Anita Hughes

On the positive the story sucked me in. I wanted so badly to read more about the broken marriage and the bastard french chef. I had contradictory feelings about the husband because as I wanted the female lead to tell him to go to hell I was torn by the need to read more about him. The husband's character was so well developed I found myself wishing he could be the good guy so I could like him. This is a shown talent of the author to create such conflict.

However, the negative to this book was show more Amanda was very hard to associate with. Maybe this is to the excessive brand name dropping and the constant naming of different alcohol beverages (who cares what she's drinking, the point is she's getting toasted), but she lived a lifestyle that only a select few live in the real world. Given I don't mind reading about a lifestyle outside most people's range but with the previously mentioned name dropping it almost sounded like bragging. If you want to read a book about a wealthy woman going through heartbreak and relate to it, this is not the book. Try Danielle Steele who has a way with writing about wealthy women you can root for. I feel as this book was attempting the class of Steele's novels but sadly missed the mark.

On another note the base of the story was good, however it seemed purposefully unfinished. If it was left unfinished for a sequel it was left in a spot that didn't make me care about reading the next novel.

I would like to give kudos to the author for the multiple ways she described her husband cheating. These quick sentences spattered throughout the book were by far the best part of the writing and I found them hilarious.

I call this book an "ALMOST" cause it was on the edge of being something enjoyable.. show less

Christmas in London is just what you want from a holiday romance. It is truly a magical guilty pleasure that will put you in the spirit of the season and leave you craving delicious sweets! Perfect for lovers of romance, holiday magic, and foodies.
Louisa Graham is a talented and dedicated pastry chef in NYC working at her friend's bakery, with a dream of opening her own restaurant. A week before Christmas a frazzled cooking show producer buys two dozen of her cinnamon rolls to cover an 'on show more set mishap'. Before she can say no she is on her way to London to film a Christmas cooking show with some of the top chefs in the business. Like Cinderella at the ball, Louisa's fresh approach, charm, and ultimately her talent are what draw people in. However, will Louisa find a space in her dream for romance?
Anita Hughes does a lovely job incorporating the unique location of London into the story, historical, countryside, commercial, all in relation to character and season, to really enhance the experience. I really enjoyed this aspect!
I received an advanced reader copy (eGalley) from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. This review reflects my honest and unbiased opinions. show less

Title: Christmas at the Ranch
Author: Anita Hughes
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Revi "w:
"Christmas at the Ranch" by Anita Hughes

My Assessment:

"Christmas at the Ranch" was a good story about 'friendships, secrets, letting go of the past, facing your fears, and finding love.' We find Samantha Morgan, who was a popular author [from her Sloan Parker plots series], being invited to spend the Christmas week at her publisher's beautiful ranch in Jackson Hole, show more Wyoming. But will Samantha leave her Brooklyn, New York home because she never likes to travel outside her apartment? Now, why is that?

Be ready for a long storyline read with some very intriguing characters that could have one wondering if there were some fakeness around but definitely will keep one turning the pages to see what is coming next. The story may have been somewhat predictable too, but still an enjoyable read. Oh, this story will focus quite a bit on the family.

However, above it, all one thing about this read is one gets a beautiful scenic Christmas setting, with lots of knowledge and great advice from this read filled with lots of wisdom after it is all said and done.
So, to find out what the novel 'Christmas at the Ranch' is, the reader must pick up this read to see how the author brings it out so well.

Thank you, NetGalley & St. Martin's, for this arc in exchange for an honest review! show less

I work in a profession where I see the results of the utter devastation that occurs when a life is shattered overnight. Prior to starting my career, I’d carefully considered how people reacted when their lives changed overnight due to death, job loss or infidelity and Monarch Beach by Anita Hughes covers the latter. I received Monarch Beach as a free book from Librarything to read and review and it appeared like just another summer novel where the woman prevails after the man does her show more wrong, at first glance. After reading it, however, there was more substance to Monarch Beach.

Amanda Blick has what most would consider a rich, fulfilled life. She is an heiress married to a handsome restaurant owner and has a mischievous son. She lives the American Dream in a way that many cannot fathom and in a community that embraces her. While she gave up her career dreams, she was content with the life she had with her husband and her son, Max right up until the day she found her husband in a compromising position with a woman at his job. At the same time, she gets devastating news about her beloved mother, who is her remaining parent. How Amanda chooses to handle the situation is what this novel is about and our glimpse into Amanda’s healing process is intriguing. As Amanda struggles to move forward, we see that she is not as strong as she thinks and that her vulnerabilities lead her into making some decisions, even at the end of the novel, that seem rather dubious. Overall, the plot is excellent and the character is real. Amanda feels like a friend of ours that makes us cringe, makes us cheer, and makes us sigh because we wonder if she will really get it together. Ultimately, the book left me wondering if she would. This isn’t your typical beach read, but it was easy to read and a good book that was well worth my time and entertaining. show less