Book Club Festive December Pick

We're back with another choice and since it's Christmas, I thought we should get a little fun and festive for our December book club pick!

As usual the book covers link to their Amazon page for purchasing so once you've read the blurbs, cast your vote in the poll at the bottom of the page. The last two are American authors so the paperbacks are a tad more expensive, do bear in mind.

Voting closes Sunday 17th November.

ONLY FOR THE HOLIDAYS

by Abiola Bello

City girl Tia Solanké is dreading the festive period. She’s on a break with her boyfriend and the last thing she wants to do is spend Christmas away from London. Arriving at Saiyan Hedge Farm, Tia takes an instant disliking to it. She falls in horse manure, is chased by sheep and the Wi-Fi sucks. How is she meant to stalk her ex now and concoct a foolproof plan to win him back?

Country boy Quincy Parker and his family run the farm, and this year they’ve been selected to host the biggest event in the town's calendar – the Winter Ball. Preparations are underway, and Quincy is working around the clock to make it a success. The only problem is, he’s told everyone he has a date to the ball, when in reality that couldn’t be further from the truth.

At first, Tia and Quincy don’t see eye to eye, until they realise they both have something to gain by pretending to be a couple. But when a snowstorm threatens to cancel the Winter Ball, their fake relationship is put to the test. Will Tia and Quincy be able to keep up the pretence and save the day, or will real feelings get in the way?

A NOVEL CHRISTMAS

by Charity Shané

Saira Wright is a prominent black romance author signed to the most prestigious publisher of African American works, Brownstone Literature. Her career has been successful for the past five years, however, right now, she's in a slump, and so are her sales and reviews. The romance she has been known for seems to be zapped out of her stories and her love life.

Eager to get Saira back on top of the charts, her editor has given her an ultimatum--write a chart-topping holiday romance or be dropped from the publishing house. There's only one problem: Saira strongly opposes penning holiday books. To her, they are cliché and off-brand, but with her career on the line, she's forced to give it a shot. To capture the spirit of the holidays, she books a vacation in the most "Christmasy" town she can find.

Sharing the other side of her rented duplex is the owner, Dorian Black, a volunteer firefighter and the town's little league football coach. He's also Mr. December in the firefighter's annual fundraising calendar and every woman's dream. Years ago, Dorian was happily married to the love of his life until cancer took her away from him. Still coping with the loss, a romantic relationship is the furthest thing from his mind. When he encounters his new tenant for the holiday, sparks fly and a fire is ignited that not even he can extinguish.

As the two navigate through a series of encounters, holiday festivities, and a snowstorm, will the magic of Christmas help them rediscover a long-awaited connection?

CHRISTMAS IN SPITE OF YOU by K. C. Mills

After pumping her hard-earned savings into a business plan that doesn’t pan out, Noel is left financially strapped and needs a way to earn money to stay afloat. Under the advisement of her closest friends, she decides to rent out her apartment as an Airbnb for the Christmas holidays while she visits her family for their annual Christmas celebration. Her plans were to relax, celebrate the season, and regroup. What she didn’t plan on was coming down ill and having to miss the opportunity to spend much-needed time with her family.

Kincaid is on the cusp of securing a lucrative business deal. In order to get a one-up on his competition, he rents an Airbnb in the same apartment complex where his potential client resides. Only he’s surprised when he shows up and the owner of the Airbnb not only wants to cancel the reservation, but is still occupying the space. With great reluctance, Noel and Kincaid agree to cohabitate for one week. Noel attempts to stay out of Kincaid’s way, but they undoubtedly cross paths, causing friction between the two. They immediately clash on everything, most notably with their views on the holidays. Noel is determined to have a very Merry Christmas in spite of her temporary housemate, which is the source of Kincaid’s irritation.

With a show of faith and simple gestures, Kincaid finds that Christmas cheer isn’t so terrible after all. The mutual ground the two have landed on sparks a budding relationship that comes to a halt at the end of their week. Is it too late, or can they find love in spite of their misgivings?

---

What Should We Read?

• Only for the Holidays
• A Novel Christmas
• Christmas in Spite of You