In the cheer of Christmas, here is my holiday book haul. Now, these I found on Kindle for free today. There are many you can pick from right now, but of course, I picked up the ones I’m interested in reading, and I read one already; it was a picture book, but I’m counting it. If you are interested in the physical books I got, let me know. For some reason, Goodreads is still low, so I haven’t added the books I read or submitted my points for the Reindeer Readathon, but I need to fix that.
Goodreads Blurb:
Magic forced them apart. Can it bring them back together?
Owen Sanchez doesn’t know what’s going on with the Coffee Cat Cafe. Disembodied voices, disappearing milk, ruined baked goods. He’d say it’s haunted, but he doesn’t believe in magic.
Until Aria walks back into his life.
Twelve years ago, she was his best friend. His first love. Then she disappeared and broke his heart.
Now, she’s his unexpected roommate, and Owen remembers there was always something mystical about her.
Aria Belmonte tried to avoid her past, but a string of bad luck lands her right in Owen’s lap. He doesn’t know she’s a witch, and the magic world she’s a part of is strict. Unforgiving. The secret of magic must be kept at all costs.
With a hunting plaguing Owen’s cafe, it’s only a matter of time until he discovers the truth. Could this be the chance they need to follow their hearts, consequences be damned?
Goodreads Blurb:
In the snowy embrace of a family ski trip, long-time friends Holden and Isaiah face an undeniable spark that challenges everything they thought they knew about their bond. As holiday cheer fills the air, Holden’s walls of denial begin to crack under the weight of growing attraction. Amid laughter-filled slopes, cozy lodge nights, and unexpected storms, their friendship evolves into something deeper and more passionate. But with family close by, they must navigate secrets and revelations that could change their lives forever.
Pure Holiday Heat is a heartfelt tale of self-discovery, forbidden desire, and the magic of finding love where it’s always right beside you.
Goodreads Blurb:
Trouble Digs to Trinidad is a heartwarming Caribbean-inspired children’s story that blends culture, adventure, and imagination. Trouble, a curious and lovable dog, takes young readers on a playful journey filled with discovery, friendship, and the magic of exploring new places. Inspired by the author’s heritage and childhood, this beautifully written and illustrated tale celebrates identity, family traditions, and the joy of seeing the world through a child’s eyes.
Goodreads Blurb:
Meet Tickle, a lovable little dog with floppy ears, a waggy tail, and a big heart. Tickle has always dreamed of having a family to call his own. One sunny day, his curiosity leads him on an unexpected adventure through the bustling streets of the city—and changes his life forever.
On his journey, Tickle discovers the true meaning of bravery as he faces noisy cars, wobbly bridges, and even a surprising meeting with a wise old dog named Buddy. Lost and unsure, Tickle learns that courage isn’t about never being scared—it’s about taking one step forward, even when the world feels big and uncertain.
But Tickle’s story doesn’t end there! Just when he feels the most alone, he meets Nora, a kind and adventurous little girl who’s been dreaming of a dog to love. Together, they embark on a new chapter filled with laughter, snuggles, and the joy of finding a family.
Goodreads Blurb:
When the one person standing between you and true love is the wife you never knew you had…
When Aisha travels to Las Vegas with her fiancée Kris, all she wants is to get married. The venue is booked. The music has been chosen. The flowers are perfect. The guests are arriving.
On the casino floor Aisha runs into a long lost college friend. They’d gotten fake “married” many years before as part of a protest for same-sex marriage rights, but those rights have been granted. That marriage is no longer fake.
Now, Aisha has 72 hours to end one marriage before she starts the life she always dreamed of. All she has to do is find a judge basking naked in a hot tub on her day off and get to the chapel on time.
Goodreads Blurb:
In Czechoslovakia, 1942, Jan’s father has been summarily executed by the Nazis. His mother and his older sister Maria have disappeared, and his younger sister Lena has been removed to a remote farm in the German countryside. With Europe in the throes of war, the ten-year-old boy embarks on a personal journey to reunite the family he has been violently torn from. The experiences he goes through and the horror he faces during this desperate quest will change his life for ever. While examining the devastating effects of war on ordinary families, “The Search” provides an exploration of fear and loss, and of the bond between parents and children. Riveting, moving, at times disturbing, Maureen Myant’s debut novel will haunt its readers for a long time after they have put it down.
Goodreads Blurb:
What happens when the life you’ve built no longer feels like your own?
For Basho, turning thirty felt less like a milestone and more like “a splinter in the mind.” A series of personal crises convinced him and his partner, Cesca, to make a radical choice. They walked away from their careers, put their lives in storage, and set off on a year-long, unscripted adventure across a dozen countries to answer one Is there a better way to live?
Their path takes them from the rugged shores of Australia to the spiritual heart of India and the serene temples of Japan. But between the moments of transcendent beauty, a deeper, wilder journey unfolds. They must face down spitting alpacas, chaotic farm hosts, a terrifying encounter with the world’s largest spider in a Laotian toilet, and the constant challenge of escaping the “backpacker bubble” to find genuine connection.
With relentless honesty and dry wit, Trials & Tea Ceremonies charts a quest to stop living life as a pilgrimage toward a distant reward and instead learn to dance to the music while it’s playing. It’s a profound and unflinchingly funny memoir about leaving everything behind to find what truly matters—together.
Goodreads Blurb:
A doctor stumbling through life. A North Korean bioterrorist plot.
The two collide in an unforgettable tale.
Dr. Nicklaus Hart, a gifted trauma surgeon, searches for meaning in his life. His self-reliant spirit is broken with the death of his missionary best friend, found sacrificed at the base of a Maya Temple. Going to Guatemala to fill the shoes of his friend at the mission hospital, he discovers God’s redemption and peace in the smiles of the children he cares for. But his own life is in danger as he and his team stumble onto a deadly North Korean plot.
As Nick delves into the mystery of his friend’s death, he exposes the very cause of the extermination of the Maya race…a virus which is about to be released upon the entire world through a bioterrorist scheme of global proportions. Will Nick and his team stop them in time?
Goodreads Blurb:
After a summer grounded from technology, Bayleigh is back home and rebuilding her relationship with her mother. Her boyfriend Jace keeps his promise and stays in Texas, where he works at a local motocross track.
Knowing her relationship with Jace is something special and not like all the guys before him, Bayleigh is determined to keep their love strong, despite his notorious fame in the motocross world and the dozens of girls throwing themselves at him in his new job.
Goodreads Blurb:
Every day, Sissy goes to the same restaurant at the same time and orders the same thing.
No one knows why.
Until the day a stranger from a mysterious, haunted town arrives.
And nothing will be the same.
Goodreads Blurb:
Peyton Stratford is her family’s unofficial keeper of all things secret, from the petty and mundane to the potentially life-changing. But Peyton is keeping a secret of her own. And it’s a doozy.
Pastor Brice Northam is used to hearing secrets. After all, it’s part of his job description. But he’s about to hear one that’s going to challenge him almost as much as his feelings for the person confessing.
Peyton needs some serious help from Brice, but how much does she dare tell him? And what, exactly, is Brice hiding from Peyton—and himself? Clearly they both have some serious soul-searching to do. But maybe, just maybe, the answer to secrets isn’t silence. Or more secrets.
Maybe it’s love.
Goodreads Blurb:
Princesses and secrets! When a royal journey goes awry, a vow of silence sends a princess to the fields with the royal geese, and her maid to the palace. Can the wise king uncover their hidden mix-up before a royal wedding changes everything? Get ready for a story full of secrets, surprises, and even a little magic.
Goodreads Blurb:
When the life they’ve been building starts to fall apart, they’ll need to fight their past demons and an unknown enemy.
Eden’s betrayal by someone she loved
Matt’s failure to stop the Camp Carroll massacre
Keir’s manipulation and abuse in XIX
Blaine’s sobriety
Caleb’s excommunication from his faith and family
Hutton’s sole purpose, the reason for his existence-destruction.
The person targeting them knows their weaknesses and exploits them fully. Not everyone will make it through this alive.
“I’ve been waiting. I’m dying to meet you.”
Goodreads Blurb:
With all his family and friends gone, one-hundred-year-old Murray McBride is looking for a reason to live. He finds it in Jason Cashman, a ten-year-old boy with a terminal heart defect and a list of five things he wants to do before he dies. Together, they race against the limited time each has left, ticking off wishes one by one. Along the way, Murray remembers what it’s like to be young, and Jason fights for the opportunity to grow old. But when tragedy strikes, their worlds are turned upside-down, and an unexpected gift is the only thing that can make Jason’s final wish come true.
Goodreads Blurb:
In the cozy, snow-dusted town where holiday traditions sparkle like fresh lights, Jasper is determined to make this year’s Jingle Bell Jamboree the best yet. As the enthusiastic organizer, he pours his heart into creating a magical community event. But when skeptical newcomer Keegan arrives, their clashing ideas threaten to unravel the festivities. Amid the chaos of preparations and unexpected mishaps, sparks fly between the two men, turning tension into an undeniable connection. Will the spirit of the season bring them together, or will their differences dim the holiday glow?
Alex
Mybookworld24 