The Dysfunctional Test by Kelly Moran

What it's about (back cover copy courtesy of Samhain):

Growing up in her large, crazy Serbian family, Camryn Covic became an expert at shutting down her emotions in order to maintain her sanity. But when she loses her apartment, her job and her boyfriend all in one day, she hits her breaking point.

Worse, if her family finds out she's single again, her sister's upcoming wedding will be a disaster. The bride-to-be has a plan, though. A plan that involves an old friend, a pretend relationship…and the probability of ending up in a padded cell. This time for real.

Troy Lanske agreed to the crazy plan only because, when he was a lonely foster child, Camryn was his lifeline. But she isn't the idealistic girl he remembers. She's become so jaded that she doesn't even believe in love anymore. He sets out to restore her faith in happily-ever-afters, but his plan backfires when the fake relationship begins to feel all too real. Falling for the one woman he can't have could mean losing more than just his honorary family. He could lose everything.

Why you should read it:

Emily bounded over and climbed into Cam's lap. "The lights do look pretty," she whispered to Cam. "Is everyone going to fall in love now? 'Cause of the romantic?"

"Romance, you mean?" Camryn grinned at her niece, and Troy's pulse beat hard. He hadn't seen her smile like that ever. Before now, there was always a pause before she smiled, as if needing to tell herself to do the act.

The last time I rooted this hard for a couple, I was reading Kristan Higgins' The Best Man, which turned out to be one of my favorite books of the year. Moran's The Dysfunctional Test, which also celebrates the friends-to-lovers theme, is nudging into place right next to it. I absolutely fell in love with this story.

Why don't you hire someone? An escort or something."

Camryn gave her sister the best "shut-up" face she had in reserve. "Someone's been watching too much Lifetime again."

"I'm serious. Hire someone to be Maxwell, then explain the breakup later. You never brought him home. No one knows what he looks like."

Camryn didn't know what was sadder, the fact her sister thought the only way she could get a wedding date was to hire one, or that late last night she'd thought up the same crazy idea.

Poor Camryn has been conditioned to believe she's inferior, in almost every way, and her family carelessly reinforces that belief whenever they're around. To defend herself, she pretends a remoteness that protects her feelings but is slowly eroding her soul. (Her use of visualization as a coping mechanism is simultaneously funny, creative and sad.)

No one would believe they were a couple. Men like him didn't date women like her. It went against the balance of nature. The world would implode.

One more thing her family would blame her for.

When Troy realizes the ever-protective Camryn could use some protection from her own clueless family, he steps right up. After all, when he was ten and arrived as a scared and damaged child needing foster care, she was there for him, again and again. What else can he do but return the favor? Only, their pretend affair becomes less of a good deed and more of a hardship when he finds himself falling in love. And Camryn is returning the favor, swapping her cynicism for optimism as she dares to imagine her own happy ever after with Troy.

Getting to this point in the story takes time — excruciating, tantalizing, delicious time — which is one of the things I love most about this book. The author allows the relationship the time it needs to morph from friendship into love. She doesn't make it easy for her characters and well she shouldn't, considering all that Camryn and Troy have against them—their individual insecurities, the negative programming they've been exposed to for years, the time they've spent together as "brother and sister." Camryn believes her family will never accept that Troy might consider her desirable, while Troy is afraid that loving Camryn as anything but a sister will turn his foster family against him.

What prevents all of this angst from tipping into overload? The author's phenomenal sense of humor. (Trust me, never again will you be able to say the word "popcorn" without giggling.) The opening tries a tad too hard but it doesn't take long for the pace to even out, allowing the narrative to crackle with energy and fun. Each chapter opens with a hilarious Life Lesson According to Camryn — check out three of my favorites:

Family trees full of nuts have nothing on me. My family is temperamental. Half temper, half mental.

Running late counts as exercise.

What happens in Vegas never happens to me.

See what I mean? The Dysfunctional Test is a whole lot of sexy, snarky, heart-tugging fun you really need to experience for yourself. There's even a bonus at the end of the story — several Serbian recipes you'll find nearly as irresistible as Camryn and Troy. Talk about a happy ending!

What Kelly Moran has to say:

The Dysfunctional Test is a book I've always wanted to write and I can't thank my readers enough for the positive response. Really quirky and a little heartfelt, this book is about a woman who lost her ability to dream and the guy who helped her get it back. Eh, with a little mischief thrown in, of course. Surrounding this budding romance is the heroine's large, crazy Serbian family, who is not unlike my own. My father's side is Serbian. The traditions, customs and unerring closeness in this tight unit reflects my own experiences, right down to the parroting three-year-old niece. Oh, I had so much fun writing her. A lot of her one-liners are a result of my twin boys and the insane things they say. I was also able to incorporate a bit of my home city of Milwaukee, which has a strong Serbian presence. This book and the reactions to it are something I always dreamed about. I hope you enjoy it, including the recipes in the back! XO

The Sugar Cookie Sweetheart Swap (a collection of three holiday novellas)

For friends Clara, Abby and Lily, only one thing is more delicious than the Pine Mountain holiday cookie exchange — finding the right man before they ring in the New Year!

Where There's Smoke… by Donna Kauffman

What it's about (back cover copy courtesy of Kensington):

When flames from a recipe gone disastrously wrong send hunky firefighter Will Mason to pretty Clara Parker's rescue, the sparks really begin to fly! And once Will gets a taste of Clara, he aches for more than just a little sugar from the famously single food columnist…

Why you should read it: Just as Where There's Smoke, there's fire, we all know where there's Donna Kauffman, there's a rollicking, sexy read chock-full of charm and sparkle. Kauffman's characters are adorably human and so very magnetic. Clara is clumsy, Will is endearing and the two of them together make for a sweet and genuine story.

"I want to take you out. On a date."

Of all the things he could have said, she hadn't expected that. And he'd blurted it out, like a wet-behind-the-ears kid who'd have to borrow his dad's car keys. Completely at odds with the rugged, handsome guy who had a bit of a swagger and came on to her like it was the most natural thing in the world. It was incredibly endearing, and connected so directly to the part of her that still felt dorky and awkward as she tried to find her way in the big bad real world, that she realized no amount of rules and restrictions was going to keep him from finding his way into her heart.

That's no lie about the sparks, by the way — Kauffman knows how to set a book on fire. Her imagery is as vibrant as always, her story craft exceptional. She wrote the prologue and epilogue, by the way, and never have I craved an after-the-story glimpse of the characters as I did with The Sugar Cookie Sweetheart Swap. Oh, and the chocolate-chip cookie recipe at the end? SO worth your time!

What Donna Kauffman has to say:

Over the years I've had the good fortune and pleasure to be involved in a number of holiday anthologies, but this is the first time I've collaborated on a unified story. At first I thought it sounded like a challenge of epic proportions, given our individual hectic schedules, but from the moment we began brainstorming, it just flew. We had an absolute blast figuring out our respective heroine's connections to each other as well as how the men who would go on to make it the Best Holiday Season Ever would come into play. In the end, it was an amazingly seamless blend, with lots of laughter along the way and two good friends made as a result. I even got to write a prologue and epilogue tying it all together in a neat holiday bow. I know I've never anticipated an anthology release as much as I have this one as it's become such a personal benchmark experience for us. It's like the gift that keeps on giving, and I'm so excited we finally get to share it with readers!

The Gingerbread Man by Kate Angell

What it's about:

Folks have always told fun-loving Abby Denton that her anatomically correct Gingerbread cookies are ... impressive. But those erotic cookies have nothing on the sexy stranger Abby saves from a snowy country road. Could Lander Reynolds be the Christmas treat she's truly been longing for?

Why you should read it:

"It was the cookies." He pressed his palms to his eyes, as if pushing back the image. "I was several miles down the road when I remembered the box lying on the seat beside me. I cracked the lid and found a dozen gingerbread men with candy-cane erections."

He lowered his hands and gave her a look of frustration and disbelief. "I took my eyes off the road and stared at the gingerbread men a moment too long. I couldn't believe what I was seeing."

He doesn't look pleased, Abby thought, digging her hands into the pockets of her jacket. And she'd worked so hard to get her G-men to stand at attention.

LOL! I love that. This novella is marvelously full of the unexpected. The nature of Abby's business, Lander's reaction to her part in his accident and the awww-inspiring ending are all delightful twists in this irresistible romance. Abby and Lander both find Christmas bittersweet, and the way they help each other cope with the sadness is simply heartwarming. You'll be thoroughly charmed by Lander and how he repays Abby's kindness, and by Abby's sweet practicality — not to mention the overall mischievous tone of the story. Oh, and Angell gets extra points for featuring a stubborn, scruffy cat who snores. The humor adds a sassy slant and the sexual tension is deliciously maddening. The resolution may be a tad rushed but it's oh-so-poignant, and carries the promise that this accidental love affair is meant to last.

What Kate Angell has to say:

Writing can be a solitary existence, and I loved the opportunity to collaborate with Donna and Kimberly. My characters Abby and Lander had both lost loved ones prior to Christmas. In my novella, Lander had lost his father the previous year and Abby's grandmother had recently passed away. Holidays get shadowed when a person loses a loved one. Abby was not in the Christmas spirit, until Lander helped her recall the good memories that would make each day easier.

I lost my own father right before Christmas several years ago. It was a struggle to stand by my mother's side and decorate the house for my young nieces and nephews. My merriment was minimal. We made it through together. And to this day, I continue to put up decorations that remind me of my dad. My heart now warms. But I still miss him terribly.

Sugar and Spice by Kimberly Kincaid

What it's about:

When caterer Lily Callahan goes up against hotshot pastry chef Pete Mancuso in the bake-off of the season, the stakes are high — and scandalously passionate. Will the gorgeous gourmand steal Lily's heart — and the top prize in the Christmas cookie competition?

Why you should read it: Already Pete Mancuso is not Lily Callahan's favorite person. Add risk-taking and rule-breaking into the mix and Lily is just not impressed — above all else, she values caution and predictability. But soon Lily realizes that taking chances can pay off — and in deliciously unexpected ways.

"Are there any rules you find sacred, or are you equal opportunity about breaking them all?" Although she meant the question seriously, Lily couldn't deny the curl of forbidden curiosity winding through her in anticipation of his answer.

Pete stepped closer, turning her curiosity on its ear. "Are there any rules you're willing to break, or are you equal opportunity about following them all?"

For a second, they stood there, inches apart, and Lily wanted nothing more than to press up on her toes and kiss him, really kiss him, until they both were breathless.

Lily also discovers there's a lot more to Pete than she could ever have imagined. Pete, meanwhile, can't resist getting the always-in-control Lily hot and bothered — and not just in the kitchen. Before long he can't resist Lily, period. Oh, it was fun, watching these two get each other stirred up. The competition lends a wonderful urgency to the story, and I was both touched and fascinated by the way the characters' personalities and pasts played into their recipes. Kincaid writes with her usual playfulness, compassion and skill — she's always a joy to read. Sugar and Spice indeed — this is one sweet treat you really shouldn't resist.

What Kimberly Kincaid has to say:

The hero in my story is a hotshot pastry chef with his eye firmly on the prize, but he wasn't always that way. You see, Pete Mancuso was one of the very first characters I ever wrote, but he wasn't a hero. He was a secondary character in my Golden Heart manuscript in 2011. The manuscript never found the light of day, but Pete always stuck with me. I was drafting a story about a cocky middle school teacher and a by-the-book librarian, both vying for the same grant when I got a call from my agent saying my editor wanted a Christmas cookie novella. Some tweaks and changes later, Pete and Lily had transformed from teachers to chefs competing for the top spot in a Christmas cookie competition, and voila! Sugar and Spice was born. I've always had a soft spot for Pete ... but truth be told, it's even sweeter now that he can whip up all kinds of heat in the kitchen!

Kathy Altman's latest contemporary romance novel, Staying at Joe's, is out now. Kathy prefers her chocolate with nuts, her Friday afternoons with wine and her love stories with happy ever afters. Her website is KathyAltman.com.

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