The Boy Next Door: Inspirational Romance Anthology (Hometown Romance)

May 24, 2016

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Serenade Book’s in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

The Boy Next Door: Inspirational Romance Anthology (Hometown Romance) was a great collection of books. I am going to talk a little bit about each book, so you know what I think about each one. The one thing I loved about this book is that there are several stories so if one didn’t work for me I could just go on to the next story.

The Chef Next Door by Lenora Worth

I enjoyed the characters in this story. They all seemed super relatable and like they could exist in the real world. This story was predictable to me and usually when it comes to stories like that I don’t end up liking the book, but I did enjoy this story.

Reclaiming Brynn by Susan Crawford

I would have to say that this one was one of my favorites because I felt like I could relate the most to the characters. I felt like this because my biological parents were/are still drug addicts so I understand what Brynn went through. I enjoyed Garrett as well. This was a well rounded story that I can see most people enjoying.

Special Delivery: A Seaside Romance by Gayle Roper

This was an okay story just not my favorite of the bunch. I don’t have much to say about it because I didn’t enjoy the story as much as I did the others. It was well written but just not the story for me.

Autumn Skye by Kathleen Y’Barbo

I liked Autumn and this story. I didn’t find it to be the most original, but I still enjoyed it. I enjoyed the author’s style of writing, and I was a huge fan of Bonnie Sue right from the start. I am always a huge sucker for characters like her because they remind me of some of the people I took care of when I worked in a nursing home.

O Little Town of Bethany by Rene Gutteridge & Cheryl McKay

I couldn’t get into this story, and I am not sure why. For some reason, this book was super hard for me to get into and to finish. It is ones like this one that make me glad that they are shorter than some books. I know that this book will be right for some people, but it is just one of those that didn’t work for me.

About The Book

A collection of five contemporary romance novellas for one low price–check out these new titles from some of your favorite inspirational romance authors:

These five women aren’t looking for love, but they might find it closer than they think…maybe even right next door.

The Chef Next Door by Lenora Worth
The whole world saw Alice get fired on network TV. Now she has to go home and face her high school crush, the boy next door. Brice wants Alice in his life, no matter what it takes. But she’s been burned once…will she take a chance on him?

Reclaiming Brynn by Susan Crawford
Medical resident Brynn Harper will do anything to help an at-risk teenaged patient—even go toe to toe with the one man she’d rather forget. Her former best friend Garrett has changed his life, but how can Brynn ever trust the man who once abandoned her?

Special Delivery: A Seaside Romance by Gayle Roper
When Kelli accepts a package delivered to the wrong address, she gets a lot more than misdirected mail. She gets a mystery that brings the unexpected into her life in the form of the boy next door—and a threat they’ll only survive together.

Autumn Skye by Kathleen Y’Barbo
Autumn is good at one thing: cutting ties. But the boy next door has her thinking the impossible. Maybe for the first time ever…she should stay. If only Nate wasn’t hiding secrets of his own…

O Little Town of Bethany by Rene Gutteridge & Cheryl McKay
Holly’s high society life leaves her empty, so she flees everything she knows and relocates to the one place she never forgot: the small town of Bethany, Georgia. Bethany is as quirky as its residents…and just what she needs. Especially as she begins to fall for the boy next door…

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Through The Shadows by Karen Barnett

May 20, 2016

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Through The Shadows by Karen Barnett was another great book in The Golden Gate Chronicles series. This is the third book in the series, and I think it may be my favorite in the series. I loved these characters, and I felt like I could relate to them more than I could the other characters. I also loved the subject of this book because it reminded me of one of my favorite author’s and her books that take place in North and South Korea and even though that this book takes place in San Francisco it reminded me of those books and I know that made me fall even more in love with this book. I could see myself acting like Elizabeth and Charles because the things that they are fighting against are also things that I would be against and try to change. This is a fantastic historical fiction book that I know just about everyone will love just as much as I do.

About The Book

The devastating earthquake is just two years past, but the city of San Francisco is still trying to recover. Destruction of this magnitude is not so easy to overcome-and neither are the past regrets shadowing Elizabeth King’s hopeful future.
Hoping to right her wrongs, Elizabeth dedicates herself to helping girls rescued from slavery in Chinatown brothels, even if it means putting her own life at risk to sneak through the gloomy alleys and rooftops where dangers lurk.
Putting her life on the line for a worthy cause is admirable. But opening her heart is even more terrifying. So when Elizabeth meets attorney, Charles McKinley–a man who dreams of reforming San Francisco’s crooked politics–Elizabeth begins to doubt: Can she maintain her pretense and hide her past? Or will her secret jeopardize both their futures?

About The Author

Karen Barnett is the author of Beyond the Ashes, Out of the Ruins, andMistaken. Named the 2013 Writer of Promise by Oregon Christian Writers, Karen lives in Albany, Oregon, with her husband and two kids. When she’s not writing novels, she loves speaking at women’s events, libraries, and book clubs.

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Her One and Only by Becky Wade

May 16, 2016

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Her One and Only by Becky Wade was a sweet love story. I have read all the other books in this series, but you don’t have to read the other books to understand what is going on in this book. I love books like this one because you get caught up with the characters from the other books which I always enjoy. I have to share one thing that bugged me because it is the only thing I didn’t like about this book, and that is the fact that I don’t like the two people they have on the cover because in my head they don’t look anything like what I think the characters would look like. Even as I wrote that last statement, I had to laugh because that is the only thing that bugged me about the book. I loved this book and this series, and I don’t think that that will ever change.

About The Book

Romance Fans Eagerly Anticipate Every New Release from Becky Wade
Gray Fowler, star NFL tight end, is being pursued by a stalker, so his team hires a protection agency to keep Gray under the watch of a bodyguard at all times. When Gray meets Dru Porter, an agent assigned to him, he’s indignant. How can an attractive young female half his size possibly protect him?
But Dru’s a former Marine, an expert markswoman, and a black belt. She’s also ferociously determined to uncover the identity of Gray’s stalker. And she’s just as determined to avoid any kind of romantic attachment between herself and the rugged football player with the mysterious past. But the closer they get to finding the stalker, the closer they grow to each other. As the danger rises, can Dru and Gray entrust their hearts–and their lives–to one another?

About The Author

Becky Wade is a native of California who attended Baylor University, met and married a Texan, and moved to Dallas. She published historical romances for the general market, took time off to raise her children, then felt God nudging her to pursue contemporary Christian fiction. Becky’s work has been a finalist for both a RITA and an INSPY Award.

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Someone Like You by Victoria Bylin

May 14, 2016

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Someone Like You by Victoria Bylin was a fantastic book. I was able to figure out what was going to happen through most of the book, but that is pretty usual for me when it comes to romance novels. This is the first book I have read by this author, and I am so glad to have found another author to read. I also loved that I didn’t have to worry about what was going to happen in the book because it is a Christian novel and that always makes reading these books easy for me. I enjoyed all the characters in this book, but if I had to pick my favorite character, I would have to choose Zeke. He is one of my favorite characters that I have read about lately, and I hope that she will write others books and have him in so I can catch up with him later. If you love romance novels than I know, you will love this book as much as I did.

About The Book

Realistic Characters Shine in Bylin’s Latest Romance

Julia Dare is trying to run her own business, raise her young son, Max, and help her widowed mother. Her biggest worry, though, is keeping Max’s father from being a bad influence while still allowing the boy to spend time with his dad. When an account from her event-planning business sends her to Caliente Springs resort, she’s shocked to encounter Zeke Monroe, her college sweetheart.

Zeke is determined to keep Caliente Springs running despite financial trouble. When Julia walks back into his life, he’s surprised at the feelings she stirs up. As they work together on an important client’s wedding, the fate of the resort soon depends on their success. With Zeke and Julia both pushed to their limits, will their history put up walls between them or bring them together?

About The Author

Known for her realistic, likable characters and vivid writing, Victoria Bylin writes both western and contemporary inspirational romance. Her next book, Until I Found You, hits the shelves in May 2014. Victoria’s books have finaled in the ACFW Carol Awards, the Rita Awards and RT Magazine’s Reviewers’ Choice Awards. She and her husband currently live in Lexington, Kentucky and have two grown sons.

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His To Love by Stacey Lynn

May 11, 2016

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

His To Love by Stacey Lynn wasn’t my favorite book that I have read lately. I had a hard time getting into the story, and I am not sure why. I had a hard time trying to connect with the characters, and while I was reading it, I found myself looking ahead at what books I have coming up. I did enjoy the author’s style of writing, and I am interested in checking out other books by her because I think this book just wasn’t the right fit for me. I am sure that if you love romance novels, then this book will be something you will love it just wasn’t the right fit for me.

About The Book

In the explosive debut of Stacey Lynn’s irresistible Fireside series, a pair of estranged lovers are reunited by dangerous loyalties—and intoxicating desire.

Tyson Blackwell never saw it coming when his Mafia princess girlfriend dumped him and disappeared at the age of eighteen. He never forgot her, either, even after what happened next: the killing of his father, a Detroit PD officer, at the hands of one ofher father’s men. Tyson swore revenge, and now, ten years later, the kid who dreamed of a pro football career is a hard-nosed FBI agent, back in town to take down the Galecki crime family once and for all. But Tyson’s mission gets complicated fast—because going undercover means seducing the only woman he’s ever loved.

Gabriella “Blue” Galecki has been in hiding for a decade. She finally comes home to spend time with her terminally ill mother, only to receive a blast from the past when she runs into Tyson. His brooding eyes and electrifying touch still send chills down her spine. But as heir to the family empire, Blue has been promised to another. Caught in a web of deception, she is tempted to pull the trigger on the boldest risk she’s ever taken: trusting Tyson with her life, her body, and her heart.

Includes a special message from the editor, as well as an excerpt from another Loveswept title.

About The Author

Stacey Lynn lives in the midwest with her husband and four young children. She can usually be found lost inside her own head, trying to bring her characters to life. When she’s engaged in the real world, she’s spending time with her family, drinking large amounts of coffee, and eating Skittles by the handful.

For more information about Stacey Lynn and her upcoming books visit:

http://www.staceylynnbooks.com
Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/staceylynnbooks
Twitter:@staceylynnbooks

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Mars . . . With Venus Rising by Hope Toler Dougherty

May 6, 2016

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Mars . . . With Venus Rising by Hope Toler Dougherty was a super sweet story. I found that this story was pretty predictable, but I still loved the book. I fell in love with Penn right from the start, and I had to keep reading because I wanted to know how it all worked out for her throughout the book. I also loved how John got Penn to do things that she was scared to do and how he showed her that she could do all of them. I loved how patient he was with her and how he treated her throughout the book. Like I said I knew what was going to happen but I still enjoyed this book, and it is one that I will keep in my personal collection of books. If you are looking for a sweet romance novel to read this spring or summer, I think you will love this book as much as I did.

About The Book

A meddling horse, paper bag floors and a flying saucer on the town square. The little town of Mars has it all–including a brand new resident who might spell heartache for one of its own.

Twenty-something Penn Davenport yearns for an exciting life in the big city and wants to shed the label of orphan that she’s worn for years. To achieve that dream, she must pass the CPA exam then move away from the two aunts who reared her after her parents died in a plane crash.

When John Townsend—full of life and the joy of living—moves to town, he rattles Penn’s view of herself, her life, and her dreams…which isn’t such a bad thing until she falls for him and discovers he’s a pilot.

About The Author

Hope Toler Dougherty holds a Master’s degree in English and taught at East Carolina University as well as York Technical College. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime, she lives with her husband, Kevin, in North Carolina and chats with their two daughters and twin sons through ooVoo.