Book Review: Merry and Bright by Debbie Macomber

Author: Debbie Macomber
Series: N/A
Audience: Over 18
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Release Date: October 3rd 2017
My Rating: 3.5 Cups
Source: Won in a giveaway
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Merry Knight is pretty busy these days. She’s taking care of her family, baking cookies, decorating for the holidays, and hoping to stay out of the crosshairs of her stressed and by-the-book boss at the consulting firm where she temps. Her own social life is the last thing she has in mind, much less a man. Without her knowledge, Merry’s well-meaning mom and brother create an online dating profile for her—minus her photo—and the matches start rolling in. Initially, Merry is incredulous, but she reluctantly decides to give it a whirl.

Soon Merry finds herself chatting with a charming stranger, a man with similar interests and an unmistakably kind soul. Their online exchanges become the brightest part of her day. But meeting face-to-face is altogether different, and her special friend is the last person Merry expects—or desires. Still, sometimes hearts can see what our eyes cannot. In this satisfying seasonal tale, unanticipated love is only a click away.

*Disclaimer: I won an ARC of this book in a giveaway hosted by the author. I'm writing my review voluntarily, and my opinions and rating are not influenced by having won this book.

I've been meaning for years to try out one of Debbie Macomber's books, so I was very excited when I won an ARC two years ago. I wasn't really sure what the book was about, except that it was set around Christmas, and I love books set around that holiday. There is a good reason for why I held off on reading it for so long after reading the blurb though. One of my favorite movies growing up was You've Got Mail, which is a 90s romcom that I watched many many times over the years. This meant that I had very high expectations for this book, so I had to manage them a bit before picking up this book.

I'm very glad I waited to read this book, because it turned out to be a very enjoyable read, one I probably wouldn't have appreciated had I not managed my expectations.

Book Review: A Holiday By Gaslight by Mimi Matthews

Author: Mimi Matthews
Narrator: Alex Wyndham
Series: N/A
Audience:  +18
Genre: Historical Romance, Christmas Romance
Publisher: Perfectly Proper Press
Release Date: November 13th 2018
My Rating: 4 Cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

A Courtship of Convenience

Sophie Appersett is quite willing to marry outside of her class to ensure the survival of her family. But the darkly handsome Mr. Edward Sharpe is no run-of-the-mill London merchant. He’s grim and silent. A man of little emotion—or perhaps no emotion at all. After two months of courtship, she’s ready to put an end to things.

A Last Chance for Love

But severing ties with her taciturn suitor isn’t as straightforward as Sophie envisioned. Her parents are outraged. And then there’s Charles Darwin, Prince Albert, and that dratted gaslight. What’s a girl to do except invite Mr. Sharpe to Appersett House for Christmas and give him one last chance to win her? Only this time there’ll be no false formality. This time they’ll get to know each other for who they really are.

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC from Netgalley and Perfectly Proper Press in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

The first thing that caught my eye was the cover. How could I ignore it, when it's so pretty? The next thing that made me want to read this book was the fact that it was not only a Christmas story, but a historical romance one. So basically you have the two best things in the world put together. I've never read Mimi Matthews before, but I absolutely loved this introduction into her world and I believe I shall dive into her backlist in the upcoming year.