Category Archives: Romance

November 20, 2019 · 11:58 pm

Review: The Hope by Patricia Davids

Title: The Hope by Patricia Davids
The Amish of Cedar Grove Series Book Two
Publisher: HQN Books
Genre: Contemporary, Amish, Romance
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Home isn’t just a place…

Amish widow Ruth Mast wants nothing to do with the handsome man from her past who just returned to Cedar Grove. Ruth learned the hard way that Owen Mast’s restlessness always causes trouble. But when a little Amish girl appears on Owen’s porch, lost and afraid, Ruth has no choice but to help the man who only ever causes heartbreak…

All Owen wanted was to make amends with Ruth and her family. He never imagined that little Grace—or the strange mystery surrounding her—would bring him closer to Ruth. Or that a tender and unexpected attraction would quickly take hold of them both. But even a wandering heart can grow roots…when there is hope for love.

Review:

The Hope by Patricia Davids is a sweet, heartwarming Amish novel of family, love and healing. This latest release is the second installment in The Amish of Cedar Grove series and can be read as a standalone.

Widowed Ruth Mast is dreading her daughter Ella moving away with her new husband Zack. So her greatest fear is her seventeen year old son Faron will also leave the family farm. Needless to say, she is very upset to discover Faron is planning to spend the next month away from home.  Worried about the upcoming lambing season, Ruth is less than pleased to discover her first love, Owen Mast, will be helping her during her son’s absence. Owen broke her heart when he abruptly left town years earlier and she cannot trust he will not leave again.

Owen has many regrets about leaving Ruth, but he had no choice but to try to find his younger sister, Rebecca. Owen  and Rebecca lost the rest of their family in a tragic accident and they were raised separately.  He has never given up hope he will find her, but when he finally does locate Rebecca, he is disheartened by her reaction. Having recently received a rather cryptic letter from her, Owen has no choice but to leave Cedar Grove after his Uncle Ernest and Faron return home.

Ruth is determined to keep her distance from Owen. But  when they unexpectedly find themselves caring for three year old Grace, she cannot avoid spending time with him. Ruth is charmed by how tender Owen is with Grace, but she finds it difficult to trust he will keep his word.  She gradually begins to see Owen in a different light but will she find the courage to admit her unanticipated feelings for him?

The Hope is a charming second chance at love romance.  Ruth and Owen are beautifully developed, likable characters with easy to relate to flaws and strengths. Grace is a darling little girl who easily works her way into everyone’s hearts.  The mystery surrounding Grace’s identity is quite interesting. Although the romance between Ruth and Owen is understated, their love for one another is palpable.  Patricia Davids brings this captivating romance to a heartfelt conclusion. Old and new fans are sure to enjoy this latest addition The Amish of Cedar Grove series.

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Filed under Amish, Contemporary, HQN Books, Patricia Davids, Rated B+, Review, Romance, The Amish of Cedar Grove Series, The Hope

November 17, 2019 · 11:57 pm

Review: The Healing Summer by Liz Flaherty

Title: The Healing Summer by Liz Flaherty
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 251 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by the Author

Summary:

When Steven Elliott accidentally rides his bike into Carol Whitney’s car at the cemetery, the summer takes on new and exciting possibilities. Long friendship wends its way into something deeper when their hearts get involved. Feelings neither of them had expected to experience again enrich their days and nights. But what happens when the long summer ends? When Carol wants a family and commitment and a future, Steven isn’t so sure. He’s had his heart broken before—can he risk it again?

Review:

The Healing Summer by Liz Flaherty is a captivating romance that is also a little bittersweet.

Carolina “Carol” Whitney is a compassionate and caring woman who has suffered more than her fair share of heartache and loss. She is a successful business owner and student with a close circle of friends. Carol is not looking for a relationship when she reconnects with Dr. Steven Elliott but their unexpected friendship takes a decidedly romantic turn. Carol cannot deny how much Steven means to her, but will their romance fade when summer ends?

Steven never imagined he would move back to his small hometown. However, after  a tragic professional loss, he returns to Peacock for some much needed downtown with his sisters and friends.  Although Carol has long been on periphery of his life, their acquaintance has always been somewhat casual. Which is why Steven is rather surprised by how much he enjoys spending time with her. What he finds even more shocking is his unexpected attraction to her.

Carol and Steven are beautifully developed, three dimensional characters. Steven is a well liked, sought after cardiothoracic surgeon and Carol is concerned small town life will eventually bore him. She goes into their relationship with few expectations but she does not count on falling in love.  Steven is willing to commit to a short-term romance and he is stunned when his feelings for her deepen. Carol is strong enough to make a tough decision but will Steven decide to risk his heart again?

The Healing Summer is a heartwarming novel of friendship, love and healing. Steven and Carol are vibrant, charming characters with relatable fears, shortcomings and admirable strengths. Their friendship provides a strong foundation for their eventual romance but both of them bring plenty of emotional baggage to their relationship. Steven and Carol have wonderful relationships with their friends and family who give them plenty of love and support.  I highly recommend Liz Flaherty’s emotional and uplifting novel to readers who enjoy wholesome, small town romances.

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Filed under Contemporary, Liz Flaherty, Rated B+, Review, Romance, The Healing Summer, The Wild Rose Press

November 13, 2019 · 11:58 pm

Review: Lake Season by Denise Hunter

Title: Lake Season by Denise Hunter
A Bluebell Inn Series Book One
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Christian, Romance
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

The first story in a brand-new series, Lake Season invites readers to the Bluebell Inn in a small North Carolina town where a lost letter, a chance for new love, and old secrets beckon.

When their parents die in a tragic accident, Molly Bennett and her siblings pull together to fulfill their parents’ dream of turning their historic Bluebell, North Carolina, home back into an inn. Staying in town would be temporary—three years at most—then they plan to sell the inn, and Molly can get back to chasing her own dreams.

Adam Bradford (aka bestselling author Nathaniel Quinn) is a reclusive novelist with a bad case of writer’s block. Desperate for inspiration as his deadline approaches, he travels to the setting of his next book, a North Carolina lake town. There, he meets his muse, a young innkeeper who fancies herself in love with his alter ego.

Molly and Adam strike up an instant friendship. When Molly finds a long-lost letter in the walls of her inn, she and Adam embark on a mission to find the star-crossed lovers and bring them the closure they deserve. But Adam has secrets he isn’t ready to share. Past and present collide as truths surface, and Molly and Adam will have to decide if love is worth trusting.

Review:

The first installment in the Bluebell Inn series, Lake Season by Denise Hunter is a bittersweet novel of love and healing.

Molly Bennett and her siblings, Grace and Levi, decide to follow through with their deceased parents’ dream of turning their home into an inn.  With Grace finishing high school, the majority of the work falls to Molly and Levi.  Most of the renovation is almost complete as the summer tourist season is approaching when visitor Adam Bradford stops in hoping to reserve a room. Molly bends the rules a little since the inn has not undergone their inspection when she allows Adam to stay with them. After she discovers a lost letter within the inn’s walls, Molly and Adam team up and attempt to locate the letter writer and recipient. An unexpected friendship springs up between them but as their feelings for one another deepen, will their respective issues prevent Adam and Molly from giving love a chance to bloom into a lasting relationship?

Molly is a very outgoing, cheerful young woman who does not think twice about abandoning her dreams after her parents’ tragic deaths.  With one failed relationship behind her, she is not in any hurry to take a chance on another man deceiving her like her previous boyfriend.  After finding the lost letter, Molly becomes quite invested in trying to locate what appears to be a star-crossed couple.

Adam is a popular, best-selling author who guards closely guards his privacy and writes under a pseudonym. He is a quite intelligent and a little shy. Adam  has an extensive backlist but he still struggles with insecurities and low self-worth.  With a looming deadline on the horizon, he is struggling with writer’s block for the first time in his career. Since his research is not spurring his creativity, Adam instead offers to help Molly track down the author of the letter and addressee.

Chapters which flash back to the events leading up to the lost letter are interspersed with events playing out in the present.  In 1962, a local young woman and a visitor unexpectedly fall in love over the course of the summer.  Just as they are planning their future together, outside forces tear  them apart.  Is there any chance Molly and Adam will find the couple after so many years?

Lake Season is a delightful novel with a slight undercurrent of faith. Molly and Adam are charming characters whose strengths, self-doubts and shortcomings are realistically depicted. The main storyline is well-developed and will resonate with readers. The secondary story arc is poignant and tugs at the heartstrings.  I absolutely loved and highly recommend this uplifting and engaging novel by Denise Hunter.

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Filed under A Bluebell Inn Series, Christian, Contemporary, Denise Hunter, Lake Season, Rated B+, Review, Romance, Thomas Nelson Publishing

November 4, 2019 · 11:57 pm

Review: The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

Title: The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
Bromance Book Club Series Book One
Publisher: Jove
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: C+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

The first rule of book club:
You don’t talk about book club.

Nashville Legends second baseman Gavin Scott’s marriage is in major league trouble. He’s recently discovered a humiliating secret: his wife Thea has always faked the Big O. When he loses his cool at the revelation, it’s the final straw on their already strained relationship. Thea asks for a divorce, and Gavin realizes he’s let his pride and fear get the better of him.

Welcome to the Bromance Book Club.

Distraught and desperate, Gavin finds help from an unlikely source: a secret romance book club made up of Nashville’s top alpha men. With the help of their current read, a steamy Regency titled Courting the Countess, the guys coach Gavin on saving his marriage. But it’ll take a lot more than flowery words and grand gestures for this hapless Romeo to find his inner hero and win back the trust of his wife.

Review:

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams  is an entertaining “save the marriage” romance.

Gavin Scott is a major league baseball player whose best career day turned into his worst personal day. After a demoralizing discovery, he eventually leaves his wife Thea when she kicks him out of the house. While at his absolutely lowest, Gavin’s friends step in to help him save his marriage. But will Gavin be able to convince Thea to give him and their marriage a second chance?

Thea plays the victim extremely well as she punishes Gavin for doing what she demanded he do: leave.  She also blames him for not knowing what she wants although she has NEVER given him a clue about how she feels. Thea is a wonderful mom to their twins Ava and Amelia but she is tired of being seen as nothing but a mother and baseball wife. Having lost herself after putting her dreams on hold for the last several years, she is ready to reclaim her life. And right now, Thea does not plan on Gavin being part of her future.

Gavin will do anything to save his marriage even if it means exposing his vulnerabilities to his friends. At first reluctant to trust his friends’ assertions that reading a romance novel will help him with Thea, he nonetheless takes their advice.  Although Thea is not exactly thrilled with his proposition to let him move home, she eventually and, quite reluctantly, agrees.  Gavin is dismayed by her lack of eagerness and cooperation, but he works hard to woo his wife.

While the premise of the story is cute and unique, Thea is unreasonable and downright  unlikable. Gavin is putting his heart and soul into fixing his mistakes but Thea refuses to admit she is a big part of their problems. For every step forward they make, they eventually wind up back where they started.  It does not help that Thea’s sister Liv is extremely negative about Gavin and she freely expresses her opinion her sister is making a mistake trying to reconcile with her husband. And then there is the fact that Thea and Gavin’s problems could have been avoided if she had bothered to tell him how unhappy she is and why.

The Bromance Book Club is a charming reconciliation romance. Gavin is a bit clueless but he is an overall likable and endearing man. Thea finally becomes self-aware but readers have to wait a long time for her to figure things out.  Although parts of the story are frustrating and a little predictable, fans of contemporary romances will enjoy this first installment in  Lyssa Kay Adams’ Bromance Book Club series.

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Filed under Bromance Book Club Series, Contemporary, Jove, Lyssa Kay Adams, Rated C+, Review, Romance, The Bromance Book Club

November 3, 2019 · 11:58 pm

Review: Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

Title: Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
The Brown Sisters Series Book One
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

Talia Hibbert, one of contemporary romance’s brightest new stars, delivers a witty, hilarious romantic comedy about a woman who’s tired of being “boring” and recruits her mysterious, sexy neighbor to help her experience new things—perfect for fans of Sally Thorne, Jasmine Guillory, and Helen Hoang!

Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan, and a list. After almost—but not quite—dying, she’s come up with seven directives to help her “Get a Life”, and she’s already completed the first: finally moving out of her glamorous family’s mansion. The next items?

  • Enjoy a drunken night out.
  • Ride a motorcycle.
  • Go camping.
  • Have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex.
  • Travel the world with nothing but hand luggage.
  • And… do something bad.

But it’s not easy being bad, even when you’ve written step-by-step guidelines on how to do it correctly. What Chloe needs is a teacher, and she knows just the man for the job.

Redford ‘Red’ Morgan is a handyman with tattoos, a motorcycle, and more sex appeal than ten-thousand Hollywood heartthrobs. He’s also an artist who paints at night and hides his work in the light of day, which Chloe knows because she spies on him occasionally. Just the teeniest, tiniest bit.

But when she enlists Red in her mission to rebel, she learns things about him that no spy session could teach her. Like why he clearly resents Chloe’s wealthy background. And why he never shows his art to anyone. And what really lies beneath his rough exterior…

Review:

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert is a sweet and sexy romance that is laugh out loud funny and achingly poignant.

Thirty one year old Chloe Brown has a life altering epiphany following a close brush with an accident.  Deciding it is high time she leads a more exciting life, she moves into an apartment and pens a list of must do adventures. Chloe is a smart, sarcastic and funny woman but chronic illness has left her socially awkward and afraid to trust anyone outside of her family. She has many mechanism she relies on to cope with her debilitating pain but she is ready to step out of her comfort zone. Chloe is not looking for love, but she is unexpectedly fascinated with and attracted to building superintendent, Redford “Red” Morgan.

Red is a gifted artist who is comfortable in his own skin yet is plagued with self doubts following  a disastrous relationship.  He is incredibly charming but still healing from the romance that has forever changed him.  Due to superficial similarities to his ex, Red is initially put off by Chloe despite being drawn to her. However, he soon realizes he has drastically misjudged her

Red’s and Chloe’s relationship is at first transactional as she helps him build a website in exchange for his assistance in ticking off items from her “get a life” list. But as they spend time together, their perceptions about their respective lives begin to slowly alter. Chloe realizes the items on her list need to have deeper meaning. At the same time, Red gradually becomes aware that he might just be ready to step back out into the world. But as their feelings for each other deepen, will the unresolved demons from their pasts prevent them from finding a future together?

Get a Life, Chloe Brown is a highly entertaining and thought-provoking novel that is quite captivating. Chloe and Red are fully developed, multi-faceted characters whose flaws and strengths are very easy to relate to.  Talia Hibbert deftly balances serious issues with humor and the resulting story will resonate with readers. I absolutely loved and highly recommend this heartfelt and engaging romance. I cannot wait to read the next installment in The Brown Sisters series.

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Filed under Avon, Contemporary, Get a Life Chloe Brown, Rated B+, Review, Romance, Talia Hibbert, The Brown Sisters Series

October 23, 2019 · 11:58 pm

Review: Meant to Be Yours by Susan Mallery

Title: Meant to Be Yours by Susan Mallery
Happily Inc. Series Book Five
Publisher: HQN Books
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 464 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

In Happily Inc, love means never having to say “I do”…

Wedding coordinator Renee Grothen isn’t meant for marriage. Those who can, do. Those who can’t, plan. But she never could have planned on gorgeous, talented thriller writer Jasper Dembenski proposing—a fling, that is. Fun without a future. And the attraction between them is too strong for Renee to resist. Now she can have her no-wedding cake…and eat it, too.

After years in the military, Jasper is convinced he’s too damaged for relationships. So a flirtation—and more—with fiery, determined Renee is way too good to pass up…until his flame becomes his muse.

Renee is an expert at averting every crisis. But is she finally ready to leap into the one thing that can never be controlled: love?

Review:

Meant to Be Yours by Susan Mallery is a gratifying romance that is quite heartening.  Although this newest release is the fifth installment in the Happily Inc. series, it can easily be read as a standalone.  However, I highly recommend the other books in this marvelous series.

Renee Grothen loves her job as a wedding planner but she has no desire to marry. With a couple of devastating heartbreaks behind her, she would much rather indulge in a no strings fling. And the man who immediately comes to mind? Mystery author Jasper Dembenski. He is well-known for avoiding relationships so Renee seizes the opportunity to indulge in a scorching hot fling with him. But when Jasper needs assistance with writing a female character into his latest work in progress, he begins spending time with Renee at the wedding planning business.  Their arrangement is suddenly complicated by a surprising friendship and before long their feelings for one another begin to deepen. But with both Renee and Jasper still dealing with wounds from their respective pasts, is there any chance for a future together?

Renee is wonderful woman who has no trouble speaking her mind or standing up for herself. She is a calming influence with their clients and she is unflappable when problems arise. Renee has been attracted to Jasper for a while so she is quick to seize the change to enter into a no strings fling with him.  She is also amenable to helping him with research for his novel and their relationship quickly evolves into friendship.  Just as Renee is on the verge of startling career opportunity, she fears her past could ruin the life she has made for herself in Happily Inc.

When Jasper first  settled in Happily Inc., he was still struggling with PTSD from his military service. He lives outside of town and he initially kept to himself. Over the years, Jasper has made several friendships with the townspeople and he has become more active in the community. But the one thing that has not changed is Jasper’s insistence he is not marriage material, so he is quite agreeable to a friends with benefit arrangement with Renee.  Needless to say, Jasper is rather shocked once he realizes how much he enjoys Renee’s company outside the bedroom.

Renee and Jasper’s relationship is not without a few hiccups and bumps. Jasper does not always respect Renee’s viewpoint and he makes some ill-advised decisions.  Renee is quick to call him on his behavior and he is just as swift to realize he is in the wrong and make amends. Jasper is the first to realize his feelings for Renee run much deeper than friendship but will she be receptive to taking their relationship to the next level?

Meant to Be Yours is a winsome romance with endearing characters and a unique storyline. Renee and Jasper are well-rounded characters with relatable strengths and all too human shortcomings. The secondary cast of characters is quirky yet appealing.  Jasper and Renee’s relationship is a wonderful blend of sizzling hot love scenes and sweet, ordinary time in each other’s company. With the future of their relationship hanging in the balance, Susan Mallery brings this enchanting novel to a heartfelt conclusion. Old and new fans are going to love this newest addition to the warmly inviting Happily Inc. series.

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Filed under Contemporary, Happily Inc Series, HQN Books, Meant to Be Yours, Rated B+, Review, Romance, Susan Mallery