My Review for His For The Holidays Anthology

His For The Holidays
Josh Lanyon, LB Gregg, ZA Maxfield & Harper Fox
Carina Press
Contemporary M/M Holidays
4 out of 5

Four stories of families, Christmas antics and the magic of the season as these talented authors transport the reader when reading HIS FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

First up is author L. B. Gregg’s Mistletoe At Midnight, a charming tale of first love revisited, forgiveness and magic all within the confines of a family who enjoy meddling. Can a man find a way to have his first love in his life again this Christmas?

 I have to admit, this author’s contribution had me in stitches. I loved the dynamics between Owen and his family, who all seemed to want to meddle in the poor man’s love life. The characters fairly stepped of the page and within a matter of minutes I was drawn into a story that had me flipping the pages with eager abandon, looking to see what would happen next for Owen and Caleb. If you haven’t read on of this author’s books, try the latest novella from LB Gregg and get ready to grin your way to a wonderful Christmas.

Next up was Harper Fox’s Nine Lights Over Edinburgh and one that I found a little too heavy for this anthology. Don’t get me wrong, it was a well written story but it felt out of place with the other books and light-heartedness of the stories in HIS FOR THE HOLIDAYS. The characters were well written and the story flowed nicely. I haven’t read one of this author’s books before and plan to check out the backlist to see if there are any more to read over the holidays. 

Third up is I Heard Him Exclaim by Z. A. Maxfield and found it utterly charming. The story was well told, the characters well written and the romance between Steve and Chandler was sweet and at times, so very hot I thought the computer screen was going to melt. I haven’t read one of this author’s books before but found the novella in this anthology to be a perfect introduction to this author’s writing. I am eager to see what else I can find to enjoy in the backlist of titles by this author.

          Finally, author Josh Lanyon delivers Icecapade, a story of a jewel thief turned novelist and his nemesis, FBI detective finding love after a decade of being apart. Just one teeny problem…the detective thinks he is the one who is robbing houses and is determined to put Noel behind bars…for good. Can Noel show Robert that he is a reformed thief?

          Josh Lanyon is a master at creating complex characters and making them completely lovable. Noel and Robert is a perfect pair together and though Robert comes after Noel, convinced he is a thief still, Noel finds a way to melt his icy heart. Vulnerable and sexy, the way this author creates his books leaves the reader with magic from beginning to end. I am hoping the author comes back to Noel and Robert again in the future. I would love to read more about them.

          HIS FOR THE HOLIDAYS is a perfect mix of fun and lightheartedness within the magic of Christmas. Each author delivers a wonderful novella that will keep you highly entertained from beginning to end. If you are looking for a sweet anthology to explore, then grab HIS FOR THE HOLIDAYS and settle in for an afternoon of reading fun. I look forward to finding out what these authors have in store for their readers in the future.

Book Review: Harvest Moon by Mercedes Lackey, Michelle Sagara & Cameron Haley

HARVEST MOON ANTHOLOGY
Authors: Mercedes Lackey, Michelle Sagara & Cameron Haley
LUNA/Harlequin Books
October 1st, 2010
Paperback
4 out of 5


Three novellas from three authors who will captivate you from beginning to end. Get ready for a little HARVEST MOON.

A Tangled Web by Mercedes Lackey
This is a retelling of Persephone and Hades mythology told from Persephone's point of view. She is determined to get away from her overprotective mother and she wants to be with Hades, a misunderstood man/god who makes her heartbeat fast and who she loves very much. Set in the five hundred kingdoms series, a fake kidnapping has a mix up and the wrong goddess is taken. Can Persephone and Hades find a way to be together and fix the problem of the wrong goddess being kidnapped?

I have to admit, I never read one of this author's Five Hundred Kingdom's books before and found myself a little confused as to why I should care if one god/goddess was kidnapped or not. It felt like there was a backstory of one set of characters I was missing and it had me scratching my head at times as I tried to puzzle out some of the storylines. Overall, this was a well written story but one I freely admit not enjoying too much in the end.

Cast In Moonlight by Michelle Sagara

Kaylin Neya is a thief and an assassin. She also has a smart m outh, covered in mysterious markings and has street smarts. The Hawklord thinks she is a perfect bait for a child prostitution sting...that is if Kaylin can keep her mouth shut for five seconds to do the job.

This is a perfect way to be introduced into the world of Elantra. I love this series and found this prequel to be a wonderful icing on the cake so to speak in this anthology. Ms. Sagara delivers a stirring story that shows how Kaylin met the Hawklord and her introduction into the world of the Hawks. The writing was slow and steady and kept me on the edge of the seat, waiting to see what would happen next for Kaylin. Would it be death for trying to assassinate the Hawklord or life serving him? This is a perfect story to be introduced into the world of Elantra and one that had me dragging out the books in the series to read again.

Retribution by Cameron Haley

A contract is put out on Dominca Riley and she has something to say about it. An attempt on her life has Dominica racing against the clock to find out who wants her down and out for the count. Retribution is best served cold!

I freely admit, I read Mob Rules, the kick off to this new series on gangsters and magic and didn't care too much for it. It could have been the mood I was in at the time but after reading this short story, I am picking it up again. This was a fantastic story and though if you haven't read Mob Rules yet, you should read that one first before reading this one.  A dark tale of violence, magic and self-discovery, Cameron Haley delivers a pulse pounding ride from start to finish. A gritty tale to keep you entertained and one that had me eager to see what else is coming fromt his talented author.

HARVEST MOON is an anthology that had two wonderful stories and one lackluster one. The writing in all three were tight and the authors did their best in keeping my attention with their novellas. I look forward to another anthology with these three talented storytellers in the future.