This was a really different Amish romance and nothing like what I expected. Rhoda is discontent with her life. She feels like the odd one out as both her sister and mother are getting married and moving on with a new life with new families. She feels a change in the air and jumps into a new job without looking back. I have to say, I admire her bravery for taking that leap.

That leap leads to more than just a great job that she loves. It leads to a family that deparately needs her - and even if she doesn't realize it just yet - that she desparately needs as well. But there's one really big problem. This family isn't Amish - so they are strictly off limits in the romantic sort of way.

Rhoda tackles this problem by trusting God, her Englischer friend tackles the problem in a way that I thought was postively brilliant. If I hadn't loved him already - I definitely would have fallen right then and there. The romance was amazing, the people in the story were amazing. I loved this part soooo much.

Again, and I've mentioned this before in other books by Charolotte Hubbard, the accent was just a bit too much for me. It was toned down in this one since a good portion of the book takes place outside of the Amish community. I understand the concept of drawing the reader in with accents and realistic language, but it just doesn't do it for me in this case

Ashleigh Taylor was introduced in the previous book about the department super powers and their fall to leveraged buy outs. Twisted Webs takes a step back from the corporate world and looks more into the personal lives of the characters. Ashleigh has twins - but one is stolen from the cradle in the hospital days after they are born. As the hunt for the missing twin begins - we follow the lives of both sides throughout the entire story. 

Some favorite characters are brought back and the small world of retailing and fashion force the kidnapped twins family and Ashleigh's family into each other's sphere time and again - with close calls and finally a recognition. The thing that really stands out in this whole drama is the lack of a bad guy. The family that has the missing twin has no idea that their daughter was kidnapped. Once the story comes to light, the story begins to really unfold in a very interesting way.

The ending was brilliant. I don't think Darlene Quinn could have done better with it. Ashleigh's attitude during the story was amazing. The strain it put on her relationships was very real. A very well-done story.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

Making Spirits Bright:
This was a very cute story, but I wish she had done more research on the cat, it just wasn't very realistic at times. But while the animals were cute, they weren't part of the actual romance. Melanie really steals the show in this one in her quest to adopt a child. Her determination was amazing and was something she wanted with all her heart. Bryce was a great guy. He was fun and all, but a bit too much of "whatever you want I want". There really wasn't a conflict there. I don't need much, but a little would have been nice.

Runaway Christmas:
This was my favorite of the bunch! Heidi's world is really turned upside down this Christmas as everything seems to go wrong! Even the weather has it in for her and her dreams of a quiet, peaceful Christmas by herself are shattered. Her niece was just the right touch, but I'm not entirely sure how necessary she was to the story. It's almost as if she was added just to give another potential complication. There's a couple romances, and both are really sweet.

Home for Christmas:
This one had a back story and a lot going on for a novella. Very well layered, with a great small town versus big corporation running through it as well. Sam is a great hero - with lots of depth and a lot of development as we move along. Jo was a tad too sweet for my taste. Just a little to goodie.

Christmas on Cape Cod:
This one was my least favorite. A very sugary couple with a very sugary Christmas story. It just wasn't my style at all.

Overall, this was a great mix of Christmas tales. Some were better than others, but it was a great addition to my Christmas reading for the year.

This is one the most detailed historical fictions I have ever read. That is a good thing and and a bad thing. It's good because the story is really brought to life and the world Emery Lee creates is vibrant and alive. It's a bad thing because, since I don't know tons about the Georgian period, there were things I just didn't quite understand. It seemed like everyone had three, if not more, names and at times it was hard to keep track of them all.

I really enjoyed watching Phillip maneuver his way through the gaming tables of England. I think I learned more about how to cheat at dice and cards in this book than anything else. Susannah, on the other hand, isn't quite as good at the game. But she wants to learn - and while Phillip teaches her they fall in love. Sound like a romance? While it has a lot of romantic elements - this is definitely not an historical romance.

Lots of twists and turns that eventually take us back to the story in book one of the Georgian Gamesters. Very well rounded and well written. I hope to see more about this world soon.

OK - we're moving in the right direction again, although with the sudden reappearance of the DPI I was a little thrown. I think I've seen them eliminated two or three times now, but I guess they are the cockroaches of evil agencies and you just can't seem to get rid of them. We also get another visit from the Order of Athena - which was really fun. I wish they had been more of a presence throughout the series, I really enjoy their lore and history.

Lilith and Ethan have a lot more in common than we first realize. Both are "orphans" that were raised in some crazy strange compound meant to brain wash people. But they somehow resisted and escaped. OK - sounds like a fantastic beginning. But it gets a little too crazy and out there (even for a vampire romance) about half way through.

Ehtan and Lilith have a ton of trust issues - partly because Lilith doesn't remember much of of anything at first and then misinterprets a lot after that. But also because Ethan is keeping all sorts of stuff from her. I got very frustrated at both of them several times.

Overall this was a very exciting read. We got to briefly see the original vamps and I always like seeing them. I just wish they didn't come in to save the day and then disappear all the time. The romance didn't quite make it for me though - they just never seemed to sit right.