Jennifer GracenCritiques

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Received from Netgalley in exchange for a review. Can be read as a standalone, or in conjunction with other books in the series that tells about 4 women, each taking a second chance at love.

Cassandra is out with her friend Bree (the focus of the book This Christmas by Jeannie Moon) to watch the lighting of the Christmas Tree at Rockerfeller Centre, and they end up in a bar, part owned by Sean, who broke Chrissie's heart 7 years previously. It's a second chance of love for the two of them, but since both of them are hurt and damaged by what happened previously, there's some barriers to confront.

I think we all know how it finishes, and this is a novella to add to the other three books in the series as follows:

This Christmas (Jake and Sabrina) – Jeannie Moon
All I Want For Christmas (Cassandra and Sean) – Jennifer Gracen
A Light In The Window (Jade and Ben) – Jolsye Barnett
Goodness And Light (Elena and Lucas) – Patty Blount

I *may* have reached my limit of "second chance at first love at Christmas" stories, as I felt a little jaded by the time I read this story, but believe it is entirely my fault, rather than the author's.

The story fits well into the overarching premise of the 4 girls and 4 different stories, where (in this case) a young, successful woman is confronted with a previous lover who has his own issues to confront if they are to renew their love affair. Both people are portrayed decently with neither one being secure in their feelings, and each having a reason for what they do and what they want

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Received from Netgalley in exchange for a review. Can be read as a standalone, or in conjunction with other books in the series that tells about 4 women, each taking a second chance at love.

Cassandra is out with her friend Bree (the focus of the book This Christmas by Jeannie Moon) to watch the lighting of the Christmas Tree at Rockerfeller Centre, and they end up in a bar, part owned by Sean, who broke Chrissie's heart 7 years previously. It's a second chance of love for the two of them, but since both of them are hurt and damaged by what happened previously, there's some barriers to confront.

I think we all know how it finishes, and this is a novella to add to the other three books in the series as follows:

This Christmas (Jake and Sabrina) – Jeannie Moon
All I Want For Christmas (Cassandra and Sean) – Jennifer Gracen
A Light In The Window (Jade and Ben) – Jolsye Barnett
Goodness And Light (Elena and Lucas) – Patty Blount

I *may* have reached my limit of "second chance at first love at Christmas" stories, as I felt a little jaded by the time I read this story, but believe it is entirely my fault, rather than the author's.

The story fits well into the overarching premise of the 4 girls and 4 different stories, where (in this case) a young, successful woman is confronted with a previous lover who has his own issues to confront if they are to renew their love affair. Both people are portrayed decently with neither one being secure in their feelings, and each having a reason for what they do and what they want

I really looked forward to reading this book, with the added bonus of a contemporary love story but sadly it was too salacious for my taste

I give up. I can't finish this. I tried for the authors sake but it is borderline erotica and has no plot. It is only every second of their sexual needs. I thought I was getting a contemporary story taking place un Ireland of a travel journalist, thus inviting visits to Ireland locals, with the finding of a love interest as a bonus. This was just sex.

3.5 stars

Dane Harrison is opening a new hotel, his favorite, most luxurious property yet. He likes perfection and the bar and lounge of the hotel must have the best singer on stage. After weeks of hunting for a smart, confident, sexy, and successful singer, Dane thinks he may just have to give in and take a second choice from the long list of women he's watched every evening. On a tip from his sister's friend, Dane travels to Long Island where he sees his dreams come to life in the form of Julia Shay. Not only is she everything he wanted in a singer, something about her is just drawing him in, the chemistry is off the charts. Julia wants nothing to do with rich hotel owner Dane, she's had enough rich men to last her a lifetime, but his job offer is one she can't refuse. With her best friend playing piano by her side, Julia makes a huge positive change in her life. When their chemistry comes between the job, Julia and Dane decide to have some no-strings attached fun.

Oh man, I would happily take a Dane Harrison of my own. I loved driven Dane, he sounded handsome, smart, and most of all, sensitive. He seemed to be the perfect man, even if he sometimes lost his temper and went a little alpha male. I enjoyed reading from his POV, because he really seemed to enjoy his family, his career, and his experiences with women. Charlotte on the other hand, while she's been dealt a rough hand, was sometimes hard to handle. I loved her as a character, especially at her age. I think she was incredibly well written, however it drove me nuts how against help and love she was. At times, I thought she had given in, only to throw walls up again. The push and pull was nuts, through out their entire relationship, however I ended up and enjoying their dialogue. At times snarky, sometimes funny, and always sexual, it was never boring when the two were together. The minor characters of best friends and family members, and even other hotel employees, really brought a lot of life to this novel. Gracen does a great job of writing unique voices into every character.

There's some complex drama to this book, some of it believable, some of it not, and some felt very forced. There were parts that I just wanted to say, "oh come on!" The entire book really focuses on the relationship growth between Dane and Julia, and while I loved that, it was really hard to make room for the other things taking place in their lives. I sort of felt like some things that would've been good to have more detailed were left out in order to allow Dane and Julia just a little more time together. Don't get me wrong, I loved their time together, but it kind of felt like personal life stopped for both characters.

I enjoyed this book; I liked the maturity of the characters, the dynamic of an older women and younger man, and the on-fire chemistry the two main characters shared. I really look forward to reading more of the Harrisons in book two, especially if the younger sibling is anything like Dane.

Have really been enjoying Christmas in New York Series. These emotional reads capture the heart and draw you in. All I Want For Christmas by Jennifer Gracen is Cass and Sean's story. Sean thought he was doing the right thing when he ended his relationship with Cass. He wanted her to hate him so he broke her heart in such a way that he felt she would never forgive him. Feeling that Cass was destined for better he felt he would just hold her back. Seven years later a chance encounter brings them face to face. A heartbroken Cass does not want a rehash of the past-where she is left angry and crushed again. Sean realizes he has never gotten over Cass and that he hurt himself just as much as he hurt her when they broke up. I would recommend All I Want for Christmas by Jennifer Gracen. An enjoyable story with heart.

Ms. Gracen picked one of the most eerily beautiful places in the world for the setting of a haunting tale of love, loss and new beginnings. No backdrop could have been more perfect. Standing amid the ghosts of heartbreaks past and hopes restored, Colin and Maggie set about rebuilding their lives. Maggie is a drifter. Haunted by loss, her way of coping is to roam. Her adventurous spirit, has never steered her wrong, until she discovers the beauty of Ireland and ends up losing more than she bargained for. Colin gave up on his dreams in order to face his future, will fate bring his world full circle and give him the adventure, he never thought he'd have? The characters are more mature, but the issues are no less realistic and the romance borders on ecstasy.

Between You and Me (The Harrisons) by Jennifer Gracen  
Blessings are not found in the possessions we have, but in the people we love and the memories we make. Tess has wealth and family, but is finding it hard to obtain the one thing she wants. To be a mother. Can a rash decision and a brooding loner be the answer to her long waiting dreams? Between You and Me paves a sentimental, yet realistic road to the center of the heart with angsty romance and emotional fulfilling characters.

Jennifer Gracen is an author to watch. The versatility of her stories blended with her writing style and heartwarming characters it is easy to fall in love. An ARC of More Than You Know was given to me in exchange for an honest review. Dane and Julia come from different backgrounds. Dane's focused determination has made him a successful business man. His wealth and business acumen far exceed anything he ever expected, but is everything he hoped for. Julia has seen and experienced a life that has not been an easy one and has learned some heartbreaking lessons along the way. I like the premise of the story and this author has the great ability to dig into the emotions not easily faced. More Than You Know is a story that is as sweet as it is complicated.

Nick is a hero. Not because he is a Detective in the police department but because he is willing to donate his marrow to a little boy that he doesn’t even know. Well, maybe he doesn’t know them but there is a very good reason that his marrow is a match to this boy. I love this twist. Sure, I knew it was coming. It wasn’t a surprise but it was perfect. The fact that he ends up related to the boy only endears him to me even more. With all the drama, and oh was there drama, surrounding the fact that he is a long lost Harrison he never lets it get between the real reason that he is in New York.

Then he meets Amanda. Everything he thought he knew about love gets twisted around. She pushes, she pulls, and she retreats in reaction to his tough, alpha exterior. But she is perfect for him. If only they would both open their eyes are realize it. They both need to get over themselves and open their hearts to a love so perfect that it would be so sad to not accept it.

It Might Be You is a love story. There is romance, there is heat, there is love but it is also a family story. A story of finding a piece of yourself that you didn’t know was missing, a story of finding out the truth about yourself, and a story of opening your heart to love.

This is a story that is perfect with a mug of hot cocoa and cuddled under a warm blanket.

It Might Be You by Jennifer Gracen
The Harrisons #5

Nick Martell is on the bone marrow registry list and is called in as a match for a young boy living in New York. Without a qualm he agrees to take time away from work in Miami and head up for more testing. Just before he leaves he finds out he is actually related to Myles…yes…his mother had an affair with the boy’s grandfather and now Nick has not only a cousin to save the life of BUT half-siblings and a family he didn’t even know existed. At first he is a bit overwhelmed and then when his half-siblings meet him they are, too.

One of Myles’s nurses is Amanda. She is a great nurse but she has a tendency to “turtle” any time things get tough, she gets afraid, is upset – yes – she hides or runs or gets angry or mouthy or defensive and Nick is usually on the receiving end. I liked them together EXCEPT Amanda rubbed me the wrong way a few times. That is not all there is to her, though, so when she finally comes to grips with the idea that she and Nick could have a future she manages to go for it.

What I liked:
* Nick – what a sweetheart
* Myles – a charming young man I really wanted to see healed
* The Harrison siblings – great people that pulled together and took Nick under their wings once they got over their surprise/shock
* Nick’s mother, the man she married that is his “true” father and his sisters

What I didn’t like:
* Charles Harrison II – the sperm donor – was a sh*t to his family…all of them…especially Pierce and Nick
* Amanda’s quick temper and ability to take something said by Nick that most would not be offended by and make Nick feel guilty then apologize

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Books – Zebra and Barclay Publicity for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars½

I would have never thought I'd find a 40 year old single dad relatable, but I actually related more to Collin than Maggie. I really liked him as a character and was completely envious of Maggie's job. This was a great slow burn romance and would be a perfect beach read.

Okay: there is going to be two sides to this review. The reviewer, the everyday person who read this book, thought it was a cute story, well written and nice to read a book in a series without having needed to read the other three (would like to, though.)

The flip side is the American girl who moved to Dublin, fell in love, and then fell out of love, and this book pierces my heart and insides repeatedly and harshly. I have stayed at a BnB after going to he kiss the blarney stone; traveled to other European countries with my Irish love... etc etc. I couldn't help but cry throughout this book with vivid memories, and could not separate the two sides.

It's a great book; Gracen is a good writer. I just did not expect the fantastically well written to hit me that hard.

A great love story. The first part of the book is a bit slow but picks up pace. I would of liked to see more description of the places Maggie traveled to. I thought at first that I didn't get much of a feel for Maggie but the reason for that is explained and makes you feel for her. Give you a bit of wanderlust too!!

Between You and Me by Jennifer Gracen
The Harrisons #4

Tess really wants a child and at 37 feels her time to fall in love and have one with a husband may be running out SO she decides to head to the family ski resort where she will resort to a sperm bank for insemination. Well, the house manager for the family home just happens to be a hunk and a half named Logan Carter and after spending a bit of time with him she decides he might be the perfect person to ask to donate to her project. It seems perfect to both of them because he doesn’t want a family and she doesn’t want a husband so getting together a few times in a month during her fertile period should be a piece of cake, right? And, making a baby without test tubes and such just doing what comes naturally should not impact things at all…

As the two get to know one another better, share their pasts, explore the ski slopes together, spend those fertile nights together and become friends they find that perhaps things are not as easy as they had hoped they would be but as neither wants to renege on the bargain they made…it becomes dicey.

I enjoyed the story and the interactions between Tess and Logan BUT from personal knowledge know that sex can lead to feelings even if you don’t think it will happen…they were setting themselves up for trouble and trouble they did get…true…it was trouble they overcame and a HEA was achieved once they communicated with one another but still…

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing-Zebra Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars½

Tess Harrison is the oldest child with 3 brothers & a stern, cold father. When their mother left, Tess stepped up & took over mothering all 3 boys as they grew up. Now, 2 out of the 3 have their own families & she's left with no significant other in her life. She's bored & tired of worrying about everyone else. She wants a child & is determined to have it by herself so she decided to head to the ski house for several months.

Logan Carter is the property manager for the Harrison's ski house. He's had a crush on Tess since he'd met her. She did manage to hurt him with a comment a year ago & he hasn't seen her in the same light since. Now she's in Colorado for several months. Will things change?

This story is one of learning to trust & let someone into your life. Tess has been hurt in the past & doesn't want to let any man into her life. Logan was hurt by a rich, selfish woman & he can't help putting some of that on Tess. It was interesting reading about the journey they each must take to get to each other & how they grow & develop from it. The banter is witty & sarcastic. You'll find yourself falling in love with them.

Maggie Spencer is a travel writer who has come to Dublin as part of her latest assignment. She meets Colin McKinnon in her local pub and they strike up a friendship. Both are wounded people; Colin has gone through a divorce, not an easy thing in Ireland, and Maggie is a widow. But Maggie is determined to bring Colin out of his self-imposed shell. He's always wanted to travel, and that's what she does. Actually, she can't seem to stop.
This is a lovely romance where two people who have lived through trauma learn to live for themselves again. It takes Maggie a while longer to recognize that she still carries scars from her husband's death, but Colin is patient, a lovely man, and waits (and hopes) for her to recognize that running can also be running away.
I didn't realize this is the fourth book in the series, but I didn't need the others as this stands alone. It's a fairly quick read and very satisfying.

Take two people who fall in love & you have a normal romance that no one cares about. Make one a billionaire COO that has taken over running his father's company & is divorced with three kids & things change. Have the female be the children's nanny & you have a scandal. Charles has been unhappy for a while & realizes he's turning into an angry, bitter man like his father who is never there for his children. Charles opens his eyes & it's like he sees Lisette for the first time. Lisette has had feelings for Charles for some time & is nervous about this change. She's been burned by one man @ is afraid of it happening again. She enjoys her life with the kids & is afraid something will take it all away from her.

Jennifer has done an excellent job with this book. It could have easily been another superficial book regarding a rich man falling for someone below his station but it wasn't. She took us on a journey with each of her characters learning things about themselves & changing the way they look at the world. Charles realizes he's turning into his father, is determined not to & takes us along as he rectifies the situation. Lisette realizes she's been hiding from life, afraid to be hurt again & afraid to trust Charles. She has to find a way to come out of her shell & accept that she deserves to be happy. Once you get past Charles being a billionaire, the characters really are relatable & evoke emotions in the reader. The plot moves at a steady pace & has a few twists & turns that keep you interested & emotionally connected. I was surprised at the vulnerability both characters showed. This was the first book I have read by this author & is Book 3 of the Harrison series but can easily be read as a stand alone. I didn't feel like I missed anything by not having read the first two.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

So I will be completely blunt! I am not Jewish or even overly religious. But I was very curious to read this Chanukah romance. So I settled down, thinking that I would read the first book and four hours later, I surfaced from my reading haze, completely in love with this book.
I LOVED Megan Hart's book Miracle, not just because she is an amazing author, but because she set the book in a city close to me. Jennifer Gracen book A Dose of Gelt; is a story about when you allow the outside world to affect your feelings. This book had me crying in sadness and Happiness. Home for Chanukah by Stacey Agdern, was an enlightening tale of the generosity of such a wonderful women and a man that struggles with change. Finally All I Got by KK Hendin story is about finding love, when you were least expecting it.
These are four completely different books, written by four amazing authors that embrace not only finding love, religion but also sharing what Chanukah means to them.
With all that being said, I give Burning Bright a very heartfelt 10 out of 10!

Enjoyed very much.

I had mixed feelings about this book. As a whole, I really enjoyed it. There are just certain moments that I wasn't as pleased with it as I wished I was. Of course, that's okay, I like books that make me feel, it's better then closing the book at the end of the story and saying "that's nice", who wants that?

I really loved Pierce but didn't really get why he was thought of so badly for just having a good time. Yes, maybe he should have stayed away from married women, but who cares how many ladies he slept with. He was single at the time...

I'm a huge fan of men who love kids and don't mind being around them and Pierce was perfect at it.

Now his family was a different story. Sure they didn't totally forget about him when he moved away but I didn't get how they didn't really care about how badly he was treated by his father till the end of the book. It really stuck in my craw.

A big sore spot!

Now I didn't think as highly of Abby as I did of Pierce. I thought he was more honest about his feelings and actions then her. I get that she was very hurt over a past relationship but, really!!! how much of a relationship was it???

See, I told you...this book made me feel! :)

There is so much more that happens but I don't want to ruin the story for you. You really need to find out all this on your own. I so badly want to say more!!! Ha! Believe me, even with the few things that frosted my ass, there are a ton of things I really liked about the story too! I think you'll find this to be a very quick read that will leaving with wanting more of the Harrison family.

reviewed for Romancing the Readers Blog:
http://romancingthereaders.blogspot.com/2016/05/review-giveaway-someone-like-you...

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Abby is from a loving family that is there for one another. Pierce is from a wealthy family that never really provided him the love and support he needed. Not only do Abby and Pierce have different families and childhoods but she is rather prim and proper while he has lived a life in the public eye as a bad boy soccer player in England.

Pierce has come home and ends up on a soccer field where Abby is coaching her nephew. Pierce feels drawn to the field and the game even when he is not the one playing the game. He ends up co-coaching the team with Abby and the two are drawn to one another. Eventually Abby overcomes her trust issues enough to date Pierce but trust is an issue for Abby for much of her time with Pierce since she was burned in the past. Pierce is feeling things he has never felt before and is also dealing with his own set of issues that make their relationship a bit more difficult to cement.

I liked the honesty between Abby and Pierce. I liked Abby’s family dynamics and how they were there for one another. I liked the fact that the Harrison family as adults seems to change and grow from what it must have been like they were younger – although whether or not the patriarch will ever change is up undetermined. This had an ending that felt good but did not necessarily provide a happily ever but instead more of a happy for now. I am interested in finding out whom Tess and Charles III will end up as well as hoping Fiona, Abby’s sister, will find someone to share her life with in a future book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books – Zebra Shout for the ARC of this book to read and review.

Wow! I love this series! In this third installment of the Series of Love books the budding relationship between Sam and Lydia is truly put to the test. The emotions that are displayed in all the books but specifically this one are raw and powerful. The characters are amazing and the fact that each of these book is another leg in the couples journey truly makes them feel real and lets us get to know them. I finished this book with equal parts of tears and joy. This is one (the entire series) that should be on everyone's must read list. I highly recommend it!

Excellent read!! When Sean McKinnon walks away from Cassandra Baines and shatters her heart she never thought she would see him again. But a quick stop in a local pub brings them face to face for the first time in seven years. Great story with deep emotion making this a definite must read. I highly recommend it.

Fantastic read that needs to be on your tbr list! Toni has enough people demanding things from her. An aggravating boss and a strong willed mother are enough, the last thing she needs is a relationship. When her friends brother comes to town for a visit though, she could probably make time for a little summer fun!! Gavin is one hot Irishman, a doctor, and oh so sexy hot! What could it hurt. As his visit comes to a close though Toni and Gavin both know that what they have is much more than a fling. Now what??? You want to find out, believe me! I highly recommend this one.