A Timeless Romance Anthology: Spring Vacation Collection

Title: A Timeless Romance Anthology: Spring Vacation Collection
Authors: Josi Kilpack, Annette Lyon, Heather Justesen, Sarah M. Eden, Heather B. Moore, Aubrey Mace
Publisher: Mirror Press
Pages: 260

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.

Mini Review::
I'm going to keep this short because the summary is so long. I loved it. I am all about these anthologies. These stories are just enough romance to get you by. Got a road trip? An hour at the beach? Killing time at the doctor's office? These novellas are the perfect length to do any one of those things. You can read one feel satisfied. You can also feel like you are getting somewhere. My favorites were Chasing Tess and The Best Laid Plans. But, they were all so good. I'll be re-reading this one sooner rather than later.

The best part is that there are 3 other seasonal collections to enjoy!!

Review:: A Timeless Romance Anthology: Summer Wedding Collection

Title: A Timeless Romance Anthology: Summer Wedding Collection
Authors: Melanie Jacobson, Sarah M. Eden, Heather B. Moore, Annette Lyon, Julie Wright and  Rachael Anderson
Publisher: Mirror Press
Pages: 330

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

In Melanie Jacobson’s charming novella, Love Bytes, Bree is the maid-of-honor and Dallen is the best-man. Living across the country from each other, they commiserate over their prospective best friends’ unrealistic wedding demands. While they plan and plot over email and texting, Bree realizes that the best part about the Maui wedding might be meeting Dallen. She just hopes that he’ll feel the same way.

Romeo and Julie-ex is a sweet romance by Julie Wright. “Romeo” turns out to be a two-timing jerk, and when Juliet Moore’s pre-ordered wedding dress arrives from UPS, Juliet curses everything male. In a stubborn streak, she decides to keep the bridal photography appointment—if only because the money isn’t refundable and it was the one thing that her ex-fiance actually paid for. Plus, she has the perfect wedding dress. When Juliet shows up for the appointment and meets photographer Jack Montague, she might have to take back some of her curses on men.

In Rachael Anderson’s enchanting novella, The Meltdown Match, Courtney spends each summer in her hometown of Heimel, Alaska, to find inspiration for her next novel. Her writing method has become a pattern—outline a novel in Heimel, then move to the place her novel is set to finish writing it. But when she runs into former high school friend, Mitch Winters, and they both win the Meltdown Match—a traditional dating contest—Courtney discovers that leaving her hometown at the end of the summer might not be so easy this time.

In Golden Sunrise, an engaging romance by Annette Lyon, Natalie takes time out of her crazy schedule to fly to Vegas for her best friend’s wedding. Sierra and Jason, high-school sweethearts, are finally getting married. Fortunately for Natalie, her old high-school flame, Adam, has a work commitment and can’t be there as best man. But when she arrives at the wedding rehearsal—late and ragged—Adam is there. Memories from the past—and all her old feelings—come flooding back. When Adam makes a wild suggestion, Natalie just may take him up on it, even though she knows he’s moved on. A single choice may mean Natalie is taking a shot at reclaiming the past—or that she's putting her heart in harm’s way a second time.

Tide Pools is a captivating story by Heather B. Moore. When Lexi makes a quick trip to Hawaii to attend her friend’s wedding, she discovers that the engaged couple, Sydney and Apelu, are still trying to match-make for her. Lexi laughs because not only does their friend David have a serious girlfriend, but he owns a restaurant on the island. Lexi has too many plans that don’t include a long-distance relationship or coming between a guy and his girlfriend. But when Lexi meets David, she has a hard time remembering why all of her plans were so important.

In Sarah M. Eden’s delightful novella, A Regular Bloke from Stanmore, Abby is helping her sister, Caroline, plan her British wedding. That’s right, Caroline is obsessed with all things British and insists on an authentic wedding in . . . Oregon. When they arrive at Sainsbury House reception hall, it has everything Caroline loves, and the host, Matthew Carlton, even has a British accent. Yet Abby isn’t buying the whole good-looking-British man with impeccable manners thing; she’s determined to expose him as a fake. But the more Abby gets to know Matthew, the more she realizes how wrong she really is.

 

Mini Review::

I'm going to make this short since that summary above is so long. I loved it. The first and last novellas by Melanie Jacobson and Sarah Eden are clearly the best. Which is why I'm guessing they are placed that way. I love how clean these little romances are; yet they aren't based on an LDS relationship. They are just good and clean.

 

I've been so busy this summer that reading hasn't been making itself a priority yet these little novellas are perfect! I can read one during my son's nap or while we're outside playing. I read one before I go to bed too. They are just enough to wet my appetite.

 

Melanie Jacobson is on my auto buy list. I will read anything she writes. I've never read Sarah M Eden but because of her novella I'm so going to read her books. I'm not familiar with a few of the other author's here and I'm intrigued about their books as well. I love that a novella can just wet my appetite and get me to try a new author with no risk. Now, I know I want to invest more of my time into a bigger book of theirs. I loved it so much I grabbed the Spring Vacation Collection immediately after I finished this!

Review:: Tomorrow Land by Mari Mancusi

Title: Tomorrow Land
Author: Mari Mancusi
Publisher: NLA Digital
Pages: 281

Can true love survive the end of the world?

Imagine finding your first love, only to be ripped apart by the apocalypse. Peyton Anderson will never forget the day she was forced to make a choice--between her family--and Chris Parker, the boy she'd given her heart. Now, four years later, as she steps from the fallout shelter and into a dead and broken world, he's the only thing on her mind.

All Chris "Chase" Parker wanted was to take Peyton away and keep her safe from harm. But he waited for hours in the rain on judgment day and she never showed--breaking his heart without ever telling him why.

Now the two of them have been thrown together once again, reluctant chaperones to a group of orphan children in a post-apocalyptic world where the dead still walk...and feed. As they begin their pilgramage to the last human outpost on Earth, can they find a way to let go of old hurts and find the love they lost--all while attempting to save what's left of the human race?

Christy's Review:

I’m not a huge fan of zombie thrillers, but I do like dystopian and YA fiction, and like they say, 2 outta three ain't bad! I'm glad I picked this one up. I love all of the details put into this story and into the interpersonal relationships.

The story is told by juxtaposing the past and present and this device works extremely well.  Peyton and Chris/Chase were great, well-rounded characters who I came to care for, and that really drove the story.

The happenings in the plot fell a bit on the rote/predictable side, and the pacing was sometimes odd, especially toward the end of the story. Some of the other characters ought to have been developed a bit more and the journey and trials along the way seemed a bit too easy/glassed over. And then, it seemed to end very, very suddenly. Also, with all of the Disney references and Peyton’s goal, I really expected more of a payoff/integration that was given.

All in all, great, fun read and a much lighter dystopian/zombie book than what most people would expect.

Note: There is a lot of talk about teen sex. There aren’t any sex scenes, but the story is originally based in a society where teen sex is a norm, and that is a catalyst for the dystopian segment of the story.

Mini Review:: Wedding Dress For Sale by Natale Stenzel

Title: Wedding Dress For Sale

Author: Natale Stenzel
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Pages: 286

Not even the bride could deny a certain punch-line quality to her current situation: hard-nosed divorce attorney dumps her fiancé and her career to take a job selling wedding gowns.

Sydney Garfield has always approached relationships rationally—none of this emotional head-over-heels or opposites-attract business. Marrying Jack Kaiser is the smart thing to do—after all, he’ll be the “perfect” husband. But after a life-changing shake-up at work, Sydney abandons logic—and her fiancé—to chase the fairy tale.

Real-estate mogul Jack can’t believe the woman he’s head-over-heels for is ditching her hard-won success—and him—to work as a small-town shop clerk. That’s her idea of a fairy tale? Hoping she's merely in need of time, Jack follows Sydney to Smizer Mill, where he invests in the quaint coffee shop next door. Now, he’s got a few new challenges: make a failing coffee shop a success and convince Sydney that theirs is a romance worthy of a true happily ever after.

Review::
I love wedding stories. There is something about a couple who is already in love that gets me. I mean, I'm already married so it is nice to read about people who are already in committed relationships and that have bumps in the road. I like to see how they overcome problems and fall in love all over again.

Sydney is running scared. But my favourite thing is that Jack is coming for her and he won't leave without her. I think every girl wants to feel like she's worth the fight. Jack made this story for me. This was a quick and easy read. Just enough romance to wet your appetite.

I am looking forward to more. I'm hoping  we'll see a story with Drusilla and the Chief of Police!

Review:: Just My Luck by Kelley Vitollo

Title: Just My Luck
Author: Kelley Vitollo
Publisher: Entangled
Pages: 185

Her friend. Her boss. Her husband?

Betsy Harris has always known Jace Macnamara was off-limits. Not only is he a close friend, he also happens to be her boss—making him doubly forbidden. Betsy’s too timid to ever admit her crush, nor ‘fess up to the fact that she’s secretly drowning in her mother’s medical bills.

Jace just found out he needs a wife and needs one now. His childhood home—the last reminder he has of his deceased parents—can only become his if he gets married, but Jace, ever the playboy, never dreamed of settling down for real. Neither Betsy nor Jace wants to ruin their friendship when their fake marriage inevitably ends, so they vow to keep things light, professional, easy. But as Betsy comes out of her shell, Jace begins to see his “wife” for the beautiful, caring woman she is. Can he risk their past for a future together?

 

Review::

I'm such a huge fan of this series. If you haven't read Lucky Break or Luck of the Draw then you should get on that pronto. I don't want you to miss anything before you read Just My Luck. Although these are companion novels and can be read on their own, you will get such an enjoyable experience if you read them all together.

 

From the first book in this series I have loved Jace and Betsy. I guess I kind of feel like a Betsy myself. She stays in the background and wants to not be seen. She is usually looked over in the guy department. She loves long and hard but can't do anything about it. Until now...

 

At first I wasn't a fan of Betsy and Jace having a pretend marriage. I wanted Jace to see who Betsy was on his own. No ploy or weird situation needed. But as the story progressed he did just that. It took me by surprise. None of it felt fake or contrived. It just worked. It made me feel like this could actually happen.

 

I really love Jace and Betsy together. Gosh, this is my favourite book in the series! They just feel so real. Their conversations feel real. This book was everything I was hoping for and more. I just want more!! I don't want this series to end and I sincerely hope it will go on and on.

Author Interview:: Elaine Cook

Serpent’s Treasure is your publishing debut novel. How does it feel to now be a published author?
 

It is still surreal. It is not everyday that you hear of an author receiving a contract offer four days after the contract was sent to the first publishing company. I had prepared to hunt out an agent. I expected a hundred or two rejections, but when I received the call from the acquisitions editor saying that she couldn't put my manuscript down, I kept thinking, "This is coming from someone who reads thousands of manuscripts a year." Everything regarding this adventure has fallen into place bit by bit. Things have not been perfect on this journey, but compared to what I imagined the publishing expedition would be, it has been simple and conquerable. Perhaps I simply prepared myself to climb mountains, only to find that they were hills. Whatever the reason for the ease of the journey thus far, it is hard for me to believe I am here. When I was young I dreamed that I would be an author, and now I am.

 

What was the inspiration behind your book?

 

Now that is a tough question. It is not like there is any one thing that I patterned the story after. I wrote this novel for me and for my children. If anything, they were my inspiration. When I sat down and wrote that first night, my goal was to see if I could still write an enjoyable chapter. It had three characters and a computer. At the time, I didn't know who the protagonists and antagonists were. However, it was the encouragement and positive feedback that I received from that scene, which propelled me forward. After a few more chapters, the characters revealed more of themselves. Soon, I found it was time to write their histories. Who were they? How did they become what they were? This tied hand in hand with writing out the plot and I suddenly realized that the single, stand-alone novel that I intended to write for myself and my children, would be a six-book series.

 

What does a typical writing day look like for you?

I'm not certain there is a typical. My writing was confined to Monday through Saturday, sometimes it was only Monday through Friday. I would write from 6:30 am to 9 am, most mornings. Then 9 pm to midnight most evenings. Although, I do remember several evenings that I was up until 2 am and at least once when I wrote until 4 am. When I was in the middle of a scene or chapter that was flowing, I simply couldn't stop. I found it was the characters and the story that woke me in the morning, not my alarm clock. I took a few months off from November to January in 2010-11 because of the holidays and there was so many other commitments at the time that drew me away, but as soon as I could I returned to complete what I had started. It took me exactly one year and two weeks to complete the first draft, including the winter hiatus.

 

What are some of your favorite books?

 

I like books and movies where the ending is unpredictable. When I wrote The Ancestral Key, I wanted a book that I would enjoy reading, so the intent is to find the ending entirely unpredictable. You will find as you progress through the series that this will continue to apply. The characters you think you know by the end of Book One will surprise you in Book Two. If you think you know the ending, I promise that you do not. Just as we cannot always predict how friends or family we know will react to certain circumstances, so it is with the characters in Serpent's Treasure. The Ancestral Key is merely the beginning of the adventure, so we have quite a journey still ahead of us.

 

I’m dying to know a little about book two. Give us a glimpse?

 

In Book Two, you will get to know some of the existing characters in a whole new light. My current title planned for Book Two is Leoni Secrets. Unless this is changed in editing, which did happen to Book One's title, it just might give you a small clue. New characters and places will be introduced as you learn more and more about this clan and the secrets that exist within. More twists, turns, and danger await as the original characters form new alliances, travel closer and closer to the heart of the ancient prophecy, and attempt how they see fit to prevent the destruction of their homeland.

 

Where and when are some of your upcoming events, so we can get our books signed?

 

I have held dozens of pre-release events in multiple states over the last three months. Now that the book is officially released, I expect that the number of events will increase. Events, both public and private, are kept current on my website at www.elainetcook.com. If you want an event brought to your area, please contact me or my marketing team via email links on my website. Events are not typically difficult to arrange. We simply need to know is that someone wants an event in their area for the process to begin. Then the coordinating begins.

Review:: The Newcomer by Robyn Carr

Title: The Newcomer
Author: Robyn Carr
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Pages: 368
Format: Kindle
Disclosure: via NetGalley

Single dad and Thunder Point's deputy sheriff "Mac" McCain has worked hard to keep everyone safe and happy. Now he's found his own happiness with Gina James. The longtime friends have always shared the challenges and rewards of raising their adolescent daughters. With an unexpected romance growing between them, they're feeling like teenagers themselves-suddenly they can't get enough of one another. 

And just when things are really taking off, their lives are suddenly thrown into chaos. When Mac's long-lost-and not missed-ex-wife shows up in town, drama takes on a whole new meaning. They're wondering if their new feelings for each other can withstand the pressure...but they are not going down without a fight. 

Review:: 
I'm crazy over Robyn Carr's new series Thunder Point. It has everything I need for a good romance story. Yet, so much more. She's not just telling one story here. There are several all woven together. Usually with stories like this I'm left hating when it turns away from my favorite couple to talk about a different couple/story but not here. I am invested in every single character and their stories. That is good writing folks! 

The setting takes place just as the cover suggests. On the beach. I love beach towns. They are so quaint and the locals are so chill. It is the same in Thunder Point. I can picture it all and I just want to go there. 

Mac and Gina have finally got their relationship going when Mac's ex wife shows up after 10 years and starts some trouble. There is a lot going on in this story with all the character's. Everyone has some big news or some huge event happen to them. Yet, they are probably something we've all gone through or can at least sympathize with. It's life. I enjoyed seeing how they all overcame their trials. 

If you enjoy adult romance then look no further. Author Robyn Carr is the real deal. This new series is everything I love about romance. The Newcomer is fantastic! I'm just dying for the next book!