kidisitor's review against another edition
4.0
Every story in this anthology was centered around Testicular Cancer Awareness in some degree (and the proceeds of the book sales went to that charity.) It is a great way to be introduced to authors you may be unfamiliar with, and get a taste of their writing style. Many of the stories are set in an already existing characters world (in the authors series,) and are like getting bonus material to those books. Though many of the authors are new to me, so I can't speak for all of them. There is some sexual content in most. There is also a lot of jokes about the 'balls.' ;) They are all pretty upbeat reads and each individual story can be read quickly.
amandaj6's review against another edition
5.0
What a great reason for this collection of stories from an awesome group of authors. While I have not read all of them yet, the names of the titles have me on the floor laughing my butt off.
But I have read Delancey Stewart’s Scoring a Holiday Match. And what fun it was to get back in to the Mr. Match world. Ash and Rose... cue the swooning... and we can’t forget about some of the past characters...like Trace and his dancing, lol.
~ I was given this book and made no commitments to leave my opinions, favorable or otherwise~
But I have read Delancey Stewart’s Scoring a Holiday Match. And what fun it was to get back in to the Mr. Match world. Ash and Rose... cue the swooning... and we can’t forget about some of the past characters...like Trace and his dancing, lol.
~ I was given this book and made no commitments to leave my opinions, favorable or otherwise~
book_lover_97's review against another edition
4.0
This is wonderful Christmas anthology. Even better this anthology supports a fantastic and note worthy cause, testicular cancer.
Each story is a quick read that is fun. There is a fantastic variety of tropes and characters. The stories are well written. I really enjoyed the humor and romance.
Each story is a quick read that is fun. There is a fantastic variety of tropes and characters. The stories are well written. I really enjoyed the humor and romance.
ccgwalt's review against another edition
4.0
I haven't read them all, but there are some cute stories here, and the price is right. Plus you help research into testicular cancer. Win all around!
bookaddict_fanatic's review against another edition
5.0
Review for... Not So Silent Night by Piper Rayne
For you Rooftop Crew fans this quick read gives you POV's for all the crew and will absolutely have you intrigued for their next release in this series Our Star-Crossed Kiss. I loved getting sneak peeks at the relationships between each crew character, as well as, how Dylan and Rian's love for each other has only grown. I had nothing but a smile from ear to ear while reading this fun story!
For you Rooftop Crew fans this quick read gives you POV's for all the crew and will absolutely have you intrigued for their next release in this series Our Star-Crossed Kiss. I loved getting sneak peeks at the relationships between each crew character, as well as, how Dylan and Rian's love for each other has only grown. I had nothing but a smile from ear to ear while reading this fun story!
lauriereadsrom1's review against another edition
5.0
Overall, "Jingle Balls" was a fantastic collection of short, fun stories benefiting a worthy cause, and I highly recommend it for all contemporary romance and romantic comedy fans. I started by reading the stories from my favorite authors and then moved on to the ones from new-to-me authors that were most appealing, but I ran out of time to read them all before I had to write my review. I will likely revisit the collection to read the rest in the future.
"Curve Ball" by Aidy Award: This story is part of the author's Curvy Love series and IMO is most likely to appeal to existing fans of the series. I generally enjoy reading about a curvy heroine, but this one seemed to have quite a few body image issues/insecurities. I didn't find it believable for her to overcome them all in a single night. 2.5-3 stars.
"I Told You So" by Serena Bell: This was a cute story! It was obviously just the beginning of their relationship, but I was satisfied with the HFN. 3.5-4 stars.
"A Blue-Balled Holiday" by Dylann Crush: Another cute story! I wish female lead Heather's job situation had been resolved by the end, though. It's all well and good for her and Weston to decide they like each other and want to explore a relationship, but if she has to move again for work, where will that leave them? 3.5-4 stars.
"Ball Sacked" by Christina Hovland: I loved this one! Babushka was her usual hilarious self, and she recruited Roman to join in her matchmaking shenanigans this time around for even more laughs. Anna and Drake were a super cute couple and an excellent addition to the Mile High Matched crew. 5 stars.
"Coldcocked by Saint Nick" by Melonie Johnson: This story had kind of a magical feel to it that I very much enjoyed. Also, I'm a big fan of German Christmas markets, so reading it brought back some happy memories for me. 4.5 stars.
"Decidedly for Christmas" by Stina Lindenblatt: This story was a little different in that it wasn’t a complete story with a HEA or HFN, but rather a prequel to the author's upcoming full-length release, "Decidedly with Luck," part of the By the Bay series. I was already looking forward to reading that book, but now that I've met the lead characters and gotten to know some of their story, I'm even more excited! 4.5 stars.
"Rockin' around the Jingle Balls Ball" by Susannah Nix: I loved this one, and not only because we finally got to see Melody and Jeremy from "Remedial Rocket Science" get married! Gen and Chris were adorable. I loved their banter and silly ball jokes. 5 stars.
"Deck the Halls with Balls" by Marika Ray: This story made me laugh so hard! Auburn Hill is my kind of town, and Prescott and Jazzie were a delight. 5 stars.
"Mistletoe Hearts" by Brenda St. John Brown: This story was a prequel to the author's upcoming release, "Rival Hearts." Unfortunately, I wasn't really feeling the chemistry between main characters Lucy and Stefan. I usually like opposites attract and enemies-to-lovers stories, but this one didn't draw me in. I did enjoy the English country village setting, but probably not enough to pick up the book when it releases. 3 stars.
*Review copy provided by the authors. All opinions expressed are my own.
"Curve Ball" by Aidy Award: This story is part of the author's Curvy Love series and IMO is most likely to appeal to existing fans of the series. I generally enjoy reading about a curvy heroine, but this one seemed to have quite a few body image issues/insecurities. I didn't find it believable for her to overcome them all in a single night. 2.5-3 stars.
"I Told You So" by Serena Bell: This was a cute story! It was obviously just the beginning of their relationship, but I was satisfied with the HFN. 3.5-4 stars.
"A Blue-Balled Holiday" by Dylann Crush: Another cute story! I wish female lead Heather's job situation had been resolved by the end, though. It's all well and good for her and Weston to decide they like each other and want to explore a relationship, but if she has to move again for work, where will that leave them? 3.5-4 stars.
"Ball Sacked" by Christina Hovland: I loved this one! Babushka was her usual hilarious self, and she recruited Roman to join in her matchmaking shenanigans this time around for even more laughs. Anna and Drake were a super cute couple and an excellent addition to the Mile High Matched crew. 5 stars.
"Coldcocked by Saint Nick" by Melonie Johnson: This story had kind of a magical feel to it that I very much enjoyed. Also, I'm a big fan of German Christmas markets, so reading it brought back some happy memories for me. 4.5 stars.
"Decidedly for Christmas" by Stina Lindenblatt: This story was a little different in that it wasn’t a complete story with a HEA or HFN, but rather a prequel to the author's upcoming full-length release, "Decidedly with Luck," part of the By the Bay series. I was already looking forward to reading that book, but now that I've met the lead characters and gotten to know some of their story, I'm even more excited! 4.5 stars.
"Rockin' around the Jingle Balls Ball" by Susannah Nix: I loved this one, and not only because we finally got to see Melody and Jeremy from "Remedial Rocket Science" get married! Gen and Chris were adorable. I loved their banter and silly ball jokes. 5 stars.
"Deck the Halls with Balls" by Marika Ray: This story made me laugh so hard! Auburn Hill is my kind of town, and Prescott and Jazzie were a delight. 5 stars.
"Mistletoe Hearts" by Brenda St. John Brown: This story was a prequel to the author's upcoming release, "Rival Hearts." Unfortunately, I wasn't really feeling the chemistry between main characters Lucy and Stefan. I usually like opposites attract and enemies-to-lovers stories, but this one didn't draw me in. I did enjoy the English country village setting, but probably not enough to pick up the book when it releases. 3 stars.
*Review copy provided by the authors. All opinions expressed are my own.
alanadcr's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
I picked this up for charity and stayed for the delightful stories. Some steamy, some not, and with ball jokes aplenty this lineup of fantastic authors has plenty for you to enjoy. My favorite stories in no particular order: Susannah Nix's ROCKIN' AROUND THE JINGLE BALLS BALL, Tracey Pedersen's LICK MY SNOWBALLS, and Sylvie Stewert's NUTS ABOUT YOU.
Bonus: The endless giggling when my husband told my MIL what I was reading.
Also, I have officially peaked because I have written the words "lick my snowballs" in a review.
Bonus: The endless giggling when my husband told my MIL what I was reading.
Also, I have officially peaked because I have written the words "lick my snowballs" in a review.
laucameron_'s review against another edition
4.0
It’s never too early to celebrate the holidays, especially when the proceeds go to charity! This anthology of short stories brings awareness and contributes to testicular cancer...and there’s lots of puns about balls, to keep it interesting!
This is exactly what I was looking for: a bunch of short, romantic stories, set during the holidays. I found myself laughing out loud, and smiling as the characters fell in love. I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump, and these short stories were just the quick thing to break me out of it.
I was initially interested in this book because of Susannah Nix’s story in it; it’s set in her Chemistry Lessons series. It had her classic smart, STEM based heroine and swoony hero, which I loved. In six short chapters, we see them meet and explore the concept of love at first sight. Also, there’s visits from some old favourites, so if you’re a fan, pick up a copy and support a great cause!
Books like these are a great way to discover new to you authors, which I definitely did! Since finishing the book, I’ve checked out more of Stina Lindenblatt’s work, and I’ve loved everything so far! Can’t wait to check out the other authors works in my free time.
I definitely recommend this book to get you in the holiday spirit! And for such a great cause, who could refuse?
This is exactly what I was looking for: a bunch of short, romantic stories, set during the holidays. I found myself laughing out loud, and smiling as the characters fell in love. I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump, and these short stories were just the quick thing to break me out of it.
I was initially interested in this book because of Susannah Nix’s story in it; it’s set in her Chemistry Lessons series. It had her classic smart, STEM based heroine and swoony hero, which I loved. In six short chapters, we see them meet and explore the concept of love at first sight. Also, there’s visits from some old favourites, so if you’re a fan, pick up a copy and support a great cause!
Books like these are a great way to discover new to you authors, which I definitely did! Since finishing the book, I’ve checked out more of Stina Lindenblatt’s work, and I’ve loved everything so far! Can’t wait to check out the other authors works in my free time.
I definitely recommend this book to get you in the holiday spirit! And for such a great cause, who could refuse?
beckymmoe's review against another edition
4.0
Every single story isn't a winner, but at this price and when the proceeds are going to charity? Absolutely worth every penny!
Highlights:
"I Told You So" by Serena Bell - absolutely wonderful! Cute and funny and sexy--what happens when your one night stand turns out to be the son of your aunt's fiance
"Coldcocked by Saint Nick" by Melonie Johnson - so much fun! Grinchy heroine is bonked on the head by a candy cane, and her night just goes uphill from there :) (Fairly insta-love, but it's so cute it's hard to mind much.)
"Jingle Ball Bender" by Sophia Henry - a super short story with a cliffhanger-ish ending--this one had better be continued somewhere, because she cannot leave me hanging there!
"Decidedly for Christmas" by Stina Linderblatt - a new-to-me author with another to be continued story that I am 100% keeping an eye out for!
"Under the Mistletoe" by Towdra Kandle - another new-to-me author, this was a fun second chance romance that gave off Captain America vibes. I'd definitely read more from her!
Run, don't walk to grab this one! It's worth it just for the creative uses of "jingle balls" found in each story. Waiting for them is kind of like a grown up version of Where's Waldo? ;)
Rating: 4 stars / B+
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Highlights:
"I Told You So" by Serena Bell - absolutely wonderful! Cute and funny and sexy--what happens when your one night stand turns out to be the son of your aunt's fiance
"Coldcocked by Saint Nick" by Melonie Johnson - so much fun! Grinchy heroine is bonked on the head by a candy cane, and her night just goes uphill from there :) (Fairly insta-love, but it's so cute it's hard to mind much.)
"Jingle Ball Bender" by Sophia Henry - a super short story with a cliffhanger-ish ending--this one had better be continued somewhere, because she cannot leave me hanging there!
"Decidedly for Christmas" by Stina Linderblatt - a new-to-me author with another to be continued story that I am 100% keeping an eye out for!
"Under the Mistletoe" by Towdra Kandle - another new-to-me author, this was a fun second chance romance that gave off Captain America vibes. I'd definitely read more from her!
Run, don't walk to grab this one! It's worth it just for the creative uses of "jingle balls" found in each story. Waiting for them is kind of like a grown up version of Where's Waldo? ;)
Rating: 4 stars / B+
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
alanadcr's review
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0
I picked this up for charity and stayed for the delightful stories. Some steamy, some not, and with ball jokes aplenty this lineup of fantastic authors has plenty for you to enjoy. My favorite stories in no particular order: Susannah Nix's ROCKIN' AROUND THE JINGLE BALLS BALL, Tracey Pedersen's LICK MY SNOWBALLS, and Sylvie Stewert's NUTS ABOUT YOU.
Bonus: The endless giggling when my husband told my MIL what I was reading.
Also, I have officially peaked because I have written the words "lick my snowballs" in a review.
Bonus: The endless giggling when my husband told my MIL what I was reading.
Also, I have officially peaked because I have written the words "lick my snowballs" in a review.