Showing posts with label novella. Show all posts
Showing posts with label novella. Show all posts

Friday, March 20, 2020

Along Came a Ghost by Danielle Garrett

Along Came a Ghost (Beechwood Harbor Magic Mystery, #4.5)There's a new ghost at the manor and he's causing problems. Holly is going to need help and she reaches out to Scarlet, the new florist who can see ghosts (and the protagonist of another of Garrett's series). Together, they reunite Posy with a very important person from her past.
A cute novella and a neat way to introduce a new series.

Three Stars
This book came out May 31st, 2017
Follows Witch Way Home
Followed by Lucky Witch
Listened to this book from the library

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Connecting Rooms by Jayne Ann Krentz

Connecting RoomsOwen Sweet is the only private investigator on Misplaced Island so when Amy Comfort needs help looking at her aunt's beau (he started dating her suspiciously soon after Amy's uncle died), she goes to Owen for help. She also can admit that she had a crush on him after he was a client of her real estate business. The two go to visit but pretend to be in a relationship so that Amy can explain why Owen is with her. While there, the two get sucked into a blackmail scheme.
This is a novella so there's not a lot of room to develop characters or the story so it's fine and indicative of Krent's early works.

Three stars
This novella originally came out in the 90s
Book borrowed from library
Opinions are my own

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

This Christmas Rivalry by Beverly Jenkins

Tasha Bloom is one of the few people who mourns her grandfather when he dies. And those who are faking leave pretty quickly during the reading of the will because her grandfather minces no words about who he is leaving his assets to. Almost all of them are going to Tasha.
Drew Davis is upset because he was hoping to get the semipro football team that has been left to Tasha. Instead, she wants to run the team herself, something that, as the GM,he is not excited to hear. The more they work together though, the more he appreciates not only her outer beauty but also her sharp mind.
A fun little story that could have been longer.

Three stars
This story originally came out in 2012
Opinions are my own

Saturday, November 23, 2019

The Ghost of Christmas Past by Angie Fox


I should have figured out that this was a riff of the Christmas Carol from the name, especially since it's a series about a woman who sees ghosts so why wouldn't she see one on Christmas Eve? Especially when her boyfriend's mother has been particularly horrible and Ellis doesn't immediately side with Verity.
The Ghost of Christmas PastI thought the idea was nice but the execution was a little heavy handed and the connection to the woman who brought Lucy into Verity's life was shaky.

Three stars
Follows The Mint Julep Murders
Followed by Southern Bred and Dead
This novella comes out November 29th
ARC kindly provided by Moose Island Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

One Christmas Eve by Shannon Stacey

One Christmas Eve by Shannon StaceyZoe Randall is divorced and doesn't need another disapproving man in her life. Especially not one she accidentally cut off and now is shooting LOOKS at her mildly provocative book display. But Preston Wheeler doesn't mean to be that disapproving. And he certainly doesn't mean to accidentally egg her on into making an even more provocative display about candy. The two finally can admit that they have an attraction to each other
Things that made me smile:
Book flirting (the catnip item I didn't know I needed in my life.)
A paragraph dedicated to Preston's forearms that got me quite warm)
Zoe's cousin telling her that she can only be treating Preston that way because Zoe is either projecting her ex on to Preston at him or is trying to create reasons to be mad at him because she is hot for him
Straitlaced and kooky discovering that they can be perfect for each other

At just under 100 pages, I really was surprised how much of Zoe and Preston's personalities we got as well as how much we got to see their relationship grow. Could have done without the last Big Misunderstanding because it didn't really fit but overall a delightful, bite-sized read.

Five stars
This book comes out November 11th
ARC kindly provided by Carina Press and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Matchmaker's Mistletoe Mission by Jaci Burton

The Matchmaker's Mistletoe Mission (Boots and Bouquets, #0.5)Professional matchmaker Alice Weatherford offered to go ahead to Oklahoma to help make sure her friend's wedding preparations are on track. She didn't expect to be stranded at the Bellini's ranch (with a set of three daughters who are obviously sequel bait and I am so excited to read Erin's story about falling in love with her fiance's best friend.) Nor did she expect to meet their neighbor, Clay Henry with whom she has such a chemical reaction.
I actually liked this novella, Burton actually managed to get a lot of "getting to know you" time into the story which doesn't often happen. The end was a little more rushed but the characters were fairly well developed.

Four stars
This novella came out October 15th
ARC kindly provided by Berkeley Publishing Group and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Friday, October 18, 2019

Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory

When the protagonist from "The Wedding Party," Maddie, is asked to go to England and dress "The Duchess" for Christmas, she can't imagine leaving her mother behind. True, she's been dating Theo for a few months at this point but Christmas with her mother is a tradition.
Royal Holiday (The Wedding Date, #4)Vivian Forest has been busy the past year and a half and it's about to pay off with a probable promotion. She doesn't want to lose that momentum but she also doesn't want to miss Christmas with her daughter. While Maddie works, Vivian is supposed to amuse herself. Luckily, the man she mentally dubs "Hot Chocolate" introduces himself and offers to show her around the "cottage" she and Maddie are staying in. 
Working as the Queen's private secretary, Malcolm Forest doesn't especially have a lot of free time. But he's drawn to Vivian and doesn't want to lose any time with her.
A lovely romance with an older couple. I wish we had seen more of their relationship building but a good novella.

Four stars
This book came out October 1st
Followed by Party of Two
ARC kindly provided by Berkley and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Lavender & Mistletoe by Donna Kauffman

Lavender & Mistletoe by Donna KauffmanAvery Kent refers to herself as a Brain. It is her overall scope that allow her to figure out that there might be something more in the snow when she sees a set of tracks sliding across the road in a skid pattern. But she'll need more than that to rescue the pygmy goat she finds, she'll need a vet.
Ben Chandler is only in town to cover for the regular veterinarian who is traveling for a few months. He also has a big brain and is suitably impressed by Avery, even though she seems to be trying to steer him toward her friend, Cheyenne.
Eventually Avery and Ben end up pairing and finding that they really like each other. But what happens when Avery is tied to her place while Ben is a globe-trotting veterinarian?
This was a fine novella and regular Kauffman readers will enjoy. It was an easy romance but it's a novella so not a lot of development.

Three stars
This book comes out September 24th
ARC kindly provided by

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Hard Body by Renee Roman

Hard Body by Renee Roman
I did not realize that this was a short story when I requested it from NetGalley so I was disappointed at the length. Roman did manage to pack a lot of story into 28 pages when Sharon's crush and roommate, fire fighter Case finally notices her as well. I wish we had gotten more of the story about their longing and glimpses of Case's feelings before this and maybe how the relationship grows but this was a pretty good story.

Three stars
This story came out July 16th
ARC kindly provided by Bold Strokes Books, Inc. and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Merrily Ever After: A Novella by Jenny Holiday

Merrily Ever After by Jenny HolidayElise and Jay are perfect for each other. He doesn't want kids and she can't have any. Except, despite all the odds, Elise is pregnant. And she's terrified about what that's going to mean for their relationship.
Jay doesn't know what's going on but he knows that something is up. His normally loving wife isn't responding the way she normally does. How will he react to the news?
I wish that this had been longer. Elise and Jay were presented as a couple at the beginning of the series so we don't know either's back story very well (maybe they were in a different series?) and that would have helped tremendously with this story. I'm still very much looking forward to finding out what is going on with their model friend, Gia.

Three stars
This novella comes out December 4
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley; opinion is my own

Sunday, November 25, 2018

Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews

Diamond Fire (Hidden Legacy, #3.5)Catalina just wants her sister's wedding to go smoothly. So when her soon-to-be-brother-in-law's mother summons her, Catalina goes. It turns out a family heirloom has been stolen and the only person who could have taken it has to be a family member.
This means that Catalina will have to unleash the power that she's kept under wraps since she was a child. It is a power that she hates to use but she'll do anything for Nevada.
A nice novella and quick read.

Four stars
This novella came out November 6, 2018
Follows Wildfire
Followed by Sapphire Flames
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Saturday, September 29, 2018

Lock, Stock & Jingle Bells by Donna Kauffman

Lock, Stock & Jingle Bells by Donna KauffmanHolly hates the yuletide season more than ever since she inherited her mother’s Christmas novelty store, but her childhood pal Sean’s determined to warm her up - to Christmas and to him. When they uncover a diary concealing secrets involving both their families, this could be the Christmas that changes their lives forever...
Reprinted from a previous anthology, I remembered this story about halfway through. It is much better having read the first in the series and I'm wondering why the publisher didn't just release all three novellas in one book.

Three stars
This novella came out September 25
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Unleashed by Donna Kauffman

Unleashed by Donna KauffmanEmma Lafferty is trying to get her fledgling pet sitting business off the ground. Sitting for for Lionel Hamilton of THE Hamiltons is going to get her into some posh circles. The house is supposed to be completely deserted, not even any of the servants would be there but, out of the storm comes a man. Trevor Hamilton, Lionel's great-nephew to be exact. And he is immediately smitten. The two are trapped in a house, alone, and the power goes out. But why was Trevor there in the first place.
As a novella, the story is restricted by the number of pages. And, ufda, believing that Emma is going to uproot her life for a man she's known for less than 24 hours? Not exactly the movements of a sane person. But it's an okay story nonetheless. If you're a Kaufman fan, you'll enjoy this story.

Three stars
This book comes out September 25th
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Sugar by Lauren Dane

Sugar by Lauren DaneSix years after Gregori and Wren got together, they're finally getting married. Wren was waiting for her career to approach the trajectory of his. Now they're on their way to New York to get married. Except there are storms and they get grounded in Idaho. They decide to road trip it back to Seattle.
A nice story but didn't add much but to the Wren and Gregori story.

Three stars
This novella came out September 10
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Thursday, June 28, 2018

The Risk of Rogues by Sabrina Jeffries

The Risk of Rogues by Sabrina JeffriesHouse parties are a familiar setting for romance readers. In this one, Lord Hartley Corry runs into the woman who has held his heart since they were young enough for their parents' opinion to make a difference. He immediately decides that he's going to corner her and make her love him again.
Lady Anne isn't going to immediately fold. She wants to know a) why Hartley didn't stick around when they were younger, b) why he never got in touch, and c) how he's going to support them now (her inheritance is not as large as it is rumored to be.)
This was an okay story. If it had been longer I wonder if Hartley's insistence on rekindling the romance wouldn't come off as slightly creepy as it did. And Anne's confrontation with his boss just came off as weird and out of place. Even with those detractions, I don't think regular readers will be disappointed.

Three stars
This novella comes out July 2
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

The Good Luck Sister by Jill Shalvis

The Good Luck Sister (Wildstone, #1.5)Tilly Adams hasn't exactly reached the heights that her teenage self had imagined (who does?). Instead of being a famous artist, she's an art teacher. And who's in the front row of her first class? Dylan Scott, her teenage best friend, her first boyfriend, and they guy who walked away without looking back.
Dylan did what he thought was best, in order to give Tilly a better life. And he's pretty sure it worked out. If only he can get Tilly to agree.
Man, I was really hoping for a better story for Tilly. And one for Quinn's (Tilly's sister and heroine of the first book in this series) best friend Skye. As novella's go, this one has the same problems of making you believe that the characters can fall in love in less than 100 pages. And this one has the added pressure of doing it in even fewer since the "current day" story is interspersed with what happened ten years ago.

Three stars
This book comes out May 1st
ARC kindly provided by Edelweiss
Followed by Rainy Day Friends

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

The Lady in Red by Kelly Bowen


The Lady in Red by Kelly BowenFor a novella, this was quite a full story. We get Lady Charlotte Beaumont who cannot be considered a good painter because of her gender. Then there is Flynn Rutledge who has not been considered for the Royal Academy because of his background. When these two each get a chance to work on a job together, Charlotte is first brought in as Charlie. Yes, the method of getting her on the job are a little overly complicated and, yes, there is a bit of an overused plot-line but this was a fast read and very enjoyable.

This novella comes out December 5
Three and a half stars
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Auction Action by Andrew Grey

Auction Action by Andrew  GreyFor a 35 page novella, this was a surprisingly good story. It's two men who meet at an auction. One man wins a painting that the other wants. Then they meet again at a gay bar and enter into a... relationship? Maybe? It's an incredibly short story and I don't go for erotica but for the length, etc. ... not a bad way to spend 15 minutes.

Three and a half stars
This novella comes out November 2
Kindly provided as an ARC from NetGalley

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Holiday Wishes by Jill Shalvis

Holiday Wishes (Heartbreaker Bay, #4.5)In high school, Lotti was the ultimate good girl while Sean was the bad boy. One night, she was trying to comfort him (I guess?) and they lost their virginity to each other. Since then, Sean has pretty much just been bed-hopping while Charlotte (she's grown-up now) has been a serial monogamist.
They've met again because Sean reserved Lotti's B&B as the place to host his brother and all of their friends for his brother's wedding. Now the two are forced together because a giant storm has made all the roads impassible. It also gives them time to get to know one another as adults.
This was pretty good for a novella. There is never enough time for character development or really getting into a romance but it was a light, fun read that fans of Shalvis will enjoy.

Three stars
This novella comes out October 18

Saturday, November 26, 2016

One Sexy Mistake by Sarah Ballance

One Sexy Mistake by Sarah BallanceI haven't read the other books in the series but didn't feel like I missed anything because of it. The book opens with both Olivia and Grady swiping right on Tinder and agreeing to a one night stand. But, since this is a romance novella, there are complications. In the form of a big storm. And the fact that Grady kinda-sorta already knows Olivia but he doesn't tell her that. Or that he helped cost her a job. And the fact that the ending is over-the-top stalker-weirdness. It was a quite lovely novella until then and I liked that Olivia and Grady were forced to get to know each other and that they seemed to have a good connection. But Grady's ideas of romance are not only creepy, they're illegal and took me right out of the story. And, of course, there's the whole "would this book fall apart if these two sat down and talked to each other the answer is yes" issue. 
I will definitely try Ballance again. I just did NOT like this book.

Two and a half stars
This novella comes out on November 28