Series: Christmas Escape

Cotswolds Holiday by Kasey Stockton | Book Review

Posted December 6, 2023 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 1 Comment

Cotswolds Holiday by Kasey Stockton | Book ReviewCotswolds Holiday by Kasey Stockton
Series: Christmas Escape
Also in this series: Faking Christmas
Published by Self on November 30, 2022
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Holiday - Christmas
Pages: 347
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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Some people face their problems head-on, other people run . . .

When my ex-boyfriend sends me his wedding invitation eight months after breaking up with me, and the bride expects me to be in the wedding party, it's time for my tried-and-tested party trick: disappearing.

And nowhere is better to escape to than the cozy English Cotswolds in the middle of December.

Everything goes according to plan until I arrive in the Cotswolds. Snow is more slippery than I expected, my room is nothing like the listing described, and my pub owner landlord—well, he steps directly from my lumberjack fantasies and into my heart.

The only problem? I can't fall for an Englishman who lives on the other side of the world from me. Not even one who has Dr Pepper on tap and kisses like it's an Olympic sport. It's much harder to run across the pond, and all good things must come to an end . . . but what if I can't say goodbye?

Part of the Christmas Escape series, Cotswolds Holiday is a clean Christmas romance where an American girl runs off to England and tries not to fall in love.

Cotswolds Holiday is another book in the series of closed-door Christmas standalone novels called Christmas Escape. I had so much fun reading several of these books last Christmas, and this was one of them! I just didn’t have room in my schedule to post my review, so I delayed it for a year to post now! While not my favorite in this series, I had fun reading it. Luna is a YouTube yoga instructor (ugh), and escapes to the English countryside to get out of having to attend her ex’s wedding. Rhys is amazing. He owns the quaint, cozy little pub that Luna rents a room in for her stay in the Cotswolds. He’s quiet and thoughtful and subtly flirty

There’s a lot of drama surrounding exes, and that did wear me out a little. Luna’s ex-boyfriend is still contacting her, trying to get her to attend their wedding for the sake of his fiance. This entire storyline actually really irked me, and ends up a little manipulative in my mind. Nobody whose ex-boyfriend breaks up with you and then jumps into marrying your best friend within just a few months should have to put up with being made to feel guilty for being upset about it and not wanting to be there to watch. The magic of Christmas just wouldn’t fix that for me, but I digress. Then there’s also drama with Rhys’s ex, another yoga instructor (ugh), and I didn’t like that storyline either. Blergh. Then there was this other storyline with Luna trying to form a partnership with this popular yoga clothing line (ugh), and the people she’s trying to work with suck a lot. The romance was fine, if not a bit dramatic at times. Luna likes to run away from her problems, hence the drama.

What won me over on this book was Rhys and his pub. And Christmas. I loved this pub, and how it was all decorated for the holidays. It sounds so cozy and the regulars there all know each other. There’s a knitting group that meets there, and a book club. The people are all so nice. The pub has a bit of a mascot in this cute dog who hangs out and has adopted everyone. Rhys and his cousin run the place, and I loved the cousin. She was a more interesting and likable character than Luna, in my opinion. Rhys’s cooking sounds delicious. I loved the scenery of the Cotswolds and I even enjoyed their silly rivalry with a neighboring town. I love the little Christmas festival. So all in all, it was a fun read that I made some allowances for because it’s Christmas and I loved the setting. And I want Rhys.

Faking Christmas by Cindy Steel | Book Review

Posted December 8, 2022 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 3 Comments

Faking Christmas by Cindy Steel | Book ReviewFaking Christmas by Cindy Steel
Series: Christmas Escape #3
Also in this series: Cotswolds Holiday
Published by Self on November 2, 2022
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Holiday - Christmas
Pages: 340
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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One little white lie.

That's all it took. Now I'm suddenly having to fake-date my work nemesis to get me through a week at a Vermont Christmas lodge with my family.

The problem? I can't stand Miles Taylor. Not only that, but I don't date people I work with. But I can handle it. I've had practice faking my emotions for years. So it shouldn't matter that Miles never lets me get away with anything. And that he happens to boil my blood hotter than a steaming pot of wassail. So when he throws his annoying grin my way or forces me on dates he knows I'll hate, I'll just grit my teeth and smile.

Or maybe not. Did I mention that Miles is the one person in the world I can't seem to fool?

When my emotions begin feeling less like a sham and his arms feel way too comfortable, it makes me think that maybe Miles had a plan of his own. And I'm starting to like it a lot more than mine.

★ Faking Christmas is a sweet, closed door romance full of sizzle, witty banter, and chemistry, but without explicit content.

I’ve been having so much fun with the Christmas Escape series this year! This series consists of 7 full-length, standalone novels that are all super swoony closed-door romances. In each story, someone is trying to escape something in their lives, whether it be the holidays themselves or someone/something in their life. One book was released per week, starting on October 16th, 2022 and ending on November 30th, 2022. And, as of right now, they’re all on Kindle Unlimited! Faking Christmas was the one I was most excited about, because I love fake dating and I loved Cindy Steel’s Christmas novella, A Christmas Spark, which I read last year! Faking Christmas did not disappoint one bit. In fact, it’s a new favorite and a book I plan to read again and again.

1. First off, I really love closed-door romances during Christmas. Don’t get me wrong, I love open door romances as well, but there’s just something about Christmas that makes me want to focus more on the holiday season than on intimacy. But I still love love. That’s why this series appealed to me so much. Cindy Steel is so good at creating these sweet, romantic moments and I don’t even miss the sexy scenes at all!

2. I loved Olive and Miles. Both are teachers at the same school, and they’re not the biggest fans of each other. I really don’t enjoy enemies to lovers stories so I was a bit worried, but these two are friendly enemies. They don’t care for one another, but they’re still kind and respectful to each other. They tease each other and poke fun at minor things, but there’s no hate there. Phew! I really struggle with characters who fight and argue all the time, so I’m so glad that was not the case with this book. Both characters are endearing, sweet, silly, and great for one another. Miles is a dreamboat and Olive is the girl next door. 

3. I really liked most of the supporting characters. Miles’s family is wonderful. I love his dad in particular, and his mom is super nice. I also liked Olive’s sister and think they have a really cute relationship. She also has adorable twin nieces and a cool brother-in-law. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Olive’s mom, but I came around in time. Olive’s ex is also around for a little while, and he’s a slime ball.

4. I loved all the Christmas! The lodge in Vermont sounds stunning, with cabins all blanketed in snow. The lodge hosts a Christmas bingo with fun festive tasks for guests to complete, plus they have fun activities like sledding and gingerbread house making. The cabins all have Christmas trees, music plays over the speakers, dinner is done family style in the main building. It just sounds so perfect! Miles talks Olive into doing a polar bear plunge with him, and that might be my favorite scene.

5. The romance is *chef’s kiss*. I LOVE fake dating, and these two do such a great job… at first. Miles is so enthusiastic about the fake dating scheme and really goes overboard with affection. I couldn’t stop beaming as I read. He pushes Olive outside of her comfort zone, but in doing so he shows her what she truly deserves. They have multiple deep conversations, evening cuddle sessions, and flirty moments. The banter is perfection. The kisses were swoony and definitely steamed up my glasses. I love reading a good kiss.

6. There’s a deeper underlying issues surrounding grief and the loss of a parent (that happened before the book begins), which I feel was handled so well and allowed Olive and Miles to form a deep and meaningful connection. I felt so many feels!

All in all, Faking Christmas is a Christmas book lover’s dream come true. I highly, highly recommend you give it a try! It’s guaranteed to warm your heart and put a smile on your face. I hope it ends up on audio someday so I can listen when I need a pick-me-up!