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Pride and Pranks #0.5
A Christmas Spark
When my best friend found out I’d be alone over Christmas, she hooked me up with a week stay in her family’s cabin in Idaho. I was on a publishing deadline for my latest book and was really looking forward to a cozy week by the fire, cuddled up in flannel pajamas with my laptop and hot chocolate.
Alone.
So imagine my surprise when I arrived at the cabin during a blizzard, and found it already occupied. By an all too familiar face and a fine pack of chiseled abs. Even though it had been ten years since I’d last seen Chase, he had no problem picking up exactly where we left off.
I had a big problem with it.
It didn’t matter what he threw at me—the old nickname, the teasing, his charming grin, or even those chiseled abs (did I already mention those?), I refused to let him get to me after…the incident. Nope, not me. I was made of stone.
Unfortunately, I’m beginning to understand that when you strike Chase against stone…you get sparks.
Lots of them.
Alone.
So imagine my surprise when I arrived at the cabin during a blizzard, and found it already occupied. By an all too familiar face and a fine pack of chiseled abs. Even though it had been ten years since I’d last seen Chase, he had no problem picking up exactly where we left off.
I had a big problem with it.
It didn’t matter what he threw at me—the old nickname, the teasing, his charming grin, or even those chiseled abs (did I already mention those?), I refused to let him get to me after…the incident. Nope, not me. I was made of stone.
Unfortunately, I’m beginning to understand that when you strike Chase against stone…you get sparks.
Lots of them.
131 pages
First published December 5, 2020
About the author
Cindy Steel
8 books1,079 followersCindy Steel was raised on a dairy farm in Idaho. She grew up singing Garth Brooks and Reba McEntire songs at the top of her lungs and learning to solve all of life’s problems while milking cows and driving tractors—rewriting happy endings every time. She met and married a handsome Idaho boy and is the proud mother of two wild and sweet twin boys. Which means she is also now a collector of bugs, sticks, rocks, and slobbery kisses. She loves making breakfast, baking, photography, reading a good book, and staying up way past her bedtime to craft stories that will hopefully make you smile.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 599 reviews
December 30, 2022
Christmas rom-com 🎄☃️❄️
This is a cute novella and makes me giddy! Childhood enemies to lovers + forced proximity ❤️🔥
Penny needs to finish her novel and is spending the week before Christmas alone writing at her best friend's (also sister-in-law) rural cabin in Idaho. Having to abandon her car in the blizzard and walk the rest of the way, she was surprised to see the cabin occupied by none other than her twin brother's best friend, Chase.
This one is a clean PG romcom but still has it all! Funny banter, a lot of angst, and tensions are high! I enjoyed the audio read by Stefanie Kay.
Thanks Lucy!🥰
This is a cute novella and makes me giddy! Childhood enemies to lovers + forced proximity ❤️🔥
Penny needs to finish her novel and is spending the week before Christmas alone writing at her best friend's (also sister-in-law) rural cabin in Idaho. Having to abandon her car in the blizzard and walk the rest of the way, she was surprised to see the cabin occupied by none other than her twin brother's best friend, Chase.
This one is a clean PG romcom but still has it all! Funny banter, a lot of angst, and tensions are high! I enjoyed the audio read by Stefanie Kay.
Thanks Lucy!🥰
November 22, 2022
A Christmas Spark is a super cute, wholesome, holiday romance! The plot is satisfying and has a meaningful story that readers can relate to. Picture this: you’re stranded at a remote cabin with the man who made some hateful remarks about you in middle school. You remember the feelings of pure sadness when you overheard those words and to this day, they still affect you. What would you do?
Penny and Chase are both wonderful characters and seeing the two work through their past was adorable. It starts as an enemies-to-lovers romance and slowly turns into something so much more! Based on this one, I’m excited to see where the rest of this series goes! Cindy Steel is a new to me author, but I’ll definitely be grabbing more of her books!
𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙:
• Snowed in Romances
• Wholesome/Sweet Reads
• Enemies-to-lovers
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Penny and Chase are both wonderful characters and seeing the two work through their past was adorable. It starts as an enemies-to-lovers romance and slowly turns into something so much more! Based on this one, I’m excited to see where the rest of this series goes! Cindy Steel is a new to me author, but I’ll definitely be grabbing more of her books!
𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙:
• Snowed in Romances
• Wholesome/Sweet Reads
• Enemies-to-lovers
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
December 16, 2023
I loved this story 😍. If you're looking for a romance novella to wrap up your Christmastime reads, give this one a try.
Blog: LucyKnowsThings.com
Blog: LucyKnowsThings.com
January 11, 2024
This seems pretty dang surreal! I may be biased, but I think this book is pretty cute, swoony, and fun! A perfect escape for the holidays! I hope you guys like it as much as I had fun writing it. Available to purchase on Amazon on December 5, 2020!!
November 8, 2021
are you looking for an 'i hated you in high school' romance?
do you like snowing romance?
if you answered yes to at least one of the questions, this book is for you!
do you like snowing romance?
if you answered yes to at least one of the questions, this book is for you!
December 25, 2021
4.5 ⭐
Loved it!
Full review soon...
☃️🎄❄☃️🎄❄☃️🎄❄☃️🎄❄☃️🎄❄☃️🎄❄☃️🎄❄☃️🎄❄☃️🎄❄☃️🎄❄☃️🎄❄☃️
Loved it!
Full review soon...
☃️🎄❄☃️🎄❄☃️🎄❄☃️🎄❄☃️🎄❄☃️🎄❄☃️🎄❄☃️🎄❄☃️🎄❄☃️🎄❄☃️🎄❄☃️
December 20, 2020
Oh my! Despite my love of novellas, especially during the holiday season, it's rare for me to be left completely satisfied ... but this was perfect!
Alone for the holidays, Penny is appreciating the chance to use a remote cabin to finish writing her third romance novel. Forced to ditch her car and belongings in a blizzard, the trip doesn't go as planned, especially after discovering the cabin is already occupied by the bane of her existence, Chase.
Best friend of her twin brother and boy that unknowingly broke her heart fifteen years ago, Chase is equally unprepared to share his vacation with Penny. Filled with the wittiest of banter, the tension between them bounces off the cabin walls. With practically nothing but bacon and fish to eat, it's a hilarious week spent together under one roof getting cozy (and nearly catching hypothermia). I legitimately giggled multiple times while reading.
While being a closed-door romance, the connection was so strong that I could feel the heat radiating between them. With one moment being able to change the course of your life, I absolutely loved the explanation for holding a fifteen year grudge. And this is one of my favourite novella endings! It was such a clever, full-circle finish.
Alone for the holidays, Penny is appreciating the chance to use a remote cabin to finish writing her third romance novel. Forced to ditch her car and belongings in a blizzard, the trip doesn't go as planned, especially after discovering the cabin is already occupied by the bane of her existence, Chase.
Best friend of her twin brother and boy that unknowingly broke her heart fifteen years ago, Chase is equally unprepared to share his vacation with Penny. Filled with the wittiest of banter, the tension between them bounces off the cabin walls. With practically nothing but bacon and fish to eat, it's a hilarious week spent together under one roof getting cozy (and nearly catching hypothermia). I legitimately giggled multiple times while reading.
While being a closed-door romance, the connection was so strong that I could feel the heat radiating between them. With one moment being able to change the course of your life, I absolutely loved the explanation for holding a fifteen year grudge. And this is one of my favourite novella endings! It was such a clever, full-circle finish.
December 1, 2023
That
Was
So
Cute
I’m not normally a “hold onto a grudge” rom-com troupe girly but this one was done. So. Well!!!!
The forced proximity! The shared history! The poker games. The snarky/flirty interactions. The mice.
I just can’t say how much I loved this story!
5/5 stars
Was
So
Cute
I’m not normally a “hold onto a grudge” rom-com troupe girly but this one was done. So. Well!!!!
The forced proximity! The shared history! The poker games. The snarky/flirty interactions. The mice.
I just can’t say how much I loved this story!
5/5 stars
January 20, 2023
This book made me so angry, I just sped through the rest of it from 72% on just so I can write this negative review.
I enjoyed another Cindy Steel book a lot... and tried another... I had to DNF. This one I tried and almost DNF'd as well.
She seems to have a formula... an inciting incident, a guy who "teases" but actually likes the heroine, and a heroine who takes that inciting incident as proof he doesn't like her and, while secretly crushing on the guy, makes him into her "enemy". And maybe, with the book I enjoyed, she finally made a good book. But this one!? No.
These two are so immature. And frankly, the guy is an asshole and the woman is an idiot. This has the "if he teases you, he likes you" crap all over it. Starting with a time in jr high where he says "she looks like my dog, but not as hot". Now, if he had groveled and truly apologized, maybe I could forgive him. But no, he doesn't really apologize. HE DOESN'T EVEN REMEMBER SAYING IT! He basically says "I never said that" and then "I would have probably said anything to try to make [popular guy] think I was cool".
Okay, that's back in Jr High. They're thrown together as adults. She's 28 and I'm not sure how old he is. He consistently teases her and torments her throughout their "stuck in the cabin time". And when he finally confesses that "I've always liked you", he says he knew she didn't like him so he just annoyed her cause he didn't have a chance of making her like him. That this continues to happen when they are both adults is infuriating!
The heroine annoyed me. She supposedly makes her living at being an author but has only sold 2 books and is working on her 3rd. Hm. I can let that pass, but it's super unlikely to be able to support yourself full time at that point writing romance books. Maybe her two books were SUPER successful... but it just doesn't feel likely.
The hero is uber competent. He brings all the food, clothes, knows how to cook, fish, etc. The heroine seems strangely incompetent ALL THE TIME. The culmination of this is when the hero hasn't returned from ice fishing and he tells her "if I haven't returned in two hours, call search and rescue". She gets worried (but also stupidly is concerned more that if there's nothing wrong, he will tease her) and goes out looking for him. HE'S FINE! But she gets on thin ice which breaks and throws her in the water AND HE NEEDS TO RESCUE HER!
Ugh. This book made me so angry!
Oh... and they play poker and he's constantly winning the whole time until the last hand where she gets to win. And, instead of thinking "he threw that hand so I could win... maybe he cheated the whole time", she stops at the "awwww... he cheated to let me win. What a sweetie". Gag!
I enjoyed another Cindy Steel book a lot... and tried another... I had to DNF. This one I tried and almost DNF'd as well.
She seems to have a formula... an inciting incident, a guy who "teases" but actually likes the heroine, and a heroine who takes that inciting incident as proof he doesn't like her and, while secretly crushing on the guy, makes him into her "enemy". And maybe, with the book I enjoyed, she finally made a good book. But this one!? No.
These two are so immature. And frankly, the guy is an asshole and the woman is an idiot. This has the "if he teases you, he likes you" crap all over it. Starting with a time in jr high where he says "she looks like my dog, but not as hot". Now, if he had groveled and truly apologized, maybe I could forgive him. But no, he doesn't really apologize. HE DOESN'T EVEN REMEMBER SAYING IT! He basically says "I never said that" and then "I would have probably said anything to try to make [popular guy] think I was cool".
Okay, that's back in Jr High. They're thrown together as adults. She's 28 and I'm not sure how old he is. He consistently teases her and torments her throughout their "stuck in the cabin time". And when he finally confesses that "I've always liked you", he says he knew she didn't like him so he just annoyed her cause he didn't have a chance of making her like him. That this continues to happen when they are both adults is infuriating!
The heroine annoyed me. She supposedly makes her living at being an author but has only sold 2 books and is working on her 3rd. Hm. I can let that pass, but it's super unlikely to be able to support yourself full time at that point writing romance books. Maybe her two books were SUPER successful... but it just doesn't feel likely.
The hero is uber competent. He brings all the food, clothes, knows how to cook, fish, etc. The heroine seems strangely incompetent ALL THE TIME. The culmination of this is when the hero hasn't returned from ice fishing and he tells her "if I haven't returned in two hours, call search and rescue". She gets worried (but also stupidly is concerned more that if there's nothing wrong, he will tease her) and goes out looking for him. HE'S FINE! But she gets on thin ice which breaks and throws her in the water AND HE NEEDS TO RESCUE HER!
Ugh. This book made me so angry!
Oh... and they play poker and he's constantly winning the whole time until the last hand where she gets to win. And, instead of thinking "he threw that hand so I could win... maybe he cheated the whole time", she stops at the "awwww... he cheated to let me win. What a sweetie". Gag!
December 3, 2022
Somewhere in the middle of the night, a loud snap sounded. And just like that, Harold was gone. -- "A Christmas Spark", Cindy Steel
Christmas surprises are always great — unless, of course, you find yourself trapped in a cabin during a snowstorm with your twin brother’s best friend –who just happens to be the same guy who broke your heart in junior high school when you heard him tell another guy, “She looks like my dog, but not as hot.”
Give yourself a merry holiday treat that serves up plenty of laughter and heart flutters in equal measure. Fun and sassy with lovable characters and just the right amount of holiday spice.
Make yourself a cup of hot chocolate, cuddle up in a warm fuzzy blanket and feel the love in this adorably fun-to-read enemies-to-lovers holiday romance.
January 1, 2022
Super fun & lots of snarky banter in this Christmas novella. enemies to lovers is my favorite trope. If you need a quick light read check this one out!
October 11, 2024
He calls her "Blister"🤦🏻♀️
December 28, 2020
Adorable!
The Christmas season often puts me in the mood for a sugary sweet and humorous love story and what better treat than being snowed in with your enemy for the holidays?
This story is such a fun RomCom with a series of mishaps, laughs, swoons, and more. Penny and Chase have a past, but things aren't always as they seem to be and being stuck together helps them uncover their buried secrets and discover what matters. I loved their prickly banter just as much as I adored the undeniable chemistry.
From the festive cover, to the impeccable amount of swoon and romantic tension, this story will hit the holiday sweet spot. This debut author is definitely one to keep an eye on!
Content: mild romance
The Christmas season often puts me in the mood for a sugary sweet and humorous love story and what better treat than being snowed in with your enemy for the holidays?
This story is such a fun RomCom with a series of mishaps, laughs, swoons, and more. Penny and Chase have a past, but things aren't always as they seem to be and being stuck together helps them uncover their buried secrets and discover what matters. I loved their prickly banter just as much as I adored the undeniable chemistry.
From the festive cover, to the impeccable amount of swoon and romantic tension, this story will hit the holiday sweet spot. This debut author is definitely one to keep an eye on!
Content: mild romance
December 15, 2023
Cute! Stupidly cute.. Loved it!
Quick little read to help add to my December cold snowy Christmas romance escape..
Although the Christmas theme rarely made an appearance
Still, it had the feels.. enemies to lovers, snow stormy, bacon, cabin in the woods—forced proximity, board/games
You can just feel the warmth emanating from these two after the incident while he was fishing.. Was a cute story.
I have to give more novelas like these a try 🩵🤍
Quick little read to help add to my December cold snowy Christmas romance escape..
Although the Christmas theme rarely made an appearance
Still, it had the feels.. enemies to lovers, snow stormy, bacon, cabin in the woods—forced proximity, board/games
You can just feel the warmth emanating from these two after the incident while he was fishing.. Was a cute story.
I have to give more novelas like these a try 🩵🤍
December 13, 2023
She just has a way of writing that’s so funny!
December 2, 2023
Such a cute and sweet romance! Chase and Penny make a fun couple. I felt her pain in the beginning during the 8th-grade setting. I could totally relate to that. I'm glad they both had a chance to clear the air.
Rating: PG -some kissing (swoon-worthy) :-)
Language: clean read, some implied swearing (nothing was actually spoken)
Recommend: absolutely!
Rating: PG -some kissing (swoon-worthy) :-)
Language: clean read, some implied swearing (nothing was actually spoken)
Recommend: absolutely!
December 1, 2023
I've read everything Cindy has written.
I will now go into mourning.
Okay that's dramatic.
I'll just start them all over again (some for the third time 😳😂)
SHE CAN DO NO WRONG.
I will now go into mourning.
Okay that's dramatic.
I'll just start them all over again (some for the third time 😳😂)
SHE CAN DO NO WRONG.
December 3, 2020
Wow! If this is what we get from a little novella from a new author, I am very excited to see what else she offers the world in the future!
I will not lie, this book is steamy. But it is not descriptive or really even suggestive. I would still classify it as clean. But the kissing scenes are definitely *steamy!*
This little novella is so adorable. As I have said before, usually novellas feel a bit rushed and improbable to me. But these I’ve read recently where the protagonists knew one another before work. And this one definitely works! I got confused occasionally on the time line but I think it all worked out. I loved the confessions at the end. Very appropriate—and necessary! I really wanted the Blister and mouse stories! Thanks for including those, Cindy.
The banter, the snark and sarcasm, and chemistry, were all super. This is the perfect light read that was just all-around fun and I loved it. I can see this being an annual reread for me. There is no question as to whether I will be purchasing the paperback when it comes available. Great work, Cindy! I can’t wait to see what else you come up with!
Note: protagonists end up sleeping in the same place, but literally just sleeping; nothing else happens so don’t get your panties tied in a knot. As I said, fairly steamy kissing scenes. If you can’t stand that, don’t read this book. But you’ll be missing out. 1 swear word and I couldn’t even be mad about it because it delivered in the best possible line.
**I received an ARC of this book, with the option to review. All opinions are 100% my own.
I will not lie, this book is steamy. But it is not descriptive or really even suggestive. I would still classify it as clean. But the kissing scenes are definitely *steamy!*
This little novella is so adorable. As I have said before, usually novellas feel a bit rushed and improbable to me. But these I’ve read recently where the protagonists knew one another before work. And this one definitely works! I got confused occasionally on the time line but I think it all worked out. I loved the confessions at the end. Very appropriate—and necessary! I really wanted the Blister and mouse stories! Thanks for including those, Cindy.
The banter, the snark and sarcasm, and chemistry, were all super. This is the perfect light read that was just all-around fun and I loved it. I can see this being an annual reread for me. There is no question as to whether I will be purchasing the paperback when it comes available. Great work, Cindy! I can’t wait to see what else you come up with!
Note: protagonists end up sleeping in the same place, but literally just sleeping; nothing else happens so don’t get your panties tied in a knot. As I said, fairly steamy kissing scenes. If you can’t stand that, don’t read this book. But you’ll be missing out. 1 swear word and I couldn’t even be mad about it because it delivered in the best possible line.
**I received an ARC of this book, with the option to review. All opinions are 100% my own.
December 13, 2020
Fun!
I was surprised after I finished the book, to learn that this was Ms. Steel's first published book! I look forward to reading more from her in the future.
I thought this was a fun holiday read, takes place at a remote cabin the week leading up to Christmas. I loved the setting and I'm always a sucker for a good enemies-to-lovers trope and thought it was handled well here. Lighthearted fun, some swoony moments and just an overall enjoyable read.
Content: Clean, kissing, no language or violence
2021 Swoony Nominee: https://tinyurl.com/y593ce67
I was surprised after I finished the book, to learn that this was Ms. Steel's first published book! I look forward to reading more from her in the future.
I thought this was a fun holiday read, takes place at a remote cabin the week leading up to Christmas. I loved the setting and I'm always a sucker for a good enemies-to-lovers trope and thought it was handled well here. Lighthearted fun, some swoony moments and just an overall enjoyable read.
Content: Clean, kissing, no language or violence
2021 Swoony Nominee: https://tinyurl.com/y593ce67
December 6, 2022
I am becoming the biggest Cindy Steel fan!
After reading Faking Christmas I've gone back and bought everything this author has ever written and after finishing each and every book I'm definitely having NO REGRETS!
This book was light, fun and super swoony. I love a brother's best friend, forced proximity Christmas romance.
Grab this one because it's super fun!
After reading Faking Christmas I've gone back and bought everything this author has ever written and after finishing each and every book I'm definitely having NO REGRETS!
This book was light, fun and super swoony. I love a brother's best friend, forced proximity Christmas romance.
Grab this one because it's super fun!
December 8, 2020
This was perfectly just what I needed. My only complaint is that there isn’t a backlist for me to binge now!
October 29, 2024
4 Stars because I liked it. Was this an original idea? It’s two people stuck in a cabin during a snowstorm and they don’t like each other. Penny heard Chase say she was uglier than his dog in 8th grade. It hurt a lot, and she’s never really completely got over it. Probably because she really liked Chase. For his part Chase doesn’t even remember saying it. Maybe not the most original plot, but it was well written and kept my interest.
January 3, 2022
So cute!!!
I have officially found a favorite RomCom writer and it’s Cindy Steel! I love the banter, the non-cheesiness of the dialogue, and the internal angst, pining, and mortification of the narrators. I cannot wait to read more by the author who leaves me laughing out loud and swooning over her couples!
I have officially found a favorite RomCom writer and it’s Cindy Steel! I love the banter, the non-cheesiness of the dialogue, and the internal angst, pining, and mortification of the narrators. I cannot wait to read more by the author who leaves me laughing out loud and swooning over her couples!
December 6, 2022
A short and sweet enemies to lovers Christmas listen. It was very cute and cozy but would have been better if it didn’t feel the need to remind me how “cozy” it was in every description 😅
December 14, 2021
4.5 stars
January 10, 2022
4.5 ⭐️
This was such a fun, romantic and quick escape read!
I really felt like I was freezing my butt off in the mountains with Penny and Chase! 😂
I love the good “childhood enemies to lovers” tropes and this one was done beautifully!
Cindy Steel’s writing was awesome! After just a couple chapters I immediately went and got my free download for “Stranded Ranch” to read soon too! I can’t wait!
Random things I loved:
Harold and Helga Mouse 😂
Checkers
The opposite of strip poker
Penny’s dip in the frozen lake…
I seriously recommend picking this up if you need a quick wintery read!
Quote I loved:
“I smiled, shaking my head slightly. “What happened to the whole ‘ignoring each other’ plan?”
He smiled back.
For about five whole seconds he stood, not speaking, but staring into my eyes, while fire raced up my body. “I don’t think that was ever in the cards for us.”
His voice sounded low and gravelly to my ears, setting my entire body ablaze.”
This was such a fun, romantic and quick escape read!
I really felt like I was freezing my butt off in the mountains with Penny and Chase! 😂
I love the good “childhood enemies to lovers” tropes and this one was done beautifully!
Cindy Steel’s writing was awesome! After just a couple chapters I immediately went and got my free download for “Stranded Ranch” to read soon too! I can’t wait!
Random things I loved:
Harold and Helga Mouse 😂
Checkers
The opposite of strip poker
Penny’s dip in the frozen lake…
I seriously recommend picking this up if you need a quick wintery read!
Quote I loved:
“I smiled, shaking my head slightly. “What happened to the whole ‘ignoring each other’ plan?”
He smiled back.
For about five whole seconds he stood, not speaking, but staring into my eyes, while fire raced up my body. “I don’t think that was ever in the cards for us.”
His voice sounded low and gravelly to my ears, setting my entire body ablaze.”
December 11, 2020
Loved it!! Perfect cozy Christmas romcom—reads a lot like a Sarah Adams book (my fave romcom author!) Funny and clean without losing the tension/spark (no pun intended! 😜) PLUS, enemies to lovers—my favorite trope! 😜 Wish it could have been a full length novel—just because I couldn’t get enough! But I will say, for a novella it felt like a really full story. ❤️
Can’t wait for more from this author. ❤️
Can’t wait for more from this author. ❤️
November 29, 2022
Oh. My. Gosh.
This novella was hysterical and swoony, all wrapped up into one delectable miniature package.
I don't think I can express how much I loved it. Like, really, really loved it.
It was... PERFECT.
I don't do a lot of highlighting when I read on Kindle, but I couldn't NOT highlight in this book. The banter was AMAZING. And hilarious! And, to my delight, very plentiful. After highlighting about 50% of the book, I thought, "I'm going overboard...," while sheepishly highlighting another paragraph. It was just so funny! This is probably the best compliment I can give to a hero, but he really reminded me of my husband. What a tease! (But with a sweet "I'm devoted to you"/"Get over here and kiss me" undercurrent to it.) No wonder I loved the novella so much!
But it wasn't just funny. It was also super romantic. The chemistry was off the charts. Some awesome scenes here and swoony situations. What a great example of a "clean" book that has amazing sexual tension. It can be done, people! So, so good...
I really liked both the H and the h. Their dynamics were perfect. I liked the snark (because it wasn't cutting - it was funny) and I liked the sweet. This had a perfect balance. It also had a great balance between their roles. I liked that Penny wasn't too bold. It was the guy who did the chasing and she allowed herself to get caught. I'm into that. (Especially considering he had some distance to make up based off their past.) She was funny and witty, but when he was coming on to her, she got a little shy. It was endearing and perfect. That last scene when he bared his heart to her was swoony! And that last kiss... well, I can't do the writing justice - it was so perfect. I'll make my kindle highlight public, but you have to read the whole novella to get the full yummy effect! (*Nevermind - I didn't make that one public - you just have to read it in context.)
PS Speaking of tender kisses - I liked how this author made the kisses delicious and sexy instead of violent and forceful. She nailed it. Besides, it matched Penny's personality better. I read another novella recently that had the latter sort of kissing and instead of increasing the chemistry it was just... jarring. (Beauty & the Duke by Nadine Millard - I gave it 2 stars - wouldn't recommend.)
(Oh, one more thing - sometimes 2nd chance books make me feel kinda sad that they wasted all that time when they could have been together. In this book, they are 28 yrs old but I never felt sad about the years they spent single. This author did a great job of portraying their adult lives as being fulfilling, successful and happy instead of them pining away for years and years.)
K. Gotta go. I'm going to spend the next 10 minutes adding all Cindy Steel books to my TBR list and deciding which to read first. Yay! Can't wait!
Content:
Language - just one "damn"
Sex - no sex scenes; very mild innuendo. Some making out and high sexual tension, but still very much 'clean.'
Violence - none
I read this on Kindle Unlimited.
****I have crushing news. Apparently this is the only book the author has written so far (1/21). I'm going to go cry a river of tears. This author was so entertaining - I thought I had a month's worth of books lined up! Well, I'm first in line for her upcoming release. Can't get it soon enough. :)
REREAD NOVEMBER 2022
This was just as good as the first time! And I don’t ever reread books. No joke. But I absolutely loved it all over again! It’s still my favorite Cindy Steel book. So much chemistry, so much delightful banter. This is one of my all time favorites.
This novella was hysterical and swoony, all wrapped up into one delectable miniature package.
I don't think I can express how much I loved it. Like, really, really loved it.
It was... PERFECT.
I don't do a lot of highlighting when I read on Kindle, but I couldn't NOT highlight in this book. The banter was AMAZING. And hilarious! And, to my delight, very plentiful. After highlighting about 50% of the book, I thought, "I'm going overboard...," while sheepishly highlighting another paragraph. It was just so funny! This is probably the best compliment I can give to a hero, but he really reminded me of my husband. What a tease! (But with a sweet "I'm devoted to you"/"Get over here and kiss me" undercurrent to it.) No wonder I loved the novella so much!
But it wasn't just funny. It was also super romantic. The chemistry was off the charts. Some awesome scenes here and swoony situations. What a great example of a "clean" book that has amazing sexual tension. It can be done, people! So, so good...
I really liked both the H and the h. Their dynamics were perfect. I liked the snark (because it wasn't cutting - it was funny) and I liked the sweet. This had a perfect balance. It also had a great balance between their roles. I liked that Penny wasn't too bold. It was the guy who did the chasing and she allowed herself to get caught. I'm into that. (Especially considering he had some distance to make up based off their past.) She was funny and witty, but when he was coming on to her, she got a little shy. It was endearing and perfect. That last scene when he bared his heart to her was swoony! And that last kiss... well, I can't do the writing justice - it was so perfect. I'll make my kindle highlight public, but you have to read the whole novella to get the full yummy effect! (*Nevermind - I didn't make that one public - you just have to read it in context.)
PS Speaking of tender kisses - I liked how this author made the kisses delicious and sexy instead of violent and forceful. She nailed it. Besides, it matched Penny's personality better. I read another novella recently that had the latter sort of kissing and instead of increasing the chemistry it was just... jarring. (Beauty & the Duke by Nadine Millard - I gave it 2 stars - wouldn't recommend.)
(Oh, one more thing - sometimes 2nd chance books make me feel kinda sad that they wasted all that time when they could have been together. In this book, they are 28 yrs old but I never felt sad about the years they spent single. This author did a great job of portraying their adult lives as being fulfilling, successful and happy instead of them pining away for years and years.)
K. Gotta go. I'm going to spend the next 10 minutes adding all Cindy Steel books to my TBR list and deciding which to read first. Yay! Can't wait!
Content:
Language - just one "damn"
Sex - no sex scenes; very mild innuendo. Some making out and high sexual tension, but still very much 'clean.'
Violence - none
I read this on Kindle Unlimited.
****I have crushing news. Apparently this is the only book the author has written so far (1/21). I'm going to go cry a river of tears. This author was so entertaining - I thought I had a month's worth of books lined up! Well, I'm first in line for her upcoming release. Can't get it soon enough. :)
REREAD NOVEMBER 2022
This was just as good as the first time! And I don’t ever reread books. No joke. But I absolutely loved it all over again! It’s still my favorite Cindy Steel book. So much chemistry, so much delightful banter. This is one of my all time favorites.
November 27, 2023
After reading Faking Christmas- I just had to read another Christmas book by Cindy!
This was a fun one!
I thought the brothers best friend & forced proximity was fun! I did get a little baited of the one location at times tho.
1 curse word
Clean- just kissing!
Very quick read!
Quick note- the audio wasn’t my fave. The narrators voice for the guy was creepy sounding which gave him a bad taste in my mouth.
This was a fun one!
I thought the brothers best friend & forced proximity was fun! I did get a little baited of the one location at times tho.
1 curse word
Clean- just kissing!
Very quick read!
Quick note- the audio wasn’t my fave. The narrators voice for the guy was creepy sounding which gave him a bad taste in my mouth.
December 5, 2020
So many new Christmas books, so little time! I loved this book by new author Cindy Steel. It’s such a great romantic comedy. It left me laughing in so many parts. It’s kind of perfect!
It starts out with a young Penny showing the reader why she can’t stand Chase. And then cuts to present day. Penny is on her way to her brother and best friend/sister-in-law’s cabin. But it’s a blizzard and her car doesn’t make it. She thinks nothing of leaving her clothes and food in the car, she’ll go back for them later. But she finds Chase in the house. And things change fast.
It was kind of hilarious how Penny left her things in the car. She ends up stuck in the cabin with Chase, no food, no clothes but the ones she was wearing. And there were a lot of sparks between the two of them. I found myself laughing at Penny. She was really unforgiving of Chase. And it didn’t appear that he had any idea of why. I loved how they end up having to come together and help each other. Penny, kind of grudgingly. But she does recognize that maybe Chase wasn’t the same person she had known when they were younger.
This book was great! If you’re looking for a Christmas themed rom-com, you can’t go wrong with this one.
I was sent an e-copy of A Christmas Spark as a gift from the author. All opinions are my own.
It starts out with a young Penny showing the reader why she can’t stand Chase. And then cuts to present day. Penny is on her way to her brother and best friend/sister-in-law’s cabin. But it’s a blizzard and her car doesn’t make it. She thinks nothing of leaving her clothes and food in the car, she’ll go back for them later. But she finds Chase in the house. And things change fast.
It was kind of hilarious how Penny left her things in the car. She ends up stuck in the cabin with Chase, no food, no clothes but the ones she was wearing. And there were a lot of sparks between the two of them. I found myself laughing at Penny. She was really unforgiving of Chase. And it didn’t appear that he had any idea of why. I loved how they end up having to come together and help each other. Penny, kind of grudgingly. But she does recognize that maybe Chase wasn’t the same person she had known when they were younger.
This book was great! If you’re looking for a Christmas themed rom-com, you can’t go wrong with this one.
I was sent an e-copy of A Christmas Spark as a gift from the author. All opinions are my own.
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