Ellora's Caves Presents...
The Twelve Quickies of Christmas Reviews

Page Three

Added December 11, 2003

Book 5 - Ringing in the Season

Author: Rachel Bo
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Available At: www.ellorascave.com
Publishing Date: December 16, 2003
Genre: Romance: Erotic/Contemporary/Holiday
Format: Ebook download in PDF/HTML/LIT
Price: $2.99
ISBN: 1-84360-730-1
Author Email/Website: webpages.charter.net/rachelbo/
Reviewer: Sharyn McGinty

Can the magic of Christmas save a seventeen-year-old marriage?

Traci loved her husband Rick with every fiber of her being. Lately, however, he'd been testing her love, devoting more time to his job rather than her and their children. This close to Christmas, Traci didn't want to ruin the holidays but she had finally reached a decision. Tonight she would send the children to a friend's house and she and Rick would talk.

She arrives home to find the children missing and every single light in the house on. Worried, she searches the rooms, stopping in the dining room when she sees the decorated table, dinner, wine, a florist's box and a manila envelope. She sits down and opens the envelope. Within is a note from Rick and instruction for a treasure hunt, an erotic treasure hunt.

Will this treasure hunt bring Rick and Traci back together?

With Book Five of the Twelve Quickies of Christmas, Rachel Bo makes her writing debut. Ringing in the Season captures the beautiful love between a husband and wife. Traci and Rick are fully developed, mature adults with a wonderful history together. Through the years they've grown apart but that doesn't make their love any less strong.

Congratulations to Ms. Bo for creating such a magnificent, heart-warming and extremely erotic tale. Ringing in the Season will be placed on my keeper shelf and I will definitely be rereading it again soon.

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December 11, 2003

Book Six - The Toymaker

Author: R. Casteel
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Available At: www.ellorascave.com
Publishing Date: December 17, 2003
Genre: Romance: Erotic/Fantasy/Holiday
Format: Ebook download in PDF/HTML/Mobipocket/MS Reader
Price: $2.99
ISBN: 1-84360-731-X
Author Email/Website: www.rcasteel.net
Reviewer: Sharyn McGinty

It was going to be a hard Christmas. Granted, things had been hard ever since her husband ran off with his lover. Samantha Woodall didn't know what she was going to do. The cow was drying up, the hens and geese weren't laying enough eggs, their woodpile was running low and there was no money for them to buy supplies. She didn't have any idea how to provide for herself or her two children. Hope came in the form of an unexpected visitor.

Samantha couldn't believe someone was out traveling on a night like this, but knew she couldn't turn them away. Claudius Elfenstine was a toymaker and was on his way home from a delivery when he became lost. Samantha's kindness and her beauty touched and aroused him like never before. It wasn't everyone who would open their door and share their meager supplies with a stranger.

She couldn't believe how Claudius affected her. For the first time in months, she felt the stab of desire and was able to see he shared her desire. In a land where anything can happen, they take what few days they have and make the most of them. Claudius' impending departure saddens her and her children. In just a few short hours he has become an important part of their life. When he leaves will their memories be enough to sustain them? Or will the ultimate toymaker work a miracle?

Easily the most emotional of the erotic romance I've read, The Toymaker is astounding. It always amazes me how an author can create loveable and unforgettable characters in such a short space. Author R. Casteel not only creates such characters in The Toymaker, he weaves them in our hearts, ensuring we won't forget them easily.

Within three hours of receiving The Toymaker for review, I had read it four times; I couldn't pull myself away. Here were two wonderful, amazing people grabbing a moment of happiness even though it wouldn't last forever. As I neared the end of the story the more I was drawn into this world and these characters and the tears fell more quickly. Would there be a happy ending for Samantha, Claudius and the children? Or would the memories they created be enough? I won't spoil the story, if you want to see how it ends, pick up this keeper and prepare for a magical journey.

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