jbarrett5 book reviews, etc

Sleigh Ride: A Winter Anthology by Malena Lott and others
Wanted to read this particular book because it has a lot of authors I'm not familiar with, except one.
Always find I have time for new authors and their works of words. The kindle version just started right up but I pulled up the contents and ran into Monkey Bread recipe so with Thanksgiving coming up and I'm hostessing it this year I was looking for something quick and easy to make and this is it! Love how there is magic with each sleigh story.
Love the idea of all the recipes from the authors included. Now to the other parts of the book, the stories. Just even the names of the stories a calm has come over my mind and body as I sit back and relax to start reading them all. I hate to read books like this also because I never want them to end...
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Monks and Musicians by Samantha Wilde
Rev. Jeff Winsted had sex with his church secretary and told his wife and sleeping daughter on the sleigh ride.
She ousted him out of the house the day after...and she is pregnant.
She works through it with her step mother as the days go by. Jeff has left with Lynn to go to Florida, left his family, job, everything til he thinks about it all...
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Noche Buena by Maria Geraci
Maggie Cartwright is the local welcomer from the Chamber of Commerce. She had given Nestor Vegas, a restaurant owner his annual fruitcake and they talk about past Christmases. Her favorite was the empty doll box that was turned into a sleigh.
She talks about going back to TN to stay at her grandfathers cabin in the woods and just relaxing, reading, thinking of what to do with her life...
Her sister comes over and they gossip and she finds out details about Nestor that she didn't know about...
Laughed at the holiday sweaters they must wear. I used to make them for the family, but not holiday themed. Murals sound gorgeous.
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Fairy Lights by Jenny Peterson
Allison lives and works in Sweden and her sister is there to visit from Ohio and other parts in the US.
While on a sleigh ride the memory of their brother comes up and she gets off the moving sleigh.
Willow explains why she can't make her mother happy...she never met her brother nor does she know how he died...
She wanted to be the twin to Allison after the brother died and she thought her mother was the one to kill him, til Allison learns the truth..
Love the folklore, just what needed to heal the two together again...
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No Place Like Home by Dani Stone
Brian had accepted a job 2 years ago and told Stacie without even asking for her opinion. That was one reason why they broke up.
She confided in her friend Audrey about his phone call that they needed to talk. The women had spent a weekend at Las Vegas mourning her grandmother Jordan passing and the breakup of Brian.
She thinks he might want to get together with her so she goes through the pictures they took as a couple and remembers how comfortable they were.
She also looks at a picture of the sleigh ride her grandparents took together when they were dating.
With the snow just falling her friend picks her up in a sleigh and has yet another surprise for her when they reach the bookstore..There is magic with the sleigh...
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The Escape by Megan Barlog
Hans is in charge of the animaltrons at the Stable. A girl with red hair is being chased by many men and he helps hide her. After some time has gone by she appears again and he hides her again and she tells him her story.
Her father is forcing her to marry an old man, as in his age.
He was just finishing welding the steel on the sleigh. it had instruments in it that would make it fly, like an airplane.
Beka's father and her intended want a tracking chip implanted and she runs to the Stable for Hans to help her. He has an idea that involves the sleigh...
She agreed to meet him on Friday night for their escape but soemthing went wrong. She used Morse code to contact him and he took it into his hands to solve the problem, with his sleigh...
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Dashing Through the Snow by Maggie Marr
Ella Brighton and her dog Bovis were far from LA, in the snow in Vermont when the dog jumped out the window. She went after him and after not finding him went back to the rental SUV where she had the keys locked inside, with her purse and watch.
A man in a sleigh had her dog as she walked around for a bit...
He was divorced also and they got to talking and laughing ...
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Snowflakes and Stones by Malena Lott
Moria was hand delivering the divorce papers to Grayson where he waited in the sleigh, all set with Dancer and Dasher... Her job used to be hot cocoa and Layla would handle the sugar cookies.
She recalls the accident that took their daughter and I loved hearing how the one who was at fault spent their time telling others about it-in hopes nobody else would ever die from it.
Love hearing of all the nature and just pristine setting of the family homestead...