My Favourite Christmas Read by Ananda

I don’t know about you, but I can read Christmas books all year round. There’s something magical about these books and no matter how grey your days might seem, just a couple of pages of a good festive read will immediately make you feel good. I’ve read many Christmas books especially since I started blogging, but my absolute favorite is ‘Sleigh Bells in the Snow’ by Sarah Morgan. I read it last year, but I still remember how it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It’s one of these feel good romances that you can

devour in one sitting. I remember, I could hardly put it down, everywhere I went, the book went with me.  Sarah has a knack for plotting the most romantic stories, and knows which ingredients to add to the story to make it a hit. Dashing guys, smart heroines, beautiful setting and loads of snow, make it the perfect holiday read. But Sleigh Bells in the Snow is not just about romance, it also speaks about the importance of family. O’Neils are definitely my favorite fictional family, they are always supportive of each other and only think of what’s best for the family and their Snow Crystal Resort. Speaking of their Resort, Snow Crystal seems like a magical place and the descriptions were so vivid, I honestly felt like I was there. Overall, it’s a fantastic book and one of my all time favorites. Needless to say, I don’t know how many copies of this book I have gifted to my friends or blog readers, it’s just that amazing. Christmas is not Christmas without Sarah Morgan’s book, and I definitely advise you to read ‘Sleigh Bells in the Snow’ as soon as possible. Grab some mulled wine, curl up comfortably and enjoy the Christmas magic. Merry Christmas guys, and many thanks to my good friend Simona for inviting me today. 

Sleigh Bells in the Snow – by Sarah Morgan

Original Cover

My own copy

The blurb:

USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan heats up the season with the O'Neil brothers in a brand-new holiday series! 

Once upon a time, Christmas was Kayla Green's favorite time of year. Now all the workaholic wants for Christmas is for it to be over—as fast as possible! So when duty calls her to snowy Vermont to close a deal with a new client, Kayla is grateful for an excuse to avoid the holidays for another year. 

Jackson O'Neil left a thriving business behind to return home and salvage his family's resort—it's in his blood, and he can't let it fail. Now that he's got marketing whiz Kayla Green working with him to put Snow Crystal on the map, success is on the horizon. The fact they strike enough sparks off each other to power all the Christmas lights in Vermont is just an added bonus. 

Kayla might be an expert at her job, but she's out of her depth with Jackson—he makes her crave the happy-ever-after she once dreamed of, and it's terrifying. As the snowflakes continue to swirl, will the woman who doesn't believe in the magic of Christmas finally fall under its spell?

My Opinion:

This lovely book was recommended to me a great friend. We wanted to do a buddy read, but she couldn’t wait and told me to read it immediately ;) Well, so I did and I am more than happy I did. This book is amazing, you’ll see.

There is Kayla, a total business woman, who only thinks about work, work and work again. Everything about her life is around her job, she never goes out, she doesn’t date and she hates Christmas. Yes, you heard right she doesn’t like this time of the year at all. There is a reason for that of course.

Jackson O’Neil is a successful businessman, who run his own company and now returned to the family business to help get more tourists for Snow Crystal in Vermont.

Kayla seems to be the right person to help and agrees to go there for a week, just before Christmas. Yes, she wants to escape it ;).

When the two of them meet, I already knew, that they were made for each other and couldn’t wait to read how they get closer and whether Jackson could break her shell.

I gotta say, I LOVE Jackson <3 He is just so perfect. Caring, honest, he never gives up and omg he’s soooo hot.

Snow Crystal has many romantic and also adventurous things to offer and Kayla is diving into a whole other world. Sarah Morgan found a great way to describe the surroundings as well as the story brilliantly. It’s so vivid and clear. It makes you want to book holidays at Snow Crystal instantly.

Kayla is getting more and more confused and she just can’t escape Jackson. One thing leads to another and I really love how Sarah described all these scenes. I felt like being there with all the characters and I didn’t want to leave this world again. The romantic scenes were building up and perfectly written, Sarah really has a talent for this.

They story is not only written from Kayla’s perspective, also Jackson get his parts and I think that’s really great. It makes the book special and as a reader you get the emotions and feelings from both of the main characters.

The ending was so wonderful and emotional. It was great to see Kayla change and also confess her personal problems from the past to Jackson. He found a way to reach out to her and make her feel comfortable, although it took her quite a while to get there.

Such an amazing story, with to main characters to fall in love with and a great surrounding. Sarah really understands to write an emotional, interesting and heart-warming story. I couldn’t get enough of it and I’d love to read more about Kayla and Jackson. I’m so excited that there will be more books about the O’Neil brothers, and let me tell you they were great as well.

Rating:

My possible cast:

Kayla: Gabriella Wilde

Jackson: Matt Bomer

Sarah on Twitter: @SarahMorgan_

Website: http://sarahmorgan.com

Book of the Month - December

The books I read this month:

- I heart Christmas - Lindsey Kelk 3.5/5

- It Started with a Kiss – Miranda Dickinson 4.5/5

- Sleigh Bells in the Snow – Sarah Morgan 5/5

- Coming Home for Christmas – Jenny Hale  4/5

- A Christmas Wish – Carole Matthews  5/5

- Calling Mrs Christmas – Carole Matthews 5/5

- Merry Chick-Lit  5/5

- Something from Tiffany’s – Melissa Hill 3.5/5

So here we go again. Winner of this month is ... Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan.

This time the choice wasn’t difficult at all, because I fell in love with the story, the characters and the writing instantly (although I loved Calling Mrs Christmas by Carole also so much) :

Sleigh Bells in the Snow – Sarah Morgan

The bit on the back:

USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan heats up the season with the O'Neil brothers in a brand-new holiday series! 

Once upon a time, Christmas was Kayla Green's favorite time of year. Now all the workaholic wants for Christmas is for it to be over—as fast as possible! So when duty calls her to snowy Vermont to close a deal with a new client, Kayla is grateful for an excuse to avoid the holidays for another year. 

Jackson O'Neil left a thriving business behind to return home and salvage his family's resort—it's in his blood, and he can't let it fail. Now that he's got marketing whiz Kayla Green working with him to put Snow Crystal on the map, success is on the horizon. The fact they strike enough sparks off each other to power all the Christmas lights in Vermont is just an added bonus. 

Kayla might be an expert at her job, but she's out of her depth with Jackson—he makes her crave the happy-ever-after she once dreamed of, and it's terrifying. As the snowflakes continue to swirl, will the woman who doesn't believe in the magic of Christmas finally fall under its spell?

My opinion:

This book was recommeded to me by an amazing friend (thanks Ana). It was on my reading list already, but I wanted to read other books first, but then she convinced me to read it immediately and I am so glad I did. I couldn’t put it down, I dived into the story immediatly and didn’t want to get out of it again. A beautifully written Christmas story, with so much make heart and emotion. Jackson is an amazing main character, I fell for him instantly and also Kayla seemed to be more than attracted to him. I’m so glad he was able to get into her shell and made her experience a new Christmas, with new memories.

I really want to book Snow Crystal holidays right now and experience all these fun and romantic activities.

A definite must-read!!! You’ll miss something if you don’t read it.

The whole review will follow in this year's Christmas special....

My favorite Christmas books this year

I’m already planning a big Advent special for next year and I’m reading a lot of Christmas Chick-Lit books to include in there. That means I’ll be posting these reviews only next December. However, I loved to of these books so much, that I have to mention them right now. Amazing stories, who deserve to be in the spotlight and that’s why I am presenting them to you today.

First up is Just for Christmas by Scarlett Bailey:

The bit on the back:

Her best friend's wedding...

When Alex Munro learns that the love of her life is getting married to another girl, all she wants is to be alone - and as far away from Edinburgh as possible.

Moving to a Cornish cottage, which comes complete with the world's scruffiest dog, Alex finds that her new neighbours are determined to involve her in their madcap Christmas festivities.

Then she meets her sexy neighbour Ruan - and somehow Alex doesn't want to be alone this Christmas after all. But having lost one fiancé, Ruan has no intention of letting anyone get close to him again...

What I think:

When I saw the book for the first time I was instantly drawn to it’s cover, it’s so beautiful =) Then I read the blurb and knew: I have to read this book.

It's a wonderful novel about Alex, who just went to the other end of England to escape from everything at home. With a broken heart and the lost of trust she starts her new life.

She meets Ruan and as I reader I instantly felt their connection. It actually took them much longer to realise it. They both also had other things to deal with, issues from their past, which always came in between.

I couldn’t put the book down, the writing is amazing and emotional.

Loved Alex as the main character and could really connect with her. Ruan had a mystery surrounding him and it was so much fun to discover more and more about him.

The book is open for controversial topcis, which I think is great.

Definitely worth reading!!! Can’t wait to read more of Scarlett Bailey.

Now tot he other lovely and wonderful book: Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan:

The bit on the back:

USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan heats up the season with the O'Neil brothers in a brand-new holiday series! 

Once upon a time, Christmas was Kayla Green's favorite time of year. Now all the workaholic wants for Christmas is for it to be over—as fast as possible! So when duty calls her to snowy Vermont to close a deal with a new client, Kayla is grateful for an excuse to avoid the holidays for another year. 

Jackson O'Neil left a thriving business behind to return home and salvage his family's resort—it's in his blood, and he can't let it fail. Now that he's got marketing whiz Kayla Green working with him to put Snow Crystal on the map, success is on the horizon. The fact they strike enough sparks off each other to power all the Christmas lights in Vermont is just an added bonus. 

Kayla might be an expert at her job, but she's out of her depth with Jackson—he makes her crave the happy-ever-after she once dreamed of, and it's terrifying. As the snowflakes continue to swirl, will the woman who doesn't believe in the magic of Christmas finally fall under its spell?

What I think:

This lovely book was recommended to me a great friend. We wanted to do a buddy read, but she couldn’t wait and told me to read it immediately ;) Thanks Ana(ThisChickReads), such a great recommendation. Well, so I did and I am more than happy I did. This book is amazing, you’ll see.

There is Kayla the business woman on one hand, and Jackson the hot family business owner Jackson on the other. Jackson is awesome, you’ll love him.

Kayla and Jackson are drawn to each other immidiately, but Kayla tries to keep up her shell, but for how long?

This book is beautifully written and I loved diving into the story, never wanting to come out of it again. I love the change of perspectives, this made the book even more interesting.

A heart-warming, emotional story about two totally different people to become one. AMAZING!!!

I hope you all liked my choices of Christmas books, they're fabulous, so go read them now ;)

Scarlett Bailey on Twitter: @ScarlettBailey

Sarah Morgan on Twitter: @SarahMorgan_

Have a nice weekend you all, it's Christmas soon :)