December was the month of short and mostly holiday-themed stories for me. And romances! I love a good holiday themed romance.
The Santa Suit - Mary Kay Andrews: 4 Stars
library e-book
I know this one gave me the warm and fuzzy Christmas vibes I was hoping for but unfortunately I don't remember anything about the story :shrug:
Netgalley (from 2016 LOL)
This was an unexpectedly good time. I liked that this story featured older women and that it was focused on friendship. The road trip and convention were both hilarious and the characters were strong and well developed. I didn't realize this was part of a series, but am now looking forward to reading the others!
Snow In Love: 4 Stories: 4 Stars
library e-book
Snow and Mistletoe by Kasie West- I've never read anything by this author, however now I want to read EVERYTHING from her. This was about a girl stuck at an airport when an old crush surprises HER with a road trip home. So. Sweet. I needed this story to be last in the collection, as nothing compared after.
Working in a Winter Wonderland by Aimee Friedman - meh. A girl gets a job (to buy an expensive dress... ugh) from her crush thinking he's gonna be working there too, but he's actually a total tool and the job is to be a Christmas elf. This may have been better if it was longer, as the end was kinda cute but felt rushed.
The Magi's Gifts by Melissa de la Cruz - my least favorite in this collection. A retelling of the original (because duh, it's in the title). I'm not sure if I've read anything else by this author, but I definitely don't plan to after this major fail.
Grounded by Nic Stone - first of all, I love stories told in a different format; in this case, through text messages. Second, this is a bit of a coming-out, #ownvoices story. Another girl stranded at an airport (hmm) fresh off a break-up from a dude because she realizes she's actually a lesbian, and hey, her old crush (again, hmmmm) is also stranded at the same airport. But Girl #1 is scared of seeing her again so they start a game of I-Spy/scavenger hunt while they wait for their (same) flight home. (Extra points for punny clues.) #swoon
If The Fates Allow - Rainbow Rowell: 3 Stars
Kindle Unlimited
I'm glad this was free, and that actually makes me hurt a little since I love Rainbow Rowell's stories so much, usually. I liked that this takes place right now, what with Covid and social distancing. And there was some romance (with the boy next door... ooohhhh) but it felt too rushed.
Oh. What. Fun. - Chandler Baker: 3 Stars
Kindle Unlimited
Oh. What. Fun. - Chandler Baker: 3 Stars
Kindle Unlimited
I wanted to like this so much more than I did, but there were just too many characters (siblings actually) to try to keep track of unnecessarily. There could have been just 3, and we would've gotten the point: Dad is the Fun One, and Mom keeps the "miracle of Christmas" alive and well with all the traditions. And then Mom goes AWOL. The End.
The Faraway Collection - Kindle Unlimited
The Prince and the Troll by Rainbow Rowell- 3 Stars: So I thought all of these were retellings, but I don't know what this was a retelling of. I liked all the references to the current time (like the new iPhone) but I'm not really sure what happened in the end. (highlight for spoiler- like, did she eat him or kill him or what?)
Hazel and Gray by Nic Stone- 4 Stars: In this take, a bf/gf duo get lost in the woods and the mansion they come across is basically a brothel. Definitely did not see that twist in the end coming!
The Princess Game by Soman Chainani- 5 Stars*: Asterisk because this was my favorite of the series, as messed up as it is, because it is SERIOUSLY f'ed up! A very "boys club" type story where a serial killer is going around killing off all the popular girls in this high school and placing their bodies in fairy tale call-backs.
The Cleaners by Ken Liu- 2 Stars: I had a really hard time understanding this one. Apparently this guy cleans off people's energy from objects, and it works for him because he doesn't feel the energies? I don't know, I didn't enjoy this one.
The Wickeds by Gayle Forman- 4 Stars: This was a fun one featuring Snow White's stepmother, Cinderella's stepmother, and the woman who "kidnapped" Rapunzel, as told from their point of view years after the original fairy tales.
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