Hello Again by: Heather Tullis

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Piper Daniels has one wish—to keep her little brother out of trouble—but her work schedule and a lack of activities for teens in her neighborhood complicate that mission. When she latches onto the idea of starting a community garden, it seems to answer all of her requirements. Until she realizes who owns the property she wants to use.

Reece Stone was the love of her life ten years earlier, until he left with only a phone call goodbye and no explanation. Now he’s the head of Stone Enterprises, and he’s thrilled at the chance to make amends and spend time with the woman he’s never been able to forget. He knows they can find love again, if he can melt her anger enough to give him a chance.

MY THOUGHTS:
I loved the DeCarlo Bride series and I am so excited Heather has decided to start a new series! This was such a great book! I love the idea of a community garden. I think it is a great way to bring people together. I am growing a garden for the first time really this year. The look on my kids’ when they see ripe veggies, even if they don't like to eat that particular one, is priceless! I loved Piper and Reece's story. Fate brought them together when they were young and then again when they were ready for love. I love the bond and friendship they were able to form while working thru the garden project. Even though, at first, they were both cautious about forming any sort of relationship. And the ending was awesome as well. I love a good happily ever after! I can't wait to read more books in this series. Great job Heather! Awesome book!

Picture Perfect (Aliso Creek Series Book 1) by: Heather B. Moore

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Liz, Gemma, Arie, Jess, and Drew have been best friends since creating “the Five” at Aliso Creek High School. But that was over ten years ago, and each is still trying to find that perfect someone . . . if perfect is even possible.

In PICTURE PERFECT, Gemma has never done anything out of the ordinary, until her boyfriend Randy starts to ignore her. But even cutting and dyeing her hair doesn’t get his attention. She decides to join her old high school friends for spring vacation, only to be faced with Drew, her best friend who suddenly seems interested in her as more than a friend. Gemma must determine if her heart is on the rebound or if it’s finally met its true match.

MY THOUGHTS:

I love this novella. I just read it again for the second time and it was just as good this time around. I think we all wish we had a group of friends that we grew up with and still hang out with into adulthood. Honestly I don't know many people that do but I'm sure there are some out there. This novella is the start of such a great set of novellas. If you enjoyed this one I highly recommend the others. They are awesome! They are all the feel good clean romance novels we all want to read. Gemma and Drew have a great story that was years in the making! Nothing is better than falling for your best friend!

Annette Lyon Collection (A Timeless Romance Anthology Book 12) by: Annette Lyon

Annette Lyon Collection (A Timeless Romance Anthology Book 12) by: Annette Lyon

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Amazon #1 Bestselling series in *New Release* for Clean Romance

The ANNETTE LYON COLLECTION contains brand new contemporary romance novella OUR SONG, as well as five hand-picked readers’ and reviewers’ favorites of Annette’s popular Timeless Romance Anthology novellas. Readers will love this selection of three contemporary and three historical romance novellas.

In OUR SONG, a charming romance novella, Cassie and Matt have been dating in the Yellowstone area for two years, and things are, well, average. When Cassie meets up with two college friends who are visiting, their love lives like sound like fairy tales: rose petals, chocolates, candles on the beach… Cassie goes home feeling like she’s missing out. After all, repeatedly watching Old Faithful erupt and walking through sulfur-smelling gases at Fountain Paint Pot don’t exactly say “romance.” Maybe things with Matt aren’t going anywhere, and it’s time to move on. Then she discovers that perception and reality are completely different things. Now she can only hope it isn’t too late to show Matt how much she really cares.

In the sweet novella GOLDEN SUNRISE, Natalie takes time out of her crazy schedule to fly to Vegas for her best friend’s wedding. Sierra and Jason, high-school sweethearts, are finally getting married. Fortunately for Natalie, her old high-school flame, Adam, has a work commitment and can’t be there as best man. But when she arrives at the wedding rehearsal—late and ragged—Adam is there. When Adam makes a wild suggestion, Natalie just may take him up on it, even though she knows he’s moved on. A single choice may mean Natalie is taking a shot at reclaiming the past—or that she's putting her heart in harm’s way a second time.

FIRSTS AND LASTS, an enchanting novella, begins with Dani’s last week in New York. She’s failed in her dreams to catch a break as an actress and is now ready to return home and dust herself off. As she visits the places on her final to-see list, she meets Mark, another New York City transplant with big dreams. Except Mark hasn’t given up on his. As they spend the day together, Dani realizes that even though she hasn’t hit the “big time” she might be living her dream after all. Only problem: she has a one-way ticket back home.



In the compelling novella WAR OF HEARTS, Anna, a journalist, is desperate to escape the magazine where Pete, her now-former boyfriend, also works. Heartbroken and still in love with him, Anna snags an assignment to cover the Winter War in Finland. She arrives at a snowy Finnish battlefront only to discover that Pete is already there—as her photographer. She’s determined to be professional about the situation until a battle breaks out in camp, putting her and Pete in harm’s way and putting their love to the test.

The captivating novella BETWEEN THE LINES follows Jane Martin, who is intelligent but extremely shy, especially around men. When the Aid and Cultural Society proposes a letter-writing program, Jane signs up, hoping she can find true friendship. The program doesn’t run as smoothly as expected, and unknown to Jane, one of the men in her city becomes her writing friend. Thomas Allred has always known shy and quiet Jane, but reading her letters written to his secret persona, opens his eyes to what an amazing woman she is. The only trouble is, Jane doesn’t know that the man who she is falling in love with through letters is also Thomas, the man who is falling in love with her in person.

In the charming novella A TASTE OF HOME, we meet Claire Jennings, who’s on her way to spend Christmas with her family. As she rides the train with William Rhodes, who grew up across the street, memories of the past flood her mind. He may be twenty-one now, but she can’t forget his torturous teasing from their school years. At the rail station, Claire discovers her home is under quarantine because her little brother has measles. She's stuck in town, away from her family, on her favorite holiday, with William.

MY THOUGHTS:

I love Annette's books. The are so light hearted and clean. They are books I love sharing with both my Mother and my Daughter. She always writes in a way any age will love her stories. I was given this book in exchange for an honest review so here they are: 

OUT SONG

 I loved this novella and I love visiting Yellowstone. Cassie found herself trying to compare her relationship with Matt to the one her friends were trying to make her believe they had. My favorite part of this story was: “Even hidden beneath a mountain, the magma is always there. It will always be hotter and last longer than any firework display. Fireworks may look flashy for a few seconds, but they burn right out.” She went onto her toes and pressed her lips to his briefly again. Then she pulled back slightly, so their noses nearly touched. “I thought I wanted fireworks. But I forgot that I already had— that we already have— the real thing: magma.” Sometimes it takes looking at something again to realize things are really as bad as they first seemed and what you have is already pretty great! 

GOLDEN SUNRISE

Natalie and Adam were high school sweethearts but after a bad break up at graduation the last thing she wanted was to reconnect. When they end join Vegas for a wedding of their best friends they can't seem to avoid each other. Vegas holds a special place in my heart because my husband and I were married there. I love that they were both able to reminisce about their good times together and in the end got their happy ending! 

FIRSTS AND LASTS

I loved this story. The chance of meeting someone on the street that you can form an instant bond with is pretty rare. Dani and Mark were fast friends with a lot in common. My favorite line from this story is, "And I can’t help but think that no matter how miserable all of the hard parts will be, they’ll be easier if you’re there going through them with me.” Everyone needs someone to help them they the hard parts of life! They got their happy ending! 

WAR OF HEARTS

Anna and Pete had broken up and in their attempts to run away from each other it only led them back to one another. Sometimes it takes being apart to realize that you really are meant to be together. This story also teaches the importance of communication I think things would have been a little easier for them if they would have been able to talk it out. All in all though it was a great story! 

BETWEEN THE LINES

The Love Letter collection is one of my favorites of the Anthologies! This novella is so sweet I love how Jane and Thomas were able to form such a wonderful relationship through letter writing and in turn it helped their in person relationship at the same time. If you loved this story defiantly get the Love Letter Collection! 

A TASTE OF HOME

I love the magic of Christmas time. I love how these 2 childhood 'enemies' where thrown together during Christmas time. How they were able to make the best of the situation and to fall in love! It shows how even the smallest kind gestures can really go a long way!

The Christmas Card by: Amanda Tru

ABOUT THE BOOK:
A Christmas card meant to win the heart of a woman, changes the hearts of many. Cole Nikols had spent months planning the perfect night for his girlfriend, Sarah Whitman. But when Sarah abandons their date for yet another emergency with her ever-demanding charitable work, everything falls apart. Now, instead of planning their future, Cole is worried he’s ruined any chance he had with Sarah. Wanting to prove his love for Sarah, Cole writes a Christmas card. He sends it to everyone he knows, spreading the message of Sarah’s generous life and dedication to God, while asking others for help in his project of winning the woman he loves. However, never does he imagine the far reach and impact one Christmas card can make. Landing in the hands of so many different people, it produces a chain that changes lives forever. As the Christmas card’s stories come full circle, will Cole’s plan work? Will a Christmas card be enough to win Sarah’s heart?"

MY THOUGHTS:

I loved this book and the whole idea behind it. What Amanda would like to accomplish is so awesome! The whole concept behind it reminds me of the movie Pay It Forward. This book however is based more religiously on what would we do for the Savior. I love that Amanda wants to get the word out about her genius project around Christmas. The point is to have people that are doing random acts of kindness with the soul purpose of keeping the Savior in mind. That is the true meaning of Christmas anyway!!! I can't wait to put this plan in motion and to spread the word both about the project and the book! I plan to get my kids involved but I hope I can also get my church ward involved as well. It is a great idea and a great book! Once again Amanda impresses me with her talent and her great ideas. I hope this one goes far and does many wonderful things!

At Last: Book 3 in the Love and Weddings Trilogy (Volume 3) by: Shannon Guymon

To learn more about Shannon and her books visit her website:  http://shannonguymon.blogspot.com/

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Maya Tenney just wants to feel safe again. She never would have pictured herself as a woman who runs from danger, but being put in the hospital by a violent man has made her realize that staying alive is more important than her pride. She'll even move in with the grouchiest man she knows if that will scare off her ex.Tristan Jensen knows what it's like to deal with heartbreak, but he's not okay with anyone who hurts women. He's intrigued with Maya but he's done with women who manipulate and use others. Will these two be able to get past their misconceptions of each other or will they let pride destroy what could be a great love story?

MY THOUGHTS:

I knew that if I started this book I wouldn't be able to put it down but I started it around 9pm last night anyway. I read till 2am and then finished it this morning. The town of Fircrest is awesome. The more you read the more you really fall in love with them all. I love how Shannon is able to pull all their stories together how they have formed a bond and really watch out for each other. I loved the theme I got from this book that there is good in people and you can persevere even after hard times. My favorite line from the book is " It’s hard to find someone who’s all good or all bad. Life is a collage of gray areas and it takes compassion and empathy to see that.” Maya and Tristan were both coming from a rough relationship and didn't have trust but without even trying found they had a bond and friendship they couldn't ignore. Their story is a great one and I loved how the whole town pulled together to help them. Shannon has a great gift for story telling and I can't wait for more from Fircrest!

Assumption of Guilt by: Amanda Tru

 ABOUT THE BOOK:
CHRISTIAN ROMANTIC SUSPENSE NOVELLA

Nobody stops to think what it would be like to be arrested. That just doesn’t happen to normal people, right?

When a major theft happens at a party she’s attending, Sophie James finds herself the prime suspect. Has she been framed or was she just in the wrong place at the wrong time? Now Sophie must convince the police, along with her cop boyfriend, that she’s innocent. With no record, no motive, and no evidence, that shouldn’t be difficult.

Then why does no one seem to believe her?

MY THOUGHTS:

I loved this novella! Amanda's books have a way of pulling you in and you really connect well with the characters of the book! I found myself really feeling bad for Sophie and her situation. This book is full of twists and the ending is very surprising, it was a lot of fun! It's a great afternoon read. Even my 11 year old is enjoying it so far and she is not much of a reader. I love Amanda's books they never disappoint.

Random Acts of Deceit (Holly Anna Paladin Mysteries Book 2) by: Christy Barritt

To learn more about Christy Barritt and her books visit her website: http://www.christybarritt.com/

ABOUT THE BOOK:

“Break up with Chase Dexter, or I’ll kill him.” Holly Anna Paladin never expected such a gut-wrenching ultimatum. But the man threatening her makes it clear he’s dead serious. With home invasions, hidden cameras, and bombs threats, Holly must make some serious choices. Whatever Holly decides, the consequences will either break her heart or break her soul. She tries to match wits with the masked man, but he’s always a step ahead of her. The more she fights, the deeper she’s drawn into the perilous situation. Dealing with the ultimatum, her sister’s wedding problems, and riots that have broken out in the city, Holly’s nearly at her breaking point. She must discover the identity of this mystery man before someone she loves dies. But the deceit is threatening to pull her under . . . six feet under.

MY THOUGHTS:

I loved Holly Anna in the first book, and after reading the second one, I love her even more. She is totally someone I would want to be friends with. I loved this book. It was full of action and excitement. Holly Anna seems to find herself in trouble like Gabby from the Squeaky Clean Series. It got me thinking maybe there will be a lot more books in this series and I like that idea! Holly is forced to make some really tough decisions and has to face them alone. It shows her true strength and her love for Chase! After all she went through in the first book it was tough to see her go thru so much again but she was strong and persevered and I was glad she got a happy ending! As always Christy's books are amazing! 

NOTE: I was gifted this book by the Author in exchange for a honest review!

 

Still Time by: Maria Hoagland

To Learn more about Maria and her books visit her website: http://www.mariahoagland.com/

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Thrust into the chaos of her mother-in-law’s hoarding and forgetfulness, LDS church member Alyssa Johnston wishes she could retreat to a simpler time when her kids were small and almost anything could be fixed with a hug. But reassurance and a quick distraction no longer erase the pain of a missionary son who is struggling, a young teen who is bullied, or a daughter who is distant. As Aly’s own life and relationship with her husband plunge out of control, she wonders if her faith will be enough to keep her family—or herself—from falling apart. Still Time is a deeply moving story about a woman’s faithful journey into the next phase of her life. You will laugh with Aly, feel her sorrow, and see yourself in Maria Hoagland’s realistic, heartfelt portrayal of a woman’s struggle to keep her family safe and hold back time as long as she can.


MY THOUGHTS:

This is the first of Maria's books I have reviewed. It took me a while to get used to reading a book written in first person. In the end though, I felt like I could connect with the characters and the story well. 'Aly' was one brave woman to tackle taking care teenagers and her mother-in-law at the same time. It was nice to read that she had the same feelings and thoughts I would have had in those situations. She was far more patient than I would have been though.  My favorite line from the book was, "If you let the Lord write the story of your mission, it will be a story worth telling." In the book they were talking about serving an LDS mission but I think that applies to life as well. If we dedicate our lives to the Lord our story will be a great one! I love discovering new Authors. I own Maria's other books as well and look forward to reading them soon!