Carla Roma

I never read this author before, but after reading this heartwarming story, I’m going to try to stock up on her other titles.

Who doesn’t want to believe in Christmas miracles? I know I can’t help but believe…

The heroine, Amy wants so badly to have kids, but the reality is cruel and she knows that wish would never come true so she decides to spare her boyfriend this pain by setting him free so he can have a family he deserves.

On Christmas Eve everything changes as a bedraggled little show more girl shows up at her house and Amy has no choice but to help this little girl and by choosing that path, everyone’s destiny will change.

There’s no way you’re going to not love this story. It has everything in it for this season of God’s miracles. Go for it!

Melanie for b2b
Book provided by the publisher through NetGalley show less

In the first book of the Bandit Creek series, small town doctor Abby is suffering from PTSD from her time as a highly skilled Army medic. To blow off steam and to feel better, she lights up dynamite and throws it in the lake.
Smitty belonged to the Special Forces division of the Marines, and he was assigned to Abby’s med unit as security detail. They became good friends while fighting for their lives in Afghanistan, so when he shows up out of the blue in her little town, she readily accepts show more his help. What she didn’t expect was for romance to bloom between them or for a mystery military sniper to target her.
Abby is a strong, snarky woman and hides her pain through humor. Smitty is levelheaded, protective, and just the friend she needed.
The story is told only in Abby’s POV and in third person, so the reader gets to understand her pain, regret, and self-contempt. I liked Smitty, but I couldn’t really connect with him. I didn’t feel like I got to know him, so duel POVs would’ve been nice.
The story focuses a lot on PTSD, which doesn’t make this a light read. There weren’t a lot of taglines, so sometimes I didn’t know who was speaking. There were also some typos, and I’m not talking about the use of British English.
Anyway, the sex scenes were hot. Abby and Smitty made for a great couple.
3 Stars show less

My thoughts:
I was captured by the first paragraph. Vivi Anna brings Kirsten and the story to life in this well-written, clever, fast-paced novella. Lost is vividly descriptive and filled with carefully created characters. The emotions running through the story are strong and compelling. The relationships seem to appear simplistic on the surface, but run deep and strong in the hearts of the characters. The many facets of the lives in Bandit Creek are intriguing. This is a great start to what show more I believe will be a successful series. I can't wait to read more. show less

3.5 stars. Quinn's Christmas Wish by Lawna Mackie was OK - I liked the concept of this paranormal historical romance, and the paranormal elements were handled pretty well, but the romance aspect fell somewhat short. I would try another book by this author, however.