#BookReview ~ An Apple Butter Christmas by Terry Lynn Thomas ~ Small-Town Christmas Romance #Christmas

 An Apple Butter Christmas

From the USA Today Best-Selling Author Terry Lynn Thomas
An Apple Butter Christmas

A Heartwarming Small-Town Christmas Romance

About the Book:

Coming home for Christmas was supposed to be temporary—until love, legacy, and one unforgettable orchard changed everything.

Welcome to Hartstone, where the snow is deep, the secrets are deeper, and love might just get a second chance under the twinkling lights of the town Christmas tree.

Diana Marchcroft didn’t plan on returning to Hartstone, but when her beloved aunt is injured, Diana leaves the city behind to help save her family’s struggling apple orchard. What she doesn’t expect? The fight of a lifetime and the survival of her family’s heritage. The orchard is at risk of being developed into an exclusive golf course and destination wedding venue.

Alex Kelley thought he'd buried his feelings for Diana after their relationship ended abruptly on the night he planned to propose. When he unexpectedly bumps into her, he realizes that some embers never go out.

With the town busy with visitors for the annual Apple Butter Festival, Diana and Alex discover that sometimes Christmas miracles come wrapped in second chances.

My Review:

An Apple Butter Christmas is a cozy romance with a tad bit of drama. I love me a good second-chance romance and this story fits the bill. Diana has returned home to help save her family's orchard from greedy real estate agents and developers. As Diana faces the possible sale of her orchard, the reuniting with her ex-boyfriend, and coming face-to-face with the town bully, her stress levels increase. Thank goodness for being part of a close-knit community of family and friends. They rally behind Marchcroft Orchard in hopes to deter any sale, development, or cancellation of the annual Apple Butter Festival. What ensues is a myriad of misunderstandings, relationship challenges, and lies. I enjoyed watching the story unfold, the misunderstandings get set straight, relationships shift and evolve, and the deceit revealed.

This is a sweet, small town romance and I felt like I was walking into a movie. The setting is magical, well-described, and vivid. I enjoyed the characters and interactions, including the not-so-nice ones. They all have a part to play in An Apple Butter Christmas. If you're looking for a magical second-chance romance set during the holidays, look no further. Grab yourself a copy of An Apple Butter Christmas.

This was previously reviewed on Sapphyria's Books.

I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

My Rating:

Purchase Link:

Amazon US

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Facebook

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#BookReview ~ A Quarterback for Christmas by Linda West ~ #SportsRomance #Romance #Football #Christmas

When pro quarterback Nash Jordan tears his ACL, he gets drafted to his hometown team the Buffalo Bills. Humiliated, broken and in need of healing, he finds the perfect solution to his problem is the girl that broke his heart...

Title: A QUARTERBACK FOR CHRISTMAS

Author: Linda West

Publisher: Independent

Publish Date: October 14, 2025

Pages: 177

Genre: Holiday Romance

Format: Kindle / FREE on Kindle Unlimited

About the Book:

He’s Buffalo’s hometown hero. She’s the one who got away. When fate and a little Christmas magic bring them back together, love might just score the biggest comeback of all.

When Buffalo’s hometown quarterback Nash Jordan gets traded back just before Christmas, his career—and his heart—are both on thin ice. A lingering injury threatens his future, until help arrives in the most unexpected form: Eden Landers, the woman he never stopped loving.

Eden’s a talented chef with a hint of magic in her kitchen, and healing others is what she does best. But moving into Nash’s guest house to help him recover stirs up more than old memories. Between snowstorms, laughter, and late-night meals, love begins to simmer again.

Can they trust each other enough for a second chance? Or will fear and fame keep them apart once more?

Heartwarming, wholesome, and full of Christmas cheer, A Quarterback for Christmas is a cozy holiday romance about love, forgiveness, and finding your way home.

My Review:

A Quarterback for Christmas is a delightful sports romance filled with magic. The story is filled with misunderstandings, longing, and hopefulness. I love the second chance romance trope and this story delivers. I really loved Sir Wolfgang. He has his own sections at the end of some of the chapters and love his POV. As a Michigander, it was exciting to "watch" the Superbowl in this story. I may not be a sports fan but I still love it when my state is represented.

This is a heartwarming tale that kept me entertained from the very beginning.

Previously reviewed on Sapphyria's Books.

I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. 

The opinions I have expressed are my own.

My Rating:

A Quarterback for Christmas is available at Amazon.

Visit the Author:

 http://www.morningmayan.com

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Anthology #Review ~ Handbook for the Dead by Jacob Floyd, Jenny Floyd, Pamela K. Kinney, Mark Rivett, Heddy Johannesen, Carol Smith, Jim Towns, Julia Hebner, Holly Wholahan, and Susan Schwartz

Book Details:

Print Length: 126 pages
Publisher: Anubis Press; 1 edition
Publication Date: October 2, 2019
ASIN: B07YNZJ13V

Purchase Link: Amazon

About the Book:

DON’T FORGET YOUR HANDBOOK…Welcome all spirits! The Frightening Floyds present to you, Handbook for the Dead – a guide to help all new manifestations realize their functional perimeters. Within this anthology, you’ll read paranormal accounts from individuals who have experienced phantoms and disturbances that have not only chilled them, but also left them with some new insight into the supernatural. Now, they want to share their stories and wisdom with you. That way, if you’re feeling a little flat, or even if you’re a lost soul, you won’t have to draw a door and knock. Handbook for the Dead is sure to please the strange and unusual in everyone, and we promise it doesn’t read like stereo instructions.

My Review:

Handbook for the Dead contains real-life encounters and stories of the paranormal. I was drawn into the paranormal accounts and mysterious happenings provided throughout the book. You travel to various destinations including hotels, graveyards, theaters, insane asylums, and homes throughout the world. The book is a wonderful look at supernatural happenings in everyday places. As a fan of ghost hunting shows and novels (fiction and non-fiction), this book is another wonderful collection of stories fitting for lovers of paranormal.

The book is written in a conversational tone. Each story is written like an open discussion, not scripted and flat. It was exciting, and chilling, to read stories from folks who came face-to-face with spooky events, dark entities, and unexplained happenings. Each tale also includes factoids at the end with history of the location, sighting reports, and other interesting pieces of information.

I enjoyed Handbook for the Dead and encourage anyone with a love for the paranormal to grab a copy.

I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Review previously posted on Reviews by Saph.

My Rating:

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#BookReview ~ Halloween is Coming! by Cal Everett, Illustrated by Lenny Wen @Sourcebooks #Halloween #ChildrensBook

 

About the Book:

A fun, rhyming read-aloud Halloween picture book that starts a new holiday tradition. Perfect for kids 4-8 or any young child wanting to celebrate the spookiest season of the year!

Marching in the school parade
in frightening costumes that we've made;
Look around, the signs are clear,
Halloween is getting near!

Halloween is Coming is a lyrical celebration of the building excitement that children―and adults!―feel as the magical and mysterious night of Halloween approaches.

Book Details:

Publisher: ‎ Sourcebooks Jabberwocky 

Publish Date: August 3, 2021
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
ISBN-10: ‎ 1728205867
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1728205861
Reading Age: ‎ 4 - 8 years
Grade Level: ‎ Preschool - 3
Amazon
Goodreads

My Review:

Halloween is a vividly illustrated, inclusive children's book. Perfect for children just learning to read, the book has fun, rhyming prose about upcoming Halloween. I enjoyed it also, as an adult. This would make a perfect gift for your Halloween-loving children and grandchildren.

I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Review previously posted on Reviews by Saph.

My Rating:

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#BookReview ~ Ghosts and Legends of Genesee and Lapeer Counties: Haunted America Series by Roxanne Rhoads and Joe Schipani ~ @RoxanneRhoads

Ghosts and Legends of Genesee and Lapeer Counties

Haunted America Series

Roxanne Rhoads and Joe Schipani

Release Date: August 29, 2022

About the Book:

Ghost stories and urban legends lurk throughout Genesee and Lapeer counties.

A Clio man's spirit is thought to still reside in the junkyard office where he was murdered. For almost two centuries, the Flushing area has been fascinated by tales of the wealthy Brent family whose land is connected to numerous tales of murder, mystery, and ghosts.

In Lapeer County, the Bruce Mansion's unnerving façade hints at the specters inside, and the land and buildings once belonging to the Lapeer State Home are plagued by haunting cries and ghostly activity.

Join the authors of Haunted Flint, Roxanne Rhoads and Joe Schipani, as they take you on a tour of Genesee and Lapeer counties’ most haunted locations.

Saph's Notes/Review:

Most people don't know this but I was born in Flint (and no, I never use that as an answer to a security question) and raised in Montrose, MI - just off of McKinley Road and about 2 miles away from Mt. Morris Road, near Brent Creek. This is significant when you read the first few stories in Ghosts and Legends of Genesee & Lapeer Counties. I had heard stories about the ghosts in Brent Creek but had no idea the history or origins. I know exactly which dangerous curve on McKinley Road this book references and am thankful I never fell victim to any shenanigans during the many, many times I drove along.

When I was married to my first husband, we lived in the house directly behind the Linden Hotel. His mother owned the house for several years and when she remarried after divorcing his dad, she left Michigan to live in Ohio and sold the house to us. I lived in Linden between 1996 and 2000. In that time, I'd also heard of ghostly tales but despite living directly behind the establishment, we had never gone into the Linden Hotel.

Yes, the Fenton Seminary was creepy. No, I never set foot on the property. My first husband and I would just do drive-bys occasionally. I was always curious but never enough to do anything more than look as we drove by.

Shout out to the Fenton Hotel - they have great food and a wonderful atmosphere. Apparently, they also have ghosts. I've only been in the building a couple times and never experienced or felt anything supernatural. My sister, on the other hand, has seen things. She and a group of friends were taken on a tour of the Fenton Hotel and as the group descended the stairs, she looked back behind her up on the balcony and right at an apparition. He was watching the entire group tromp down the stairs - and according to her and her friends, they were the only ones on the second floor.

I absolutely loved this book. I love learning the history about the locations, buildings, and people. I find ghost stories, sightings, and paranormal events exciting. When the information shared includes places I've lived, visited, or seen, I can't help but dive right into the content. This book gave me the chills as I learned about the history behind places I grew up around. Thank you so much Roxanne for providing me a copy of your and Joe's book to read.

I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

My Rating:

Purchase Link:

Amazon

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#BookReview ~ Head Witch in Charge by Avery Flynn ~ #PNR #HeadWitchinCharge #Witch #Witches ~ @BerkleyPub #BerkleyPublishing

Book Details:

ASIN: ‎ B0DPH1D85Y

Publisher: ‎Berkley

Publication Date: September 2, 2025

Print Length: ‎372 pages

Amazon

About the Book:

When two witches with a tangled history are forced to team up, it spells disaster in this steamy rom-com from USA Today bestselling author Avery Flynn.

It’s the curse of every family’s heir to be the responsible one. My family being the most powerful family in all of Witchingdom doesn’t eliminate that fact, it only makes it worse—and that’s why I, Leona Amber Sherwood, never do the unexpected. Except for that one time I did.

Believe me, I have rued the day that I got married in a midnight ceremony under a full moon to Erik Svensen, the heir to my family’s deepest, bitterest enemies, and now, he won’t agree to a divorce unless we return an ancient spell book to his family’s secured facility.

But on our road trip to return the book, I learn more about Erik as we encounter trolls, nymphs, satyrs, and more. The longer we work together, the more I’m convinced that he might not be the evil trickster I assumed he was. Any more time together will leave me even more enchanted with my husband and that’s the last thing I want. And if I keep telling myself that, maybe I'll start to believe it.

My Review:

Head Witch in Charge is a masterfully crafted second book in the Witchingdom series. This book is filled with mystery, romance, deception, and magic. Starring Leona Sherwood and Erik Svensen, enemies from two different prominent magical families, this book is all about the pressures of being next in line – the heirs of each magical family. Leona is good and wholesome; Erik is as devious as they come.

When a girls’ trip to Vegas ends with Leona married to her archenemy, she desperately tries to convince Erik to agree to a divorce. Something he is not having. Not until they return a spell book to his family’s estate. The close-proximity cross-country trip opens the eyes of both Leona and Erik, unraveling preconceived ideas. As they face mounting dangers throughout the trip, Leona and Erik have hard decisions to make, ones that may make or break any chance at happiness.

I really love me some Avery Flynn. Her books are phenomenal. I love how the characters occasionally turn, look, and talk to the reader. Head Witch in Charge is a fun enemies to lovers paranormal romance. The book is perfectly paced, written well, and the setting and world building expertly described. I read this book in one day because once I started, I was hooked.

I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Review previously posted on Sapphyria's Books.

My Rating:

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#BookReview ~ Witcha Gonna Do by Avery Flynn ~ #PNR #WitchaGonnaDo #Witch #Witches ~ @BerkleyPub #BerkleyPublishing

Book Details:

Publisher: Berkley

Publication Date:‎ December 6, 2022

Print Length: 332 pages

ISBN-13: 978-0593335222

Amazon

Goodreads

About the Book:

She's Charmed, He's Sure

An unlucky witch and her know-it-all nemesis must team up in the first of a new, spicy romantic comedy series from USA Today bestselling author Avery Flynn.

Could it possibly get any worse than having absolutely no magical abilities when you’re a member of the most powerful family of witches ever? It used to be that I’d say no, but then I keep getting set up on dates with Gil Connolly whose hotness is only matched by his ego. Seriously. I can’t stand him. Even if I also can’t stop thinking about him (specifically kissing him) but we’re going to pretend I never told you that part.

So yeah, my life isn’t the greatest right now, but then it goes straight to the absolute worst hell when I accidentally make my sister’s spell glitch and curse my whole family. And the only person who can help non-magical me break the spell? You guessed it. Gil the super hot jerk.

Now we have to work together to save my family and outmaneuver some evil-minded nefarious forces bent on world domination. Oh yeah, and we have to do all that while fighting against the attraction building between us because I may not be magical, but what’s happening between Gil and I sure feels like it.

My Review:

Witcha Gonna Do is a masterpiece of mystery, romance, and deception.

Tilda Sherwood is part of a huge and prominent magical family. Except, Tilda is magicless. Not a magical bone in her body. All she manages to do is become fodder for Wichingdom's busybodies, and embarrass her mother. And for some reason, her matchmaker continues to set her up with her nemesis, Gil Connolly.

Gil Connolly is not who he seems. He has secrets and reasons for trying to get close to Tilda. Only, he's not supposed to catch feelings for her. He's an egotistical jerk and not at all the type of guy Tilda should be interested in dating. Things get even worse for Tilda's attraction to Gil when her non-magic causes one of her sister's spells to fail, epically. Now, the only person she can turn to for help is the one person who drivers her crazy....Gil Connolly.

Boy do I love me some Avery Flynn. Her books are phenomenal. I love how the characters occasionally turn, look, and talk to the reader. Witcha Gonna Do is a cute enemies to lovers paranormal romance. The book is perfectly paced, written well, and the setting and world building expertly descripted and set up. I read this book in one day because once I started, I was hooked.

I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Review previously posted on Sapphyria's Books

My Rating:

This post contains affiliate links.

If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.

Thank you for supporting Reviews by Saph.