Holiday Quick Reviews: Short Stories

Booked for Christmas by Lily Menon (2020)

An author and her worst critic are trapped together in a cabin during a snowstorm in this adorable holiday short story.  Sophie is hosting a holiday party at her cabin when Evan shows up as one of the guest's plus ones; he's unable to leave before a snowstorm hits.  I enjoyed watching these two get to know each other, since they only really know each other's writing.  They both start to understand the other's point of view, and sparks fly.  The writing was super readable and flowed nicely.  Perfectly light and cheery for the holidays!  I thought the ending was a bit abrupt, but I think it's good that I wanted more!  4 stars

Snowed In (Christmas With A Billionaire) by Lila Monroe (2015)

 

If you enjoy your holiday stories with lots of heat, then this is the short story duo for you!  In Snowed in With The Billionaire, party planner Paige is setting up an event at music executive Ace's home when a snowstorm leaves them stranded alone.  Both characters are well-rounded despite the length of the story.  In Christmas with The Billionaire, Broadway actress hopeful Jill plays fake girlfriend for producer Oliver.  There's an interesting angle in this story when Jill gets the role of a lifetime and wonders if it was only because of Oliver.  Although both of these stories were a bit unrealistic (insta-love!), I still enjoyed them.  Monroe is great at creating witty, realistic dialogue, and the mix of humor and steamy scenes was just right.  Both stories are entertaining from start to finish!  4 stars

Once Upon a Christmas by Andrea Boyd, Toni Shiloh, Mikal Dawn, Angela Ruth Strong, and Jaycee Weaver (2019)

 

This collection of five short stories takes your favorite classic fairy tales, modernizes them, and gives them a Christmas twist. I thought these stories incorporated clever modernizations that still kept the essence of the timeless tales.  Sleeping Beauty is updated to tell the story of Talia, who loves being onstage in her family theater but is felled by a strange sleeping disorder; Mulan is a lawyer fighting to save a small business; Snow White is an heiress who flees her conniving fiance and stepmother; Cinderella is a reality TV producer who falls for one of her show's stars; and The Little Mermaid is a college student/hotel worker who longs to open her own art gallery someday.  The stories are easy to read, with little in the way of true conflict - yes, there are dark moments, but you know there will be a happily ever after.  The anthology would fall under Christian fiction, although some stories had more religious themes than others.  If you're looking for sweet, pure romances set during the holiday season, this might be the collection for you.  3.5 stars