2006-12-01 Nice Christmas Themed Romances

This book is a collection of four romance novellas set during Christmas time.

First up is "The Christmas Stocking" by Fern Michaels. It finds Amy Baran and Gus Moss returning to their hometown to help their parents with projects relating to Christmas trees. Along they way, they meet and the sparks fly. The story started well, but I felt the plot resolved about thirty pages before the story ended.

Second comes "The Ghost of Christmas Past" by Beverly Barton. Katie Hadley is trying to escape her family and her memories, so she rents a cabin in the mountains. A blizzard arrives while she's trying to reach her destination and strands here with Mack MacKinnon. Will the sparks between them melt their cold hearts? This is the only story with any explicit content, but it is all in one chapter, so it can be avoided. Other then that, it was good.

Next is the reason I bought this book. In "The Twelve Desserts of Christmas," Joanne Fluke takes a break from murder and offers a romance with series star Hannah Swensen attempting to help two teachers and six kids left behind at a boarding school during the Christmas break. The kids make a bet over the teachers' romance, and trouble ensues. Joanne has included 9 recipes from her novels and three new recipes. I loved this story with its lighthearted and fun look at romance in a crowded setting.

Finally, "Twelve Days" by Shirley Jump offers office romance as Natalie Harris attempts to tempt boss Jake Lyons for a one night stand. But the secrets might just bring more then either expects. Another fun tale well told. This tale also includes a recipe, bringing the total for the book to a baker's dozen.

Each story is about 100 pages, making for quick reads. I did feel most of them were predictable, but the characters drew me into the stories anyway. Overall, I enjoyed this break from my normal mysteries.