BILLIONAIRE'S BET by Adelia Burke

BILLIONAIRE'S BET by Adelia Burke.

This cute romance is a fun read. I loved Ben's and Delany's characters. They're give and take work really well together. The bet is fantastic. The details didn't feel realistic to me, but it worked in the end. There were a couple of things I didn't feel were realistic, but overall it was a very cute, clean romance novel that anyone would love.

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Being average is terrifying, but billionaire Ben Stansfield loves a
challenge. After concocting an elaborate bet with his friends, Ben travels to Las Vegas to see who can live as a member of the working class the longest.
Not only do the friends learn about the hardships of being a middle-class American, they also find love in unexpected places.
This funny, clean romance is full of twists and turns. It will leave you wanting an "average" billionaire of your own.

LUCY SHIMMERS AND THE PRINCE OF PEACE

LUCY SHIMMERS AND THE PRINCE OF PEACE. 

Well, this movie was hard, beautiful, incredible, and brought tears to my eyes. My children really enjoyed it. Lucy was adorable, and I loved how she just worked her way into everyone's hearts. I figured out what was going to happen long before my kids did. It was fun to listen to them try to figure things out. I will put in that this could trigger for those who have lost loved ones, but at the same time it can be healing in a way. This is a great movie to add to your Christmas season.

Second chances start when a hardened criminal crosses paths with a precocious little girl who is helped by an angel to change hearts during the holiday season. 

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CHRISTMAS DAY IN THE MORNING

CHRISTMAS DAY IN THE MORNING: AWAKENING THE JOY OF CHRISTMAS by Pearl S Buck, adapted by David T Warner. What a beautiful reminder of what Christmas is about. The back cover blurb says it all, "The true joy of Christmas is to love and to awaken love." The story of the little boy surprising his father is heartwarming. Then to have the same boy, now a man, do something similar for his wife just completes the circle beautifully. May we all do something to show our love to those around us.

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In this adaptation of "Christmas Day in the Morning," Rob looks back on his boyhood and remembers giving an unusual gift of self—a gift that filled him with Christmas joy. Now, fifty years later, Rob realizes he can still give a gift from his heart.

The original Pearl S. Buck story, published in Collier's magazine in 1955, concludes with the older Rob writing a letter of gratitude and love to his wife. As he does, Christmas joy is awakened in him once again. The final pages of this book provide a place for you to write your own letter of gratitude and love—a letter that will naturally be included when you give this book to a family member, neighbor, or friend. As you do, you may experience what Rob learned as a boy, and then again as a man: the gifts most likely to rekindle Christmas joy are not just the presents we give with our hands, but the gratitude we express from our hearts.

Richard Thomas, Emmy Award-winning actor of stage, television, and motions pictures, first presented this story in the annual live Christmas concert of The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square. As a young man, Mr. Thomas came to international acclaim portraying the eldest son in The Waltons, a television series about a large family struggling to support itself on a farm during the Great Depression.

The Walton family was much like the family in "Christmas Day in the Morning," and the character played by young Mr. Thomas was not unlike the boy Rob himself. As Mr. Thomas joined the Choir and Orchestra on stage, he entered a re-created farmhouse kitchen. In that setting, his warm, familiar presence reminded many of their past family Christmases. Audience members young and old were also reminded of their own childlike desires to be good, and to find their hearts bursting with Christmas joy.

THE SANTA BOX MOVIE

THE SANTA BOX 

What a great way to begin the Christmas season. I watched this with my family, and all but my two-year-old (he lasted about 15 minutes which for him is a LONG time) sat through the entire thing. Afterward, my oldest admitted that it almost made him cry in a couple of parts. The story did a great job at showing what the giving side of Christmas is like and how a person can grow by looking for ways to help others. It also gives a good glimpse into bullies and how to possible get along with them, as well as what can happen when people don't take the time to get to know someone before making judgements. I love that we have this movie to add to our Christmas movie collection.

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For 12-year-old Kallie Watts, Christmas is anything but merry. For the last five years, the tinsel-strewn holiday has spelled disaster for her family, so when an apartment fire leaves Kallie and her widowed mother homeless just in time for the holidays, it comes as no surprise. There’s only one logical conclusion: Kallie is cursed by Christmas.

When her mother finds a new job in a small California town, Kallie steps out of the moving van and into her worst nightmare: a real-life version of “Whoville,” overflowing with holiday decorations and brimming with Christmas cheer. Forced to navigate the complicated ins and outs of her jolly new surroundings, Kallie is shaken out of her gloom one day when she discovers an ornately carved wooden Santa box on the porch, addressed to her. The moment she lifts the lid, Kallie’s life is changed forever as she rediscovers the true magic and meaning of Christmas ...

TRAILER:

https://youtu.be/J1Kh_idg3ug

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THE GENTLEMAN AND THE THIEF by Sarah M Eden

THE GENTLEMAN AND THE THIEF by Sarah M Eden. This is a continuation of the penny folds from the story THE LADY AND THE HIGHWAYMAN that I so loved (review here). I absolutely love stories that weave together. I really enjoyed the penny fold stories in the addition. So it's really three stories in one. Hollis and Ana are perfect for each other. It shows that not everyone is as they seem, and to not judge a person by who they appear to be. There are many reasons people behave and do what they do and if we make quick judgements, often we are wrong and miss out on the potential of wonderful relationships with others. I really enjoyed seeing Ana come out of the shadows throughout the story. I loved how Hollis found his footing as well. I would highly recommend this story to one and all.

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A gentleman scribes penny dreadful novels by night and falls in love with a woman who is a music teacher by day—and a thief at night.

LONDON 1865

From the moment Hollis Darby meets Ana Newport, he's smitten. Even though he's from a wealthy, established family and she isn't, he wishes he could have a life with her by his side. But Hollis has a secret: the deep coffers that have kept his family afloat for generations are bare, so he supports himself by writing penny dreadfuls under a pseudonym. If not for the income from his novels, he would be broke.

Ana Newport also has a secret. Though she once had a place in society thanks to her father's successful business, bankruptcy and scandal reduced his fortune to nothing more than a crumbling town house. So Ana teaches music during the day, and at night she assumes the identity of the "Phantom Fox." She breaks into the homes of the wealthy to reclaim trinkets and treasures she feels were unjustly stolen from her family when they were struggling.

When Hollis's brother needs to hire a music tutor for his daughter, Hollis recommends Ana, giving him a chance to spend time with her. Ana needs the income and is eager for the opportunity to get to know the enigmatic gentleman. What neither of them expects is how difficult it will be to keep their respective secrets from each other.

When a spree of robberies rocks the city, Ana and Hollis join forces to solve the crimes, discovering that working together deepens the affection between them. After all, who better to save the day than a gentleman and a thief?

#bookadayaz #review

THE HIGHLANDER'S HIDDEN HEART by Julie Bennon. 

This was a very fun, clean read. I loved the Scottish brogue and could hear it clearly in my head. I loved Lady Elizabeth and the strength she developed throughout the book. The only thing I would have liked more about it, is to have more of the setting in Scotland rather than England, although I'm not sure how that would work with the plot. I just love the Highlands of Scotland. :)

Be sure to enter the give away below. It's going on through the 12th.

A duke's daughter. A Highland warrior. And a love worth fighting for.

Lady Elizabeth, daughter of the Duke of Barrington, has done her best to secure an advantageous match, but a shy nature, combined with a stutter, hasn't helped her cause. After two Seasons, her father won’t wait any longer and promises her to a man she despises. There doesn’t seem to be anything Elizabeth can do beyond wish for a freedom she’ll never have---until a charming Highlander appears and makes all her dreams of a love match seem within her reach.

Alec Ramsay unexpectedly inherits an earldom and must leave his beloved Scottish Highlands to present himself in London and settle the estate affairs. After meeting his new neighbor, Lady Elizabeth, he feels a connection to her that he’s never felt with any other woman. Alec makes every effort to further their acquaintance, but soon finds out that Elizabeth could be swept out of his reach before they have a chance to explore the feelings between them. With everything at stake, can he risk all for a chance at love−−before it’s too late?

**Originally a novella in the Timeless Romance collection, now a full-length novel with new twists, turns, and romance!

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DRAGONWATCH 4: CHAMPION OF THE TITAN GAMES

DRAGONWATCH 4: CHAMPION OF THE TITANS GAMES  by Brandon Mull. This is a series I wish I had complete before reading. Alas, we have to wait another year for the next one. When that day comes, I will be sitting down with FABLEHAVEN and DRAGONWATCH and bing reading the entire series. This story was wonderful. I enjoyed being in Crescent Lagoon and having characters reunited. I loved the games. I loved the new friends, and I loved the action and twists and turns. It is an amazing addition to the DRAGONWATCH series and I cannot wait for the next one. I highly recommend it to everyone.

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The war against dragons intensifies. Will Kendra and Seth find the help they desperately need from the Giant Queen? This fourth book in a five-book series leaves the underwater dragon preserve of Crescent Lagoon for a gladiator-style arena at Titan Valley—the magical realm of towering giants and enslaved dragons. Our two young heroes have never felt so small or faced a challenge so ... giant!