Sweet Christmas romance…

This was a first read of this author though this is at the end of the Hero’s Welcome series. Not sure how I managed that but I’m happy I found it! Christmas is perfect for falling in love with warmth and love everywhere. Throw in Santa, orphans and a Grinch robber and you have a sweet, funny romance that had all the holiday warm and fuzzies…

Allison refused to go to another family Christmas Eve do alone and Troy fit the bill nicely. In so many ways… To pull off the ruse, they needed to know at least a bit about each other and the dates that followed did just that. Full of conversation, sharing, laughter and fun, pretending soon gave way to real feelings. They made me laugh and fall in love as well as their courtship hit a few bumps and included some very hilarious moments…

With an epilogue that wrapped this read in a beautifully sweet bow, this was a great holiday read!

Sweet Christmas romance. Allison doesn’t want her family on her case at Christmas dinner about not dating, so she bids on Troy at a charity auction. Both think they don’t want anything long term, but there’s a connection there. I’m not a huge fan of the fake boyfriend, auction tropes, but I liked the chemistry between Troy and Allison. There’s some hot sexy times between them. I do get sick of characters thinking they’ll be fine with a no strings thing; makes them look like morons, so I’m ready for that not to be something in so many novels. Allison needed some more self confidence as well. Entertaining story and the writing was good. I’d like to read more from this author, but for $7.99 for an ebook I’m going to be looking out for some deals.

This is a feel good holiday story. I like to keep my reading light at certain times depending on what I have going on. This book fit that bill it was just a nice easy holiday read

WELCOME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS - Annie Rains

WARM MILITARY ROMANCE - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars - Allison needs a date for Christmas Eve at her critical family's home. When a handsome military MP is auctioned off as part of a charity event, Allison decides to buy his time to be her plus one. But their sizzling attraction creates a more complicated relationship than just one date.

Writing - 4 stars - Although Rains writes in a bit of a starry-eyed style, I was still immediately drawn into the story and involved in the budding relationship. Occasionally Rains will try to make things seem innocent, even though they are obviously not, and this can be annoying. Such as when Allison is telling Julie about her relationship with Troy, and Julie asks if they've kissed. When Allison says "no, more," then Julie guesses that they might have made out. I mean, really? You're having a hot and heavy relationship with Landon, and you think Allison and Troy will only be kissing and necking? It didn't seem realistic in this day and age.

Characters - 3 stars - The story loses a little for me in the characters. Although Allison is nice and friendly and efficient, she lets herself be completely manipulated by her family, specifically her mother. So she has no faith in her own judgment. She just assumes a relationship will go wrong, so she doesn't even want to try. That underlying defeatist attitude was frustrating. Troy, on the other hand, is a nice hero. He tries to be against Christmas, which seemed a little over-the-top when he was just mad at his brother about an incident years ago, but he gives in to the warmth and love of the season. He falls hard and fast for Allison and makes all the right moves to woo her. But he's fighting an uphill battle between Allison's doubts and her mother's insinuations (for her own good, of course).

Title - 4 stars - A nice holiday story, and I suppose the welcome home is for Troy who hasn't visited his family for Christmas in years even though they are nearby. Plus the whole date thing is based around Allison's need to be welcomed by her family as well.

Cover - 4 stars - Nice wintery romance cover, with a loving couple in the snow. Pretty and pleasant.

Overall - 4 stars - This is a pleasant story of two people who randomly get together, but the sparks soon fly and they find themselves in more of a relationship than either of them expected. Although they're both nervous for their own reasons, they eventually realize they must take a chance to find happiness. Typical HEA romance, but I liked the military twist and revisiting with a couple of people from previous books in this series. Sweet.

Reading for the second Christmas in a row. It's as good this time as the the first time. A wonderful holiday read about the ties that bond and that colors everything else.
Love the journey Allison and Troy take following an intense attraction and an auction at a vet center yo benefit a children's center.
Throw in an opinionated mom who likes to diagnose people at first site, a pair of hardheaded feuding brothers, an adorable little girl, a couple of gun-shy adults and off the charts chemistry and you have a holiday recipe for confusion, personal growth and a heck of a lot of fun!

Loved this story. Super fast read, it got my attention from the start and I didn't want to put it down.
Allison, who works at the vet center needs a pretend date to get her family off her back, so she bids on Troy, an MP, at a benefit for the orphans to be that date. What could possibly go wrong?
Troy just doesn't want to celebrate Christmas this year, but being around Allison is definitely putting him in the mood--for something. This not a relationship, relationship IS finite, right?
Lots of love, laughter, and heat. Also some heart melting, tearing up and misunderstandings too. Absolutely adored the ending. What a wonderful Christmas it was.
Annie Rains has quickly become one of my favorite authors.
I received an early copy thru the Galley and I am giving an honest review. I really do think everyone will enjoy it, if you like contemporary romances

Welcome Home for Christmas is an appealing opposites -attract story with charming characters set in near a military base in North Carolina. I appreciated how the romance between Allison Carmichael and Troy Matthews developed as the couple dated; the romance was not rushed and this aspect made the couple’s journey more genuine to me. Annie Rains’ use of dialogue is fabulous! Through the honest and sometimes emotional conversations between the characters the reader knew that Allison and Troy were attracted to each other. I enjoyed reading and anticipating when the two of them would realize that their relationship was changing from friends to lovers.

The author does a fabulous job of weaving the true spirit of Christmas in the novel. Allison’s hope is for the orphan’s to have their Christmas wishes fulfilled. She is a character who keeps Christmas in her heart all year long. The novel has a few unexpected plot twists, the ending for all of the characters was perfect. And the epilogue was AWESOME!

I really enjoyed the book, it has everything I love in a novel from start to finish. I can’t wait to read what the author has planned next!

Stevie‘s review of Welcome Home for Christmas (A Hero’s Welcome, Book 4) by Annie Rains
Contemporary Military Holiday Romance published by Loveswept 08 Nov 16

I’m trying to read more holiday season books this year, and so have dived into more than one series partway through because a Festive Instalment has been released. Such is the case with this new-to-me series and, indeed, author. In an ideal world, of course, we’d have a good selection of books about celebrations other than Christmas as well, but I think I lucked out in that regard last year, since I haven’t see any as yet this time around. Back to the book that’s the subject of this review, however. This is the fourth of a series set in a small town dominated by the military base attached to it, and there’s not much to stop a new reader from jumping in at this point; being a novella, pretty much all the story is focused on the two main characters and their families.

Allison isn’t, strictly speaking, military; she’s a director at the Veteran’s Centre, and she also volunteers in her spare time at the Mercy’s Place centre for military orphans. She loves Christmas, except for the annual family get-together at which she spends her time either fielding questions over why she hasn’t brought a boyfriend or listening to her mother psychoanalyse and criticise any man Allison does decide to bring. This year, however, Allison has a plan to avoid both scenarios; she’s organising the charity auction in which military personnel offer their services – usually yard work and DIY – to the highest bidder. The solution for Allison, then, is to secure a military man for herself, who can be her pretend boyfriend for the dreaded event.

Troy is a military police officer, whose family lives locally, but who is looking forward to seeing them over Christmas even less than Allison is to seeing hers. Last year, he and his brother came to blows over Troy’s refusal to get involved in the family’s many successful business ventures, and Troy wants to avoid a repeat performance. Spending time with Allison’s family instead seems like the perfect solution, especially since he wants to get to know her better anyway – and they need to learn about each other quickly if they’re to convince Allison’s mother they really are a couple.

This is one of those books in which little of note seems to happen, but the characters manage to get themselves worked up over very minor misunderstandings. There’s a secondary plot running through the book regarding a series of break-ins and thefts, which give Troy the opportunity to show off his military police skills and Allison to make herself not at all useful and at times act annoyingly needy. The culprit is pretty obvious to me, although I can see why the characters choose to overlook their identity.

After a slightly rushed romance taking place entirely over the festive season, there is an epilogue set a year later which felt like far too much telling and not enough showing how far the characters (and various others I assume were from previous books in the series) had come since we last saw them. Not an author or series I’ll be troubling myself with again.

Grade: D

Troy Matthews is bah humbug. He is through with Christmas, especially after last year. Allison Carmichael is one of the good ones. She volunteers and works at a VA Center. One day she walks into the wine store to pick up some bottles for an event and Troy Matthews is there flirting with the cashier. He then sees Allison and everything changes. Flirt, yes but her scent draws him in. The charity auction the next day brings them back together again. From the moment Allison wins Troy, her plan was to have a fake boyfriend through Christmas. How could she keep him at arms length, when all she wants to do is closer to him. She is all about control, he is all about having some fun. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

As it’s the season I’ve been reading quite a lot of Christmas themed books. This happens to be one of them. This is the first book that I’ve read in the series as well as with this author. Allison Carmichael doesn’t want to head to her family’s Christmas celebration alone this year. She had enough of her mother analysing her relationship status. Allison is a sweet girl but she becomes kind of a push over when her mother is concerned. Allison’s dedicated to her job and will stop at nothing to help the kids at the orphanage to have a happy Christmas. She runs a charity party to raise money for the kids. Part of the charity is to auction of military men to help the wives of guys who have been deployed to help do the little things around the house. When Allison wins the bid on Troy she gets a plan in her head to fake a relationship and takes Troy to this year’s family celebrations.

OMG, I just love Christmas. This story was sweet, happy and full of Christmas miracles. I couldn’t help but to fall in love with both Troy and Allison and it’s made me that much more emotional with the Christmas season upon us. I loved how that the characters were slowly developed and it wasn’t just instant love, they conquered their fears and really made each other better. There were, however, certain situations that made me roll my eyes and it was a little overdone but what the heck it’s Christmas. I would recommend this for the season. It’s sweet, cute and very light reading.

Allison needs a date for Christmas Eve with her family. No one permanent just someone to keep her mother off her back. Her family picks apart any man she introduces them to so Troy is the perfect man! He has no interest in a relationship and she only needs him for one night. Troy doesn't mind Allison won him in the auction. He can't wait to get to know her better. Though the more he gets to know the more he likes. As the two are constantly thrown together their explosive chemistry takes off and the story flows perfectly with the ups and downs of their fake relationship.
Welcome Home for Christmas was a fun, sweet and steamy finale to the A Hero's Welcome Home series. Annie Rains ends the series with an amazing bang that will leave you completely content and ready to read her next series when it comes. If you love romance with sexy military heroes I highly recommend checking this story and the whole series out.

Great book! I loved it!
Both Troy and Allison are skeptical about relationships. Allison always seems to pick the wrong man and Troy doesn't think he ever wants anything serious. That is, until Allison purchases Troy at an auction to be her pretend boyfriend to keep her family off her back.
As they spend more time together, they both start to think a relationship is just what Santa ordered.
5 stars!!

This book was a cute addition to my Christmas reading. I loved the characters and enjoyed reading their story. Lots of smiles as I turned the pages and their story came to life.

I loved this book. The fact that I finished it on Christmas Eve made it even more special to me. the way that they help each other. Get through the holiday. I also liked that one of the characters that we knew little about since he was just a friend of Griffin's from the third book in the series. And the way it ended was fantastic. Great job Ms Annie.