A classic Christmas tale as only Jennifer Crusie can deliver. Smart and funny dialog. Fully developed characters even in a novella format. They sizzle off the page. I return to it time and time again.

I never downloaded this one. It's stuck in my profile, hurting my ranking. I have tried to get it removed since I never downloaded it (or requested it) to no avail.

This was okay, but it wasn’t amazing. I’m giving it 2 out of 5 stars. This review is for an ARC, and reflects my honest opinion.

I’ve read a few books by this author before, but it’s been years. I requested this a long time ago, but never got around to reading it, so I figured why not now? While it was short and had a sweet ending, I wouldn’t recommend this. One reason for that was that the story felt very dated based on the writing.

The characters were as developed as they could be for a novella, but I just didn’t really connect with any of them. Also the plot was kind of out there, which I knew going into it based on the summary, but it exceeded my expectations for weirdness. I was naturally suspicious of everyone in the book. Overall it was a fine read, but nothing I’d want to pick up again.

3 out of 5 stars! On Christmas Eve, Trudy is out at an older toy store in hopes of finding the “IT” toy for boys that year. But of course because of it BEING Christmas Eve she doesn’t find it. She only finds last year’s model, yet that throws her life into a chaos-filled adventure!

This novella was not what I was expecting, yet I enjoyed its action-packed plot and Trudy’s quick wit. Nonetheless, it doesn’t have much meat on it, as it is a novella, so the relationship between Trudy and the guy she “knows” doesn’t feel genuine. Though it is just the beginning of everything for Trudy once she finally settles on that guy so who knows. It definitely has a good build-up!

I recommend it for anyone looking for an entertainingly fun quick holiday women’s fiction novella!

Review By: From Me to You ... Video, Photography, & Book Reviews
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More than anything, Hot Toy came across as pretty silly to me. The super short novella has a spy/suspense storyline that seemed almost slapstick. That's not really what I expected from a Crusie holiday novella. A romance developed between main characters Trudy and Nolan, but it took a backseat to the silliness of the storyline.

Back in the day, I was a big fan of Jennifer Crusie. I loved her books and I collected quite a few of them. Somehow I got lost along the way and I haven't picked up one of her books in several years. When Hot Toy popped up, I knew I had to read it. I needed to get back into the Crusie-swing of things and fall back in love with her books. And wow, it didn't take long for Hot Toy to remind me of all things I loved about Jennifer's writing. Her characters are sweet with a side of crazy. The situations she puts them in are hysterical. I could not stop giggling at one in the morning. Not the smartest time, I admit, but I could not help myself. I had to read this little holiday novella as soon as possible. And I'm so glad I did because now that I have, I need to get back into her books. If you've never tried one of Jennifer Crusie's works, give Hot Toy a shot. The action packed novella will give new readers a little glimpse into the world that Jennifer creates. As for me, I think 2016 will be the year I re-introduce myself to the books I loved years ago.