So This is Christmas: the magic of Christmas is shattered by a horrifying crime

So This is Christmas is the eleventh book in the best selling Hart’s Ridge series by Kay Bratt. The small town of Hart’s Ridge is glowing with holiday magic as the quaint town is decked with festive lights and holiday cheer that draws visitors from all around. However, this year, Deputy Taylor Gray hopes for a quiet holiday as she recovers and learns how to enjoy her new role as the family celebrates. However, in another part of town, the peace and quiet of the Christmas spirit is shattered when four bodies are discovered. Detective Shane Weaver must solve this crime without Taylor as she becomes torn between her promise to Sam to stay out of the investigation and focus on her recovery and her sworn duty to keep the town safe. Who would do such a horrendous act at Christmas? And can Taylor keep her promise? Will Shane leave her out of it? 

The Hart’s Ridge series just keeps getting better and better! To say that I enjoyed this story would be an understatement. Inspired by real life crime stories, So This is Christmas takes readers on a journey into the unthinkable and asks the question what would drive someone to commit such a crime. So This is Christmas opens with the shocking crime as a family is gunned down and keeps readers on the edge of their seats as the twists and turns come at a fast pace. Intertwined with the case, Taylor is faced with a decision: when will she realize that taking time for yourself and your health isn’t selfish but necessary? It is a question that many caregivers must face. What will be Taylor’s breaking point? If you are a fan of the Hart’s Ridge series, I highly, highly recommend So This is Christmas! If you have not yet started the series, I highly, highly recommend it. 

So This is Christmas is currently available in eBook

A Whole Heap of Wishes: finding love and happiness in the here and now

A Whole Heap of Wishes by Amanda Prowse is the eleventh book in The Wishing Tree series. The upbeat, easy going and outgoing Vera has a popular beauty parlor in Linden Falls. Known for her friendly conversation, Vera holds all confidences are shared within the safety of her salon. Her life is about to be shaken up when she gets a letter from her son announcing his engagement and their impending visit to Linden Falls. While she is excited, Vera is also plagued with anxiety as no one in town knows about her son or his father. With the legacy of her childhood still haunting her, she battles with self-esteem and feelings of inadequacies that she hides her true self from her friends, her town and her son. Can she make peace with the past in order to have a brighter future? 

A Whole Heap of Wishes is a shorter story than the previous books in this series. However it is still a sweet, heartwarming story of life’s choices and finding love and happiness in the here and now. Vera has been seen in previous books and she was always a fun and lively character. In A Whole Heap of Wishes, readers discover she hides pain, shame and low self-esteem behind the fun façade. As one wish came true, Vera hopes for one more. I did find the speed in which Vera’s son, Knox, and his fiancée plan the wedding suspicious. I wondered if there was more than a happy couple so deeply in love? There is a bit of a twist at the end. I enjoyed A Whole Heap of Wishes. I recommend it and the previous books in this series. 

A Whole Heap of Wishes is available in paperback and eBook