Deliverance/H.B. Moore

Synopsis:

     "Moses’s life as he knew it is over. He has chosen to stand for his beliefs at the cost of being cast out of his royal home and family. He is free of the wickedness of Egypt, but peace is not to be found, for Moses is as much an aimless wanderer as those in the nomadic tribe he encounters in the wilderness. Exhausted by long weeks of travel, he nevertheless jumps to action when he observes a group of young women accosted by a band of Bedrayan men at a communal well. These lovely daughters of Jethro are grateful for his help, and their Midianite tribe welcomes Moses with open arms. As he learns the ways of the Midianites, his kinship with Jethro grows—as does his admiration of one of Jethro’s daughters, Zipporah. But when Moses suddenly receives a burning call to free the very people he has long oppressed, will he have the courage to return to the land from which he has been exiled?"

Review:

     This is the second book in the Moses Chronicles. In the first book we left Moses heading for the wilderness. We meet up with him again after he has wandered a few weeks into his journey, which he still doesn't know where he is going to end up.
    Zipporah has lived in the wilderness all her life. That's all she knows. When Moses and her meet, they don't speak each others language, but actions speak louder then words.
    This is a sweet love story, and that is what takes up most of this book (no complaints from me!). Towards the end is when he learns of his great calling, to lead the children of Egypt out of bondage. I am excited to read about the plagues and such in the next book. The end of this one leaves you hanging and wanting more.
    If you love the story of Moses in the Bible I am pretty sure you will enjoy these books, that delve into the truth of one of our most beloved Prophets.

My Wicked Half-Sister/E.M. Tippetts

Synopsis:

    "Chloe didn’t set out to be famous, but her marriage to Hollywood A-lister, Jason Vanderholt, made her a celebrity by association. Jealous and nosy fans heckle her in public and the tabloids portray her as cold, arrogant, and unworthy of her husband. As bad as that is, it’s about to get a whole lot worse.

    Her brother, Chris, is being paroled from prison, where he has been serving time for shooting and nearly killing Chloe when she was a child. This is not a situation that she wants splashed all over the headlines, especially because this could incite her brother to try to finish the job.

    When Chloe gets word of a string of crimes that might be tied to her brother, she finds she has yet another enemy: their father, Dr. Winters. He refuses to cooperate with Chloe’s security team and even gives the police a hard time when they try to investigate.

    The one ally Chloe has in her own family is her half-sister, Beth, a public prosecutor intent on bringing Chris to justice. Her approach is so aggressive that everyone from Chloe’s security specialist to the police detective insists that she is doing more harm than good. Beth assures Chloe that her way is the only way that will work, which leaves Chloe to decide whether to trust the experts, or the sister she barely knows. The wrong choice puts her very life in danger."

Review: 

    Are you ready for book four in the Someone Else's Fairytale series?? I have to say that this one wasn't my favorite of the books.
    I've gotten to know the characters even better since starting this series and I am enjoying their growth. Especially where Chloe and Jason are headed! So happy!
    Emily is a great story teller and doesn't leave anything out when bringing her characters to life. She gives them their own stories in fact. I would love to see what is going on in Chris' mind, is he guilty, is he sorry for his past? 
    I will be waiting for book five with anticipation!    

Under the Mistletoe Collection/Various Authors

Synopsis:

    "FORGOTTEN KISSES by Cindy Roland Anderson, costume designer Madison Taylor has no love lost when the male lead playing Sir Lancelot in a TV series is fired. She couldn’t stand working with him anyway. But when she discovers who his replacement is, her heart nearly stops. Caleb Matthews is one of the hottest male actors ever… and not to mention Madison’s former boyfriend. When things got too serious between them, everything fell apart. And now, Madison must play nice or lose her job. She just has to forget all of the reasons she’d fallen for him in the first place.

    THE LAST CHRISTMAS by Annette Lyon, Meredith only has to make it through the Christmas holiday pretending that she and her husband Eric aren’t on the verge of divorce. She doesn’t want to ruin the holiday for her two grown daughters and their boyfriends. But when Eric hurries home after weeks of living in a motel to unpack before their daughters arrive, he starts pressing Meredith with questions about why she filed for divorce. The last thing Meredith wants to do it give Eric a second chance, but it seems that Eric is not willing to let her go without trying to win her back.

    TRUTH OR DARE by Julie Coulter Bellon, After a year of recovery, wounded war veteran Jonah Harrison comes home for Christmas. No longer the outgoing high school track star, he just wants to be left alone, away from well-meaning friends and neighbors. But when a blizzard strands him with Cami Jackson—the girl who once knew him best—he can’t hide anything from her, no matter how much he wants to. Cami has a wounded heart of her own, though, and it might take a Christmas miracle for them to find the healing they both long for and the courage to reach for a chance at love.

   HOLIDAY BUCKET LIST by Sarah M. Eden, Celeste Lagorio has officially given up on Christmas. A single mother, with her children grown and unable to return for the holiday, Celeste determines to take a break from everything. When her single neighbor and almost-best-friend, Mike Durham, discovers her non-plans, they discuss things they’ve always wanted to do, but never had time. Mike and Celeste put together a friendly competition of checking off the things on their bucket list, all the while drawing closer and discovering they have more in common than they thought.

   CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY by Heather B. Moore, Monica is on the verge of buying her dream store, but when she tells her boyfriend, he turns it into an embarrassing public argument. Heartbroken, but determined to follow her dream, she goes to her employer’s Christmas party to play Mrs. Claus, only to be paired with someone unexpected. A young Mr. Claus who is the complete opposite of her ex-boyfriend in all the most important ways. Yet, Monica is not sure she can risk opening her heart again.

   FIRST (AND LAST) CHRISTMAS DATE by Jennifer Griffith,  pilot Juliet Law has been in a holding pattern, dating the wrong guy, until she gets a holiday shake-up: old flame Tag McClintock e-mails her to ask for second date—after ten years. Their first date, back in high school, had been an unmitigated disaster culminating with Pepto Bismol and the police. Still, Juliet would have gone out with Tag again the next day—and the next—had he asked. So now that he’s finally popping up in her in-box again, Juliet must decide whether to say yes to the date, even if it puts her at risk of another decade of carrying a torch for Tag McClintock. Will their second date be their last?"

Review:

    Another Anthology to brighten your Christmas spirit. Plenty of mistletoe and holiday fun in these six novella's. These are contemporary romances. Each Author bringing to life their characters in their own way. Family togetherness, Joy, all the Christmas emotions wrapped up in one place.
    Romance, Drama, Comedy, A little bit of action (under the mistletoe), takes me to a happy place. Join me there!  

Autumn Masquerade/Various Authors

Synopsis:

    "A MERRY DANCE by Josi S. Kilpack. When Lila overhears her uncle talking about a man coming to look for property in the county, she doesn’t think twice, until her uncle says he hopes Lila will find enough interest to marry the man. How can she marry someone named Mortimer Luthford, not to mention that his advanced age of thirty-three, and especially since she’s already in love with her absent cousin Neville? But when Mortimer arrives, Lila has to try every trick known to women to act not interested in the rather fascinating man, which proves a very difficult façade to maintain.

    UNMASKING THE DUKE by Donna Hatch. The last thing Hannah Palmer wants to do is flirt with men in a crowded ballroom, but when her sister throws a Masquerade Ball, Hannah can’t say no to the invitation and takes comfort behind a mask. She dances with a charming masked man, matching him wit for wit. When the glorious evening culminates in a kiss, and the two remove their masks, Hannah is horrified to discover the man she’s been flirting with all night is her most despised neighbor, the Duke of Suttenberg. No matter how charming the duke was at the ball, and how wonderful the kiss, he is the last man she’d ever accept.

    WHAT’S IN A NAME by Nancy Campbell Allen. Penelope Timely has a terrible secret. She’s been writing letters to the Duke of Wilmington, pretending to be her ever-proper twin sister, Persephone. Now, the duke has written that he’ll be coming for the Autumn Masquerade Ball and Festival. Penelope will have to continue the charade while the duke is in town in order to protect her sister. The Duke of Wilmington isn’t fooled for a moment, but instead of confessing that he knows about the deception, he finds himself utterly charmed by Penelope and jumps into the game of deception to see how far the twin sisters will take it."

Review:

    All three regency stories that come in this collection are really fun. I have been reading quite a few anthologies lately and I have to say this is one of my favorites. The Characters in the stories are well thought out, and brought to life by great plots.
    It does always amaze me that when one is masked, no one possibly can tell who is behind it, especially if you have known them or glanced at them in the past. But I guess if you don't have the best memory or haven't seen them in a while, it could happen?
    Romance, drama, a little bit of action and comedy round out this Autumn Masquerade. The authors did a great job at keeping my attention, and my love for regency.
     

Christmas Kisses: An Echo Ridge Anthology/Various Authors

Synopsis:

        "The Candy Counter Heiress by Lucy McConnell:
     Someday Reese Gates will own The Candy Counter at Kenworth's; but someday can't come fast enough when the manager threatens to bring in a national candy provider. Reese secretly takes matters into her own hands hoping to save her parents from additional worry and prove herself capable of running the company. Her deception deepens as she ropes computer guru Andy Edwards into helping her expand the business. Reese wanted to shake things up, but she wasn't planning on her heart getting caught in the mix by Andy's stolen kisses. If she can hold it together until after Christmas, then she can reveal her successful online company and her feelings for Andy. Unfortunately for Reese, even the best laid plans can melt like chocolate.                    
           Christmas Makeover by Cami Checketts:
    Chelsea Jamison has been infatuated with Drew Stirling longer than she's loved playing basketball, high-top sneakers, and the Knicks. Unfortunately, all Drew sees is the kid who kicked his trash in the high school free throw contest and not the girl whose heart breaks into a fast dribble when he's near.
Drew makes an unexpected visit home to Echo Ridge and their friendship picks up where they left off as they scheme to make a teenaged boy's Christmas dreams come true. When Chelsea realizes she's fallen for her best friend, she wonders if there is any hope of a relationship with Drew or if she's stuck in buddy-status for life.
           Hope for Christmas by Rachelle J. Christensen:
    Anika Fletcher hates Christmas--its promises of good tidings and hope for the future are as tinseled as the ornaments on Kenworth's Hope Tree. Despite her feelings, Anika wants to maintain her daughter's faith in the magic of the season and gladly accepts a second job working with the handsome Carlos Rodriguez to restore Kenworth's old fashioned soda fountain. Carlos is no stranger to hard times and slowly shares his life of light and joy with Anika as they work together. Just as her fragile soul begins to feel hope again, an ill-timed act of charity changes everything. Anika isn't sure who she can trust or if hope is worth nurturing--especially at Christmas when it's easy to enjoy a kiss and believe love can last longer than the season.
          Soda Fountain Christmas by Connie E. Sokol:
    Keira Kenworth has one focus this holiday season: save her father's old-time department store from bankruptcy. She is not focused on Tayton Wells, the tall, dark, and genius marketing guru from downtown New York, hired to make it happen. He is as doubtful that her nostalgic connect-the-town ideas will succeed as she is about his numbers-first plan. However, it's not just their different approaches that cause sparks to fly. Working together on a fast deadline to save the store before Christmas, the unspoken connection between them grows. But will the tough decisions they face drive them back to their separate worlds, or will they lead to the beginning of love?
            One Winter Night by Heather Tullis:
    Jonah Owens thought moving to Echo Ridge to open his art gallery would solve all of his problems. The need to sell his grandma's house adds an unexpected complication. It would be easier if his neighbor didn't have all those farm animals.
Kaya Feidler's family has owned their land for nearly a hundred years--long before the neighbors were there. There's no way she's giving up the animal therapy business she's been struggling to make profitable. She gets a temp job helping Jonah in the gallery. Spending time together is a recipe for romance, but can they overcome their own hangups to be more than friends"

Review:

    The Echo Ridge Anthology has five stories primed around the Christmas season. The plot is set around Kenworth's shopping center, where most of the characters work. You get glimpses into the lives of a loving community sprinkled with holiday cheer.
    Love (for some) was lost years ago. This Christmas it will be found, but only if the characters are open to the idea that love isn't lost forever.
    Each novella in this collection is unique. They don't stray from the title "Christmas Kisses". Romance, and drama are found in all. If your looking for a holiday read, you have found five! With Christmas coming up, the snow will start to fall, the mistletoe will be hung, the music will be played, and snuggling down with a good book will make your holiday even brighter.

All Hallows' Eve Collection/Various Authors

Synopsis:

    "Sarah M. Eden’s mysterious novella OF GHOSTS AND GARDENS, if Enid Pryce has one downfall, it’s that she talks to the ghost in her garden, which doesn’t make her too popular among society’s elite. In fact, she returns to her home in Wales after a Season in Bath with not one offer of marriage. Deeming herself a failure at the nearly-spinster age of nineteen, she is pleasantly surprised when an English gentleman shows up in her garden, apparently intent on finding out more about the ghost. Burke Kennard, grandson of an English marquess, quickly becomes utterly charmed by the young Welsh woman, but the ghost in the garden is more likely to push them apart than pull them together.
 
    Annette Lyon’s enthralling story IT’S YOU, when Charlie and Anna both see the ghost of Nanny Mae, they think they’re losing their minds. Anna tries to find out more about the ghost and uncovers a decades’ old family secret. One that separated two people in love. Now, the ghost of Nanny Mae must set her wrongs to right. As Charlie and Anna explore the past, and the truth of what happened, they discover that the mistakes of the past might lead to love of the future.
    
     Heather B. Moore's SOPHIA’S CURSE, a suspenseful novella, Joan grows up in an abbey in France, believing that she is an orphan. A chance encounter with the foreboding owner of a neighboring estate, alters everything she’s understood about her parents. She discovers she’s an integral part of changing a decades-old curse, and that her life, as well as the handsome and intriguing Simon Rousseau’s life, are both in danger unless she makes an enormous sacrifice that will change the course of her dreams.

     Lisa Mangum’s haunting story THE SIRENS’ SONG, we meet recently widowed Oliver, the lead physician on a luxury cruise liner traveling to Greece. He hopes that the change of scenery will help ease his grief over his deceased wife, Cate. After falling overboard, though, he is captured by a siren and taken to a mystical island. Through the sirens' song, Oliver is able to relive his memories of Cate—both the good and the bad—as long as he gives away his memories of her. But can he sacrifice his best memory in exchange for one last chance to say good-bye?

     Jordan McCollum’s thrilling novella THE MAN OF HER DREAMS, homicide detective Alexandra Steen dreams about real murders before they happen, seeing the crime through the eyes of the killers. But the dreams never contain enough clues to save the victim before it's too late. Then one dream ends before a murder occurs—in a place she knows. She finds herself racing against time to prevent the deadly act, only to discover that the intended victim is a man she thought she’d never see again. Seven years might have passed since her breakup with Nick, but the years haven’t changed her feelings for him. Now, she must convince Nick that her dreams are real and find a way to prevent his death.

     Elana Johnson’s chilling story THE GHOST OF MILLHOUSE MANSION, Naomi knows her crush on Colt Jennings is unreasonable. When he invites her to his reclusive mansion to restore an old wooden rocking horse, Naomi can’t resist accepting the job. The more time Naomi spends touring his home, the more interested she becomes in Colt. Until she sees a man in the library who vanishes into thin air. She thinks she’s losing her mind until Colt tells her about the ghosts he’s been seeing for years."

Review:

     These Timeless Romance collections have become some of my favorite reads. Each author creating a story that they have tirelessly poured over, and most likely in the end were finally glad to have sent off their final works to readers like myself to enjoy.
    Each story is well written. Read one chapter, or the whole novella, and into the next if you have the time. Some are ghost stories, others deal with curses, nightmares come true, and mystic creatures of the sea. Drama, and romance are just two of the genre's in these novella's. October is the perfect time to pick up this book with Halloween just around the corner. 
     Like with all the other collections I have read, I have my favorites, and my not so favorites of these stories but my favorites could be your dis-likes. Read for yourself, just do it! 

Loving Helen & Marrying Christopher/Michele Paige Holmes

Synopsis:
   
    "Eighteen-year-old Helen Thatcher grew up under the protection of her older siblings, Grace and Christopher. Living in their shadows and keeping to herself suited Helen just fine—until she met widower Samuel Preston. Watching Mr. Preston care for his young daughter and seeing his concern extend to her own family, Helen felt her reserve slipping away, as she learned first to trust him and then realized she had fallen in love with him. But instead of returning—or even noticing her affection—Mr. Preston developed his own tender, and unrequited feelings, for Grace.

In the midst of each silently nursing their broken hearts, Helen and Samuel are faced with a daunting task—reuniting Grace with her fiancé, Nicholas Sutherland. Now it is Helen who must look out for her sister and sacrifice her own fragile heart, as she and Samuel pretend to be engaged. Helen finds the role surprisingly easy to play, allowing herself to imagine that Samuel’s loving remarks are sincere. As the time for their charade to end draws near Helen must summon her courage and tell Samuel the truth of her feelings, or risk losing him forever."

Review: 

    This is the second book in the Heartfire Romance. The first was Grace, which I reviewed earlier in the year. This book follows Helen's journey on the other side of the stone wall. Though it seems like hope may be lost for Helen in getting Samuel Preston's heart, when his lies with her older sister.
    Schemes abound and attachments form for the greater good when Christopher, Helen and Grace's brother, makes his move in steering his sisters in loves direction. 
    Romance, Drama, and a little bit of comedy make for a great read. This has the same timeline as it did in Grace's story but through Helen and Samuel's eyes. I enjoyed it as much as the first.

Synopsis:

    "Having seen both his sisters Grace and Helen happily married, Christopher Thatcher is free to pursue his dream of life in America. With adventure in his heart and mind, he boards one of the first steamships set to cross the Atlantic in the record breaking time of only twenty-five days. Within the first two of those, his resolve—to avoid women and the complications they often bring to a man’s life—falters when he meets Marsali Abbott, a young woman with a past even more troubling than his own. Whether from years of habit protecting his sisters, or simply because he feels drawn to Marsali, Christopher chooses to help her and becomes her friend. As the truth about what awaits Marsali in America becomes evident, he is faced with a more difficult choice, one that will impact their lives far beyond four weeks together at sea."
 
Review:

    Christopher is now free to travel to America, When the chance now comes he plans to make a life for himself with only the commitment of owning his own property and making his own way in the world. Then he can think of finding a woman to settle down with and having a family.
    Marsali, who is glad to be rid of the last years with her abusive relatives, shows up on the same ship as Christopher, and is just as happy to leave England behind as he is. But it seems like trouble will always seem to find both of them while crossing the ocean. The only solution, stick together.
    The third book in the Heartfire series brings twists and turns. You don't want to miss out on the opportunity to now follow Grace and Helen's brother in his own journey to find himself, and the love that he wasn't searching for but gladly embraced.