Half-Light Harbor by Samantha Young

Half-Light Harbor by Samantha Young -- 390 pages

I went to Scotland looking for answers about my past. The last thing I expected was getting trapped on a private island with my stoic, brooding, gorgeous contractor. Ramsay McRae is a man with secrets. He prefers the company of his dog to people and silence to any semblance of politeness. He says I’m too young, too sweet, too innocent. 

Only he doesn’t know the truth. That I’m haunted by a crime that tore my life apart two years ago. I’ve come to Half-Light Harbor not just to start over, but to bring the monster who killed my parents to justice. The last thing I need is a tortured Scot distracting me from my mission. But when his restraint snaps and my walls crumble, the results are explosive. We say it’s only a no-strings-attached affair. A temporary moment to burn out this fire between us. However, when my search for the truth brings danger to my door, it’s Ramsay stepping in to protect me. But it might be the secrets from his past that tear us apart forever…

Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey

Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey -- 368 pages

Melody Gallard may be the daughter of music royalty, but her world is far from glamorous. She spends her days restoring old books and avoiding the limelight (one awkward tabloid photo was enough, thanks). But when a producer offers her a lot of money to reunite her mother's band on live tv, Mel begins to wonder if it's time to rattle the cage, shake up her quiet life... and see him again. The only other person who could wrangle the rock and roll divas.

Beat Dawkins, the lead singer's son, is Melody's opposite--the camera loves him, he could charm the pants off anyone, and his mom is not a potential cult leader. Still, they might have been best friends if not for the legendary feud that broke up the band. When they met as teenagers, Mel felt an instant spark, but it's nothing compared to the wild, intense attraction that builds as they embark on a madcap mission to convince their mothers to perform one last show.

While dealing with rock star shenanigans, a 24-hour film crew, brawling Santas, and mobs of adoring fans, Mel starts to step out of her comfort zone. With Beat by her side, cheering her on, she's never felt so understood. But Christmas Eve is fast approaching, and a decades-old scandal is poised to wreck everything--the Steel Birds reunion, their relationships with their mothers, and their newfound love.

The Housemaid (The Housemaid, #1) by Freida McFadden

 The Housemaid (The Housemaid, #1) by Freida McFadden-325 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of…

Thoughts: Another good Freida McFadden thriller. I somewhat guessed some of the twists, but it's still a good read and I definitely didn't see everything coming that happened.

Once Upon a Christmas Carol by Melody Carlson

 Once upon a Christmas Carol by Melody Carlson - 176 pages

True to Melody Carlson's style, this is a heartwarming, uplifting Christmas story.

Although Carol Langstrom works in the design industry where she manages seasonal decor for the wealthy, she does not like Christmas.  She grew up in a dysfunctional family.  Carol at best tolerates her mother's narcissistic personality.

This Christmas Carol just wants to get away.  She books herself a trip to the Bahamas.  She can't wait to get away, but as fate would have it, her flight is redirected to snowy Michigan.  She is desperate to find a place to stay until she can get a new flight.  All hotels in the area are booked so she contacts her mother's estranged sister that just so happens to live on a farm in the area.  

Her aunt is overjoyed to finally meet Carol and have her stay with her.  What starts out to be a short overnight layover with her Aunt turns into a longer stay and a Christmas that Carol has never had the joy of experiencing.  Carol finds all kinds of blessings in this unexpected stay; along with love and some family mendings.

A Werewolf's Guide to Seducing a Vampire by Sarah Hawley

A Werewolf's Guide to Seducing a Vampire by Sarah Hawley -- 444 pages

Werewolf Ben Rosewood is happy with his life. One hundred percent. Everything is fine. His business, Ben’s Plant Emporium, is thriving, and he’s even expanding the shop. His anxiety disorder is…well, it’s been better, but that comes with the territory of running a business and having beastly urges every full moon, right? As for romance—who has the time? Though his family is desperate to see him settled, Ben is fine approaching forty as a single werewolf. But after drunkenly bidding on and winning a supposedly-possessed crystal on eBay one night, he finds himself face-to-face with a beautiful but angry vampire.

Eleonore Bettencourt-Devereux is a rare breed—a vampire succubus born from two elite European bloodlines during medieval times. But thanks to an evil witch, she’s been stuck in a crystal since she was thirty, forced to obey orders from the possessor of the rock. Eleonore’s been dreaming of breaking the spell and severing the witch’s head for centuries. But did this witch really sell her to someone new, and for only ninety-nine cents? Eleonore would claw this werewolf’s heart out and eat it, if only the binding spell would allow her to. But Eleonore and Ben soon realize they can help each other with both vengeful and less hostile needs. And why not have a little fun along the way?

Lambert the Sheepish Lion by Bill Peet

Lambert the Sheepish Lion by Bill Peet, 42 pages

When the stork mistakenly delivers Lambert the lion cub to a ewe, Lambert realizes very quickly he is not like the other little lambs. Ostracized for his differences but bolstered by his loving mother, Lambert looks to fit in but just can't manage it. When a wolf threatens the flock, Lambert finally finds his place.

Lambert the Lion is a retelling of the classic Ugly Duckling that I read dozens of times as a child. Before I could read, I made my poor mother read it to me over and over. It's a beloved touchstone I am grateful hasn't lost its luster. 

 

So Long and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams

 So Long and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams, 204 pages

TL;DR: Arthur Dent appears on an apparently reatomized Earth, gets a girlfriend, and together they quest to find out why the dolphins are all gone.