https://celebrityreaders.com/2015/12/19/12-christmas-romances-to-melt-your-heart-by-various-authors/

3 stars overall -- I bought this anthology for one specific novella, but I wanted to read them all b/c I'm a holiday season reader! This was definitely a hit and miss set of novellas. I think there were a few that were really merely fan service, and so were not as enjoyable for someone who hadn't read the rest of the books in the series. And then there were some I just simply didn't enjoy. But I found a few gems that were sweet and perfectly Christmas-y, and I left the book I'd been waiting for til the last and it was a perfect ending. So here are my reviews for the individual stories:

Mistletoe Misconduct ~ Catherine Gayle​
3 stars -- For a girl that hates cheating, reading about the aftermath of it happening was hard for me...I'm about as forgiving as Elaine originally was. So there was that. And apparently I'm also ageist b/c I found I wasn't as sucked in to the romance of this older couple. But maybe that wasn't age so much as the story was just meh for me? I don't know. It was nice, just not outstanding.

Hearts On Ice ~ Jami Davenport​
3 stars -- I think I might have enjoyed this one more if I'd read the previous books featuring these 2 characters. Not that you had to to understand the books (there was sufficient background). I just didn't feel invested in the characters. But then again, that's hard to achieve with a short story anyways. Also, the one word steamy scenes (they made quick fun love; they made slow love) was kind of startling (disappointing -- I'd rather have fade to black). I wonder if it's always like that in her books.

Romance. Avalanche. Love. ~ Riley J. Ford​
2 stars -- Uh no. Didn't enjoy the characters at all. I'm just not a forgiving kind of reader, and the hero's behavior in the relationship was just atrocious (well, maybe not quite that strong of a word, but I can't think of a better one). I was also not a fan of his recklessness. So when you don't like the characters, there's not much left, you know?

The Runaway Sleigh ~ Emma Roman​
3.5 stars -- I was a little bit thrown by the heroine at first...that much anger and bah-humbug was kind of hard to fathom. But otherwise I thought the story was quite sweet, and for a short story it had some good things going for it. Peter was adorable.

Merry TREXmas ~ Allie K. Adams​
2.5 stars -- first things first, for an anthology that's named 12 Christmas *Romances* to Melt Your Heart, I kind of expect a romance you know? And there definitely wasn't one in this short story. I think this one was geared towards readers of Ms. Adams series, b/c for the life of me I could not keep up with all the different characters, and even the shifting POVs.

Holiday Mischief ~ Geri Foster
2.5 stars -- Another book with multiple POVs that I didn't understand, and only a hint of romance near the end. I just didn't feel it that much. There was a lot going on, so the plot wasn't quite as clear. The "Father" was quite the jerk too.

Yes You ~ Tammy S. Falkner​
3 stars -- Had some uber sweet moments, but then mixed in some volatile moments that I was less sure of. Everything happened kind of quick, but that's the nature of short stories...

Underneath My Christmas Tree ~ Tawdra Kandle​
3 stars -- a bit of a different take on a romance, with the girl wanting the no strings sex and the guy holding out. I liked that even in a shorter story we could see the relationship sort of building over time. I wish we'd been told what happened in Trent's past that had him taking a break, but I guess that's why there's another story for them coming.

Love Walks In ~ Chris Keniston​
4 stars -- OK, this one was just all sorts of sweetness and "awwwww" and laughing at the sassiness of Annette. Loved how Annette and Mike interacted with each other, and thought the glimpse into life with an autistic child was well done (not that I would know, but you know). Ended a bit abruptly though...or at least I wasn't expecting to turn the page and have it be done.

Marrying Mr. English ~ Katy Regnery​
4.5 stars -- Oh yes!! This was the book I bought the anthology for in the first place, and Ms. Regnery didn't let me down. The chemistry between the characters was phenomenal -- gah, I wanted more! And Eleanora was delightfully sassy and strong willed. Even though it was a fast romance, it didn't feel that way b/c of all the time they spent together. I found myself laughing and sighing and all sorts of goodness. The great thing is that even though this is a 2-part story, this story ends off with a satisfying enough ending that you don't *need* to read the 2nd part...though if you're like me, you'll want more. I also LOVED the tiny bits of fan service with the hints of where the boys names came from. Can't wait to read part 2!

As We Dream By The Fire ~ Becca Boyd
4 stars -- sweet and slowburning!! At first I wasn't sure about Sadie, but I warmed up to her. She and Hudson had some great little bits of banter, and I could feel the feelings starting to develop. :)

Christmas In Cloverton ~ Jodi Vaughn​
3...maybe 3.5 stars -- Cute characters, fun "pushed together" situation. It had all the makings of a Lenore book, but I just ended up losing it nearer to the end. Could be my attention just wandered for other reasons. Still, I did like it...