Festive Book Review: Merry Chicklit-an anthology: Carol of The Belles By Francine LaSala

Another post inspired by the festive season.

Blurb: In the spirit of giving, six chick-lit authors "present" a charming collection of seasonal shorts sure to inspire holiday cheer-plus love and hope throughout the year, with all proceeds donated to Rocking the Road for a Cure! Featured authors & stories include:

Francine LaSala Pretty Izzy knows exactly what she wants for Christmas: hunky sales manager Jake Harrington wrapped up with a shiny silver bow--and nothing else. Except Santa may have other plans in "Carol of the Belles."

It's another LaSala story that would elevate your festive mood and add some Parisian sparkle to your—mundane—Christmas.

So Isabelle, like all other single ladies in the city, wants her dream guy to be Jake P. Harrington, her boss. To her Jake could be the perfect Christmas gift she'd cuddle close to her bosom never mind her cat's jealousy issues. Would she ever get her one cherished gift? And even if she does would she still consider him a gift or more like a drift from her gift? But what with the annoying Ollie who wouldn't stop being a buttinsky in her affairs?

Beautiful tale about our perceptions of "the one". I love that Francine touches on this subject. Are we being shadowed from the actual one by the big giant block who's the presumed one? Opening every Christmas gift leads us to surprises that are beyond our expectation. Is it necessary to have a picture of what's beneath all the glittery wrapper before we can cherish it as "the one" special gift? —★★

I loved that this book seemed predictable during the start but still gave me the mouth-gaping moment. —★

Get your romance on by reading this sassy short by LaSala. You can't actually go to the City of Love in order to have a Parisian Christmas, you know? Yeah, you will coo a lot and shed a little tear and kick your cat off the couch by your fidgety movements giving it the shriek of its life. —★

I loved, loved this book. But it would have won a five star from me if I hadn't found the starting a bit shaky.

My rating: 4.5 stars.

Merry Chicklit—an anthology of six sassy shorts including Francine LaSala's Carol of The Belles is available on Amazon.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants something romantically adequate and warm to snuggle up with this Christmas. Anyone having to spend Christmas single on the couch should rather get this than staying glued to FOX's Walking Dead Season 1-4 marathon (which I am free to do now that I'm done reading).

Anyway, Merry Chicklit is for a good cause. All proceeds from sales are going to be donated to help kick breast cancer to the curb. Now that's some boob job, I'd love to spend bucks on!

Happy Holidays everyone.

Another post inspired by the festive season.

Festive Book Review: Merry Chicklit-an Anthology: Christmas Lights By Sarah Hitchcock

Another post inspired by the festive season.

Blurb: In the spirit of giving, six chick-lit authors "present" a charming collection of seasonal shorts sure to inspire holiday cheer-plus love and hope throughout the year, with all proceeds donated to Rocking the Road for a Cure! Featured authors & stories include:

Sarah Hitchcock In "The Christmas Lights," one competition pits two families against each other...who will win this war?

This is amazing! Incredibly short, cute, story!

It's Christmas, all the neighbors are competing for the best Lights. Anabel Walker loves it during this time of the year, she loves it when her family is together—the holidays do that, make everyone happy. But what with this neighborhood war? What with all this competition? What with the Walker family being an enemy to the Taylor's? What with Anabel keeping a secret? What with the most romantic wedding proposal?

Sarah Hitchcock wowed me! Everything about this book was a surprise! I love surprises and nothing like a good surprise during the holidays —★

Romance? This book runneth over! —★★ I actually cooed (which I am ashamed I do a lot lately).

Suspense? Who knew short stories were really abundant in those? The whole references to wars got me squinting. Very strange anachronism, yes. Who would think there to be a war on Christmas? —★★★

I loved the ending. The joke was really on me! I just kept shaking my head in disbelief at how beautiful this was —★★★★

Now, about my other stars (there are many). I think I'd share it to all the other stuff I've mentioned.

My rating: FIVE STARS.

I will be looking forward to a lot of Sarah Hitchcock! If her short stories are this good, I guess I'd have plenty to gush about for the long ones.

Christmas Lights is part of Merry Chicklit's anthology of six sassy shorts available on Amazon.

I recommend anyone looking for a great gasp! Anyone looking for something delightfully short.

Rush for it. Remember, the cause, breast cancer. Please donate for a good cause this festive season! There's nothing annoying than a male sexist doctor screaming, "Off with her boobs!" I purchased this to help the cause, you should too.

Reviewing all six sassy shorts in Merry Chicklit. Stay tuned for Francine Lasala's.

Another post inspired by the festive season.

Festive Book Review: Merry Chicklit-Six Sassy Shorts (an anthology): Santa's Gift by Carolyn Aspenson

Another post inspired by the festive season.

Blurb: In the spirit of giving, six chick-lit authors "present" a charming collection of seasonal shorts sure to inspire holiday cheer-plus love and hope throughout the year, with all proceeds donated to Rocking the Road for a Cure! Featured authors & stories include:

Carolyn Ridder Aspenson In "Santa's Gift," journalist Jessica thinks Santa's just a silly myth for children, so when he asks what she most wants for Christmas she tells him the one thing she knows he can't deliver--true love. Or can he...?

———————————————

"I love Cinco."

"Their salsa is my secret weapon."

My smile flopped. "You take a lot of women to Cinco or something?"

He blushed and it was adorable. "Oh no. I didn't mean it that way. You just seem like a woman who likes good food."

Did he just call me fat?

"Uh..."

He ran his fingers through his hair. It was captivating.

"That didn't come out right."

"Not so much, no."

———————————————

Great short something to read during these Holidays and get on with your shopping—but not without receiving any festive lessons.

So Jess, twenty-nine year old reporter has nothing to look up to this Christmas. She doesn't believe in all the hocus-pocus about Santa and would rather avoid everything about Christmas this year—including the shopping (considering there's going to be a sale!). Recently broken up with "Ass Monkey" of fourteen months, really what does she have to be thankful for?

But with her happily married friend Ashley who wouldn't take No for an answer, Jess's dragged for some Christmas shopping and finds herself in Santa's lap—talk of butt-planting yourself right into an enemy's lap and listening to them talk all about their magical gift to make everyone's wish come to past! Next thing she knows, she's challenging Santa to give her her heart's desire: true love.

Santa promises her that. And with her response as good as a snort and showing him her middle finger, would she believe him? And even if she does, would she return showing Santa her middle finger—this time, with a ring on it?

An amazing short story from Carolyn Aspenson. This woman sure has a way of making everything supernatural sound hip. I like that it wasn't the kind you'd roll your eyes to and check for other reads on your shelf thinking "How cheesy." —★

All the holiday lessons are things to note down from this book. Like finding true love, like believing in Santa, like investing in a tree and not kicking your kids in the butt for mentioning Santa (trust me, this is not about me. I am just doing a little venting of unwanted emotion). Maybe we are too old to believe in all these Father Christmas blah, but look at those kids, the smile that spreads the sunlight throughout their faces whenever Santa's mentioned, wouldn't our lives be that magical when we go back to those days when we had something to hold onto? Trust Carolyn to allow you make such deductions—★★

The romance in this book earns a star from me. Kind of Harlequinish during those old times when they'd actually make you believe in true-true love and swoon. (Until you realize life isn't Harlequin.) Thumbs up to all those moments, there are lots I could employ in wooing a woman, like who knew foreheads were so sensitive?—★★★

The humor is available for those of us who'd want a good laugh whilst learning some major festive lessons—★★★★

You know what they say about short stories having that one OMG moment that actually leaves it fulfilling despite the fact that it's actually short? Yeah, this book had it for the mystery on who Santa was—★★★★★

My rating: five stars.

Merry Chicklit-an anthology is available on Amazon.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants something short for the holidays—especially when the duties suddenly become humongous. Anyone looking for a book so rich in festive lessons. Anyone who thinks true love as... "true love". Anyone who actually mentions santa, because it would actually be like "Santa" in written form. Lol. Just get this book.

And its for a good cause... breast cancer. Let's save the boobs! They've got gravity to look up to! Just kidding, but help the cancer cause—I purchased (kind of) this book to do so, so you should too.

Reviewing all six sassy shorts of Merry Chicklit.

Another post inspired by the festive season.