Book review: Winter Wonders anthology

Winter Wonders by Jenny Twist
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Winter Wonders anthology is of stories that took place in winter, mostly around Christmas time. They all had one thing in common…they warm the heart.

- Christmas Hope by Jane Wakely: 4 stars
What's sweeter than a man who cures animals and genuinely likes them? This story makes a great start for an anthology…Sweet and light on the heart. I'm glad the author didn't forget to punish Simon.

- Christmas Angel by Sharon Donovan: 3 stars
I was torn between liking and disliking the main characters in this tale. On one hand, Oliver came across as a chauvinist when he ordered his wife to have a baby even though they agreed not to before they got married. But then Eve wasn't a sweetheart herself. She was selfish, rude, and flirty with other men in front of her husband. My problem is that even though both characters had flaws, the focus was on Eve's.

- Mantequero by Jenny Twist: 5 stars
Happiness is found through the most outrageous methods and in the oddest of ways. June, overweight and she knows it, has given up on meeting prince charming. She could never be like her sisters, but I have a feeling by the end of the tale she got what she really needed. A well written, thought provoking story…the author went at it from an unexpected (and sweet in it's own way) angle.

- Hearts of Fire by Regina Puckett: 5 stars
Jordan and Samuel belonged together and the author gave them time to reach that goal. The story's development was paced just right to lead to a heartwarming ending. There's something touching about a fireman who has eyes only for his love.

- December Bride by S M Senden: 4 stars
Some people work hard to reach their targets, others take short cuts. Missy is of the latter group. She reached her goal, but at what cost?

- Burgers and Hot Chocolate by Angela Adams: 3 stars
The story is very moving and sweet. The characters were believable and I found myself rooting for them to be together. The problem was the first person POV switch between 3 different characters. Perhaps a dashed or starred scene break would have helped.

- Long Winter by Paul McDermott: 3 stars
Tom is a lonely man whose life is cold and desolate. Overall, I enjoyed reading this story but wish there were a stronger reason for the thaw at the end.

- If Only by Janet Durbin: 3 stars
If only I could understand the secret behind the instant attraction between Raymond and Jenny. I believe in love at first sight but usually there's something more plausible afterwards to sustain it.

- Saving Santa by Melissa Hosack: 5 stars
This tale is a creative and light take on how Santa finds and marries his missus. Santa hasn't been this sexy in fiction (at least the fiction I read.) I thoroughly enjoyed how he handled his future wife. A very suitable last story to end the anthology.

A definite recommendation to read any time of the year, but will be perfect on those cold nights in winter. Fireplace is for wimps :-)

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