My Pride, His Prejudice by Jenni James

My Pride, His Prejudice by Jenni James

Dust Jacket:

When Will Darcy proposes out of the blue, Eliza Bennet's world comes crashing down. Of course she tells him no, but why would he ask her in the first place? Haven’t they always been enemies? For the past year, Eliza has worked for Will's company, Revolutionary Innovations, as an efficiency expert. Her whole goal has been to raise profits, finish her contract, and then get out. She assumed Will wanted the same, but now she's not so sure. And more importantly, she has begun to wonder if she made a mistake in telling him no.

Jenni James, author of The Jane Austen Diaries series for teens, does it again! Now she's creating a whole new series just for adults, Austen in Love. Book #1 is a delightful adaptation of Pride and Prejudice that has all the components of Jane Austen's amazing love story, sticking true to the original theme, while taking modern liberties to give this a fresh, new twist for the clean romance genre.

My Review:

Fun, modern remake of Austen's Pride and Prejudice. This story starts right in the middle at Darcy's wedding proposal. While kind of strange, it works. This is not an exact remake but rearranges and omits elements of the original book, while really becoming its own. The story still keeps the tension and banter and sweet discovery of Austen's story. The story was a little bit short, but the amount of plot the author covered it was a great length. It felt like someone remade a scene to your favorite play, but included elements of the other scenes to make a complete story.

It was clean and fun. I look forward to other books in this series.

Snowed Inn by Kate Palmer

Snowed Inn by Kate Palmer

Dust Jacket:

A woman rancher hitches the community’s dreams to her sleigh ride business and ropes in a heap of trouble for them and her heart.

Jayne Gardner turned her family’s ranch into the successful Snowed Inn Lodge and Restaurant. After she learns the community has one month to earn funds needed for a grant, she donates her company’s sleigh rides for a community fundraiser.

When Jayne’s new volunteer sleigh driver turns out to be Forrest Hunsaker, the man who left her three years ago, Jayne sets up three rules to maintain a professional distance and protect her heart.

When vandals strike Snowed Inn, Jayne must team up with Forrest to prevent a fundraiser fail. Now Jayne must decide if breaking all her rules will break her heart. Again.

My Review: 4 Stars

An All-in-one Cowboy Family Mystery for the Holidays.

This 'one that got away' novella is set on a snow covered ranch and is full of mystery, danger, love, horses, teens, family, capable entrepreneurs, and a fundraiser. Read how this family and community pull together in (hopefully) the craziest holiday season of their lives.

The emotional tone of the story feels real and believable. The flow is good. The romance is sweet and natural. The mystery and dangers are engaging. Great quick read that will keep you turning pages.

Content: clean

Ideal High by Valerie Ipson

Ideal High by Valerie Ipson

Dust Jacket:

There’s no way Taryn’s taking Blake’s place as president of the student body. As soon as the memorial for him and six of their friends is over, she’s resigning as VP. Really. Except people say the fire was no accident. (She says it’s way too easy to blame someone who’s dead.) When Taryn reads the writing on the wall, literally, the bathroom wall, she knows what it means. To get to the truth she has to come out from under her paisley comforter. But, seriously, what stage of grief says Taryn has to be the one to fix what’s wrong at Ideal High? Maybe she’s the one who’s broken.

My Review: 4 Stars

Teen grieves the passing of her best friends in high school after a tragic accident. While roughly moving through and on, she tries to make herself and the school into something better because of it.

Kind of sad. Kind of inspiring. Good message. Worth the read. A mystery without the intense feel of danger.

Clean.

Love At The Apple Blossom Inn by Kristy Tate

Love At The Apple Blossom Inn by Kristy Tate

Dust Jacket:

A small town girl.
A rock star living a lie.
Their paths cross and lead them down a road neither of them expected to find: love at the Apple Blossom Inn.
Janey knows that life doesn’t come with a happy-ending guarantee. She needs to keep her feet securely on the ground working two jobs, going to school, and caring for her little brother. She has no time or room for romance.
After an accident leaves his charmed life in ruins, Derrick abandons his Hollywood lifestyle and checks into rehab. The world believes that Derrick Cordell the rock star is dead. And despite his beating heart and breathing lungs, that’s exactly how he feels until, disguised and living incognito in the tiny town of Rose Arbor, Washington, he meets Janey, who loves him as plain old Eric Roudell, the wanna-be music teacher.
But secrets have a way of unraveling. When Janey discovers the truth about Eric/Derrick, how can she love someone she doesn’t even know? Especially since love is not on her to-do list?


My Review: 4 Stars!

Cute Novella.

I should have looked at the page numbers (or read the little wording on the cover top) before I started reading this book. I figured it would be getting a fully developed relationship at the end. Just when I thought it was getting started, the book started winding down. I sort of felt like I was being short sheeted, but I guess I should have checked it out before I started. So, ATTENTION, this is a sweet novella, not an in depth full length book.

As a Novella, this book was really cute. From what we know the characters are lovable and believable. I love the setting. The side characters are a perfect support. The book is just sweet and wholesome with some fun and funny scenes. Despite the heavy background of our main characters the book is still light and fresh. Two people try to discover who they are and what they will do with their lives and they each influence the other.

A quick, cute, fun, clean read. I would recommend it to anyone.

The Professional Bride by Lucy McConnell

The Professional Bride by Lucy McConnell

Dust Jacket:

Amber Appleby is not the blushing bride. She makes a career out of being a wife—a business wife that is. After signing divorce papers with her third husband, Amber’s looking forward to a few months in a tropical location when Pamela, owner of a matchmaking service for the ultra wealthy, calls her into the office to ask a favor. Pamela explains that her life-long friend has passed away leaving a world-class ski resort and extensive financial holdings to his grandson, Rym, with the stipulation that he marry a BMB bride to coach him through his first year as a billionaire. Amber’s up for the assignment but Rym turns out to be a maverick—and a gorgeous one at that. Amber’s skills as a life coach are tested at every turn right along with her heart. Faced with a law suit that could wipe out the resort Rym’s grandpa built from scratch, Amber has to decide if she’ll protect her marriage or the thing Rym loves most. Marriage was much simpler when love wasn’t involved.

Early on, Pamela Jones realized she had an unusual talent for putting two people together. Over the years, she's turned it into a successful matchmaking service for the ultra wealthy: Billionaire Marriage Brokers. While she specializes in "business" marriages -- paring people off because of their skills, education, or training -- she can spot a potential love match a mile away. When Pamela has a "good feeling" about a bride and groom - a business marriage can become so much more.

My Review: 5 Stars

Another cute arranged marriage story by Lucy McConnell. It is a clean and fun read. It isn't all that different from the others in the series, but has new characters, new talents and new scenery.

Lucy McConnell has grabs your interest from the beginning and keeps it until the last page. When you read her stories you feel like you are in the cool club. You can always expect to be entertained and engaged when you read her books. I look forward to reading the next one.

California Dreamin' Collection (A Timeless Romance Anthology Book 11)

California Dreamin' Collection (A Timeless Romance Anthology Book 11)

Dust Jacket:

Six brand new contemporary romance novellas with bestselling and award winning authors.

In the sweet novella TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE by Heather B. Moore, Gwen uses her wedding photography business to keep her life simple and focus on something other than her own broken heart. When Jack, a guy too handsome for his own good, helps her clean up after a photoshoot, then asks her out, she doesn’t know if she can handle dating again. But Jack’s charm wins her over, and she agrees to meet him for dinner. The more she gets to know Jack, the more she likes him, but everything about him seems too good to be true.

GONE FISHING, a charming novella by Kaylee Baldwin, follows Claire as she tries to convince her dad to leave his start-up company as a boat guide and come back home to Colorado. He’s the only one who can defend Claire against her domineering mother. But when she arrives at the San Diego harbor, she’s met with more than one surprise. First, that her dad is truly living his dream and has never been happier, and second, she’s unexpectedly attracted to his business partner, Miguel.

In THE PIER CHANGES EVERYTHING, an enchanting novella by Annette Lyon, Alexandria has one last task to perform for her late husband, who died much too young: scatter his ashes in the Pacific Ocean. She goes to the Santa Monica Pier to do just that, but her plans get sidetracked after meeting Michael and feeling an immediate connection to him. They grab lunch, and the more time they spend together, the more they discover that they have in common—including past romantic hardships. As the day wears on, Alexandria begins learn that her heart just might be able to find love again.

In Jennifer Moore’s captivating novella A HERO’S SONG, AnneMarie’s career as a romance novelist is skyrocketing and her agent books her on a late night talk show. The host gets her to admit that she was in love once, with a guitar player. Moments after her segment, Lance Holden appears on the same stage, to perform his newest song. Is it a terrible coincidence? AnneMarie hasn’t seen Lance ever since he broke her heart ten years ago, and she has refused to think about him again. Their lives are worlds apart, but as Lance tries to reconcile with AnneMarie, she finds herself taking a second chance.

In STAY WITH ME, an endearing novella by Shannon Guymon, Jolie moves to L.A. to take on a nanny position for the summer, since apparently having a degree in art doesn’t translate to getting a job as a graphic designer. When Fitz, the family’s chauffeur, picks her up at the airport, she wonders if every man in LA is model-gorgeous. When Jolie meets her two charges, she finds them adorable and needy. But it’s harder to hold onto her job than she thought with a hostile Mrs. James and her spoiled brother. Fitz becomes both the silver lining of her job and the man who just might convince her to stay in L.A.

In the delightful novella, A PLACE TO CALL HOME, by Sarah M. Eden, Ada is the best realtor around. The best. She prides herself in matching each client with the house that will fit all of their needs. She hasn’t failed yet. So when Craig hires her to find him the perfect condo for him and his son, Ada is up for the challenge. What she may not be prepared for is her unforeseen attraction to Craig, her immediate attachment to his nine-year-old son, and her heart telling her that it’s okay to take another chance.


My Review: 4 Stars

Six novellas. Six excellent authors. Six California dreams come true! This is a great set of sweet and fun stories.

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE by Heather B. Moore = Artsy photographer meets normal billionaire on the beach.

GONE FISHING by Kaylee Baldwin = High strung daddy’s girl meets reformed homeless guy on a fishing boat tour business.

THE PIER CHANGES EVERYTHING by Annette Lyon = Former fat camp romance is rekindled as she spreads husband’s ashes and he avoids ex-fiance's wedding.

A HERO’S SONG by Jennifer Moore’s = Small town romance novelist and former bad boy rock star meet and try to rekindle love after betrayal, rehab and years apart.

STAY WITH ME by Shannon Guymon = Jobless artist turned nanny meet’s handsome chauffeur while wealthy Hollywood employer’s spoiled brother-in-law tries to get her fired.

A PLACE TO CALL HOME by Sarah M. Eden = Best real-estate agent around is set up with gun-shy single accountant dad while looking for a house.

Clean, cute and creative. I loved these novellas! Great light read. Would recommend them to anyone.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Don't You Marry the Mornon Boys by Janet Kay Jensen

Don't You Marry the Mornon Boys by Janet Kay Jensen

Dust Jacket:

As medical students at the University of Utah, Andy and Louisa fall in love - but can a mainstream Mormon and a Fundamental polygamist overcome the cultural barriers between them? Both realize that their choices will not only affect their own lives, but will also have an impact on their family, friends, and even their communities. Fearing that the sacrifices required of them would be too great, they go their separate ways.

Yet for Andy in Kentucky and Louisa in Utah, life does not go as they'd planned. While Andy is serving as a country doctor and trying to bury his pain, Louisa is coming to terms with the fact that all is not as perfect in her tight-knit community as she'd believed. As doctors, each will have to choose between keeping the peace in their communities or doing what they know is right. And someday, both will have to face their past and decide if they can make the sacrifice to be together.


My Review: 4 Stars

I really enjoyed this book. What pulled me in most were the cultural insights. It touches on Utah polygamist culture as well as some Utah Mormon (LDS) culture both past and present. The story also gives an insiders look at small town rural Kentucky and another smaller look at Finland. That sounds kind of eclectic, but the author did a really good job at pulling it all together and showing the similarities we have as humans despite our differences. The story is also woven with folklore, backwoods remedies, and old time songs.

I want to read it over again for the folklore. I love how she weaves it, cultures and people together.