dear mr. hemingway’s 2019 holiday books & pairings
Kiss Me Under the Mistletoe

On the Rocks by Kandi Steiner (Kandi Steiner)
Gahhhhhhh…Ruby Grace Barnett, Noah Becker, a whiskey distillery, and warm Tennessee nights…Love this! I am so giddy I can’t stand it. Kandi Steiner’s On The Rocks totally worked for me. It had the perfect amount of family drama, self-discovery, and “STEAM” to keep me wanting more. Bust out your whiskey and get reading. WARNING…You May Smile.
From the Publisher: “Noah Becker is nothing but trouble. That’s what Mama told me when I was a kid, kicking his pew in church and giggling at the games we’d play. It’s what the town said when his father died and the Becker brothers went wild. And it’s on repeat in my mind the day I walk into the whiskey distillery where he works to buy a wedding gift for my fiancé. He’s trouble. Dirty, sweaty, rude trouble. No matter how many times I repeat it, I can’t escape Noah in our small Tennessee town. And the more I run into him, the more he infuriates me. Because he sees what no one else does. He sees me-the real me. The me I’m not sure I’m allowed to be. I’m Ruby Grace Barnett, the mayor’s daughter. Soon to be a politician’s wife, just like Mama and Daddy always wanted. Soon to fulfill my family’s legacy, just like I always knew I would. Until the boy, everyone warned me about makes me question everything, like whether the wedding I’m planning is one I even want. Everyone says Noah Becker is nothing but trouble. If only I had listened.”
P.S. Serve this book “On the Rocks”…..literally! Chill these granite stones for your next drink.
Challenge by Amy Daws (Stars Hollow Publishing)
I am not sure if it is even necessary for me to tell you how fun and sexy this book is. Have you seen the cover???? Enjoy this sports romance with Camden and Indie. This is Book #1 in Daws’ Harris Brother series. So after you finish this…run and grab the others.
From the Publisher: “He’s her patient. She’s his doctor. They shouldn’t. But God, do they want to. Camden Harris, the famously hot, hulk of a footballer is laid up in a London hospital. But his busted knee doesn’t stop him from running his well-practiced game on Indie Porter—his redheaded spitfire of a doctor. She’s not his type, not even close. But she could be the perfect distraction from the soul-crushing damage this injury could cost him. Indie’s tired of her naivety putting a target on her back. As a gifted child, she’s let her education take the front seat her whole life. But a fling with a footballer like Camden might be just what she needs to grab life by the balls. And he could be the perfect guy for the plan she’s been sitting on for over two years. But when feelings make a final play, there’s no amount of medicine that can heal the damage to their hearts.”
P.S. Soak in the tub while reading this book. Pair this book with this bath book holder.
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (Saint Martins Press)
I will forever love Alex and Henry. You will too! They are one of my favorite literary couples this year! From the political arena to the royal household, this first son and prince have to navigate through some rather rocky terrain during their budding romance. My Heart!!!!
From the Publisher: “When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius—his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There’s only one problem: Alex has a beef with the actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an Alex-Henry altercation, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse.
Heads of family, state, and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instragramable friendship grows deeper and more dangerous than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations and begs the question: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to be? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through? Casey McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue proves: true love isn’t always diplomatic.”
P.S. Pair this book with this environmentally friendly mug. Reading is totally sexy!
Meet Me on Love Lane by Nina Bocci (Galery Books)
There is something about Hope Lake that reminds me of Stars Hollow. Can I just live here please! Any takers?????
From the Publisher: “Charlotte Bishop is out of options in New York City. Fired, broke, and blacklisted by her former boss, she’s forced to return to her hometown of Hope Lake, PA to lick her wounds. Although she’s expecting to find a miserable place with nothing to do, she is pleasantly surprised to discover it is bustling and thriving.
She’s only supposed to be in Hope Lake temporarily until she can earn enough money to move back to New York. She’s not supposed to reconnect with her childhood friends or her beloved grandmother. She’s not supposed to find her dream job running the local florist shop. And she’s definitely not supposed to fall for not one but two of Hope Lake’s golden boys: one the beloved high school English teacher, the other the charming town doctor.”
P.S. Pair this book with these socks and your reader will never be without a book!
That Second Chance by Meghan Quinn (Montlake romance)
Let’s face it. I love romance books. This past year I have been gobbling them up. That Second Chance takes place in the fictional town, Port Snow. Not only do I love this name, but guess what????? It takes place in Maine! Take a walk down Seagull Lane, grab a coffee at The Snow Roast, and taste the greatest fudge ever at The Lobster Landing!. Don’t forget to check out the HOT fireman!!!!!!
From the Publisher: “But it only took one rowdy night with my brothers to flip my world upside down. One unlucky encounter saddled us with a family curse and the promise of doomed relationships. I laughed it off immediately. “Yeah, right,” I thought. “A love curse. Ha Boy, was I wrong.
Word spreads quickly in a town like mine; rumors about that night soon made us the most eligible yet untouchable bachelors in Port Snow, Maine. As a subject of endless gossip and speculation, I could kiss my dating life goodbye.
It would have stayed that way if Ren Winters, the new girl in town, hadn’t crashed into my life. Brave, beautiful, and smart–her vivacious thirst for a fresh start has given me hope that maybe, just maybe, I can have one too.
Everyone wishes for that second chance . . . but could this really be mine?”
Dear Mr. Hemingway’s 2019 Holiday Books & Pairings
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