Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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Drifting in the post-Christmas, pre-New Year’s no man’s land

A Very Phoenix Christmas: A Phoenix Club novella (The Phoenix Club) by CJ Bishop

A Swan for Christmas: A Winter Romance by M.M. Wilde

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*The thumbnail pic is not my cat. Instead, it is a pic of me as a cat in my preferred location and outfit of choice. Time has lost all meaning. I float in a never-ending circuit of sofa, kitchen, laundry closet. Meals are made from remnants of other meals; a bizarre hot and cold buffet of Christmas leftovers and the occasional fruit and veg to ward off scurvy. The candy and chocolate wrappers fill the trash bin. It doesn’t rain but everything outside is cold […]

I Bought into Amazon’s Author Exploitation Again

Under the Mistletoe: Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood

Under the Mistletoe: Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey

Under the Mistletoe: All by My Elf by Olivia Dade

Under the Mistletoe: Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur

Under the Mistletoe: Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria

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I mean, I assume it’s exploitive. It is Amazon. Having had some success with the Improbable Meet Cute collection for Valentines  Day, and, as someone who absolutely loves a Christmas novella, I paid for one (the Ali Hazelwood) and borrowed the other four of these Under the Mistletoe “get to know a romance author with a  free read” stories. I imagine Amazon is doing the same thing as telling someone to work for free for the exposure. I hope they were compensated in some way. […]

Romance to start the year!

Under the Mistletoe with You by Lizzie Huxley-Jones

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Two years ago, my first review of the year was Make You Mine This Christmas by Lizzie Huxley-Jones. I loved that book, it’s a 4.5-star banger that I hope more and more people find and enjoy. I received it through my Illumicrate Afterlight subscription, and a few months ago they alerted me that they would be doing an exclusive edition of its follow-up Under the Mistletoe with You which I immediately scooped up and saved for my holiday week reading.   Under the Mistletoe with […]

Double Cinnamon Roll Slowburn

Time to Shine by Rachel Reid

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“I mean, everyone knows how I feel about you.” “What?” “Yeah. I think I was pretty obvious about it. The guys have been teasing me.” “Oh my god. Landon moaned. “This is going to be so weird.” “Nah, I’ll play it totally cool. “No tongue.” “No kissing at all, you fucking doofus.” “I know. Don’t worry, I won’t even talk to you. Won’t look at you. Who are you, even?” “Thank you.” ― Rachel Reid, Time to Shine Casey lit Landon up, filling all his […]

Road Trips and Christmas Huzzah!

Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh

Snowed In by Catherine Walsh

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Following the magnificent Emmalita’s recommendation (as one should in all things), somehow I went to buy Charlotte Stein’s When Grumpy Met Sunshine and ended up with Catherine Walsh’s Snowed In instead. I have no idea what happened, but the book was still great and now I have a new author! Such are the transitive powers of Emmalita’s approbation*. Now, not only did I buy the wrong book, but I read  Holiday Romance and Snowed In out of series order before circling back for a second […]

“What you don’t realize is that the world does not need more perfection. It needs more compassion and empathy.”

How the Dukes Stole Christmas by Tessa Dare, Sarah MacLean, Sophie Jordan, Joanna Shupe

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I had this collection picked out as my Christmas romance read a full year in advance. Then, I promptly didn’t read it, because that is how 2023 went. (Eventually my 2024 reviews will start without a lament about 2023, but this one isn’t it.) I love Tessa Dare books, particularly when I’m looking for something sweet and lighthearted. When checking her catalogue for a new to me book this past year I spotted this anthology from 2018 and put it on my list, zero questions […]



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