A Timeless Romance Anthology: Spring Vacation Collection – Combined Review

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Combined Reviews, Mindy's Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
May 062013
 

TIMELESS darkerA Timeless Romance Anthology: Spring Vacation Collection

Authors: Josi S. Kilpack, Annette Lyon, Heather Justesen, Sarah M. Eden, Heather B. Moore, Aubrey Mace

Published: February 1, 2013

Publisher: Mirror Press

Format: ebook

FTC FYI: Received an ePub copy in exchange for an honest review

Reviewed by: Mindy and Shanda

Goodreads Summary 

Six Award-Winning Authors have contributed new stories to A Timeless Romance Anthology: Spring Vacation Collection. Readers will love this collection of six sweet contemporary romance novellas, centered on a Spring Vacation, all with one thing in common: Romance.

In Moonlight Kiss, a delightful story by Josi S. Kilpack, Sarah is looking forward to the company retreat, namely because she’ll finally meet Clint—the man she’s been Instant Messaging for a few months. As a single mom, Sarah gets out . . . well, never. So adding vacation days onto the retreat so she can spend time with Clint is daring, yet exciting. She just hopes that the suave on-line Clint will live up to the man she hopes to share her heart with.

In Annette Lyon’s charming novella, Chasing Tess, Tess had been patiently waiting through three years of law school for James to pop the question. The night has finally arrived—at his graduation party. But his big announcement turns out to be completely unexpected . . . and devastating. Tess flees the party, promising herself she’ll never let herself waste time on James again. But as she makes a desperate cross-country drive, James makes his own plans on how to win her back.

Dancing at the Flea Market is a sweet romance by Heather Justesen. Mara, fresh out of the cold North Dakota tundra, spends her spring break in Texas with close friend, Anna. When the two women run into Carter, an impatient man with a painful past, it takes hearing Mara’s stunning voice at the local Karaoke club to thaw his heart. But as Mara gets to know Carter, she has to decide if the distance between their lives and homes is worth trying to bridge.

In Sarah M. Eden’s captivating novella, The Best Laid Plans, Madison gives up a vacation to Cancún with her office friends to return home and babysit her mother, who is in another sketchy relationship. The only problem with returning home is running into Derek, her ex-boyfriend who she decided to break up with before he could break up with her—Madison believes in always being one step ahead. When Derek teams up with Madison to investigate whether her mother is dating the right guy, Madison has a hard time ignoring what her heart is telling her about giving Derek another chance.

Picture Perfect, an exciting story by Heather B. Moore, follows Gemma who has never done anything out of the ordinary, until her boyfriend Randy starts to ignore her. But even cutting and dyeing her hair doesn’t get his attention. She decides to join her old high school friends for spring vacation, only to be faced with Drew, her best friend who suddenly seems interested in her as more than a friend. Gemma must determine if her heart is on the rebound or if it’s finally met its true match.

In Aubrey Mace’s enchanting romance, The Science of Sentiment, Rosie will do anything to forget Kevin, his completely perfect kisses, and the fact that he dumped her. When she arrives at her grandfather’s mountain cabin for a spring getaway, she discovers her worst nightmare—Kevin has been invited to stay the weekend too. Since there is only room for one in such a small space, Rosie is determined to kick Kevin out. But Kevin has other plans . . . which might include a reminder of why he’s the perfect kisser.

Mindy’s Review

This is a very enjoyable book full of six well-written and fun short stories.  Each one is very unique, and most importantly, clean romances with awesome characters.  I was quickly taken into each story with their fun plots and spring settings.  As I was reading each story, I was sure it was my favorite, then I would start the next one, and it became my new favorite.  Each story has its share of great kisses.  The kiss in Heather Moore’s Picture Perfect… WOW!

5 out of 5 stars.  As you finish each story, you will be happily wanting more.  I can’t wait for Summer Wedding Collection in May.  

Shanda’s Review

The A Timeless Romance Anthology series has proven that a short love story can still be big on romance. I enjoyed each one, amazed at how well each author packed a full story into a smaller page count without making it feel rushed or incomplete.

My favorite was Sarah Eden’s The Best Laid Plans. I’m going to quote my notes directly: “Sigh (big smiley face). Loved it. Maddi & Derek – great couple. Good story. Nice romance.” I agree with Mindy about the kiss in Picture Perfect. I was pleasantly surprised with the little turn the story took in Chasing Tess. It was happily not what I expected.

If you like a good romance, check out A Timeless Romance Anthology: Spring Vacation Collection. I’m anxiously looking forward to the next installment, A Timeless Romance Anthology: Summer Wedding Collection. I got a sneak peek at Melanie Jacobson’s Love Bytes and, well, I loved it.

 
Purchase Links:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Anthology Links:

BLOG | GOODREADS |  FACEBOOK

Author links are listed above.

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Fairy Godmothers, Inc. by Jenniffer Wardell – Blog Tour

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
Apr 222013
 

Fairy Godmothers, Inc.Fairy Godmothers, Inc.

Author: Jenniffer Wardell

Publisher: Jolly Fish Press

Published Date: April 27, 2013

Hardcover: 302 pages

Genre: Fairytale Romance

ISBN# 978-0-9886491-4-9

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: received an uncorrected digital proof in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads Summary

In a world where fairy tale situations are as much a fact of life as death and taxes, everyone knows hiring Fairy Godmothers, Inc. is the best way to assure that your beautiful daughter or enchanted frog of a grandson will get the happily-ever-after he or she deserves. Sure, sometimes a little love potion is required to make sure those quotas stay up, but what Prince Charming doesn’t know won’t hurt him. 

Kate, an experienced Fairy Godmother, who’s enough of a romantic to frustrate her rigidly rule-bound boss, has just received a specialty assignment from one of the company’s board of directors. Cinderella—Rellie for short—was placed with an appropriately wicked stepfamily years before, and now needs the dress, ball, and handsome prince to complete her happily-ever-after. The fact that Rellie isn’t sure this is her dream come true—balls are fun, but princes tend to be less interesting than fluffy bunnies—isn’t something management considers a problem.

Complicating things a bit is Jon, the youngest son of the royal family, who meets Kate, and is smitten, but isn’t quite ready yet to reveal his true identity. After all, it’s his older brother Rupert who’s supposed to marry Rellie, which means pretending to be a lowly civil servant will give him the chance to spend more time with Kate. (As long as he can get the ball arranged, and stop Rupert from getting himself into trouble over his “self-actualization” business, he should have the perfect opportunity to explain everything and get started on making a little magic with the Fairy Godmother of his dreams.) 

But, of course, things never ever happen as planned.

Review

Fairy Godmothers, Inc. was such a fun read. I was entertained from the first chapter to the last. I laughed out loud on more than one occasion. I loved Jon, Kate, Lawton, and even Rellie by the end. As a romance, I knew Jon and Kate would eventually end up together, but there were a few unexpected twists with other characters I didn’t see coming and I wasn’t sure quite how things would work out until the very end.

I read Fairy Godmothers, Inc. pretty much straight through. (The kids had to eat and I had to sleep, at least for a few hours.) Even though the  book is approximately 300 pages long, it moved at a good pace and didn’t seem overly long. I was pulled into the story and thought it was well-written and pretty clean overall. The characters were interesting (Bubbles was effectively intimidating, considering her name), and I cared about what happened to them.

It’s obvious that the author had fun writing this story. A lot of fairytale, a bit of magic, some intrigue and a generous dose of romance all combine to make Fairy Godmothers, Inc. easily one of my favorite reads this year.

Content: There is some mild innuendo; a few side characters consume alcohol but I don’t recall the main characters ever partaking; one mild “curse” word; older teens and adults will probably enjoy this book

Visit Jenniffer Wardell: 

BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOOGLE+ | GOODREADS

Find Fairy Godmothers, Inc.:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | GOODREADS

 

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Second Chances by Melanie Jacobson

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
Mar 252013
 

secondchancesSecond Chances

Author: Melanie Jacobson

Publisher: Covenant Communications

Published Date: March 2013

Softcover: 272 pages

Genre: Contemporary Romance

ISBN# 978-1621083443

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: received an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads Summary

After walking out of a thankless job at a prestigious marketing firm, feisty California entrepreneur Louisa Gibson is going into business for herself. Lou’s pioneering venture, The Mormon Bachelor, is a reality dating web series sure to be fabulous advertising for her new marketing firm. And as a bonus, she can solve a problem close to home: while Huntington Beach is crawling with eligible, sun-bronzed Saints, they’ve forgotten the vital skill of dating. Lou hopes the reality show will finally inspire this group of hangout enthusiasts to pair off. But shortly before filming begins, the unthinkable happens — Trentyn, a.k.a. The Bachelor, gets a girlfriend. And Lou needs a new leading man — fast.

Enter Nick, Lou’s devastatingly handsome ex-boyfriend. He’s the stereotypical actor: shallow, self-serving…and perfect for the job. A whirlwind of dating ensues, with Nick at the center of it all. Things are going according to plan — that is, until Lou is forced to step in as a substitute bachelorette, becoming an unwitting cast member on her own show. Despite Nick’s attempts to reestablish their friendship and the growing spark between them, Lou is determined to keep her distance. The show must go on — but what’s a girl to do when the Mr. Wrong of the past just may be the Mr. Right of the future?

Review

Louisa is the proud-but-poor new owner of her very own ad agency. After an enlightening girls’ night watching the final episode of “The Bachelor,” she is inspired to start an LDS online version called “The Mormon Bachelor.” Her mission is two-fold: attract business for her ad agency, and show the local guys that dating is more than just hanging out.

When her star bachelor gets a girlfriend days before filming is scheduled to start, a serendipitous commercial (and a bold email sent by her friend/only employee) results in Lou coming face-to-face with her actor ex-boyfriend, Nick Westman. He’s willing to participate and she is desperate.

It doesn’t take long for Lou to see that Nick has changed during the last three years. She finds herself torn between building her new business and her rekindled attraction to Nick. He’s hit it off with a couple of the bachelorettes and Lou is unsure of his feelings toward her. She has reservations about his choice of career. He is always a gentleman but keeps his emotions guarded. Louisa’s control-freak tendencies and Nick’s reluctance to open up are issues that continue to create distance between them. Will Nick find love on the show? Will Louisa survive it if he does?

Second Chances was a fun read. Melanie’s writing is smooth and conversational, making it easy to get into the story and keep turning pages. The characters are dimensional and real. The setting made me want to visit Huntington Beach next time I’m in California.

Louisa is hard-working, talented, stubborn and blind to her control-freak perfectionism. Nick put me off a bit initially but grew on me and quickly became a favorite. I enjoyed watching both Nick and Louisa change and grow throughout the story. There were several eye-opening experiences for Lou regarding her tendency to judge others prematurely, as well as her unrealistically high expectations of people. These issues made Lou a bit of a brat but also more relatable as a character.

I’m grateful that Melanie is a consistent writer because I look forward to her novel releases like holidays. Reading one of her books is like taking a little vacation and I appreciate the escape. I enjoyed the peek at the LDS dating scene in a place far from Utah. I loved the Matt and Ashley cameos.

Readers who enjoy clean romance will like Second Chances. Fans of Melanie’s other books (and “The Bachelor”) will not want to miss this one. I am happy to add another of Melanie’s books to the “Favorite Romances” section of my bookshelf.

Visit Melanie:  WEBSITE  |  BLOG  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER

Find Second Chances:  AMAZON  |  DESERET BOOK  |  SEAGULL BOOK  |  GOODREADS

 

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The Guy Next Door by Kate Palmer

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Mindy's Reviews
Jan 232013
 

The Guy Next Door

Author: Kate Palmer

Publisher: Covenant

Published: September 2012

Paperback: 235 pages

ISBN: 9781608612

FTC FYI: I received a paperback copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary

On the surface, Eva Black’s life seems practically perfect. The small-town kindergarten teacher is set to wed ambitious lawyer Sean Langley, and their plans for a dream wedding are well underway. Eva accepts that she will soon live life in the spotlight as a member of the prestigious Langley family, but can she overlook her fiancé’s tendency to dominate the details of her life and push the limits of her standards?

Mere weeks before the wedding, Eva is thrown into a traumatic, life-changing event that changes her view of family commitment and creates a sharp contrast between her ideals and Sean’s. With her engagement to Sean in jeopardy, Eva finds herself relying on the support and encouragement of Peter, her kind and attentive next-door neighbor. Faced with a choice between her penitent fiancé and the increasingly mysterious Peter, Eva is unprepared for the consequences—and peril—that come with her decision.

My Review — Possible Spoiler

I really enjoyed this book.  I would say my one complaint was Sean.  He was such a jerk.  Some very tragic events occur in Eva’s life, and what she has to cope with is big and life changing.  Sean treats her poorly, and she doesn’t see it as first.  Only when Peter comes into her life, is when things start to change with their relationship.  However, Peter has some secrets of his own.  Although I didn’t like that one character, I really liked Eva, Peter, and the other supporting characters.  Through the time when Peter and Eva were getting to know each other, while he was away for work, Peter would send Eva notes.  I really liked how he saw her and the way their relationship developed.  Eva goes through a lot in the book, and I really enjoyed what she learned about herself, too.

3 1/2 stars.  I was on the edge of my seat at times, wondering what would happen to these characters.  The Guy Next Door is well written and an enjoyable, fast read.

Author Links

Website / Facebook / Goodreads

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Seagull / Deseret Book

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Playing At Love by Ophelia London

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Mindy's Reviews
Dec 052012
 

Playing at Love

Author: Ophelia London

Publisher: Entangled Publishing (Bliss)

Published: September  24th, 2012

ebook

ISBN13: 9781622669875

FTC FYI: Received a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary

Show choir teacher Tess Johansson loves three things: music, her job, and sharing that passion with her students. But when a school budget crisis forces funding to be pulled from either the sports or music programs, she finds herself going head to head with Jack, the gorgeous new football coach who broke her heart fifteen years ago.

Jack Marshall wants two things: to be closer to his young daughter and to make his mark as a football coach. Taking the new job, with the promise that he’d have time to build a solid team, gave him both. But now he must win the season with a group of boys who aren’t anywhere near ready or he’ll lose everything he’s worked so hard for. Being pitted against Tess, the summer love he never forgot, is like being fourth and long with only seconds on the clock.

On opposing sides of a fierce battle and with everything at stake, Tess and Jack find themselves torn between doing what it takes to win and doing what it takes to be together.

My Review

I found out about this book from an email I got regarding recent releases.  I was immediately impressed with the cute cover and description of the book. I emailed the author right away, and asked her if she was interested in a review. Luckily, she was, and here we are.

Tess is a hometown girl who has been hurt before by love, and has a hard time trusting. She is the school’s show choir teacher. Jack just moved into town and is the football coach. In a morning staff meeting, they see each other from across the room and immediately sparks fly. But, there is problem. Tess recognizes him as the guy who broke her heart years earlier. After the meeting they both are asked to meet with the principal, there is a situation with the budget, and either football or show choir has to go. Jack can’t believe it, he just got hired as the coach. Tess is heart broken because she has a lot riding on this job for family reasons. What will become of their relationship, and can Tess forgive and forget? How can they get past one of them losing their job?

I really enjoyed this book!  Ophelia’s writing style is fresh and fun.  I liked the characters very much, too. Tess’s best friend Mac, made me smile a lot. I am a huge fan of POV switching by main characters. I love seeing the other side of situations, and the author did a great job with that. There is humor and heart to this book, and I was really happy with the ending.

4 out of 5 stars. This is the author’s first book.  Ophelia has another book coming out March of next year, Abby Road.

Here is more information on her from her Goodreads Bio: Ophelia London was born and raised among the redwood trees in beautiful northern California. Once she was fully educated, she decided to settle in Florida, but her car broke down in Texas and she’s lived in Dallas ever since. A cupcake and treadmill aficionado (obviously those things are connected), she spends her time watching arthouse movies and impossibly trashy TV, while living vicariously through the characters in the books she writes. Ophelia is the author of PLAYING AT LOVE, SPEAKING OF LOVE… and ABBY ROAD. Visit her at http://ophelia-london.blogspot.com. But don’t call when The Vampire Diaries is on.

In emailing her back and forth, I can tell that Ophelia is a sweet heart, with lots of humor and a great personalilty. It really shows in her writing style.

Content

There is a little bit of language, nothing that I was offended by, just a heads up. Also the main characters do have sex, but there are no details. There is a mention of a teen pregnancy in conversation, recalling a memory.

Author Links

Blog / Facebook / Twitter

Purchase Links

AMAZON / BARNES AND NOBLE

 

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For What It’s Worth by Karey White

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
Dec 042012
 

For What It’s Worth

Author: Karey White

Publisher: Bonneville Books/Cedar Fort

Published Date: December 2012

Paperback; 240 pages

Genre: Contemporary Romance

ISBN# 978-1-4621-1066-7

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review

***NOTE: The For What It’s Worth launch party is tomorrow night, Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at The King’s English at 6 PM. Go HERE for more details. ***

Summary

Twenty-four year-old, Abby Benson has dreams of owning her own wedding cake shop. An inheritance from her aunt gives her the ability to make those dreams come true. She hires Dane, a handsome contractor, to help her get the bakery up and running and soon they’re moving toward their own happy ending.

Unsure what to charge for her cakes, Abby has a crazy idea to let the customers decide what they think their cake is worth. This plan has its ups and downs, but the novelty of the idea makes her a local celebrity. When she is interviewed on television about the unusual idea, business booms and Abby has cake adventures she never dreamed possible. But as her fame grows, Abby is swept up in a whirlwind that threatens everything she values. With the challenges that face her, will she be able to determine what is worth the most?

Review

For What It’s Worth was an enjoyable read about Abby, who opened a wedding cake bakery with a generous inheritance from her Aunt Grace. I really liked Abby. In fact, I liked all of the characters, though it took a while for me to feel like I knew Dane very well. During the last half of the book is when I felt Dane developed into a great character and became one of my favorites.

One of the best parts of For What It’s Worth, at least for me, was watching Abby as she experienced the unexpected success of her bakery and came face to face with evaluating what was most important in her life. She learned a lot about herself and the need for balance and priorities. Maybe it’s because I’m impatient, but once Abby realized what she needed to do and did it, I was wishing she would have been the one to make an important first move and sooner.

The recipes at the beginning of each chapter all looked delicious, and there were a few clever ones in there as well. I’m excited to try some of them, especially the homemade corn tortilla recipe. Oh, and the BLAT Sandwiches, too. The dessert recipes sound amazing. I don’t even know where to begin choosing what I would make first.

For What It’s Worth is a sweet, clean LDS romance that will be enjoyed by many readers. And don’t be surprised if you start craving cake.

About the Author

Karey White grew up in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Missouri. She attended Ricks College and Brigham Young University. Her first novel, Gifted, was a Whitney Award Finalist.

She loves to travel, read, bake treats, and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband are the parents of four great children. She teaches summer creative writing courses to young people and is currently working on her next book. Find out more about Karey at http://kareywhite.com.

Visit Karey: BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

Find For What It’s Worth:

GOODREADS | THE KING’S ENGLISH | AMAZON | DESERET BOOK

 

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