Kim Boykin

Christmas Read Round-Up…

Hi there! Today I’m catching up on all the Christmas reads I’ve read this fall. Some made the blog, others haven’t. Still, I’ve enjoyed these books, and hope you might find one (or three) to entertain you.

Hetero Romance

I adored Brenda Novak’s THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS. A great story about an unlikely couple finding love (and more) in Whiskey Creek.

In THE TROUBLE WITH CHRISTMAS a rich man finds a real holiday with a quiet, unassuming chef who pulls his coals from the fire. This is a novella.

Kat and Stone Bastion’s THREE CHRISTMASES is a steamy/sexy read.

A VERY MARRIED CHRISTMAS reunites an estranged couple on the brink of divorce. This one had a bit of steam, and a lot of heart.

Rivals find love in JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS. It’s a fun reconnection story about adults who had a teen attraction and come together to make it happen years later.

For those who want to reminisce over Christmases gone by, I loved 8-BIT CHRISTMAS about a boy growing up in the 1980’s and wishing for a Nintendo. It is not a romance, but it cracked me the heck up.

Super erotica from Lily Harlem–in the form of CHRISTMAS CRACKERS: CANDY CANES AND COAL DUST puts a downhearted woman at the center of a man-sandwich.

Kelly Jamieson’s THREE OF HEARTS features three country singers finding love…with each other. It’s a sexy menage.

HOLIDAY AT MAGNOLIA BAY is a nice military romance with a heart-warming familial reconciliation.

Gay Romance

Heidi Cullinan’s SLEIGH RIDE is a great M/M romance, with a super Christmas theme. I just adored this story, of a shy librarian and a out-and-proud lumberjack. D-Lish.

Charlie Cochet’s three novella North Pole series is sure worth checking out. MENDING NOEL, THE HEART OF FROST and VIXEN’S VALOR are building a well-landscaped world in the hinterland.

Cat Grant’s A YEAR IN THE LIFE begins a new series and a tender romance between a young, interracial couple.

Piper Vaughn’s THE WORKING ELF BLUES features a lonely man and the Christmas elf who loves him.

I just finished reading ONE HOLIDAY EVER AFTER which is a three novella compilation–and it’s fantastic. I haven’t had a chance to write a review for it, but oh! it’s a great read. I’ve attached the DREAMSPINNER LINK because it’s on sale there for 25% off. But you can also find it on Amazon.

Well, folks, that’s a good list to get started. I hope all who read this have a great holiday season and a Happy 2015!

As always, thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

They Found Love JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS–A Review and Giveaway

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Hi all! Today I’m reviewing a contemporary romance that’s fit for the holidays. JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS by Kim Boykin is a heart-warming read.

JustInTimeForChristmas-LARGEAbout the book:
Nobody does Christmas like Miranda Hamilton, and now that she finally has her chance to chair Magnolia Bay’s tree lighting and the cotillion, which benefits her late mother’s breast cancer foundation, this Christmas is shaping up to be the best ever. That is until her childhood nemesis Logan Mauldin buys his way on her committee and starts making plans of his own.

Logan Mauldin loves to get under Miranda’s very sexy skin, and it’s only fair. She’s been getting under his since long before their first kiss at 13. Logan’s the last man interested in co-chairing a Christmas committee or participating in a sexy bachelor auction, but since that night he interrupted Miranda on a date and cornered her under the mistletoe, he can’t stop thinking about her. Or vying for her attention and bugging the hell out of her.

Christmas cheer isn’t the only thing that heats up between the Miranda and Logan, but, thanks to a lie that is as much her fault as it is his, he loses the woman he’s loved since forever. Logan will need a Christmas miracle for Miranda to forgive him. A grand gesture to melt her heart and win her back just in time for Christmas.

My Review:

This is a cute story with lots of heart. Miranda and Logan have always had sparks–but sometimes those have led to more hellfire than passion. Miranda’s dedicated to organizing the Christmas cotillion of Magnolia Bay. It’s a labor of love, especially because the charity it supports is in memory of her mother who died years ago to breast cancer.

Logan buys his way onto the cotillion committee with a huge donation to the charity. It aggravates Miranda, because, well, this gal holds a long grudge. Back in college it looked like Logan favored Pammy, a mean-girl rival of Miranda’s, and Miranda never let it go. Their sexy-sparring disappeared and it’s only been in the past few years that Miranda’s even spoken to Logan–he’s determined to change that. Their latest interactions sizzle with all the passion missing with Miranda’s newest boyfriend.

Naturally, Pammy insinuates herself into the cotillion committee as well–she’s been burning a flame for Logan since….forever. She even orchestrates a bachelor auction in the hopes that she can buy a date with him. Miranda’s miffed, but what can she do? The auction is raising money hand over fist, even if Miranda can’t afford to continue bidding on Logan. Thank goodness some internet gal is outbidding Pammy at every turn.

There are lovely side characters who don’t hesitate to point out Miranda’s stubbornness, and Logan’s lunacy. All their friends and family are convinced they are in love, but neither Miranda nor Logan will take the final step to sealing the deal–until the cotillion. Logan is as bold as he can be, and it ends up being a real problem. A Kick-Him-Out-Of-Bed type of problem, for Miranda. Good thing Logan can think on his feet, because he’s fed up letting Miranda isolate herself from love, his love.

I had guessed the ending, and I was rewarded in kind. Things seemed a bit rushed at the end–I wondered what in the world happened to Miranda’s previous beau–but it seems clear that this novella is linked to others either written or soon-to-be. No cliffhanger here, just a lot of strands that appear to be woven into the story lines of other characters. I really liked all the texture the author gave to the setting, and the world of Magnolia Bay. It was clear that Miranda had a deep love for her hometown, and her friends. Logan’s a stand-up-guy, for the most part, and his mistakes are very human–and very forgivable. I was glad Miranda finally took a good look at the man who seemed ready to pause the earth’s rotation if it might win her affection. ‘Cause that’s a gem right there.

Interested? You can find JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS on Goodreads, and Amazon.

About the Author:
Kim Boykin is a women’s fiction author with a sassy Southern streak. She is the author of The Wisdom of Hair, Steal Me, Cowboy, and Palmetto Moon (Summer 2014.) While her heart is always in South Carolina, she lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, 3 dogs, and 126 rose bushes.

You can find Kim on her website, blog, twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and Amazon.

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Inkslinger