Genevieve

What an incredible debut by Kristen L. Berry. I was completely glued to this story from start to finish.

The story follows Sydney, who is cleaning out her late grandmother’s belongings when she discovers a photograph of a little girl who looks more like her than her own sister. She soon learns the girl is her Aunt Carol, one of six Black girls who went missing in 1960s North Carolina. Carol’s name hasn’t been spoken in decades, and no one in the family is willing to talk about what happened. Determined to uncover the truth, Sydney begins digging into the mystery behind the disappearances, especially her aunt’s.

This book delivers layered family drama, twists, mystery, and suspense, and I enjoyed every minute of it. The ending genuinely surprised me.

What stood out most is how this story, though fictional, shines a necessary light on the very real and often overlooked issue of missing Black girls and women. Kristen L. Berry handles this topic with care and intention, making this a powerful and impactful read.

Highly recommend if you love mysteries with heart and depth.

A cozy and enjoyable holiday novella. While I loved the festive feel, the ending felt rushed and predictable. Still a cute, quick Christmas read.

This was such a cute holiday read. I both listened to the audiobook and read the physical copy. While the audiobook was just okay, the story itself was really well done. We follow Noel as she rents out her apartment and Kanton, a businessman trying to land a big deal, and they end up stuck sharing the same space.

Their opposite personalities, especially when it comes to Christmas, made their interactions fun, tense, and surprisingly heartfelt.

Watching Kanton slowly soften and experience the holidays through Noel’s eyes was my favorite part. The chemistry was there, the pacing worked, and the Christmas vibes were just right.

This story was cute and overall enjoyable. I really liked that Starr (FMC) felt relatable, she doesn’t have her life perfectly together, and the messy family dynamics added an interesting layer to the story.

The pacing was very fast, which makes sense since this is a novella, but I did wish the relationship between Starr (FMC) and Waylon (MMC) had been given more time to grow. I found myself wanting the romance to build more naturally, with deeper chemistry and emotional connection.

Overall, if you’re looking for a light, wholesome Christian romance that’s sweet and comforting, this is worth the read.

A. E. Valdez never misses. Every time I pick up one of her books, I’m reminded why she’s my auto buy author. This story was pure holiday magic wrapped in heart, healing, and romance.

We follow Noelle, who is completely blindsided after catching her boyfriend cheating, losing not just the relationship, but also her job in the process. Then there’s Snow, who has been stuck in the past ever since losing the love of his life years ago and hasn’t quite learned how to move forward.

Both of them end up vacationing in the same charming, snowy town, and what starts as a getaway quickly turns into something neither of them expected. This is a fast-paced, forced-proximity holiday romance that had me hooked from start to finish.

I loved everything about this story, the snow covered setting, the cozy holiday town, the Christmas festivities, it was everything I want in a holiday romance.

This is book one in the series, and I cannot wait to continue. This book gets all the stars.

A Christmas to Remember by Beverly Jenkins was a mature, cozy, made-for-TV holiday story. The story takes place in the historical town of Henry Adams, which is still growing and developing, and it’s filled with a close knit, loving community that really sets the tone for the story.

Even though this is book 11 in the series, this was my first Beverly Jenkins book and I didn’t feel lost at all. It was a slow pace easy, comforting read and overall I enjoyed it. Perfect if you’re in the mood for something warm for the holidays.

This was such a cute and cozy holiday romantasy! Ana Gibson did an amazing job with this story. A magical Black holiday romance that blends culture, humor, and heart-stopping love in a really charming way.

The story follows Chimney, an elf who wishes Santa would let him walk away from his “perfect” elf life and experience the human world, where he can just be loved as a man. Santa agrees to a deal, and Chimney is given 21 days to live among mortals before his wish expires on Christmas night.

While in the human world, he meets Sydney, a beautiful woman who perfectly matches his desires. Every moment they spend together deepens their chemistry and makes it harder for Chimney to tell her the truth, that their time is limited and his magic comes with an expiration date.

The pacing was great, the banter was fun, and the chemistry was definitely there. Overall, this was a sweet, magical, feel-good holiday read that I really enjoyed and would recommend if you’re in the mood for something festive with a touch of romance and fantasy.

This was my first read by Charity Shane, and I did enjoy the story. It definitely gave me some of the Christmas vibes I was hoping for.

Saira, a prominent author going through a creative slump, travels to Santa Claus, Indiana, for inspiration. She rents a duplex from Dorian, a volunteer firefighter and local little league football coach. From the moment they meet, there’s an undeniable chemistry that pulls them together.

Dorian lost his wife years ago to cancer, and is still struggling to move on. I would’ve loved to see more of the internal struggle of moving forward in a relationship with a new woman and, how that grief and hesitation affected the romance. I would’ve loved to see him visiting his wife’s grave or just processing his feelings more.

The communication between the two characters was a bit frustrating at times. I wished they would just asked the right questions instead of waiting for the other to speak up.

Overall, this was an enjoyable, cute holiday quick read with some sweet moments.