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jbarr5's review
5.0
A Winter Wonderland by Fern Michaels, Holly Chamberlin, Leslie Meier, Kristina Mcmorris
ISBN: 9781420121445
Four stories about Christmas holiday season and from such well -known authors. What a treat!
A Winter Wonderland by Fern Michaels
Angelica Shepard not only is in off off Broadway shows but has to work at the nightclub tending bar to make ends meet before her big break.
Her agent called and she didn't get the job on the show and told her to take a holiday out west, skiing.
Dr. Parker North had just lost a little girl from a traumatic accident. He was seriously thinking of another career.
She's arrived at the cabin before midnight and missed the major blizzard, so far.
He's left town on his way to his friend's ski resort and should arrive by midnight.
She ends up giving him a ride to the penthouse condo and they don't hit it off. In her cabin she puts up a tree that is sitting there with ornaments, all are angels.
Although I've never been to Colorado I think I'm in for a treat with the skiing they plan to do, very detailed in some tips.
The ski accident brings him to her side and to the nearest hospital-the one he is the neurosurgeon for. She remembers seeing an angel as she was coming out of the blackout.
.
The Joy of Christmas by Holly Chamberlin
Iris is just not into Christmas but went with Bess Wallis to the museum for the traditional carols. Her mother had passed away at the holidays.
Portland, Maine: Ben Tresch works at the museum.
Iris Karr has a studio where she designs jewelry among 40 other artists of all kinds.
Her mother was a scultopist before she had passed away and her wish was for Iris to marry before she died.
Love that DiMillo's floating ferry/restaurant is mentioned in this book as a place for Ben and Iris to meet to clear the air after they separated and live in the same section of town.
This place is the reason we still travel to Portland, Maine at least once a year.
Bess is able to draw out of Iris what happened with her and her mother and lent his ear..
Her friends try to get her out of her depressing mood as the holiday approaches..
Love the area and the detailed descriptions of the places in the city and with the love story this is a great book to read..
.
The Christmas Thief by Leslie Meier
Toni Leone and Elizabeth Stone are everything a fashionista is and they love to shop the best.
They both work at the Cavendish hotel chains, the hotel in Florida. Elizabeth can't wait to get back to Maine for the Christmas holidays, snow, cold and roaring fire with relatives.
Problem is in 2 weeks time a huge multimillion dollar family and guests will descend upon the hotel for holiday events. This means no trip to Maine but Elizabeth gets a promotion for several weeks as one is on sick leave.
Elizabeth meets Chris Kennedy and from what he's told her she thinks he's one of THE kennedy's from MA. She had helped him with some information and he bought her dinner in return.
So cool to hear of the riches and how the rich do live.
Love hearing of comparable charity events in Maine, I'd be with them vs the huge party where females get $1k ring.
Toni is rather miffed at not being able to make a delivery to a special guest and warns Elizaebeth she will get even with her.
The jewelry heist takes place and Elizabeth is blamed and her friend Chris.
To help her relax she swims at her complex pool. When she gets out of the pool, she has visitors and they are there to help her. Love how they go about trying to solve the mystery of who took the jewels.
Love this type of mystery book and will be looking for more from the author, especially because of the location-Tinker Cove in Maine.
.
The Christmas Collector by Kristina Mcmorris
I have read other books by this author and they are great!
Love hearing of the homemade doily and it's purpose.
Jenna Matthews spends what time she has with her mother.
Reece Porter is just back from London and at his girlfriend's Thanksgiving dinner, on the porch taking a break from all the noise and traditions.
Jenna is inventorying Mrs. Porters books and other collections and finds some old WW2 photos and she's told to just toss them out but Jenna thinks they should be kept.
Mrs. Porter is back at her house after spending some time at her son's house in the basement til it flooded. Her family wants her to sell the big old house.
Reece is upset when he finds Jenna is doing the inventory, dividing his grandmother's things into bags to throw away or keep or donate.
Jenna's mother also has a love interest-at her age and that upsets Jenna.
A medical emergency brings them working to help the older woman.
Love the mystery Jenna is able to uncover and the secrets Reece has hidden away for so long...
Priceless: what the women used their helmets for, in a pinch. Love hearing these types of tips and stories.
ISBN: 9781420121445
Four stories about Christmas holiday season and from such well -known authors. What a treat!
A Winter Wonderland by Fern Michaels
Angelica Shepard not only is in off off Broadway shows but has to work at the nightclub tending bar to make ends meet before her big break.
Her agent called and she didn't get the job on the show and told her to take a holiday out west, skiing.
Dr. Parker North had just lost a little girl from a traumatic accident. He was seriously thinking of another career.
She's arrived at the cabin before midnight and missed the major blizzard, so far.
He's left town on his way to his friend's ski resort and should arrive by midnight.
She ends up giving him a ride to the penthouse condo and they don't hit it off. In her cabin she puts up a tree that is sitting there with ornaments, all are angels.
Although I've never been to Colorado I think I'm in for a treat with the skiing they plan to do, very detailed in some tips.
The ski accident brings him to her side and to the nearest hospital-the one he is the neurosurgeon for. She remembers seeing an angel as she was coming out of the blackout.
.
The Joy of Christmas by Holly Chamberlin
Iris is just not into Christmas but went with Bess Wallis to the museum for the traditional carols. Her mother had passed away at the holidays.
Portland, Maine: Ben Tresch works at the museum.
Iris Karr has a studio where she designs jewelry among 40 other artists of all kinds.
Her mother was a scultopist before she had passed away and her wish was for Iris to marry before she died.
Love that DiMillo's floating ferry/restaurant is mentioned in this book as a place for Ben and Iris to meet to clear the air after they separated and live in the same section of town.
This place is the reason we still travel to Portland, Maine at least once a year.
Bess is able to draw out of Iris what happened with her and her mother and lent his ear..
Her friends try to get her out of her depressing mood as the holiday approaches..
Love the area and the detailed descriptions of the places in the city and with the love story this is a great book to read..
.
The Christmas Thief by Leslie Meier
Toni Leone and Elizabeth Stone are everything a fashionista is and they love to shop the best.
They both work at the Cavendish hotel chains, the hotel in Florida. Elizabeth can't wait to get back to Maine for the Christmas holidays, snow, cold and roaring fire with relatives.
Problem is in 2 weeks time a huge multimillion dollar family and guests will descend upon the hotel for holiday events. This means no trip to Maine but Elizabeth gets a promotion for several weeks as one is on sick leave.
Elizabeth meets Chris Kennedy and from what he's told her she thinks he's one of THE kennedy's from MA. She had helped him with some information and he bought her dinner in return.
So cool to hear of the riches and how the rich do live.
Love hearing of comparable charity events in Maine, I'd be with them vs the huge party where females get $1k ring.
Toni is rather miffed at not being able to make a delivery to a special guest and warns Elizaebeth she will get even with her.
The jewelry heist takes place and Elizabeth is blamed and her friend Chris.
To help her relax she swims at her complex pool. When she gets out of the pool, she has visitors and they are there to help her. Love how they go about trying to solve the mystery of who took the jewels.
Love this type of mystery book and will be looking for more from the author, especially because of the location-Tinker Cove in Maine.
.
The Christmas Collector by Kristina Mcmorris
I have read other books by this author and they are great!
Love hearing of the homemade doily and it's purpose.
Jenna Matthews spends what time she has with her mother.
Reece Porter is just back from London and at his girlfriend's Thanksgiving dinner, on the porch taking a break from all the noise and traditions.
Jenna is inventorying Mrs. Porters books and other collections and finds some old WW2 photos and she's told to just toss them out but Jenna thinks they should be kept.
Mrs. Porter is back at her house after spending some time at her son's house in the basement til it flooded. Her family wants her to sell the big old house.
Reece is upset when he finds Jenna is doing the inventory, dividing his grandmother's things into bags to throw away or keep or donate.
Jenna's mother also has a love interest-at her age and that upsets Jenna.
A medical emergency brings them working to help the older woman.
Love the mystery Jenna is able to uncover and the secrets Reece has hidden away for so long...
Priceless: what the women used their helmets for, in a pinch. Love hearing these types of tips and stories.
blodeuedd's review
2.0
“A Winter Wonderland” by Fern Michaels
Wow, talk about instalove! I know it's a novella, but wait..they met...they talked for a few secs the next day...then they were in love?
Omg so insta.
This one had a case of needed to be longer. Needed some meat on the bones. It could have made a cheesy hallmark movie for sure.
“The Joy of Christmas” by Holly Chamberlin
Sad fact, but it was so boring, snooze alert.
“The Christmas Thief” by Leslie Meier
She should change jobs and make new friends...just saying.
A theft at the hotel!....at the end, so before that the book is about man meeting woman.
“The Christmas Collector” by Kristina McMorris
I finished this one yesterday...and I have forgotten what it was about. It must have been really bad
All in all a meh anthology
Wow, talk about instalove! I know it's a novella, but wait..they met...they talked for a few secs the next day...then they were in love?
Omg so insta.
This one had a case of needed to be longer. Needed some meat on the bones. It could have made a cheesy hallmark movie for sure.
“The Joy of Christmas” by Holly Chamberlin
Sad fact, but it was so boring, snooze alert.
“The Christmas Thief” by Leslie Meier
She should change jobs and make new friends...just saying.
A theft at the hotel!....at the end, so before that the book is about man meeting woman.
“The Christmas Collector” by Kristina McMorris
I finished this one yesterday...and I have forgotten what it was about. It must have been really bad
All in all a meh anthology
linyarai's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
impybelle's review
3.0
One of these stories is not like the others. And that would be Leslie Meier's "The Christmas Thief" which is a mystery thrown in with a bit of a love story whereas the other three stories are meant to be more romances than anything else. I think. I started with the first Elizabeth Stone mini-mystery and found it quite cute, but I'm also a fan of the Lucy Stone mysteries.
Then I went back and read the other three stories.
"A Winter Wonderland" by Fern Michaels is easily my least favorite of the bunch. It's too short and a good chunk of the story is spent obsessing over children riding bikes without helmets. (Yes, I'm serious.) While you know, on some level, you're supposed to root for these two crazy not-really kids to fall in love, I... didn't really care about much of anything in the story aside from wanting to rent out cabins and things and over the holidays have boxes of decorations for the renters to decorate with. Yeah, I'm putting this down as a miss.
"The Joy of Christmas” by Holly Chamberlin is the longest story, and probably the darkest considering that the main character is still reeling from the decisions she made in the wake of her mother's death. The moment you find out she ditched her longtime boyfriend and moved away only for him to turn up, ding! You know how it's going to end, though that doesn't keep the journey from being interesting enough. I do wish her friends had stopped being polite and shocked her back into the land of the living a little sooner but your mileage may vary.
Finally, we have “The Christmas Collector” by Kristina McMorris. It's a bit all over the map. Sometimes I really liked it and sometimes I really wanted to shake Jenna, particularly whenever she was on her soap box concerning Stuff. Parts felt a bit rushed and other sections were just right.
Then I went back and read the other three stories.
"A Winter Wonderland" by Fern Michaels is easily my least favorite of the bunch. It's too short and a good chunk of the story is spent obsessing over children riding bikes without helmets. (Yes, I'm serious.) While you know, on some level, you're supposed to root for these two crazy not-really kids to fall in love, I... didn't really care about much of anything in the story aside from wanting to rent out cabins and things and over the holidays have boxes of decorations for the renters to decorate with. Yeah, I'm putting this down as a miss.
"The Joy of Christmas” by Holly Chamberlin is the longest story, and probably the darkest considering that the main character is still reeling from the decisions she made in the wake of her mother's death. The moment you find out she ditched her longtime boyfriend and moved away only for him to turn up, ding! You know how it's going to end, though that doesn't keep the journey from being interesting enough. I do wish her friends had stopped being polite and shocked her back into the land of the living a little sooner but your mileage may vary.
Finally, we have “The Christmas Collector” by Kristina McMorris. It's a bit all over the map. Sometimes I really liked it and sometimes I really wanted to shake Jenna, particularly whenever she was on her soap box concerning Stuff. Parts felt a bit rushed and other sections were just right.
katkinney's review
4.0
A cozy collection of Christmas novellas by some of my favorite authors! In the first story, a struggling actress and a surgeon having doubts about his career travel separately to Colorado for time off at a ski resort. In Leslie Meier’s story, Elizabeth Stone, Lucy’s adult daughter, is working at a resort down in Florida and has been promoted to an important position. But when something is stolen and Elizabeth may be implicated, can Elizabeth and Lucy find the real thief? I always love Lucy Stone books and novellas and this one featuring Elizabeth was especially fun.
connieholladay's review
1.0
Someone I work with gave me this to read and it was not my thing. I found the stories boring and not well put together!
daybreak1012's review
3.0
Full disclosure: I only read The Christmas Thief by Leslie Meier because this holiday novella is part of the Lucy Stone Mysteries.
What I liked about The Christmas Thief:
Felt predictable but actually wasn't! - I honestly thought I had a couple of details pegged early on and again throughout the story. I was actually completely wrong! That was unexpected.
Different setting - I did like the freshness due to the new location. Additionally, having Elizabeth take center stage for a bit was a nice change of pace. Since she's relocated as a young adult, we don't get much from her character anymore, outside of the occasional mention, phone call, or brief visit. I also liked that this was a different kind of case than Lucy typically solves. And finally the surprise that we got to add an additional beloved character to the mix.
Some unexpected fun with the cast of characters - I have to say, it was kind of fun trying to guess which guests were inspired by actual celebrities.
What I didn't care for:
It's length - I know, I know, it's a novella, it's supposed to be short. I still wish it had gotten about another 20 pages, just to flesh out the characters a little more and maybe give a little less of an abrupt resolution. Novellas can be a tough sell for me. I enjoy the time with the characters but if it isn't paced just right, I finish feeling like I got an incomplete experience.
A final thought that bewildered me: Was a fashion icon *really* going to pair a hot pink evening gown with the showcased ruby-and-emerald jewelry collections?? Just reading that hurts my eyes. Ick!
Overall, it was a fast, festive read, and I am almost always glad I don't skip them. You just never know how these little side stories might give some interesting background or advance the overall story arc for the characters! I'll be seeing you back in Tinker's Cove soon, Lucy!
What I liked about The Christmas Thief:
Felt predictable but actually wasn't! - I honestly thought I had a couple of details pegged early on and again throughout the story. I was actually completely wrong! That was unexpected.
Different setting - I did like the freshness due to the new location. Additionally, having Elizabeth take center stage for a bit was a nice change of pace. Since she's relocated as a young adult, we don't get much from her character anymore, outside of the occasional mention, phone call, or brief visit. I also liked that this was a different kind of case than Lucy typically solves. And finally the surprise that we got to add an additional beloved character to the mix.
Some unexpected fun with the cast of characters - I have to say, it was kind of fun trying to guess which guests were inspired by actual celebrities.
What I didn't care for:
It's length - I know, I know, it's a novella, it's supposed to be short. I still wish it had gotten about another 20 pages, just to flesh out the characters a little more and maybe give a little less of an abrupt resolution. Novellas can be a tough sell for me. I enjoy the time with the characters but if it isn't paced just right, I finish feeling like I got an incomplete experience.
A final thought that bewildered me: Was a fashion icon *really* going to pair a hot pink evening gown with the showcased ruby-and-emerald jewelry collections?? Just reading that hurts my eyes. Ick!
Overall, it was a fast, festive read, and I am almost always glad I don't skip them. You just never know how these little side stories might give some interesting background or advance the overall story arc for the characters! I'll be seeing you back in Tinker's Cove soon, Lucy!
janels03's review
4.0
Only read 'The Christmas Thief' so far to continue Leslie Meier's Lucy Stone Mystery series. Was a good novella.
misswinchester84's review
4.0
Short Fun stories
1. Winter Wonderland:
Short sweet love story it seemed rushed and too short. The concept would have been better as a novel or novella. Christmas seemed to be more of a back drop than a christmas story I felt it suited as a winter story. The story was a cute breeze sweet romance.
2. The Joy Of Christmas
This story was more about sadness and death. Its also about how we over come them and hos it changes us. That true love stands the of time and always comes back.
3. The Christmas Thief
Short fun Christmas mystery. I enjoyed the sweet little story.
4. The Christmas Collector
The best one in romance department sweet and well written short. I enjoyed this story the most.
1. Winter Wonderland:
Short sweet love story it seemed rushed and too short. The concept would have been better as a novel or novella. Christmas seemed to be more of a back drop than a christmas story I felt it suited as a winter story. The story was a cute breeze sweet romance.
2. The Joy Of Christmas
This story was more about sadness and death. Its also about how we over come them and hos it changes us. That true love stands the of time and always comes back.
3. The Christmas Thief
Short fun Christmas mystery. I enjoyed the sweet little story.
4. The Christmas Collector
The best one in romance department sweet and well written short. I enjoyed this story the most.