A Season to Celebrate

This review is for Kate Pearce's novella, An Unexpected Gift. While I have read all the other Morgan novels and LOVED them, this novella was not my favorite. Billy Morgan, the patriarch of the Morgan family, has a troubled past. Having been accused in the murder of his wife, disappearance of his daughter, then drowning his sorrows in the bottle, the recovering alcoholic deserves his HEA! I just pictured him as being more "alpha", than wimp. After rescuing Bella from an upset ex-employee, one would think he'd be "tough", but not so much. He and Bella's banter was so cheesy. If my parents spoke like that, I'd die laughing. It just didn't seem to "fit" with the rest of the Morgan series. I did appreciate their work ethic and care they showed to their family's. This just wasn't the novella for me. I do recommend the rest of the novels in the Morgan series! I read a gifted copy and all opinions stated are my own.

I must admit I wanted to read this initially because of Donna Kauffman's story and a lovely addition to the wonderful Blue Hollow Falls series, but all these short stories were very enjoyable and the cover was just beautiful, so Christmassy! CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING by Fern Michaels - 3 stars This was a very sweet Christmas story that I enjoyed, although it did verge on the too sweet side on occasions for me. Kevin is back in town working at his parents Christmas tree ranch after being invalided out of the Air Force and Kate and her daughter have just moved to town. Kate is a surgeon and looking for a new start after her divorce. They soon bump into each other and feel attracted to one another. It did feel a bit rushed for me though, for instance Kevin got put out when he called around to Kate's house and she had another guy there (an old friend), even though they'd only just met each other and hadn't even talked about dating. Equally Kate jumped to conclusions when she saw Kevin coming out of the house of a woman she knew was married and just assumed something was going on between them. So a bit far fetched at times, probably because it's a short story, but enjoyable nonetheless. AN UNEXPECTED GIFT by Kate Pearce - 5 stars I really enjoyed this story about two people, Billy and Bella, who were both in their fifties and had older children. They had been friends since they were very young and each had married and had children, with various issues along the way, but both are now single. The setting sounded lovely (The Morgan Ranch) and even though this is in the middle of this series it didn't detract from the story, in fact it made me want to read the rest of the series. Very enjoyable. CHRISTMAS IN BLUE HOLLOW FALLS by Donna Kauffman - 5 stars I must admit this story is the one that drew me to this anthology in the first place as I've absolutely loved all the Blue Hollow series so far so this was a definite read in my case. Even though I wish this had been a full-length book I absolutely loved it. Hudson and Moira were such a lovely couple. Moira was in Blue Hollow Falls for her brother's wedding and Hudson is an Aussie chef working in The Falls. Hudson rescues Moira from a nasty guy in the bar who then tries to sue him after a brawl breaks out, and Moira advises him as she is an attorney. Great chemistry between them! The ending was just so lovely. This was definitely my favourite of the anthology. HOLIDAY HOMERUN by Priscilla Oliveiras - 4 stars This was a very enjoyable story set around a Christmas charity event. Julia is helping organise the event, and hoping to move to Chicago from Puerto Rico on a more permanent basis if she's offered a job (and can get away from her over-protective family), especially as she has other family there too. Ben is a famous retired baseball player who is helping out with the charity event. Julia doesn't want to get involved with him as she's trying to concentrate on her career, but of course love gets in the way! Very enjoyable. I've read another full-length book in this series and the Fernandez family are great fun.

CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING Fern Michaels 4 Stars Former Air Force Pararescueman Kevin Matthews is back home in Texas, working at his family’s Christmas tree farm while deciding his next move. Or maybe he won’t move at all, if sparks keep flying with the town’s new surgeon, Kate Stafford. I can’t believe this is the first story I’ve read from the author, I really enjoyed it & look forward to reading more from her. AN UNEXPECTED GIFT Kate Pearce 4.5 Stars Widower Billy Morgan has returned after years away & wishes his grown children still needed him. Good thing his long time friend, Bella, does. She’s planning a Christmas celebration for her son’s wedding as he married in Vegas. Billy is more than happy to help. If you love the Morgan boys then you won’t want to miss this delightful short story. Billy & Bella have been friends for decades but things change after a thank you kiss. Well written, great characters, well paced everything I expect, it was different in that Billy & Bella are in their 50’s with grown children. CHRISTMAS IN BLUE HOLLOW FALLS Donna Kauffman 4 Stars Attorney Moira Brogan expects her brother’s Christmas wedding to be a peaceful affair. She doesn’t expect to be cornered by an unwanted lothario, rescued by a gorgeous Aussie chef—or be swept off her feet by said chef. Nursing a broken heart, the last thing she wants is a new romance. But Hudson Walker has other ideas . Another new author to me, it took me a while to ‘get into’ this novella. I think if I’d read other books in the series then it would have been easier. However it did whet my appetite enough to search our more from the author. HOLIDAY HOMERUN Priscilla Oliveras 3 Stars Event planner Julia Louisa Fernandez dreams of a life in Chicago. But her family in Puerto Rico expects her to take over the catering business. Former pro baseball player Ben Thomas knows what that’s like—and when they meet, he might be the one to inspire a winning strategy, just in time for the holidays. Another enjoyable read & ideal for whiling away a couple of hours. I found my interest waning at times so for me the length was about right. Four engaging short stories, I read each one in a sitting. Kate Pearce is a must read author for me & her story was the icing on the cake in this anthology & I must admit the reason for reading it. However I was delighted with the other novellas from three new to me authors who I’ll certainly be reading more of. My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read