Mistletoe Kiss Release Day + Photo Contest

It’s Mistletoe Kiss release day! This sweet, fluffy, funny Christmas novella is available now on Kindle, Kobo, iBooks, and Nook for just 99 cents!

Bridget Higgins hasn't allowed herself to think too much about fairytales or the magic of Christmas since her dad died. Her life has been dedicated to work, her mom, her best friend Ivy, and little else. But when her kind and gorgeous boss, who she's secretly had a crush on for the last three years, offers her a night of fun on top of an unexpected Christmas bonus from work, Bridget starts to remember what it's like to believe in magic and fairytales once more.

Mistletoe Kiss is a 20,000-word contemporary romance.

Buy Mistletoe Kiss

Amazon US

Amazon Canada

Amazon UK

Kobo

Nook

iBooks

To celebrate the release of Mistletoe Kiss, I’m going to try something I’ve never done before but have always wanted to: a photo contest! As an indie author, my reach only goes so far and my budget is only so big. (Confession: It’s tiny.) I’ve been a bookstagrammer for a few years now, and that amazing community is where I feel most comfortable online. I love being part of a group of people who are so passionate about books and use their passion and creativity to take beautiful bookish pictures. Because of my love of the community, I was inspired to do a photo contest. I’ve talked before about the impact and importance of bookish photography, and I’m hoping people will participate in this contest and help me spread the word about Mistletoe Kiss. While I know many of you would do it out of the goodness of your hearts, I thought a little extra incentive wouldn’t hurt!

Contest Details:

Contest starts today and runs through December 16th (my birthday and also an important date in the book!)

The prize: A $15 Amazon gift card (or PayPal cash if the winner prefers)

For every picture you post featuring the cover of Mistletoe Kiss - something simple, an elaborately styled bookstagram pic, you holding your ereader with the cover, even the book mixed in with other books - you’ll get one entry.

Be sure to tag me (@sweetmarie_83) and use the hashtag #MarieLandry so I’ll see your pictures!

Don’t have Instagram? That’s okay! Post your pictures on Twitter and tag me (@SweetMarie83) or post them on my Facebook page (Marie Landry, Author).

That’s it! That’s all you have to do. Post a picture of Mistletoe Kiss, tag me, use the hashtag. You can post as many times as you like between now and December 16th, and each picture will count as an entry. If you’d like an extra entry, post about this contest in your Instagram stories or on Twitter and tag me.  

I’ll share some of my favourite pics in my Instagram stories, and as an extra thank-you for taking the time to share my book, I’ll also share your pictures here on the blog, in my newsletter, on Twitter, and on my Facebook fan page. I’ll always include your handle and/or a link back to your Instagram or Twitter and encourage people to give you a follow!

Thank you for your support! I can’t wait to hear what you think of Mistletoe Kiss, and I’m excited to see your pictures. ♥

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Mistletoe Kiss Cover Reveal + ARC Signups

It's cover reveal day for my upcoming Christmas novella, Mistletoe Kiss! I wrote this novella last Christmas and I’m so excited it’s finally ready for people to read. It’s been quite the journey, from issues with my Word document overwriting and deleting chunks of the story to problems with formatting to not being able to get the cover just right. I designed about 7 different covers and scrapped them all, knowing they didn’t truly fit the story. By the time I finished what is now the final cover, I was ready to break down in tears. With that being said, I really hope you guys like it!

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Bridget Higgins hasn't allowed herself to think too much about fairytales or the magic of Christmas since her dad died. Her life has been dedicated to work, her mom, her best friend Ivy, and little else. But when her kind and gorgeous boss, who she's secretly harbored a crush on for the last three years, offers her a night of fun on top of an unexpected Christmas bonus from work, Bridget starts to remember what it feels like to believe in magic and fairytales once more.

Mistletoe Kiss is a 20,000-word contemporary romance.

That’s not all. The book is available for preorder! You can preorder it now for just 99 cents and have it arrive on your ereader at midnight next Thursday, November 16th! Wondering how preorders help authors? Every release day sale goes toward an author’s ranking; the higher their ranking, the more visible their book is to other buyers. I’ve talked before about how this is the first book I’m publishing in two years and I’m worried people have forgotten about me, so it would mean everything to me to have an amazing release day as my comeback to the publishing world. I’d be eternally grateful to anyone willing to preorder. There’s not much you can buy for only 99 cents these days! ;-)

Preorder now:

Amazon US

Amazon Canada

Kobo

Nook

iBooks

I also have eARCs available for anyone who’d like to read the book early. If you’d like to receive a copy of Mistletoe Kiss in exchange for an honest review, you can sign up here.

Thank you so much for your support!

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Review: Let it Shine by Alyssa Cole

Let it Shine by Alyssa Cole
Series: Standalone
Published: March 14th, 2016
Publisher: Seditious Sisters
134 pages (ebook)
Genre: Historical Romance
Acquired this book: Bought
Warning: May contain spoilers
{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon || Chapters/Indigo} 

Sofronia Wallis knows that proper Black women don’t court trouble by upending the status quo, but it’s 1961 and the Civil Rights movement is in full swing. Sofie’s spent half her life being prim, proper, and reserved—as if that could bring her mother back—but the nonviolent protests happening across the South bring out her inner agitator.

Ivan Friedman has devoted his life to boxing, loving the finesse of a well-delivered punch and the penance of receiving one. His family escaped from Europe before the horrors of WWII, and Ivan decides to help fight injustice in their new country, even if it goes against all his instincts as a fighter.

When Ivan and Sofie meet, they realize that their pasts are intertwined and—with the sparks that fly between them—perhaps their futures will be too. With everything in their society lined up against them, will Sofie and Ivan be able to beat the odds? Or will their chance at love be destroyed by the tumultuous times they live in? 

 

Let it Shine is the first fictional story I’ve read set during the Civil Rights Movement. It was emotional and moving, while also being a painful and eye-opening read. The horrors people of colour (and allies), had to endure during that time were absolutely heartbreaking, not to mention rage-inducing. And despite being set over fifty years ago, the story is a sharp reminder that while many things have changed for people of colour, racism is still far too prevalent in our society. Despite its ‘historical’ setting, this story is timeless, and it’s as important now as it ever was.

Sofie and Ivan were great characters. I loved how well fleshed-out they were, especially considering Let it Shine is a novella. We saw glimpses of their individual and shared history, and the events that made them into the people they were. They were both strong and determined, and while they had been through and were going through difficult times, they remained strong. They faced so many obstacles - a painful shared history as children, and then as adults trying to forge a relationship in a world that was against them separately and together. 

One of the things I appreciated about this story was how things weren't sugarcoated. It showed the ugly, scary side of things, the uncomfortable and painful bits, the injustices people fought so hard against, often at the risk of their own safety. I also appreciated that we got to see the prejudices within groups of marginalized people. I think a lot of people are under the impression that those who have been oppressed or face racism or prejudice of any sort must stick together because they understand how it feels, but that’s not always true, and Let it Shine showed that. Sofie’s family was Black and her dad disliked Jews, and Ivan's family was Jewish and his dad disliked Black people. That element was woven into the story in a natural way; not only is it a fact of life for many people, but it also realistically added to the obstacles Sofie and Ivan faced. I admired Cole’s honesty and that she didn’t shy away from difficult, painful subject matter.

In Let it Shine, Alyssa Cole did a fantastic job of balancing the history and politics of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement with coming-of-age aspects and a believable romance. It was easy to connect with and root for both Sofie and Ivan, and satisfying to see them find love and a sense of safety in such a tumultuous time.

Have you read Let it Shine? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Have you read any novels set during the Civil Rights Movement?

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Review: How Not to Fall in Love by Deirdre Riordan Hall

How Not to Fall in Love by Deirdre Riordan Hall
Series: Love, Hate, and Other Lies We Told 1.5
Published: February 14th, 2017
Publisher: Self-published
146 pages (ebook)
Genre: Contemporary women’s fiction
Acquired this book: Gift
Warning: May contain spoilers
{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon US || Amazon CAN} 

Katya's middle name may be Aphrodite, but she has no interest in relationships. In fact, she has three rules she lives by:

1. Never spend the night.

2. Never sleep with the same guy twice.

3. Never fall in love.

Oh, and number 3.1 is never order the same coffee two days in a row.

That's a lot of nevers, but when she breaks every single one of them, repeatedly (her undoing was a vanilla latte with a heart in the foam, BTW), she begins to wonder…

Actually, it was a batch of chocolate chip cookies that started her downward spiral. Never mind, scratch that, it was Spencer—her neighbor. He's also a banker, a player, and seems to know just what Kat wants, which isn't love.

Until they start to spend a lot of time together…

Until she finds one of his socks at her place...

Until they go to a ski resort for a long weekend…

Until he has a snowboarding injury…

As Kat struggles with the part of her that wants to be strong, single, and on the scene and the mushy, melty, romantic within, she tries desperately not to fall in love. But what's wrong with falling if you have someone with dark tousled hair, refined yet ruggedly handsome features, and chiseled abs to catch you?

Nothing. Nothing at all.
 

When I read Love, Hate, and Other Lies We Told, I found myself as interested in Katya as I was in Navy. She seemed to lead an interesting life, and she clearly had some issues in her past that caused her to be the way she was. I was happy to hear she was getting her own story with How Not to Fall in Love.

I liked Katya a lot. She was an interesting mixture - on the one hand, she seemed to have it together, but underneath she was damaged by things that happened in her past and was struggling. She seemed happy with her life of no commitments and didn’t have plans to change, but deep down she was a romantic who needed to learn a few lessons about life and love in order to open up her heart. I enjoyed watching her growth and found myself cheering her on. Of course, it didn't hurt that Spencer was hot and swoony and ended up being really good for Katya in a lot of ways. Their romance was believable and enjoyable.

How Not to Fall in Love is a sweet, funny, romantic novella that can be read as a standalone. If you’re looking for a something light and feel-good, be sure to give this one a try!

 

{Read my review of Love, Hate, and Other Lies We Told}

 

 

{My review of Sugar || My review of Pearl} 

 

Have you read How Not to Fall in Love or Love, Hate, and Other Lies We Told? What did you think? If you haven't read them, do you plan to? Have you read any women's fiction lately that you'd recommend?

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Mini Review: The Trouble With Werewolves by MB Mulhall

The Trouble With Werewolves by MB Mulhall
Series: Errand Girl of the Undead #1
Published: February 28th, 2016
Publisher: Self-published
73 pages (eARC)
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Acquired this book: From the author in exchange for honest consideration
Warning: May contain spoilers
{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon}

Ellie Weston may look like a blonde Barbie wanna-be, but call by her full name of Elvira and you’ll find she can take you down with nothing more than a paperclip and a hair tie. Having been raised by an ancient vampire, a faerie and a demon hardly makes her a normal teen. She’s trained in self-defense, with a bit of magic thrown in, but those talents are going to waste as she picks up dry cleaning, walks three-headed dogs and collects grave dust by the light of the full moon.

Her job as an errand girl to the undead--and other paranormal creatures--has kept her busy and relatively safe, until she receives a job to hunt down a rogue werewolf who is brutally butchering norms in her father’s territory. As she tries to track down the bloodthirsty beast, she finds the clues aren’t quite adding up. Will her wiles be enough to keep her safe and solve the mystery, or will she become the next victim of these ghastly crimes?

Vampires, demons, and werewolves oh my! The Trouble With Werewolves is a fun, fast-paced story with an original premise. The adopted daughter of a powerful vampire, Ellie is an errand girl to all manner of supernatural creatures.

There was a nice balance of action, mystery, and humour in this story. Ellie is funny and smart, and while she has lots of personality, I’m hoping we’ll see more depth and growth from her in future books. I’m also looking forward to seeing where things go with the hint of romance, and the questions that arose toward the end.

If you’re looking for a new spin on the supernatural genre and you want something quick and fun with a few twists and surprises, you should check out The Trouble With Werewolves. This was a great start to what promises to be an interesting series, and I’m eager to keep reading!

Have you read The Trouble With Werewolves? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to?

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Review: Her Best Laid Plans by Cara McKenna

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Her Best Laid Plans by Cara McKenna
Series: Standalone
Published: April 15th, 2014
Publisher: Cosmopolitan Red-Hot Reads from Harlequin
85 pages (ebook)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Acquired this book: Bought
Warning: May contain spoilers
{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon || Chapters/Indigo}

Experience Ireland—the dramatic beauty, the warm hospitality…and the smoking hot local guys!

Imagine nursing a pint in a cozy, authentic country pub, far from Cork's busy city pulse. Getting here took you a plane, bus, taxi and…um, bicycle. But just as you're resigning yourself to drinking beside grey-haired farmers, you see him—a man with the looks and charm to soothe any heartbroken girl.

He's your bartender. Your really, really gorgeous bartender.

For American Jamie Webb—recently dumped and housesitting for two weeks—Connor Kelleher is like a six-course feast after a 23-year starvation diet. But it's gotta be casual. She's just begun rerouting her life after a three-year man-related detour. Still, a sexy romp (or twenty!) with Sexy McBartender?

But what happens when Jamie's best-laid plans for no future plans with any man begin to change?

 

I found Her Best Laid Plans while searching for books set in Ireland. Between the cover, the ‘Cosmo Red-Hot Reads’ label, and the fact the book is a novella, I was expecting more sex than story. I figured it’d be a quick, sexy read, and while there was some super hot sex in this book (like SUPER HOT OMG), it also had a great plot and fleshed-out characters.

I really liked Jamie and Connor. I sympathized with Jamie and her reasons for visiting Ireland and needing a break from real life. I appreciated that while she and Connor had instant chemistry, it never felt rushed or forced. It can be really hard to find a balance in novellas, and I think McKenna did a fantastic job. It felt like Jamie and Connor actually got to know each other, and while they promised no strings or expectations beyond Jamie’s visit to Ireland, it was easy to root for them and hope they’d find a way to make it work. Then there were the sex scenes. Holy wow. The ‘red-hot reads’ is definitely accurate. I was glad the book wasn’t all sex all the time, but I sure did enjoy Jamie and Connor’s sexytimes!

If you’re looking for a quick, sexy, funny, sweet read I highly recommend Her Best Laid Plans. I thoroughly enjoyed this story from beginning to end.

Have you read Her Best Laid Plans? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to?

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Unwrapping Her Perfect Match by Kat Latham

Unwrapping Her Perfect Match by Kat Latham
Series: London Legends #3.5
Published: November 11th, 2014
Publisher: Self-published
152 pages (ebook)
Genre: Contemporary romance
Acquired this book: Kindle freebie
Warning: May contain spoilers
{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon || Kobo}

’Twas a week before Christmas, and at the auction house…

At six foot one, Gwen Chambers has felt like a giant her whole life. She’s a calm, capable nurse saving lives in a busy London hospital, but healthy men give her heart palpitations. When larger-than-life rugby player “Little” John Sheldon convinces her to bid on him in his team’s fundraising auction, she discovers how pleasurable heart palpitations can be.

A rugby player was stirring, with desire no one could douse…

John has wanted Gwen since he first saw her, but when he’s injured in a match just before Christmas he suddenly needs her too. Not only can the sexy nurse help him recover, but she might be able to help him look after his daughter—a shy ten-year-old who speaks only French.

But will it be a Happy Christmas for all, and for all a good night?

From decorating the Christmas tree to ice skating at the Tower of London, Gwen helps father and daughter open up and bond with each other—and she bonds right along with them. But when John’s agent calls with a life-changing offer, Gwen has to decide how far she’s willing to go for her perfect match. Will their first Noël also be their last?

Unwrapping Her Perfect Match was exactly what I needed after reading several slow, draggy books that made me feel like I was heading into a reading slump. This novella was funny, sweet, sexy, and heartwarming. I haven’t read any of the other books in the London Legends series, but a) I didn’t feel lost reading this in-between novella, and b) I’ll definitely be going back and reading the first book in the series!

Gwen had trouble trusting people. Between her size (6'1") and things that happened in her past, her default was to assume she’d be the butt of people’s jokes. I know what it’s like to worry people will make fun of you based on your physical appearance, so I connected easily with Gwen. She was smart, funny, and had a huge heart. She wanted to be useful to prove her worth, because she thought that was the only reason people would want her around, but John made her feel all the things she’d always longed to feel. It wasn’t always easy, though. As sweet as John was, he could be clueless at times, but I loved that because it felt realistic. He and Gwen had misunderstandings and issues, but they were so good for each other, it was easy to root for them from beginning to end.

Besides being hilarious and super sexy, Unwrapping Her Perfect Match was also incredibly sweet. Watching John and Gwen with John’s daughter Agnes pulled at my heart strings. I even teared up a few times. This story had everything - romance, family, real-life issues, humour, steamy sexytimes. For a novella, it sure packed in a lot, and I enjoyed every moment of it.

Perfect for any time of year, but especially around the holidays, Unwrapping Her Perfect Match was the perfect match for me (sorry, I had to)!

Have you read Unwrapping Her Perfect Match? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Have you read any of the other London Legends books? What are some of your favourite Christmas stories? Let's talk here or on Twitter!

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Double Review: Married by Midnight and Christmas at Cranberry Cottage by Talli Roland

Married by Midnight by Talli Roland
Series: Standalone
Published: November 14th, 2014
Publisher: Notting Hill Press
44 pages (eARC)
Genre: Women’s fiction
Acquired this book: From the author in exchange for honest consideration
Warning: May contain spoilers
{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon CAN|| Amazon US}

Christmas is coming . . . and so is the biggest day of Kate’s life.

While choosing a vintage dress for her Christmas Eve wedding, Kate finds a cryptic note pinned to the inside of a 1930s gown. As doubts about her own ceremony loom, Kate is determined to track down the dress’ owner and determine what became of her – and the marriage.

Will Kate find the answers she’s seeking to propel her down the aisle, or will her discovery prompt her to call off the wedding for good?

Note: I read Married by Midnight in November of 2014 and while I posted my review on GoodReads, I forgot to post it here for some reason. I figured better late than never!

Whenever I see that Talli Roland has released a new Christmas novella, I get excited, because I know I’m in for a treat. Married by Midnight was no exception.

The stars have aligned, the fates have spoken, the horoscopes have decried it, so Kate is getting married this Christmas. Who cares if the man of her dreams isn’t all that dreamy and he spends more time watching the game than paying attention to her? One thing that is worthy of her daydreams is the vintage wedding dress she finds. But when she finds a note pinned inside the dress, she becomes more interested in unravelling the mystery surrounding its owner than in continuing to plan her own quickly approaching wedding.

As with all of Talli’s books, Married by Midnight is wonderfully unique. I loved the premise of the book, and how everything came together. Kate is a funny, spunky character, and her mother and sister made great side characters.

I loved the overall message of this book about following your heart, doing what’s right for you, and continuing to believe in love, even when things don’t work out exactly how you planned. For such a short story, it packed a punch.

Married by Midnight is cute, sweet, funny, and romantic. Another winner from Talli Roland!

Christmas at Cranberry Cottage by Talli Roland
Series: Standalone
Published: October 7th, 2015
Publisher: Notting Hill Press
29 pages (eARC)
Genre: Women’s fiction
Acquired this book: From the author in exchange for honest consideration
Warning: May contain spoilers
{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon CAN || Amazon US}

 

With a whirlwind lifestyle travelling the world, the one thing Jess Millward relies on is Christmas with her gran in cosy Cranberry Cottage. When her grandmother reveals the house is directly in the path of a new high-speed railway, Jess is determined to fight. Can Jess save the cottage from demolition, or will she have no home to come to this Christmas?   
 

Something I’ve come to look forward to every winter: Talli Roland’s Christmas stories. I’ve read and enjoyed all of them, so I was glad to see Talli had another one out this year!

Jess desperately wants to save Cranberry Cottage, her grandmother’s home, and the only home she’s known since her parents died. In the short course of this story, we see how passionate, impulsive, determined, and stubborn Jess is. She wants what she thinks is best for her grandma, and she’s single-minded in her desire to keep their home. As with all of Talli’s Christmas stories, there’s a moral that reminds you about the importance of family, home, and the holiday season.

If you’re looking for a quick read to boost your holiday spirit, be sure to check out Christmas at Cranberry Cottage!

3.5 stars

Have you read Married by Midnight or Christmas at Cranberry Cottage? What did you think? If you haven't read them, do you plan to? Have you read any of Talli's other books? What are some of your favourite Christmas stories? Let's talk here or on Twitter!

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