Book Review: Apple Dumpling Murder (Christmas Catastrophe Mystery, #2) by Trixie Silvertale

Apple Dumpling Murder: Paranormal Cozy Mystery by Trixie Silvertale
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sugar and spice and murder!

Apple Dumpling Murder is the second book in author Trixie Silvertale’s fun and festive Christmas Catastrophe Mysteries, a cozy mystery series featuring none other than Santa’s daughter, Cindy Claus. With its naïve but good-hearted and oftentimes literal-thinking main character and the murder of a beloved community figure, I was compelled to get to the bottom of this dirty deed, rooting for Cindy, Keith, and Arti the entire time.

Cindy Cherubim Claus is the main character and the daughter of the famous Claus at the North Pole. She’s a half-elf, a quarter human, and a quarter angel, and has settled in Silver Shoals to open a bakery and do what she loves doing more than anything else: bake delicious pastries and treats. Cindy (and everyone else in the bakery) is shocked and surprised when her landlord, Ronnie Schmenkel, announces he’s going to leave her the building she’s leasing from him in his will. Uncomfortable with this generous intention, she goes to Ronnie’s house to ask him to reconsider this gift. However, someone else has been there before her, and Cindy finds Ronnie dead on the floor of his home, the victim of a deadly bash on the head with a rolling pin. When the murder weapon has her fingerprints on it, she becomes suspect number one.

The characters in this Christmas-centric town are, for the most part, a warm and charming bunch, and her relationship with Keith, the medical investigator, is getting even warmer. The little glimpses of Silver Shoals give close-knit, small-town vibes and a perpetual holiday spirit. With some good suspects to rule out before reaching the final, surprising resolution, the plot offers exciting, intense moments alongside its delightful charm.

I recommend APPLE DUMPLING MURDER to cozy mystery readers who enjoy culinary or holiday-themed stories.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

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Book Review: Like It's Christmas (Winterstorm Village, #1) by Diana A. Hicks

Like It's Christmas by Diana A. Hicks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Marvelous enemies-to-lovers romance with a holiday theme!

Like It’s Christmas is a new enemies-to-lovers romance set during the days leading up to Christmas and is the first book in author Diana A. Hicks’s Winterstorm Village series. With an engaging main character, a vulnerable leading man, and a close-knit small town that believes in the magic of Christmas, I quickly fell under this story’s spell, and it is the perfect way to kick off some satisfying holiday reading.

Parker Cruz is the assistant to her father, the mayor, and she plans to make this Christmas season the biggest, best, and most successful ever for Winterstorm Village, which depends on the profits from the holiday tourist trade. But when her father is injured putting the Christmas light up on her house, she finds herself having to work with the deputy mayor and local Scrooge, whom she has despised since high school. Rhett Parker has a secret in his past that has estranged him from his illustrious family, whose ancestors founded the town. All he wants is to make Winterstorm Village prosper through his efforts and not because of his family’s reputation, even if that means cutting back the overly generous budget earmarked for Christmas decorations and activities and annoying the mayor’s spoiled daughter.

The plot has a nice push-pull, back and forth between the two main characters, and Parker the girl (a differentiation she’s always hated) has a fun posse of girlfriends looking out for her best interests. But I thought the most fun was the townpeople’s traditional belief in love magically blossoming during a holiday snowstorm. When a bad storm hits the village and damages much of the downtown decorations, including the big tree, Parker and Rhett try to capitalize on the superstition and stage a fake relationship, a relationship no one would ever believe otherwise, to keep up everyone’s spirits as they try to recover and salvage the tourist season just until the holidays are over. But will the magic actually prove to be real, and are they headed for their own Christmas romance?

I recommend LIKE IT’S CHRISTMAS to romance readers looking for a great holiday story to get into the Christmas spirit.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Xpresso Book Tours.

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Children's Book Review: Santa Claws: A Christmas Tail for Cats by Denise Alicea; illustrated by Sadiqa Akhter

Santa Claws: A Christmas Tail for Cats by Denise Alicea
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This adorable Christmas story is about Apollo, the cat who becomes Santa Claws.

Santa Claws: A Christmas Tail for Cats by Denise Alicea is a cute and cozy story for the little ones besides the cats. With an adorable cat main character, a lovely tale arising from his wish for all his fellow cats who have not yet found their forever home, and vivid, realistic illustrations by Sadiqa Akhter, this book would be a perfect one to share in the days leading up to the big night.

Apollo, a former stray, has found his forever home, a loving family, and all the amenities his little kitty heart could desire. But when Santa Claus comes down the chimney on Apollo’s first Christmas at home, he’s amazed by what Santa will accomplish that night. His only wish is that all the cats still living on the streets could have their own home. However, Santa Claus has a plan.

The story is heartwarming, and there’s a lesson there for children and adults to explore. Apollo immediately thinks of others who need a “Santa” in their lives. The illustrations of Apollo with his large, yellow-green eyes will melt your heart, and each setting is perfectly depicted, whether it’s inside his warm and cozy home, a cold, dirty alleyway, or a snow-laden street scene. I think children will enjoy looking at the pictures alone or while the story is read aloud. There is a lot of detail to notice in the backgrounds of each beautiful picture. This is a book that will require more than one reading.

I recommend SANTA CLAWS to children from young to old, especially those who like cats.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours.

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Book Tour: Everything is Temporary by Jon Cohn

Christmas Horror

Date Published: November 2, 2023

Publisher: Deadbolt Books

How well do we really know the people sleeping next to us in bed at night?

After a tragedy strikes the Barnes family, Sarah's husband Tom begins acting strangely. It starts with wild mood-shifts and accusations at their thirteen-year-old daughter, but quickly escalates to the attempted murder of an off-season mall Santa. From what Sarah can tell, Tom's only motive seems to lie behind a mysterious hatred for Christmas that burns year-round. What's worse, Tom's only defense lies in a long-forgotten book he wrote detailing a traumatic event in his childhood that seems too far-fetched to be believed. His entire case revolves around the notion of talking Christmas trees, a living army of toys, and worst of all, a monster masquerading as Mrs. Claus.

Now, Sarah must go on a journey into her husband's past to learn if Tom is in the midst of a psychotic breakdown, if he's a danger to his family, or if he really is being hunted by the malevolent holiday horror that destroyed his childhood.

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Review

Coming soon!

 

About the Author

Jon Cohn is a writer and professional board game designer based out of San Diego, California. You can follow him on Instagram and Twitter @joncohnauthor.

He would also love to give you free stuff like stories, audiobooks, and games by signing up for his mailing list at www.joncohnauthor.com.

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Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway: Countdown to Christmas (Holiday Countdown, #1) by Dianna Houx

 

Countdown to Christmas

A Sweet Romance Christmas Book

Holiday Countdown Series

by

Dianna Houx

Holiday Romance

1st in Series
Setting - Small Rural Town
Independently Published
Publication Date: December 23, 2022
Paperback page count: 226 pages
ISBN-13: 979-8371024350 / Digital ASIN: B0BR4PDW72

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SYNOPSIS:

 

Welcome to Winterwood… a small town with more heart than people!

When Grace is told it's unlikely Granny will live to see another Christmas, she comes up with a unique plan to transform her home into a festive inn for the holidays, offering an authentic, old-fashioned Christmas experience to her guests. To make her plan a reality, Grace must convince her small-town community to get on board and help her bring her vision to life. Along the way, she meets a diverse group of people who all have their own issues and struggles, but they come together at the inn to celebrate the holiday season and find hope and joy in the midst of their challenges.

If you love, small-town, holiday romances, you'll love Countdown to Christmas. A story about love, family traditions, and memories that last a lifetime.

CLICK TO PURCHASE!

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REVIEW:

5 stars!

Sweet and satisfying Christmas-themed feel-good story!

Countdown to Christmas is the first book in author Dianna Houx’s holiday-themed sweet romance series, Holiday Countdown, and it is a perfect story to indulge in during the hectic run-up to Christmas. With its engaging main character and her heartfelt goal of making this probably last Christmas with her ailing, aged grandmother memorable, this sweet story is enjoyable, endearing, and one you will also want to remember. 

Grace Parker is the young, determined heroine of this often emotional story. She devises an ambitious plan to recreate the Christmases of her grandmother’s childhood and convinces her small town to help her make it a reality in less than a month. As part of this, she opens her home to paying guests for a traditional Christmas experience and thus draws in five different bookings: two families and three singles. Each of the five has a special story that brings additional dimensions to the main plot, including a love interest for Grace. 

The guests are treated to a variety of traditional Christmas and winter activities, all ending with everyone gathered around a cozy living room fireplace, with warm drinks and the unexpected arrival of Christmas puppies. The story is filled with second chances, friendships, and new beginnings. 

I recommend COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS to romance readers, especially those who enjoy Christmas tales.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dianna Houx is a wife, mother, reader, writer, and small-town girl at heart. She resides in a rural Missouri town of less than twenty-five hundred people with her husband and three boys in a late 1800s home they’ve been lovingly restoring when she isn’t busy working on her next book.

A romantic at heart, she believes in happily-ever-afters rooted in realism and, most importantly, humor!

She is the author of Forsaking the Dark, a paranormal romance, The Queen’s Revenge, a historical romance, and the Holiday Countdown series, a sweet, small-town romance series.

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December 1 – Lynchburg Reads – REVIEW

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December 2 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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December 10 – Diane’s Book Journal – SPOTLIGHT

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