REVIEW: Christmas on Main Street (Anthology)

Christmas on Main Street by JoAnn Ross, Susan Donovan, Luann McLane, and Alexis Morgan

From the gorgeous cover that will make you feel Christmas through to the very last page, Christmas on Main Street will enchant you! Christmas on Main Street is a wonderful Christmas anthology that will put you in the mood for love and happiness! The stories were all different, but the underlying theme of Christmas, small towns, and romance tied them all nicely together!

I’d highly recommend Christmas on Main Street to any romance reader, you definitely won’t be disappointed!!

Christmas on Main Street by JoAnn Ross

“…If you want real stamina, sweetheart, call a Marine.”

In Christmas in Shelter Bay by JoAnn Ross, Kelli has always loved Cole…the boy across the road and friends with her brothers. Now Cole is home on leave from the Marines…and after the disaster of last Christmas Kelli is determined not to be around him. Cole is not really sure what happened last Christmas, but he wants his friendship with Kelli back…even as he’s noticing more and more she’s not the little girl she once was.
With a determined push from nosy interfering relatives, Kelli and Cole might find what they’ve been hiding from each other all along. It may be freezing outside, but inside things are melting!

“The Marine’s have landed and the situation is well in hand.”

I loved, loved this novella by JoAnn Ross! One thing I really like about JoAnn’s writing is that she can bring the characters and the place to life, and she did it again in Christmas on Main Stree. With a mix of humor, romance, small town meddling and character maturity, Christmas in Shelter Bay is a novella I’d highly recommend. Not only will it get you in the Christmas spirit, you’ll meet some new and old friends from Shelter Bay!

~ 5 Stars

A Seaside Christmas by Susan Donovan

In A Seaside Christmas by Susan Donovan, Nat is heading to Bayberry Island to do some research for his show. Nat is not in a happy place in his life right now, and being frozen, seasick, and then stuck on an island with a mermaid legend is not his idea of a good time. That is until he hits his head, knocks himself out, and wakes up in the home and bed of Annie.
There is an instant attraction between Annie and Nat, a feeling of knowing each other right from the start. Sometimes legends are more than fiction…and with love and magic, it might be time for Annie to settle down and Nat to finally belong someplace. Can they possibly make it work and build a solid relationship from sparks?

A Seaside Christmas is a fast paced, funny, and romantic novella that will entertain and enchant you! Both Annie and Nat have characteristics that make them easy to relate to, and easy to picture them together. Susan weaves a mermaid myth with reality that will have you thinking is it possible or just coincidence?

Another hot small town, fun Christmas romance that will leave you feeling great!

~ 4 Stars
Mistletoe on Main Street

In Mistletoe on Main Street by LuAnn McLane toy store owner Ava is happy with her life even if she doesnt’ have a steady relationship. When her high school sweetheart shows back up in town, she is determined not to feel anything for him. Ava has never really gotten over Clint, nor has she really understood why things ended how they did. Despite the hurt Ava still holds onto, the sparks between her and Clint are still there. Clint is back in town to stay, and he is just as determined about winning Ava back as Ava is about ignoring her feelings for him. But with a little Christmas magic and Clint as Santa, some things are just meant to be…if Ava can risk her heart once more.

Ava and Clint have both grown up a lot in the years they’ve been apart. I was a little surprised at how hurt Ava still was about their relationship ending years ago…she never really did move on in the relationship department. Maybe she’s been hiding her hope all these years. Once again I loved the small town setting, the Christmas festivities, and the romantic chase of Mistletoe on Main Street!

~ 4 Stars

The Christmas Gift by Alexis Morgan

In The Christmas Gift by Alexis Morgan, we get Bridey’s story! Bridey is happy running her very successful bakery in Snowberry Creek. And there’s a newcomer in town, Seth, who has taken to frequenting her bakery. He’s quiet, dressed for the country, and not at all like Bridey’s ex-husband! It’s nearing Christmas and Bridey is trying to perfect her recipes…who better than to try them out than Seth? Somewhere in between sampling Bridey’s baked goods and doing some construction work for her, Bridey and Seth start to really look forward to seeing each other. They dance around the attraction for a while, but it’s something that can’t be denied. As Christmas gets closer, so do Seth and Bridey. But Seth has his own secrets and issues that he hasn’t shared with Bridey…now that they’ve finally found each other, can Seth open up to Bridey? And can she forgive his for his deception?

I loved, loved The Christmas Gift! My short summary can’t do The Christmas Gift justice, you must read this! Alexis Morgan, with her smooth writing and fabulous story line, made me feel close to Bridey and Seth. Bridey is so strong and independent, and I think Seth is just the man for her! I really felt for Seth and his problems, I wanted to give him a big hug! Even though I wasn’t sure if Bridey could forgive Seth, I could also understand where Seth was coming from. The Christmas Gift ranks right up there with some of the best short stories I’ve read! Alexis has the gift of making you feel and remember her characters long after you’ve finished the book! I kind of miss them!

~ 5 Stars

Book Info

HJ Recommends

Published November 5th 2013 by Signet

‘Tis the season to fall in love in these four small towns.

In “Christmas in Shelter Bay,” New York Times bestselling author JoAnn Ross returns to Shelter Bay, where Kelli has long tried to keep her feelings for her friend Cole a secret. But when the local matchmakers conspire to send them to a secluded lakeside cabin, the two friends soon discover that a little love will keep them warm.

TV producer Nathaniel Ravelle knows the Bayberry Island mermaid legend is a joke— how could a statue grant a wish for true love? But when a Christmas Nor’easter lands him in close quarters with local Annie Parker, they see magic at work in matters of the heart in New York Times bestselling author Susan Donovan’s “A Seaside Christmas.”

In LuAnn McLane’s “Mistletoe on Main Street,” Clint isn’t sure how to rekindle his romance with high school sweetheart Ava—until his father bows out of playing Santa at the annual Cricket Creek holiday parade and Clint gets the chance to make this Christmas one to remember.

And in Alexis Morgan’s “The Christmas Gift”, business is booming at Bridey Roke’s pastry shop. Everyone in town stops in to sample her holiday treats. But in her spare moments, she’s perfecting a special recipe to charm the handsome new neighbor—who has his own surprise gift for her come Christmas Eve!