I grabbed The Christmas Wedding Guest by Susan Mallery from my library and was enchanted. This is the first novel in the Wishing Tree series. It’s a delightful tale about second chances, scared dogs, friends, family, and new beginnings. You’ll want to grab some hot cocoa and curl up by the fire as you travel to Wishing Tree this holiday season….

The Christmas Wedding Guest
by Susan Mallery
Series: Wishing Tree #1
Genres: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Source: Library
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate

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Susan Mallery, author of the Fool’s Gold romances, cheerfully invites you to Wishing Tree, where Christmas comes to life…

The Somerville sisters believe in love, but they’ve lost faith it will happen for them. Reggie hasn’t been home since the end of the world’s shortest engagement. When her parents decide to renew their vows, she buffs up her twinkle to help with the Christmas wedding. Unexpectedly, Toby, her first love, is back too, and the spark between them shines as brightly as ever. In the spirit of the season, will they let go of past hurts and greet the New Year together?

Done waiting for the one, Dena is pregnant and on her own—on purpose. But then a gorgeous, sad-eyed songwriter checks in to a room at her inn. Micah, unable to write since he lost his wife, finds inspiration in Dena’s determination to be a mom. One snowflake-speckled kiss and he’s a goner. But Dena is afraid to believe that a rock star could fall for a cookie-cutter small-town girl like her.

As the Christmas wedding draws closer, these two sisters just might unwrap the most treasured gift of all—love.

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What a delightful tale. The town of Wishing Tree is a quiet town a few hours from Seattle. The town does Christmas in a big way, from streets named after reindeer to events at the town circle dubbed “the Wreath”.

The Christmas Wedding Guest gives us two romances surrounding sisters Dena and Regina (Reggie) Somerville. Dena is a schoolteacher and owner of the local B&B. She recently decided to have a child through artificial insemination and is in the morning sickness phase. Regina lives in Seattle with her adorable Great Dane Bella. When their parents plan to renew their vows, Regina comes home and plans to stay through the holidays. She’ll help her mom with the wedding plans and assist Dena with all the holiday events and crafts she does with her students.

I loved the small-town and immediately connected with both Reggie and Dena. Mallery will soon have you dreaming of snow men, festivals and wine hour at the B&B. The town of Wishing Tree is wonderful with old Victorian homes, tree-lined streets and quant shops on the main. It’s the town where everyone knows you kissed your old flame on the front porch before you’ve even closed the door.

Dena has given up on finding Mr. Right, even if she still dreams of it. Her romance involves a widower who’s a guest at her inn. Swoons, miscommunications, and ballads await you in this tug at your heartstrings romance. I loved every moment.

Reggie hasn’t been back in town since her previous boyfriend proposed and dumped her all on the same weekend. But her job allows her to work from home and her family needs her. So here she is. What she didn’t expect was to learn that her high school sweetheart has moved home and has a son. I loved learning about their history and their breakup. It’s obvious the two still share a connection, but Toby has vowed to protect his son and has no intentions of ever marrying. Fate might just have other plans, or at least Reggie’s mom and the town do. Prepare for meddling.

Harrison, Toby’s son and Belle stole the show more than once. Secondary characters have me curious to learn their stories.

The Christmas Wedding Guest is the perfect feel-good, holiday packed novel to get you in the spirit. I cannot wait to return to the Wishing Tree with the next novel, Home Sweet Christmas. Look for my review on the blog tomorrow.

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The Christmas Wedding Guest by Susan Mallery is the perfect feel-good, holiday packed novel to get you in the spirit. Grab some hot cocoa and curl up with it tonight. #WishingTree #HolidayRomance
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Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2022/12/the-christmas-wedding-guest-by-susan-mallery.html

Joseph Carlo agrees to join his younger cousin on a daring late-night expedition, but he has no inkling of the life-changing consequences it will bring. It is 1761. Italy. The boys are members of a sea-fearing family with a respectable name, so when it is discovered that they took an unthinkable risk, their uncle Honore has no choice. They must be punished. That punishment takes the two teens down a rabbit hole of adventure and adversity, crossing leagues of water and landing halfway across the world. Who could have imagined how the fortune-teller’s words would be fulfilled? 

Hold Fast takes us way back to the 18^th century, far from the comforts of home. The richly detailed descriptions of Highet and Jones evoke the world of seamen and the British Navy at war. It is not an easy world, and all the senses are engaged. There is quite a ride for the emotions, too – joy, pain, thrill, fear, anger, and stress. Here we meet historical figures and are present for recorded events. We read bits in Italian, French, and even Latin. There is so much to learn.

Hold Fast is an action novel with a cast of men – some feared, some admired, and a few loved. They impact us through the young boys Suchet and Joseph Carlo. Seeing it all through his eyes makes this novel an excellent read for teenagers. The story is inspired by real events, and readers may want to look up the Siege of Havana or the longitude watchmaker. They will learn more about the importance of physically holding fast to the mast of a sailing ship and standing firm in life’s figurative storms.

Hold Fast is a historical fiction young adult novel about the adventures of two teenagers who wind up on a British Navy ship and must learn the hard lessons of life at sea. This exciting novel gives readers a real life of the hardships of being a sailor in the 1700s. Readers will be captivated by the journey these two cousins go on and their story of survival.

Pages: 233 | ASIN : B07R5445VJ

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/19/hold-fast/

Disguised as one of her own, an 85-year-old widower opens the door to cold-blooded murder. In warm July of 2014, a loving grandmother is brutally murdered in her own house. Mildred “Dodie” Harrington is killed for money, lust, and greed by her own grandson. A trail of betrayal is traced back to the traitor demanding justice for the elderly victim. Is the family bonded by blood or stained with blood? Unthinkable: Who Kills Their Grandmother? by James W Marquart is a true-crime novel. An investigation into a real-life murder case, this novel takes you by hand from the crime scene to the court stand. It is an excellent commentary on criminology and law.

This is a well-written, fast-paced page-turner detailing every aspect of the story. As said by the author, the characters are real-life individuals, and I found them well-written. They are written with the deserved respect and sensitivity. Though the narration was fairly neutral about the case facts, it also focused on the personal stories of family members. That added depth to the subjectivity for readers to care about this case, particularly among the hundreds they read in the news headlines. Though skillfully researched, the book lacked events enough to make a novel. As a result, there was a lot of redundant and just unnecessary extra information. It was difficult to follow the investigation among the unnecessary dialogues and conversations.

Unthinkable: Who Kills Their Grandmother? by James W Marquart is a true crime biography about how one man murdered his grandmother in cold blood. It dives into a dark background and dwells in the fascinating intricacies of the investigation, construction of a case, and trial of a gruesome murder. It is an example of taking a realistic approach to criminal justice while maintaining the reader’s interest.

Pages: 183 | ASIN : B0BKLPTRYJ

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/19/unthinkable/

A beautiful princess named Norne with white hair and royal purple eyes is reading a book in a fantastic city on a planet that is half molten rock, half frozen wasteland. She comes from another planet, and she has superhuman capabilities to boot. She is distracted by a giant man who cannot even speak, and she is disgusted by his nakedness and lack of education. They strike up a mental conversation and go meet the king of the planet together, where this giant of a man, who named himself Chaos, takes the throne with a brutal showing of power.

This is a creative epic fantasy novel that utilizes an interesting blend of high science fiction and high fantasy, the latter more reminiscent of Asian martial arts novels than your run of the mill dragons and castles. There are people in this world that have Power, and there are those who don’t. There are many royal families, their kingdoms span across planets and solar systems, and they establish their dominion with their Power.

The book begins with a short history lesson of the world, and a very detailed explanation of the magic system, so readers will know exactly what they are getting themselves into in the first few pages. This also leaves readers with the impression that the backstory and lore of this world is deep and well thought out.

While the worldbuilding is written with a passion I would have enjoyed the story more if the characters dialogue and interactions had the same depth. The action scenes are very detailed and well choreographed, but they can also be extremely violent, since most of the characters either can’t die or it takes a lot to kill them. Reader discretion is advised, but if you enjoy all-out action novels, then author Jaiden Baynes has written a hard hitting story that you will surely enjoy. The magic system, like the worldbuilding, is also thoroughly explained. The world, the history, and the magic that makes it what it is are very well explained and is one reason I really liked this book.

Manifest Destiny: An Unholy Alliance is an action-packed adventure with tons of depth to the world. Fantasy fans looking for a world that was built with purpose and passion will find plenty to enjoy in this lively adventure.

Pages: 513 | ASIN: B0BNBMQBDJ

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/19/manifest-destiny-an-unholy-alliance/

The Dawning: 31,000 BC by Richard W. Wise is set in prehistoric times, going back 33,000 years. The story is inspired by the age when the Neanderthals clashed with Homo Sapiens on earth in a battle for domination. The battle for supremacy however, in this fiction is between members of the Cro-Magnon tribe and a clan of pale-skinned Neanderthals. When Lada and Tule are unexpectedly kidnapped by unknown tribesmen and the Cro-Magnon tribe is ransacked, Ejil,  the son of the Cro-Magnon tribe must, together with unlikely allies, save his people. Different kinships and families are broken and forged amid the war. The story also features a tale of young-love blooming in a bloody conflict.

Author Richard Wise provides readers with a fascinating take on the past in this prehistoric historical romance novel. He draws inspiration from tales of ancestral people who once roamed the earth and whose extinction is still a subject of different academic debate. The author displays an obvious flair for history gathered through research. His knowledge about the concept can be gleaned from his insight and vivid descriptions of the habits, mannerisms and techniques of ancestral people before the development of the world.

The barbarism of cavemen in premodern times is evident and the characters use a lot of derogatory and demeaning terms towards women. The Dawning: 31,000 BC was engaging and I reveled in the author’s descriptions of the settings. The emphasis on character development certainly makes the story quite fun and immersive to read. Although, a different era, the experience and customs of these ancestral people are not unfamiliar. I’ve read many historical romance novels, but none that go this far back in time. This is a fantastic story that will appeal to fans looking for an accurate depiction of prehistoric times and the strife those people faced, or for any reader looking for a thoughtful love story story in the midst of it all.

Pages: 342 | ASIN: B0B6PRF88M

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/19/the-dawning-31000-bc/

A 70-year-old woman with long, thick hair, more brown than gray, named Taylor Baird MacKenzie writes award-winning romances from a town in Alaska. Although she had great talent, Taylor hides behind the name of another character because her books deal with issues related to lesbian liberation and her city, Clear, is made up of intolerant and prejudiced residents. During Taylor’s process of revealing herself to the world, through The Queering, we get to know her story and several characters that are capable of stirring all kinds of emotions in the reader.

Brooke Skipstone very wisely casts doubt on the veracity of the story in question. The author blends reality with fiction. One of the best examples of this is that she uses her own name as the alias of Taylor Baird. Another point is the poetic way in which Skipstone inserts another book during the narrative. It’s like reading two in one. This is a thought-provoking story that deals with some tough but necessary topics. However, it can be triggering to people who have suffered homophobic attacks. The book is intense and during some episodes I felt a great sadness for the inability to do something about it. But this is the world we live in, and Brooke Skipstone does a fantastic job of reflecting that reality in the story.

The Queering is a unique story that carries a powerful message. If LGBTQ+ literature truly has the power to generate acceptance and liberation, then readers need to ensure that it is increasingly widespread. Everyone can and should have the right to be who they naturally are. This is a must read for anyone who is willing to open their eyes and live in someone else’s shoes for a while. I would like to end this review by borrowing a few words used by Brooke Skipstone on one of the pages to make a genuine wish: that we can live our lives feeling embraced by love, buoyed by daily laughter, and fully engaged with life.

Pages: 344 | ASIN: B0BJJ4LNPD

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/19/the-queering/