The Traveling Bibliophile: romance

The Fake Santa Apology Tour

by Julie Olivia

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

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Book Synopsis: I'm Birdie Mae, and let's skip to the weird part of my story: Short-term relationships with good looking Santas are kind of my thing. And Nicholas Ryan is the good looking Santa I really don't need in my life.

They say the spirit of Christmas finds you on holiday vacations, but instead I run into the only person who could get my Christmas lights twisted: Freaking Nicholas. A man I haven't seen in twenty years and who I never wanted to see again. Except now he's my hot bartender, complete with a silver-fox beard, a twinkle in his eye, and looking a lot like my kryptonite: jingle belling Santa Claus.

It's five days until Christmas, I'm stuck in a snowy town straight out of a Hallmark movie, and my ultimate goal? Avoid the Grinch who stole all my Christmases and pretend that our chemistry is is ply just the magic of Christmas in the air.

My Review: What a fun story! This book is a bit quirky, a lot of fun, and full of holiday spirit! Santa, personally, is my least favorite thing about the Christmas season, however, I was intrigued when I first saw this book! I'm so glad that I picked it up! A novella in length, this is just the book to get you into the holiday spirit! Birdie Mae (what a fun name!) is quite the character! The book starts with a bad run in with the mall Santa many years prior and leads to Birdie Mae falling for her own fake Santa! I really enjoyed this link and kind of wish it was longer! I'd love to read more about Birdie Mae in the future! While Birdie Mae and I have nothing in common, I still felt like I could relate to parts of this story, and I enjoyed that aspect! Make sure to add this Christmas romance to your reading list today!

I received an advance copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

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The Memory House
by Rachel Hauck

My Rating: 4 Stars

Goodreads Synopsis: When Beck Holiday lost her father in the North Tower on 9/11, she also lost her memories of him. Eighteen years later, she’s a tough New York City cop burdened with a damaging secret, suspended for misconduct, and struggling to get her life in order. Meanwhile a mysterious letter arrives informing her she’s inherited a house along Florida’s northern coast, and what she discovers there will change her life forever. Matters of the heart only become more complicated when she runs into handsome Bruno Endicott, a driven sports agent who fondly recalls the connection they shared as teenagers. But Beck doesn’t remember that, either.

Decades earlier, widow Everleigh Applegate lives a steady, uneventful life with her widowed mother after a tornado ripped through Waco, Texas, and destroyed her new, young married life. When she runs into old high school friend Don Callahan, she begins to yearn for change. Yet no matter how much she longs to love again, she is hindered by a secret she can never share.

Fifty years separate the women but through the power of love and miracle of faith, they each find healing in a beautiful Victorian known affectionately as The Memory House.

My Review: The Memory House was a beautifully written story about love, loss, and forgiveness. Rachel Hauck is an amazing writer and she is becoming one of my favorites! I look forward to each of her new books. The Memory House is no exception. Hopping back and forth between two different time periods, we learn about the lives of two women - Beck and Everleigh.

Beck, a cop in New York who has no memories of the past, including her father who died in the 9/11 tragedy, is on a leave of absence when she finds out that she has inherited the house of a woman she doesn't know in Florida. She travels down to claim her inheritance and ends up reuniting with an old friend. Through some ups and downs, this old friend helps her discover all that she has lost.

Everleigh is happily married with a child on the way when the unimaginable happens. After losing her husband and her baby, she falls into a rut and finds herself living with her mother. It isn't until she runs into an old friend that she finally finds what she needs to move on from her boring day to day routines.

The big question? How are these two ladies connected? Why did Everleigh leave Beck her house? Through this story, we learn how both of these women had to truly find themselves and take uncomfortable risks to move away from the past. This was a great read with relatable characters and a super engaging plot. This book releases on April 2, 2019 and its one to add to your to read list!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.