Books and Coincidences

Early October Reviews

Her first last dance by Melanie Jacobson ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Three men and a baby theme was successfully introduced here in a different style, I liked everything about this, the funny baby moments, the camaraderie, the attention to details. What I didn’t like was need to insert passionate kisses to convey the notion of romance to the reader, the two main characters have enough chemistry and banter to deliver the romantic notion, it’s not easy to skip these kisses while listening to the audiobook version of the book, but I managed.

A true gentleman by M. A. Nichols ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It is a pleasure to stumble upon a talented author, and I’m glad this author was suggested to me.
This story is unlike any historical romance books that I’ve ever read, there is romance that developed nicely, but with uncertainty hovering over it, there was wondering, anticipation, agony, and sweetness. What I liked the most was how the raw emotions were written; I felt the sadness, the joy, the worry over a sick child , the guilt and the happiness at the end. All in all, this was a really good book, and I can’t wait to read another book by this author.

Wyndcross by Martha Keyes ⭐️⭐️⭐️
While I liked the plot, and the characters are decent, and the twists are really good, the romantic events were painfully predictable. It wasn’t boring, nor was it about physical stuff, so I would definitely read more from this author.

A necessary nudge out of the friend zone by Victorine E leskie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Where to start! Even when celebrity themes are one of my least favorite book themes, this one is really enjoyable. Ms. Leskie has a rare sense of humor, the visuals she drew with words are really funny, laughing was a constant companion during listening to the audiobook, add that to some twists and turns and a happy ending, and you will be a happy reader/listener by the end of the book. As for my favorite theme, romance was very sweet, filled with feelings and emotions, even the kissing scenes were written brilliantly, needless to say that I’ll never look at RAMs the same way again.

A copper for the countess by Sally Britton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finally! Something less than perfect by this author. Let’s start with what I liked, the characters as always are well written, I loved Frosty’s character and Evelin was good too. As for the other characters, their stories and backgrounds were interesting and intriguing. Unlike other books by this talented author, there was uncertainty about how to write the story, it seems like wanting to please the spicy romance readers and the religious seekers at the same time, the result is not pretty. But, I can’t deny the effort and the creativity of this author, so it doesn’t deserve less than four stars.

A lady’s heart of gold by Sally Britton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Admirable writing style of the setting, the characters, the unpredictability, the genuine storyline, even the effort put in researching some of the topics that are mentioned in the book, all of the above made an interesting and enjoyable read. What I didn’t like -in all three books- was how the romance was written, while I love how the author writes the kissing scenes with no sensual or sexual additions, there was some focus on the physical aspect of the relationship. Still, creativity and hard work were more than evident here and in everything I’ve read so far by this talented author.

Lovers’ Quarrel Jessica L. Randall or Kate Ashgrove. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite sub genres, mainly because of the amount of humor that is usually written along with it. This book took animosity into another level though, I literally hated the heroine and couldn’t sympathize with her, not even at the end of the book. Ben was another issue for me, while I liked his banter with Karina, there wasn’t any kind of appeal to him. All in all, it was fast paced and mostly enjoyable.

A regrettable proposal by Jennie Goutet ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Truly clean romance authors should be highly praised for their creativity and ability to write a love story without the need to add “spice” like other so-called clean romance authors who call it clean because they didn’t add bedroom scenes. This author is one of those talented authors, this book is romantic, thrilling, intriguing, emotional. You will enjoy reading this book, and keep you anticipating the next installment.

Mr.Fernley and the lady by Angela Johnson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

A marriage of convenience plot without the overdone innuendos and the continuous physical attraction. Each character was well written, the development of romance is believable, combined with a happy ending made this an enjoyable book.

His Amish romance by Samantha Price ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Amish romance plots are almost identical in every book, so it’s refreshing to read something different from time to time. Even if there was what felt like an obsession with getting married, there was a decent storyline and interesting events.

The quiet Amish bachelor by Samantha Price ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Obsession with marriage, this is the theme for this series. In the fourth installment of the series, there is less predictability, the characters are nice, and it was also interesting.

The CEO’s companion by Rose Fresquez ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book has a good plot, the characters are nicely written, and the romance developed nicely too. My only complaint is the overdone and sometimes forced preaching, if I want to read a bible I would go get one, I expected a romantic story and a book filled with biblical verses!!

Few Surprises Plus More of the Same

Flame and ember by M. A. Nichols ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Marriage of convenience is one of my favorite plots, and it’s not always that an author succeeds in grabbing my attention and fulfilling my desires for this kind of theme. That’s why this book was a pleasant surprise and a very enjoyable read, everything is well written, the usual elements that are often used in this genre are missing, add that to a happy ending and you’ll end up with a smile on your face by the end of the book.

Mistaken identity by Mindy Burbidge Strunk ⭐️⭐️

It was an okay read, the romance was mainly physical attraction, and there weren’t many interesting events to grab my attention.

Autism goes to school by Dr. Sharon A. Mitchell ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As a romance reader, I come across some stories that are more than a romantic story, this book has one of those stories. It was more than a fictional plot, there is a lot of knowledge about autism that everyone can benefit from, I really liked how the characters are written in a way that we can relate to. Having multiple POVs is a plus here, especially Kyle’s, without his point of view we could never understand how an autistic child thinks. Even if my main interest is romance, I didn’t miss it here, because it wasn’t the main theme and what was written was almost typical romance, and I appreciate it keeping clean, even if the language wasn’t.

Silver dollar duke ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book has good characters that made me excited about reading the next book, the setting and the western theme was very enjoyable to picture using Ms. Britton penmanship. The jump from regency to western is a daring and admirable move, and it’s obvious that this book is not like the previous books by this talented author.

Rachel laine by Jennifer Peel ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Interesting, romantic, intriguing story, romance has too much innuendo and was too physical. Emotions are in abundance, a fairytale kind of characters, the whole story is too good to be true. 

Once Upon a Cowboy by lacy Williams ⭐️⭐️⭐️

While I liked how the author weaved a fairytale into this story, and all the characters are likable, the romance didn’t hit the spot, it was more about kissing and physical connection, there weren’t enough emotions to draw my attention.

The Cowboy’s Beauty by Jessie Gussman ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a modern retelling of beauty and the beast, the plot is constructed nicely but the execution of it fell short. Dialogue and characters are written nicely but the author wrote primitive urges as romance, the kissing scenes were revolting, at least for me.

Prejudice meets pride by Rachael Anderson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

First of all, I’d like to point out that choosing hard to pronounce names for a character is a constant struggle for me, I don’t understand why some authors do that.
Romance development is good, passionate kisses are not. Some scenes were really sweet, especially the ones with the kids in them. Being too pride is the theme here, overdoing it though wasn’t good for Emma’s character.

Threadly secret by Samantha Price ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My only complaint about this book is that there is no romance in it, but it was so good that I kept thinking while I was listening to it that someone should make a TV show out of this series. Everything is built nicely, the characters are written well, especially the sisters, their antics are funny and their investigative methods are genuine.

The Amish bachelor by Samantha Price ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Okay story, okay characters, okay everything.

A Yorkshire carol by Jennie Goutet⭐️⭐️

It was sweet and romantic until the “low bodice” scene and the infamous “awareness” reared its ugly head!!! That’s not my definition of romance, so it was a real turn off for me and I didn’t enjoy the good things in this book because of it.

More than friends in the middle of Main Street by Meg Easton

Love again at the heart of Main Street by Meg Easton

More than enemies on the bridge of Main Street by Meg Easton

⭐️⭐️

Would’ve loved these books if it wasn’t for the detailed kissing scenes, and the step by step kissing sessions.

Love not luck by Melanie Jacobson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Everything in this book was good, the main characters’ interaction with each other was funny and had loads of chemistry, the story was progressing nicely, the romance was developing beautifully. But, when the conclusion of the book came, it was a huge disappointment. Why confuse love and emotions with sexual innuendos? By the end of the last scene, every romantic notion flew out of the window.

How I would design my dream log cabin

This opportunity was presented by Design Home game.

Belated Reviews

Leaving liberty by Mary Jane Hathaway ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For a Christian romance, this book was good. First of all the preaching in most of this genre books is always overdone and suffocating, not here though. As for the romance, it was really sweet and well developed, without any sexuality or praising of physical attributes. And then there’s my favorite place on earth as the main setting here, a library! You will feel a strong connection if -like me- you love libraries. All in all, an enjoyable and interesting story.

Masquerade by Janette Rallison ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Taking a typical boss and nanny romance and turning it into this enjoyable story was really amazing, add that to adorable and funny kids antics and you’ll end up with a smile on your face all throughout the book.

Running Home by Barbara Ellen Brink ⭐️⭐️
After finishing about a third of the book, the suspense lost its appeal, the romance disappeared, add that to a third character’s point of view, with pages long preaching, I lost interest in the book and skipped to the ending.

Still the one by Belle Calhoune ⭐️⭐️
Too wordy, big paragraphs between sentences. Too much focus on “perfect” physical attributes.

When a man loves a woman by Belle Calhoune ⭐️⭐️
Predictable, repetitive, couldn’t keep reading it so I skipped to the end.

His disinclined bride by Jennie Goutet ⭐️⭐️⭐️
While this is a marriage of convenience story, with too much focus on consummating the marriage, there are many good aspects that are interesting and sweet. Both of the main characters are likable, and the development of the relationship was believable.

Trust me by Rose Fresquez ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked the characters, and the kids were nicely written. The romance is sweet and well developed, and the ending was nice.

Courage in the mountain wilderness by misty m beller ⭐️⭐️
Everything, except the romance and the preaching, was good. When I pick up a romance book, I expect emotions not lust, and I managed to skip the scriptures and the preaching, so in the end I just enjoyed the well portrayed setting and characters.

Second chance on Main Street by Meg Easton ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Well written plot, likable characters, good development, with a happy ending. There was some preaching, but it was easy to skip.

Gold Rush Brides: The Beginning by Cassie Hayes ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good plot and character writing, I especially liked how Jack Dalton is written. It was refreshing to read a different way of writing this theme, so it was not predictable at all.

Christmas at the end of Main Street by Meg Easton ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Likable characters , and nice story.

Kidnapping lord Blaymire by Catherine Bilson ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A regency romance, with a twist. It’s not often that I come across a title where the kidnapped is the male leading character, so I was intrigued, the story is interesting and the ending is nice. With such a plot, there could’ve been more, more events, more twists, but in the end it was a good story.

Some of them I listened To, and Some I Read

How I Met Your brother by Janette Rallison ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved it! Everything is perfectly written, the characters, the plot, the humor and the funny moments. The romance was really good, it developed beautifully, but I didn’t like the kissing scenes which is why the fifth star is missing.

Phoebe and the pea by Catherine Bilson ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The story is pleasant and the characters are lovable, no drama or cliches. It’s fast paced and enjoyable to read. I liked how clean the writing style is and I liked the happy ending too.

Ms. Communication by Myra Kendrix ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
As a romance reader, I first look for the romantic story in the book. But here, there was much more than that. There are so many things to think about, and so many subjects that were introduced to me personally, especially the business and tech world aspect of the story. The author wrote in a way that mostly kept my interest, and the characters were all interesting to read and know more about them. When the romantic part of the story finally started, I loved every moment of it, and the ending was nice too.

Just one word by Melanie Jacobson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
An interesting look into the world of authors, and their struggles and enjoyments with the process of writing a book. The main characters are both intriguing and lovable, the story line is eventful and thought provoking. The romance was nice and the ending was sweet.

The billionaire’s second chance by Bree Livingston ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sweet fast paced romance, I liked the straight forward style, and that there was no focus on physical attraction and the kissing scenes.

Acres of promise by Lisa Renee ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I Know it’s a religious romance, but the overdone preaching makes it hard to enjoy the story, and it was a good story. The characters and their backgrounds were interesting, and struggles were real. Even though I wasn’t interested in reading the religious parts of the book, I didn’t like the kissing scenes either.

Hearts awakening by Delia Parr ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The premise is good, the characters are well written, the emotions and the struggles of both the adults and the children were palpable. The religious parts were easily skipped, and the ending was a bit rushed.

A companion for the count by Sally Britton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Different plot and new characters, genuine story line and a happy ending. I don’t expect anything less from Ms. Sally Britton, and the depth of the search that was made by the author was very obvious and admirable. The only thing I didn’t like was how immature Emma was, but she’s probably written this way because she’s young and….immature.

Love letters from cowboy by lacy Williams ⭐️⭐️
I liked the plot, the sweet romance, the dialogue, and the dog. But I hated Ash, being a war hero amputee is not an excuse to how she’s written. On the other hand, I loved how Ryan was written.

Royal portraits volumes 1 & 2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The details in each picture are exquisite. I would’ve liked to know how each person died, especially when most of them died so young, I wanted to read something more about their lives, something personal if it was recorded. As a fashion designing and history enthusiast, this book was a treat for me.

Audiobooks Reviews

A Haunting at Havenwood by Sally Britton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What a wonderful tale! It’s everything I look for in a romance book and none of everything I despise in nowadays romance books. The story is both interesting and mysterious, and the writing style is fast paced without any complications or unnecessary twists and turns. The characters are nothing like any other romance novel characters, their imperfections made them more endearing, and the way Louisa reacts to the main “flaw” in Ras is evidently genuine and very true to reality. As always, Ms. Britton doesn’t use the unromantic clichés of most romance books nowadays, yet I can still feel the love that she portrays in her stories.

Reforming lord Neil by Sally Britton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It takes a real talent to show the good qualities of a despicable character,we’ve seen a glimpse of these qualities in the previous book, but here they’re on full display! This book has some of the sweetest moments in this series, I often find myself reflecting on these moments with a smile on my face.

Love Conquers All by Lerona Hoops ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good plot, nicely written story, and a happy ending. The characters are written in a way that makes you feel their emotions, and there are some important messages to think about.

A Puzzling Amish Murder by Samantha Price ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Very intriguing and very mysterious story, and the two sisters’ antics are really funny. The plot is interesting and the characters are well written, it’s not your usual Amish style, there was less focus on the community and more on the mystery.

Marrying Miss Kringle, Ginger by Lucy McConnell ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Magical plot, magical characters, and magical love.

A Question of Destiny by Anita Higman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is both an inspiring and an enjoyable read, I was emotionally invested right from the beginning and all the way to the end. The characters are very interesting and their development is smooth and realistic. The book didn’t focus on romance, but there were many argumentative moments that discussed many issues we have nowadays. Nonetheless, the romance is there and it’s really romantic and so sweet, and the humor is a good bonus.

The Beast Gets His Cowgirl in the Show me State by Jessie Gussman ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Funny fast paced and interesting story, the characters are likable and the dialogue is enjoyable.

Love Walks in by Chris Keniston ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nice story, good message, and good development of the romance. The language and slight innuendo was like a sore thumb, and didn’t fit with how clean everything else was.

Giving Thanks by Susanne Ash ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sweet, fast paced and clean romance, with an interesting story and nice characters.

Persuaded by Andrea Boyd ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The story is mainly about Felicity. I liked how her character developed, and the romance was nice too.

Dare to Love the Guy I Hate by Ellie hall ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The story is interesting, and the journey is very eventful. The romance developed nicely and the ending was nice.

A Marriage of Convenience in the Show Me sate by Jessie Gussman ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good plot and funny moments with the children, the flow of the story is smooth and fast paced. The romance developed nicely but I didn’t need the innuendo, their emotions were more than enough.

Mr. Gardiner and the Governess by Sally Britton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The plot is something I didn’t read before, and the characters are unique with different backgrounds and struggles. There are no clichés, and whatever you think it’s going to happen, won’t happen. The romance is written exquisitely, even the kiss was so sweet it almost brought me to my knees, because it wasn’t sensual, sexual, or even physical. Ms. Britton keeps surprising me with every book I read by her, and I can’t wait to read whatever she has in store for us.

The Cowboy Billionaire by Lorana Hoopes ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nice clean romance, and well written characters, and the ending was good.

Earl Grafton and the Traitor by Angela Johnson ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good plot, nice setting, the main male character is annoying but the female character was okay, and there was good variety of characters.

The Clause in Christmas by Rachael Bloome ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The story is sweet with emotional issues, and some humor to lighten the mood. The characters are interesting and the progression of the plot is fast paced and enjoyable.

The Christmas Pact by Meg Easton ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Light Christmas story and the struggle of the characters during the season, the romance was hard to feel, most of it is physical attraction and the goodness of the characters.

Philippa Holds Court by Jennie Goutet ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Interesting plot and characters, I mostly liked how the characters are written. Philippa is strong and sweet at the same time, she handles every situation with elegance and always gets her way. I also liked the snobbish Mr. Blythefield and how his feelings developed towards Pilippa. All in all, an enjoyable read and a happy ending.

New Light by Rose Fresquez ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sweet face paced romance, with a good story and a happy ending.

The Lady and the Mountain Doctor by Misty M. Beller ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked the backstory of the characters, it was important to show us how these characters came to be, and the medical aspect of that era is very interesting to read.
It didn’t hurt at all that Alex is Irish ☘️ and it showed in his character. But I thought Merriam suffered way too many accidents, and too many injuries for one character. At the end, it was an enjoyable read.

Santa Maybe by Mazy Morris ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Giggle inducing romantic comedy, with lovable characters and a happy ending. I had my doubts about it at the first meeting of Madeleine and Marc, but it all vanished as the story progressed. I liked how the kid character is written, and the relationship between the siblings.

The Christmas Bet by Meg Easton ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Light Christmas story and the struggle of the characters during the season, the romance was hard to feel, most of it is physical attraction and the goodness of the characters.

Home Before Dark by christy Barritt ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked the suspense and the mystery, the romance was developing nicely too. But I didn’t like the last third of the book, the romance was awkward, and the conclusion wasn’t good enough for me.

Marrying Miss Kringle, Frost by Lucy McConnell ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked the “you’ve got mail” theme for the plot, and the characters are interesting.

Marrying Miss Kringle, Robyn ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Robyn’s character is not the typical romance book heroine, and Gabe was what she needed. I’m not a fan of reality show themes in romance books, but the author put an interesting twist on this one, and there wasn’t any of the typical stuff that comes with that theme. All in all, it was an enjoyable read.

A Promise So Sweet by Andrea Boyd ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The plot is good, and the characters are well written. I liked the friendship bond between the girls, and the ending was sweet.

Upon a Dream by Andrea Boyd ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A nice spinoff of the Sleeping Beauty, I liked how the author added a few things from the Disney cartoon, especially the song scene. I liked the plot and the characters, and the ending was nice too.

The Physician’s Helper by Rose Fresquez ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nice plot and good story, well developed and interesting flashbacks. I didn’t like the kissing scenes though, it didn’t add any value to the story, nor did the overdone preaching.

The Lady and the Mountain Fire by Misty M.Beller ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Another book in this series, different plot with the story of the other doctor. I liked it, the characters are good and the romance developed nicely.

Pisces ♓️-Virgo ♍️

Gemini ♊️-Sagittarius ♐️

Taurus ♉️-Scorpio ♏️