Review: A Timeless Romance Anthology: Road Trip Collection by Jolene Betty Perry, Sarah M. Eden, Annette Lyon, Heather B. Moore, Aubrey Mace, Ranee S. Clark

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

#1 Amazon Bestselling Romance Anthology in Clean Romance
Six new contemporary romance novellas from bestselling authors.

WHAT FALLING FEELS LIKE by Jolene Betty Perry
High school was years ago, and Kendell is ready to admit that Tyler, her best friend’s younger brother, has matured into a good-looking man. But the once-popular Kendell is recovering from a marriage-gone-wrong, and she regrets turning Tyler down for high school prom. On their road trip to deliver a refurbished camper, Kendell rediscovers all the reasons she liked Tyler, but it might be too late to rekindle their friendship.

ANTIQUES ROAD TRIP by Sarah M. Eden
Kelsey is living out her dream for the weekend as she participates in a reality show contest by living on a 19th century film set. The contestant who wins the show receives a trip to England and $100k, more than enough to get her through grad school. When she meets Devon, who was coerced by his sister to participate, friendship blossoms. When things go wrong for Kelsey, Devon is there to help, and she soon realizes that winning the contest isn’t what she most desires.

WOULDN’T IT BE NICE by Ranee` S. Clark
When Jacqueline's boyfriend Colin drops out of their long-planned road trip with friends to put his job first—again—it's the final nail in the coffin of their dying relationship. But then Hudson, her best friend’s brother, takes Colin's spot for the road trip, and Jacqueline’s disappointment in her ex takes a back seat to the chance for reestablishing the close ties she once had with Hudson. When their friendship detours into romance, it forces Jacqueline to question her reasons for breaking up with Colin and her future with Hudson.

HEAD OVER HEELS by Annette Lyon
Tristan is proud to be an entrepreneur, running a popular singles’ lifestyle blog. So when she gets an offer to cover a singles convention in Las Vegas, she needs to find a way to get there from another freelance job in Salt Lake without breaking into her personal savings. Her friend sets her up with a co-worker who happens to be driving that way, and Tristan is more than surprised to come face-to-face with a man she has a lot in common with, not to mention seems to click with right away. The two decide to play a prank on Tristan’s friend, and pretend that they are smitten with each other, but soon, the lines between pretend and reality start to fade.

TWO DOZEN ROSES by Heather B. Moore
Dayna reluctantly takes time out of her busy work life to drive her mother up the Pacific Coast Highway from California to her brother’s home in Oregon. Strangely enough, they keep running into two brothers who are traveling the same route in honor of their sister’s memory. The older brother Garrett is a merciless flirt, but the younger brother Roman is who captures Dayna’s attention. Soon she realizes that the brothers are extremely competitive, and she’s just become their next target.

TRY, TRY AGAIN by Aubrey Mace
Sarah’s secret crush on Justin takes a sudden turn when he breaks up with his girlfriend and declares that he’s interested in Sarah. She believes he’s just on the rebound, and they slowly drift apart. Six months later, Sarah still can’t stop thinking about what might have been. She ropes her friend into taking a road trip to visit Justin, hoping for a second chance. When Justin sees her, he wants answers, and Sarah has to decide if she’s brave enough to finally tell him the truth.

My Review

I love that the stories in this collection are so very different from each other, even with the same theme! The premises are creative, the details are fun, and the romance is sweet as always. I love taking road trips, especially with my husband since he prefers driving and I can read my books :) These stories capture the feeling of adventure and escape that hitting the road has in store. The most light-hearted of the bunch and my personal favorite is 'Head Over Heels" with the classic road trip element of singing 80's ballads at the top of your lungs, a Tom Hiddleston look-alike, and the out-of-nowhere romance that ensues (what a fun first kiss!). The other novellas offer a bit more relationship drama/angst, and Sarah Eden's regency reality show takes the term road trip to a whole new level with horse drawn carriages. Highly recommend- a great summer read!

(Thank you to Ebooks For Review for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)

Review: Once Upon a Cowboy by Lacy Williams

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

A princess on-the-run finds sanctuary where she least expects it... After nearly dying in an assassination attempt, Princess Alessandra of Glorvaird escapes to a place no one would ever think to look for her: small town Oklahoma and a ranch staffed by a herd of wooly, uncouth cowboys. One cowboy in particular gets under her skin, until she sees his softer side. She knows this interlude can't last forever, but that doesn't stop her from wishing it might... Former Navy SEAL Gideon Hale might've rescued the princess from freezing to death, but the soldier doesn't trust easily-or at all-especially when his gut tells him Alessandra is keeping secrets. But as Alessandra begins to fit into his life, he discovers another side to the princess-one that he can't help but like. When Alessandra's enemies close in, Gideon must fight to save the woman who has become so much more than a princess... "Once Upon a Cowboy" is a contemporary western retelling of the Snow White fairytale and Book 1 in the Cowboy Fairytales series. Other books include: Cowboy Charming and The Toad Prince.

My Review

I enjoyed this novella about a modern day princess. The author did a great job portraying her desperation to escape, her fear of danger, and trauma from the recent violence. Gideon is a pretty tough nut to crack, but when he falls, he falls hard. Allie's pleasure in cooking for the cowboys and working in the kitchen endears her to all the men working on the ranch, and soon they can't imagine life without her. The fact that her stay is just temporary creates a strong tension, while the suspense from the danger she's in keeps the story quickly moving forward. Looking forward to reading more in the series!

(Thank you to the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)

Review: Between the Lines by Annette Lyon

Between the Lines is only 99 cents! This sweet novella is worth every penny ;)

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

Jane Martin 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 a friend across the miles. But the program doesn’t run as smoothly as expected.

Unbeknownst to her, Thomas Allred from town becomes her writing friend. Thomas has always known quiet Jane—or thought he did—but reading her letters addressed to his secret persona opens his eyes to what an amazing woman she is. Meanwhile, Jane has no idea that the romantic letters she receives are penned by Thomas—or that he’s falling in love with her in person.

My Review

I love this sweet story! Thomas starts out just trying to be the solution to the problem of matching everyone up with a pen pal, and it's great how he is able to come to know the thoughtful and vibrant personality of the shyest girl in town. Of course, then he has another problem- how to get her to fall in love with his real self, rather than his pen pal persona. The spirit of hopefulness and discovery makes this a story to remember and one I enjoy re-reading when I'm in the mood for a quick feel-good tale!

Between the Lines was originally published in the Timeless Romance Anthology: Love Letters Collection.

(I purchased this novella as part of the original collection; this is my honest review)

Review & Giveaway: Beyond the Rising Tide by Sarah Beard

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

Kai met Avery only once--in the moment he died saving her life. Now when he's not using his new healing powers to help people, he watches helplessly as Avery's life is unraveled by his death. To help her, he risks everything by breaking the rules, dangerously blurring the barriers between life and death.

My Review

Wow. Just, wow. Beyond the Rising Tide has everything I love in a YA novel- strong emotions, vulnerable characters, and a creative setting. The paranormal aspects of Kai's existence outside of mortality are fascinating and well-depicted. They don't dominate the story but provide support for an imaginative plot. Avery's grief and depression are easy to relate to, and her struggles are compounded by a thoughtless ex-boyfriend and bipolar mother. I appreciated the levels of complexity in the dynamics of Avery's relationships with her family. As more was revealed I was drawn deeper into the story and really felt for everyone involved. Kai's determination to help Avery, even without much of a game plan, made me admire his faith that he can make a difference. Even though the timeline of their relationship is brief, the development of their friendship and focus on being there for each other gives their stronger feelings a foundation of trust and support. While Avery's healing process is beautiful, it was the moments where Kai's recognition of his new feelings of peace and being loved pierced his heart that I was brought to tears. There is an overall sense of desperation as there doesn't seem to be any way for them to be together, but of course I always hold out hope for a happy ending ;) I loved this amazing journey and highly recommend it!

(Thank you to the author and Cedar Fort Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)

About the Author

Sarah Beard is the author of YA novels Porcelain Keys and Beyond the Rising Tide. She earned a degree in communications from the University of Utah and is currently pursuing an MFA in writing from VCFA. When she's not writing, she referees wrestling matches between her three boys and listens to audiobooks while folding self-replicating piles of laundry. She is a breast cancer survivor, a baker of sweets, a seeker of good love stories, a composer of melancholy music, and a traveler who wishes her travel budget was much bigger. She lives with her husband and children in the shadow of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains.

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