🐍 2025/013 | CAROLYN RIDDER ASPENSON, SARAH HITCHCOCK, FRANCINE LASALA, NIKKI MAHOOD, HOLLY MARTIN, K.C. WILDER - “MERRY CHICK LIT CELEBRATE THE SEASON WITH SIX SASSY SHORTS” | 3★

DETAILS

Synopsis

In the spirit of giving, six chick-lit authors "present" a charming collection of seasonal shorts sure to inspire holiday cheer-plus love and hope throughout the year, with all proceeds donated to Rocking the Road for a Cure! Featured authors & stories include:   Carolyn Ridder Aspenson In "Santa's Gift," journalist Jessica thinks Santa's just a silly myth for children, so when he asks what she most wants for Christmas she tells him the one thing she knows he can't deliver--true love. Or can he...?   Sarah Hitchcock In "The Christmas Lights," one competition pits two families against each other...who will win this war?   Francine LaSala Pretty Izzy knows exactly what she wants for Christmas: hunky sales manager Jake Harrington wrapped up with a shiny silver bow--and nothing else. Except Santa may have other plans in "Carol of the Belles."   Nikki Mahood In "Spinster Christmas," Cara's looking forward to spending Christmas alone until she learns her old--and she believes very gay--crush needs a place to stay. Though it soon becomes clear that while still hot, Ronan isn't gay after all...   Holly Martin Ella's dreams of making a better life for her and her daughter seem further away than ever in "Iced Dreams." But as Christmas approaches, and she wishes for a fairy godmother to wave a magic wand to fix her life, things begin to change in ways she never imagined!   K.C. Wilder In "The Mermaid," Allie's content to spend Christmas by herself at a vacant beach house to make good on a promise made to her true love lost, Jeff. Until Jeff's gorgeous college roommate Tim crashes in on her with his own promise to keep...   So snuggle up near the fire, drink a glass of wine or a cup of cocoa and enjoy these festive holiday shorts, knowing your purchase of this book is helping women with breast cancer.

 

Chapters In Total

Prologue	:	-
Chapters	:	-
Epilogue	:	-
Pages	:	150

 

Note(s)

·       Standalone

 

Others

1.    -

 

Destination

1.    New York 2.    Paris

 

Song(s)/Band(s)

1.    -

 

Main Character(s)

Male	:	-
Female	:	-

 

Other Character(s)

Jimmy Taylor	:	Walker’s family rival
Annabel Walker	:	Taylor’s family rival
C Oliver	:	Junior associate at GlobalCom
Isabelle	:	Izzy 32 years old Junior associate at GlobalCom
Shay Locke	:	Ella’s fairy godmother
Ella Matthews	:	Mother to Poppy Receptionist for a local dentist surgery Ice cream shop owner
Poppy	:	Ella’s daughter

 

Quote(s)

1.    And this year, more than any other year, I love this season. 2.    Better dead than settle, she promised herself. Better to sleep alone than next to a man who wasn’t her perfect brilliant Adonis. Although on especially cold nights, when the heat in her fourth-floor walk-up didn’t seem to rise above the third floor, it may have been nice to have a full-size warm male body to cozy up to, something with a little more substance than her sweet and somewhat giant Maine Coon, Kitty. 3.    You wanted something magic for Christmas, Izzy? 4.    “Cause when you ready to see, you ready to know” 5.    How had she never noticed before that the man in the snow globe wore a bow-tie… 6.    She couldn’t fight back the shame. Her arrogance. Her ignorance. Her blindness. 7.    “Call me Shay, and I’m your fairy godmother.” I stared at him in stunned silence for a moment… 8.    Poppy wished for me too, what was it she said, ‘I wish that a fairy godmother would come and make my Mommy happy. 9.    I'm not going to him with my cap in my hand 10. He thinks he’s better than you, I felt that. He might be a generous man, working for charity, but he doesn’t understand lack of money. He’s hand it all his life and to him those that don’t have it are too stupid to be able to attain it. 11. Don’t mistake pity for kindness. You don’t want to be with a man that pities you. Or someone who sees you as inferior. You deserve someone who will love you for the amazing and beautiful people you are. Someone who will truly appreciate how special you are. 12. Like an electric shock, it zapped through my body and we leapt apart.

 

BOOK JOURNEY

Thoughts

(1) It’s WAY TOO SHORT!!! —————— ฅ՞• •՞ฅ ——————— (3) Santa!!! —————— ฅ՞• •՞ฅ ——————— (5) You’ve hurt him. I hope you make amend to him! Gosh! —————— ฅ՞• •՞ฅ ——————— (6) Exactly! —————— ฅ՞• •՞ฅ ——————— (7) Anyone would be! OS: is this a joke? —————— ฅ՞• •՞ฅ ——————— (8) She’s a sweet little girl! —————— ฅ՞• •՞ฅ ——————— (9) The phrase "I'm not going to him with my cap in my hand" means that the speaker is not going to approach someone in a submissive, deferential, or overly humble manner. The expression originates from the old custom of people removing their hats (or caps) as a sign of respect when asking for something. To "go with your cap in your hand" was to ask for a favor in a way that indicated vulnerability or dependence. So, when someone says, "I'm not going to him with my cap in my hand," they are expressing their intent to approach the situation with confidence, dignity, or self-respect, rather than begging or appearing weak. Source: chatgpt —————— ฅ՞• •՞ฅ ——————— (12) Does Shay know what the electric shock mean?

 

Reading Experience

Santa’s Gift (2) – 58 minutes   Christmas Lights (2 ) This is W.O.W. The shortest story I’ve read up until now. Such a shame that it was so short. I want to know how they got together and what is reaction of the family of Annabel. How about Jimmy? How does he persuade his family members?   Carol of the Belles (2 ) – 54 minutes I don’t really like this story. Specifically, I don’t like Izzy. She’s arrogant. What she said indicates that she is arrogant. She’s rude. I really don’t like her. At all. This is the story that shows, what you said through your mouth hurts. Hence, if you got nothing good to say, then just everything to yourself. What I love about the story is the Santa who helped Isabelle realised that who is the true love. I sure hope Jake is getting what he deserved.   Spinster Christmas (4) – 59 minutes   Iced Dreams (4 ) – 1 hour 41 minutes A bit like Nanny McFee. Is it not? I really like the storyline. Finally, there’s a whole story telling in this book. I love that there’s introduction, comes to plot and then there’s ending with happily ever after.   The Mermaid (4 ) – 1 hour 6 minutes   The rating will be: (2+2+2+4+4+4) / 6 = 3

 

Question(s)

1.    -

 

Three Most Important Concepts in This Book

1.    Never make assumption. Just go and confirm it before it’s too late. 2.    If you got nothing good to say, then keep it to yourself. 3.    If you’re having difficulty, pray.

 

Suitable For People Who

1.    Please refer to “Tags”

 

Reading Start and End Dates

Start	:	07.01.2025
End	:	08.01.2025

 

Total Reading Duration

5

Hours

4

Minutes

 

Reading Timeline [In Chapter(s)]

07.01.2025	:	The Christmas Lights	à	Iced Dreams
08.01.2025	:	Iced Dreams	à	Iced Dreams

 

Tags

Fiction; Contemporary; Romance; Christmas

 

Pace

·       Fast

 

Spiciness

·       🌶️ 🌶️

 

Rating



 

Social Media

Goodreads

Instagram

 

Notes

Reading Experience

·       Plot and Content: The appeal of the storyline, the depth and interest of the content, and the relevance and accuracy of the information presented. ·       Language and Style: The fluidity and beauty of the writing, and whether the author’s style aligns with the reader's preferences and expectations. ·       Characterization and Development: The dimensionality and vividness of the characters, and whether their development feels deep and credible. ·       Pacing and Structure: The appropriateness of the pacing, the coherence of the structure, and whether the plot progresses smoothly. ·       Emotional Resonance: Whether the reader can connect with the emotions, themes, or viewpoints presented in the book. ·       Visual Presentation: The book’s design, including layout, font, illustrations, and cover design, and how these elements enhance the reading experience. ·       Personal Impact: The influence of the book on the reader’s thoughts, emotions, or life experiences. ·       Reading Comfort: The comfort of reading, considering factors like paper quality, book weight, and the reading environment.

 

Pace

·       Fast Pace: The plot progresses rapidly, with frequent events occurring, creating a sense of tension and urgency for the reader. Typically, these books have short paragraphs and chapters, with concise and brisk language, and frequent conflict and suspense. Examples include thrillers or action-adventure novels. ·       Medium Pace: The plot develops at a moderate speed, neither too rushed nor too slow. These books usually feature a balanced progression of story and character development, with a relatively even writing style. Many literary or commercial novels may have this pace. ·       Slow Pace: The plot advances slowly, often focusing on the characters' inner worlds, environmental descriptions, or nuanced emotional portrayals. These books typically have longer paragraphs and chapters, with a more complex writing style and a lot of information. Literary classics or works with intricate psychological depictions often exhibit a slow pace.

 

Spiciness

·       0★ No Spiciness Completely non-romantic and non-suggestive; suitable for all ages. ·       1★ Very Mild Occasional flirtation or light hints; very tame and appropriate for most readers. ·       2★ Mild Some romantic tension or innuendo; suitable for young adult readers but no explicit content. ·       3★ Moderate Noticeable romantic or sexual themes; suitable for mature readers with some emotional depth. ·       4★ Spicy Frequent and more explicit romantic or sexual content; intended for adult readers with significant emotional stakes. ·       5★ Extremely Spicy Highly explicit content with detailed sexual scenes or intense emotional drama; strictly for mature audiences.

 

Ratings

·       0.0: Unreadable or offensive. ·       0.5: Extremely poor; frustrating and unenjoyable. ·       1.0: Poorly written with little redeeming quality. ·       1.5: Very weak; minimal positives, mostly disappointing. ·       2.0: Some merits but overall disappointing. ·       2.5: Slightly above disappointing; some redeeming qualities. ·       3.0: Solid but flawed; enjoyable but forgettable. ·       3.5: Good; has engaging moments but still some flaws. ·       4.0: Very good; well worth reading with a few minor issues. ·       4.5: Excellent; impactful and nearly perfect, with just a few minor flaws. ·       5.0: Exceptional; a must-read that stays with you.