Title: Sweet Inspiration
Author: Penny Watson
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Publication Date: 2 Dec 2009
Genre: Paranormal Romance
ARC eBook: 206 pages
Rating: 6/10
Summary (website)
What if the legend of Santa Claus and the North Pole is in fact, true? What if Santa has five big strapping sons who help him run his empire? Five single, sexy sons looking for romance...
Nicholas Klaus is a master pastry chef, a strict disciplinarian, and the eldest son of the legendary Santa Claus. One look at café owner Lucy Brewster sends him into an unexpected tailspin of lusty desires. When Lucy is injured, Nicholas makes a decision that catapults both of their lives into turmoil...
Lucy Brewster, the free-spirited proprietor of Sweet Inspiration, has a flair for concocting sugary confections but no time for adventure. She gets more than she bargained for when she awakens in the North Pole...rambunctious elves, a fitness-obsessed Santa, and the man of her dreams. Does she have what it takes to become the next Mrs. Klaus?
Review:
Sweet Inspiration oozes Christmas. From the descriptions of the sweet delights of cookies and cinnamon pastries created by Nicholas and Lucy to the description of Santa's magical home, Glasdorf, in the North Pole. All gave me that Christmasy feeling, which is what I hoped to feel from reading this book.
Nicholas is the eldest son of five and next in line to be Santa Clause when his father retires. However, Nicholas really doesn't want the job as he loves to bake and owns his own bakery. He meets Lucy who also owns her own bakery, Sweet Inspiration, in New York and It's love at first sight for both of them. One night they end up baking together in her small bakery and one thing leads to another.
The relationship between Nicholas and Lucy is believable in parts, but sometimes the dialogue is a bit sickly sweet and really doesn't reflect real life. When they get together in the bedroom the heat rises and their sexual encounter is steamy! Although it was fun to read, the relationship is a bit rushed and although love at first sight is a nice thought, would you really give up your entire life and business for a man you have only really known for a week or two?
The elves are funny and mischievous as well as a tad grumpy, which is great as that is exactly how I imagine elves to be. The life of Santa is a big business and Lucy gets to see this magical place with her own eyes when she is hit by a truck outside her bakery. Nicholas is bereft and breaks all sorts of rules by taking her back to Glasdorf, where Lucy is healed by elfin magic.
Lucy takes the discovery of Santa, the elves and Glasdorf, in her stride and she fits in perfectly. The elves love her and so do Nicholas's family. But as always with romance, nothing runs smoothly and after a few wonderful days Lucy heads back home to New York, leaving a broken hearted Nicholas back in Glasdorf.
Verdict:
Sweet Inspirations is exactly that, 'sweet', sometimes overly so, but overall it was a light, fun and entertaining read with enough going on to keep you reading until the very end. A lovely Christmas read!
London Time
13 comments:
Well it certainly sounds fun and very christmassy! Great review.
Thank for your take on this one - it does sound fun...
I like the idea of Santa's Sons..
E.H>
That sounds so cute!!!! I so want to read it, loved the book trailer =P
I loved this tale. Definitely my favorite holiday read thus far.
Becky - it certainly is a fun read and I felt Christmassy while reading it. Very sweet book.
EH - I liked the idea of Santa's sons too, quite original I think :)
Book Monster - It is a cute book! :)
Juju - I read your review, glad you enjoyed it. It's a definite read for the holidays :)
Thanks for reviewing my story! I have to admit I am not too interested in "real life"-- which is fairly obvious by my romance novel addiction and the fact that I chose the North Pole as the paranormal setting for my book! ;) I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas week. My children are beside themselves with happiness because we just had a huge blizzard in Boston and now we'll be having a "white" Christmas after all.
Merry Christmas!- Penny
I enjoyed your reviews. This seems like Delicious Christmas romance
Great review BCC. I've read several reviews for this book, I look forward to reading it for myself. I get enough of "real life" on a daily basis, so I like a bit of fantasy in my reading, hence my love of romance novels. :)
Sounds like a cute story. It's always fun to find something different than everything else out there!
FV & Penelope - I love a bit of fantasy too, but I do like my dialogue to sound natural and realistic, even if their surroundings are not ;) It helps me connect with the characters more. However, as I've said the story is sweet and I loved the Christmas atmosphere. It's definitely one to read over the holidays :)
Cleverly Inked - with all the cookie and pastries it is certainly is delicious :)
ReadinRobin - This story definitely has a uniqueness about it and it is fun. :)
Oh this one looks fun. I definitely have to grab a copy next time I'm at the bookstore.
Hi Bella! I wish you could get it at the bookstore, but unfortunately, Sweet Inspiration is only available as an e-book right now. Hopefully, next year The Wild Rose Press will release it and the second part of the series together in a print version.
Sounds like a christmassy book that's a bit over the top for me in terms of "sweet" dialogue.
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