Author Spotlight: Emma Wilde and The Second Chance Christmas

Emma Wilde writes heartfelt romances that follow characters discovering love at any age and finding the courage to begin again. Her stories capture the quiet magic of second chances and the tender emotions that rise when the heart is healing. She creates books that make readers laugh, cry, and believe in love with fresh hope.

Pick up her Christmas romance and block off a little time this weekend to read!

The Second Chance Christmas is a tender, small-town, later-in-life holiday romance filled with second chances, forced proximity, and healing love—and it’s short enough to read before bed or on your lunch break. When Maggie returns to Vermont heartbroken and unexpectedly runs into her high school sweetheart, Charlie—a widowed single dad—their old wounds and long-buried tenderness spark to life. A mix-up leaves them sharing a cozy guesthouse, a snowy night nudges them closer, and soon they’re wondering if this unexpected reunion might be the gentle Christmas miracle they both needed.

You can get your copy here: https://a.co/d/fDKi3s8

The best way to keep up with all Emma's books and bookish fun is on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/emmawildeauthor/

 

We had giant icicles on the roof, but it was warm enough today that they melted! I'm hoping we stil have a white Christmas--but the temperatures are going up! 

Black Friday, To Shop or Not To Shop?

 Because we are visiting my mom, we will be shopping at local stores in her small town. No massive big box shopping for us. I'm planning to pick up stone ground cornmeal, local honey, and some books. Hopefully some good loose leaf tea as well. For my daughter I'll pick up a jar of picked okra to give her on Christmas. 

Will you be doing any shopping? Maybe some new book purchases?

photo credit Simply Recipes/Shilpa Iyer

My daughter is a big fan of boiled peanuts, so we always have to stop at a rundown gas station to buy a cup of peanuts. A rundown gas station or a questionable roadside stand are the best places to get your boiled peanuts.

Today through Monday, I'm part of a giant 99-cent book event. For this event, you don't need to sign up for anyone's newsletter; it's just a ton of books on sale for 99-cents! My most recent book Your Mr. Brightside is part of the Black Friday sale! 

Looking to pick up some free books today? Here is a link to a book promo I am part of: https://books.bookfunnel.com/freesizzlinghearomancepromo/xw4qd7y2hk

Ho-Ho-Ho RAT Holiday Cookie Recipe Exchange! Share and be entered to win!

 

I'm super excited to be a blog challenge host this year! Have you signed up to be part of the 2025 Ho-Ho-Ho Readathon? If not, here is the link: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2025/10/13th-annual-ho-ho-ho-readathon-sign-up.html 

I have a stack of Christmas-themed reads I'll be reading during the readathon. 

And when you're taking a little break from your reading, share a cookie recipe you love below, and you will be entered to win a $10 gift card! 

I've got my family's buy-in for a day of cookie baking this December, and I'd love to try some new cookie recipes. Please share a favorite below--and if you don't bake, just search for your favorite cookies to eat and then share that recipe!

Happy reading! I'm going to go make some cocoa now so I'll be ready for some cookies! 

A picture of Christmas past cookies!

The Sunday Post- Almost time for the mountains!

 

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. you can write about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

I can stay up late tonight because tomorrow we have weird work hours. It's the parent-teacher conference time of year! I should still get up at the regular time because I need to make sure we are all packed to head down to the mountains for Thanksgiving. My goal is to get at least one book read while we are gone. 

Do you have any special plans this week?

I'm planning to get a Buc-ees Christmas shirt.

Ah sunset in the mountains

All the inclines you could ever want!

I'm taking my stack of reads for the Ho-Ho-Ho RAT! Have you signed up to join in the fun? Click here for the scoop! 

Looking for a Historical Romance set at Christmas? I got you!

Lady Jennet Gordon has led a charmed life until rumors about her father’s finances circulate, followed by a tragic but suspicious accident. Two years later, a distant cousin, knicknamed The Hangman, is set to assume the title. Will he throw them out at Christmastide? Barnabus Gordon is the grandson of a pirate and the son of a privateer. Using the cutthroat lessons learned in his childhood, he buys out shipowners in financial distress and accrues his own fleet. The gruff Gordon plans to settle the issue of his newly acquired English estate and return to the sea. Until one kiss ignites a Yule log of passion and holiday magic that refuses to be extinguished.

Add this one to your Chistmas list or pick it up today! https://books2read.com/merrymazes-magicmistletoe

USA Today Bestselling author Aubrey Wynne resides in the Midwest with her husband, dogs, horses, mule, and barn cats. Obsessions include wine, history, travel, trail riding, and all things Christmas. Her Chicago Christmas series and historical romances have received multiple awards and nominations as a Rone finalist by InD’tale Magazine. Aubrey’s first love is medieval romance but after dipping her toe in the Regency period in 2018 with the Wicked Earls’ Club, she was smitten. This inspired her sweet Regency spin-off series Once Upon a Widow, and a steamy Scottish Regency series, A MacNaughton Castle Romance. Her Regency detective series, Paddy’s Peelers, launched in 2025. Love’s Curiosities, her upcoming sweet Regency series with a touch of magic, launches in 2026.

 

The Sunday Post -- Mid November!

 

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. you can write about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

Yesterday was my son's birthday, and once it's past, I'm ready for full-on holiday mode. I know, wait til after Thanksgiving and all that--but, I like to have the extra preparation time so I don't get so stressed out. And frankly, with this economy, I started shopping at the end of summer. I need to parcel out the cost of gifts over as many paychecks as possible. 

Speaking of the holiday season, this year I'm participating in the Ho-Ho-Ho Read-a-thon! I'm even hosting a challenge. My challenge is a Holiday Cookie (recipe) Exchange! The official post where you can add your recipe for a chance to win a $10 GC will be up on 11/26. 

But first you should join the Ho-Ho-Ho Read-a-thon here so you are eligible to participate and win prizes! Here is the link: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2025/10/13th-annual-ho-ho-ho-readathon-sign-up.html

I'm currently finished revising my book and it will be ready for ARC readers by next weekend. Would you like an ARC copy of the book?  Fill out my form here: https://forms.gle/jxEp6PEVQ1x4d5Ut7

Last night we watched "A Merry Little Ex-Mas" starring Alicia Silverstone. It was cute. If you like Christmas movies, it's worth the watch! 

My son wanted to carve pumpkins for his birthday!

Have a great week! 

Author Spotlight! Freefalling in the Moonlight

What a beautiful cover! Audrey Lynden books always look so inviting! Read to learn more about it?

A daring love story … facing the past, finding a voice, and falling for the one who never let go. After a high-profile case goes awry, defense attorney Rob Reid escapes Chicago and drives to his easy-going hometown in Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin. Dog sitting for his famous brother and tinkering with his vintage sports car sound like the perfect reprieve…until he crosses paths with his one true love, Maddie Logerquist. Once inseparable, a fateful decision turned to tragedy and tore the two apart.

To safeguard her late mother’s legacy, Maddie has returned home to Baileys Harbor. A New York fashion stylist and influencer for the past decade, Maddie now must brave daddy long-legs, decrepit lighthouses and fundraising fiascos in the tiny lakeside town. Then while reconnecting to her roots, she trips into her first and only love, Rob Reid.

As Rob and Maddie navigate old wounds, fresh sparks fly. But when a high-profile scandal threatens Maddie’s safety and reputation, she must fight back to reclaim her voice. Without a doubt, Rob stands beside her. Except when justice is on the line and gossip battles with truth, a newly mended love might not survive.

Rob and Maddie have another chance… Will they dive in and hang tight or will their love go adrift again?

More about the author:

Tricia Quinnies writes contemporary women’s fiction under the pen name Audrey Lynden. Living in Wisconsin, she’s inspired by her home state’s charming small towns, celebrity residents, the beautiful beaches along Lake Michigan and quirky traditions. Her modern romances will make you laugh, cry and cheer. With her love of British mysteries, jaunty capers find their way into her stories. She favors writing—second chances, hope, empowerment, and satisfying endings. No cliffhangers. Audrey is a mom to three incredible sons and has a Hollywood crush on her husband. He was once told he looked like George Clooney and he’s never forgotten! As a journalism major, she’s inclined to keep up with news but has an affinity for celebrity gossip and pop culture. Every winter, she binges all seasons of Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

You can pick up a copy of Freefalling in the Moonlight: https://www.amazon.com/Freefalling-Moonlight-Brothers-Audrey-Lynden/dp/0997340053/

 

Author Spotlight! Samara Reed! Sheltered Hearts

 Bodie Davis has been unsure of love for a long time. Being a local legend will do that to a man. But when he steps into the middle of a domestic dispute and his neighbor needs somewhere to go, he finds himself falling for both her, and the daughter he never knew he wanted.

Trix Harper doesn't have the best track record with men. So when her neighbor Bodie swoops in to stop her boyfriend's rage, yet again, she is reluctant to believe his motive is simply to help. What she doesn't expect is the way his eyes sparkle when he interacts with her daughter, or the way his gentle touch soothes the ache deep inside her. When Bodie and Trix finally admit to the fire burning between them, will it be enough to allow them each to find the love they've thought they were destined to live without? Sheltered Hearts is a story about the way love blossoms from broken things, and the beautiful family that grows in its wake.

I love how the title fits the story. Their hearts are sheltered. He finds himself giving shelter to her. Ready to read the story of Bodie and Trix? You can get it from Amazon: https://a.co/d/3TmUrHB or from Samara's website at https://authorsamarareed.net/products/sheltered-hearts-epub-digital-download

Samara is a mom of two small humans (one that's taller than her), and 3 dogs (2 little ones that think their big and a big that thinks she's a cat!) and a dedicated wife to the most amazing and supportive man she's ever encountered. She lives in a small town in the mid-west and is reading or creating nail polish strips when she's not writing or taking photos. She loves loose leaf tea, music and cozy blankets and loathes cold weather and snow.

The Sunday Post! November Goes Quickly

 

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. you can write about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

This is probably the last year my school district will be off on Veteran's Day. The school board wants us to be in line with our local high school and they are in session. This year it falls on a Tuesday, so I have work tomorrow and then go back to work on Wednesday. I'll take it. Next year they'll have some sort of special program to address Veteran's Day. Since our school is preK to first grade, I don't know that they will 'get' what Veteran's day is all about. 

We've beem watching a show called "One Cemetary Road" on Apple and it's very good. It stars Emma Thompson and she's fantastic. I'm also watching Hallmark Christmas Movies as they come out. I got the Hallmark+ for a year. It's $80 and you can watch all the movies the day after they premier plus $5 off each month at Hallmark and other good deals. 

I've been listening to The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson. It's facinating, like all of his books. 

What have you been up to? 

View from the Tavern on Woodlake restaurant in Kohler, WI. 

Author Spotlight Rose Adam! Santa and His Magical Mates

I'm Rose Adam and I write sweet with heat, low angst, lots of fluff, out of the box stories!

 If you are in the mood for the Christmas season and sexy Santa stories, Santa and His Magical Mates is now out! 

Santa exists in his magical North Pole home and is racing against time to find his fated mate before the Christmas spirit candle dims. For ages, he focused solely on the naughty list, but his head elf, Bernie, has devised a solution. With a new program for the naughty list, Santa gains free time and realizes his mate is in danger, prompting him to take action. Ella, raised in high society, has become a snobbish socialite, but when a friend leaves for a new life, she yearns for change. As she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, Ella encounters more than she expected, including a cat that leads her into a risky adventure. She unexpectedly meets a legendary figure and seizes the opportunity for a fresh start. Frost, the admittedly handsome Jack Frost, has secretly been attracted to the big guy, Santa, for eons. Thinking he was doomed to his unrequited love until a special someone shows up to the North Pole. Frost is drawn to Ella as much as Santa and it isn't made clear right away that he was meant for both of them. With Christmas approaching and secrets unfolding, an evil force threatens Santa's mission, Frost is called to duty, and Ella is determined to help. Utilizing her resources and the support of North Pole citizens, she fights for the gift of a new life.

Ready to dive in? https://books2read.com/SantasMagicalMates

The audio version of this book is also available!