Regency romance author, Luella Linley (AKA Louise Brooker), should feel satisfied she has helped her two daughters marry happily. However, her successful meddling came at a price and her husband has advised she leave the children to their own devices.
But her eldest, Pete, is thirty-five, living back at home and dejected after having been jilted days before his wedding. Her responsible, hard-working and handsome son would make a good husband and father—but he’s given up after three failed relationships. He’s a good catch, but unlikely to be fooled by his mother’s scheming and meddling.
This situation calls for a direct approach. Just like in her novels, Louise decides the parents should do the arranging and sort out the wheat from the chaff.
Carrie Davis is a dedicated career woman and hasn’t had time for relationships. However, her sister, Ellen, is now happily married with a delightful little girl and for the first time, Carrie finds loneliness stalking her. Ellen want’s the best for Carrie, so when she comes across an odd advert in the classifieds, she wonders if it is a prank or an opportunity sent from heaven.
“Wanted. For a social experiment. A family arranged marriage.”
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading All Arranged, the third book in Meredith Resce’s Luella Linley: License to Meddle series set in Adelaide, South Australia. The first two books in this series are lighter reads than All Arranged. This story is a fun and uniquely Aussie twist on the modern day arranged marriage and marriage of convenience romance tropes.
Luella Linley is concerned for her son, Pete, and his run of bad luck in romantic relationships. Being a successful regency romance author, Luella is sure she can mimic the success of her matchmaking efforts with her daughters and find the perfect wife for Pete. Luella hatches a plan to place a suitable advertisement in an Adelaide newspaper.
Pete indulges his meddling mother by providing her with a criteria list for a wife that he’s certain no real life single woman can actually meet. He figures his mother will drop the whole matchmaking idea once the advertisement is a failure.
Carrie’s sister, Ellen, is concerned her career-minded sister will miss out on meeting her perfect match due to her busy school teaching role. When Ellen comes across Luella’s advertisement, she starts to wonder if Carrie could be the right woman for Luella’s son.
The families arrange a meeting and start the ball rolling on Pete and Carrie’s potential relationship. A fun and hilarious story unfolds as the wedding plans are made and Pete and Carrie start to get to know each other. We also learn more about Luella and see the extended family dynamics from connecting the two families in marriage.
Unlike the earlier books in the series, I did cry while reading a section of the story. I empathised with the characters and the painful circumstances they were experiencing. I recommend All Arranged to readers looking for a family-focused arranged marriage contemporary romance story with a light faith element that has more depth and emotional angst than the typical romcom.
She wants stability. He wants spontaneity. What they need is each other.
Colin O’Bryan cashed out of the software company he founded and started a new life in Ireland. Content to wander from town to town as a traveling musician, he had no goals beyond healing from the betrayals that led to his career change, and finding his next gig.
After the death of her parents, Rachel Sullivan hoped her aunt’s B&B on the Southern coast of Ireland would be a place for her to settle and start a new life. Though she can’t deny the sparks in Colin’s touch, his lack of concern for hearth and home leave her torn.
Can this free-spirited minstrel win her heart or will Rachel choose roots and stability over love?
This gentle inspirational romance will take you on a journey to Cork County, Ireland and give you a glimpse of Kinsale, Charles Fort, Blarney Castle, and Cobh as Rachel and Colin undergo their own journey of self-discovery as they learn that God’s plans are bigger than their own and that waiting on Him is worth the insecurity it brings.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading Kinsale Kisses and travelling around Ireland with Rachel and Colin. Rachel travels to Cork County to help her spinster aunt run her bed and breakfast in Kinsale. Rachel recently lost her dad, and she was forced to sell the family rental cabins business in West Virginia that were rundown due to the expensive hospital bills from her late mother’s decade long battle with cancer. Aunt Siobhan in Ireland is Rachel’s only remaining family, and Rachel is looking to use her hospitality background and put down roots somewhere.
Colin is the former CEO of a software development company in Chicago. He sold out of the business he helped build when his business partner did the wrong thing by him. Colin is now a musician who’s travelling around Ireland playing gigs in pubs, and he lands in Kinsale when Rachel first arrives in the seaside town.
A fun and lighthearted romance develops as Rachel and Colin explore County Cork and the possibility of their friendship and simmering attraction becoming something more. I recommend Kinsale Kisses to contemporary romance readers who like short and sweet vacation romance novellas with a light faith element set in beautiful Ireland.
The scars on her face are nothing to the scars on her heart. But can God help her find healing―and love?
Eight years ago, Ava and Joseph had the perfect future planned—he would go to veterinary school, she would embark on a career with an exclusive modeling agency, and they’d eventually get married and have three dogs and four children. Until a terrible accident changed everything. Unwilling to believe they could still have a future, she made Joseph promise to leave and live out their dreams without her.
Joseph has never broken a promise to Ava. Until now. Because before he made that stupid promise to leave, they’d made each other another promise—one of forever. Now that he’s done with veterinary school, he’s determined to return to River Falls and show her that his promise still stands. That he loves her just the way she is.
But first he’ll have to find a way to crack the safe she’s erected around her heart. Fortunately, he has help: in the form of three lovable dogs, a special group of sick kids, and more than a few slices of pie. But will it be enough to convince Ava that their forever is worth fighting for? Or will he be left picking up the pieces―alone?
Trent Raines’ opinion, happily ever after has four paws and doggy breath. He spends his days isolated at the shelter, taking care of animals. Especially now that romance seems to be spreading across the islands faster than fleas in summer.
She lives a safe life behind the camera lens.
Kara Parker’s job at the animal shelter keeps her too busy to worry about romance. Sure, the boss is cute and all, but her introverted nature is perfectly happy as a photographer and website designer, thank you very much.
Even a quick trip to the mainland to retrieve a truckful of animals won’t change their minds.
Or so they think.
As Trent comes to understand Kara, he discovers there’s more than meets the eye in his quiet employee. Together, they plan a Christmas adoption festival that’s certain to empty the animal shelter in record time. Until a blast from Trent’s past puts all the animals in danger.
Sure, Trent and Kara are fine on their own, but they’re even better together.
What will it take for these soulmates conquer their fears and rescue the animals before it’s too late?
Can he prove to her he’s sorry? Does she need to reveal everything? Because it’s easier to mask the pain than go all in for a second chance at love. Basil Santoro is back in Bridgeview, but it’s hard to prove he’s reformed without admitting he’s been an arrogant jerk. The list of people he should apologize to is lengthy and starts with his family, his former business partners… and Hailey. If only she had already married someone else, all this would be so much easier.
Hailey North passed the last few years flirting with any man who’d look twice. With Basil’s return, she should stop playing and go out with the nice, respectable — but boring — banker who’s asked her a dozen times. That will show Basil she’s not pining for what might have been.
It’s juvenile. She knows it, but opening her heart to the man who crushed it years ago and still thinks it’s a joke isn’t an option. How can Basil and Hailey learn to be real and trust each other again?
Four hundred miles of snow-covered terrain stand between the men of Awestruck and a Christmas with loved ones.
A blizzard grounds flights and obscures highways across the Midwest, stranding the band at their latest tour stop in Chicago. But lead singer Gannon made a promise he’s determined to keep—to join Adeline, the woman he loves, in northern Wisconsin for Christmas.
Bassist Philip isn’t quite as eager for the holiday. The tour will end shortly after, and then his kids will have to leave their grandparents to stay with him full-time. He loves his children, but he’s not sure he can pull off a memorable Christmas. Does he have what it takes to be a single dad year-round?
When John caught his girlfriend in a lie earlier in the year, he gave her the benefit of the doubt. The drummer plans to introduce her to his family over Christmas, but before they manage to leave Chicago, he discovers more troubling truths. Was he wrong to trust her?
A Christmas filled with peace, joy, and loved ones? That’ll take a Christmas miracle.
Will reviving an old tradition be the start of something new?
When she inherits a beautiful historic house, nurse Leah Dean knows selling it could solve all her problems. But there’s just one catch—she and co-owner Pastor Benton Hunt must cohost the Gingerbread Gala in the home first. As Christmas approaches, Leah and Benton grow closer, and parting with the house—and each other—is not as easy as they thought…
She’s been alone for years. Can this secret agent convince her to love again?
Jan Clark lost her firefighter husband ten years ago. She fills her days running Stories and Scones and doting on her first grandchild. Finding someone new feels like betraying the husband she loved for decades, and the thought of tragically losing someone again is terrifying. But Pete O’Rourke is handsome, charming, and makes her feel young again—and what could be safer than an insurance agent?
Pete moved back to Freedom, Colorado after 25 years as a CIA operative, not that anyone around here thinks he did anything but sit at a desk. Now, he is content with his quiet life as an insurance agent and real estate investor. When he finally convinces the lovely widow, Jan, to give a relationship a shot, everything seems to be falling into place. Until an unexpected visitor from his past arrives in Freedom and threatens to ruin the holiday.
Now, Pete is pulled back into the dangerous secrets of his past. He’ll do anything to protect his town and the woman he loves, but the high stakes could be too much for their fledgling relationship to handle.
My friend was supposed to refer me to a plumber. Instead, she sends a Hugh Jackman lookalike to my bridal boutique. Wearing a leather jacket and tight jeans. And riding a motorcycle. The sight is almost enough to make me forget about my nearly-doomed grand opening, especially when I recognize Graham as my childhood crush.
Graham
Sure, Josie once proposed marriage to me, but that was when she was twelve. Fast forward thirty years, and we’re both adults now. She’s single, gorgeous, and definitely not the kind of girl to fall for a plumber. But that doesn’t stop me from wanting to change her mind.
Josie
The last thing my fragile heart needs right now is a blast from the past that leaves me red-hot and mortified. Who knew Graham would still remember my proposal? What’s crazier is that he said if I asked him to marry me today, he’d say yes!
Graham
Wooing clients isn’t usually part of my services, but when it comes to Josie, love might not be just a pipe dream after all. But proving to her that I’m the real deal will be the biggest challenge of this job … especially if I can’t get her leaky toilet fixed in time!
Once, her art brought her fame. This time will it bring her love?
Widowed homemaker Rachael Stark isn’t quite sure what comes after her only child leaves for college. To fill her suddenly quiet hours and scrawny bank account, she needs a job. But painful memories prevent her from resurrecting her former art career, and “motherhood” isn’t much of a résumé. When her best friend needs help recovering from a gunshot wound that occurred in the line of duty, she is there. Finally, someone to take care of.
Evan Wayne won’t let his injury keep him from being a police officer. His dedication to protect the innocent stems from the guilt he carries over having failed his childhood friend. What he needs now is to recover and get back on the streets. Instead, he’s handed a myriad of light-duty tasks by his captain—one of which involves heading up the department’s entry into the town’s annual mural contest. He’s not an artist, but he definitely knows one. And he’ll take any excuse to spend more time with her.
When Rachael agrees to paint for Evan, she never expects to also be drawn into finding answers for the mother of a missing child. As the two friends work side by side on the mural and the case, their feelings move beyond friendship. But with Evan unwilling to leave his dangerous job, and Rachael unwilling to risk another loss of a loved one, their fears may paint over the promise of a beautiful future together.
Easy-going, artistic Connor Bryant fell hard for his friend Shay Seaver when they were both in the seventh grade. Sixteen years later, he’s returned to Misty River. She’s finally between boyfriends. And his crush on her hasn’t wavered. Now’s his chance.
He tells Shay that he’s found someone he wants to date and is in need of a makeover when it comes to his appearance and dating strategies. He asks if she’ll serve as his consultant — in hopes that he’ll learn how he can become her ideal man. What he doesn’t tell her? That she’s the one he wants to date.
Sporty stationery shop owner Shay immediately agrees to Connor’s request because he’s one of the best guys she knows. However, she quickly realizes she’s in over her head. She’s pledged to help him win the affection of another woman — even though she dearly wants to claim his heart.
It’s Christmas in the mountain town of Misty River! This sweet contemporary romance novella, penned by Christy-winning author Becky Wade, can be read alone or paired with the other books in the series.
After years of waiting for her boyfriend to propose, office manager Hanady Ellsworth takes matters into her own hands. Now she’s engaged and planning her dream wedding with the help of her closest girlfriends. So why is she suddenly reading into everything Marco says and second guessing her choice? When her best friend is injured on the job, helping him through months of recovery is the perfect distraction from her confusing feelings.
Or not.
With a broken femur, Keenan Ochoa can’t exactly stand up for what he wants (or rather, who). But he knows firsthand Marco’s a jerk who doesn’t appreciate how gorgeous Hanady is—from her tall stature and generous curves to her sassy sweetness and strong faith. This injury might be the perfect chance for him to show her which of them is the better man.
Her Christmas wedding is coming fast, so he’ll have to get creative if he wants to sweep her off her feet when he can’t put weight on his. If she doesn’t see she’s marrying the wrong guy soon, his leg won’t be the only thing broken.
As Johanna, Jillian, and Payton look forward to celebrating the Christmas holidays with their families, they’re not prepared for an announcement that changes everything they’ve grown to love and cherish.
Their parents are selling their long-time family home. One change seems to lead to another, with Payton and Zach announcing their own decision to move, while Jillian and Geoff tackle the challenge of starting a family. The only ones maintaining the status quo are Johanna and Beckett—but romantic limbo is no place to be. Then their dad’s sudden health crisis spins life further out of control.
Instead of putting up holiday lights and decorating the family Christmas tree, the Thatcher sisters are helping pack up their childhood home. Along the way, they share treasured memories, try to hold onto valued traditions, discovering the struggles they’ve endured pale in comparison to the love they share with each other.
This Christmas, Johanna, Jillian, and Payton will laugh and cry together as they realize the true magic of Christmas isn’t found in gifts or decorations, but in the love of family.
Spunky octogenarian Priscilla Martin is a woman with many Christmas secrets. When a beloved niece tempts her to bare her wounded soul, Priscilla must decide whether to share the secret of her sister’s demise—and the reason she abandoned the man she loved in favor of a loveless marriage.
Camden, Maine ~ December, 1957
The only person Priscilla loves more than Ed Colton is her younger sister, Hazel. But when Ed is drafted and Hazel runs away to New York to be with a man she believes will make her famous, Priscilla’s plans crumble around her. Ed’s silence and Hazel’s tragic return leads Priscilla to make a choice she will forever regret.
Can revisiting long-ago memories give Priscilla what she’s longed for all these years?
With the survival of the Land at stake and her heart on the line, Bailey must find the courage to love.
When Bailey accepts John Colburn’s offer for her to visit Good Springs, she leaves the Inn at Falls Creek expecting to spend the autumn relaxing in her favorite seaside village. Upon her arrival, Connor asks her to cover a shift of guard duty on the equinox, and her quiet vacation takes a shocking turn.
Revel Roberts works hard to keep his life commitment-free, making it easy to leave community decisions to men like Connor and John. But when the Land is threatened, Revel sees his chance to prove he is a man worthy of Bailey’s love. Amid the chaos in Good Springs, his unrequited feelings for her preoccupy him. One wrong choice could ruin everything.
As Bailey’s new life in the Land unravels and threats from the outside world loom, a yearning she can’t define surges within her. It distracts her from defending the hidden world she loves, and a tragedy reinforces her need for independence.
With the survival of the Land at stake and their hearts on the line, Bailey and Revel will need more courage than fighting ever required. They will need to find the courage to love.
Jack Miller stumbles through the Civil War, winding up a telegrapher and cryptographer for the army. In the field with General Sherman in Georgia, he is captured along with his precious cipher key.
His captor, Hamilton Buckley, thinks he should have been president of the Confederacy, not Jefferson Davis. Jack doubts Buckley’s sanity and longs to escape. Buckley’s kindhearted niece, Marilla, might help him-but only if Jack helps her achieve her own goal.
Meanwhile, a private investigator, stymied by the difficulty of travel and communication in wartime, is trying his best to locate Jack for the grandmother he longs to see again but can barely remember.
This epic journey is his last chance to start a new life.
After being cast out of his Blackfoot village for his kindness to the Nez Perce captives, Chogan travels west in search of meaning for his life. Meaning that doesn’t require killing or torturing innocent people. Though the lovely face of Telípe, a Nez Perce woman, is imprinted on his heart, he avoids her village. She deserves a happy life with her husband and coming child.
With her husband dead and the birth of her babe imminent, Telípe’s reality looks nothing like she planned. She’s been forced to return to the village where she grew up and the chaos of her family’s lodge—with all her boisterous younger brothers. She desperately desires to start a new life for herself and the babe growing within her, but she can’t seem to climb above the mire of her past. When she stumbles into the brave who’d shown her kindness during her captivity, something ignites within her—a new hope.
Chogan’s determination to stay and help Telípe is thwarted by her people’s fear and hatred for his tribe—especially since he was among last winter’s kidnappers. It doesn’t matter that he did everything he could to keep her and her unborn child safe and comfortable during that awful event. But as a new predator threatens the safety of the village, Chogan determines to take down the massive wildcat that’s already injured several children—including one of Telípe’s younger brothers. When the danger escalates, Chogan is faced with an impossible choice. No matter which option he chooses, his life will never be the same—nor that of the woman he’s come to love.
Unable for the last century to grow old or succumb to injury, Cady Schuster has lost a lot of people, some more recently than others. She’s trying to find new belonging in Harbor Vale, Michigan, among a welcoming little group of fellow ageless folk. Then she meets Paige, a mortal woman who needs a friend—and might need help.
Paige’s husband rules their church with an authority unquestioned by his congregation. When Paige suddenly severs all communication, Cady determines to find her. Churchgoers warn her off, and the behavior of Paige’s husband proves a still bigger warning. Is this friend lost too, or can Cady help her? And how far should an ageless woman involve herself in the conflicts of mortals?
To lose her family was unthinkable … To find them will take a miracle.
While working in Europe, nineteen-year-old Maggie never dreamed that her family would be ripped apart and scattered across the sea, with her young brother and sister sent to Canada as part of the Home Children Migrant Scheme.
Desperation sends Maggie on a search from England to Canada, with a harrowing shipwreck leaving her stranded on Sable Island. Eventually arriving in Halifax, Maggie is devastated to discover the trail to find her sister and brother has gone cold.
An offer of help from industrialist Thaddeus Tharaday seems like an answer to prayer, but is the wealthy Tharaday her benefactor or nemesis?
With the help of a dashing newspaper reporter, Maggie begins to unravel the web of deceit surrounding her siblings’ disappearance. However, the closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous her quest becomes.
With lives on the line and the threat of everything she loves being torn away, can Maggie entrust the scattered pieces of her heart to the one who will never leave?
Set in Victorian-era Nova Scotia, Scattered weaves together elements of mystery, adventure, faith, and romance to take readers on a journey of hope and courage that will resonate with their hearts today.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading Scattered, the delightful debut novel by Australian author Nola Lorraine. In the opening chapters we meet Maggie, a young English woman who is trying to locate her siblings. Her younger brother, Jack, and sister, Emily, were mistakenly assumed to be orphans with no family and were shipped to Canada in the Home Children Migrant Scheme.
Maggie accepts a job offer as a nanny with the goal of traveling to Halifax, Nova Scotia, on her new employer’s small merchant ship. They encounter rough weather in the waters off Sable Island and Maggie survives the harrowing shipwreck. She recuperates on Sable Island with the lighthouse keeper’s family before continuing her journey to Halifax and her search for her siblings.
Maggie secures lodging and a job in Halifax, but the mystery surrounding the location of Jack and Emily only deepens. Maggie isn’t sure who she can trust, and her heart is drawn to the charming newspaper reporter, Nash, who promises to assist Maggie in her search.
The mystery plot is interesting and complex. Maggie’s life is turned upside down as she overcomes obstacles in her journey to reunite her family. Her faith is challenged by the difficult circumstances she faces in the story. I highly recommend Scattered to readers who like historical Victorian era romantic mysteries set in Canada.
Rory Perez, a food truck owner who can’t cook, is struggling to keep the business she inherited from her aunt out of the red–and an upcoming contest during Modest’s annual food truck festival seems the best way to do it. The prize money could finally give her a solid financial footing and keep her cousin with special needs paid up at her beloved assisted living home. Then maybe Rory will have enough time to meet the man she’s been talking to via an anonymous online dating site.
Jude Strong is tired of being a puppet at his manipulative father’s law firm, and the food truck festival seems like the perfect opportunity to dive into his passion for cooking and finally call his life his own. But if he loses the contest, he’s back at the law firm for good. Failure is not an option.
Complications arise when Rory’s chef gets mono and she realizes she has to cook after all. Then Jude discovers that his stiffest competition is the same woman he’s been falling for online the past month.
Will these unlikely chefs sacrifice it all for the sake of love? Or will there only ever be tacos for one?
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading Tacos for Two, a foodie contemporary romance set in a small town in north Texas. Rory believes she’s a terrible cook, and she has inherited her aunt’s food truck business called Salsa Street. Her sweet cousin, Hannah, has Down’s syndrome, and needs Rory’s financial support to help pay for her assisted living accommodation.
Rory relies on Grady, her friend and loyal chef, to keep Salsa Street going. Grady and his wife, Nicole, are like family, and Rory is working full-time with Grady in the truck to keep Salsa Street afloat. The annual town food truck festival includes a contest with a cash first prize that would fix Rory’s financial problems.
Jude is a lawyer who doesn’t want to sit the Bar exam and continue working at the family law firm with his ruthless father and self-absorbed brother. Jude’s grandmother was influential in establishing the town, and his father is the wealthy patron who regularly donates funds to support the town. Jude has a love for cooking, and he wants to learn how to make the tacos he loved from his childhood. Jude gets the bright idea to ask Rory for cooking lessons in order to remember their housekeeper’s traditional recipe plus gain the skills to open his own taco food truck.
The meet cute between Rory and Jude is fun, and the cooking lessons are hilarious. When Grady becomes sick with mono, his wife Nicole steps up to help Rory with Salsa Street. Trouble arises when Rory learns Jude is her competition for the food truck prize, and we see the enemies-to-more trope playing out in the story. For a lawyer, Jude wasn’t smart in not predicting how Rory would react to learning she was training her competition. But, considering how Jude’s family steamroller people to get what they want, it’s not surprising that Jude didn’t think through all the implications of paying Rory for cooking lessons.
A fun and rocky romance develops against the backdrop of their adorable and anonymous online messaging relationship. In real life both Rory and Jude are emotionally shuttered and slow to trust, but online they’re emotionally vulnerable with each other and moving from friends territory to something more. I loved the ending of the story and all the twists and turns along Rory and Jude’s path to happily-ever-after.
Being an Aussie, I loved learning more about traditional Mexican and Tex Mex food. Jude loved cilantro and Rory hated cilantro. I’m with Jude on this point, and in Australia cilantro is known as coriander. The minor characters were delightful, adding charm and many hilarious moments. I recommend Tacos for Two to readers who like fun foodie contemporary romances with a light faith element.
I received a complimentary ebook from the publisher. Many thanks to Revell and Net Galley.
Sarah Jamieson has avoided weddings since a traumatic stint as a flower girl, but reluctantly agrees to stand up for her best friend. Only why does the best man have to be one of those confident, life-of-the-party types? Even worse, why does the bride make her promise to go on one date with the guy? Easy enough to agree, because she’ll make sure he never asks.
Corbin Morrissey takes his responsibilities for Team Groom very seriously, but coaxing smiles out of the maid-of-honor is harder — and more addictive — than he expected. To his surprise, she agrees to go out. There really isn’t any way a date to the Fall Fair could go amiss. Is there?
Can Corbin convince Sarah he’s ready to settle down and make her the head of her own Team Bride, or will their past keep getting in the way?
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading Team Bride, the fourth book in Valerie Comer’s fun Riverbend Romance novella series set in a fictional small town in British Columbia, Canada. Sarah is a reluctant maid-of-honor at her best friend’s wedding, and she struggles with traumatic childhood memories that are triggered at weddings. The last thing she’s looking for is love, and the best man at the wedding, Corbin, is not her type of guy or potential boyfriend material. Sarah ignores Corbin’s flirting at the wedding, and her only interactions with Corbin are initiated by the matchmaking bride.
Corbin is intrigued by Sarah and her interesting reactions to his friendly overtures. He’s drawn to Sarah despite her protests. The more time they spend together, the more inclined Corbin is to believe Sarah might be the one for him. He’s a humble farmer at heart who inherited his grandfather’s farm that needs a lot of work. Sarah is a hard working school teacher who arranges an excursion with her young elementary students to visit Corbin’s farm.
Complications from Sarah and Corbin’s past threaten their future and create obstacles in their journey to happily-ever-after. I recommend Team Bride to contemporary romance readers who enjoy lighthearted wedding-themed small town romance novellas with a relevant faith message and loveable characters.
From the RITA Award–winning author of Five Days in Skye comes a sweet, romantic treat that will leave you hungry for more.
Baker and pastry chef Melody Johansson has always believed in finding the positive in every situation, but seven years after she moved to Denver, she can’t deny that she’s stuck in a rut. One relationship after another has ended in disaster, and her classical French training is being wasted on her night job in a mediocre chain bakery. Then the charming and handsome private pilot Justin Keller lands on the doorstep of her workplace in a snowstorm, and Melody feels like it’s a sign that her luck is finally turning around.
Justin is intrigued by the lively bohemian baker, but the last thing he’s looking for is a relationship. His own romantic failures have proven that the demands of his job are incompatible with meaningful connections, and he’s already pledged his life savings to a new business venture across the country―an island air charter in Florida with his sister and brother-in-law.
Against their better judgment, Melody and Justin find themselves drawn together by their unconventional career choices and shared love of adventure. But when an unexpected windfall provides Melody with the chance to open her dream bakery-café in Denver with her best friend, chef Rachel Bishop, she’s faced with an impossible choice: stay and put down roots with the people and place she’s come to call home . . . or give it all up for the man she loves.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading Brunch at Bittersweet Cafe and visiting with the characters I loved from Book 1 in the series. The Supper Club series follows the romances of three close friends who live in Denver, Colorado. Book 2 is Melody’s romance story. We first meet Melody in book 1, The Saturday Night Supper Club, where she is a pastry chef who quits her job at the upmarket restaurant, Paisley, not long after Rachel was forced out of the business. Brunch at Bittersweet Cafe opens with Melody working long and gruelling overnight shifts at a small chain bakery that pays her bills but stifles her creativity. She has been burned by previous relationships and is wary of falling for the wrong guy again.
Justin is a pilot for an elite airline with private jets who spends his working life flying wealthy people on domestic routes within the US. Justin doesn’t spend many nights at home in Denver, and his career choice has derailed previous romantic relationships. His sister married his best friend who is an aircraft mechanic, and they’re all planning to go into business together by investing in their own charter fleet business. An opportunity arises in Florida, which would be excellent for his sister who has long term health issues and needs to move to a warmer climate to improve her health. Justin’s dad is a retired United Airlines pilot and Justin grew up tinkering with planes. He owns a small plane that he built with his dad.
Justin flies home late on a snowy evening and attempts to drive home in his Mustang. He becomes stranded in the snow and sees a light on in a nearby bakery. Melody is baking on her own, and she lets Justin wait inside with her in the bakery while he waits for help to arrive for his car. Justin and Melody feel the attraction from the moment they meet, and they are drawn to each other during the hours they’re together in the bakery.
A fun and flirty romance develops, along with their emotional conflict due to the baggage they carry from the past. Justin is looking to move to Florida, and Melody is planning to open a bakery cafe with Rachel in Denver. Justin and Melody question if they can, or if they should, compromise on their life dreams and make sacrifices for love?
The food in this story is amazing, with a particular focus on artisan breads and pastry treats. Melody explores her creativity when she bakes at home and plates the delicious desserts and pastries to share on her Instagram account. Justin also takes Melody for a ride in his plane to the mountains! I recommend Brunch at Bittersweet Cafe to contemporary romance readers who like foodie stories with a light faith element that wrestle with real-to-life issues.
Perfectly Arranged by Liana George — Short on clients and money, professional organizer Nicki Mayfield is hanging up her label maker. That is, until the eccentric socialite Katherine O’Connor offers Nicki one last job. Working together, the pair discovers an unusual business card among Ms. O’Connor’s family belongings that leads them on a journey to China. There, the women embark on an adventure of faith and self-discovery as they uncover secrets, truths, and ultimately, God’s perfectly arranged plans. (General Contemporary from Scrivenings Press LLC)
Contemporary Romance:
Tacos for Two by Bestsy St. Amant — Rory Perez, a food truck owner who can’t cook, is struggling to keep the business she inherited from her aunt out of the red–and an upcoming contest during Modest’s annual food truck festival seems the best way to do it. Then maybe Rory will have enough time to meet the man she’s been talking to via an anonymous online dating site. Complications arise when Rory’s chef gets mono and she realizes she has to cook after all. Then Jude discovers that his stiffest competition is the same woman he’s been falling for online the past month. Will these unlikely chefs sacrifice it all for the sake of love? Or will there only ever be tacos for one? (Contemporary Romance from Revell – A Division of Baker Publishing Group)
Riverbend Gap by Denise Hunter —She came in search of the family she’d always wanted—and found the kind of love she’d never dared to imagine. When Katelyn Loveland’s car veered off a winding Appalachian Mountain road, she thought she was done for. That is until local sheriff’s deputy, Cooper Robinson, came to her rescue. And though Katie narrowly escaped her brush with death, she still fell. Hard. She wasn’t the only one. But soon Cooper learns that the woman he’s more attracted to than any he’s ever met is his brother’s new girlfriend—and therefore unquestionably off limits. Yet, despite his best efforts, Cooper and Katie can’t seem to avoid running into each other. Or ignore the undeniable chemistry between them. As they grow closer, Katie shares the secrets of her past and the real reason she moved to their small North Carolina town. She also wins over Cooper’s welcoming and bighearted family. But they don’t know that her feelings for Cooper keep growing—all while she’s dating his brother. Soon the stakes of their emotional connection become higher than either of them could have imagined. Katie stands to lose the first family she’s ever had, and a scandal could doom Cooper’s campaign for sheriff’s office. Suddenly they find themselves on the precipice of another ledge—and forced to make a decision that could change their lives forever. (Contemporary Romance from HarperCollins Christian Publishing – Thomas Nelson and Zondervan)
Worthy of Redemption by Krystina Renae Rankin —Ashlynn Wilson left the small town of White Lake, Texas after tragedy struck on graduation night, taking the life of her best friend Victoria. Now, ten years later, she returns to help her parents after her father is diagnosed with cancer. When she arrives she finds herself having to face more than just memories after she discovers that the doctor treating her father is Victoria’s former boyfriend Heath Lancaster, the man Ashlynn holds responsible for her death. Even more surprising is that she is beginning to see him as a compassionate man of faith caring for her ill father; not the teenage boy who made poor decisions. Heath Lancaster has never really forgiven himself for his girlfriend’s death so he isn’t surprised that his former classmate hasn’t either. Now that Ashlynn is back in town, he hopes their interactions can be minimal. However, when a situation arises that she is uniquely qualified for, he realizes they are going to be spending far more time together than either one of them had planned. What’s more, he realizes he enjoys her company. As old hurts turn into friendship, and maybe even love, can Heath prove to them both that he’s a man worthy of redemption? (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)
Home for Christmas by Cathe Swanson, et. al. — The 6th annual Christmas Lights Collection features active duty and veteran military members. (Contemporary Romance from Havilah Press Publications)
A Harvest Heart by Denise Weimer — Hope Richardson is good at just that—hoping. Problem is, she’s often disappointed—by fathers who die, boyfriends who ghost her, and lack of promotion at her event planning firm. It’s her twin sister, Faith, for whom things work out. When Faith’s fiancé lands an out-of-town job, Hope is called home to plan a wedding in the Georgia foothills … and jumpstart the tea room Faith was supposed to run with their mother. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)
The Billionaire’s Secret by Meghann Whistler — He’s a billionaire hiding a devastating diagnosis. She’ll do whatever it takes to help her sick, matchmaking mom. A freak accident throws them together, but will his big secret tear them apart? Inspired by 2 Corinthians 12:9, The Billionaire’s Secret is a sweet inspirational romance with a swoony hero, LOTS of entertaining banter, and a strong Christian message. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)
Historical Mystery:
Murder at the Empire by Cathe Swanson — They call him the Emperor. John Starek fills his theater with fine artwork and treasures. He’s particularly pleased to have one of the country’s first female organists – and he thinks Gayle Wells is the bee’s knees. Despite pressure from her social crusader mother, Gayle isn’t interested in changing the world. She just wants a car of her own – and a career playing the organ at the Empire movie palace would be especially ducky. Then the Empire’s treasures start disappearing and employees start dying. Are a few pieces of art really enough motive for the string of murders? Will Gayle be next? (Historical Mystery from Celebrate Lit Publishing)
Historical Romance:
To Stand in the Breach by Danielle Grandinetti — 1933, Wisconsin – Large animal veterinarian Katy Wells takes her patients’ welfare personally, so it’s no surprise when she stands up to angry farmers planning a milk strike or takes in an injured draft horse to save its life. But after a visitor from the past discovers her location and reveals a threat, she must choose between her work and her freedom, and whether to trust a man to keep her safe. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)
The Petticoat Spy by Elva Cobb Martin — A feisty Southern belle and a blockade runner ignite romance, faith, and fireworks to save Charleston during the American Revolution. (Historical Romance from Wild Heart Books)
A Family for Hazel by Linda Shenton Matchett — After the Civil War takes Hazel Markham’s father, and her mother dies of a broken heart, a friend of her parents hires Hazel as a companion. All is well until the woman’s lecherous son takes an interest in his mother’s assistant. When Hazel spurns his advances one too many times, the man frames her for theft, and she is fired. As a last resort she applies to be a mail-order bride, and to her dismay, her groom-to-be is a preacher. Will he believe her claims of innocence or reject her as unacceptable? (Historical Romance from Shortwave Press)
In Pieces by Rhonda Ortiz — Boston, 1793—Beautiful and artistic, the only daughter of a prominent merchant, Molly Chase cannot help but attract the notice of Federalist Boston—especially its men. But she carries a painful secret: her father committed suicide and she found his body. Now nightmares plague her day and night, addling her mind and rendering her senseless. Molly needs a home, a nurse, and time to grieve and to find new purpose in life. But when she moves in with her friends the Robbs, spiteful society gossips assume the worst. And when an imprudent decision leads to public scandal, Molly is tempted to take the easy way out: a marriage of convenience. In the wake of tragedy, these longtime friends discover a new intimacy. But slander, confusion, absence, and a wealthy, conniving bully stand between them. And with French spies on the loose, they not only have to rescue their reputations—they have to protect their lives. (Historical Romance from WhiteFire Publishing)
The Wrangler’s Woman by Davalynn Spencer — Corra Jameson doesn’t think of herself as a spinster and is content to spend quiet evenings with her books. Paper beaus, her sister calls them, teasing her about the stories Corra reads. But when a rugged widower asks her to come to his ranch for the summer to help him with his tomboy daughter, she sees opportunity to earn a side of beef for her sister’s family. Besides, she has nothing to lose in the arrangement. Except perhaps her heart. Re-released from the 2016 ECPA bestselling Barbour collection, The Cowboy’s Bride. (Historical Romance from Wilson Creek Publishing)
Christmas Tree Wars by Delores Topliff — Kris Lundquist, am ambitious New York City financial planner, comes home to Wisconsin for two weeks to help his Swedish-American Christmas tree grower dad meet a financial crisis. While there, he gets re-acquainted with Marcie Halvorsen, the idealistic forestry-major niece of their cranky Norwegian neighbor who is also home to solve a financial shortfall. Both enter contests to provide national Christmas tree to build their businesses and sales. Despite their relationship seeming as star-crossed as Romeo and Juliet’s, they fall in love and help their families and town rediscover the reason for the season. (Historical Romance from Scrivenings Press LLC)
A Heart for the Sailor by Terri Wangard — Working as a Winnie the Welder during World War II, Evelyn builds submarines. She’s good at her job, but men begrudge women taking jobs in heavy industry. She dreams of the day her sailor comes home and the life they’ll have, but does Jerry dream about her? When a typhoon threatens the US Fleet in the Pacific, Jerry and his shipmates aboard the Tabberer rush to the aid of their fellow sailors. The typhoon prompts a greater awareness of what he wants in life. First, though, they have to survive. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)
A Deep Divide by Kimberley Woodhouse — After being kidnapped as a child, heiress Emma Grace McMurray has seen firsthand the devastation that greed causes in the world, and she wants nothing to do with it. When she discovers her father has offered her up as a bargaining chip to expand his empire, she disappears into the night. Determined to stay hidden, even if it means always looking over her shoulder, she finds herself working as a Harvey Girl at the El Tovar Hotel. When the son’s owner, Ray Watkins arrives at the hotel on business, he immediately admires Emma Grace, and though an attraction begins to form, she can’t let go of the deep-rooted fear that he’s just like every other wealthy man she’s known. When suspicious activity follows Emma Grace and Ray to the El Tovar, they are pulled into a mystery that stirs up their worst fears. And as shocking revelations come to light, they are left to question all they thought to be true. (Historical Romance from Bethany House (Baker) Publishing)
Romantic Suspense:
Deadly Connection by Kathy Harris — After fending off a would-be abductor, 27-year-old singer-songwriter Hannah Cassidy hides behind a car in the half-empty parking lot behind Pancake Pantry in Nashville. From there, she watches in horror as her attacker grabs another woman and pushes her into a nearby car. Within seconds, the vehicle speeds away. TBI Special Agent Jake Matheson may have planned a quiet day off and a date with Shannon―the only name her online profile revealed―for an introductory lunch, but after pulling into a parking space on 21st Avenue South, he hears a scream. He races to the back of the building and finds a frightened young woman bent forward and gasping for breath. Thrown together by uncanny circumstances and driven by the whys and what-ifs of secrets yet to be revealed, Hannah and Jake set out to find the connection between them before it becomes deadly. (Romantic Suspense/Thriller from Iron Stream Fiction (an imprint of Iron Stream Media))
Yuletide Cold Case Cover-Up by Jessica R. Patch — The mystery of her sister’s death is about to reveal some deadly answers…When her sister’s remains are found just before Christmas, cold case agent Poppy Holliday is determined to solve the years-old murder—even if it turns the killer’s sights on her. But her investigation with her straitlaced partner, Rhett Wallace, is stirring up the town’s old memories—and bitter grudges. And this killer will do anything to keep secrets buried. (Romantic Suspense/Thriller from Love Inspired (Harlequin))
Traces of Virtue by Robin Patchen — From her deathbed, Carly Garcia’s mother asked Carly to look after left her stepfather and her sisters. Carly is doing everything in her power to keep that promise, but now she has a new life to protect, this one innocent and vulnerable. She visits her ex to tell him a truth he doesn’t deserve to know… and witnesses his murder. Now, Carly’s on the run from killers whose faces she never saw. Braden Reilly is building a career in Coventry, New Hampshire, happy to put the drama of his crime-ridden Boston neighborhood behind him. When a woman he’s spent years trying to forget shows up on his doorstep, his first instinct is to turn her away. But the bruises on her arms and the fear in her eyes have him offering her sanctuary. The story she tells him makes his blood curdle. Together, they must discover who’s behind a murder nobody believes occurred before the killers catch up to Carly and her unborn child. (Romantic Suspense/Thriller, Independently Published)
Literary:
A Flicker of Light by Katie Powner — For generations, the Jensens have raised their families in the small Montana town of Moose Creek, where gossip spreads faster than the wind. Yet some secrets need to be told. When twenty-one-year-old Bea discovers she’s pregnant on the heels of her husband losing his job, she’s forced to admit she needs help and asks her dad for a place to stay. But past resentments keep her from telling him all that’s going on. Grandma June is good at spinning stories, but there’s one she’s never told. Now that her mind is starting to fade, her time to tell it is running out. But if she reveals the truth before her memories are gone forever, the Jensen family will never be the same. (Literary from Bethany House (Baker) Publishing)
Mystery:
Memories, Murder and Small Town Money by KC Hart — When Katy Cross finds one of Skeeterville’s supposedly upstanding citizens dead in the dumpster behind the grocery store, she has to work hard to find the killer before any more of the town’s colorful citizens are harmed. (Cozy Mystery, Independently Published)
Speculative Fiction:
Book Title by Amanda G. Stevens — Unable for the last century to grow old or succumb to injury, Cady Schuster has lost a lot of people, some more recently than others. She’s trying to find new belonging in Harbor Vale, Michigan, among a welcoming little group of fellow ageless folk. Then she meets Paige, a mortal woman who needs a friend-and might need help.Paige’s husband rules their church with an authority unquestioned by his congregation. When Paige suddenly severs all communication, Cady determines to find her. Churchgoers warn her off, and the behavior of Paige’s husband proves a still bigger warning. Is this friend lost too, or can Cady help her? And how far should an ageless woman involve herself in the conflicts of mortals? (Speculative Fiction, Independently Published)
Thriller/Suspense:
Ice Cold Blue by Susan Page Davis — Campbell McBride is now working for her father Bill as a private investigator in Murray, Kentucky. Xina Harrison wants them to find out what is going on with her aunt, Katherine Taylor. Katherine is a rich, reclusive author, and she has resisted letting Xina visit her for several years. Xina arrived unannounced, and Katherine was upset and didn’t want to let her in. When Xina did gain entry, she learned Katherine fired her longtime housekeeper. She noticed that a few family heirlooms previously on display have disappeared. (Thriller/Suspense from Scrivenings Press LLC)
Western:
Love on the Range by Mary Connealy — While his brothers and their new wives search for who shot him, Wyatt Hunt is temporarily bedridden and completely miserable. Somehow Molly Garner’s limited skills have made her the most qualified in their circle to care for Wyatt. But by the time he’s healed, she’s fed up with him and the whole ungrateful family. For even worse than his grumpiness were the few unguarded moments when he pulled at her heartstrings, and she has been long determined to never repeat her mother’s mistakes. But when another Pinkerton agent gets shot, they realize Hawkins isn’t the only danger. The Hunt brothers will have to band together to face all the troubles of life and love that suddenly surround them. (Western from Bethany House (Baker) Publishing)
Unkissable — Reality diva Charlotte Lavigne’s on-camera meltdown reminds former teen-TV prince Jaime Reyes exactly why he left Hollywood ten years ago. A chance encounter leads to a bargain that transforms them both. When it’s time to face her past, will their rediscovered love be strong enough to build a future together?
Narelle’s Thoughts:
Unkissable by Jaycee Weaver is a contemporary romance novella that’s a modern day twist on The Frog Prince fairy tale. The story opens with Charlotte having an on-camera meltdown in a Doir store. She impulsively runs away from her L.A. life, and lands in New Mexico with Jaime, her former co-star. Charlotte is spoilt and entitled, but she has a depth of character and inner strength that’s revealed during the story. This makes Charlotte likeable and relatable and different to the stereotype of the pampered princess reality tv diva.
Jaime left behind the hit teen tv show and Hollywood many years ago. He now works in his family’s restaurant business, and he offers Charlotte refuge and a place to stay at his family’s estate in the country. He’s seeking God’s will for his life, and he can’t turn his back on Charlotte during her time of crisis.
I loved the faith elements in the story. Jaime’s family are strong Christians, and Charlotte is challenged to consider Biblical truths and respond to the gospel message. I enjoyed reading Unkissable, and I recommend this fun novella collection to readers who like contemporary Christian romance with a modern fairytale twist.
Here are the Book Descriptions for the other novellas in the charming and fun Once Upon a Summer collection that I also recommend reading:
Embrace the enchantment of summer with these contemporary twists on timeless tales.
A New Beginning by Andrea Boyd — Who is she? Acacia Martin raised by an impostor mom serving a prison sentence for her sins, or Jasmine Callahan abducted at birth from a family she’s yet to meet? Luckily, she has Drake to help her untangle the mess that is her life. Will he ensnare her he art in the process?
An Ever After Summer by Toni Shiloh — The employees of In a Bind are terrified of Jean-Luc Thibodeaux, so Bellamy Larson hops on a plane to France to deal with the beastly client. Yet once she arrives, she’s convinced he merely needs a friend. Then her heart begins to want ever after, not just one summer.
Gwen and the Three Dates by Teresa Tysinger — Life isn’t a romantic movie, but Gwen Lochs is determined to find her leading man. When she joins a cheesy dating site, Gwen agrees to just three dates. Can Ben Smith watch his best friend and soulmate find someone else? A romantic comedy about searching for that just-right love.
How can a meek wallflower help a returning war hero whose dreams are plunged into darkness?
Mary Bloomfield has no illusions. Her chances for matrimony have long since passed her by. Still, her circumstances are pleasant enough, especially now that she has found purpose in assisting her father with his medical practice in England’s beautiful Lake District. Even without love, it’s a peaceful life.
That is until Adam Edgerton returns to the sleepy district. This decorated war hero did not arrive home to acclaim and rest, but to a new battle against the repercussions of an insidious disease. Mary’s caring nature cannot stand to see someone suffer–but how can she help this man see any brightness in his future when he’s plunged into melancholic darkness, his dreams laid waste by his condition?
Adam wants no charity, but he’s also no coward. If this gentle woman can work hard, how can he do less? Together they struggle to find a way forward for him. Frustration and antipathy slowly develop into friendship and esteem. Then a summer storm atop a mountain peak leads to scandal–and both Mary and Adam must search the depths of their closed hearts for answers if they hope to find any future path with happiness at its end.
Best-selling author Carolyn Miller is back with a fresh series that will not only thrill readers eager for more of her work, but bring in new fans looking for beautiful writing, fascinating research, deftly woven love stories, and real faith lived out in the Regency period.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I loved reading Dusk’s Darkest Shores and experiencing life in a small village in the picturesque Lakes District in Regency England. Mary is twenty-nine and has never had a suitor ask for her hand. She’s considered plain looking, and she has given up on any hopes of marriage and children. Her father is the village doctor, and she is his competent assistant who lives her faith by helping those in need. Her brother is away fighting in the war in Spain. Her pretty and flighty younger sister, Joanna, carelessly reminds Mary that she’ll always be a wallflower.
Adam is Mary’s brother’s best friend from childhood. He was an eligible bachelor set to inherit the family farm when he went to war, and he has returned a war hero with serious injuries. Adam is blind, and he has to learn to live with his disability and the knowledge that he may never regain his sight. He is supposed to be marrying Emily, one of Joanna’s friends. Emily is shallow and immature, and she doesn’t cope well when she learns of Adam’s war injuries.
Mary’s father asks her to assist Adam and his family in helping them with Adam’s rehabilitation. Mary has admired Adam from afar, and old feelings are rekindled as they spend more time together. Adam remembers Mary as the young girl who’d tag along with him and her brother on their outdoor adventures. Adam appreciates her care and her selflessness in assisting him and others in the village. He’s drawn to her gentle spirit and her understanding of the unique challenges he faces adjusting to life back on the farm.
Regency romances often focus on the nobility and characters who have a life of privilege. The characters in Dusk’s Darkest Shores are ordinary people with ordinary struggles set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars taking place in Europe.
I loved the positive message in the story that true beauty is all about a person’s character and not their outward appearance. The subplot with Susan was heartbreaking, and highlighted how vulnerable young girls could suffer terrible injustice if they weren’t from a wealthy or powerful family. I highly recommend Dusk’s Darkest Shores to readers who like regency romances that sensitively address real-to-life issues.
