Tuesday, December 4, 2012

[Review]: "A Highlander Christmas"


A Highlander Christmas by Janet Chapman
Publisher: Pocket Star (October 26, 2010)
Series: Pine Creek Highlanders, 7
Genre: Contemporary Romance--Magic

Camry MacKeage has absolutely no intention of telling her parents that she left her job as a NASA physicist for the small-town life of a dog-sitter—which is why she's spending the holidays alone in coastal Maine with her furry friends, Tigger and Max.

Unfortunately, her irresistibly handsome rival, scientist Luke Pascal, accidentally spilled the beans. Now he's on a mission from her mother to tempt Camry home for the family's annual winter solstice celebration. But Luke is hiding his own secret, and he'll need a little bit of magic to earn Camry's trust...and a whole lot of mistletoe to seduce his way into her heart.

 
 
 

Where to Buy*:
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My Review:

Janet Chapman has done it once again, weaving a tale of magic and family, miracles and love. Full of wit, not to mention romance and passion, A Highlander Christmas will pull you right back into the crazy but lovely world of Pine Creek, and their infamous family, the MacKeages.

I loved the chemistry between Camry and Luke, it was sweet yet very steamy, playful yet very serious and touching. And not only did we get to watch these two fall in love, but we also saw glimpses of some of our favorite past couples--I love seeing how, even after all these years, Grey and Grace are still just as wild about each other!




"Do ye honestly believe that in all our years together, I haven't known what you're up to when you go all soft and pliable in my arms during one of our little discussions" he asked setting her down on the bed, then quickly covering her damp body with his.

She trailed a finger over his smile. "I prefer to believe that I merely point out a reasonable course of action and, being the wise man that you are you simply see things my way."

"And you've taught this trick to our daughters?"

"All seven of them." she said with a delighted laugh.

"May God have mercy on your soul, woman." he muttered, covering her mouth with his.
 
~Grey and Grace

 
 

Chapman proved to me that sometimes it's the simple things that make me smile while reading a book...like childish fights!




Camry grabbed an orange off the tray to throw at her. "You little brat!"

Luke snatched it out of her hands before she could throw it. "Not the food!"

 
 

And at the opposite end of the spectrum, Chapman makes me giggle and laugh like a crazy woman while reading the more...adult jokes! :)




She snapped her mouth closed, opened it several times, as if she were searching for words, then finally whispered. "Are you for real?"

Luke shifted uneasily, then suddenly flinched when she shot out of her chair and rushed up to him. He sucked in his breath when she just as suddenly pulled out his belt and looked down his pants!

He sidestepped away in alarm. "What are you doing?"

"I'm looking to see if you still have your balls."

"My what?" he yelped, stepping even farther away.

She walked back to her chair, say down, and folded her hands on the table again. "Don't worry, they're still there."

 
 

And this one. It's definitely a new way of looking at, ahem, that time of the month....


 
 "...It wasn't exactly the time or place for slap and tickle. And besides, I thought you were...um, off the market for a few days."
 
Her smiled turned downright cheeky. "Hey, just because the Ferris wheel isn't running, doesn't mean the entire amusement park is shut down, "she said with a laugh, opening her door and hopping out.
 
 
 

Perhaps the one thing I loved most about the scenes between Camry and Luke was their ability to truly have fun during sex. It wasn't so serious, and it made me smile and smirk, while still making my heart beat a little faster....



"Vroom! Vroom!"
 
Luke snapped his gaze to the tent.
 
"Oh my God, Luke, did you hear that? The Ferris wheel is starting without you! Get in here before you miss the rides!"
 
Luke dropped his chin to his chest, the knot in his gut unraveling on a strangled laugh what was he doing standing out here worrying about his lovemaking living up to Camry's expectations when he should be worried about surviving hers?
 
He unzipped his jacket and ran to the tent. "You keep your hands away from the controls, lady!" he barked out, dropping to his knees in front of the tent. "It takes an experienced operator who knows what he's doing to start up that Ferris wheel." He pulled his sweater and long-john top over his head, then unbuckled his belt and shoved down his pants. "If you push the wrong button, it could take me all night to get it running correctly."
 
"Vroom, vroom," she purred with a giggle. "Oh! I think I found it, Luke. Quick, get in here and tell me if this is the right button!"
 
He had to sit on his jacket to unlace his boots, but instead of undoing them, he ended up with a handful of knots. "Stop playing with the equipment!" He tugged on the mess he'd made of his laces, which only served to tightened them. "That's my job!"

 
 


4.5 STARS! In short... If you haven't tried any of Chapman's books yet, what are you waiting for? I promise you, you will love them! :)



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I picked this book up for my own personal reading.

*NOTE: All quotes used in this review belong solely to the author, Janet Chapman. TBQ's Book Palace does not claim any of them.*

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So...have YOU read any of Janet Chapman's books? Which one's your favorite? Personally, I love them all! And if you haven't read one of her books, might I suggest you pick one up ASAP. You *can* read the books out of order, but I think they are better when read together. :)





Enjoy!



Until Next Time,
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*TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!

8 comments :

Lily B said...

I haven't tried any of her books either yet, but this sounds like a wonderful holiday read

kame said...

OOO I think I will have to read this one...all the quotes made me laugh! Great Review TBQ

The_Book_Queen said...

I would highly suggest her books, Kame! I know you're not usually huge on "paranormal" types, but the magical aspect of her books are great, and they often read more as a contemporary than anything else. :D
Glad you enjoyed the quotes! I love highlighting them as I read, and many I save and write in my Quote Notebook.
Enjoy!
TBQ

The_Book_Queen said...

It really is a wonderful holiday read, and I highly suggest you try at least one of her books-- I promise, you'll be hooked!
Enjoy!
TBQ

Lover Of Romance said...

Ooh!!! Awesome review!!! I also loved the playfulness of this book, and really all of Chapman's books. But this one definitely had me laughing during the bed scenes (which usually never happens LOL) I LOVED it!!! Chapman is so awesome!! I enjoyed your insights and the quotes just makes me want to re read it again.

The_Book_Queen said...

Thanks! :) It's true, how often do you laugh while reading the bed scenes? And not a cruel "Oh my, is it really that small?" kind of laugh, but rather a playful laugh like this? Answer; Rarely. It's hard to do correctly, but Chapman always pulls it off so well! :) After reading this I think it's time I do a reread of the entire series. Plus I'm behind on a few of her newer books. I see a ChapmanBinge in my near future! :)
Maybe...maybe we could do a reread binge together! :) I'm game! lol
Enjoy!
TBQ

Lover Of Romance said...

I so agree!!! We should so do a reread together, I have been meaning to re read her books, since I just love them and its been a while since I have. And who could resist her witty and sexy scenes? :)

The_Book_Queen said...

Yes, let's! :) I'll have to start digging through my piles to find my copies of the previous books in this series. Email me, I have an idea! If you're interested, that is. :D Oh, I'm excited now!