Brynn Stein

To Henry, Christmas shopping is a necessary evil; there are so many things he'd rather be doing. But gifts need to be purchased, so he's stuck going through the motions to get it done. And on top of it being two days before Christmas--and therefore a busy day all around--he runs into a complete jerk who keeps crossing his path and getting in his way. He doesn't know what the guy's deal is, but he aims to just complete his shopping and be done with him. Except when days don't go as planned, sometimes they really don't go as planned.

This is a short and very action-oriented story with some unexpected twists as the plot progresses. There's a lightness to the writing that comes through (despite Henry's foul mood), and despite the length, I feel like it was easy to connect to the character and understand what this day is really like for him. Shorts can be difficult sometimes, especially when you're working in the romance genre. But I also never expect a romance short to deliver the slow burn relationship building that one might see in a novel--there's just no room for it. But when I can end the story with a smile on my face and pleased with the direction the characters are headed, then we've arrived at a good place.… (meer)

Christmas shopping can be a stressful activity. In this story, Henry has left it to two days before Christmas and faces mayhem as people in stores fight over toys and other items. To make matters worse, this strange man in a trapper hat keeps appearing at the worst moments, making one accident after the other happen. What was that Murphy's Law? "Everything that can go wrong will go wrong." - or something to that effect. Henry's "adventures" certainly seem to confirm that.

As much as I loved all the initial chaos, I enjoyed the slow reveal of what had actually been going on even more. Henry tries very hard to remain mad (that too is hilarious), but when the truth is finally out, he can't remain stubborn. A very clever turn-around!

If you like your Christmas stories with a serving of humor, if you enjoy watching a misunderstanding, then its clarification, and if you're looking for an entertaining read with a hint of romance, then you will probably like this short story.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.
… (meer)

As a collection of stories, I think the 2015 Advent Calendar was one of the best of its kind. I have been following these since 2009, but the number of stories I totally adored has never been this high. And even though I had my ten favorites (see individual titles for my reviews and ratings), I really liked the vast majority of the remainder as well. Each story had something to contribute, and that included (as it does every year) stories of winter traditions other than Christian. I had a ball reading these and already look forward to the 2016 collection.


NOTE: The stories in this collection were provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of reviews on Rainbow Book Reviews.… (meer)

‘Waiting for Patrick’ is an unusual love story and an excellent supernatural mystery in one. Ben, one of the main characters, is a ghost, and he has been “waiting for Patrick” ever since the Civil War ended over 150 years earlier. Elliot, the second main character, feels a strange attraction to a historic plantation home, discovers a ghost who seems to have a plan, and has dreams that are as real as memories despite the fact that Elliot has never lived through the events he witnesses. Or has he?

Elliot likes buying historic homes and restoring them to their former glory. He is somewhat introverted, but his best friend won’t let him withdraw and drags him into the local social life when Elliot tells her about his latest project – a plantation house not too far from where she lives. But the one-night stand he picks up at the club leaves, telling Elliot there is a ghost. Elliot thinks it’s all nonsense. He is interested in history, but not a real specialist, so when strange dreams begin to occur, he needs the help of a friend to get to the bottom of the historical facts. What they discover defies rational explanation, and confronts Elliot with a real mystery.

There are a lot of pieces to move into place for the tale to make sense, and it takes about two-thirds of this fascinating novel for all the parts of the puzzle to become visible. The dreams Ben uses to communicate with Elliot, to try to make him remember the love they once shared, are a slow build, but once the full picture becomes visible, the last third of the book moves quite quickly. The ending is one of the most unusual happy endings I have ever come across, and while it was inevitable under the circumstances, the way the author wrote the final resolution had me turning the pages.

If you like a supernatural mystery where ghosts play an active role, if lovers separated by fate, yet willing to work on finding each other again are your thing, and if you’re looking for a read that is unusual, has a few twists, and comes with a creative ending, then you will probably like this novel.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.
… (meer)