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Wednesday, July 30, 2025 at 8:09 AM

Allison's Book Report - Sugar and Spice

Allison's Book Report - Sugar and Spice
Photo by Allison Diegel.

The tree is decorated, the lights are twinkling, and the Christmas spirit is strong at my house – and as promised, I have been reading all of the Christmas romances I can get my hands on. For this entire month, I am reporting on all of my holiday favorites, and this week, I have a two-for-one book report for you – one book is mostly spicy, and one book is mostly sweet—a little bit of sugar and spice for your Yuletide reading pleasure.

If it is sexy and super spicy you’re looking for, author Tessa Bailey always delivers, and this one is no exception. “Wreck the Halls” follows Melody and Beat, the adult children of two former rock stars, who team up to convince their estranged mothers to play a Christmas concert. The two become involved in a reality TV show, Melody and Beat’s attempts at getting their mothers back together – as well as their crackling chemistry and palpable sexual tension – on the show for the whole world to see. I debated if I could talk about “Wreck the Halls” in the newspaper because it is so steamy, but this hilarious rom-com is also a ton of fun and a perfect way to bring some spice to your holiday reading. 

If a sweeter romance story is more your style, grab “Lovelight Farms” by B.K. Borison. Stella owns a struggling Christmas tree farm and is secretly in love with her best friend, Luka. In an attempt to save the farm, Stella enters a contest with an Instagram influencer, and the two find themselves faking a relationship, and sparks begin to fly. Don't get me wrong – while this book is the sweet part of my sugar and spice book report, it has a scene or two that get a little steamy - but for the most part, “Lovelight Farms” is a perfect sweet and funny friends to lovers Christmas rom-com. Bonus: It is the first in a series if you need more Lovelight in your “to be read" pile.

There you go – grab a cup of hot cocoa, some Christmas cookies, and one or both of these books for a little dose of sugar and spice for your holiday reading – and then pop over to my Instagram @allison.the.reader, where I'm reading and rambling my way through the season - and stay tuned to this column for more romantic holiday reads. 

Allison Diegel is the Executive Chaos Coordinator at the Diegel Home for Wayward Girls and Their Many Pets here in her hometown of Fallon. She has been reading since before she could talk, and now she likes doing lots of both.
 


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Comment author: Mike HinzComment text: I knew Sam as a member of our church growing up. He always had a warm smile, a kind word, and a great sense of humor! He will be great missed!Comment publication date: 7/2/25, 11:57 AMComment source: Obituary -- Samuel Bruce WickizerComment author: Mike HinzComment text: Great teacher, great coach, but even a better person!!! Rest in peace Mr. BeachComment publication date: 7/2/25, 11:53 AMComment source: Obituary -- Jack Victor Beach, Jr.Comment author: Mike HinzComment text: I had Mrs Hedges for First Grade at Northside Elementary in 1969. I still, to this day, remember her as a wonderful teacher…one of my favorites!!Comment publication date: 7/2/25, 11:29 AMComment source: Obituary - Nancy Marie Hedges C Comment author: Carl C. HagenComment text: What are MFNs and PBMs ?? ............................ From the editor: This is a very good question and we apologize for not catching that wasn't in there. We reached out to the writer/submitter and got this info back...hope it's helpful. PBM: Pharmacy Benefit Managers are pharmacies that are owned by insurance companies. (CVS is one.) They negotiate with drug makers to get reduced pricing for medications, but they historically have not passed along those savings to patients. https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/pharmacy-benefit-managers-staff-report.pdf MFN: Most Favored Nation pricing is a policy that means a country agrees to offer the same trade concessions (like tariffs or price reductions) to all member nations of the World Trade Organization (WTO). When applied to pharmaceuticals, it could disrupt global access, deter innovation, and obscure the deeper systemic issues in American health care. https://petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/2025/05/22/the-global-risks-of-americas-most-favored-nation-drug-pricing-policy/Comment publication date: 6/23/25, 7:47 AMComment source: L E T T E R TO THE EDITOR
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