Snow in Love by Melissa de la Cruz, Nic Stone, Aimee Friedman, & Kasie West

“What's better than one deliciously cozy, swoon-worthy holiday story?

Four of them, from some of today's bestselling authors.

From KASIE WEST, a snowy road trip takes an unexpected detour when secrets and crushes are revealed.

From AIMEE FRIEDMAN, a Hanukkah miracle may just happen when a Jewish girl working as a department store elf finds love.

From MELISSA DE LA CRUZ, Christmas Eve gets a plot twist when a high school couple exchange surprising presents.

From NIC STONE, a scavenger hunt amid the holiday crowds at an airport turns totally romantic.

So grab a mug of hot cocoa, snuggle up, and get ready to fall in love…” - taken from Goodreads.com

I devoured this short collection of four holiday stories. Snow and Mistletoe by Kasie West was a cute, romantic story about secret crushes. I almost wish it had been a bit longer. Working in a Winter Wonderland by Aimee Friedman is a tale of a Jewish girl working in a Christmas shop for a special dress to impress a secret crush on New Year’s Eve. This story had a sweet twist at the end. The Magi’s Gifts by Melissa de la Cruz just didn’t do it for me. I’ve never enjoyed the original story by O. Henry. Grounded by Nic Stone took me a while to get into but I really enjoyed it.

Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West

“Talking to other people isn't Kate Bailey's favorite activity. She'd much rather be out on the lake, soaking up the solitude and sunshine. So when her best friend, Alana, convinces Kate to join their high school's podcast, Kate is not expecting to be chosen as the host. Now she'll have to answer calls and give advice on the air? Impossible.

But to Kate's surprise, she turns out to be pretty good at the hosting gig. Then the podcast gets in a call from an anonymous guy, asking for advice about his unnamed crush. Kate is pretty sure that the caller is gorgeous Diego Martinez, and even surer that the girl in question is Alana. Kate is excited for her friend ... until Kate herself starts to develop feelings for Diego. Suddenly, Kate finds that while doling out wisdom to others may be easy, asking for help is tougher than it looks, and following your own advice is even harder.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This book was probably one of the best I've read from this author lately. I wasn't really sure where all of the characters were going, I was surprised by the direction Kate Bailey's life took. Not immediately sure we reach boy's attention was focused, I think everyone was able to overcome what each perceived as inescapable obstacles. Kate really grew as a character who saw that there was more than one path available in her future. Casting old grudges aside and seeing other others problems more clearly, Kate's Awakening isn't overnight or sugar-coated. One of the best parts of the book is the open ending for the Raider to ponder the future of each of the characters you will grow to love.

Visit Kasie West’s website.