Wicked Earls’ Christmas anthology – book review

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an e-book I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

I have received a free e-copy of the book Wicked Earls’ Christmas to review. This is a collection of romantic Regency novellas by 10 authors.

Here is the book blurb.

Christmastide has never been more wicked. Join the Wicked Earls’ Club as they celebrate the holidays in a most debacherous fashion and manage to find true love along the way…

Earl of Dryden: A Dangerous lord and a desperate debutante…The Earl of Dryden knows all about the debutante who refuses to speak a word to anyone but he never expected she’d be so lovely, nor did he anticipate that he’d catch her confiding her secrets to a marble statue. Even more surprising, he wants to help her. Which is a mistake. A man like him shouldn’t go anywhere near a woman as lovely as Miss Chloe Finch.

Earl of Kent: A lady is determined to woo a brooding and reclusive earl out of his home for Christmas, only to get snowed in with him.

Earl of Kinross: Marcus Brayden, Earl of Kinross, thought fighting Napoleon on the battlefield was dangerous. But it is nothing to the upheaval caused by Lara Le Brecque, his best friend’s sister, when she climbs over his townhouse wall shortly before Christmas and attempts to sneak into his London home.

Earl of Bergen: Thomas, Earl of Bergen gets delayed on his trip home for Christmastide when he finds an abandoned, cross-eyed donkey who is believed cursed, and meets a lovely widow while trying to find the animal a home. Widowed Lady Elizabeth Newton enjoys her life caring for three children from her late husband’s mistress, as well as helpless animals of every description that have no home. Sparks fly between Bergen and the widow, but can a romance survive the danger that follows the donkey?

Earl of Charm: The Earl of Charm has it all–the title, the wealth, the land. The only one thing he doesn’t have? Charm. Luckily, his great aunt has brought her companion along to celebrate Christmastide. The lovely Miss Lovelace might be plagued by scandal and notoriety, thanks to her family’s downfall, but she knows more than anyone about the art of charm and flirtation. His new instructor makes the ideal practice partner for conversation, and dancing, and…kissing?

Earl of Woodcliffe: What begins as a silly game between girlfriends becomes a dangerous distraction for William, Earl of Woodcliffe. Indulging Lady Mercy’s desire for a kiss could lead to a duel with her brother, or at the very least, the loss of his glorious, hedonistic ways.

The Earl of Edgemore, Blake Fox, does as he pleases and he would not dream of apologizing for it. His only weak spot is his sister, Lady Minerva. Little does he know the minx has matchmaking on her mind and Christmas provides the perfect opportunity.

Earl of Oakhurst: James MacKenzie must face London as the new Earl of Oakhurst. Once there, he discovers an ailing grandmother, cause for a hurried marriage and a beauty who defies convention and sets his passion on fire. Caution: this story contains a meddling grandmother, a match-making mother and a marriage of convenience that goes wildly awry!

Earl of Darby: Miss Hannah Pendleton, nursing her pride after a childhood crush falls for another, hurls herself into the excitement of a first season. Since his wife’s tragic death, the Earl of Darby has cultivated his rakish reputation to deter the matchmaking mamas away. But when Nicholas sees a lovely newcomer being courted by the devil himself, her innocence and candor revive the chivalry buried deep in his soul.

Earl of Scarborough: When a woman desperate for a job saves the life of an earl, both of their plans for the future are thwarted. Neither Ansley, Earl of Scarborough, or Willow Harwood are prepared for the upheaval to their lives when she reluctantly accepts his offer of employment… as his housekeeper. Nor can either predict the mayhem that follows when a lord who disdains society and a country miss with no experience plan a haut ton Christmastide gathering.

The authors are as follows…

Tammy Andresen
Collette Cameron
Lauren Smith
Meara Platt
Maggie Dallen
Amanda Mariel
Madeline Martin
Aubrey Wynne
Anna St. Claire
Aileen Fish

I have previously read, reviewed and enjoyed Earl of Dryden by Tammy Andresen, when it was originally published, so I skipped that one and started with the second story in the anthology, Earl of Kent by Lauren Smith. This is the first story I’ve read by Lauren Smith, but apparently it is also the 11th book in her League of Rogues series. However it worked fine as a stand-alone read.

Phillip, the Earl of Kent was almost killed in a violent attack, but he is nursed back to health by an angel in his delerious dreams. Once conscious again, he discovers this is actually his best friend’s sister, Ella Humphrey. When he can walk again, he runs away from his heart’s desire to become a recluse, as who could love a broken man. Meanwhile Ella who has secretly loved Phillip for years is heart-broken.

A year later Ella is determined to persuade reclusive Phillip to leave his country home to escort her to a Christmas party. She won’t take no for an answer, but they get snowed in at a village inn en-route. Can broken bodies and broken hearts be healed?

A delightful Christmas tale and I’m looking forward to reading the eight other stories. Except for Tammy Andresen, they will mostly be new authors for me, apart from I have read the very short prologue to the original Wicked Earls Club which Maggie Dallen wrote jointly with Tammy.

Wicked Earls’ Christmas is available on Amazon in Kindle format. I believe some of the individual titles are also available in paperback.

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The Perfect Christmas by Annabelle Anders – book review

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an e-book I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

Less than a week before Christmas last year, I received a free e-copy of the book The Perfect Christmas by Annabelle Anders to review. I decided to save it up to read until now, ready to share what I thought of it with you, in plenty of time for this year’s festive season. You may find out more about the author on her website.

Here is the book blurb.

Miss Eliza Cline, a vicar’s sister, has accepted her life as a quiet industrious spinster. Lord Crestwood, the dashing widowed baron, is the rogue from her past. A chance meeting at a Christmas House party presents a second chance for both of them. But Eliza must decide: has the Baron’s unforgivable sin already doomed their love forever? This is a story about forgiveness. Over the course of a lifetime, a person is faced with millions of choices, some more difficult than others. And sometimes, we make the wrong ones.In a world filled with hard consequences, we need grace.

The Perfect Christmas is book 3 in The Not So Saintly Sisters series, but works fine as a stand-alone read too.

I had come across Eliza previously as a minor character  in book 2 of the series, The Perfect Spinster and in this story she is attending a Christmas House party hosted by her dear friend Olivia, the main female character from book 2.

The prologue is set 12 years earlier when Eliza Cline and Henry Fairchild first met. He was a loveable rogue who ruined her. Now taking shelter from the snow at an inn, Eliza bumps into Henry again, along with his teenage children Charlotte and Bartholomew. Their destination is the same as hers, Olivia’s Christmas House party. Eliza is horrified to only discover now that Henry was married when they first met.

Old wounds are reopened and buried feelings reappear as we see both sides of the story. Lies are exposed. Does Eliza now hate Henry? Is it possible to forgive?

The Perfect Christmas is available on Amazon, in paperback or Kindle format. An emotional Christmas tale.

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Taming My Christmas Rogue by Tammy Andresen

Disclosure.  This post is a review of e-books that I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

I have received a free e-copy of the book Taming My Christmas Rogue by Tammy Andresen to review. And I have also received a free e-copy of the book A Lady’s Christmas Rake which is a collection of 6 romantic seasonal stories by various authors including Taming My Christmas Rogue.

Here is the book blurb for Taming My Christmas Rogue.

A roguish lord and an innocent lady…

Lord Andrew Maddox is a rogue of the first order…he’s the last man Dani should want. Yet her eyes are drawn to Drew every time he enters the same room as her, which is often since her family and his are spending Christmastide together. Dani just has to avoid him for a week and then she can go back to her orderly life and her almost husband hunt. Being shy does make it difficult to search. Except for her rakish rogue has other ideas.

Miss Danielle Frazier is far too virtuous for his tastes… so why can’t he stop thinking about her? He must take drastic measures. His plan? Steal one kiss. He likes a woman with a certain amount of knowledge and Dani clearly has none. One botched kiss and he’ll be over this ridiculous infatuation. Except for from the moment their lips touch, nothing goes the way it’s supposed to and kisses under the mistletoe rarely end romantic fantasy. Now Drew has a new problem entirely… for the first time in his life, he might be falling in love.

I already knew when I agreed to review this book, that it was book 11 of the “Taming a Duke’s Heart” series of which I’ve previously read and enjoyed several other titles, books 5, 8 & 10, but when I looked on Amazon, I also discovered that it is book 2 in the Miracle Express series. These are romantic Christmas titles, each written by a different author. This is not the first time that Tammy has been included in a series with other authors. This was also the case with the Wicked Earls Club series.

Lord Andrew Maddox, Drew has been infatuated with Miss Danielle Frazier since the day he first met her the previous spring. He could hardly take his eyes off her, whilst she always looked away and frowned, although she was so kind to everyone else. But now he is going to have see her again for over a week at Christmastide.

Meanwhile Danielle prefers to sit quietly in a corner. She would rather men like Drew didn’t pay attention to her. Those gazes make her feel very uncomfortable. And other eligible bachelors have been invited too. There are Lord Christian Marks and Mr George Keene, both looking for a wife, something Drew certainly isn’t after.

So Drew comes up with a plan of a kiss under the mistletoe. That will surely cure him of this lust, so he can get back to his usual roguish behaviour won’t it?

Taming My Christmas Rogue is available on Amazon, currently priced at £2.34 in Kindle format. A nice Christmas romance from Tammy.

Here are the links to the other titles I’ve read in the Taming A Duke’s Heart series.
book 5 – Taming a Savage Gentleman
book 8 – Taming a Defiant Duke
book 10 – Taming an Unrepentant Earl

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I haven’t had time to read any of the other stories in A Lady’s Christmas Rake yet, but I wanted to share the details with you now, in order to give you the opportunity to check it out yourselves before Christmas.

Here is the book blurb for A Lady’s Christmas Rake.

From USA Today and Bestselling authors comes a hotter than hot historical romance anthology guaranteed to keep you warm and jolly this holiday season.

Taming my Christmas Rogue by Tammy Andresen
Miss Danielle Frazier is far too virtuous for his tastes… so why can’t he stop thinking about her? He must take drastic measures. His plan? Steal one kiss. Except for from the moment their lips touch, nothing goes the way it’s supposed to and kisses under the mistletoe rarely end romantic fantasy. Now Drew has a new problem entirely… for the first time in his life, he might be falling in love.

His Lady Smuggler – by Tamara Gill
May Stanford, lady smuggler is forced to go up against the Earl of Grandison, her father’s guest for Christmas and a man who’s determined to see her and her merry bandits brought to justice.

Christmas Seduction by Samantha Holt
In a time when arranged marriages had little to do with love, Alexander
never expected a love match. Neither did Emma–but she had hoped for more
than being abandoned instantly! However, Alexander is back and if there is
ever a time for romance and second chances, it’s Christmas.

Winter Wishes by Scarlett Scott
A duke in need of a bride meets his match in a lady who has no intention of becoming his duchess. Will their hearts find love before Christmas?

Devil at the Gates by Lauren Smith
A duke with a dark past rescues a the daughter of a fencing master. What begins as a battle of wills becomes a battle of heart as Christmas works its magic.

An Unwelcome Proposal by Bree Wolf

A chance encounter. An unexpected proposal. And an undeniable love.
All his life, WESLEY EVERETT has watched other men fall in love. Now, when he finally does find a woman who brings a flutter to his heart, she could not be less interested. Will Wesley take ‘no’ for an answer? Or will he be able to convince Christine that marriage is far from boring?

A Lady’s Christmas Rake is newly published today on Amazon, currently priced at £3.24 in Kindle format. I notice that it also includes a title by Scarlett Scott. I’ve previously enjoyed reading Her Deceptive Duke by this author. The other four authors will be new to me.

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About the author

USA Today Bestselling Author, Tammy Andresen lives with her husband and three children just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up on the Seacoast of Maine, where she spent countless days dreaming up stories in blueberry fields and among the scrub pines that line the coast. Her mother loved to spin a yarn and Tammy filled many hours listening to her mother retell the classics. It was inevitable that at the age of 18, she headed off to Simmons College, where she studied English literature and education. She never left Massachusetts but some of her heart still resides in Maine and her family visits often.

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An eco Christmas Gift Guide ad

Disclosure.  This post mentions products I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.
This post is classed as an advert because I have been requested to include a specific URL

It is getting to that time of year to start thinking about Christmas presents, so I would like to share some of my gift guide ideas. Regular readers will know that I’ve tried to adopt a much more sustainable philosophy this year, so I’ve been keeping an eye out whenever I’ve been in the charity shops. I’ve got quite a few toys, games and books as stocking fillers for the boys. Some of them even look brand new. Of course I still plan to get them at least one thing that they each specifically request.

However you can also get some nice new sustainable gifts and when I was browsing the cookware section of the Sous Chef website, I discovered some great finds, which they kindly sent me for free. First up is this fab Himalayan salt plate. It comes in two sizes and this is the smaller 21cm x 10 cm. Salt is naturally antibacterial, so there is no need to use soap to clean the plate. Just wipe with a damp cloth, and dry well before storing. You can heat the plate in the oven or chill it in the freezer, and it will season the food you are serving on it. Just imagine frying scallops on it or using it to serve your caramel ice cream. What a wow factor at the table!

And for the gardener in your life, there is a great range of grow your own products. I chose these grow in the bag Towering Sunflowers and Gigantically Good Dinosaur Kale (cavolo nero). The instructions on the reverse indicate that you start the seeds off in the natural biodegradable jute bag, then transplant the whole thing outside to mature. See I’m also thinking about the bees with the sunflowers, as I had been contemplating making my own bee bombs.

I’m planning to make some homemade foodie gifts for the extended family, so the final two items I chose from the cookware range are early Xmas gifts to myself to assist in that process. There is a large Cook’s Muslin Square 93cm x 100cm that I’m hoping to use to strain jellies and steam Christmas puddings. Two things I’ve never tried previously, but I can remember as a child watching my mum tie her jelly bag onto a kitchen drawer handle overnight when making crab apple jelly. You never know, I might even try making my own cheese with it. Muslin is a natural fabric which can be washed and reused time after time.

And after any cooking, there is the cleaning afterwards, which is where this copper washing up sponge will come in very handy. It is made by Andrée Jardin, a traditional French family business where everything is produced in small batches, using artisanal techniques. The company’s motto is Simplicity, Quality, Sustainability.

Do take a look at the Sous Chef site here https://www.souschef.co.uk/collections/cookware. There are so many more fabulous items. I’ve got my eye on the dehydrator. It would be great to make my homemade fruit snacks and vegetable crisps, avoiding all the plastic packaging that they tend to be sold in. The trays are stainless steel, so no need to worry about toxins from plastic either.

My other big sustainable gift suggestion is to give someone a memory. I’m thinking of paying the entry fee for a swimming race for my partner, but it could be buying a membership of say Woodland Trust or adopting an endangered animal via WWF or tickets to an event. The list is endless.

I’d love to hear what you would like to give or receive for Christmas. I’m especially looking forward to hearing about sustainable ideas.

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Jewellery box giveaway for Christmas

Disclosure.  Although I am hosting this giveaway, I have not received any products.  All opinions are my own.

Now that we are in November, I hope it is okay for me to mention the C word. Are you starting to think about Christmas presents? Well if you’re looking for the ideal gift for a special person in your life, then read on for details of a great prize.

I’m hosting a giveaway to win a fabulous 8-layer large white jewellery box with plenty of space to store rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets and watches, keeping them all organised. This is a sturdy wooden box with a synthetic leather cover and soft velvet lining, which currently retails on Amazon for £56.99.

This prize is supplied by Songmics, who specialise in a variety of storage items including the ottoman that I reviewed a couple of years ago.

a Rafflecopter giveaway – Please click on the link to enter.

And you may see my other giveaways here.

I’d love to hear what you would like to give or receive for Christmas.

Plus more chances to be lucky every day with Songmics early Xmas Advent Calendar giveaway which is already live! No need to wait until December for Advent to begin this year.

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Braised Red Cabbage

Until a few months ago, I had never tried making this, but it really is a tempting dish for winter and such a vibrant splash of colour on the plate too. Previously I always used to buy it from Cook, but so pleased that I can make it myself now, as I’m aiming to buy less ready-made products. I’ve now made it several times, including as one of the side dishes for our Christmas dinner.

Braised Red Cabbage (serves 4-6 as a side dish)

Ingredients

half a red cabbage
2 rashers of bacon
1 medium onion
1 eating apple
2 tbsp olive oil
75ml balsamic vinegar

Method

Chop the red cabbage into small chunks.
Cut the bacon into small pieces.
Peel and chop the onion into small pieces.
Gently heat olive oil in a large saucepan.
Add bacon and cook for about 2 minutes.
Add onion and cover saucepan with lid.
Cook for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile peel and core the apple, then cut into small pieces.
Add red cabbage, apple and vinegar.
Cover saucepan with lid again.
Simmer gently for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
Serve hot as a side dish.

This tastes delicious. Real comfort food for winter.

Also this can be made ahead of schedule if desired, and will keep for a few days in the fridge. It can then be reheated.

I’d love to hear about your favourite comfort foods?

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Creamed Spinach

I decided not to buy any sprouts for Christmas dinner this year. I’m the only one in the household who eats them anyhow and I’d already had some at the works canteen Christmas lunch. But as I headed to bed on Christmas Eve, thinking about the cooking preparations I had already done, I just fancied the idea of something else green on the plate. Too late to purchase a few sprouts now, I decided to resort to spinach from the freezer. I was planning to see if I could make my own version of the creamed spinach side dishes that I have previously enjoyed at Italian restaurants. Hopefully it was not too ambitious to try to make something new on Christmas Day, when I already have a packed schedule of running, then cooking planned for the big day.

So this is what I came up with. I only made a small quantity as I was cooking lots of other side dishes too.

Creamed Spinach

Ingredients

200g frozen spinach
15g butter
15g wholewheat plain flour
100ml crème fraîche
30g cheddar
salt and pepper

Method

Defrost the spinach in a sieve above a bowl, at room temperature, a couple of hours earlier.
Once defrosted, use a fork to squeeze the liquid out of the spinach, reserving this for later use.
Grate the cheese.
Melt the butter in a saucepan.
Stir in the flour to form a paste.
Stir in the liquid squeezed from the spinach.
Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in the spinach and crème fraîche.
Stir in the grated cheese.
Serve hot as a side dish.

It tasted delicious, and son1 thought so too. What a result as he certainly wouldn’t have touched a sprout, but he had seconds of this.

I’d love to hear what dishes you have added to a menu at the last minute?

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Homemade sugar-free Cranberry Sauce

Over the last few months I’ve been trying to reduce my sugar intake, but of course that is going to be much more difficult over the Christmas period with all the tempting seasonal goodies. I wrote a note on my amazon wishlist, requesting everyone to not buy me any sweet treats, as I usually seem to end up with a lot of fudge and chocolate gifts for Christmas. I am hoping they respect my request. I still plan to indulge on Xmas pud, mince pies and Xmas cake, all with the regular sugar hit. I’m not ready to skip sugar entirely.

In the past, I’ve always bought a jar of cranberry sauce, but I took a look at the listed ingredients and saw it was only 45% cranberries, with the second highest ingredient being sugar followed by water. So I put it back on the shelf, thinking it was one trimming we could skip.

However when I spotted fresh cranberries for sale at our local farm shop, I thought why not give them a try. Son2 immediately asked for one, as he is very fond of dried cranberries, so I gave him one before trying myself. Big mistake, as we found they are quite bitter raw. I was quite surprised and checked our dried cranberry packet for comparison, at which point I discovered that those are sweetened with apple juice concentrate. I never realised that before.

So I knew that I would need to sweeten the cranberries with something, but not sugar. So the following is the recipe I came up with.

Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

200g cranberries
zest and juice of 1 large orange
30g agave nectar

Method

Wash the cranberries.
Grate the zest of the orange and squeeze the juice.
Add all ingredients to a saucepan.
Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
Heat gently for about 5 more minutes until all the cranberries have popped and the sauce has thickened.
Allow to cool.
Serve with turkey.

This can be made ahead of schedule and will keep for a few days in the fridge. It can even be frozen and then defrosted.

It tasted delicious, with the orange flavour really complimenting the cranberries. So much nicer than a shop-bought jar. Pity that fresh cranberries are only seen in the shops at this time of year, as this sauce would make an ideal substitute for jam.

I’d love to hear what food preparations you do ahead of Christmas?

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12 Days of Clink Street – Uberdacious by Simone Santivari

I love taking part in book tours but when I was offered free rein to select any book of my my choice from Clink Street Publishing, it was a bit like being handed a blank cheque. I am used to being asked if I wish to review a particular title, but this time there were nearly 500 titles to choose between! I decided to narrow it down to one genre, namely food and drink, from which I selected Uberdacious: Eat Yourself Healthy by Simone Santivari.

Here is the book blurb.

Simone Santivari has a passion for food and healthy living that inspires everyone around her.

Uberdacious: Eat Yourself Healthy is the culmination of thirty years of fun and culinary creation in her kitchen, exploring the possibilities for a predominantly macrobiotic diet. Her cooking uses simple whole foods and largely organic ingredients, removing refined products and using only natural sugars, like fruit.

Much of Simone’s approach has been inspired by her loving husband, James, who has multiple sclerosis, and for whom Simone always strives to develop the best dishes to support James’s health and wellbeing. Anyone wishing to take responsibility for their own health will benefit from Simone’s approach. Her simple but delicious recipes and snacks are accompanied by advice and information on natural remedies and holistic treatments.

Stories about food, life and Simone’s great loves are dotted throughout this vibrant cook book, and Simone hopes that her recipes and approach to healthy living will help every reader become even more Uberdacious!

When I chose this book after reading the blurb, I assumed it would be mainly recipes with the stories interspersed. However I found that the recipes don’t start until over halfway through the book after following Simone’s life-story. This was fascinating to read, as Simone has certainly led an interesting life, although sad to hear about Simone’s husband James being diagnosed with MS. And I’m sure those of my followers who love entering my giveaways will be interested to hear that Simone tells of her lucky competition wins including 3 holidays.

And then the recipe section also contains lots of healthy eating tips. I’ve sometimes thought about buying flours other than white or wholemeal, but never really known where to start. The book has now introduced me to black and red rice which I had never heard of, so I shall be looking out for those in the shops. Lots more products that I have never heard of, but I’ve now bought a jar of St Dalfour jam, which is just sweetened with apple juice. Plus there is a natural remedies section after the recipes.

Uberdacious is available on Amazon, currently priced at £9.99 in paperback and is also available in Kindle format. A great book which has certainly opened my eyes to healthy eating ideas. Although a shame that the e-version of the book didn’t include the cookery illustrations which are in the paperback.

I have tried out the Crunchy Wholewheat and Oat Biscuits recipe from the book. This is a sugar-free recipe which can also be adapted to gluten-free if desired. Ideal for me, as I’m trying to reduce my sugar intake, although I only wish to replace with natural alternatives and avoid the likes of aspartame.

Son1 did comment that they were rather plain and son2 who usually always raids the biscuit jar has been eating these much slower. To me, this is a great result, as my aim is to reduce their sugar intake as well as my own, but because it is a gradual path, I probably need to use more agave syrup temporarily until their palates adjust.

Now that we are into December, I’m planning to try out Simone’s mince pie recipe next.

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I’m participating in the 12 Days of Clink Street Christmas blogival. Do take time to browse round some of the other posts, which cover a wide range of reading matter.

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Disclosure. This post is a review of an e-book I was sent for free. All opinions are my own.

The Christmas Wish by Engy Neville

As we head into December I love to read Christmas stories. So I was delighted to receive a free e-copy of the book A Christmas Wish (A Manhattan Dream) by Engy Neville to review. You may find out more about the author on her website.

Here is the book blurb.

Amy McKinsey is living her dream. In Manhattan. Working for one of the most popular lifestyle magazines in the country. Dating the perfect man, Richie Hendricks, III.
Her charmed life couldn’t be better. Christmas was gearing up to be everything she hoped for and more.
Until everything falls apart.
The dream job becomes a battle to the death when her old nemesis—and former boss—joins the team, determined to ruin her. Worse, her perfect man all but disappears when he’s forced to take over the family business.
What else could life possibly throw in her path?
In this touching and inspirational story, Amy must learn that true happiness lies in unexpected places, and only she can forge her own destiny.

Once I started reading this book, I realised it was the second title in the Manhattan Dream series, but it works well as a stand-alone read.

Although mainly a Christmas story, it starts in the summer when Amy is on holiday with her friends Megan and Miranda. There she meets Richie on the beach and they start dating. Romance blossoms as they head towards Christmas, although they don’t see too much of each other, due to Richie’s long work hours. Meanwhile Amy is enjoying her new job, until she hears they are recruiting Sarah, who made her previous job unbearable. Is it going to be the same again? And will Amy get her Christmas wish?

I love Christmas stories and this was no exception. The sections where we hear about Amy’s dream featuring Mrs Claus and the similarities in her life immediately made me think it would make a great Christmas film. And of course, like every great Christmas story, there were sections where I was in floods of tears.

A Christmas Wish is available on Amazon, currently priced at £2.31 in Kindle format and is also available in paperback. A delightful Christmas tale. And I’d definitely like to read the first title Fool’s Luck too.

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About the author

Engy has been writing for as long as she can remember. From keeping a journal to writing short stories and novels, she loves the creative process in its entirety. One of her favorite things about writing, after dreaming up a character, is when the dialogue begins to form in her head. She can’t begin to describe the feeling of euphoria that engulfs her when the characters come alive in her head and the story begins to take shape, making its own turns and twists.

As a young girl, she used to imagine herself in the pages of her favorite books. Anne of Green Gables and The Secret Garden were her absolute favorites and she has read the books a gazillion times without tiring of the story. Lately, she finds herself getting lost in the pages of her own stories, more fun than she ever imagined.

She hope that her books provide the same wonderful escape for you as other books have done for her.

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Disclosure.  This post is a review of an e-book I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.