Barbies and Beaches by Asta Idonea

Title: Barbies and Beaches

Series: Dreamspinner’s Warmest Wishes Advent Calendar 2018.

Author: Asta Idonea

Genre: Contemporary, Holiday

Length: Short Story (21 Pages)

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (December 1, 2018)

Heat level: Low

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖 3 Hearts

Blurb: For the first time ever, Shane is not looking forward to the annual Boxing Day barbecue at Matty’s house. He recently divorced, none of his friends know what to say to him now, and Shane is tired of the pity and awkwardness. Things take a turn, however, when he meets Matty’s English cousin. Neil is struggling with the Australian heat, having left the UK after a bad breakup. When Shane suggests the two of them head to a secluded beach to cool off, the growing intimacy between them might make both reassess their current situation.

ISBN: 978-1-64405-040-8

Product Link: Dreamspinner | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: Shane is going to a friends barbecue and doesn’t really want to go. His life has gone up in flames or so he thinks. Just wait till he gets his eyes on Neil.

The story just gives you a small taste. I am surprised at just how much story can be put into a book so short. However it doesn’t really give you a great time. It just doesn’t seem to stick with me.

It is a cute story with what one truly wants in the end. I just felt like there could have been more. I will also say the title didn’t really make me want to read the story in the first place.

Tulsi Vivah by Anna Kaling

Title: Tulsi Vivah

Series: Dreamspinner’s Warmest Wishes Advent Calendar 2018

Author: Anna Kaling

Genre: Contemporary, Holiday

Length: Short Story (63 Pages)

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (December 1, 2018)

Heat level: Low

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖 3 Hearts

Blurb: The festival of Tulsi Vivah ushers in the Hindu wedding season and tears away the love of Kristopher’s life. Three years of passion and tenderness are reduced to a shameful skeleton in the closet as Arjuna submits to the marriage his parents have arranged for him. His family has never even heard Kristopher’s name.

The festival, a ritualistic wedding between the holy basil plant, Tulsi, and her eternal lover, Vishnu, is as much of a play-act as Arjuna’s upcoming nuptials, but he believes the wedding will honor his parents and please Vishnu. So why is his Tulsi plant—whose leaves heal and bless the devout, who is Vishnu’s representative on earth—dying? Arjuna tends to her with all the care of a concerned parent, but it might take more than his devotion to save her. She might need Kris, with his clever green-fingers—and maybe a revived Tulsi can heal two hearts.

ISBN: 978-1-64405-0460

Product Link: Dreamspinner | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: Arjuna is so deep in the closet I am not sure he will ever get out. He is in love with Kris but to please his mother he plans to marry a woman. Kris agrees but his heart truly isn’t in it.

This story felt so stiff and formal that didn’t do the story much good. I felt bored and didn’t want to finish it, which made the fact that it was a short story a plus. I could not connect with the characters in the story. I figured it might just be the culture in this story which I didn’t understand much of. The whole story just felt off to me.

I am afraid that this story just didn’t do anything for me.

Holiday Island by A.D. Ellis

Title: Holiday Island

Series: Dreamspinner’s Warmest Wishes Advent Calendar 2018

Author: A.D. Ellis

Genre: Contemporary, Holiday

Length: Short Story (43 Pages)

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (December 1, 2018)

Heat level: Low

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 4.5 Hearts

Blurb: No peacocks were harmed in the making of this story.

Rafa’s nautical skills are less than stellar. He’d rather be a full-time artist, but he has a duty to the family business and a fear of standing up to his father and brother.

Carpenter Lucas is determined to rebuild his business after a lover’s betrayal nearly destroyed it. But he runs into a snag when he misses the last boat to the job site.

Rafa offers to take him, but Rafa isn’t much of a sailor.

When they end up on the wrong island, fears for survival gradually give way to an appreciation of the beauty around them—and each other. Rafa insists a holiday miracle will save them, and he teases Lucas for being a Scrooge.

In the end, Rafa’s miracle might come from the last place he expects: inside himself.

ISBN: 978-1-64405-0460

Product Link: Dreamspinner | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: On a boat headed towards love. Rafa decides to give Lucas a ride to an island for work but they end up on an island that has many drawbacks but might just lead them to the life they truly needed.

This is a cute little story that really should have been longer. Here is a young man that is a true artist working for a father that is pretty much an ass. There were some parts to the story that felt off and made it feel like the author tried to throw in so much information that it felt blown. Other than that it was a pretty good story and the peacock added color to it.

It was well written but to make it absolute fun, it needs to be longer in length. I enjoyed the story and look forward to seeing what other stories this author has going on.

Colina de Lavanda by August Li

Title: Colina de Lavanda

Series: Dreamspinner’s Warmest Wishes Advent Calendar 2018.

Author: August Li

Genre: Historical Americas, Western, Mythology, Other Paranormal

Length: Short Story (57 Pages)

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (1st December 2018)

Heat level: Low

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 4 Hearts

Blurb: Lord protector of whores, thieves, sorcerers, and deviants.

Owning a parcel of land the railroad needs to cross means Edward gets to run the border town around the station as he sees fit. What starts as a place to indulge his varied appetites becomes a haven to society’s castoffs, and if Edward encourages legends about its founder to flourish, well, he’s not so much a liar as a man who wants to protect all the cultures living in peace. Being mayor means folks might ignore his vices, but they also expect him to fix what goes wrong.

When a crushing heat wave and drought threaten not only the town’s diverse holiday celebrations but its very existence, Edward must turn to the one man he’d rather french kiss a timber rattler than face—the icily elegant Cantonese mage Edward walked out on but never stopped loving.

ISBN: 978-1-64405-056-9

Product Link: Dreamspinner | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: Edward is in need of some big help and he turns to the one man who would be willing to do it, his ex. A heatwave is on them and it is natural. A beautiful town created for those that most would not except and they need to fix it.

Magical and mysterious this story gives you that. It was just a taste though and I do hope that this author turns it into a pretty cool story. The story flowed just like one would like and the characters were quite a hit with me.

I enjoyed it quite a bit. Lets just say that it was not what I expected.

That Turtle Story by C.S. Poe

Title: That Turtle Story

Series: Dreamspinner’s Warmest Wishes Advent Calendar 2018.

Author: C.S. Poe

Genre: Contemporary, Holiday 

Length: Short Story (41 Pages)

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (December 1, 2018)

Heat level: Low

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 4 Hearts

Blurb: Nor O’Brien spends his days in sunny Key West caring for and rehabilitating sea turtles. He doesn’t need anything else in life, expect maybe a significant other to cuddle with after a long day. But recent heartbreak has left Nor salty, and he’s not in the mood for anything, Christmas included.

Then Eugene Montgomery walks into Turtle R&R, claiming to have found a clutch of eggs in distress. Nor is smitten with the tourist at first sight, and at the suggestion of his screwball colleagues, indulges in some no-strings-attached fun. Nor and Eugene are quick to get along, happily enjoy each other’s company, and take in the island’s unique holiday pleasures together.

But Nor would never leave his turtles, not for any man. So when his rebound fling turns into strong romantic feelings for Eugene, it’ll take a Christmas miracle to keep the two together forever in Key West.

ISBN: 978-1-64405-039-2

Product Link: Dreamspinner | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: Nor relationship has broken up and lets face it, he is a bit of a grump. That is until he meets Eugene. When Eugene comes into the rescue to report some turtle eggs, lets just say Nor is all on it. Not the only thing he will be all on.

It is cute, sweet and just plain fun to read. The characters were quirky and quite interesting. I enjoyed reading it and look forward to reading more from this author. The story was a bit too short for me though and I hope it turns into a full size novel.

The story made me smile quite a bit.

Trapped in the Valley of the Kings by Blue Jones

Title: Trapped in The Valley of the Kings

Series: Dreamspinner’s Warmest Wishes Advent Calendar 2018

Author: Blue Jones

Genre: Contemporary. Holiday

Length: Short Story (24 Pages)

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (December 1, 2018)

Heat level: Low

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 4 Hearts

Blurb: Rival archaeologists Will and Jude slept together a year ago, on the night of the Summer Solstice at a dig in Stonehenge. But they were both wearing masks, so Jude has no idea it was Will he slept with, and Will’s been harboring a powerful, one-sided crush ever since.

Now they’re in Egypt, competing to find the lost tomb of Queen Nefertiti. Jude falls through a crack in the cave floor, and when Will reluctantly climbs down to help him, they find themselves in Nefertiti’s tomb, surrounded by archaeological treasures—where they must spend Christmas stranded by a sandstorm.

Will a few sultry hours stripped almost bare from the heat and sharing a bottle of whiskey sort out who should get credit for the discovery—and the real reason for the tension between them?

ISBN: 978-1-64405-044-6

Product Link: Dreamspinner | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: Jude and Will had a great night together but they didn’t know that it was with each other. They are not exactly enemies but they are not friends either. They were searching for the same thing, but one small accident leads them to something they realize they should have been searching for, each other.

I was amazed that I had not read this author before but this was one fantastic read, for such a short story. I can’t say that I truly liked it but it was still pretty good. I liked the guys attitudes and lets face it, who wants a romance with not a bit of trouble. Feisty is one word for it.

I will definitely be checking this author out.