A Bride for Keeps by Melissa Jagears

After three failed attempts, Everett Cline is not happy when another--uninvited--mail-order bride steps off the train. But is she the wife he's been waiting for?

I thought that this was an interesting premise for a story. It is unusual in that Everett has such bad luck with brides. I really felt for him in that he just wasn't sure he wanted to put his heart on the line again.  Also, it was intriguing that Julia had so much baggage coming in. She had to deal with the bad memories concerning her mother's death in childbirth and her own attack.

So many times I really just wanted them to find a few minutes to talk instead of building on all of the miscommunications and  personal issues.

I also liked that she was so willing to learn how to do things that she had no experience with beforehand. Even when it caused her to get hurt.

It was a good read and one that I would recommend to friends. :)

Friends to Lovers by Christi Barth

When I started this book it put me in mind of Nora Roberts' Bride Quartet series. Probably since I am currently rereading it, but there were a lot of similarities. Friends running a business surrounding weddings, the long time friends who fall in love... I have not read the rest of the series, and so there were a few aspects that I think would have made better sense if I had the full background. It can be read by itself, but I think it best that I go back and read the rest for the full effect.

Friends to lovers happens to be one of my favorite romantic tropes. Mainly because I like the idea of finding love where you least expect it, and with someone who knows you more completely than anyone else. I have to say though that the Cinderella moment, where Daphne kisses Gib in the dark was super fun, especially when he was going on and on about her and she was right there the whole time!
The emotional depth was enjoyable. I really felt for her as she dealt with what she assumed was rejection, and the ensuing crisis of friendship. I liked that Daphne was determined to make positive changes at the beginning of her year and that she actually made some headway, unlike me... :)

Gib and his conflict of leaving the country on such short notice added plenty of angst and denial on Daphne's part, but all is well that ends well.

A Touch of Lilly by Nina Pierce

This was an interesting twist. I thought that the seraphelium aspect was unique and well thought out. I liked that Lilly had her own agenda and that she was savvy enough to use her skills to keep herself alive.
I have to say that in the midst of everything the conversations were a bit hard to follow as Thaegan and Dallas are arguing, and then how they switch sides of the argument.  I think that it took a bit too long to actually state the reason that Dallas wasn't affected by her gift. It was pretty clear fairly early on.

It did of course seem like it was a bit thin in some areas of the story, the actual get the bad guy plot was a bit too convenient for my tastes.

All in all it was entertaining and given the glossary at the end of the book I can see that there will be more installments to this series.

I received an ARC via Netgalley in return for an honest review.

The Lighthouse Brides Collection- Various Authors

The Lighthouse Brides Collection: 6 Romances Develop at Historic Light Stations by Andrea Boeshaar

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I liked the stories in this compilation. Normally when I pick up a book with multiple stories I expect them to be at least partially related. That is not the case here, which is mentioned in the complete title...

Anyway, I love lighthouses and that is part of the reason I wanted to read this one. The men and women who tended lighthouses were made from some strong stuff. I think that the second story was my favorite. It was interesting to see how Lynette dealt with her grief, and the mystery of the "ghost" was unexpected.

Each couple had a strong enough connection as to be believable which can be difficult given the short story format. I found something to love about each story and was happy to have read this collection.

I received an ARC via Netgalley in return for an honest review.



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Moan for Him by Terry Towers

Let me start by saying that I was a little nervous as I read the introduction to this book. I am definitely not one for books that push past my "ick factor" line. That said, kudos to the author for writing for those who don't share my feelings. 

Once I realized that the relationship between Grant and Nikki was not truly incestuous I relaxed.  The story is a bit thin in areas. But the parts that were completely "out there" were few and bearable.
I thought that Nikki seemed to have been sexualized fairly early to have been lusting after Grant for such a long time.

I am so happy that I was able to review the complete (so far) collection of the story. I am not a fan of the serialized story movement.I probably will not seek out the next installment, mainly because I can live with where the story ended and I am just not invested enough in the story to go further.
I received an ARC via Netgalley in return for an honest review.