldn't have if they were merely highly-ranked lady and brash American.
It was lovely to see a heroine who was bold about what she wanted and a hero who was willing to hold back. Their story was fun as were the secondary romances (though one was really only hinted at.) All of the characters were well-rounded and this was just a fun read.
Comes out today!