My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing
Journey to to California, Yellowstone, and Las Vegas on three romantic trips in this boxed set of novellas by USA Today bestselling author Annette Lyon:
THE PIER CHANGES EVERYTHING
Alexandria has one last task to perform for her late husband, who died much too young: scatter his ashes in the Pacific Ocean. She goes to the Santa Monica Pier to do just that, but her plans get sidetracked after meeting Michael and feeling an immediate connection to him. They grab lunch, and the more time they spend together, the more they discover that they have in common—including past romantic hardships. As the day wears on, Alexandria begins learn that her heart just might be able to find love again.
(originally published in A Timeless Romance Anthology: California Dreamin' Collection)
OUR SONG
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.
(originally published in A Timeless Romance Anthology: Annette Lyon Collection)
HEAD OVER HEELS
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.
(originally published in A Timeless Romance Anthology: Road Trip Collection)
My Review
This is a fabulous collection of three of my favorite novellas by Annette Lyon! It was a pleasure to read all of them again and I loved visiting the various settings with the characters.
The Pier Changes Everything is a lovely blend of fading grief and budding hope as childhood summer sweethearts serendipitously reconnect after several years apart. I loved how they were each at a turning point in their lives, attempting to leave heartache behind them and move on. It was sweet how they felt that instant connection and sense of rightness, being together again. I think this would make a great longer story as well, I would have liked to learn more about their experiences together at camp and how it shaped their lives leading up to present day, as well as more of the secondary characters like Michael's friend Nate. I feel like it's a well-written novella because I quickly got a good sense of their personalities, circumstances, and felt the depth of their emotions during their interactions. It wrapped up with a feeling of excitement for what the future holds for this wonderful couple.
Our Song is a great example of perception versus reality, and I appreciated the message of the true characteristics of love and what contributes to a successful and lasting relationship. The status quo between Cassie and Matt gets shaken up, but it wakes them both up to digging deep and getting out of their comfort zones to realize what they really want. It was fun to see what Matt cooked up to catch Cassie's attention! I'm a big fan of camping and the national parks, so I loved the setting and Cassie and Matt's jobs.
Head Over Heels is an entertaining story! The way Tristan's friend Alyssa connects her with the hot guy she met briefly at ComicCon is great, and even though Mac seems charming and cool, we soon see the more approachable and goofy side of him that is endearing. They have awesome chemistry and it's fun to see the beginnings of a relationship with two people that match together so well. They are the kind of people I like to be friends with :) This is one of my top 10 novellas that I love to re-read!
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
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