Everyone loves romance novels! It only takes finding your perfect sub-genre or imprint. What are you waiting for? Get browsing (https://www.harlequin.com/shop/pages/brand-landing.html) today! Here are the descriptions of the three different Harlequin series lines that the Harlequin November Recommended Reads books come from. Which is your favorite?
HARLEQUIN DESIRE: Luxury, scandal, desire—welcome to the lives of the American elite.Be transported to the worlds of oil barons, family dynasties, moguls and celebrities. Get ready for juicy plot twists, delicious sensuality and intriguing scandal.
LOVE INSPIRED SUSPENSE: Courage. Danger. Faith. Find strength and determination in stories of faith and love in the face of danger.
HARLEQUIN SPECIAL EDITION: You know there’s always a new chapter to be written. Harlequin Special Edition stories show that whether it’s an old flame rekindled or a brand-new romance, love knows no timeline. As the seasons change, get your first taste of the Holidays with Harlequin. Feel the love and delight in happily ever after with one of our Harlequin Series Holiday Heartwarmers. Click HERE!
Title: A Tale of Two Christmas Letters
Author: Cathy Gillen Thacker
Genre: Romance
Harlequin Imprint: Special Edition
Will a single dad and three little girls fulfill her secret Christmas wish?
Rehab nurse Bess Monroe is mortified that she accidentally sent the wrong Christmas letter to her boss! And so now Jack McCabe, widowed surgeon and father of three little girls, offers his friendship to get through the holidays. But their pact soon turns into something more. Can a woman who’s been burned by love open her heart to Jack for the holidays—and maybe forever?
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46532792-a-tale-of-two-christmas-letters
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/31rjpr
Review:
A Tale of Two Christmas Letters is a sweet, light holiday read that checks off all the boxes: friends to (temporary–ha! like that ever works…I appreciate the effort, though) lovers, small children, large and loving extended families, puppies, Christmas–really, I’m not sure what else you could be looking for in a holiday read 😉
I mean, I mentioned the puppies, right? 😀
Bess and Jack were very cute together, and it was clear to everyone but them that they should have been together long before they were. Their two biggest obstacles were in their own heads, which made this a somewhat frustrating read at times–neither one seemed to be able to let go of their issues, admit their fears, or even really talk to each other about what they wanted and needed. Fortunately, they pulled out a win in the end which made up for a lot of the aggravating repetition that had come before.
This is a part of a series, but also worked just fine as a standalone.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars / C+
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
About the author:
About the author:
Dear Readers,
The love stories in my family have always been fodder for romance novels.
My maternal grandmother and grandfather simultaneously ran a business together and raised four daughters, long before it was an accepted thing to do. Grandpa O’Dell ran the gas station and the barber shop; Grandma O’Dell managed the grocery and cooked for customers. They were true partners and madly in love and parted, tragically, way too soon when he succumbed to cancer when he was in his early fifties. Grandma grieved deeply but eventually picked herself up, started a new career as a cafeteria chef, and eventually found deep romantic love and happiness again, in the form of a second marriage.
My paternal grandmother also bucked tradition. At twenty-six, she had turned down many a suitor, and instead focused on a career as a court reporter. That led to an introduction to a handsome young attorney, who also happened to be blind. She went to work for Roy John Gillen as a legal secretary, married him, produced six children, and continued doing his secretarial work through his long and distinguished career as an Ohio State Senator and then an Ohio State Court of Appeals judge. My Grandfather Gillen (Pap to all his grandkids) never liked having any other secretary but my grandmother, so they hired help to assist with the children, the cooking, and the cleaning, and she did all his typing and correspondence. They were married fifty-two years, and every year on their anniversary—which was Christmas Eve—Pap sent Grandma Myrna a dozen red roses. I thought it was swoon-worthy then, and I still do!
My mother was a nursing student at Holzer Hospital in Gallipolis, Ohio when she heard rumor that a handsome young pre-med student had been brought into the hospital with a broken nose. (He had been playing baseball with friends and got walloped.) Never one to let opportunity pass, my mother quickly got herself assigned to the young doctor-to-be. They both claimed it was love at first sight. He was as smitten as she was. They dated steadily. And —over the protests of both sets of parents—who wanted them to wait until my dad actually was a doctor—married a few days before my dad began his studies at Vanderbilt University Medical School, producing six children and many memories during the fifty-two years they were married.
As for my own romance, I met my husband Charlie when we were in high school. We were both in the marching band at the time, and one sunny fall afternoon, while standing around in uniform, waiting for the Lebanon Honey Festival parade to begin, a very cute upperclassman approached me. He smiled, and said, “Hi. You don’t know me. I’m a friend of your brother’s.”
I rolled my eyes and sighed and said, just as frankly and seriously, ”Any friend of my brother’s, is no friend of mine.”
Charlie insisted, “No. Seriously. I am a friend of your brother’s. It’s okay for you to talk to me.”
I returned, “The fact you are a friend of my brother Steve is exactly why I should never talk to you.”
And we were off. Repartee flying. Persistence in our opinions, on both our parts. By the time, I changed my mind and thought maybe I should have talked to him, Charlie had taken me at my word, and gone off to pursue someone else. I dated someone else, too. But Charlie had captured my attention, and I lusted after him secretly for the entire next year. Then I broke up with my boyfriend, he broke up with his girlfriend. I enlisted another friend of mine to signal that maybe I was interested. (Oh, the drama, the intrigue!) He asked me out. We started dating, and never looked back.
Together, we’ve weathered high school and college and marriage and kids and pets, graduations, weddings, and even grandkids. We’ve helped each other through career ups and downs: transitions, hurdles, and achievements. Together, we’ve moved cross-country numerous times, nursed family members through long illnesses, and stood hand in hand as we said our final goodbyes to loved ones.
All that has led me to believe that life is tough for all of us. For every ounce of joy we wring out of it, we have an equal share of challenges. What makes it all worthwhile is family.
And family is what I write about in every book.
To date, I’ve written and published over one hundred novels. Many are out of print, many are coming back in print via e-readers. (Hurrah!) In each story, I try to provide a few laughs, maybe a few tears, a few problems that seem… at first… unsolvable. As well as a lot of love.
I thank all the readers who have supported me and my work over the years, and I welcome all the new ones with open arms, and much gratitude. Knowing I’ve made someone’s day a little brighter, with one of my books, is the best gift I could ever receive.
So look around the site. You’ll discover what’s new, and what you may have missed. As well as a few recipes.
Welcome! And happy reading!
Cathy Gillen Thacker
Author Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18192.Cathy_Gillen_Thacker
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2s9lzG8
Website: https://www.cathygillenthacker.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cathygthacker
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CathyGillenThacker
More Harlequin Recommends for December:
Title: Safety Breach
Author: Delores Fossen
Genre: Romance
Harlequin Imprint: Intrigue
Can a Texas lawman capture an escaped serial killer after a witness’s location is breached?
The serial killer Gemma Hanson narrowly escaped just discovered her WITSEC location, and he’s coming after her to finish what he started. That’s the message Sheriff Kellan Slater personally delivers. Although Gemma and Kellan share an intense past, escaping the violence surrounding them is all that matters. Especially once Gemma realizes there is no safe place—not even protective custody…
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46220982-safety-breach
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/4AxNWN
About the author:
USA Today bestselling author, Delores Fossen, is an Air Force veteran who has sold over 100 novels. She’s received the Booksellers’ Best Award for romantic suspense, the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award and was a finalist for the prestigious Rita ®. Her books have been featured in Woman’s Day and Woman’s World. In addition, she’s had nearly a hundred short stories and articles published in national magazines. You can contact the author through her webpage at: www.deloresfossen.com
Author Links:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2s2MhwK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dfossen
Facebook: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/delores-fossen
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/240672.Delores_Fossen
Bookbub: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDeloresFossen/
Title: Duty or Desire
Author: Brenda Jackson
Genre: Romance
Harlequin Imprint: Desire
What happens when a man of unshakable conviction meets the woman who rocks his world?
Pete Higgins is an honorary Westmoreland, a man of his word—of course he’ll put duty to his orphaned niece first. Too bad the temporary nanny is tempting him with every look. Myra Hollister captivates him. But she’s keeping dangerous secrets, the kind that remind Pete of all he’s lost before and what he can’t afford to lose again…
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/m2rzGG
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45455034-duty-or-desire
About the author:
Brenda Jackson, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of over 100 novels and novellas, was born in Jacksonville, Florida. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Jacksonville University. She married her high school sweetheart, Gerald, and they have two sons, Gerald Jr. and Brandon, ages thirty-six and thirty-four, respectively. She is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Her professional writing career began in 1995 with the release of her first book, Tonight and Forever. Since then she has written over 100 titles, which includes a made-for-television movie by BET, One Special Moment as well as the movie, Truly Everlasting. She was a 2012 NAACP Image Award Nominee for Outstanding Literary Fiction for her book, A Silken Thread; and was named Romance Writers of America’s Nora Robert’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient for 2012.
Author Links:
Twitter: @AuthorBJackson
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/23809.Brenda_Jackson
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2HtvUQh
Website: http://www.brendajackson.net/
Title: The Secret Christmas Baby
Author: Lee Tobin McClain
Genre: Romance
Harlequin Imprint: Life Inspired
Will a fresh start heal old wounds?
His high school sweetheart returns with a baby…And a devastating secret.
Reese Markowski can’t believe he’s hiring his ex-girlfriend—but to save his program for dogs and at-risk kids, the veteran needs Gabby Hanks. Single mom Gabby’s fierce love for her infant daughter is undeniable, as is the child’s effect on Reese’s wounded heart. Their holiday reunion is a joyful surprise, but nothing prepares Reese for the truth about Gabby’s baby…
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45439410-the-secret-christmas-child
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/4DE1Ve
About the author:
Lee Tobin McClain read Gone With The Wind in the third grade and has been an incurable romantic ever since. The PW bestselling author of eight contemporary romances for Harlequin Love Inspired and twenty independently-published novels and novellas, she recently contracted with Harlequin HQN to write three mainstream romance novels, coming in 2019. When she’s not writing, she’s probably cheering on her daughter at a gymnastics meet, mediating battles between her goofy goldendoodle puppy and her rescue cat, or teaching aspiring writers in Seton Hill University’s MFA program. She is probably not cleaning her house.
Author Links:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KhL4f3
Web: https://www.leetobinmcclain.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/leetobinmcclain
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8585094.Lee_Tobin_McClain Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leetobinmcclain/
Title: Red Carpet Redemption
Author: Yahrah St. John
Genre: Romance
Harlequin Imprint: Desire
He’s Hollywood’s hottest heartthrob…
and her son’s secret father.
A PR stunt backfires when it reveals actor Dane Stewart’s a dad. As a sperm donor, he’s never met single mom Iris Turner, but they’re now connected through their child. And the press is about to pounce. Having Iris act as his girlfriend is pure damage control…except their chemistry is hotter than any love scene. But is a future together just a Cinderella fantasy?
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45455037-red-carpet-redemption
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/4NQkzG
About the author:
Yahrah St. John is the International author of thirty two books. When she’s not at home crafting one of her sexy romances with compelling heroes and feisty heroines with a dash of family drama, St. John can be found in the kitchen cooking one of her gourmet meals discovered on the Food Network for her husband. Or this thrill-seeking junky can be found traveling the globe seeking out her next adventure.
A graduate of Hyde Park Career Academy, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Northwestern University. St. John is a member of Romance Writers of America, but is an avid reader of all genres. St. John lives in sunny Orlando, the City Beautiful.
Author Links:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LFHZFM
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/715998.Yahrah_St_John
Website: http://www.yahrahstjohn.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/yahrahstjohn
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YahrahStJohn/
