Review: Romancing the Holidays: 7 Enchanting Christmas Reads

Romancing the Holidays: 7 Enchanting Christmas Reads by Jolene Cazzola
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Romancing the Holidays is a collection of seven super cute Christmas romance stories. Some were better than others, but for the most part I enjoyed them all. Because it’s easier, I will deal with each individual story before addressing the collection as a whole.

The first story, Serendipity by Jolene Cazzola, sets off the tone brilliantly. It was an adorable story, one you’re quickly pulled into. I gave it a four star rating, as I had a lot of fun with it. It was my first story by the author and it left me willing to have a look at her other work. The title pretty much tells you what to expect with this one – serendipity, chance, fate, destiny; the whole shebang. I could explain it in detail, but it would be spoilers. Whilst some of the things failed to surprise me, I still found the story super adorable.

The second story, A Magic Christmas in Jerusalem by Joanne Dannon, wasn’t quite as good as the first but I still enjoyed it. Truthfully, I rounded this one up. It was more a three-point-five rating, but I gave it a four. This is Christmas without the snow, but it’s still as sweet. I enjoyed the characters and story, but I wasn’t as crazy about the romance as I’d been in the first story. The passion and tension wasn’t quite the same. Fun, but I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as I enjoyed the first story.

The third story, Home for Christmas by Mel Hammond, was my least favourite of the stories. Sadly, I gave it a two star rating. It could have possibly managed a mental two-point five-but it just missed out on it. I felt as though this story had very little to it. Oh, there was a story. However, by the end of the story I was left feeling as though I hadn’t experienced anything. I had more questions than answers. I didn’t feel as though I knew the characters. Sadly, this one wasn’t for me.

The fourth story, Lost in Christmas by Cherie Marks, was one of my favourite stories in the collection. It earned a solid four star rating from me. There are two romantic tales being told from the perspectives we follow, with all kinds of drama going on within the story that keeps you entertained throughout. Whilst it was fun to see the two different kinds of romances – a couple that is already together, and then the coming together of a romance – I must admit that I didn’t particularly care for the couple who were already together. There were some entertaining moments, but I was constantly left wanting to find out more about the other couple. Without a doubt, I’ll be reading more of this author.

The fifth story, Hollywood Snowfall by Heather C. Myers, was another fun read. There wasn’t much by way of festivity – it was more winter than Christmas – but it was still enjoyable. I’ve read a number of books by this author, and as always she delivers a great little story. It’s short and sweet, taking a pairing that has been done many times before – famous and non-famous – and making it her own. Whilst not my favourite Heather C. Myers story, it’s a four star read.

The sixth story, Dance Me a Dream by Kait Nolan, may well be my favourite of the collection. I thought my favourite would be Lost in Christmas until this one blew me away. Wow, just wow. The highest four star rating of the collection. I just wanted more of it. The story was so sweet, and the couple were adorable. I’ve already hit download on a couple of the authors other books. I could fangirl for a while about this one – just know the story is super wow.

The seventh story, All About Us by Tracey Pedersen, was a nice way to end the collection. It received a three star rating from me. This is mainly because I feel as though I needed to read the other books in the series. The story explains everything that has happened to the characters in the past, yet I felt as though I didn’t know them as well as those who have read the series would understand them. Whilst I’m interested in reading the series, it does feel a bit pointless based upon how I know the ending. I will probably read it, but I won’t go out of my way to read them right now.

Overall the collection earned a three-point-five-seven rating, rounded to four. They were great stories, really putting you in the mood for Christmas on a worldwide scale (we get both white Christmas stories and summer Christmas stories in this collection). Some of the stories needed a bit of editing, but that seemed to be an author-by-author thing, rather than the collection as a whole. Nevertheless, it was super enjoyable.

Certainly recommend to lovers of seasonal romance.

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