Christmas Charms by Teri Wilson ~ Book Review

Christmas Charms by Teri Wilson ~ Book Review

Christmas Charms by Teri Wilson

As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclaimer for more details.

Three reasons you should read this Hallmark Chirstmas Romance:

  • Christmas Charms by Teri Wilson is a sweet Christmas, small-town, second-chance romance between two really great characters.
  • I loved the little dose of magic that Teri Wilson brought to the story, it gave it that perfect Christmas feeling.
  • I adore small-town romances, and Owl Lake is a place I really want to visit again.

About Christmas Charms by Teri Wilson

Title: Christmas Charms
Author: Teri Wilson
Genre: Hallmark Christmas Romance

Christmas Charms by Teri Wilson

She never dreamed her holiday would include

her hometown, a dog, or a firefighter.

But a mysterious charm bracelet

predicted it all…

Ashley’s supposed to be having the Christmas of her dreams. After four years of working at an upscale jewelry store in Manhattan, she’s finally going to get a little velvet box of her own―from her boyfriend Jeremy, who’s taking her on a romantic trip to Paris. What could go wrong?

Well, everything.

Ashley heads home to Owl Lake instead, falling asleep on the train ride there…and waking up with a beautiful antique charm bracelet on her wrist. Soon, she realizes that each silver charm predicts an event that happens in real life. What does this mean for her and Jeremy…or her and Aidan, her former high school boyfriend, who’s now a local firefighter? Is there still a chance that she could have the perfect Christmas?

My Review of Christmas Charms:

Christmas Charms by Teri Wilson gave me to perfect dose of Christmas magic. When Ashley finds her Christmas plans unexpectedly canceled, she decides to her hometown of Owl Lake. She has no idea that this is actually the beginning of all her Christmas wishes coming true.

I love how Terri Wilson tied the charms into the story. Not only does Ashley work at the charms counter in a high-end jewelry store, but her love of antique and vintage charms plays well into the overall magic of the story. The charms almost become another character – or at least an extension of Ashley.

I’m not usually a big fan of second-chance romances. Someone has usually done something awful, and I don’t like disliking a character. But this was different. In this case, it just wasn’t the right time for them yet. Now, we just have to wonder if now is the right time, or they will miss their second chance.

As Ashley reconnects with her hometown, she realizes how much she left behind when she moved to the big city. And she misses it more than she expected. Aidan is still there, and not exactly waiting for you, but unattached. Their slow reunion was wonderful to witness, and I loved how the whole town was there for both of them. 

***I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book***

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Follow Me Darkly by Helen Hardt ~ Review

Follow Me Darkly by Helen Hardt ~ Review

Follow Me Darkly by Helen Hardt

As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclaimer for more details.

Three reasons you should read this Contemporary Romance:

  • Follow Me Darkly by Helen Hardt is a great new adult, finding yourself romance.
  • I loved Skye’s artistic eye and drive to make more of her art.
  • Braden remains a mystery, but he’s one that’s fun to try and pick apart – lots of stuff going on in there, and I want to know more.

About Follow Me Darkly by Helen Hardt

Title: Follow Me Darkly
Author: Helen Hardt
Series: Follow Me #1
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Follow Me Darkly by Helen Hardt

She’s a take-charge woman. But he’s a master of control.

Skye Manning knows what she wants. Her job as assistant and photographer for a major social media influencer isn’t perfect, but it’s a rung on the ladder to bigger and better things. She’s confident she’ll one day take feature photos for National Geographic.

Self-made billionaire Braden Black didn’t get where he is by taking no for an answer. When a chance encounter with the refreshingly innocent and beautiful Skye piques his interest in more ways than one, he’s determined to make her submit.

Dating a billionaire soon has Skye in the middle of a Cinderella story…until the clock strikes midnight and Braden reveals his dark side. Heat sizzles between them, and Skye finds herself falling hard.

But Braden Black is no Prince Charming, and his dark desires are far from his only secret. 

My Review of Follow Me Darkly:

Follow Me Darkly by Helen Hardt was quite a ride through the lives of the rich and famous. Sky Manning and Braden Black seem to be on opposite sides of the social spectrum. But Skye’s job shooting “selfies” of an influencer brings her into his world a little awkwardly. And to be honest, he seems like a total jerk at first.

Braden is super full of himself. At first, this comes off badly. But as the story continues and Skye gets more and more under his skin, you start to see a different side. Not completely different, but enough to be really intrigued by what his story is.

There is so much tension between these two! It snaps off the page. It builds and builds, and then when things finally happen – well, it doesn’t go as expected. Skye and Braden are going to have a lot to work through. Both are beyond stubborn, and the constant bickering was just enough to be amusing and not annoying.

There’s more to their story. There has to be – and I can’t wait to see where it goes.

***I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book***

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Paris Time Capsule by Ella Carey ~ Review

Paris Time Capsule by Ella Carey ~ Review

Paris Time Capsule by Ella Carey

As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclaimer for more details.

Three reasons you should read this Contemporary Fiction:

  • Paris Time Capsule by Ella Carey is a great mix of historical mystery with a dash of contemporary romance. 
  • Watching Cat unravel the mysteries of the past kept me fully engaged in the mystery for every single page.
  • The romance is done in a lighter, more natural hand, that fits incredibly well with the atmosphere of timelessness.

About Paris Time Capsule by Ella Carey

Title: Paris Time Capsule
Author: Ella Carey
Series: Secrets of Paris #1
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Paris Time Capsule by Ella Carey

The parcel arrived on an ordinary morning in the mailbox of her New York apartment, postmarked Paris. It was wrapped in brown paper and tied with a silk ribbon. Little did she know that the old brass key and letter it contained were about to turn her life upside down…

1940, Paris. Life is getting desperate for young Isabelle de Florian. Alone with her best friend in her Paris apartment, Isabelle knows that they must seek safety or die. For months she has been playing a dangerous game of secrets with the Nazis, trying to keep the people she loves safe. At last, she secures passage out of the city, packs her best jewels into a small suitcase and steps into the treacherous night…

New York, 2015. Photographer Cat Jordan is shocked when she receives a letter informing her that she is the sole heir of the estate of Isabelle de Florian. She was a friend of Cat’s enigmatic grandmother, who both lived in France until the Nazi occupation forced them to flee. The letter offers few details but is clear on one point: Cat must come to Paris in person.

When she arrives, Cat is enchanted by Isabelle’s beautiful apartment. But why did she leave it to a stranger? Determined to find the truth, Cat investigates her grandmother and Isabelle’s escape from Paris, and discovers that Isabelle was hunted by the Nazis in 1940. But as Cat searches through the dusty letters in the apartment, will the secret she finds change everything she knows about Isabelle and herself?

My Review of Paris Time Capsule:

Paris Time Capsule by Ella Carey was beautifully written. Cat’s unexpected inheritance takes her on a journey deep into her family’s past and exposes secrets hidden away for a lifetime.

It all begins with a letter. Although I wonder if anyone today would jump on a plane to Paris to claim an estate from someone they didn’t know existed, it played to my imagination of long-lost heirs. Cat has inherited a lavish apartment that seems to have been untouched since 1940. Full of antiques and treasures, and covered in dust and dirt, Cat falls deeper into the mystery.

But there’s always more than we first expect. Isabelle has a family – and she never told them about the apartment. No one understands why – and I didn’t understand why they were so set on not claiming it once they found out about it. While I found it nice they wanted to follow Isabelle’s last wishes, I don’t quite understand why they didn’t take the estate when Cat said she didn’t want it. But I guess then we wouldn’t have had a story.
Cat digs deep into history, uncovering more and more strange information on Isabelle and her past. She was a fascinating woman that lived through a lot during the war. Fleeing from the Nazi occupation, there isn’t much of a paper trail to follow.

I was quite surprised when Cat found the last clue and solved the mystery. All the loose ends were tied up nicely in a way that was a little larger than life, but still very believable. It maintained the slight fairy tale atmosphere without going too far. And the bit of a love story along the way sure didn’t hurt.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Pick up your copy today!