It’s Tuesday evening, but I didn’t want to miss the Show Us Your Books link up. I am linking up with Steph and Jana to share what I’ve read this month.

I’ve been reading a bunch of Christmas books and one thriller this month. I have a bunch of Christmas books on my list to read this month too! Off to the books:

It Started With Christmas by Jenny Hale

The first book is It Started with Christmas by Jenny Hale. This book reads like a Hallmark movie and I loved it. Holly McAdams takes her grandmother back to the family cabin for the first time since her grandfather passed away. She completely redid the cabin, according to her grandfather’s wishes, but her grandmother is not happy. To make matters worse, the previous renter is stuck there due to a snow storm and Holly and her grandmother have to share their sacred space. Joseph, the previous renter, is engaged and going to be married shortly. He is a wealthy New Yorker but seems to love this small town outside of Nashville, TN. As you can imagine, Holly falls for Joseph but her high school best friend turned rock star tries to convince her otherwise. This book reads just like the Hallmark movies I am watching every night. You know what’s going to happen, but it makes you happy as you read the book. I give it ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ . Go read this book, it’s a great Christmas season read! *I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Alaskan Holiday by Debbie Macomber

I thought this was going to be a Christmas book, but it wasn’t. The book follows Josie as her summer position in an isolated Alaskan town comes to an end. She and Palmer, a local master swordsmith, have grown quite close during her time in Ponder. On her last night, Palmer asks Josie to marry her and stay. Josie has already committed to a job back home in Seattle and isn’t sure she’s cut out for winter in Ponder, so she declines. Unfortunately she oversleeps and misses the last ferry out of town before winter. Josie and Palmer navigate the prospect of winter in Palmer, trying to go back to Seattle, and figuring out their relationship. This is a light, freezing cold beachy read. I give it ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️  . If you are looking for a chilly, easy read, head to Ponder, Alaska and read this book. *I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.* I loved Debbie Macomber’s Christmas book Merry and Bright. I read it last year and have recommended it to friends a bunch of times.

A Cedar Cove Christmas by Debbie Macomber

I picked this up at the bookstore without realizing it was number 8.5 in the Cedar Cove series. I was a little worried about starting it in the middle of the series, but I had no trouble at all. This story is reminiscent of the original Christmas story. Mary Jo Wyse finds herself pregnant and alone. Her 3 brothers, the 3 Wyse men, are very upset with the man she was “dating” who disappeared when he found out Mary Jo was pregnant. They are all determined to get to the family of the man to find out where he is. That is what takes them to the town of Cedar Cove. Mary Jo finds out that the people she is looking for are out of town and is taken in by the town librarian to spend the night. The people of Cedar Cove are so kind and welcoming to Mary Jo. She’s scared and nervous and ends up going into labor on Christmas Eve. It’s a heartwarming story and the whole thing made me smile. It is an easy read and you can’t help but be filled with Christmas spirit reading it! ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️

1225 Christmas Tree Lane by Debbie Macomber

I headed back to Cedar Cove for the last installment in the series. The only other book in the series I’d read was book 8.5. This is one year later and follows Beth. A divorced mother of 2 college daughters. Her daughters are coming to visit her for Christmas and convince their dad to come too. Beth and her ex-husband are unsure if their divorce was really the best choice. They both have a person, coworkers and friends, that are standing in the way of an easy reunion, but their daughters refuse to give up easily. Readers are introduced to different characters in Cedar Cove and their stories as Beth is trying to adopt out 10 puppies that were left on her doorstep. It is definitely a story to tie up loose ends in the Cedar Cove series but it makes for a good Christmas story. ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️

An Anonymous Girl by Sarah Pekkanan and Greer Hendricks

This is the second book by the two authors together, but they have worked together for years. Greer was Sarah’s editor before she decided to join her writing psychological thrillers. Their first book, The Wife Between Us, left me gasping with a racing heart. I had pretty high expectations for this book and it didn’t disappoint. The story starts with makeup artist Jessica taking the place of one of her clients in a university psychology study. She thinks that it will just be a few hours of questioning and she’ll collect the money and be done. However, Dr. Shields takes an interest in Jessica and asks her to continue in further study/experiments with the promise of excellent compensation. Jessica agrees but is instantly unsure as she finds herself lying and keeping things from her best friend, new love interest, and family. Dr. Shields continues to ask Jessica to go more places, interact with more people, and is very specific in her directions. Each assignment makes Jessica more and more unsure about her involvement. She is left wondering if the money is worth it? This book had my heart racing and I did not want to put it down. I give it ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ *I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.*

I am pretty excited to hear what Sarah Pekkanan and Greer Hendricks have to say about their book. They are coming to my local bookstore in January and I am going to be there!

Right now I am reading One Day in December by Josie Silver. I have 5 Christmas books in my stack that I need to get reading! I better get moving! Have a super day full of sunshine and books!

☀️ 📚 😎