Stranded for the Holidays - Daisy Landish, Marie-Hélène Lebeault, & Peyton Lawson

-

Authors: Daisy Landish, Marie-Hélène Lebeault, & Peyton Lawson

Genre: Clean Holiday Romance
Rating: 3 stars.

A collection of four “clean” romance novellas set around Christmas time.

Each of these novellas has been independently published and is available individually as well in this collection on KU.

As the title clearly suggests, there are several common elements to the stories:

🎄 All occur during Christmas.

🎄 All are clean romances. (The “action” is restricted to kissing.)

🎄 All involve the idea of being ‘stranded’.

So you might feel a sense of déjà vu while reading this collection. However, it isn’t that much because the situations are quite different in each story, as are the subgenres.


1. Clueless at Christmas - Peyton Lawson

Genre: Cosy contemporary romance.

Synopsis: A beautiful woman knocks on Jacob’s door during a blizzard. She has evidently been in some accident but with the storm raging outside and no connectivity, they are stuck together until the weather clears. It doesn’t help that the woman has no recollection of her identity. Can Jacob help her while her memory is gone? What happens if she does regain it?

Opinion: For me, this was the best story of this anthology. Though the connection between the two leads is almost insta, they get enough of time even within the short length to show their personality. It feels like a complete story. Moreover, the two first person perspectives were well written. The only thing I didn’t like was the stress it placed on looks and physical appeal.

4 stars.


2. Grounded for Christmas - Daisy Landish

Genre: Sapphic Romance with a Christmas Grump sub-trope.

Synopsis: Jamie hates Christmas and is regretfully going to visit her mum for the holidays. However, her flight is delayed due to a storm and she is stuck at the airport, where she bumps into Emma. There is an instant connection between them and they bond over a game of twenty questions. Will cheery Emma help Jamie to appreciate the holiday better?

My Opinion: There is a lot of fun banter in this story and enough of cute moments. However, after a while, it become repetitive. Also, the connection is too instant. I did appreciate the inclusion of a lesbian romance in this anthology – it adds to the wholesomeness. Overall, a quick and fun read.

3 stars


3. Stranded with a Shifter - Marie-Hélène Lebeault

Genre: YA Romance with Fantasy elements.

Synopsis: After a hectic day of Christmas shopping, Kayla stops at a café, where a cute guy offers to buy her coffee. Just as they are about to have their drinks together, the guy rushes off in panic after making a flimsy excuse. Imagine her surprise when she bumps into him a few moments later, this time in the department store elevator. As luck would have it, the elevator malfunction and they are stuck. What will happen next?

My Opinion: As the title tells you, one of the characters is a shifter (and it is easy to guess who it was!) The ‘shift’ might be farfetched but it was fun to read. This had the potential to be a full-fledged novel. As a novella, it was wasted because the characters didn’t get time to make a mark, the proceedings were too rushed, and many points were left incomplete. The “stranding” is quite minor this time and not the main focus of the story. There is also not enough of an encounter between the lead pair to make it feel like a romance. I did love the concept though and wish this story could be extended.

3 stars.



4. The Yuletide Thief - Daisy Landish

Genre: Historical Romance

Synopsis: Emily is the vicar’s daughter who has resigned herself to being a governess due to few marriage prospects in the country. Before leaving for London, she decides to arrange a proper Christmas for the orphans of their church. While on the way back after purchasing the gifts, her carriage is accosted by Robin of Sussex, a highwayman who fancies himself the next Robin Hood. You can guess what might happen next.

My Opinion: I usually love historical fiction but this one just felt off. (TBH, we only guess it is historical because of some details such as the costume and the carriage. There is no year or time period attached to the story.) Moreover, the connection is unbelievably insta. Imagine just seeing half of someone’s face and feeling a stirring! Yeesh! (As you might have guessed by now, insta romances aren’t really my thing.) The turnaround in the plot also was too abrupt. Also, I hate the enemies-to-lovers trope, all the more when it comes out of nowhere. As such., I didn’t enjoy this one. It was just about okay.

2 stars



Overall, not great, not bad. Readers who love insta connections will certainly enjoy this far more than I did. I guess novellas don’t have that much of space to develop slowburn romances, but as the first story showed, it is not impossible. A couple of these would work wonderfully as full-length novels.

3 stars, based on the average of my ratings for each of the four stories.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the authors through ‘StoryOrigin’ and these are my honest thoughts about it.

Comments

Post a Comment

Explore more posts from this blog:

Takeout Sushi - Christopher Green - ★★★★

-
Image
  AUTHOR: Christopher Green GENRE: Contemporary Short Story Collection, Japanese Fiction. PUBLICATION DATE:  May 2, 2024 RATING: 3.9  stars. In a Nutshell: An interesting collection of stories, with most of them set in Japan. Loved the writing style and enjoyed the diverse emotions. Much recommended! This story collection has, as the title suggests, a strong Japanese flavour. So let me begin by confessing that I am not a fan of Japanese literature. Most Japanese fiction that I tried hasn’t suited my reading tastes, so I generally keep away from this genre. The reason I picked this collection up is... No, no, the sushi had no role to play in my decision; I can’t stand even the thought of sushi! The reason I wanted to read this is that the author is NOT a Japanese! 😁 I know this sounds quite silly to declare, but had the author been Japanese, I would have resisted opting for this. But by virtue of his being an “outsider”, I thought it was a great opportunity to get a look at Japan witho
Read More»

Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairy Tales - Catherine Cawthorne - ★★★★★

-
Image
AUTHOR: Catherine Cawthorne ILLUSTRATOR: Sara Ogilvie GENRE: Children's Nonfiction PUBLICATION DATE: April 25, 2024 RATING: 5 sparkly, scientifically accurate stars. In a Nutshell: This book and I were a match made in book heaven! Loved the approach that combines humour and logic to debunk the sillier elements of some fairy tales. Strongly recommended! I enjoy fairy tales. I love scientific thinking. I adore logic. I relish humour. Seeing all four of these together in a single work was almost a “bookgasmic” moment for me! 😆 Had the book not delivered on any of these factors, I might still have been happy reading it. But the content not only reaches but also surpasses the promise made by the title and cover. All of us know that there are several logically impossible elements in fairy tales. In childhood, we might have oohed and awwwed at the stories without overthinking the practicalities. In adulthood, we might have cringed at the gender bias, wealth bias, and the lack of conse
Read More»

The Great Divide - Cristina Henríquez - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Cristina Henríquez GENRE: Historical Literary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: March 5, 2024 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A literary fiction focussed on Panama during the time of the construction of the Panama Canal. Note that this isn’t a book directly about the canal or its construction, but about the people connected to the canal in some way or the other during that period. A great book if you go in with the right expectations and enjoy character-oriented fiction. Plot Preview: 1907, Panama. Francisco, a Panamanian fisherman, hates the commercialisation of his country under the foreigners, and hence resents his son Omar’s joining the canal construction crew. Omar, however, wants to learn and earn more than his little village can offer him. Sixteen-year-old Ada has heard about Panama having many jobs. She has stowed away to Panama, hoping to get some work and earn enough for her ailing sister’s surgery back in Barbados. Her mother Lucille, a tailor, doesn’t yet know of her ru
Read More»

Red Runs the Witch's Thread - Victoria Williamson - ★★★★

-
Image
  AUTHOR: Victoria Williamson GENRE: Historical Fiction, Horror. RATING:  4 stars. In a Nutshell: A psychological horror inspired by the last witch burning in Scotland in 1697. A disturbing yet compelling read. I wanted more closure at the end for my own peace of mind, but other than that, this was a satisfying book. Recommended! Plot Preview: 1722. Paisley, Scotland. Thirty-seven-year-old widow Christian Shaw is obsessed with perfecting her thread bleaching process. She wants to make the thread the purest white, so it can sell better and restore their family fortunes. In the absence of any male family members, it is up to her as the eldest daughter to ensure the security of their house, her mother and two younger sisters, and her late father’s social position as the laird (landowner.)  However, Christian’s mind is troubled. With the 25th anniversary of the witch burnings of 1697 approaching, Christian’s thoughts go frequently to the past, and to the role she played in the burning of s
Read More»

Making Up the Gods - Marion Agnew - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Marion Agnew GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 15, 2023 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: An indie drama with some quirky characters and a great setting in Lake Superior, Canada. Mellow in tone, genuine in content, thought-provoking in themes. I enjoyed this unusual novel. Plot Preview: Simone, almost 70, is a retired widow who lives an isolated life in her cottage on the banks of Lake Superior and still misses her husband, though he’s been dead for five years. While she is now active in her local church and finds solace in baking for those grieving, she is fiercely protective of her privacy. But when the local reverend asks her to take care of nine-year-old Chen while his widowed mother goes on a much-needed trip, Simone finds it tough to refuse a fellow-mourning widow. Just before Chen arrives, a stranger named Martin knocks at Simone’s door, claiming to be her cousin. Simone is suddenly handling two strangers at once, and she worries that they will dis
Read More»