It’s been six months since Kaley’s fiancé called things off, disappearing with barely an explanation, and the thought of spending Christmas alone is causing feelings of hurt and loneliness to ruin her holiday cheer. Tall, dark, quiet, and ever the gentleman, her next door neighbor has been sneaking into her thoughts more often than not lately. When she decides to ask him to go to a Christmas … party on a spur of the moment whim, she has no idea she’s about to unleash a whole new dimension on her usually normal life.
Born in Quelondain, Sean is no stranger to a broken heart. Though it’s been years since the one he loved fated to his best friend, the ache is still present and crossing over to the other world hasn’t helped like he’d hoped it would. When Kaley asks him to accompany her to a Christmas party his gut tells him to stay away. It’s not that he isn’t attracted or tempted, but how is he supposed to explain his past and what he is. Of course, it’s just one evening, right? What could possibly happen in one night?
Two broken hearts…
Two worlds…
One fate…
more
Eggnog Kisses is a sweet story that has several different twist and turns that you can’t help but get lost in the pages. Sean and Kaley have been neighbors for some time. When her fiancée, breaks up with her, Sean steps up to care for her, but when he starts getting close he decides to back away.
Sean and Kaley’s story is a fun tale that has the love of family, secrets that come out, hearts that grow and a shock with a hand of manipulation that blends a great path to love.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The first book in the Holidays in Quelondain series a well written short Christmas story that kept me turning pages. Sean is not who he seems to be he is from Quelondain, he rents an apartment on Earth next to Kaley. They get together over some eggnog. I enjoyed seeing this story come together. I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a really cute paranormal/fantasy romance.. I liked it very much.. It has sweet romance and adorable characters..
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Everything she hoped for
What a fantastic series starter! How can you not fall in love with these characters and this family? I enjoyed how these two played the relationship dance and slowly embraced the feelings they had for each other, and how his sister gave them a helping hand. I especially love the parallel plane they live on and all the amazing creatures that live there. The author took me on a grand adventure with this one and I can’t wait to see which sibling gets their HEA next.
Rating: 3.5 stars!
I liked this book, its premise, and I would be interested in the series that is surely to come from the world of Quelondain and those who cross over to regular Earth space to live for a time.
TL:DR version:
Likes: Premise, alternating point of view, humor, hero’s family, farm life (including the animals and kids)
Dislikes: minor gaps that pulled me out of the story.
Long Version:
While I truly loved the premise, I got confused at the gaps regarding the hero and the world of Quelondain.
We start with Sean, a cheetah shifter photographer on the day that his next door neighbor’s fiance moves out his stuff and breaks up with a note. The next door neighbor is a woman (Kaley) who doesn’t have a clue that she’s been living next door to a real cat until he takes her home for the holiday. The surprise works – to a point.
First, it is not clear up front that Sean is a cheetah shifter – even with his early internal monologue, until Kaley finds out. I really enjoyed how Kaley finds out. It works to further the plot and brings in tension. Due to the confusion, I slowed down to re-read some parts to make sure that I was understanding the world building that was taking place.
Second, what makes this approach work is the crazy set up in Kaley’s life.If we’re not sure about Sean’s status as a potential shifter, then Kaley’s love life/former fiance is just as bad. This was one are that could have been resolved in a manner that nurtured and supported the budding romance between Sean and Kaley. I went along with it because Sean’s hot, Kaley’s cute, and they both deserve a happy ending.
Third, in this world are all matches on Quelondain fated mate ones? It is not clear cut that they are all fated mates. The implication is that perhaps the couple can choose each other. Among shifters, this is a big world building deviation, as it opens the door away from all shifters being fated to find their one true mate.
I actually like how Ms. Chester leaves it open for the characters and the reader to choose. It seems that at times the couple can actually choose eacb other.
Finally, the kids and animals (not the shifters) are engaging, delightful, and kept me wanting more.
First, Sean and Kaley have lived next door for five years. While I like the. Mireille Chester’s idea that the romance begins with Sean seeing and hearing Kaley’s former fiance depart complete with leaving a note under the door, it gets confusing.
It sounds like a fated mate situation – only that is not quite how Sean acts with Kelsey at all. Repeated references to his past relationship turn the story in a different direction. It’s clear he cares enough even as a compassionate being to play her fake boyfriend for an evening to ward off any undesirable suitors. The scenes with the unwanted suitor were good, and could have been longer. I wanted to know more about the individual(s) that Kaley seems to attract.
When she returns the favor by agreeing to go home with him for the week, there are multiple opportunities for him to reveal his shifter status and what was really going on with his world (Quelondain), so that she would not be so shocked.
Second, the story really picks up when Sean take Kaley home for a week to meet his family. While the reader knows something is up, it is still not clear that Sean is a cheetah shifter specifically – even with his early internal monologue, until Kaley finds out. I really enjoyed how Kaley finds out. It works to further the plot and brings in tension. Due to the confusion, I slowed down to re-read some parts to make sure that I was understanding the world building that was taking place.
The short one-page chapters from Sean’s point of view heighten tension, but there are not similar one page chapters just for Kaley’s inner point of view. Also, if it is so painful for his animal side that it disappears, why does he stay for five years in a place that causes him to abandon half of his life?
I kept reading because Sean’s hot, Kaley’s cute, and they both deserve a happy ending. In addition, the kids and animals (not the shifters) are engaging, delightful, and kept me wanting more. Those scenes and the photo scenes kept me closer to a three than a four at times.
Third, in this world are all matches on Quelondain fated mate ones? It is not clear cut that they are all fated mates. The implication is that perhaps the couple can choose each other. Among shifters, this is a big world building deviation, as it opens the door away from all shifters being fated to find their one true mate.
I actually like how Ms. Chester leaves it open for the characters and the reader to choose. It seems that at times the couple can actually choose each other rather than stick to the “all shifters require fated or one true mate” standard.
Finally, the best part of this book is farm and world of Quelondain itself. I love Ms. Chester’s imagination when it comes to taking farm creature expectations and turning them on their sides. The names fit and the family is delightful. There is enough romantic plot with other characters for subsequent novels that hopefully will explore both the family and the world of cheetah shifters who live in Quelondain.
I give five stars for a unique manner of travel that does not include disappearing and uses only natural items. This makes this a much stronger story.
I wanted more of the world of Quelondain that is on the page because it helps the story flow. Although there is an HEA, and a cute ending, it is a bit more abrupt than the story needed. Kaley and Sean have been enjoying a slight slow-burn shifter romance of sorts, and the ending could be a bit longer to match.
Finally, it iswas refreshing to have a love story that was not “insta-lust” or “insta-love” in its pacing. What kept me from feeling it as much as I wanted to was a pattern of sudden changes combined with missing key information. I wished the conclusion was a bit longer.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.