Team Forever’s Holiday Gift Guide
Whether you are braving the stores or snacking on leftover pie in your pajamas, Team Forever wanted to give you a helping hand when it came to shopping for the romance novel fans in your life. (Or the book fans you are trying to convert!) We hope you find this guide handy, and maybe even sneak a literary sweet for yourself. Happy shopping!
Amy Pierpont, Editor-in-Chief: “Shopping for in-laws can be stressful. But lucky for me, my mother-in-law is a huge romance fan–the steamier the better! So, I couldn’t think of a better gift this year than Jodi Ellen Malpas’s With This Man. Jesse Ward under the Christmas tree? Yes, please!”
Life is good for Jesse "The Lord" Ward. Perfect, actually. He still has the charm, he's in great shape, and he still reduces his wife, Ava, to a pool of desire with a mere look. He's in full control, just how he likes it.
But Jesse's perfect world falls apart when a terrible accident lands Ava in the hospital with a life-threatening head injury. Devastated and angry, he feels like his entire existence hangs in the balance. He cannot survive without this woman's love. So when she finally comes around, his shaking world begins to level out. But his nightmare doesn't end there. It's only just begun. Because his wife can't remember the last sixteen years of her life. That's all of him. All of their time together. He is a stranger to her.
Now Jesse must do whatever it takes to find her memories . . . and help her fall madly, passionately in love with him all over again.
Leah Hultenschmidt, Editorial Director: “Christmas on Mistletoe Lane by Annie Rains is such a charmer. I was absolutely in love with Kaitlyn and Mitch right from the start, especially knowing that he helped take care of her grandmother. Serious swoon! I’m giving this to all my friends and family who can’t get enough of the Hallmark Christmas Countdown.”
Christmas is coming to the North Carolina mountains, and the air is fresh and crisp and filled with promise. After the devastating loss of her job in the big city, the small town of Sweetwater Springs feels like heaven to Kaitlyn Russo. She's inherited her grandparents' charming (if a little rundown) bed and breakfast, and it's just the new lease on life she needs. Only "heaven" comes with a catch-and a handsome and completely infuriating one at that.
After what he hopes will be a quick trip, Mitch Hargrove wants nothing more than to put his hometown in the rearview mirror. But his plans get derailed when he learns he's now half-owner of the Sweetwater B&B. The fact that he's given only two months to make the inn a success is a huge problem, but it's his pretty-and incredibly headstrong-partner who's the real challenge. With the holiday fast approaching and a grand re-opening looming, will Mitch keep running from the ghosts of Christmas past . . . or will he realize the true gift he's been given?
Alex Logan, Editorial: “For many of us, no holiday is complete without showering a lot of love on the furry members of our family. Raul Sá has a new member of his Search and Protect team, a highly trained German Shepherd named Taz. As the two learn to trust and love each other, there is a second romance between Raul and Mali, a beautiful woman in grave danger (ha!). Animal lovers’ hearts will be touched by both love stories.”
As the newest recruit at Search and Protect, Raul has a lot to prove. Luckily, he’s got the best friend and partner a man could ask for: a highly trained, fiercely loyal German Shepherd Dog named Taz. Together, Raul and Taz make an unbeatable team. But their first mission in Hawaii really puts them to the test when an international kidnapping ring sets its sights on the bravest woman Raul’s ever met . . .
Mali knows her latest job has put one hell of a target on her back. And on this small island paradise, there’s nowhere to hide. With a service dog like Taz, Mali feels safe. Sharing close quarters with a smoldering muscle-for-hire like Raul, she feels something else – an unexpected wave of desire. Raul feels it too. But when the kidnappers make their move, he’s got to turn that slow-burning passion into hard-hitting action – and save the life of the woman he loves.
Madeleine Colavita, Editorial: “One troublemaker groomsman, one ultra-responsible bridesmaid, eleven days until the wedding—what could go wrong? Filled with an unforgettable cast of characters, this heartwarming and hilarious escape of a novel will have you laughing, swooning, and calling your best friend!”
Lexi Smail, Editorial: “This laugh-out-loud western is filled with Texas charm, the cutest five-year-old you’ll ever meet, three holidays—Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas!—and a romance that will make you believe in fairy tales. Or, at the very least, make you want a big bad cowboy of your own.”
After one too many heartbreaks, Travis Blake hung up his cowboy hat and put Big Verde, Texas, behind him. But when he gets the call that his young nephew needs him, he knows he has to return home. His plan is to sell the family ranch and hightail it back to Austin, but there's a small problem: the one person who stands in his way is the one person he can't resist.
Maggie is pretty sure she hates Travis Blake. He's irritating, he's destroying her business, and . . . and he's just so frickin' attractive. But when they're forced to work together, Maggie discovers that the Most Annoying Man in the World is more than he seems. He's sweet with his nephew, he helps out in the community, and he makes her heart flutter. Maggie doesn't want to risk everything on a man who wants to leave, but what if she can convince this wayward cowboy to stay?
Gabi Kelly, Editorial: “The Paris Seamstress is one of those books that you can’t put down. It’s beautiful, thought-provoking, and will take you on an incredible journey. This is the perfect gift for the historical fiction lover in your life or someone who wants to get lost in a book this holiday season.”
1940: As the Germans advance upon Paris, young seamstress Estella Bissette is forced to flee everything she's ever known. She's bound for New York City with her signature gold dress, a few francs, and a dream: to make her mark on the world of fashion.
Present day: Fabienne Bissette journeys to the Met's annual gala for an exhibit featuring the work of her ailing grandmother - a legend of women's fashion design. But as Fabienne begins to learn more about her beloved grandmother's past, she uncovers a story of tragedy, heartbreak and family secrets that will dramatically change her own life.
Cristina Lupo, Editorial: “The Highland Chieftain by Amy Jarecki is perfect for the Outlander lover in your life. Whether it be your mom, sister, or best friend, Amy’s highlanders definitely satisfy any level of Jamie Fraser cravings they might have.”
Jodi Rosoff, Director of Publicity and Marketing: “I’m a Zanetti fan so I’m always recommending her books but Deadly Silence is a great place to start because it’s the first in a trilogy. The writing is fast-paced, action-packed, with highly skilled military-esque heroes. But what really sets Zanetti’s characters apart for me is their heart and the emotions that run through the story. (No spoilers but paranormal readers will also like this one.)”
Under siege. That's how Ryker Jones feels. The Lost Bastards Investigative Agency he opened up with his blood brothers has lost a client in a brutal way. The past he can't outrun is resurfacing, threatening to drag him down in the undertow. And the beautiful woman he's been trying to keep at arm's length is in danger...and he'll destroy anything and anyone to keep her safe.
Paralegal Zara Remington is in over her head. She's making risky moves at work by day and indulging in an affair with a darkly dangerous PI by night. There's a lot Ryker isn't telling her and the more she uncovers, the less she wants to know. But when all hell breaks loose, Ryker may be the only one to save her. If his past doesn't catch up to them first...
Estelle Hallick, Publicity and Marketing: “I can’t lie: I’ve been averaging five Hallmark Channel holiday movies a weekend. This is all in preparation for “Welcome to Christmas”, the movie inspired by Debbie Mason’s The Trouble with Christmas. The book is the perfect gift for my fellow Christmas enthusiasts.”
Resort developer Madison Lane is about to lose the one thing she loves most in the world - her job. Dubbed "The Grinch Who Killed Christmas," Madison spoiled a deal that would turn quaint Christmas, Colorado, into a tourist's winter wonderland. Now the citizens want her fired but the company gives her one last chance, sending Madison to the small town to restore the holiday cheer.
For Sheriff Gage McBride, no hotshot executive from New York City is going to destroy the dreams of the people he loves. But one look at this beautiful woman and it's his heart that may be broken. In just a few days, Madison causes more trouble than he's had to deal with all year. He can't decide if she's naughty or nice, but one thing is for certain--Christmas will never be the same again.