🔖 REVIEW BLITZ 🔖 Falling for Xmas by Carly Phillips

Falling for Xmas by Carly Phillips

Release Date: November 12, 2026

Series: Dare to Fall #4

Pages: 160

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Novella

I came to Charleston for a fresh start. Falling for my Christmas-obsessed neighbor wasn't part of the plan. Holly Monroe is sunshine wrapped in a big red bow. She lights up her house like Santa lives next door and believes Christmas magic can fix just about anything.

I'm grumpy, guarded, and about as festive as a lump of coal.

But when a community toy drive puts us on the same team, Holly drags me into Christmas chaos—and straight through every wall I've spent years building.

Between holiday markets, decorating disasters, and her impossible smile, I start falling for the one woman who sees past my grumpy exterior. She reminds me of the grandmother who made Christmas magical before life took that magic away.

For the first time in years, I'm starting to believe in Christmas. And maybe love.

Then my career forces me to make a choice, and I make the biggest mistake of my life.

Holly deserves someone who chooses her. Now I have one chance to prove I'm that man before I lose the woman who made me believe in happy endings again.

Because sometimes the greatest Christmas miracle isn't under the tree. It's finding the person who feels like home.

A swoony Christmas romance featuring grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, small-town holiday magic, a grovel-worthy hero, and a happily-ever-after.

Available in Kindle+

AVAILABLE NOW

My Review:

In this holiday romance, Phillips delivers a sweet neighbors-to-lovers novella in Falling for Xmas that will have you hooked from beginning to end!

With the mid-season NFL trades, Clay Lawson has made the move from North Dakota to Charleston, South Carolina. As the new football player in town, Clay must make his move right in the middle of his least favorite holiday…Christmas. Though it wasn’t always like that, he has managed to resent the festivities that come with the holidays. But if Clay wants to start roots in his new town, he has to win over his community, including the infuriating yet attractive neighbor. Especially when Holly Monroe is the epitome of all things Christmas. But when they’re put in charge of running the toy drive, they’ll have put their differences aside in order to make this years special for kids/community. Neither expected to open up to one another and time start to develop feelings for each other. Clay has found his perfect match, if only he could convince to give him a second chance before it’s too late.

I really enjoyed reading Falling for Xmas, it’s a quick story that packs a punch. Phillips did a great job giving us the essential details and we find out that the characters might just be right for each other. Clay is able to lean on Holly when he needs her the most without judgment. While the characters explore all things Christmas, we get a glimpse at their community and of her family. They truly embrace Clay giving us the true meaning of Christmas. All in all, if you’re looking for sweet festive read I would highly recommend checking out Falling for Xmas. :)

***I received an advanced copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.***

My Rating: 5/5

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🔖 BLOG TOUR 🔖 My Neighbor, the Assassin by Michelle Heard {REVIEW}

My Neighbor, the Assassin by Michelle Heard

Release Date: November 3, 2026

Pages: 275

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Mafia

From USA Today bestselling author Michelle Heard comes a scorching yet deadly romance about a waitress who falls for a mysterious coworker—only to discover his lethal past.

I thought Rowan was just the quiet bartender who watched me too closely and made me feel things I shouldn’t.

Then his past catches up to him, and I’m in for a rude awakening.

One minute I’m living my normal life, and the next, I’m on a trip across the country with a man trained to kill without hesitation.

A retired assassin. Possessive, violent, and deadly enough to leave a trail of bodies behind us.

Every mile between us and the men hunting him drags me deeper into Rowan’s terrifying world, where violence means survival and bloodshed comes way too easy.

I keep looking for redeeming qualities in him but quickly realize there are none, and there’s no escaping a man like Rowan Teller.

Not even if I wanted to.

AVAILABLE NOW

My Review:

In My Neighbor, the Assassin, Heard delivers a sizzling romance between two complete opposites, who might have a lot more in common than they thought. Filled with suspense to keep you at the edge of your seat!

When Rowan Teller makes the decision to leave his home of Chicago for New York City, he didn’t realize just how much his life was about to change forever. Rowan was only seventeen when he had to make a choice if he wanted to survive in the big city. With no choice but join the Bratva, he becomes its deadliest assassin. Known as “the wolf,” Rowan’s job is to eliminate anyone that could pose a treat to its leader. But he is growing tired of the life that’s he’s made of himself. Making it his life’s purpose to leave it behind or die trying. 

Now Rowan has been given the chance to prove that he can start a new life as a regular civilian. Until he comes across a beautiful woman crossing the street and into his apartment building. She captivates him right away and quickly finds out that they neighbors/co-workers. Rowan knows that he shouldn’t be getting involved with someone as innocent as Annie Collins, he can’t put her at risk now that the Bratva are looking for him. Yet, there is a part of him that wants to give in to the temptation even if it means losing his heart in the process. 

I absolutely loved reading My Neighbor, the Assassin, we get to see the characters develop over time all while getting to know each other. There is so much depth in each of them, Annie is able to relate to Rowan, she becomes his light as he overcomes his past. They are able to rely on each other and slowly develop feelings as well. But it’s when his past comes to hunt him that Rowan has to make a choice, leave his new life behind or risk everything in order to protect that one person he’s learned to love the most. There is plenty of suspense and steamy scenes to keep you rooting for the characters until the very end! All in all, I would highly recommend checking out this story as well as any others from the author. You will not regret it! :)

***I received an advanced copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.***

My Rating: 4.5/5

About Michelle Heard:

Michelle Heard is a Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling Author who loves creating stories her readers can get lost in. She resides in South Africa with her son where she's always planning her next book to write, and trip to take.

Website, Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, Bookbub, TikTok, Newsletter

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🔖 REVIEW 🔖 Paging Dr. VanRyan by Melanie Moreland

 Paging Dr. VanRyan by Melanie Moreland

Release Date: October 22, 2026

Series: VanRyan Siblings #1

Pages: 340

Genres: Romance, Contemporary

He was the right person at the wrong time. Fate wasn't finished with them yet.

An emotional standalone from New York Times bestselling author Melanie Moreland.

Matthew VanRyan.

ER doctor, prankster, friend to all.

His easy smile and quiet demeanor hide the pain he doesn't talk about.

Love is one prescription he refuses to fill ever again.

Until he meets her.

The one with the sweet smile, soft eyes, and gentle touch.

She reawakens his belief in love. In forever.

Until life comes between them and they are forced to agree: the right person at the wrong time.

But when fate steps in and brings them together, can the doctor and the nurse heal themselves?

Author's Note

Paging Dr. VanRyan is a complete standalone contemporary romance — a slow-burn, friends-to-lovers medical romance with a wounded hero, a heroine who sees straight through him, and the guaranteed happily ever after you've come to expect from me. No cheating. No cliffhanger. Just two people who found each other at the wrong time and refused to let that be the end of the story.

One-click and let Dr. VanRyan take care of you.

Amazon US, Amazon AU, Amazon CA, BookBub, BingeBooks, LibraryThing, StoryGraph

My Review:

Moreland knows how to deliver an emotional romance filled with depth and steam and that’s exactly what we get in her latest release, Paging Dr. VanRyan.

At the beginning of the story we are introduced to Matthew VanRyan, an ER doctor who’s recently made the move from the big city to a small town in Victoria. With his busy schedule, Matthew doesn’t always have the time to visit his family, his work is important to him and so is the work ethic that his dad installed in him and his siblings. Everyone is very close, including his extended family. As the more reserved in the family, Matthew doesn’t open up to just anyone. Though he did inherited a sense of humor that has led him to be the prankster in the family. With his mom’s birthday coming up, he stops by a bakery to get cake. Only to come face-to-face with a beautiful woman who’s warmth makes him feel at ease. Something that Matthew has longed for ever since his last relationship didn’t end up the way he expected. Maddy understands him like no one else and he wants to make things work with her. Until she tells him that their time together might come to end sooner than they thought. Matthew is not one to give up that easily and he vows to make things work with her before it’s too late.

As a nursing student, Madison Tate, wants nothing more than to make a name for herself. Working for her aunt at Sugar and Spice is supposed to give her that chance to save money before she starts to soon. Maddy want’s expecting to meet Matthew in the process or develop strong feelings for him. It’s when she gets an offered that she can’t refuse that Maddy will have to make the ultimate decision between giving them a chance or risk losing Matthew forever.

I absolutely loved reading Paging Dr. VanRyan! I was thrilled when Moreland announced her new series featuring characters from one of my favorite series. This story had me captivated from the very beginning. It’s evident that Matthew really likes Maddy and wants to make things work between them. But just when their relationship was getting stablished, they find out that they might just have to make a long distance relationship work. That’s when things don’t go according to plan and they are forced to make a choice. We get to see them go through up and downs, while getting to know their families as well. I absolutely loved them journey and the ending was very sweet. I would highly recommend checking out this book as well any others by the author. You will not regret it!

***I received an advanced copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.***

My Rating: 5/5

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