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Book Review: Merry Elf-ing Christmas, by Beth Bolden

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I won an ARC copy of Merry Elf-ing Christmas from the author (Beth Bolden) on Facebook, which was just in time to include it in my Christmas Reading Challenge.
merry elf-ing christmas cover

Aidan might be a bad elf, but he’s never been naughty.

Aidan has always landed on Santa’s nice list, thank you very much. But that doesn’t mean he’s cut out to be a North Pole elf; instead of worrying about the dwindling magic of Christmas, he’d much rather be back in Tir na Nog, calculating where the next end of the rainbow is going to land.

Instead he’s freezing his butt off in Santa’s sleigh.

His situation seems grim despite all the decking the halls, until on Christmas Eve, during a milk and cookies run, he meets Dexter, an engineering student.

They couldn’t be more different, and Dexter couldn’t be more forbidden, but Aidan is drawn to the handsome human anyway. Over the next year, their emails start out as a entertaining way to pass the time in all his interminable elf meetings, but soon, hearing from Dex becomes the very best part of his day.

And when they meet up on the next Christmas Eve? Aidan and Dex discover that their infatuation is so much more than just attraction. If they believe in each other and in the love they share, together their magic might be powerful enough to save Christmas.

my review

Often times reading and what someone likes is 100% subjective. That was very apparent to me while reading this book. I’ll say up front that it’s not a bad book. It’s cute and sweet, Christmas focused, and full of likeable characters. But it wasn’t a  good book FOR ME for one pretty solid reason.

I am not someone who shies away from cursing or sex. But Christmas books that use Santa and his elves as fodder walk a very fine border with childish. Look at that cute cover. Imagine that elf up and walking around, talking and laughing and eating milk and cookies. Now imagine him cursing, giving head, and getting f*cked. For me those disparate images never fully merged and I felt like F-bombs and sexual tension (and eventual sex) got dropped in a children’s book and it didn’t work FOR ME. But I know it will 100% work for others.

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Other Reviews:

Review: Merry Elf-ing Christmas by Beth Bolden

Come back this evening. I’ll be reviewing The Plight Before Christmas, by Kate Stewart and tomorrow, when I’ll be reviewing A Hopeful Christmas, by Walker, Bessey, Kelly, and Jensen.

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Book Review: Mine To Five, by Tara September

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Tara September had a promo over on Sadie’s Spotlight that included a giveaway for an audio copy of a book from her backlog. I got lucky and won a copy of Mine to Five. Since it turns out to be a holiday office romance, it’s perfect for my Christmas Reading Challenge.

mine to five tara september

‘Tis the season for an office romance!

Working beyond nine to five and barely getting by, Melanie Thomas is eager to celebrate the impending holiday season and to toast the start of her dream marketing job over drinks with her boyfriend. Unfortunately, he has different plans—like seeing other women.

Indulging in a pity party with tequila, Melanie confides in a sexy stranger at the bar. It’s almost Christmas, one night of letting go won’t hurt anything, right? Turns out it just might—when the stranger is her new boss. Determined to succeed at her job, Melanie won’t be scared away. This is her chance, even if her hot boss has her feeling all merry and bright and wishing for a less than professional relationship.

Matthew Ryans is burned out and on thin ice at the company he helped build unless he gets his head back in the game. Yet, his head, both upper and lower, are quickly becoming obsessed with his new assistant. Still, he can’t seem to fully begrudge Melanie’s distracting presence and the Christmas joy she brings with it. Especially considering that her enthusiasm has him reenergized. For once, he is longing for Mondays, but with his heart and job on the line he can’t risk blurring the lines no matter how strong the lure of holiday mistletoe is.

Will their holiday passion be able to fuel mutual career success, or will it only get in their way in the New Year?

my review

I found this fun but super predictable. It doesn’t deviate from the well-trod path even a little bit. But I also realize that this is part of what people like about holiday romances. So, I suppose this is a success in that regard.

I liked both characters well enough, though I thought their relationship (even with the awkward start) went from casual work colleagues to casual come-meet-my-mother way too quickly. And I was a little squinked out by the power imbalance of Mathew being older and Mel’s boss. I realize this too is a fantasy—the powerful boss falling for the assistant. But it is pretty cliched and when the friction was introduced in the last quarter you really felt it.

The writing is crisp and easily readable…or listen-to-able in my case and the narrator—Verla Bond—did a good job. All in all, not a big winner for me (mostly because it’s not really a story-line I gravitate toward in general), but also not a raspberry either.

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Other Reviews:

Book Review of Mine to Five by Tara September

https://berittalksbooks.com/2020/10/25/mine-to-five-by-tara-september-book-review-rararesources/

What’s Beyond Forks: Book Review Mine to Five, by Tara September

Mine to Five by Tara September

Come back tomorrow. I’ll be reviewing In Case Of Emergency, by Keira Andrews.

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Book Review: Where We Begin, by Janey King

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Last November, Janey King’s Where We Begin was featured on Sadie’s Spotlight. I later won a signed paperback copy.
Where We Begin Janey King

Fate never gives you everything you want. But sometimes, when you least expect it, you get exactly what (or who) you need…

Hannah’s life has suddenly become a lot less. Jobless, homeless, and boyfriend-less, that is. Now, all she wants is a fresh start—and her sister’s charming small town is the perfect setting for it. Finding a new romance is nowhere on her agenda. Too bad her heart (the stupid organ that beats a little faster every time her new boss is near) didn’t get the memo.

Collin hasn’t been lucky when it comes to romance, either. But knowing he’s not cut out for love doesn’t stop him from wanting his beautiful new employee with an intensity that terrifies him. He barely survived losing his fiancée. Losing Hannah…well, he’s afraid there wouldn’t be any coming back from that.

Can Hannah and Collin overcome the pain of their pasts—and the secrets they’re both still carrying—to take a shot at happily ever after? Or are they destined to remain star crossed forever?

Where We Begin, book 1 in The Berkshires series, is a lightly angsty, sweet and clean, new adult contemporary romance featuring a down-but-not-out heroine and the beaten-but-not-broken hero of her dreams.

Before I get to the review, I want to add a quick note about the Christmas-ness of this book. It’s absolutely irrelevant to anything other than the fact that I read it as part of my Christmas Reading Challenge. In the beginning of the book, the reader is told Hannah has come to stay with her sister through Thanksgiving and Christmas. The book runs up until early December and some pre-Christmas preparations —taking the babies for pictures with Santa, some minor indoor decorations, etc. The actual Christmas holiday isn’t included and I would not say the book has any kind of holiday theme. As such, I almost took it off the Christmas reading list once I’d finished it. But, in the end, decided to let it stay, based on mentioning Christmas, my intent to read Christmas books, and not really wanting to invalidate my past list. But it’s a pretty slim fit.

my review

At best, I thought this was OK. But I thought it was only OK because of personal preferences kind of things, not because I think it’s objectively a bad book or story. I just didn’t love Hannah (I liked her, but in a ‘meh’ kind of way), and while I liked Collin well enough, I thought his wishy-washiness annoying. So, I wasn’t super invested in their relationship.

The writing is pedestrian, but perfectly readable. My only complaint is that names are used too often in dialogue. But at some point, several years ago, I noticed authors doing this and have never been able to stop noticing since. So, I’m probably more sensitive to this than others.

King also has a bad habit of making every female not in the main characters’ immediate friends and family circle an idiot or a predator. This is a huge pet peeve for me. Why do authors, especially female authors, fall into the misogynistic trap of subtly suggesting all outsider women cannot be trusted? (I’m not calling King misogynistic, I’m calling this subliminal social norm misogynistic.) In fact, the last couple pages of this book pretty much enraged me. It was such a cliched and over-used plot device.

All in all, I think those who really like clean, New Adult books will enjoy this. I thought it was OK, but not really for me.

where we begin phtot

Other Reviews:

Book Tour/Review: Where We Begin by Janey King

Where We Begin by Janey King

Be sure to come back tomorrow. I’ll be reviewing The Remaking of Corbin Wale, by Roan Parrish.