Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Genre: Romance
Source: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers ( Netgalley )

Goodreads: For fans of Emma Lord and Abbi Glines, Jennifer Iacopelli’s swoony, romantic new novel follows elite ice dancer Adriana Russo as she finds herself drawn to both her old dance partner and her new one.

Adriana Russo is figure skating royalty.

With gold-medalist parents, and her older sister headed to the Olympics, all she wants is to live up to the family name and stand atop the ice dance podium at the Junior World Championships. But fame doesn’t always mean fortune, and their legendary skating rink is struggling under the weight of her dad’s lavish lifestyle. The only thing keeping it afloat is a deal to host the rest of the Junior Worlds team before they leave for France.

That means training on the same ice as her first crush, Freddie, the partner she left when her growth spurt outpaced his. For the past two years, he’s barely acknowledged her existence, and she can’t even blame him for it.

When the family’s finances take another unexpected hit, losing the rink seems inevitable until her partner, Brayden, suggests they let the world believe what many have suspected: that their intense chemistry isn’t contained to the ice. Fans and sponsors alike take the bait, but keeping up the charade is harder than she ever imagined. And training alongside Freddie makes it worse, especially when pretending with Brayden starts to feel very real.

As the biggest competition of her life draws closer and her family’s legacy hangs in the balance, Adriana is caught between her past and present, between the golden future she’s worked so hard for, and the one she gave up long ago.

Ope’s Opinion: This is a great story for anyone to read, but I would recommend this to a teen. The story is clean, realistic and fun. The characters are in real situations.

I was thinking while I was reading it, I would enjoy seeing it on tv. I was reading the ebook. Then I noticed the cover on Goodreads said Netflix series. I think I will try to find it and watch it.

I will now go look for more books by Jennifer Lacopelli.

Publisher: Canary Street Press
Genre: Christmas
Source: Purchased

Goodreads: The magic of Christmas—and a second shot at romance—is in the air in Shelter Springs this holiday season…

Amanda Taylor isn’t a fan of Christmas, but as the owner of a local soap shop, ignoring the holiday season isn’t an option. To forget the pain of Christmases past, Amanda focuses on making the season bright for her customers at the Shelter Springs Holiday Giving Market. But when her beloved grandmother, Birdie, starts dating the dashing new resident of the Shelter Inn retirement community, Amanda smells trouble. Fortunately, Rafe Arredondo, the grandson of Birdie’s charming suitor, is equally dubious of the match. Unfortunately, he’s just as fiery as his grandfather—and Amanda has zero interest in getting burned.

As a single father, paramedic and assistant fire chief, Rafe has more than enough on his plate. Sure, he and Amanda share a common goal in keeping their grandparents apart. Still, that doesn’t mean he should allow himself to feel as drawn to her as he does. Even if she is great with his young son. Even if she does help the burden of his own painful past feel a little lighter… But when their paths keep crossing at the holiday market, it starts to feel like fate, prompting them both to wonder if taking a chance on love might gift them everything they’ve been wishing for.

Ope’s Opinion: This was a 3.5 chairs read. It was a typical RaeAnne Thayne book. It had great, well developed characters, a little town setting and the kind of ending you want at the holidays. It was a wholesome romance – my favorite kind.

What kept it from being a four or five chair? – there was a lot repeating of information and feelings. Also, I liked the ending, but it was too fast – from no we are not going to be together to in love forever too quick.

I did love the cover and I felt like I was there.

Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Christmas
Source: I purchased

Goodreads: This Year, Christmas Comes Just in Time

As a first-year law associate, Sydney Batson knows she will be updating her resume by New Year’s if she loses her current court case. So when her grandmother gets inexplicably ill while she’s in court, Sydney arranges for a cab to get her to the clinic.

The last thing cab driver Finn Parrish wants is to be saddled with a wheelchair-bound old lady with dementia. But because Miss Callie reminds him of his own mother, whom he failed miserably in her last days, he can’t say no when she keeps calling him for rides. Once a successful gourmet chef, Finn’s biggest concern now is making his rent, but half the time Callie doesn’t remember to pay him. And as she starts to feel better, she leads him on wild goose chases to find a Christmas date for her granddaughter.

When Finn meets Sydney, he’s quite sure that she’s never needed help finding a date. Does Miss Callie have an ulterior motive, or is this just a mission driven by delusions? He’s willing to do whatever he can to help fulfill Callie’s Christmas wish. He just never expected to be a vital part of it.

Ope’s Opinion: The cover and title were so cute, I just couldn’t resist picking this one up. I have read and enjoy several of Terri Blackstock’s, so I thought this one would be similar – I was wrong on all fronts. This was the most depressing Christmas book I think I have ever read. It moved very slow for being such a short book.

Publisher: Cardinal
Genre: Fiction
Source: Cardinal ( Netgalley )

Goodreads: An irresistible modern fairy tale about a British princess who must decide between her duty to her family—or to her own heart.

It’s New Year’s Day in Tasmania, and the life Lexi Villiers has carefully built is working out she’s in the second year of her medical residency, she lives on a beautiful farm with her two best friends Finn and Jack, and she’s about to finally become more-than-friendly with Jack—when a helicopter abruptly lands.

Out steps her grandmother’s right-hand-man, with the tragic news that her father and older brother have been killed in a skiing accident. Lexi’s grandmother happens to be the Queen of England, and in addition to the shock and grief, Lexi must now accept the reality that she is suddenly next in line for the throne—a role she has publicly disavowed.

Returning to London as the heir apparent Princess Alexandrina, Lexi is greeted by a skeptical public not ready to forgive her defection, a grieving sister-in-law harboring an explosive secret, and a scheming uncle determined to claim the throne himself.

Her recent life—and Jack—grow ever more distant as she feels the tug of tradition, of love for her grandmother, and of obligation. When her grandmother grants her one year to decide, Lexi must chart her own will it be the one determined by an accident of birth, or by her own heart?

Ope’s Opinion: If you enjoy fictional royal stories, you will enjoy this one. It was a bit long for me. I felt like it was not an original story – I feel like they took real life royal circumstances and rewrote them. I did enjoy it, but didn’t love it.

Publisher: Harlequin Audio
Genre: Holiday
Source: LIbrary

Goodreads: Christmas Romance
Get cozy with this heartwarming holiday story! 

“[Thayne] engages the reader’s heart and emotions, inspiring hope and the belief that miracles are possible.” —Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Return to Hope’s Crossing this Christmas in New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne’s latest heartwarming story of matchmaking at the holidays!

Sage McKnight is an ambitious young architect working at her father’s firm who takes on her most challenging client in Mason Tucker. The former pro baseball player is still healing from the physical and emotional scars after a plane crash left him a wheelchair-using single dad, and he’s determined not to let anyone breach his emotional defenses. Sage knows her work on Mason’s new home in Hope’s Crossing is her best work yet, and she won’t let her grumpy client prevent her from showcasing her work personally.

With Sage’s gift for taking broken things and making them better, the matchmaking talent of the quirky locals and a generous sprinkling of Christmas cheer, Mason doesn’t stand a chance against the power of this magical holiday season.

Don’t miss Christmas at the Shelter Inn , New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne’s latest charming story about two sisters coming together and finding hope one magical Christmas, years after tragedy and loss tore their family apart.

Ope’s Opinion: This is such a good book to listen to while getting ready for the holidays. The characters are enjoyable and the story line is great. I could see in the houses that Sage was renovating – the descriptions were written perfectly.

Of course the ending is what you expect and want from a holiday romance.