The Magical Christmas Cat (Anthology)

The Magical Christmas Cat anthology contains stories by Lora Leigh, Erin McCarthy, Nalini Singh and Linda Winstead Jones. This has to be one of the most deceptive titles and book covers ever. The cover has a white cat and a snowglobe on it. You'd think at first glance (if you weren't familiar with Singh and Leigh) that it would be perfect for your elderly cat-loving aunt. Well, if she loves graphic steamy sex scenes it would be.

Leigh's story and Singh's story are similar in feel. They are both wonderful and highly recommended. Stroke of Enticement by Nalini Singh takes place in the world of her popular Psy-Changeling series. The hero, Zack, is a sexy wereleopard and the heroine, Annie, is a human teacher. The story is sweet as well as being erotic, and the way Zach courts Annie is heartwarming.

Christmas Heat by Lora Leigh takes place in her Breeds world. The hero, Noble, is a Breed and Haley is a librarian. This is the most graphic story in the book, as you'd expect from Leigh. It is also fast moving and suspenseful. A couple of scenes were real nail-biters. It's a tough choice, but if I had to pick a favorite from this anthology, I'd pick Christmas Heat. I'd rate both of these stories 8.5 out of 10.

McCarthy's story and Jones' story are also similar. They are much sweeter with less suspense than the previous stories. Christmas Bree by Erin McCarthy and Sweet Dreams by Linda Winstead Jones are both enjoyable, light, and well written, but I was just not invested in the characters. It may just be a matter of taste. I prefer stories that are intense, with characters that leap off the page and twists in the plot I can't guess. I would rate both of them 6.0 out of 10.

The Morgue the Merrier (Anthology)

The Morgue the Merrier is a contemporary anthology with stories by Rosemary Laurey, Karen Kelley (2 stories) and Dianne Castell. They all take place in a town called Christmastown during the Christmas season. They do all have helpful ghosts in them but don't really feel like paranormal stories.

A note about rating: The ratings I give the books are only a note to tell me how much I enjoyed the book. They don't reflect how well written I think the books are (though that is a part of it) or how much I think others will enjoy it. I like certain things in a book, such as kick-ass heroines, time travel, companion animals, humor, tortured heroes, and so on, that others may not. A 5 rating reflects a book I think of as average. I usually rate higher because I pick books to read that I think I will enjoy a lot and I'm usually right.

The Morgue the Merrier's stories were all like meringue--sweet but insubstantial. They are a quick read but you're unlikely to remember much about them the next day. They are not bad, they are not great, they are just your average contemporary romance stories with a bit more humor than usual. The one by Rosemary Laurey was marginally better than the others, but they are all quite similar.

I'd rate this book a 5 out of 10. It might be fun if you want to get in the Christmas mood or if you want a light, uncomplicated read.