Another Good Holiday Listen.

A set of 4 short stories this was overall a nice listen about relationships helped with the magic of Christmas.

The first, My True Love Gave to Me as a difficult listen at my normal 1.25x speed as the accent of the narrator was difficult. If you are pressed for time you could skip it.

Winter Knights, was okay but not my favorite of the books in the set.

My favorite was Lone Star, maybe because I'm a fan of Josh Lanyon or maybe because the characters were just so adorable and their love was so heartbreaking I don't know, but it was very enjoyable and warrants a second and third listen.

My second favorite was The Christmas Proposition, the narrator was excellent and the story was unusual as the main characters had already dated and separated prior to living happily ever after. In the end I really LOVED the angst these characters went through and the ending was unexpected and ADORABLE.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Odd mix

I purchased last two books in this series so I knew i loved the storyline but the narration for last story ( A Christmas Proposition) was for me terrible I hated the narrators voice and it totally threw off the passion. The first book I could never get into. British accents throw me off and there was just no connection for me to the story itself. The second-story was really really slow in the beginning and I didn't like it very much but at the end it got better; it was OK. Lone star though, had great narration and is a great story. It made me cry for the 500th time. All and all for the use of a credit it was a pretty good get, if I bought it though I would be sorely disappointed.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

1 lame story &1 rotten narration spoil the barrel

as already mentioned, ava march's "my true love gave to me" is nice. didn't know the author before this, and it was a very good introduction. the story is well written, the characters constant and loveable, the genre - let's face it! the gold mine of the genre: 18th (17th?) century England. and that was the only reason I had the patience to listen to the end of the story, and suffer through the worst narration ever! unprofessional, the intonation not related to the words, the emotion not related to the words.
second worst story in the bunch.

harper fox's "winter knights" is the exact opposite: bad writing and the best narration. the story is unnecessarily convoluted and boringly long, the characters behave randomly and the message/point of the whole thing is unappealingly cloudy: is this supposed to be a Christianity endorsement? even with the amazingly attractive voice and sexily accented voice of Jack LeFleur, the story is barely supportable. I did skip a bit towards the end. definitely the worst story in the quartet.

k a mitchell's "the christmas proposition", is also a delectable sweet in the box. the story is funny and entertaining, the characters well built and believable, the message mellow and heart-warming. only don't believe the summaries: the main character has no epiphany, there is no suprizing turn of sides in the story; he just gets a bit more self esteem, with a little help from his friends (and family). epiphany is only the name of the place where the story happens. the narration is good and professional and just as funny and tongue-in-cheek as the story requires. also didn't know the author before this anthology, and I will keep an eye out for more of his work. second best story in the group.

and then there's josh lanyon - the reason I even considered this book. her well known love for LEO is not really disguised as a sheriff, and welcome a balet dancer as a harbinger to her work as a musician? a bit more melancholic than usual, a bit less mystery and action, a lot more deep and old-soul-ly. the story does not give you the author's ending: so choose your own! enough said that both men are willing and resolved to make the relationship work. will mitch give up his chance at fame? will web face the big city? will they each do their lonely thing for a while longer and then come together, keeping a long distance relationship going? chose your own ladies and gents, chose your own! is the best christmas present ;-)
the only way this could be better is if it was given to jack lefleur to narrate :-D. though truth be told, max tatch does a very credible and satisfactorily professional job of conveying thoughts and feelings. best story in the anthology!

all in all, warmly recommended and well worth the money!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 great stories to listen to maybe every Christmas

Most of these stories were great and since Harper Fox was a solid 5 star, I gave the whole anthology 5 stars.

My True Love Gave to Me, Ava March, 3 stars
L.B. Townsend, narrator, 4 stars.
This was a historical and I can kind of see how the set up could happen, but I usually think no one could be that cold-hearted with Thomas Bennett leaving so abruptly. Also with Alexander Norton becoming so cynical. Did not really enjoy it that much.

Winter Nights, Harper Fox, 5 stars
Jack Le Fleur, narrator, 5 stars for such a wonderful reading and such a dreamy quality to his voice.
I love Harper Fox's works. This was an interesting preposition weaving the Arthurian legend into a contemporary piece. At first thesis writing historian Gavin Lowden was too overbearing to me, then his adventure occurred. His relationship to 'Arthur' who rescued him started off as good, then I was turned off by some of his actions with Art & Lance. Suddenly I realized that this was in his mind or an out of body experience or paranormal. I was then enthralled with the updating of Arthur and Lancelot being rescuers, just brilliant! The main story is of Gavin and Piers who need to work out their relationship and take the leap of truly being in love. As many who reviewed the stand alone story have said, this would be a great full length novel. Wonderful ending with both good and bad just like life. It was definitely the best of the stories and wonderfully narrated. I think Ms. Fox has written more of the Arthurian legend and will check out those works.

Lone Star, Josh Lanyon, 4.5 stars
Max Tatch, narrator, 4 stars
ABT star ballet dancer Mitchell Evans & Texas Ranger Web Eisley have a great story and it is masterfully told. For some reason, I did not care for the narrator's voicing of Web, just a little too cliched for me with a clipped gruff and gravely sound, it made it hard to warm up to him. As much as I thought of the writing, I could see how it was going to end with just the introduction of the studio. Another in this anthology that would make a great full novel, but I am happy to have had the short story.

The Christmas Proposition, K.A. Mitchell, 4.5 stars (wanted to give it 4 for the ending, then I relented)
James de Grassi, narrator, 5 stars with good narration for all characters.
Christmas Tree Farmer Melchior (yes one of the three kings) and gas drilling company owner Bryce Campion are the MCs and I really enjoyed their story. I have not read many books set in this part of the US. I thought Tiffany was a bridezilla and guess that Mel's friendship with her was so long and deep he just did whatever because of that long relationship. I liked Bryce but kind of thought he needed better communication skills and how did he get to be the owner of his company with such poor interpersonal skills? The expected happy ending was cut short by the standard M/M trope of "no communication" and I swore at Mel for it and also at K.A. for writing it and then realized that me and my husband recently had a major flare up of "no communication" and I had to get over being upset because yes, communication issues can happen to even long term relationships let alone Mel's and Bryce's rekindled one.

I look forward to re-listening again this coming Christmas.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Give me some mistletoe

I liked this book.A lot. The one good thing about a compilation is that typically if you have one story you aren't too fond of, the next one will more than likely be more to your liking. This is true for this book.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE, Ava March. I do indeed. I discovered her a couple months back, and she surged to the top of my "MUST READ AUTHORS LIST". I think I have most everything of hers in Kindle format and on audio book. (Yes, I am a dork. Sue me.) Ava has this uncanny ability to draw her readers into the emotional whirlwind that her characters feel. Its awe inspiring. I sometimes shake as I feel the emotion surge through me.This novella brought me to an insane feeling of anger and frustration and sadness. I felt such an immense feeling of loss. Her words move me. Its such an uncanny feeling. I long for this feeling each and every time I pick up one of her books. (If I ever met her, I'd probably act like a teenybopper meeting the latest teen heartthrob. Pathetic, but flattering. (I hope.) LOL Anyway... I had already purchased her novella-- "My True Love Gave to Me"-- prior to noticing that it was also included in this compilation. However, I had no problem reading/listening to it again. And, as I listened, I even noticed 'new' things, and feel deeper into love with the characters. I felt the anger. the pain. the fear. the remorse. the need. the desire... so I was not disappointed. I think I loved this story because I know what its like to not do what your heart wants to do, for fear of how others might see you. Unlike Thomas, I didn't correct my mistake. So, I live the emotion through him.

The second story wasn't too marvelous. Winter's Heart by Harper Fox. He's lucky that his name is cool. Anyway... I really had to try and not skim ( I did, but let's pretend I didn't...) and find SOME SCENE or emotional expression that allowed me to feel a connection to the main characters. I just can't get into too much self- reflection. This is not a journal, Fox!! Where is your editor? Perhaps Fox's style is too poetic? Too long-winded? Or perhaps he's so involved with the English language that he feels the need to bore us readers with the pains that a writer goes through when trying to formulate a story or attempting to finish a thesis. I, for one, was NOT impressed. But I loved the sentiment of the story. All too often we don't realize what we're doing wrong in a relationship. Often times, our past hurts prevent us from truly forming a future with our partner. I loved that Gavin FINALLY came to terms with his love for Piers and consummated said love. I have to tell you, the whole Catholicism thing dragged on a bit, thank god anal beads and lube were worked somewhere into the story :P

I loved the 3rd story. Lone Star by Josh Landon. Half way through the story, I started searching Amazon.com for more from this author. Marvelous. Enter Mitchell, sensational ballet star, and Texas Ranger, Webb. They were each other's first love, but when Webb was too afraid to come out, Mitchell high-tailed it out of town and it wasn't until 12 years later that he returns. Ain't nothing sexier than the twang of a cowboy!!! Honestly. Webb truly turned me on. I know he's a character, but I felt him. And Mitchell was lucky he got to him before I did. LOL Anyway, it's all about growing up. Reflecting on one's past and the mistakes made as a result of fear, immaturity and impulse. I loved this story..... well, except for the description of Mitchell's toes. Seriously? That is something NO ONE needs to imagine. I'm still creeped out. Gah!

The 4th and finally story was so hot. I literally kept squirming in my seat at work. (I was listening to the book on CD.) It was totally NSFW. LOL Its called "The Christmas Proposition" by K.A. Mitchell. Wowsers. You know that expression... "f-ing like rabbits!" Well the lovers in this novel couldn't keep their hands off one another. Mel is one of the oldest in the family and he's felt a need to keep the family together by working the family tree farm. He's letting his life pass him by and his lover Bryce wants him to choose the path with him. Of course Mel can't get his stuff together, and loses Bryce. But, can he get it together to get Bryce back? It was a good story... mostly for the yummy sex scenes. *fans self*

So, enjoy this compilation... some parts more than others :X

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

Great collection, especially loved Winter Knights

Any additional comments?

I’m surprised how much I liked these 4 stories. Since the description was rather thin I went into this just figuring I’d give it a go hoping 1 or 2 of the stories would be okay, but I really liked them all.
The weakest for me personally was most definitely the first one. I found it hard to get into the story and to be honest I did skip like half an hour or so. But then it picked up and was okay, though still my least favorite.
To me the most intriguing story was Winter Knights by Harper Fox. It had a lovely mix of very real and somewhat magical. This story on it’s own might well have gotten 5 stars from me. I’m definitely going to check out a few other Harper Fox stories after listening to this one.
Lone Star and The Christmas Proposition where both lovely kind of low key stories. I like these kind of stories everything does not have to be pumped up to the max all the time. Both had strengths and weaknesses, but I will definitely be looking at more stories by these authors too.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 great stories, 1 terrible

The first story was painfully bad - the characters and the plot were paper-thin and I couldn't care less about either. But after that, this anthology really picks up. The other three stories were all quite good, with characters and relationships that had depth, and plots that I was invested in.

I would definitely recommend this anthology, with the exception of the first story.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

Heartwarming Listen

Any additional comments?

My True Love Gave to Me - I couldn't really get into this one and ended up skipping over it.
Winter Knights - I thought the elements of the story could have been woven together a bit better (I won't give any spoilers) but overall it was a good listen and enjoyable.
Lone Star - I am a fan of Josh Lanyon, and this did not disappoint. The characters were interesting and well written.
The Christmas Proposition - I LOVED the narrator. The setting and professions of the main characters were interesting and made a nice back drop to the story. I really cared about the characters. This is was probably my favorite.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

Christmas present to me!

I really likes this collection as a Christmas collection.
Both "My True Love Gave to Me" and "A Christmas Proposition" had a "Christmas Carol" Scrooge-like character. Both stories made me cry.
As Josh Lanyon is my favourite M/M romance writer, "Lone Star" was sure to be great and I wasn't disappointed.
While "Winter Knights" was not a traditional romance, it was still a good listen.
All the narrators did a great job. Jack LeFleur was excellent as always.

I listened to this set in one day (-30 C yesterday!)
Highly recommended

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

All of the stories are good

Loved every story and just in time for the holidays! Narration is on spot as well.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!