Review: A Hard Luck Christmas by Brenda Novak

 

A Hard Luck Christmas by Brenda Novak

Publication Date: October 27th 2026 by Harlequin Special Edition

Pages: 272

Audio Length: 7hrs 43min

Narrator: Em Eldridge

Source: Publisher 
Rating: ★★★★
Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Patience, a single mother, is determined to make the town's Christmas festival a success and bring much-needed business to Hard Luck.

 

Kanon is back in Hard Luck, a place that holds bad memories, to turn the motel he’s inherited part of into a success. Luckily for him, his stepsister is more relieved than upset by Kanon now being a co-owner. She needs help and Kanon is ready to make a go of things, which is how he ends up helping Patience with the Christmas festival.

 

Patience had her own personal issues besides trying to save the town: a manipulative ex-best friend and an overbearing, self-righteous father. Boy, did I want to strangle him at times!

 

I rooted for Patience and Kanon in their efforts to revitalize the town, working together as they fell in love. I also cheered as Patience gained confidence, saw things in a different light, and decided to stand up for herself.

 

A Hard Luck Christmas was a feel-good story about second chances, community, and healing from the past. I enjoyed every minute!

 

I alternated between reading and listening to the audiobook and can recommend either version. I thought Em Eldridge did a wonderful job with all voices, male and female in a range of ages!

4 Stars

Book Description:

Enjoy small town charm, Christmas cheer and a heartfelt second chances/opposites attract romance from New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak!

Single mom Patience Mather is focused on two things—her daughter and planning a Christmas festival that will contribute to the revitalization of Hard Luck, Nevada. She has no time for complications—or sparks with returned bad boy Kanon Kincaid. He’s back to claim an inheritance of half of a failing motel. He'll fix what’s broken…starting with his own reputation.

As a pastor’s daughter, Patience knows better than to fall for someone who might skip town again, and Kanon believes someone steady and safe is what Patience deserves. But in the glow of twinkling lights and holiday magic, their undeniable connection makes every choice harder. Can Christmas in Hard Luck deliver a second chance…or just heartbreak?

For fans Christmas Sparkle Small-Town Romance Opposites Attract Good Girl/Bad boy

Sunday Post #358

 

The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week. I'm also linking up to The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance @Readerbuzz.

Happy Sunday!

I didn't post last weekend because I was super busy with work. This week I'm on vacation. We've been on the Pacific Coast in Trinidad and now we're a bit south in Mendocino, California where we've met up with my sister and her husband. It's been beautiful and relaxing. We've seen redwood giants over 2000 years old, whales, pelicans and otters frolicking on the beach!

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park:

Otters Wilson Creek Beach

1000 Piece Puzzle Completed: Autumn Vibes by Elena Essex

Puzzle 55 of 2026

500 Piece Puzzle Completed: Night Camp by Happy Piece

Puzzle 56 of 2026

Read:

Two weeks work of reading

Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley & Agatha Christie-5 Stars

The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre by Philip Fracassi-4 Stars

Takedown by Allison Brennan-4 Stars

Sometimes I Scare Myself by Jeneva Rose-4 Stars

The Best Christmas Every by Sarah Morgan-4 Stars

This Inevitable Ruin by Matt Dinniman-5 Stars

Received:

Conspiracy Theory by Phillip Margolin

Bad Company by Sara Paretsky

A Waltz to Remember by Mary Balogh

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Berkley!

How was your week?

Audiobook Review: Takedown by Allison Brennan

 

Takedown by Allison Brennan

Publication Date: October 27th 2026 by Brilliance Publishing/Amazon Original Stories

Pages: 75

Audiobook Length: 1hrs 36min

Narrator: Hillary Huber

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Audible | Goodreads 

My Thoughts:

Takedown follows Detective Skye Truman as she pursues Trent Calderone, a serial rapist she knows is guilty but can't arrest without more evidence. Trent is a lawyer in the Governor's office. He’s arrogant and enjoys the fact that Skye can’t touch him.

 

Trent is growing bolder, showing up at crime scenes and taunting Skye. So, when another less experienced cop proposes a risky takedown, Skye is reluctant, but she knows Trent must be stopped before he hurts anyone else.

 

I was hooked from the start and outraged on behalf of both the victims and Skye!

 

Takedown was a short and well-done thriller. The characters were compelling, and I'd love to read more stories featuring Skye and her circle. The ending was a surprising twist, but a satisfying one!

 

Hillary Huber did an amazing job, as always. She brought each character to life with distinct voices and genuine emotion, making the story even more enjoyable!

4 Stars

Book Description:

In this gritty police procedural from New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan, a detective plays a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse with a charismatic lawyer who’s more than he seems.

Detective Skye Truman’s investigation into a series of sexual assaults has led her to the culprit: Trent Calderon, the most charming, affable lawyer in the governor’s office. The man who has an answer for everything. Skye’s obsession grows with every victim, every escalation, every encounter with Calderon, and every moral compromise she makes to catch him. Because if she doesn’t, she risks losing more than just her badge.

Allison Brennan’s Takedown is part of Pursuit, a gripping collection of short stories that explore what it means to be predator and prey … and what it takes to gain the upper hand. Read or listen to each pulse-pounding story in a single sitting—and an intense adrenaline rush.

 

Audiobook Review: Murder at the Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley

 

Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel (The New Miss Marple Mystery) by Lucy Foley, Agatha Christie

Publication Date: September 22nd 2026 by William Morrow

Pages: 295

Audio Book Length: 9hrs 14min

Narrators: Hayley Atwell, Lucy Boynton, Adeel Akhtar, Mara Wilson, Hugh Kermode

Source: Library

Rating: ★★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Loved Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel!  Another adventure/case for Miss Marple, a “continuation” of Agatha Christie’s famous sleuthing elderly lady and I thought Lucy Foley did a brilliant job bringing this iconic character back to life! I’ve read almost every one of Agatha Christie’s mysteries and I feel like Ms. Foley really captured the spirit here! The story felt very true to Christie’s Miss Marple character.

 

Miss Marple, Dolly Bantry and her companion Diana Glass are on vacation at the Grand Alpine Hotel in Switzerland to take in the crisp air and stunning mountain views. What they don’t count on is a murder or to be trapped up on the mountain with a killer!

 

The murder victim was less than sympathetic, so there was no shortage of suspects! As usual Miss Marple uses her years of experience observing human nature in the small village of St. Mary Mead to the new case at hand and gets to the bottom of things.

 

I rooted for some characters and didn’t feel too bad when others met their end. One really had it coming, IMO! One of the fun things about an Agatha Christie mystery is all the clues that make you feel like you’re solving the mystery right along with the characters! I had some suspicions that turned out right and some reveals that were a surprise to me.

 

I hope Lucy Foley will continue writing more Miss Marple stories and maybe include one of the characters here, whom I won’t mention by name to avoid spoilers.

 

The audiobook was excellent with a full cast of characters!

5 Stars

Book Description:

High in the Swiss Alps, accessible only by a single, winding railway, stands the luxurious Grand Alpine Hotel. With glorious mountain views and exclusive access to powdery slopes, it draws guests from far and wide.

The notorious actress.
The high-flying politician.
The society wife.
The reckless friend.
The shrewd doctor.

But not everyone is here for a winter holiday.

Beneath the champagne and furs, dark histories simmer; old grudges emerge like cracks in the ice.

And someone is watching from the shadows. A polite, unassuming woman with an extraordinary mind: Miss Marple.

When a body is found and a blizzard cuts off all escape, only Miss Marple can connect the clues before the killer strikes again. Because it isn’t a question of who has a motive, but who’s next…

Sunday Post #357

 

The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week. I'm also linking up to The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance @Readerbuzz.

Happy Sunday!

We had another weirdly warm week, but the temps didn't stay warm long with the shorter days. It was beautiful in the afternoon and we spent some time sitting on our front porch. It was a busy week of appointments and I had to work yesterday. I think the source of my pain is a medication I was taking, because testing showed my gallbladder is normal. I've discontinued.  

I had a massage and it was bliss! It's been a long time! 

This week will be a busy one workwise.

The trees are finally starting to change color. You can't see the one on the right yet, but it turns red. The one in the middle, a Holland Maple turns bright yellow. We have a few dogwoods also, but they just started. A late fall here.

Starla tuckered out after staying out all night! The weather has been nice so we couldn't get Smokey and Starla in one night. Bad kitties!

Two fall puzzles!

500 Piece Puzzle Completed: Sweater Weather by Pippi Post

Puzzle 53 of 2026

1000 Piece Puzzle Completed: Pumpkin Patch by Milton Bradley. This is one of the older puzzles I've had for years. There's a piece missing (middle left)! I found the missing piece after I posted this!

Puzzle 54 of 2026

Read:

Love Felt Like This by Julie Olivia-4.5 Stars

Rogue Ghosts & Other Miscreants by Annette Marie & Rob Jacobsen-4 Stars

Didn't get much reading done because of all the appointments and Love Felt Like This was just shy of 500 pages! A little long for a contemporary romance, but it held my attention. Rogue Ghosts was for the read along I'm participating in hosted by Anne @Books of My Heart. I hope to attend the chat today!

Received:

Birth of the Witch by Nora Roberts

The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre by Philip Fracassi

Takedown by Allison Brennan

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Brilliance Publishing!

The Autumn Springs Massacre is available in e-book on Kindle Unlimited if anyone is interested.

How was your week?

Review: Love Felt Like This by Julie Olivia

 

Love Felt Like This by Julie Olivia

Publication Date: September 8th 2026 by Berkley

Pages: 496

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Librofm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Love Felt Like This was a cozy, heartwarming romance filled with longing, just the right amount of spice, a loveable cast of quirky secondary characters, and a charming small-town setting.

 

I absolutely adored Beverly. Her smart, spunky personality shone through even as she struggled with self-doubt and the pressure of trying to get her show back on the air. For the most part, I’m not a big fan of puppets, but she made Bernie Bird hilarious and fun!

 

Griffin was the perfect grumpy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside hero. He was such a sweet single dad, doing his best to navigate fame while protecting his two-year-old daughter from the spotlight. Bravo for writing a two-year-old that reads like a two-year-old! I loved how grounded and down-to-earth Griffin was despite his celebrity status, and the way he supported and protected Beverly made me swoon. Her ex, Beau, was such a jerk!

 

The ending was everything I wanted: swoony, satisfying, and full of heart. And that epilogue? Absolute perfection. Loved it!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

A grumpy rock star and a joyful children’s show creator revive television magic in this standalone, cozy small-town romance.

Griffin Harvey lives his life in the spotlight. Reluctantly. The brooding famous singer-songwriter is on the cusp of composing his sophomore album . . . if only he could find the notes. But after gaining custody of his two-year-old daughter, the only music he’s writing is about shapes and counting to ten.

Enter Beverly, who lives her life in the background producing children’s television and laughter. Except joy is hard to find when her nonprofit loses funding. She sinks all of her savings to revive the children’s show by herself, but when her variety show appearance collides with Griffin’s, their banter and chemistry is caught on live television.

Suddenly, Griffin is singing a new tune. He needs a muse, and Beverly needs all the help she can get. With his secret daughter in tow, they hide out in her cozy mountain hometown, attempting to script, compose, and revive television magic. Their dynamic shouldn’t work. He’s all harsh tattoos and rough hands while she’s bright colors and gentle touches. Once their three months of work are done, they’ll return to their separate worlds. But what happens when it seems the true magic might be found in each other?

Review: Cozy Little Christmas by RaeAnne Thayne

 

Snow Kissed (Shelter Springs #4) by RaeAnne Thayne

Publication Date: October 6th 2026 by MIRA & Harlequin Audio

Pages: 320

Audio Book Length: 8hrs 40min

Narrator: Carly Robins

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Cozy Little Christmas is a heartwarming second-chance romance filled with small-town charm and festive holiday spirit!

 

Years ago, Hannah's future with her first love, Wes, was shattered when tragedy and grief drove him away. Now living a busy, fulfilling life as a music therapist in Shelter Springs, Hannah is surprised when Wes returns to town while helping his grandfather renovate his home after an injury sidelines him and his K9 partner, Kodiak.

 

When Hannah's friend becomes ill and needs someone to care for his two young children, she steps in without hesitation. As Hannah and Wes work together to help the kids adjust, old feelings resurface. Wes's kindness, devotion to his family, and tender care for Kodiak make it impossible for Hannah to ignore the man he's become.

 

I loved the cozy Christmas atmosphere, from holiday lights, tree decorating and music to the strong sense of community. My heart went out to Morgan.  I was especially touched by the compassion and support shown by everyone around her.

 

I alternated between the audiobook and e-book and highly recommend both. Carly Robins brings warmth and emotion to the narration, making this sweet, uplifting story even more enjoyable.

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

Christmas in Shelter Springs is the season of twinkling lights, open hearts and unexpected second chances. And for Hannah Goodwin, it also brings the one person she never wanted to see again...

Hannah’s built a full life for herself in the warmth of her close-knit town, with her family, her work and her music. And when her dear friend Morgan desperately needs her help, Hannah temporarily steps in to care for Morgan’s children. That’s what friends do—especially at the holidays. But she never expected to run into Wes Kenner...

Moving back home is the last thing K9 law enforcement officer Wes Kenner ever wanted. It’s where he fell in love with Hannah—and where an accident changed his mother’s life forever. But when his grandfather needs a helping hand, he can’t say no. It’s the perfect opportunity for him and his beloved K9, Kodiak, to recover. Still, seeing Hannah again fills him with regret—and hope.

After all this time, Hannah still represents all of the joy and light Wes pushed out of his life. Everything he’s desperate to get back. And as Hannah brings much-needed holiday magic to Morgan—and her kids—he realizes this is his chance. Because this Christmas, all he wants is her.

A cozy and uplifting reunion romance about two exes who work together at the holidays to help a family in need—and realize their Christmas wish is for a second chance with their first love.

Perfect for readers who Holiday feels Reunion romance Second chance Forced proximity Longing Small town setting