ItaPixie's Book Corner

  Synopsis: A PINCH OF PARANOIA It’s three days before Christmas, and detective-turned-chef Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker is drafted in to cater a charity event run by a notorious millionaire at a 13th-century abbey on Bodmin Moor. A DASH OF DECEPTION Things get more complicated when a snowstorm descends, stranding them all, and the next morning they find one of the guests has been gruesomely murdered in their bed… A MURDER UNDER THE MISTLETOE Secrets mull like wine on the stove in every corner – can Jodie solve the crime before the killer strikes again?   Review: A Cornish Christmas Murder tells the latest adventure of Jodie Nosey Parker. Few days before Christmas Jodie is catering for a children charity event that takes place in an historical house, but after the event she, her colourful crew, and some other guests stay stuck at the villa because of a snowstorm. The morning after the snowstorm has passed but when the house awakes the dead body of the poor Santa impersonator is found ...

  Synopsis: A snowy Victorian Christmas   Two festive short stories! In  The Christmas Runaway  by Jenni Fletcher, willful, independent heiress Fiona MacKay impulsively runs away to a remote Scottish tower, where she’s trapped in the snow with equally headstrong, deliciously disheveled Angus Drummond. In  Their Snowbound Reunion  by Elisabeth Hobbes, Amy Munroe and Anthony Matthews were cruelly parted fifteen years ago, and each blames the other. When Amy becomes Anthony’s new housekeeper, their passion is reawakened! Review: Snow-Kissed Proposals consists of two independent novellas written by two different and excellent historical authors. The Christmas Runaway by Jenni Fletcher and Their Snowbound Reunion by Elisabeth Hobbes are two engaging stories, I wished they were longer to keep enjoying reading them. The Christmas Runaway by Jenni Fletcher: Fiona ran away from her house in Edimburgh to go and spend some days at her friend Mhairi...

  Synopsis: After injuring herself on the job as a Los Angeles cop, Mel O’Rourke leaves the force battered both physically and mentally. Looking for a fresh start, she moves to a quiet mountain town and opens the Babbling Brook Inn. Excited for her new life, Mel decides to participate in the town’s holiday cookie contest, but her newfound joy goes up in smoke when one of her guests turns up dead in her lobby. Mel is tempted to attribute the death to natural causes but when another guest dies, her cop instincts kick in. The local Sheriff tells her to stand down, but Mel can’t let it go. With everything on the line, she has to push through her fears to catch the killer before more bodies drop, perhaps even her own. Review: The Starlight Mint Surprise Murder was a quick, easy read, I’ve found it a good escapism from a tiring day. Mel left her work as a LA cop after an accidents and decided to open a B&B in Pine Cove. During her first week she finds one of her few guests dead, ever...

  Synopsis: I hate Christmas. As CEO of my company, I’ve banned decorations from the office, festive music from the lobby and any kind of secret Santa gifts between employees are strictly forbidden. I’m heading to the airport, away from the Christmas lights and the mulled wine, heading for sunshine and margaritas when I get a call from Granny. She’s sprained her ankle and needs my help filling in for her as head of the village Christmas Committee. Snowsly is the Christmas Capital of England and the last place I want to be in the lead up to Christmas. But there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for Granny. When I arrive in Snowsly, I’m introduced to Celia Sommers who is Christmas’s biggest fan and therefore my own personal nightmare before Christmas. Worse than that, I have to work with her to make Snowsly’s Christmas market a success. Celia is determined to get me in the festive spirit. It’s not going to work. It doesn’t matter if she’s smart and funny and easy to flirt with—if she doesn’t s...

  Synopsis: What happens when one of the notorious town matchmakers gets the tables turned on her? As the long-time mayor of quaint little Redwood Ridge, Oregon, what Marie Sedgwick is most proud of is how she and her two sisters have been able to help patrons find their perfect match. Sure, townsfolk call them The Battleaxes, and yeah, she and her sisters do tend to meddle. Yet, nothing is more important than true love. It’s something that slipped between her fingers once, and she’s regretted it ever since. Except, that so-called regret just showed up after twenty years, looking like a sexy fox, and knocking her world off its axis. And though she’s been trying to avoid him, it suddenly seems this holiday season, she’s the one with a Cupid target on her back. After all his adventures, Preston Masterson has finally returned to the place he always thought of as home with two goals. One, to transform the old Freemont Mansion into a charming Inn by Christmas. And two, to win back the h...

  Synopsis: Sometimes, an innocent person is convicted of a crime they didn't commit. And sometimes, after the real guilty person dies, they fess up. To me... Because I can communicate with the dead. I try hard to help the restless dead find closure. And usually, I succeed. But this time my detective boyfriend is throwing a wrench into my efforts. I might be able to take the word of a dead guy, but the police sure can't. And as always, things don’t turn out as planned. Now I’m stuck in the middle of a double murder—one from the past—and one from now. Because someone doesn’t want me to discover the truth...and it looks like they’ll do whatever it takes to make sure this secret stays in the grave! Review: Déjà Boo is the sixth book of this series but I have easily followed the story, even if now I'm curious to read the previous books. Paranormal mysteries are my favourite sub genre and get to read this book during Halloween day was a plus. It was a nice read with a good story...

  Synopsis: Sasha Hansley hates Christmas. As a child, it was her favourite time of year, but ever since the tragic death of her mother, it has completely lost its magic. But when she gets an unexpected phone call from her eccentric estranged father, she’s forced to dust off her snow boots. He has been running a Lapland style Christmas village in Norway and after suffering a heart attack, he is on strict doctor’s orders to slow down. Eager to reconnect with her dad, Sasha books the next flight out there. Only she has never actually been on a plane before, let alone to the Arctic Circle. Met at the runway by drop-dead-gorgeous Taavi Salvesen, they sleigh ride through the snow with the Northern Lights guiding their way. When Sasha uncovers sacks of unopened Santa mail – letters that children and adults from all over the world write to Santa every year – she realises that she can send a little bit of magic out into the world by replying to some of them. With Taavi on hand to help, wil...

  Synopsis: Jacques: I'm a single father, and I've had all the change I can handle: Retirement from the sport I love, a crazy ex-wife in prison, and five kids who need me more than ever. I don't have time for a relationship, let alone one with the interfering mother of the best player on the hockey team I'm coaching. She’s annoying as hell, but she’s also equally on my mind. Serenity: I'm a hockey mom and proud of it. I'm also the over-protective mother of a talented daughter hell-bent on playing with the boys. I'm determined that my daughter gets a shot at her dream despite her gender, even if it means butting heads with the team's rigid and hot AF coach. I have no intention in falling for this brooding man with a houseful of children, but sometimes life doesn't stick to the plan. We wanted to blame it on the eggnog, but there's no denying our chemistry. Can two single parents find love and healing in the magic of a Garland Grove Christmas, or w...

  Synopsis: The trouble with lies is they have a tendency to catch a man out. The last thing Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, wants is a wife. But since the only way to keep his mother’s matchmaking ways at bay is the promise of impending nuptials, Hugh takes the most logical action: he invents a fake fiancée. It’s the perfect plan – until Hugh learns that his mother is on a ship bound for England to meet his ‘beloved’. He needs a solution fast, and when he collides with a mysterious beauty, he might just have found the answer to his prayers. Minerva Merriwell is desperate for money to support her sisters, and although she knows that posing as the Earl’s fiancée might seem nonsensical, it’s just too good an offer to refuse. As the Merriwells descend upon Hugh’s estate, the household is thrown into turmoil as everyone tries to keep their tangled stories straight. And with Hugh and Minerva’s romantic ruse turning into the real thing, is true love just one complication too many?...

  Synopsis: 8 special ornaments, 8 special women, 8 memorable Christmases.  Bring the spirit of Christmas into your heart with this collection of all new sweet holiday romances set in the popular series of eight bestselling authors. No Matter How Far  by Barbara Hinske . Where hidden treasures can hold the key to a heart and offer an unexpected path home... A Lot Like Christmas  by Kathryn Cantrell.   The place where destiny is the ultimate matchmaker. All you have to do is believe. The Last Cottage on Pinewood Lane  by Melissa McClone . Will performing during a Christmas fundraiser bring a former figure-skating star the healing and love that have eluded her? Or will being back under the glaring spotlight only lead to more heartache and regrets? Tinsel and Teacups  by Elle Rush . A bubbly barista and a shy, single-father antique dealer must set aside their rivalry to find the best Christmas teacup ever when they are nominated to run the Holiday Beach f...