Tuesday 12 November 2019

New Release Spotlight & Review: One Week 'Til Christmas by Belinda Missen



One Week ‘til Christmas by Belinda Missen

Two people. One chance meeting. Seven days to Christmas.
Isobel Bennett is waiting for the number 11 bus when a man quite literally falls into her lap. Snow is falling, Christmas lights are twinkling, and a gorgeous man with dark brown hair has just slipped on ice and is now pressed against Isobel.
Isobel knows she’s not imagining the chemistry between them. But then his ride arrives and, embarrassed, he beats a hasty retreat, murmuring apologies – and Isobel realises only too late that she didn’t manage to catch his name…
When she runs into him again the next morning, she decides it’s fate.
It’s a second chance for Isobel and Tom – but there’s only one week until she’s leaving London for good. Seven days of enjoying all the festive delights the city has to offer: ice-skating at Somerset House, mulled wine on the Southbank, Christmas shopping at Liberty.
There’s magic in the air and mistletoe in the trees – but what will happen when the week is over?
For fans of Josie Silver, Lucy Diamond and Marian Keyes, this is one Christmas romance you don’t want to miss!


What happens when a gorgeous looking man bumps into travel journalist Isobel Bennett? 

Isobel wants more credibility in her job, but when her editor springs a last-minute assignment on her, she's not happy about interviewing an up and coming actor with little or no preparation. Her surprise? it's the man who collided with her the previous day. Neither can ignore the chemistry between them. Their attraction to each other getting more complicated even more so because she's on a deadline! 

Swept up by their romance, the protagonists are lovely. They compliment each others strength and weaknesses, especially Ben, his generosity and selfless attitude in what he believes in is palpable. 

I had a smile on my face for the duration of time it took me to read this novel. Isabel and Ben's story got under my skin as I became invested in their whirlwind romance. It's quick to read but the author manages to cram plenty between the pages. This is my first Belinda Missen novel and what impressed me the most about this lovely Christmassy novel is how smoothly the narrative flows. Effortlessly, I became absorbed in the plot, frantically turned the pages as fast as could read. With a magical London backdrop, this is one of my favourite holiday novels this year. 

What next? I'm definitely going to read more of Ms Missen's books. 

***arc received courtesy of HQ Digital via NetGalley***


Author and sometimes foodie, Belinda is a ridiculous romantic who met her husband after being set up by a friend two states away.
Residing in country Victoria, surrounded by books, cat-fur, and half-eaten cake, Belinda divides her days between writing rom-coms, baking, and indulging her love of comic books.

Instagram @belinda_missen


New Release Spotlight & Guest Post: Sea Holly and Mistletoe Kisses by Laura Briggs



Sea Holly and Mistletoe Kisses (A Little Hotel in Cornwall Book 3) by Laura Briggs

Finding Inspiration from Favorite Christmas Romance Tropes!

Thanks so much to Ellesea for inviting me to share with her readers about my newest book, Sea Holly and Mistletoe Kisses!

As you might have guessed from the title, this is a holiday romance read. It’s also the third installment of my new UK series, ‘A Little Hotel in Cornwall’ and continues the adventures of Maisie Clark, an aspiring author who found her inspiration working overseas at a breathtaking Cornish hotel. And since this happens to be a Christmas book, I thought it might be fun to share a post about my favorite Christmas romance tropes and how I managed to weave a few of them into Sea Holly and Mistletoe Kisses.

A holiday competition:

Whether it’s gingerbread house making, cookie baking, or even Christmas tree decorating, there’s often a contest to liven up a holiday book or film (especially if it happens to be a Hallmark Channel movie!). It’s a plotline I’ve always enjoyed, and so it wasn’t surprising that such an event found its way into Maisie’s first Cornish Christmas. Ice sculpting seemed like an especially festive challenge, and thanks to a rather persistent—and persistently charming—American guest at the hotel, Maisie finds herself caught up in the competition instead of just observing it from the sidelines of the hotel’s elegant grounds. But not everyone is happy about her holiday partnership with the handsome and friendly Gavin, leading to one of my next favorite tropes...

A Christmas love triangle:

There’s something special about a Christmas romance—whereas a love triangle at the holidays is more like a recipe for disaster! It can also make for some rather humorous misunderstandings, though, and in Maisie’s case, more than a little confusion between her and the charming groundskeeper Sidney Daniels, whose ‘friendship only’ bargain with Maisie is put to the test when newcomer Gavin arrives on the scene. With jealousy and tension mounting, Maisie faces an unexpected holiday dilemma of the heart.

A heartwarming gift:

Without spoiling too much, I’ll just say that Maisie receives one of these—and it should melt the heart of any romantically inclined reader!

A special, semi-magical weather event:

In most holiday movies and books this would refer to a last-minute—and nearly impossible—Christmas snow in a warmer winter climate. Since Cornwall isn’t exactly known for having a white Christmas (although it can happen at times) and since I had already featured such an event in my novella A Christmas in Cornwall, it felt like Maisie should have her own unique experience with Cornish winter weather. And so readers can expect something a little more dramatic—and hopefully breathtaking—when Cornish storms roll onto the beaches as Maisie experiences a romantic revelation not so very different from the waves crashing below.

Hopefully all of that sounds like your cup of tea for Christmas—and if you want to catch up with Maisie and her friends, Books 1-3 are currently available, with Book 4, The Cornish Secret of Summer’s Promise already available on pre-order for January 2020!

Christmas is coming to Port Hewer and the hotel Penmarrow, where Maisie is suffering a case of the holiday blues far from home this year — until Gavin, a young American businessman staying at the hotel through Christmas, talks her into joining him as his partner in the hotel's ice sculpting competition in a mutual pact to enjoy the holidays to the fullest.

Meanwhile, Maisie experiences the village Christmas season vicariously through Sidney, and continues writing her Poe-inspired story with only Sidney aware of her secret novel. She soon learns, however, that criticism and praise go hand in hand when he takes issue with her latest chapters, which puts pressure on their friendship, too.

But is that what's really the issue between them? Because handsome Gavin has more than ice sculpting in mind when it comes to Maisie's time, which comes as a surprise to no one who's seen them together. As Maisie faces this sudden romantic dilemma, she realizes what she wants most in her life ... and faces a question of what her heart wants most, too.


Laura Briggs is the author of several feel-good romance reads, including the Top 100 Amazon UK seller 'A Wedding in Cornwall'. She has a fondness for vintage style dresses (especially ones with polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern day mysteries. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, caring for her pets, gardening, and seeing the occasional movie or play.


Author Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1JjeMoI