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Insta-Spark Collection #2
Christmas Sugar
Dylan Maxwell is a busy man. His no-nonsense approach to life and business keeps him balanced—and alone. His life is bland—devoid of any kind of sweetness or light.
An unexpected business trip close to Christmas, however, brings three people into his life he never expected.
An oversharing teenager.
A lisping little angel.
A sexy, unassuming woman unlike any he has ever met. Her bossy attitude challenges him, while her green eyes melt the frost around his heart.
They draw out something in him that he has never experienced.
Feelings.
Are they the Christmas miracles he needs—or will he walk away from the sweetest gift he has ever been offered?
Love.
Book 2 in the Insta-Spark Collection - Complete standalone reads with one thing in common - lots of sweetness and a guaranteed HEA. Instant attraction, little angst - love and happiness abounds in this series.
An unexpected business trip close to Christmas, however, brings three people into his life he never expected.
An oversharing teenager.
A lisping little angel.
A sexy, unassuming woman unlike any he has ever met. Her bossy attitude challenges him, while her green eyes melt the frost around his heart.
They draw out something in him that he has never experienced.
Feelings.
Are they the Christmas miracles he needs—or will he walk away from the sweetest gift he has ever been offered?
Love.
Book 2 in the Insta-Spark Collection - Complete standalone reads with one thing in common - lots of sweetness and a guaranteed HEA. Instant attraction, little angst - love and happiness abounds in this series.
162 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 29, 2018
About the author
Melanie Moreland
64 books4,958 followersWelcome Romance Readers!
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A bit about me:
NYT/WSJ/USAT International bestselling author Melanie Moreland, lives a happy and content life in a quiet area of Ontario with her beloved husband of lots of lovely years and their rescue cat, Amber. Nothing means more to her than her friends and family, and she cherishes every moment spent with them.
While seriously addicted to coffee, and highly challenged with all things computer-related and technical, she relishes baking, cooking, and trying new recipes for people to sample. She loves to throw dinner parties, and also enjoys travelling, but finds coming home is always the best part of any trip.
Melanie loves stories, especially paired with a good wine, and enjoys skydiving (free falling over a fleck of dust) extreme snowboarding (falling down stairs) and piloting her own helicopter (tripping over her own feet.) She's learned happily ever-afters, even bumpy ones, are all in how you tell the story.
Melanie is represented by Flavia Viotti at Bookcase Literary Agency. For any questions regarding subsidiary or translation rights please contact her at flavia@bookcaseagency.com
Join my newsletter for news on upcoming releases and sales CLICK HERE
Make sure to follow me on Amazon for new release alerts CLICK HERE
Join me on Facebook in my reader group CLICK HERE
Check out my excerpts on Verve Romance CLICK HERE
A bit about me:
NYT/WSJ/USAT International bestselling author Melanie Moreland, lives a happy and content life in a quiet area of Ontario with her beloved husband of lots of lovely years and their rescue cat, Amber. Nothing means more to her than her friends and family, and she cherishes every moment spent with them.
While seriously addicted to coffee, and highly challenged with all things computer-related and technical, she relishes baking, cooking, and trying new recipes for people to sample. She loves to throw dinner parties, and also enjoys travelling, but finds coming home is always the best part of any trip.
Melanie loves stories, especially paired with a good wine, and enjoys skydiving (free falling over a fleck of dust) extreme snowboarding (falling down stairs) and piloting her own helicopter (tripping over her own feet.) She's learned happily ever-afters, even bumpy ones, are all in how you tell the story.
Melanie is represented by Flavia Viotti at Bookcase Literary Agency. For any questions regarding subsidiary or translation rights please contact her at flavia@bookcaseagency.com
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May 9, 2019
Christmas Sugar is book two in the Insta-Spark series by Melanie Moreland. While I loved the first book in this series, I adored this one. You put together one broody multi-millionaire work-a-holic, one seventeen year old boy trying hard to be a man, one adorable four year old little girl with a lisp, and her mother, an over-worked, sweet woman who has given up on love. Add that all in with Christmas time and what do you have? Magic!
Dylan Maxwell spends his life working. He has built Maxwell Corp., a multimillion dollar land development conglomerate from the ground up. Dylan is alone, the only person in his life that he has affection for is the woman who is also his long time assistant, Arlene Carson, who pretty much raised him and is the closest thing he has to a mother.
“There are many ways to be rich in this world. Not all of them involve money. Remember that.”
Dylan has been itching to buy the Ocean Bluff Resort in Nova Scotia for some time and has finally scheduled a meeting with the owner, George. But George has insisted that Dylan must come and stay at the resort’s Sleepy Moose Inn if he wants to meet with him. For Dylan, this is simply something he needs to do to get his way. But when he walked in to the lobby, and the woman behind the desk smiled at him, everything changed.
Alexis (Alex) Walsh is a single mom to her daughter Noelle and guardian to Seth. Alex spends her days and nights running the inn for George and taking care of both George and the kids. She is in a constant state of exhaustion but everyone is counting on her. She knows why Dylan is coming. She knows George has to sell the inn. But it doesn’t make it any easier to accept because this is her and the children’s home.
“It felt as if I’d found something I didn’t know I was missing.”
The attraction is fast and strong between these two. Dylan is shown how it would feel to be a part of a family. To be cared for because of himself, not for his name or what he’s worth. But, their time is limited. His home, his business, is in Toronto, and theirs is here.
“He wasn’t the sort of man looking for a relationship. I wasn’t the sort of woman that had flings. No matter how attractive he was.”
What a beautiful story this was. My eyes watered, in the best of ways. Little Noelle stole my heart the first time she appeared on the pages. And Dylan stole my heart as well. Dylan who thought he had no capacity for love, for emotion, but whose heart physically expanded with all the love he had for this family.
I love reading Christmas stories, no matter what time of year. And this one completely stole my heart. I loved everything about it. Thank you, Melanie, for making my eyes water and a VERY inconvenient time. And for making me fall in love, once again, with your characters.
For more about this book and so many more, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/44036...
Dylan Maxwell spends his life working. He has built Maxwell Corp., a multimillion dollar land development conglomerate from the ground up. Dylan is alone, the only person in his life that he has affection for is the woman who is also his long time assistant, Arlene Carson, who pretty much raised him and is the closest thing he has to a mother.
“There are many ways to be rich in this world. Not all of them involve money. Remember that.”
Dylan has been itching to buy the Ocean Bluff Resort in Nova Scotia for some time and has finally scheduled a meeting with the owner, George. But George has insisted that Dylan must come and stay at the resort’s Sleepy Moose Inn if he wants to meet with him. For Dylan, this is simply something he needs to do to get his way. But when he walked in to the lobby, and the woman behind the desk smiled at him, everything changed.
Alexis (Alex) Walsh is a single mom to her daughter Noelle and guardian to Seth. Alex spends her days and nights running the inn for George and taking care of both George and the kids. She is in a constant state of exhaustion but everyone is counting on her. She knows why Dylan is coming. She knows George has to sell the inn. But it doesn’t make it any easier to accept because this is her and the children’s home.
“It felt as if I’d found something I didn’t know I was missing.”
The attraction is fast and strong between these two. Dylan is shown how it would feel to be a part of a family. To be cared for because of himself, not for his name or what he’s worth. But, their time is limited. His home, his business, is in Toronto, and theirs is here.
“He wasn’t the sort of man looking for a relationship. I wasn’t the sort of woman that had flings. No matter how attractive he was.”
What a beautiful story this was. My eyes watered, in the best of ways. Little Noelle stole my heart the first time she appeared on the pages. And Dylan stole my heart as well. Dylan who thought he had no capacity for love, for emotion, but whose heart physically expanded with all the love he had for this family.
I love reading Christmas stories, no matter what time of year. And this one completely stole my heart. I loved everything about it. Thank you, Melanie, for making my eyes water and a VERY inconvenient time. And for making me fall in love, once again, with your characters.
For more about this book and so many more, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/44036...
December 26, 2021
"There are many ways to be rich in this world. Not all of them involve money. Remember that."
If anyone asked me to describe this book, the first thing I can say is that I was crying my eyes out halfway through it. Then I'd say it's sort of A Christmas Carol (my favorite Christmas story). Only you get a grumpy wealthy businessman as Scrooge, and two very loving older people playing ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. And maybe fairy godmothers, in a way.
"No one had ever smiled at me like that. Ever. It was as if she was smiling for me. Just for me."
Alex hasn't had an easy life. She has two kids and an inn she needs to care for. She values and treasures the small things in life, she knows how hard it is to go it alone, and has never allowed herself to just be herself. Hence, she's guarded, and she's so relatable it just did things to me.
"I touched my lips, wishing they didn’t still feel his touch. I ignored the voice that whispered they wanted to feel it many times over."
Dylan is an asshole, there's no way around it. He treats everybody badly, he yells at people, he's all about work and money. He doesn't care about Christmas, or family, or love. For God's sake, he doesn't even want sugar in his coffee and gets mad about it. Sounds familiar? Yes, I know. But turns out he has his own skeletons in the closet, and maybe he's not what he seems to be.
"Time—the world—ceased to exist. All that was real, all that mattered, was how she felt, how she tasted. All that mattered was that moment."
From the moment they see each other at the inn, something changes. He's there to close a business deal that may leave her out of a job and a home, and she should hate him for it. But she can't, and it all becomes more to him than just a deal at the same time. It's like it's meant to happen, and your heart just blooms as they get closer and tear each other's walls down.
Her little daughter Noelle is the sweetest thing, and her kid Seth is adorable as well - even if he does sleep a lot!
"No, Dylan," she said and sobbed into the seemingly empty room. "We didn’t want your gifts, we wanted you."
This quote marks the spot when I started ugly crying.
Once it happens between them, it's right. They can be themselves around each other, and both of them haven't been that in a while. You see the change in Dylan, you see how he starts to care (or maybe he has all along?), and you can see that Alex is giving in. However, their little bubble at the inn has an expiration date, and he has to leave to go back to his job, while she wants to stay behind. It can never work. Or can it?
The ghosts of Christmas are there to work their magic again.
"I captured her mouth with mine, kissing her deeply. I could taste her sweetness. Feel her love. She was the very best kind of sugar."
I'm all about the way a book makes you feel, and this one crushed me, in a good way. It reminded me of how good Christmas stories felt as a kid, and even with all the twists and turns of life, everything would always turn out alright in the end. Because good things happen to good people, love changes everything, and Christmas has a magic of its own.
And a sprinkle of some Christmas sugar is sometimes all you need to change your life.
I truly loved this.
If anyone asked me to describe this book, the first thing I can say is that I was crying my eyes out halfway through it. Then I'd say it's sort of A Christmas Carol (my favorite Christmas story). Only you get a grumpy wealthy businessman as Scrooge, and two very loving older people playing ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. And maybe fairy godmothers, in a way.
"No one had ever smiled at me like that. Ever. It was as if she was smiling for me. Just for me."
Alex hasn't had an easy life. She has two kids and an inn she needs to care for. She values and treasures the small things in life, she knows how hard it is to go it alone, and has never allowed herself to just be herself. Hence, she's guarded, and she's so relatable it just did things to me.
"I touched my lips, wishing they didn’t still feel his touch. I ignored the voice that whispered they wanted to feel it many times over."
Dylan is an asshole, there's no way around it. He treats everybody badly, he yells at people, he's all about work and money. He doesn't care about Christmas, or family, or love. For God's sake, he doesn't even want sugar in his coffee and gets mad about it. Sounds familiar? Yes, I know. But turns out he has his own skeletons in the closet, and maybe he's not what he seems to be.
"Time—the world—ceased to exist. All that was real, all that mattered, was how she felt, how she tasted. All that mattered was that moment."
From the moment they see each other at the inn, something changes. He's there to close a business deal that may leave her out of a job and a home, and she should hate him for it. But she can't, and it all becomes more to him than just a deal at the same time. It's like it's meant to happen, and your heart just blooms as they get closer and tear each other's walls down.
Her little daughter Noelle is the sweetest thing, and her kid Seth is adorable as well - even if he does sleep a lot!
"No, Dylan," she said and sobbed into the seemingly empty room. "We didn’t want your gifts, we wanted you."
This quote marks the spot when I started ugly crying.
Once it happens between them, it's right. They can be themselves around each other, and both of them haven't been that in a while. You see the change in Dylan, you see how he starts to care (or maybe he has all along?), and you can see that Alex is giving in. However, their little bubble at the inn has an expiration date, and he has to leave to go back to his job, while she wants to stay behind. It can never work. Or can it?
The ghosts of Christmas are there to work their magic again.
"I captured her mouth with mine, kissing her deeply. I could taste her sweetness. Feel her love. She was the very best kind of sugar."
I'm all about the way a book makes you feel, and this one crushed me, in a good way. It reminded me of how good Christmas stories felt as a kid, and even with all the twists and turns of life, everything would always turn out alright in the end. Because good things happen to good people, love changes everything, and Christmas has a magic of its own.
And a sprinkle of some Christmas sugar is sometimes all you need to change your life.
I truly loved this.
December 12, 2021
The highlight of this book was when they get snowed in in the Inn and he’s typing some work stuff and I got myself getting ready for another and different version of The shining.
But no, to my eternal disappointment, it didn’t happen.
”All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”
And, oh my, this was dull all right.
But no, to my eternal disappointment, it didn’t happen.
”All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”
And, oh my, this was dull all right.
December 3, 2018
I must’ve been in a mood for sweet because I quite enjoyed this one.
I really don’t feel like writing a review. This one will meet the safety gang approval.
I really don’t feel like writing a review. This one will meet the safety gang approval.
December 7, 2018
This one was sweet. A little longwinded as it started to drag towards the end, and it annoyed me that the hero kept calling the heroine "darling girl." It made him sound like a 60-year-old man, but overall it was a pleasant read.
December 3, 2018
4 Stars!
(ARC provided by author)
Dylan Maxwell is a wealthy businessman who lives in Toronto, and owns a multibillian-dollar land development conglomerate. He’s a busy man who immerses himself in his work and is emotionally unavailable. He takes an unexpected business trip close to Christmas to see some land in Nova Scotia he hopes to buy and develop. He arrives at The Sleepy Moose Inn and is greeted by an unlikely welcome committee consisting of a beautiful woman and two kids.
Alex Walsh is dazzled by the gorgeous new guest Dylan. Then he opens his mouth and he’s demanding, arrogant, and grouchy. Later she begins to see glimpses of the charming man underneath. One kiss and they are both wanting more, but she doesn’t do casual, and he doesn’t do relationships. He’s a big city guy, and she’s a small town girl. They lived completely different lifestyles, and it would never work. Then they are snowed in and Alex stirs feelings in Dylan he’s never experienced.
Marriage and children have never been on Dylan’s radar. He’s never cared this much for someone, but he doesn’t feel he’s the family man Alex needs. Will he let his fears stop him from going after what he wants, or will he fight for the love he feels in his heart?
Christmas Sugar was a wonderful, heartwarming holiday short story full of romance and love. It’s about family, and the magic of Christmas. A feel good sweet read with some humor, a bit of angst, some sexy, and a fantastic HEA!
-She was very pretty. Then she smiled. Warm, wide, and so sweet, her smile literally took my breath away. No one had ever smiled at me like that. Ever. It was as if she was smiling for me. Just for me.
-Everything about her was a mystery, a treasure I wanted more with each passing moment.
-Our mouths moved together as though they had done so for a lifetime- and lifetimes before that one. It felt as if I'd found something I didn't even know I was missing.
-For the first time in my life, I need someone. I need you.
***NOW AVAILABLE***
https://amzn.to/2QbH7wS
(ARC provided by author)
Dylan Maxwell is a wealthy businessman who lives in Toronto, and owns a multibillian-dollar land development conglomerate. He’s a busy man who immerses himself in his work and is emotionally unavailable. He takes an unexpected business trip close to Christmas to see some land in Nova Scotia he hopes to buy and develop. He arrives at The Sleepy Moose Inn and is greeted by an unlikely welcome committee consisting of a beautiful woman and two kids.
Alex Walsh is dazzled by the gorgeous new guest Dylan. Then he opens his mouth and he’s demanding, arrogant, and grouchy. Later she begins to see glimpses of the charming man underneath. One kiss and they are both wanting more, but she doesn’t do casual, and he doesn’t do relationships. He’s a big city guy, and she’s a small town girl. They lived completely different lifestyles, and it would never work. Then they are snowed in and Alex stirs feelings in Dylan he’s never experienced.
Marriage and children have never been on Dylan’s radar. He’s never cared this much for someone, but he doesn’t feel he’s the family man Alex needs. Will he let his fears stop him from going after what he wants, or will he fight for the love he feels in his heart?
Christmas Sugar was a wonderful, heartwarming holiday short story full of romance and love. It’s about family, and the magic of Christmas. A feel good sweet read with some humor, a bit of angst, some sexy, and a fantastic HEA!
-She was very pretty. Then she smiled. Warm, wide, and so sweet, her smile literally took my breath away. No one had ever smiled at me like that. Ever. It was as if she was smiling for me. Just for me.
-Everything about her was a mystery, a treasure I wanted more with each passing moment.
-Our mouths moved together as though they had done so for a lifetime- and lifetimes before that one. It felt as if I'd found something I didn't even know I was missing.
-For the first time in my life, I need someone. I need you.
***NOW AVAILABLE***
https://amzn.to/2QbH7wS
Read
December 11, 2018Such an unlikable arrogant male protagonist! Ugh!
Couldn't stand him.
Cute kids, safe, sweet but predictable.
But he completely destroyed this book for me.
No official rating, coz Christmas & jeez.
But no more than 2 stars.
Couldn't stand him.
Cute kids, safe, sweet but predictable.
But he completely destroyed this book for me.
No official rating, coz Christmas & jeez.
But no more than 2 stars.
December 21, 2019
4 stars
This romance features a single woman with two kids whose home and livelihood is about to be disrupted by a wealthy 'ath-hole' businessman (that's how her four-year-old daughter pronounces it) who eventually falls (and when he falls, it's so darn hard he could probably bounce) for the whole family...
Be warned that there is definite 'kidspeak' within. I know that works for some readers and not others.
This was often a touching tale and had some really sweet Christmas moments.
This romance features a single woman with two kids whose home and livelihood is about to be disrupted by a wealthy 'ath-hole' businessman (that's how her four-year-old daughter pronounces it) who eventually falls (and when he falls, it's so darn hard he could probably bounce) for the whole family...
Be warned that there is definite 'kidspeak' within. I know that works for some readers and not others.
This was often a touching tale and had some really sweet Christmas moments.
October 28, 2019
Insta:
-Love
-Lust
-Sex
-Family
Very sweet and sugary. Arrogant hero went old good boy
No drama
No exes
No OP scenes
No unplanned pregnancy, thanks God!
-Love
-Lust
-Sex
-Family
Very sweet and sugary. Arrogant hero went old good boy
No drama
No exes
No OP scenes
No unplanned pregnancy, thanks God!
January 1, 2019
4 STARS
November 29, 2018
Best Christmas story I've read this year.
‘Tis the season to be jolly!
Or in this case sexy, surly but with a hint of charming.
All Dylan Maxwell wanted for christmas this year was to complete the deal he’d working on for a new upscale holiday destination. He has big plans for the piece of land he’s after. But a stumbling block comes in the form a request to visit the owner on site.
That’s not how Dylan normally works but for this, he’ll cancel everything.
He didn’t know that he was about to meet a beautiful young single mom, a sweet as cotton candy kid and a teen with a world of worry on his young shoulders.
Alex just wanted to have a pleasant Christmas and not worry about the upcoming New Year. She knew things were going to change but she had enough to deal with at the moment caring for her family while being manager of a small hotel. Neither of these two expected to meet the person who would change their life forever. Certainly not days before Christmas.
Will the tidings all be good? Or will this unexpected gift belong on the naughty pile?
Find out when you devour this super sweet, sexy little novella and let it heat up your day.
If you want one of the best ‘feel good’ stories of this year, certainly of the Christmas selection for 2018, then this has to be top of the list. Don’t wait for Santa to put it on his for you, grab it now. You know you want too.
‘Tis the season to be jolly!
Or in this case sexy, surly but with a hint of charming.
All Dylan Maxwell wanted for christmas this year was to complete the deal he’d working on for a new upscale holiday destination. He has big plans for the piece of land he’s after. But a stumbling block comes in the form a request to visit the owner on site.
That’s not how Dylan normally works but for this, he’ll cancel everything.
He didn’t know that he was about to meet a beautiful young single mom, a sweet as cotton candy kid and a teen with a world of worry on his young shoulders.
Alex just wanted to have a pleasant Christmas and not worry about the upcoming New Year. She knew things were going to change but she had enough to deal with at the moment caring for her family while being manager of a small hotel. Neither of these two expected to meet the person who would change their life forever. Certainly not days before Christmas.
Will the tidings all be good? Or will this unexpected gift belong on the naughty pile?
Find out when you devour this super sweet, sexy little novella and let it heat up your day.
If you want one of the best ‘feel good’ stories of this year, certainly of the Christmas selection for 2018, then this has to be top of the list. Don’t wait for Santa to put it on his for you, grab it now. You know you want too.
November 27, 2023
5 star review of Christmas Sugar (Insta-Spark #2)
If you love the holiday season like I do, then this is a MUST read.
What's not to love? It's the most magical time of the year and also happens to be my most favourite holiday. I love any story that is centred around Christmas; it’s a time for family and friends to get together and celebrate life.
I thoroughly enjoy Melanie Moreland’s style of writing and was enthralled from the first to the last chapter of Christmas Sugar. This is one of my most favourite holiday reads EVER; Melanie Moreland delivers in every way. Her characters are so diverse and yet so easy to love.
Dylan Maxwell is a no nonsense man who is totally focused on his company to the detriment of anything and anyone else. The last thing he wants or needs in his life is complications and yet that is what he gets; he doesn't care if it is Christmas, in fact he is a bit of a Grinch.
Alex Walsh runs the Sleepy Moose Inn (I totally love the name) and the very last thing she needs is Dylan coming in and upsetting the status quo. She is feisty and fiercely protective of those she loves as well as the Inn.
Dylan has decided to turn Sleepy Moose Inn into a destination resort, however he doesn't count of Alex, her cute daughter Noelle or her ward Seth. Meeting them will change his life forever in ways he never imagined possible. Noelle in fact nearly stole the book away from Dylan and Alex and I really loved how funny Seth was and how he protected Alex. .
Christmas Sugar was full of so many feel good moments that my face ached from smiling so much; the love of family is so strong and heart-warming and the banter between them made me smile.
Can Alex, Noelle and Seth help show Dylan the meaning of Christmas and open this eyes to what he can have or will Dylan be blind to what could be?
One click and find out..
If you love the holiday season like I do, then this is a MUST read.
What's not to love? It's the most magical time of the year and also happens to be my most favourite holiday. I love any story that is centred around Christmas; it’s a time for family and friends to get together and celebrate life.
I thoroughly enjoy Melanie Moreland’s style of writing and was enthralled from the first to the last chapter of Christmas Sugar. This is one of my most favourite holiday reads EVER; Melanie Moreland delivers in every way. Her characters are so diverse and yet so easy to love.
Dylan Maxwell is a no nonsense man who is totally focused on his company to the detriment of anything and anyone else. The last thing he wants or needs in his life is complications and yet that is what he gets; he doesn't care if it is Christmas, in fact he is a bit of a Grinch.
Alex Walsh runs the Sleepy Moose Inn (I totally love the name) and the very last thing she needs is Dylan coming in and upsetting the status quo. She is feisty and fiercely protective of those she loves as well as the Inn.
Dylan has decided to turn Sleepy Moose Inn into a destination resort, however he doesn't count of Alex, her cute daughter Noelle or her ward Seth. Meeting them will change his life forever in ways he never imagined possible. Noelle in fact nearly stole the book away from Dylan and Alex and I really loved how funny Seth was and how he protected Alex. .
Christmas Sugar was full of so many feel good moments that my face ached from smiling so much; the love of family is so strong and heart-warming and the banter between them made me smile.
Can Alex, Noelle and Seth help show Dylan the meaning of Christmas and open this eyes to what he can have or will Dylan be blind to what could be?
One click and find out..
November 30, 2018
Dylan was a self made man, millionaire, workaholic. Christmas was nothing more than another day to work. He goes to Sleepy Moose Inn to close a deal that has been a long time in the making. Nova Scotia should be a two of three day deal - tops.
What Dylan didn't plan on was feisty innkeeper Alex, her adorable lispy daughter, her teenage ward, a snowstorm, shuga cookies, and most unexpected of all, love! Throw in his long time assistant, Arlene, who has been his surrogate mother and George, the owner of the property, and you have some fairy godparents just out doing their jobs.
This is ranked up there with Melanie's best! She really knows how to weave a tale and this standalone Christmas story will have your heart and other parts toasty warm, maybe even steamy! Your heart will melt with Little Owl's pronunciation, and grin as Dylan's Grinch heart grows. He even gets chest pain! 😆 I would give it far more than 5 stars if I could! The HEA and epilogue with make you chuckle like Santa.
What Dylan didn't plan on was feisty innkeeper Alex, her adorable lispy daughter, her teenage ward, a snowstorm, shuga cookies, and most unexpected of all, love! Throw in his long time assistant, Arlene, who has been his surrogate mother and George, the owner of the property, and you have some fairy godparents just out doing their jobs.
This is ranked up there with Melanie's best! She really knows how to weave a tale and this standalone Christmas story will have your heart and other parts toasty warm, maybe even steamy! Your heart will melt with Little Owl's pronunciation, and grin as Dylan's Grinch heart grows. He even gets chest pain! 😆 I would give it far more than 5 stars if I could! The HEA and epilogue with make you chuckle like Santa.
December 3, 2018
Beautiful Christmas story. Loved it so much.
Dylan Maxwell is a very wealthy business man who is very busy and has no time for sweetness and light in his life.
Until, on a business trip, he meets a teenager, a lisping little girl and a sassy hardworking sexy woman and he will find out that he really can’t live without the sweetness and live he’d been avoiding all his life.
Love this authors book so much and she always writes the best book boyfriends.
Dylan was a snob at the beginning but redeemed himself rather quickly. Loved his relationship with Seth and so freaking love him with Noelle.
He was perfect for Alex.
And that epilogue was so beautiful.
5 SUGAR STARS! ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️
Dylan Maxwell is a very wealthy business man who is very busy and has no time for sweetness and light in his life.
Until, on a business trip, he meets a teenager, a lisping little girl and a sassy hardworking sexy woman and he will find out that he really can’t live without the sweetness and live he’d been avoiding all his life.
Love this authors book so much and she always writes the best book boyfriends.
Dylan was a snob at the beginning but redeemed himself rather quickly. Loved his relationship with Seth and so freaking love him with Noelle.
He was perfect for Alex.
And that epilogue was so beautiful.
5 SUGAR STARS! ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️
December 8, 2018
As you know >> BIG FAN << of the sweet happily ever afters with an instant connect. I want the cheese 24/7/365. Guess what? Melanie Moreland yet again delivers in all things HEA rolled up in a powdered sugar confection meant to be devoured by readers. It's a true holiday romance with the holiday theme from page 1 to The End.
Read my review on release day at My Own Bookshelves Book blog
✔︎ 5 plus lisping angel stars!
✔︎ Personal Favorite
✔︎ Buy It
Read my review on release day at My Own Bookshelves Book blog
✔︎ 5 plus lisping angel stars!
✔︎ Personal Favorite
✔︎ Buy It
December 6, 2018
A beautiful heartwarming love story, not to be missed. Ms Moreland never fails to deliver a well written story, stirring up different emotions along the way. Beautiful. 💕
April 8, 2019
This book. This book. This book. That is all.
Okay, maybe a little bit more. This insta-love story about a ruthless business man and a struggling widowed mom is a beautiful, emotional roller-coaster of a journey.
Dylan is a self made business man. He has built up an empire and runs it with ruthless control, over his employees, his business, and himself. He has set his sights on an aging resort in a remote coastal town. He travels to the resort to arrange the purchase, and there he meets a precocious child, a stubborn teenager, and a beautiful resort manager.
That resort manager is Alex. She has not only her young daughter, Noelle, but has also taken on the responsibility of a teenage boy. Alex takes care of her the resort that belongs to her father-in-law, her children, her disabled father-in-law, and the community. Alex never takes care of herself.
Feelings immediately develop between Alex and Dylan, but they both believe there is a expiration date on their relationship. Dylan plans on returning back to his business and his structured life. Alex needs to figure out where to go with her children once the resort is sold. Alex and Dylan must decide if they will accept their feelings for each other or do what they believe is expected of them. Will love be able to overcome?
This book is beautifully written. While relatively short, it packs so much into those pages it seems like a journey of epic proportions. And, of course, the epilogue is everything. It shows not only how love can overcome, but how it can fundamentally change a person's heart and their future. The epilogue takes a happily ever after ending and turns it into a glimpse of Alex and Dylan's future that will wrap your heart and soul in warm tendrils of happiness and joy.
Okay, maybe a little bit more. This insta-love story about a ruthless business man and a struggling widowed mom is a beautiful, emotional roller-coaster of a journey.
Dylan is a self made business man. He has built up an empire and runs it with ruthless control, over his employees, his business, and himself. He has set his sights on an aging resort in a remote coastal town. He travels to the resort to arrange the purchase, and there he meets a precocious child, a stubborn teenager, and a beautiful resort manager.
That resort manager is Alex. She has not only her young daughter, Noelle, but has also taken on the responsibility of a teenage boy. Alex takes care of her the resort that belongs to her father-in-law, her children, her disabled father-in-law, and the community. Alex never takes care of herself.
Feelings immediately develop between Alex and Dylan, but they both believe there is a expiration date on their relationship. Dylan plans on returning back to his business and his structured life. Alex needs to figure out where to go with her children once the resort is sold. Alex and Dylan must decide if they will accept their feelings for each other or do what they believe is expected of them. Will love be able to overcome?
This book is beautifully written. While relatively short, it packs so much into those pages it seems like a journey of epic proportions. And, of course, the epilogue is everything. It shows not only how love can overcome, but how it can fundamentally change a person's heart and their future. The epilogue takes a happily ever after ending and turns it into a glimpse of Alex and Dylan's future that will wrap your heart and soul in warm tendrils of happiness and joy.
December 18, 2021
The beauty of romance novels is a reader’s willingness to embrace what others say is impossible. And apparently I love the impossible, because I truly believe in love at first sight. Melanie Moreland’s “Christmas Sugar,” part of her InstaSpark collection, is love story perfection. A novella that wastes no time getting to the good stuff, “Christmas Sugar” brings together instalove, forced proximity, and the grumpy one falls for the sunshiny one tropes and blends them into a heartwarming, tear-jerking, panty melting love story perfect for the holiday time or, really anytime. Moreland uses solid banter between Dylan and Alex to fully develop them as strong individual characters, and build their relationship based on the strength they show to and because of each other. In addition to creating deeply emotional and well developed characters in Dylan and Alex, she introduces solid supporting characters who help guide the story and further develop the reader’s connection with every character in the book. And as much as this is a story about Dylan & Alex, little Noelle truly steals the show and becomes a main character in her own right. She is impossible not to love. Although it’s part of the InstaSpark Collection, Sugar is a complete standalone. It’s also going to be a regular part of my annual Christmastime reading tradition.
November 29, 2018
Dylan Maxwell is a bit of a diva who uses one mode of communicating -- yelling. In his defense, he's worked hard to make his multi-million dollar company a success, and he lives, eats and breathes Maxwell Corp. Alex Walsh takes care of everything and everyone at the Sleepy Moose Inn. It's been her home all of her adult life, but business is down and bills have piled up, so the only choice now is to sell the inn. Her head has accepted this, her heart not so much, so it’s no surprise that Alex gives prospective buyer Dylan a frosty welcome when he arrives at the inn.
Ms. Moreland has done it again, because the early copy I read of this book was fantastic! What is better than a workaholic, grumpy alpha having his world turned upside down and finding everything he never knew he needed? In spite of his prickly outer shell, Alex manages to see beyond Dylan's façade to his vulnerable heart that longs for love. With a wonderful cast of secondary characters, an engaging storyline and the most adorable, endearing four-year-old ever to grace the pages of romance, this is a humorous, heart warming, poignant holiday story that is sure to please your romantic heart.
*I reviewed this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide a review and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source for this review.
Ms. Moreland has done it again, because the early copy I read of this book was fantastic! What is better than a workaholic, grumpy alpha having his world turned upside down and finding everything he never knew he needed? In spite of his prickly outer shell, Alex manages to see beyond Dylan's façade to his vulnerable heart that longs for love. With a wonderful cast of secondary characters, an engaging storyline and the most adorable, endearing four-year-old ever to grace the pages of romance, this is a humorous, heart warming, poignant holiday story that is sure to please your romantic heart.
*I reviewed this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide a review and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source for this review.
April 10, 2019
AHHHH!!! I have a new favorite Christmas story and I read it in Spring lol! Someone needs to call Hallmark and tell them to get on making this a movie, for REALS. I have yet to read anything by Melanie Moreland that I didn't love/give five stars so I was totally prepared to enjoy this but... I mean, she STILL blew me away.
Also, you can totally read this book without reading book 1, they don't share characters or a storyline but they're both freaking awesome so read them both anyway :)
Also, you can totally read this book without reading book 1, they don't share characters or a storyline but they're both freaking awesome so read them both anyway :)
December 2, 2018
The best feeling in the world is knowing that you are needed. Not for what you have, but for who you are. That's a lesson that Dylan never learned until he found a family to teach him how. Christmas Sugar is a story of love, a journey of hope and the blessing of finding a place to belong.
Read
December 2, 2018I loved and enjoyed this one! Got all the Christmas vibes!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
December 3, 2018
Swoonie-swoon… It’s almost that time of the year again… Christmas! And what is a Christmas without sweet and funny romantic short stories. Sweet and romantic because that’s what we love, short because we don’t have much time to read with all the Christmas Chaos (family, presents, dinners, and all the mayhem that goes with it). Christmas Sugar is just how I love my Christmas novellas; it’s adorable with a swoon-worthy couple.
Dylan and Alex are both hard-working people, but that’s where the similarity stops. He is a business tycoon always looking for the next deal or take-over, she runs a small, family hotel. Dylan has a structured life, without personal attachments (besides his mother-like PA), Alex’s life is filled with taking care of her kids and friends. Dylan and Alex have a complete opposite view of life and love, but when they meet, they can’t deny the spark between them.
Alex and Dylan are both very likeable people. Dylan seems like the cold business man, but you sense he wants something different, something more. And in Alex, he just finds that. That little bit of extra, that makes you really look at a person and makes you dream of the future. Alex may doesn’t have much, but she has the love of her kids. She’s a small-town girl through and through who doesn’t want to live in the big city. Alex and Dylan are a swoon-worthy couple, and you know from the get-go they’ll end up together.
Christmas Sugar might be a short novella, but it feels as a full-length book. Dylan and Alex are real like people with previous lives who fall for each other. Given the length of the book the story is just about our couple, without extra storylines or extra drama-for-the-sake-of-drama. Just two grown-up people who want to build a life together after having fallen deeply in love with each other. Is it all realistic? Uh, not really… But that’s not what this is story is about. It’s about love, family and Christmas. And for that Christmas Sugar is perfect; it’s cute and swoon worthy.
4.5 stars
www.mariekesbooks.com
“I like it better when you’re smiling. Especially at me. You have a beautiful smile.” Her eyes widened, her breathing picked up. “Dylan, you can’t… You shouldn’t…”
Dylan and Alex are both hard-working people, but that’s where the similarity stops. He is a business tycoon always looking for the next deal or take-over, she runs a small, family hotel. Dylan has a structured life, without personal attachments (besides his mother-like PA), Alex’s life is filled with taking care of her kids and friends. Dylan and Alex have a complete opposite view of life and love, but when they meet, they can’t deny the spark between them.
“What had I done? One moment, we were arguing and the next… Kissing! I ran a hand through my hair. What the hell was I thinking, kissing a total stranger? Except—she didn’t feel like a stranger.”
Alex and Dylan are both very likeable people. Dylan seems like the cold business man, but you sense he wants something different, something more. And in Alex, he just finds that. That little bit of extra, that makes you really look at a person and makes you dream of the future. Alex may doesn’t have much, but she has the love of her kids. She’s a small-town girl through and through who doesn’t want to live in the big city. Alex and Dylan are a swoon-worthy couple, and you know from the get-go they’ll end up together.
Christmas Sugar might be a short novella, but it feels as a full-length book. Dylan and Alex are real like people with previous lives who fall for each other. Given the length of the book the story is just about our couple, without extra storylines or extra drama-for-the-sake-of-drama. Just two grown-up people who want to build a life together after having fallen deeply in love with each other. Is it all realistic? Uh, not really… But that’s not what this is story is about. It’s about love, family and Christmas. And for that Christmas Sugar is perfect; it’s cute and swoon worthy.
“I captured her mouth with mine, kissing her deeply. I could taste her sweetness. Feel her love. She was the very best kind of sugar.”
4.5 stars
www.mariekesbooks.com
December 4, 2018
Dylan is a businessman. He is highly successful and has had no room in his life for love. But this holiday season his life will get a nudge in the direction he is not expecting.
Dylan is Mr. Snooty. He expects to be waited on hand and foot. He doesn't know the meaning of the word no. He is a class a ath-hole. As he soon will learn. When business brings him to the Sleepy Moose Inn, his world will be turned upside down.
Alex is a single mother of two. She works hard to take care of her daughter and her best friends son. Both lost a parent...Both need her. Her world is slowly crumbling as her father-n-law has put the only home they know, The Sleepy Moose Inn up for sale. In a wheelchair and no longer able to take on the responsibility of the Inn, he is behind on payments, mortgaged to the hilt and has no other choice. Once the sale goes through Alex and her children would be homeless. But that is not what is important right now. Right now she needs to make nice with the snooty ath-hole who is trying to buy the place.
Dylan is in for a surprise when he meets Alex and her children. Suddenly this trip turns into more. He begins to really appreciate the little things in life. Things begin to have earning, but as feelings grow he may wind up hurting everyone in the process. Especially his little owl. Can Dylan figure out how to open up to love? Or will he blow it with his cold attitude?
Oh my god! This holiday romance is perfect for the upcoming Christmas season. But be warned, it will tear out your heart and shove it back into your chest. I got to tell you I cried my eyes out. This should be a Hallmark Movie special. It is that good. This book not only has wonderful and sweet characters, it has lots of fun and an amazingly sweet and beautiful story. I fell completely ad utterly in love with them. Especially little owl. She is a bright light in a dark sky.
If you are looking for that feel good holiday romance, then this book is for you. It will pull at your heartstrings and leave you feeling light and loved. An amazing book with loving and wonderful characters. You are sure to fall in love. This should be your top holiday read of the season. You will not regret it.
*ARC provided by Melanie Moreland
Dylan is Mr. Snooty. He expects to be waited on hand and foot. He doesn't know the meaning of the word no. He is a class a ath-hole. As he soon will learn. When business brings him to the Sleepy Moose Inn, his world will be turned upside down.
Alex is a single mother of two. She works hard to take care of her daughter and her best friends son. Both lost a parent...Both need her. Her world is slowly crumbling as her father-n-law has put the only home they know, The Sleepy Moose Inn up for sale. In a wheelchair and no longer able to take on the responsibility of the Inn, he is behind on payments, mortgaged to the hilt and has no other choice. Once the sale goes through Alex and her children would be homeless. But that is not what is important right now. Right now she needs to make nice with the snooty ath-hole who is trying to buy the place.
Dylan is in for a surprise when he meets Alex and her children. Suddenly this trip turns into more. He begins to really appreciate the little things in life. Things begin to have earning, but as feelings grow he may wind up hurting everyone in the process. Especially his little owl. Can Dylan figure out how to open up to love? Or will he blow it with his cold attitude?
Oh my god! This holiday romance is perfect for the upcoming Christmas season. But be warned, it will tear out your heart and shove it back into your chest. I got to tell you I cried my eyes out. This should be a Hallmark Movie special. It is that good. This book not only has wonderful and sweet characters, it has lots of fun and an amazingly sweet and beautiful story. I fell completely ad utterly in love with them. Especially little owl. She is a bright light in a dark sky.
If you are looking for that feel good holiday romance, then this book is for you. It will pull at your heartstrings and leave you feeling light and loved. An amazing book with loving and wonderful characters. You are sure to fall in love. This should be your top holiday read of the season. You will not regret it.
*ARC provided by Melanie Moreland
November 30, 2018
Just in time for the holidays, Christmas Sugar is a sweet romance with some of that Christmas magic.
Dylan Maxwell is a surly but charming businessman unaware of his own worth. Alex Walsh is a single mom taking care of everyone but herself. With an instant connection and the healing power of love, their story had me smiling from beginning to end.
It’s got everything you need to sit down with a sugar-sweetened cup of coffee and a warm blanket and just get lost for a few of hours.
Dylan Maxwell is a surly but charming businessman unaware of his own worth. Alex Walsh is a single mom taking care of everyone but herself. With an instant connection and the healing power of love, their story had me smiling from beginning to end.
It’s got everything you need to sit down with a sugar-sweetened cup of coffee and a warm blanket and just get lost for a few of hours.
December 2, 2018
Very sweet romance story.. Dylan only lives for his work, Alex takes care of everyone but herself. Together they find the perfect match, they complement each other. Alex and her kids teach him what "to live" means.. and he takes care of her and her kids.
If you like sweet holidays romances I totally recommend it! I have gained 2 kgs with all the sugar in this book.. hehe jk ;)
If you like sweet holidays romances I totally recommend it! I have gained 2 kgs with all the sugar in this book.. hehe jk ;)
June 30, 2019
2.5* only because of my personal preference there's nothing wrong with the book
These books aren't, unfortunately,my type. They are sweet reads with not much angst or drama but to me that just made the story long and boring. Nothing much happened. Dylan arrived to buy the property from Alex's father in law. He was an asshole to her and her kids. They felt a connection, had sex a few times then he left. His mother figure convinced him to get his head out of his ass and he returned to Alex professing true love. Epilogue with them married, him adopting her kids and them having twins.
The writing style confused me a bit as in Alex's pov she often talked about stuff already covered in Dylan's pov. Same for book 1 🤷
Dylan stated he wasn't the relationship type only having casual relationships but no real indication he was a manwhore
Alex was married to George's son but he died before her child was born, she took Seth in when his mom, her friend, died
Alex's daughter spoke with a lisp apparently because she'd lost her teeth. She was adorable and my favorite part of the book was her moments with Dylan
These books aren't, unfortunately,my type. They are sweet reads with not much angst or drama but to me that just made the story long and boring. Nothing much happened. Dylan arrived to buy the property from Alex's father in law. He was an asshole to her and her kids. They felt a connection, had sex a few times then he left. His mother figure convinced him to get his head out of his ass and he returned to Alex professing true love. Epilogue with them married, him adopting her kids and them having twins.
The writing style confused me a bit as in Alex's pov she often talked about stuff already covered in Dylan's pov. Same for book 1 🤷
Dylan stated he wasn't the relationship type only having casual relationships but no real indication he was a manwhore
Alex was married to George's son but he died before her child was born, she took Seth in when his mom, her friend, died
Alex's daughter spoke with a lisp apparently because she'd lost her teeth. She was adorable and my favorite part of the book was her moments with Dylan
December 4, 2018
I love this sweet and swoony Christmas story! Christmas Sugar is a bit like those Christmas movies I’m ‘slightly’ addicted to, but even better and definitely Hotter!
Dylan’s life is all about business, almost no leisure or personal interests. When he gets snowed in for a few days on a trip to scope out an investment, he really gets taken by surprise by his immediate and strong attraction to Alex and her little family.
This story is chock full of amazing characters to fall in love with. It was great that the story doesn’t just abruptly end. The author gives us so much more than the hea we wish for.
-5 Stars!-
Dylan’s life is all about business, almost no leisure or personal interests. When he gets snowed in for a few days on a trip to scope out an investment, he really gets taken by surprise by his immediate and strong attraction to Alex and her little family.
This story is chock full of amazing characters to fall in love with. It was great that the story doesn’t just abruptly end. The author gives us so much more than the hea we wish for.
-5 Stars!-
November 30, 2018
I fell in love with Christmas Sugar!
It is a sweet romance story that will drawn you right in and keep you engaged all the way to the end. I loved the story and the characters (well it took a bit of time to warm up to Dylan).
All it takes is a sweet young girl, a semi-helpful teenager and a sassy woman to bring Dylan to his knees and show him how to love and how being part of a family will bring him the happiness he has never had the opportunity to experienced!
It is a sweet romance story that will drawn you right in and keep you engaged all the way to the end. I loved the story and the characters (well it took a bit of time to warm up to Dylan).
All it takes is a sweet young girl, a semi-helpful teenager and a sassy woman to bring Dylan to his knees and show him how to love and how being part of a family will bring him the happiness he has never had the opportunity to experienced!
December 20, 2018
I loved every single bit of this novella. It was the magic of a Hallmark Christmas movie only 100x bette because of the complex awesome characters (and awesome sexy times).
Perfect holiday read!
Perfect holiday read!
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