A Practical Partnership

A Practical Partnership

Lily George

John has been living the carefree and easy life until his father dies. Now duty calls. John must return to the family estate and take over his father's duties. One of those duties is getting his sister, Jane, ready for her season in London. While visiting a friend, John and Jane meet a bonnet maker named Nan. Nan is running the hat business that kept her and her two older sisters from poverty. But now that the sisters are married, Nan must find a way to keep the business alive. She's sure that she'll never marry, so she needs this business to keep from being dependent on her sisters. John thinks Nan would make the perfect person to convince his sister to change her wardrobe and have a season in London. Neither of them intend to marry so the arrangement should be perfect.

This was a sweet, enjoyable story. While the ending was predictable, as is often the case in romances, it was a pleasant journey to get to that ending. The characters were well fleshed out and relatable. The interaction between the family members was sweet. The two romances woven throughout the plot were sweet, clean, and with some humor. Overall, I enjoyed the story and will definitely read more by this author.

When We Met

When We Met

Fools Gold Book 13

Susan Mallery

Taryn is now living in a small town called Fools Gold. She's a city girl so this is now a whole new experience for her. But her business partners voted to move their company here and she was outvoted. She makes the best of her situation and soon makes some wonderful friends. But one person in particular is going to change her small town experience. Angel has some very visible scars. But it's the ones that aren't visible that may be his downfall.

The author did a great job of seamlessly weaving the secondary characters into the story. I sensed other stories, but had no idea this was book 13. I really enjoyed the two main characters. They were flawed, but endearing. Their story meshed well together. The secondary characters also had depth and made me want to check out her other books in this series.  There were some minor things I noticed such as people acting out of character, but it was minor enough that it didn't detract from the story.

I received this book free of charge from Harlequin in exchange for my honest review.

The Husband List

The Husband List

Rx for Love

Cindy Kirk

Mitzi grew up incredibly poor. She's had to fight her way up to become an orthopedic surgeon. So her husband list includes a man with serious ambition who is well on his way to reaching his goals. It certainly doesn't include ex-convict Keenan. She knows he was falsely accused and admires his dedication to his sister. She trusts him as the pilot who takes her to clinic and as a best friend with all of her secrets. But can she trust him with her heart?

The characters were realistic and likable. The book was more about feelings than any real plot, but it was still an enjoyable read. The author has written Christian fiction previously so I was expecting it to be a clean romance. It definitely has some aspects that would NOT be found in any Christian romance. So if you are uncomfortable with that sort of book, then definitely don't get this book. But if you don't mind a few bedroom scenes than this is a good summer read.

I received this book free of charge from Harlequin in exchange for my honest review.

The Prince's Cinderella Bride

The Prince's Cinderella Bride

The Bravo Royals

Christine Rimmer

Lani has fallen in love with the Max, a prince. The problem? She's the nanny and comes with quite a bit of baggage. It's so clique and she's just not ready for everything that will come along with that type of relationship. She's decided to end things before they get too complicated.  But Max has waged an all out war to change her mind.

The story was sweet and the characters were likeable. It's a fun, quick read. My complaint would be all of the angsty, drama. The two characters had more baggage and issues than the typical couple. So most of the book was either the two misunderstanding each other or trying to help each other through a crisis of some sort. It was romantic, so I enjoyed it. But I'd prefer more plot and less drama.

I received this book free of charge from Harlequin in exchange for my honest review.

Better Than Chocolate

Better Than Chocolate

Life in Icicle Falls

Sheila Roberts

Samantha has been left with the crumbling remains of her family's chocolate company. Left in ruins by a ailing step-father, it is now on the brink of going under. Samantha must deal with her mother's grief, her anger over the ruin of her beloved company, and a very annoying bank manager who can't seem to offer any help. But her sisters are there to help her find a way out of the mess their step-father created. And maybe they can find a way to save the company.

This was a fun book to read.While it appears there are other books in the series, I didn't feel lost or confused when reading the story. It was an enjoyable and fast read. The author did a great job of portraying real family issues while still maintaining the importance of family. There was a bit of romance, but it didn't seem to dominate the story at all. I will definitely be checking out more books by this author.

I received this book free of charge from Harlequin in exchange for my honest review.

Mommy Midwife

Mommy Midwife

Cassie Miles

One night about eight months ago a tragedy sent Olivia into Troy's arms. Now she is pregnant and determined to raise her little one on her own. She has a great job as a midwife and doesn't need a man complicating things. But when her life is threatened she agrees to let him guard her. What can be safer than having a marine close by.

I liked the suspense in the book. The author did a great job of creating tension and drama. I figured out who the main antagonist was almost right away, but not the motive. It was a fun little read.

I received this book free of charge from Harlequin in exchange for my honest review.

Impossible to Resist

Impossible to Resist

Janice Maynard

Dr. Jacob Wolff is wealthy and reclusive. So when a young actress comes to his office and asks him to be her personal doctor and stand-in boyfriend, he's a bit reluctant to agree. Ariel needs a fake boyfriend. Preferably one who is a doctor. She has something making her ill. If Dr. Wolff is her boyfriend and secretly treating her, no one will realize she's sick and she can continue her job without danger of losing it. It's the perfect plan; or so she thinks.

The premise for this story was amusing. The story flowed smoothly enough. But I couldn't relate to any of the characters. Ariel's personality was all across the board and the switches felt abrupt. Jacob was nice enough, but almost too nice. He was boring. This is a fast, light read. But it certainly isn't anything that will grip or enthrall you.

I received this book free of charge from Harlequin in exchange for my honest review.

More Than He Expected

More Than He Expected

Andrea Laurence

Alex and Gwen spend a holiday together. When the holiday ends, they mutually go separate ways. Neither of them are in the market for a serious relationship. But the next time Alex sees her, she's pregnant and says she's taking a man break. The baby might not be Alex's baby, but he's seeing their future and it's making him reconsider his no relationship rule.

I could not get into this book. The characters were weak and the plot was non-existent. Predictability is expected in most romance novels. But they don't have to be boring. A writer can pull off weak characters if the plot is intricate and enthralling. A boring plot can be pulled off if the characters are engaging and entertaining. I tried, but just couldn't find any redemptive qualities in either. I hate to write bad reviews, because I know how much time and effort went into getting a book to production. But this book needs a bit more entertainment value before hitting the shelves.

I received this book free of charge from Harlequin in exchange for my honest review.

Give-Away

I have been given a free copy of the book that I just reviewed -

A Cold Creek Secret

RaeAnne Thayne

(see review here)

If you are interested in the book please leave a comment on this blog post and I'll send you the book.

The first person to comment and leave me their email address gets the book. So hurry!

A Cold Creek Secret

A Cold Creek Secret

RaeAnne Thayne

Mimi is running away from the paparazzi and becomes stranded during a snow storm. Brant rescues her and recognizes her immediately. But since she's using a different name he decides to play along. He thinks he can never be with someone so high-maintenance and she is sure that she'll never get her dream of living a quiet and peaceful life.

This book is a typical romance. It is going end with the couple together. So if you are looking for a sweet romantic story with a bit of drama in the middle than this is a fun little read.

I received this book free of charge from Harlequin in exchange for my honest review.

Blackberry Summer

Blackberry Summer

RaeAnne Thayne

I enjoyed reading Blackberry Summer. The setting was beautiful and the main characters seemed very real. The author was able to portray the Colorado town in such a way that I'd love to live there myself. If you enjoy romantic stories then this one is a hit.
My main complaint would have been with the secondary characters. There were several of them (too many in my opinion) that were seriously annoying. I know this is reality, but when I'm reading a work of fiction I hate to be so annoyed. Also I felt as if I'd been plopped into the middle of a series with no warning. The book ended with the main characters getting together, but just barely. There wasn't any conclusion to most of the issues addressed in the book, hence my theory that this might be a series.
Overall I enjoyed the story. I would give this book four stars. I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it.

I received this book free of charge from Harlequin in exchange for my honest review.