A sweet twist on the Grinch scenario. Gordon bottles up his anger and resentment along with loneliness and pain to the point where his bitterness overshadows everything that has importance in his life. Holly is the optimist that turns his life upside down and pulls him kicking and screaming into the magical season of hope, charity and faith. Maybe even love. I am not normally a fan of stories with Grinch or Scrooge like characters but there was something so compelling about Gordon that I couldn't look away. Deck the Hearts exposes what an open heart and open mind can do for the soul and the difference one action can make in the lives of others.

Series: Royal Babies (Book 5)

HER ROYAL CHRISTMAS SECRET

 

Princess Sasha of Sergenia was born to rule, not change dirty diapers. But after threats force her family into exile, Sasha becomes "Sara," a nurturing nanny in Chantaine. Now, rather than having servants wait on her during holiday festivities, Sasha is caring for construction specialist Gavin Sinclair's children for Christmas. Baby Adelaide and five-year-old Sam win her heart, but their father makes her pulse pound…

 

For Gavin, "Sara" is a holiday miracle. Since his late wife died in childbirth, Gavin has struggled to keep his life afloat and his family together. This unexpected addition has brightened his world -- and made him wonder if love might be on the horizon. He knows the mysterious nanny has secrets aplenty. But is true love enough to create a fairy-tale ending under the mistletoe for the sexy single dad and the lovely royal?

 

Very good story. Sasha and her sister were forced to flee their country and have taken refuge in Chantaine. In order to maintain their anonymity, both she and Tabitha have taken on fake names and the Chantaine royal family have helped them find jobs. So instead of her career as the princess concert pianist, Sasha has become Sara the nanny. The book opens as she arrives to take her first position as nanny to American construction specialist Gavin's children. She's a bit worried about how she'll do, but is determined to do her best.

 

I really liked Sara. She's worried about her brother, who is missing, and her sister, who is having a hard time with their exile, but she tries very hard to keep a positive outlook. I loved the way that she wanted to make things better for little Sam, who was struggling so hard with his grief for his mother. She seemed to know just when to push him a little and when to just let him be. I also loved seeing her cuddle with baby Adelaide. As the days went on it was obvious that she was falling for the children. But it was her growing feelings for Gavin that had her in turmoil.

 

I also liked Gavin. He hasn't had it easy since his wife's death, with trying to take care of his children and keep on top of his construction business. Because of his hours and the children's challenges, he has been through multiple nannies, and doesn't have much confidence that Sara will be any different. It doesn't take long before he realizes that she's making a huge impact on his children's lives, but that's nothing to the impact she's having on his.

 

I loved the development of their relationship. They are very attracted to each other, but Sara knows that it can go nowhere because of who she is and her need to keep it a secret. But the more time she spends with him, the more she wants to take a chance and just live a little. She didn't expect her heart to get involved so quickly. With Gavin it starts as simple attraction, a desire that he hasn't felt since before his wife died. He's carrying a load of guilt because the marriage had been in trouble and he felt that he was responsible for it. He's not so sure that he deserves any happiness because of it. I loved seeing how Sara's frequent comments on how good a father he is begin to lessen those feelings and open his eyes and heart to the idea that he could love again. I hurt for him when he let her know what he wanted and she refused him. He's hurt and angry that she won't trust him with her secrets. 

 

There's an interesting twist involving Sara's sister, though what it is wasn't hard to figure out early on. The question becomes one of what effect it is going to have on Sara's future. I loved seeing her face the issue head on, and then finally be able to share the truth with Gavin. What he does with the information and what he says to Sara shows how far he has come. The ending is sweet and romantic, and left me anxious to see what will happen with Sara's sister and brother.

 

Young Sam was adorable and I loved how Sara's love helped him through his grief for his mother. He was so quiet and sad at the beginning, then his natural mischievousness began to emerge. I loved the scene with him and his sister and the green magic marker. It was so realistic that I could picture it as I read it. I loved his part in the epilogue and how it showed how far he had come.

You like the idea of seven men? 

 

Here are some great Snow White Themed Romances for you! My lists are never in any particular order. 

 

1. The Fairest of Them All by Leanne Banks

 

Carly Pendleton doesn't need another overprotective man in her life—she already has seven brothers. So when her old friend Russ Bradford comes courting, she resists. He may be the stuff of feminine fantasies, but he's always been more protective than passionate toward her. And though he's suddenly tempting her to shed her innocence, she's not interested in giving up her hard-won independence—or having her heart broken.

 

Russ has a well-deserved reputation as a ladies' man, but he's ready to settle down and no one but the beautiful, sexy and kindhearted Carly will do. He's waited to make his move, but can be patient no longer. He's never wanted another woman like this, and so begins an all-out seduction. But can he win her heart?

 

2. Huntsman's Prey by Marie Hall

 

Rumors abound in Wonderland, of a dark princess named Chrysalis who bears the Moon's curse. Her beauty is beyond compare, and her madness… even greater than her father’s, The Hatter. Death follows wherever she roams, and Danika—fairy godmother of all villains—knows this task is too great for her to handle on her own. She has no choice but to seek out the one they call Huntsman, his mission is simple: Find the creature, and destroy it.

 

But nothing is ever so simple in Kingdom. The moment the hunter Aeric steps foot in the mad, twisted realm he's enveloped in a reality that is neither wholly true nor fantasy. The key, the Cheshire explains, to ending the madness is for one to become mad themselves. The Huntsman has one chance to figure out the riddle before the beauty destroys them all…

 

3. Six-Gun Snow White by Catherynne M. Valente

 

Forget the dark, enchanted forest. Picture instead a masterfully evoked Old West where you are more likely to find coyotes as the seven dwarves. Insert into this scene a plain-spoken, appealing narrator who relates the history of our heroine’s parents—a Nevada silver baron who forced the Crow people to give up one of their most beautiful daughters, Gun That Sings, in marriage to him. Although her mother’s life ended as hers began, so begins a remarkable tale: equal parts heartbreak and strength. This girl has been born into a world with no place for a half-native, half-white child. After being hidden for years, a very wicked stepmother finally gifts her with the name Snow White, referring to the pale skin she will never have. Filled with fascinating glimpses through the fabled looking glass and a close-up look at hard living in the gritty gun-slinging West, this is an utterly enchanting story…at once familiar and entirely new.

 

4. Snow White and the Vampire by Marina Myles

 

Alba Spencer thought her past in Romania and the dark magic that haunted it was behind her forever. She is one of the first female barristers now, safe in London. But London has its dark side, too. A man called the Ripper stalks the midnight streets. There are rumors that her hated stepmother has found her again, suggestions that the nightmares of her childhood are returning. And with them appears the cursed Gypsy boy she once loved, grown into a man more seductive and more terrifying than she ever could have dreamed. . .

 

Dimitri Grigorescu has become a surgeon, a gentleman—and a vampire. The lusts that drive his body are scarcely under control, and even he does not truly know what he is capable of. To fight evil and confusion, Alba must rely only on her wits—and a desire that overwhelms her doubts. . .

 

5. Rose Red by Flora Speer

 

After the murder of their father, sisters Bianca and Rosalinda, with their mother, flee to a villa in the northern Italian Alps, swearing revenge on their enemy, but when the son of the assassin appears at their door one stormy night, Rosalinda discovers her true destiny.

 

6. The Snow White Bride by Claire Delacroix

 

The Laird of Kinfairlie has helped his sisters, each a gem in her own right, to find husbands. Now the laird himself seeks to wed, and pins his hopes on The Snow White Bride.

 

Lady Eleanor knows better than to dream of romance and love. Married twice to secure her father’s alliances, she has learned that she is desirable only for her fortune. When the Laird of Kinfairlie’s sisters ask her to wed their brother, Alexander, Eleanor agrees, expecting only to save herself from danger.

 

But Alexander is like no man she’s known before, a man more interested in courting her smile than her obedience, a man who values her counsel as much as her newly awakened passion…and a man unaware that Eleanor is the key to a fortune that could ensure the future of everything he holds dear.

 

Now, ruthless enemies will stop at nothing to secure Eleanor’s capture. Will she dare to trust her new husband before it’s too late for her, for Alexander, and for Kinfairlie?

 

8. Crave: The Seduction of Snow White by Cathy Yardley

 

When a woman is ripe for the picking . . .

 

Beth Cordova's life is no fairy tale. Having barely escaped the evil grasp of her wicked stepmother, this "missing princess" seeks refuge in a strict commune where carnal pleasures are forbidden.

 

Sometimes just one bite of the apple . . .

 

Her world is lonely and void of intimacy, until the charming Stephen Trent arrives at the commune. Suddenly Beth yearns for a man's touch, the feel of his lips on hers . . . and Stephen is eager to show this pure-as-snow princess that she can still be the sensual woman she was once upon a time.

 

Is all it takes to unleash her desires . . .

 

But all is not what it seems, and the stunning beauty finds herself again in danger, her stepmother hot on her trail. The commune's founders will not tolerate the pair, yet fleeing its walls could prove fatal. Trapped in a world where passion is outlawed, can Beth live happily ever after?

 

 

8. Eight Men And A Lady by Elizabeth Sinclair

 

Recent lottery winner Jackie Barrett wanted peace and quiet away from the newshounds and the endless stream of suitors who were offering her one absurd marriage proposal after another. So, when she awakened from her nap in her brother's cabin to find seven men staring down at her, she felt more than just a little like Snow White. It was just too bad that bachelor #8 was the prince who kissed her awake—because sexy Mike Hamilton had everything on his mind but marriage!

 

9. Miss Whiting And the Seven Wards by Lynn Collum

 

For best friends Sara, Ella, and Rosamond, life thus far has been any-thing but a fairy tale. Left to grow up at Mrs. Parson's Academy for Girls, they have little to look forward to upon graduation--not even a Season in London! But, as each young lady is about to learn, Fate, for all her fickleness, is sometimes kind--and happy endings may be found in the most unexpected places...

 

MIRROR, MIRROR, ON THE WALL...

For Miss Sara Whiting, the only thing harder than parting ways with her two best school chums is returning to a loveless home. Although she is aware of her stepmother's money-grubbing ways, Sara never suspects that the lady would turn to violence. But after a suspicious assault, she awakens to find herself in a warm bed in a cozy cottage--rescued by seven young boys in need of a savior of their own...

 

...WHO WILL BE THE FIRST TO FALL?

War wounds have effectively retired Sir Evan Beaumont from his soldiering career, while his betrothed has jilted him in favor of a wealthy baron. To make matters worse, he owes a favor to the man who saved his life--namely to evict a widow and her children from his friend's property. But when Evan goes to investigate the tenants, he finds himself charmed by both the cottage and its inhabitants--particularly the lovely young woman whom he can't quite believe is the mother of seven strapping sons. The more time Evan spends with the lady, the more he suspects a secret... and the more he loses his heart.. .

 

10. The Magic Mirror and the Seventh Dwarf by Tia Nevitt

 

Prince Richard is cursed. Enslaved to a magic mirror, he must truthfully answer the evil queen when she uses it to call on him. To keep from betraying innocents, Richard wanders the countryside and avoids people.

 

All her life, Gretchen has been teased for being small. When she hears of a hidden farm populated by little people like her, she sets out to find it--and is welcomed by the mostly male inhabitants. Lars in particular woos her with his gentle kindness and quiet strength.

 

Princess Ange has a year before she is to inherit her throne from her strange and cruel stepmother. She lives as a servant in her own home, and the townsfolk call her the Tattered Princess. She often flees her stepmother's cruelty by visiting her friends at the Little Farm, and there, Gretchen and Ange strike up an unlikely friendship.

 

When Richard finds the queen of the magic mirror, he never expects to fall in love with a scullery maid that works in the castle. And when he discovers her to be none other than the Tattered Princess, he is determined to help her. Then, Richard is compelled to tell the queen that she is no longer the fairest of them all. Enraged, the queen vows to find and destroy them.

 

If either Gretchen or Richard are to have their happy endings, they must team up to break the mirror's spell before the queen kills them all...

 

Have any more? Let me know! And vote on my Goodreads list: Snow White Themed Romance Novels

Like most cats, I have many lives. In one of my other lives, I teach college and grades are due.  So, my paws are worn out.

 

I don't time of a grand list today but we can have some fun

 

I made this Goodreads list: Romance Novels with the Number 11 and up in the Title.

 

So, what Romance titles spring to your mind? Lets play! 

 

 

Some Romances have a really unhappy begining to get to a happy ending. 

 

Can't think of much worse that getting ready to walk down that aisle or worse already being there to have your fiancee call it off.  This is what happen to all these heroes or heroines in these great Contemporary Romances. 

 

Enjoy!

 

My lists are never in any particular order.

 

1.  Just for Fun by Rosalind James

 

Nic Wilkinson is a responsible, organized, disciplined rugby player at the top of his game. Emma Martens is a sometimes-scattered, often-emotional, and always-broke would-be designer with a big chip on her shoulder where Nic’s concerned.

They have no history together, except one perfect week. Nothing in common anymore, except the most important thing of all.

Getting together again would be messy. Complicated. Scary. And, just maybe, worth every risk.

 

2. Mad, Bad and Blonde by Cathie Linz

 

After being jilted at the altar, librarian Faith West goes on her Italian honeymoon solo, but doesn't stay that way too long. And though her sexy rebound man has ulterior motives, feelings surface that neither of them are prepared for.

 

3. Love Kinection by Jennifer James

 

Love, romance, hearts, flowers, cupid…. Rubbish.

Abby Fine still hasn’t gotten over the pain of a year-old betrayal and plans to spend this Valentine’s Day drowning her sorrows with a ménage of men named Ben, Jerry, and Riesling.

Her plans are diverted when she drops and breaks her new iPhone and gives in to a momentary hormone surge, agreeing to let office hottie and tech god Tom Walker squirm his way into her condo to fix it.

Tom shows up with his Xbox, spicy Chinese food, and a habit of stealing kisses every time she lets her guard down.

Can a weekend of laughter, video games, and movies change Abby’s opinion of stupid Cupid?

 

4. Trust Me  by Jayne Ann Krentz

 

Desdemona Wainwright didn't want to be in Sam Stark's office, but her catering business was at stake. Someone had to pay the bill, and she wasn't going to leave until she had a check from Sam Stark. It wasn't her fault he was jilted at the altar.

Stark can't believe he's sharing details of his life with a caterer. He's a private person, not one to have long, meaningful conversations with a complete stranger. So when Desdemona asks him, on a whim, to join her that evening for a play...he surprises himself by saying yes. A much bigger shock awaits -- he's about to meet Desdemona's unusual family...

 

5. One in a Million by Jill Shalvis

 

As the brains behind wedding site TyingTheKnot.com, Callie sees it all: from the ring to the dress, the smiles...to the tears. It's that last part that keeps her single andnot looking. Getting left at the altar will do that to a girl. But when Callie returns to her old hometown, she finds that her sweet high school crush is sexier than ever. And he makes it hard to remember why she's sworn off love...

 

6. Strike Zone by Kate Angell

 

Faced with the love of her life waiting at the altar, thrill-seeking adventure guide Taylor Hannah lost her nerve and ran. Three years later, the gutsy blonde is back in Richmond to reclaim handsome Rogues pitcher Brek Stryker before he makes another trip down the aisle. From dressing as a giant baseball to pummeling the other team's mouthy mascot, this former fiancee is pulling out all the stops. Trouble is, her ball player refuses to believe she's finally ready to play by his rules.

Stryke hasn't forgiven the woman who left him on their wedding day, but he can't ignore the chemistry that sizzles every time he and Taylor meet. The fireworks between them could light up the ball park, but Stryke won't lose his heart again unless he knows the score. If Taylor steps into his strike zone, she'd better be ready to go past third base and all the way home.

 

7. Take Me, Cowboy by Jane Porter

 

When Jenny Wright's fiancé leaves her standing at the altar in a Vera Wang bridal gown she can't afford, she's humiliated and heartbroken. To have Marietta hero bull riding champ Colton Thorpe witness her shame - makes the rejection even more devastating.

Jenny and Colton grew up in the same rough neighborhood and they both left home right after school to pursue big dreams. Now they're both back, with Colton as the celebrity chair for the 75th Copper Mountain Rodeo, and Jenny in disgrace.

Sexy, rugged Colton didn't get to be a national champion by chance. He's a man that takes risks and goes after what he wants. During the rodeo weekend, Colton makes it clear he wants Jenny. Flustered but flattered, Jenny finds it difficult to resist his charm. But what happens when the rodeo ends and Colton leaves town? Will she dare to dream again?

 

8. Underfoot by Leanne Banks

 

Trina had one night of wild consolation sex with advertising contractor Walker after he was dumped at the altar, and now, a single mom, she is assigned to work with Walker on a new ad campaign. How is Trina going to tell him that the one thing he never wanted in life, the thing that he took surgical measures to prevent, has happened? Anxious to keep her daughter to herself, Trina is glad that Walker refuses to believe that he could be a father, but when Walker's uncle hears about the baby's bright orange hair, he encourages Walker to take a DNA test. Trina's mom is a bit of a problem, but once she gets together with Walker's uncle, she has less time to interfere in Trina's life.

 

9. Into The Wild by Beth Ciotta

When River Kane's fiancé abandons her at the altar for being too conventional, she's heartbroken. But everything changes when her estranged archaeologist father sends her his journal—filled with cryptic maps and a note indicating he's in mortal danger. Worried, River faces her greatest fears and flies to the Amazon to find him. But she needs a guide. Someone completely unlike danger-seeker Spenser McGraw.

A charismatic treasure hunter who thrives on risk, Spenser hosts the popular TV show Into the Wild, dedicated to locating lost treasures and mythical icons. But River's father's life depends on discretion, and too-sexy Spenser is all about publicity. Forced to team up, they embark on a jungle adventure ripe with temptation and danger…ultimately discovering a hidden treasure that could alter history—and a steamy love neither expected.

 

10. Everything But a Groom by Holly Jacobs

 

Every Hungarian grandma knows that words have power. Nana Salo never meant the words she said in anger to become a family curse, but that's just what happened. Her granddaughter Vancy is just the newest victim. Vancy's fiance has left her at the altar, and now the press is after a hot grandma-curses-granddaughter's-wedding story. Vancy doesn't believe in the Salo Family Wedding Curse, but when her groom ditches her and the press is hot on her heels, she's not quite so sure anymore. She's hiding out with Matt Wilde, owner of the Everything Wilde landscaping business, helping out with his two newly-inherited nephews as she figures out what to do. Matt doesn't believe in curses either, but he seems cursed with thoughts of Vancy Salo that he just can't seem to shake. A hoard of reporters, a guilty grandma, a gaggle of other family members, and two four-year-olds prone to stealing hearts and wreaking havoc: it's not exactly a classic situation for falling in love...but that's just what may be happening for Vancy and Matt.

 

Did I miss your favorite jilted bride or groom? Let me know! Vote for the best of the best on my Goodreads list: Left at the Altar in Contemporary Romance.