The Christmas Wager (A Happy Christmas #1) by Delilah Marvelle

Sixteen years of her life was spent in an orphanage, left there by her unmarried mother, shortly after she was born. When her uncle, the wealthy Mr. Barrington finally discovers Felicity's whereabouts, he wastes no time in sending for her. Leaving her best friend, the gypsy Marigold behind is a difficult thing for Marigold has told Felicity a tale of wonder including a key,a ruby ring, ghosts and a duke, and how she is destined for a great future if she chooses the right ruby ring.

Barrington's neighbor, the nouveau riche Redstone family, have moved from America to England where the elder Barrington can conduct his business. The heir, Maxwell Redstone has a zest for life like no other young man can equal. He lives his life to the fullest knowing that one day he must settle down and do right by his family. Not quite in a rush to settle down, but still yearning to find the one young lady who could care less about the money and more about the man, Maxwell awaits for his future as well.

One the evening of a rowdy Barrington fete, the young Felicity ventures out of her new home into the snow, drawn out by the ghost of her mother, she follows her to the neighbors, where she reluctantly meets the Barrington heir as he sits out an open window with a bottle of gin, contemplating life. Max becomes enamored immediately by the young lady who at first opens up to his charm but soon finds him to be a typically disappointing man. Over the next few years, these two constantly spar, even while Max attempts to woo Felicity. Then one day, Max leaves England and heads for an adventure which has him away for years.

Now Max has finally returned from his travels only to find Felicity almost engaged to a duke. What can be done to open up her eyes and see the treasure that has been in front of her for years? Well you must read Delilah Marvelle's THE CHRISTMAS WAGER to find out!

Well done Ms. Marvelle. THE CHRISTMAS WAGER is something totally different and completely enchanting. From the minute Max is introduced, he had me in his corner. Understandably, Felicity at sixteen, and just having acquired a new home and her family, is in no place to choose her future so quickly. Maturity is most definitely a theme and what must be obtained by both Max and Felicity and that quest makes this story so enchanting. 

~KIMBERLY~ 

Lucky Shot (The Montana Hamiltons #3) by B.J. Daniels

After reading LUCKY SHOT by B.J. Daniels, I find that I am consistently in awe of this woman and the things going on in her mind.

Crack reporter, Max Malone is in it for the story, pure and simple. When he grabs a photo of presidential candidate Buckmaster Hamilton with the former wife who has come back from the dead after twenty two years, he knows he has the money shot. After some in depth research, he also finds a photograph which possibly links Sarah Hamilton to a militant group  Max seeks out Hamilton's photographer daughter Kat to confirm or deny the identity in the photo and from there, things go haywire.

It it fact or not that Sarah Hamilton has lost all memory of the passed twenty two years? Buckmaster Hamilton's campaign to the White House may just have gone completely awry in light of the all goings on with the Hamilton clan. Holding this family together is quite the job for Buckmaster and his six daughters, especially when his current wife attempts to delve deep into first wife Sarah's background and puts all in danger.

Murder, mystery and mayhem alight LUCKY SHOT by the indomitable B.J. Daniels. There isn't one minute of this book that does not engage the reader's full attention. While LUCKY SHOT can be read as a stand alone, I strongly suggest the reader start at WILD HORSES and slide into LONE RIDER with stealth. These books, along with LUCKY SHOT will make you a B.J. Daniels fan if you have never read her before and you will come back time and time again for more.

~KIMBERLY~

GUEST REVIEWER, SLICK READS ~ MONEY SHOT (SELECTED SINNERS MC) BY SCOTT HILDRETH

I've put off reading Scott Hildreth for awhile, several of my friends and fellow reviewers fell in love with his writing, but I'm not a big fan of MC romances.  I bought his books, they were stored in my Kindle but I just couldn't bring myself to read them.  When Money Shot released a couple of weeks ago and Scott so passionately posted that he thought this was his best book ever (and I had heard nothing but glowing things about his other work), when friends and other readers kept posting about how much they loved this book I knew it was time for me to step up to the plate and read his work.  I did something I rarely do and I started with Money Shot because of what he and others had said about it and I'm really glad I did. After reading it, I'm sure his other work is probably fantastic as well but Money Shot for me was an awesome romance. The strong characters, a love that develops over time through friendship and understanding, great dialog, steamy and raunchy sex scenes and two people who needed each other more than either of them realized made this a book impossible to put down and made me jump on the "I LOVE Scott Hildreth" bandwagon.

Sienna and Vince meet in a unique way and while Sienna is immediately attracted, Vince following a very nasty divorce doesn't trust women and has decided he really doesn't need them in his life.  Vince is a loner and while he is part of the Selected Sinners MC he pretty much keeps to himself with the exception on mandatory club meetings and runs.  Vince is kind of a renaissance man in that he believes in keeping promises, honesty is paramount to him and he loves to read all kinds of books.  Despite his job as a strong arm that does collections, he really has a gentle soul and it is so apparent when he has Sunday dinners with his mother.  I loved Sienna; she's had a lot happen in her life, things that might have broken weaker people but she's made the best of it and has remained optimistic.  Despite her questionable taste in men, she enjoys her life and loves her work as a book reviewer.  I love that she is unapologetic about her sexuality and that she speaks her mind always.  When Vince walks into her life she wonders if he will be the one for her; the one she's read about and dreamed about.

I appreciated the friendship these two had before they moved into a physical relationship.  They learned so much about one another and had a strong foundation on which to build.  Most of all I loved that they celebrated the uniqueness of each other fully.  That's not to say they didn't have some issues, especially one big one due to a pig headed man, but even when they had issues they were never far from each other's mind.

While we see a few members of the MC in this book, they are background with the exception of one who is like a father figure to Vince and another who helped him see the light and was kind of a guardian angel to both Vince and Sienna.  Never in this book was the romance on the back burner; their friendship, courtship and their relationship was front and center the whole time and for that I thank this author immensely.

From the minute I started this book until the minute I finished I was totally immersed in author Scott Hildreth's world largely due to his writing style and compelling characters.  I loved this book and while I am sorry it took me so long to finally give in and read one of his works, I really don't think I could have started with a better book; it was simply a fantastic and beautifully told romance.

~SLICK READS~ 

Reckless in Pink (The Emperors of London #4) by Lynne Connolly

On any given day, Claudia Shaw is causing her family strife with her reckless behavior. Her unconventional familial upbringing is at the heart of this beautiful young woman's actions. When Claudia inherits a brothel from a relative and against the better judgement, heads over to the establishment to discover its secrets, she is saved from possible ruin by a handsome stranger.

Dominic has done his time for the crown and wants out, but when he is given the task of finding the Young Pretender and gaining intelligence on the man who is a complication to the crown itself, he begrudgingly accepts the task. When Dominic appears at one of the Young Pretender's regular haunts, Dominic is outraged to find Claudia Shaw, the beauty he met on a London street, at the brothel. He extricates the nuisance from the brothel and delivers her to safety, but quickly the pair becomes embroiled in such danger and intrigue, that the whole of England go to war.

Dominic cannot deny the desires he has for Claudia and the more he becomes involved, the more his reserve faulters. Claudia is quite the troublesome minx. She is too smart for her own good and she's been indulged by her large and lively family. These indulgences only make it easier for her to fall into one predicament after another and Dominic will do what he must to steer her clear of a danger she may never recover from.

RECKLESS IN PINK by Lynne Connolly is the fourth tale in the Emperors of London series and it is a great one at that. Ms Connolly's depiction of this unstable time in Europe is intriging and well done. As a lover of history as well as romance, this combination of the two is heady and and compelling. This wonderfully written story can be read as a stand alone but with so many captivating characters who appear in each other's books, the reader would get so much more from reading the entire series.

~KIMBERLY~

Book Obsessed Chicks Spotlight on ~ VANESSA VALE~

The lure of the big city has called to tempestuous Dahlia Lenox, her entire life. Dahlia is tired of ranch life and all the rules and restrictions placed on women by polite society. She can't resist breaking the rules, and is very, very good at it. The poker table is her domain, the one place she yields to no one's rules but her own. She's staring down the biggest win in her life, a prize that will free her from small town life forever and she can't wait to claim her bittersweet victory. But nothing is perfect, and leaving town means leaving the only man who ever made her ache to be his, Garrison Lee. He wants everything she can't give him, including an obedient wife who surrenders to him in bed. Surrender is not in her nature, and as much as it hurts, she will keep all of her secrets and leave the arrogant and sexy Garrison behind.

Garrison Lee is tired of waiting. He's been patient. He's been courteous. He's been a damn gentleman and all that's gotten him is a polite brush off from Dahlia each of the three times he proposed. When Dahlia risks everything to escape him forever, Garrison is forced to raise the stakes in a single hand of poker...winner take all.

Dahlia is about to discover that Garrison won't take no for an answer, that her restlessness can be tamed by a man with a firm hand, and that he knows exactly how to channel her wild side into more carnal pursuits. But Dahlia is nothing if not stubborn. Garrison's seduction is relentless, his hand firm as he tries to convince his passionate new bride that everything she ever wanted is right in front of her...before he loses her forever.

Book 3 in the Wildflowers of Montana Series continues with the tempestuous Dahlia and the man who will tame her. 

QUICKFIRE WITH VANESSA VALE

1. Morning, noon or night?

 Anytime!

2. How do you like your steak?

 Medium. Peppercorns would be nice.

3. Last film that you saw? 

Kingsman. It was horrendous.

4.TV Show?

 Sherlock Holmes on PBS

5. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

 Kauai or London

6. What was breakfast today?

 Toast with raspberry jam

7. Favorite cuisine?

 I love, love, love Indian.

8. What kind of car do you drive?

 Audi (I live in the Wild West where 4WD is actually needed)

9.  Favorite clothing accessory?

 Fun, crazy shoees

10. Weapon of choice? 

I'm a black belt in karate, so I will say my hands!

11. Gemstone?

 Opal

12. Sport?

 Martial arts

13. Nickname?

 None

14. Pets?

 My son has Nibbles, the hamster.

15. Alcoholic beverage?

 Don't drink unless I'm in Mexico on the beach and someone hands me a daquiri

16. Color?

 Orange

17. Pet peeve?

 I'm a total control freak so I have many.

18. Flower?

 Daffodil

19. The one thing you can’t live without?

 Besides the usual world peace and health, the shallow answer is hair product.

20. Last words?

 Thanks for having me today! I'm excited about Dahlia, Book 3 in my Wildflowers series. Who doesn't love a cowboy?

ABOUT VANESSA VALE:

Who doesn't love the romance of the old West? Vanessa Vale takes the sensual appeal of rugged cowboys a step further with her bestselling books set in the Montana Territory. They're deliciously naughty reads that sometimes push the boundaries of fantasy. It's pure escapism with quite a few very hot, very alpha cowboys. When she's not writing, Vanessa savors the insanity of raising two boys, is figuring out how many meals she can make with a pressure cooker, and teaches a pretty mean karate class. She considers herself to be remarkably normal, exceedingly introverted and fairly vanilla, which does not explain her steamy stories and her fascination with cowboys, preferably more than one at a time. If that weren't enough, she also writes under the pen names Jennifer Zane and Vanessa Dare. She lives in the Wild Wild West where there's an endless source of 'research' material.

Links:

Web: http://www.vanessavaleauthor.com 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/vanessavaleauthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/iamvanessavale

RELEASE DAY BLISS WITH STACEY AGDERN

This December, take a break from dreidel spinning, gelt winning, and latke eating to experience the joy of Chanukah. When you fall in love during the Festival of Lights, the world burns a whole lot brighter.

It’s definitely not love at first sight for Amanda and her cute but mysterious new neighbor, Ben. Can a Chanukah miracle show them that getting off on the wrong foot doesn’t mean they can’t walk the same road?

Lawyers in love, Shari Cohen and Evan Sonntag are happy together. But in a moment of doubt, he pushes her away—then soon realizes he made a huge mistake. To win her back, it might take something like a Chanukah miracle.

When impulsive interior designer Molly Baker-Stein barges into Jon Adelman's apartment and his life intent on planning the best Chanukah party their building has ever seen, neither expects that together they just might discover a Home for Chanukah.

All Tamar expected from her Israel vacation was time to hang out with one of her besties and to act like a tourist, cheesy t-shirt and all, in her two favorite cities. She definitely was not expecting to fall for Avi, a handsome soldier who’s more than she ever dreamed

A SPECIAL POST FROM AUTHOR, STACEY AGDERN

‘A Home for Hanukkah Playlist’

By Stacey Agdern

Friends have always joked that my playlist is my outline.  And when I think about it, I realize that a simple joke is actually truth.  I say that all I need to start, is an idea of where I’m headed and who my characters are.  But that’s not true.  I also need at least the beginnings of my playlist.

The playlist for ‘A Home For Hanukkah’, a story that comes out today  as part of the Burning Bright anthology, was pretty important.  Especially considering the hero works in the music industry, and music isn’t just his job, but part of who he is as a person.  Music always plays around him, and he’s very particular about what music he plays.  This is something the heroine notices not very long after she’s gotten into his car for the first time.  The car itself is horrible, but the stereo system is top notch.

You’d think that this playlist would be all Chanukah music, all the time.  And you’d be wrong.  Mostly because even though I love Chanukah music, the most prominent Chanukah song that appears in the story doesn’t even exist… except in my own head.  ‘Modern Day Maccabees’ is loud, raucous and insane, full of pride and guitars.  And no, I won’t ever sing it.

So what’s on the playlist that I actually listened to while writing ‘A Home for Hanukkah?’  I’ll break it down for you by genre.

1.Contemporary Jewish Music –Artists like Gad Elbaz, Stacy Beyer, Rick Recht  and the Maccabeats are all Jewish artists.  But each of them bring something different to the table.  Elbaz fuses Hebrew lyrics with pop (Chelek Mimeni) and reggaeton (Halayla zeh Hazman).  He also does an amazing version of a song that Marc Antony is popularizing at the moment ( Hashem Melech).   Stacy Beyer infuses Hebrew and Jewish tradition with Bluegrass (yes !!! ) (Hodu L’Adonai).  Rick Recht mixes jewish tradition (and sometimes Hebrew) with rock, ( Hallelujah).  The maccabeats (shine) are a modern orthodox acapella group.

2. Pop: Daughtry (Home), One Republic (Apologize), and Jann Arden (The Sound of) are amazing voices that cross boundaries.

But the biggest part of my playlist?  The genre whose artists inspire more scenes in the story than any other?  Number three, (though number one in my heart …)?

Country.  Yep.

Dierks Bentley(Damn These Dreams), Luke Bryan (Apologize), Cam(Burning house), Eric Church (Raise ‘Em Up), Brett Eldredge (Beat of the Music), Maddie and Tae (fly), Kip Moore (Hey Pretty Girl), Michael Ray(Kiss you in the Morning), Blake Shelton (Doin’ What She Likes), Canaan Smith (Love you like that ), Keith Urban (John Cougar…, Tonight I want to Cry),  Eli Young Band (Even if it Breaks Your Heart).

Country. Country. Country.  In it’s wide and varied forms, from silly to emotional, from traditional to contemporary, from flirty to graceful, country music captures so many different moods and moments.  It’s probably why the genre is one of my favorites.

All of these wide and varied voices, plus a Dave Barnes track (God Gave me You) and a classical piece by the Portland Cello Project (Shalom Chaverim) round out the playlist for this short story.

May you listen to beautiful music and have amazing moments this December.

Enjoy,

Stacey

SOUCEBOOKS OF THE MONTH : DECEMBER BUNDLE GIVEAWAY!

KICKING OFF THE HOLIDAY SEASON!

Many of you know that SOURCEBOOKS is one of my favorite publishers. They have been very generous with the Book Obsessed Chicks and I want to pass that generosity off to a lucky winner. This time, one of you will win the DECEMBER SOURCEBOOKS BUNDLE! ENJOY

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