Cowboy On The Run by Devon McKay

Cowboy On The Run
By: Devon McKay
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
Published: January 25, 2014
Genre: Contemporary, Romance 
Length: Novel
Heat Level: Spicy
Reviewer: ReadingPatti
Date: January 5, 2016

Running from a final fight with his drunk and abusive father, Nate had never planned to return to the town where the only good thing had been a brunette beauty with more compassion than he deserved. But finding himself on a ranch for boys facing the same issues not only taught him how to be a man, it taught him that there was more to life than running.

Nate Walker always did know how to make an entrance, once again turning Jessie Calhoun's routine life upside down. Unfortunately, he'd also had the same impact when he left her mending a broken heart in a cloud of dust and taillights.

But this time would be different.

No longer that gullible, naive girl he left behind, she'd be a fool to fall under his spell again. Especially now that she had more at stake--two very important reasons.

Wow!! What a great read!!

Nate Walker has come back home for his father’s funeral and to claim his family’s ranch. But the ranch isn’t the most important thing on his mind to claim. It’s a person. Nate wants his Jesse back. He left her many years ago. Now he wants her back, but Jesse is not interested or so she claims.

Sparks begin to fly when they see each other for the first time in years, but Jesse has more important things to think about than Nate. Things are happening on her ranch and Nate is the last thing on her mind.

As schemes come to head, they once again discover that the love they had as teenagers is still there. It is stronger than it was before and they realize that they belong together.

I loved this book from the beginning. I just knew that when Nate Walker came back home to his family ranch and to the woman he loves, that sparks where going to fly. Jesse Calhoun is the woman he left behind and now has come back to claim her. This was a great read. The relationship between them was funny and in the end, Nate and Jesse found their forever love and their forever home with each other.

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Of Love and Vengeance by Louise Lyndon

Of Love and Vengeance
By: Louise Lyndon
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
Published: October 1, 2015
Genre: Historical, Romance
Length: Novel
Heat Level: Spicy
Reviewer: ReadingPatti
Date: December 29, 2015

 

Forced to marry Lord Aymon to ensure her young nephew’s survival, English Lady Laila vows undying hatred for the Norman she holds responsible for the deaths of so many innocents. Discovering Aymon has committed an act of treason gives her the chance to seek vengeance he deserves. But can Laila let Aymon die at the hands of the king once she learns the truth?

A hardened Norman warrior, Lord Aymon has lived through atrocities no man ever should. With the invasion of England over, all he wants is a quiet life and a wife who will give him heirs and obey his every command. Instead, he finds himself wed to feisty and outspoken Laila. But when she learns the truth of his treasonous act, can Aymon count on her to keep his secret?

Laila must raise and protect her orphaned infant nephew, but a new lord is coming and their future is uncertain.

Lord Aymon is a Norman and Laila has not had any good dealings with them and they are looking any better. He decrees that they must wed, but Laila is able to gets him to agree to certain terms to the marriage.

As their life together begins, forces and people come to conspire against them and Lord Aymon is in the center of the turmoil and is arrested for treason. Can the two of them get through this and be there for each other? Will Laila stand by her husband and show him that he is worth becoming the man he always wanted to be? Last but not least can they be the Lord and Lady that their people need? Can they make their home Tynte safe and prosperous and ensure that everyone’s future is bright?

To do that they have to find the love that they never believed was possible…together.

At first I was not sure about this book, but the more I read the more I loved it. I love how Laila and Lord Aymon came together in spite of their really big differences and prejudices. They learned about each by talking and stood together to become a family and find that love that was meant to be for them. This is a great read and a really good historical novel. Worth the read.

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Stirring Up The Viscount by Marin McGinnes

Stirring Up The Viscount
By: Marin McGinnes
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
Published: January 30, 2015
Genre: Historical, Romance
Length: Novel
Heat Level: Spicy
Reviewer: ReadingPatti
Date: October 20, 2015

 

Seeking to escape an abusive husband, Theodora Ravensdale answers an ad in The Times for a job as cook in a country home. A fortuitous house fire enables her to fake her own death and flee to northern England and live under an assumed name. But Theodora’s refuge is not all she would wish, when she stirs emotions in the heir to the estate, Jonathan Tenwick, and in herself.

Meanwhile, as the connection between Theodora and Jonathan grows, her husband learns she did not perish in the fire, and searches for her. Fearing he is close to finding her, Theodora must flee again to protect the family and the viscount for whom she cares deeply. In the final confrontation with her husband, Theodora learns she is stronger than she ever knew, and love is worth fighting for.

Theodora Ravensdale's time for freedom has come.  She finally has a chance to escape her abusive husband when their house catches fire. Running away, she finds work, in the country, as a cook at Jonathan Tenwick’s house. 

While working and living close together, the two of them discover that they have a spark of attraction for each other. As time goes on, it grows and blossoms into more. 

I loved this book. Theodora is a strong woman who took a chance to leave her abusive husband. To find some peace. Little did she know that she would find Jonathan, the love of her life. Jonathan was settled in his life with his family until Theodora comes into his life. 

Theodora never believed that a man could love her for herself and Jonathan never believed that he would find a love of his own. In spite of what they have both gone through they find a way to be together and find that love that they were both meant to have.

Neither Theodora or Jonathan believed that they would find a love that was meant to last a life time. I liked how they fought what they were feeling and didn't succumb right away.  But best of all in the end they would have their happy ever after. I would recommend this book.

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A Cowboy’s Fate by Gini Rifkin

A Cowboy’s Fate
By: Gini Rifkin
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc
Published: May 28, 2014
Genre: Historical, Romance
Length: Novella
Heat Level: Spicy
Reviewer: ReadingPatti
Date: August 28, 2015

 

Kicked out of England for offending the Royal Family, Britania Rule heads for Leadville, in the Colorado backcountry. Passing herself off as a highborn lady, she pursues her dream of opening a parlor of spiritual enlightenment.

Cody James, her guide, thinks he must be half-crazy to hire-out to a female. But his luck at the gaming tables has run dry, and she’s his meal-ticket out of town. Betrayed by the only woman he ever loved, and shot and left for dead by a man he once called friend, Cody declares himself a loner.

Traveling side by side, they deny their desire for one another, but the Tarot cards say otherwise. Their hot night of passion confirms the prediction. Will love be waiting at the end of the trail? Or could Cody’s past destroy their future?

Forced to leave England, Britania Rule chose to come to The Colonies. She was looking for someone to take her to Leadville. Cody James was wanting to get a fresh start in Leadville, so he answered Britania’s ad. He thought she was very fancy. She thought he was infuriating. They start out, Britania is definitely not used to camping out in the on frontier. They share food, fire and sleep near each other. They get closer as they get closer to Leadville.

Britiana discovers that Cody is the man that will take care of her. They learn to respect each other and realized they that really do care about each other.  Along the way, they have several adventures that bring them even closer together. In spite of their differences and trials they had getting to Leadville, Cody and Britania found their love through their travels.

I really liked this book from the start. I love the characters. Britania Rule is not a woman afraid to take on a challenge. Cody James is a man for hire and does not really have a home or a family. It is not until he meets Britiania that he finds that maybe he can have that and more. Cody never expected to fall for a woman like Britania. In spite of their differences they found their love. I believe that they will have a very happy life together. I would recommend this book.

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The Incomparables by Various Authors

The Incomparables
By: Cerise DeLand, Sabrina York, Suzi, Lynne Connolly, Suzanna Medeiros, Dominique Eastwick
Published: June 18, 2015
Genre: Historical, Anthology, Romance, 
Length: Multiple Novellas
Heat Level: Spicy
Reviewer: Toni
Date: June 3, 2015

 

From the Duchess of Richmond’s ball in Brussels to the Battle of Waterloo and beyond, join these six unforgettable heroes as they journey back from the physical and emotional trials of war and discover the passion that thrills the body can also heal the heart.

Interlude with a Baron by Cerise DeLand
After Waterloo, Drayton Worth watched the woman he loved suffer because of his failures. Riddled with guilt he tries to improve Emma Bedlow's dreadful existence, while cursing his never-ending desire for her. Five years later, when he finally has the chance to convince her to share his life, she refuses. No man will control her ever again. She desires only an interlude with the charming baron, who is determined they'll have more.

The Captain’s Heart by Suzanna Medeiros
When the man who saves his life during the Battle of Waterloo dies from wounds that were meant for him, Captain Edward Hathaway must live with the guilt of having survived and is determined to fulfill that man’s dying wish.
Grace Kent only accepted her childhood friend's proposal of marriage so he wouldn't go off to war with a broken heart. But while she still grieves for her friend after learning of his death, she cannot resist her attraction to the handsome Captain Hathaway.

He is determined to discharge his duty at the expense of his own happiness. She wants only one taste of true passion. Can Captain Hathaway and Grace Kent overcome the guilt that continues to haunt them both and find true love?

Love After Waterloo by Suzi Love
Lady Anne Melton joins her brothers on the continent after the death of her soldier husband, hoping to keep her unborn baby from the clutches of his strict relations. With one brother an army physician and the other on Wellington’s staff, Anne uses her nursing skills at the battlefields and feels safer and more valued there than in London. Captain Gabriel Belling deems ladies near the army an unnecessary distraction for soldiers and makes his feelings known to Anne when they meet in Brussels.

Gabe, Anne, and her son travel with the last group of wounded to leave Waterloo and learn to depend on each other’s skills, Gabe as a soldier and leader and Anne as a compassionate nurse, during their skirmishes with crazed deserters from both armies. In London, social restrictions force them apart, with Gabe opening his club for returning soldiers while Anne battles her son’s grandparents. But when Anne begs for Gabe’s protection, will their love be strong enough to overcome their troubles and form a family?

Dreaming of Waterloo by Lynne Connolly
They called him “Lucky,” but not all injuries are physical ones. Plagued by headaches and living nightmares, Paul, Lord Sherstone returns to London to a wife he doesn’t know and an estate he has to manage. He daren’t let her close, even though he is falling in love with her all over again.

Married and abandoned in a month, Hetty learned to manage a large estate and fend off would-be lovers, but a threat emerges much closer to home and from an unexpected place. In need of help she turns to Paul but since his return he has only shut her out. Refusing to give up on the man she fell in love with five years ago, Hetty has to persuade her husband to let her into his bed—and his heart.

For Love or Revenge by Dominique Eastwick
Captain Roarke Wooldridge returned from Waterloo a different man than the one who left. Captured and detained as a prisoner of war, he endured both torture and betrayal at the hands of his captors and a single traitorous turncoat. Now, those who survived the nightmare of that cellar in France are determined to get revenge.

The widow Lady Alexandra Grafton is quite content to live out her life in the country cottage her husband left to her in his will. Having been married to a man with one foot in the grave, Alex has no desire to enter the confines of marriage or its bed again. But when a handsome, haunted captain crosses her path, will she take a chance on love?

Can two people scarred by their past experiences find in each other the solace they so desperately crave? Can the power of love outweigh the desire for revenge, or are their wounds too deep to be healed?

Tarnished Honor by Sabrina York
Daniel Sinclair is a broken man with wounds that are physical and spiritual. He’s weighed down by grief and guilt that he could not save his friend, Graeme Lennox, and is convinced that a French lance left him less than a man. He has no prospects. Nothing left but his tarnished honor. But then he meets a vexing boy who makes him question even that.

Fia Lennox’s world turned on its end with her brother’s death. She’s gone in one fell swoop from lady to servant…to a woman on the run. The world is a dangerous place for a woman alone—even when she’s masquerading as a boy—so when she meets up with a strong, valiant ex-cavalryman, she decides to become his traveling companion. Whether he likes it or not.

Battling villains, would-be-friends and their own finely-forged battlements, Fia and Daniel rush toward their destiny, a scorching passion and, hopefully, redemption. Can love conquer all? Even the ghosts of the past?

The Incomparables limited edition box set includes 6 scorching romances that commemorate the 200th anniversary of the June 18, 1815 Battle of Waterloo!

These six ladies did an amazing job combining very different men and women into a cohesive collection set around the return of the soldiers to normal life from the Battle of Waterloo. The idea centers around the brilliant idea of the club, The Incomparables. It’s a club that is either owned, a place of employment, or just utilized by some of the soldiers. It is a home away from home them. Either they need the escape from everyday life or they need a step up in life. Offering the men a place to relax, heal and find themselves again.

In Cerise DeLand’s story “Interlude with a Baron” we have a couple who has a chance at renewed love…maybe. During the war Drayton was put into a position that ruined his first love. Now he wants to make it up to her and love her again, but she has other plans.

They I really enjoyed Drayton’s determination, perseverance, and humility. He never let his success change him. He used his pain from the past and became an amazing man. Emma was so much fun. She kept her innocence even though she has gone through hell. She didn’t’ let her circumstances changer her for the worse but developed a strength that was noble and resilient. Their relationship was well paced and read smoothly. Ms. DeLand utilized flashbacks perfectly so they helped the story flow well giving a perfect balance to the story. .

“The Captain’s Heart” by Suzanna Medeiros was a story was a bit of a surprise for me. Captain Edward Hathaway was a man riddled with so much guilt, but he stood strong to complete a task that no man would ever want to take on. Grace is a woman stuck between her desires and her commitments. She never truly loved her betrothed, but felt bound to accept his proposal. She knew she would have to face the truth of her feelings when he returned, but he never did.

I was on pins and needles hoping for a different kind of story. That being said I’m not disappointed in the least at the final product. Yes, I would have enjoyed it more if the gut wrenching angst continued but the story evolved into a sweet tale of destined love. The “Captain’s Heart” is a story of instant attraction with a twisted third wheel. It’s a very nice read.

I’m not really sure how to label “Love After Waterloo” by Suzi Love. I can’t really say that this is a story is of enemies turned lovers love story. Attraction was instant but the characters had strong differing views that potentially could keep them apart.

Gabe is a man with very defined views of male and female roles. He is set in his ways and believe that women shouldn’t be anywhere near the battlefields. He is black and white and never grey.

While Anne is all about blurred lines. She has lost her husband and needs to get away from the clutches of her in-laws and decides to seek the shelter of traveling the war with her brothers, helping injured soldiers. She loves what she does, but now that the battle is over, she needs to return to London and unfortunately has to travel with the handsome, but opinionated Captain Gabriel.

At first I thought that the way that their feelings switched so easily, I would hesitate to enjoy the story but I enjoyed it thoroughly regardless. Due to the circumstances they found themselves in, they had much more freedom to explore their mutual attractions and never looked back. Ms. Love didn’t make us wait for the sparks to fly and made the story heated, sexy and a real page turner.

In “Dreaming of Waterloo” by Lynne Connolly we get our first returning husband story; a romance with a touch of intrigue. Before Paul left for the war he had a new marriage and a blushing loving wife. What he came home to was a woman of his own making. With his continued abandonment and poor choices, Hetty has become a totally different wife than when her husband left for the war. Now can they find their way back to each other?

Paul is a man who from outside appears to be golden but he feels anything but. He feels like a tortured man with a glass exterior ready to shatter at any moment. Hetty has been shunned once too many times by her husband. Now that he is back he seems to still be pushing her away. She has made it years in the business world without his help, while she has taken care of the estate. She doesn’t need him to return to take things over and push her away from everything she has neutered and built. This is a story full of pushing and pulling.

Paul was too damaged for me to warm to him completely in such a short story. While my heart did start to melt for him I really needed a bit more time to love him. I kind of feel the same way about Hetty. She is a strong heroine that deserved a much brighter spotlight. No real mystery in the story but it was still a sweet romance of reunited love.

“For Love or Revenge” by Dominique Eastwick was the best surprise for me. I will admit that I adore Ms. Eastwick. She writes in every genre that I enjoy and she has yet to disappoint me. With “For Love or Revenge”, she has introduced me to a family I can see loving, whole heartedly and then some.

Captain Roarke was a man filled with such pain and suffering, you never knew which direction he would go, but he always followed his upbringing. He was a gentleman through and through. Lady Grafton was exceptional. I love a strong widow who snubs her nose at societies BS and makes a life for herself.

All I can say is wow. What a great story of two people with insurmountable amount of baggage between them. Roarke with the pain and suffering put upon him by a colleague. He is a man filled with rage and the burning desire for revenge, but has the heart of a gentleman. Alex has finally found peace. With her husband and tormenter gone, she can finally enjoy the life she has determined is for her. While her heart has always wanted more, she will settle with what she has, never wanting to be bound by the binds of marriage.

I enjoyed how Roarke and Alex met, how they loved and how they finally came together. I just loved this story from start to finish. I can say I was lovingly trapped in its pages until well after four in the morning. I remember gasping, smiling and “no that didn’t not just” happen. Ms. Eastwick wrote such a great story that I couldn’t put it down. Even for much needed sleep.

The amount of pain in “Tarnished Honor” by Sabrina York is almost its own character. Daniel with his on the outside and inside and Fia’s crushing her spirit and sense of self.

Daniel has determined that he will live with the way his life has become. Content with setting to work at The Incomparables club until his dying day. He has nothing to offer to a wife, so he will be here to support his fellow soldier however he can.

Fia had it all and in one moment she lost everything; her family, money, prestige and future. Now the only thing she has to look forward to is to live the life of a servant. One night gone too far and she has to escape the confines of her station and venture away from it all. Out into the world she runs, never expecting to find salvation.

“Tarnished Honor” is a story that is seeded deeply with redemption. Daniel had enough guilt in his soul for all of the characters and this is one of the very rare times that his pain was believable for me. Usually I’m reading thinking, get over it already. I felt his loss and hopelessness. Very well done.

Fia was a socialite thrown to the wolves. From riches to rags, she lives the other side of the coin and it shaped her into the woman her dead brother would have been proud of. She has the strength that Daniel lost. She picked him up and showed him the light. Though he still had a few things to learn, she definitely started him on the road to recovery. “Tarnished Honor” was such a great story. Ms. York told a very depressing tale in such a sway you were not brought down but relished the heroes recovery. I very much enjoyed it.

This is an exceptional anthology that shouldn’t be missed. If you love historicals, romance and anthologies, you will love this one. I’m not sure how long the sale will last, but at $.99 this is one that can’t be missed. Preorder today!!

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Red Hot & Boom! by Various Authors

Red Hot & Boom! (A Sizzling Hot Collection of Stories)
By: Randi Alexander, Rene Folsom, Sable Hunter & Ryan O’Leary, Graylin Rane, Cassandra Carr, Michel Prince, Christin Lovell, Desiree Holt, Mari Carr and Alexandra O’Hurley
Published: June 6, 2015
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Holiday
Content: M/F, M/F/M, Spanking, Anal Play, Anal Sex, Oral Sex
Length: Mulitple Short Stories
Heat Level: Scorching
Reviewer: Marchelle
Date: June 5, 2015

 

The Red Hot Authors present Red Hot & BOOM! A Sizzling Hot Collection of Stories.
Celebrate Independence Day with Ten Books from Authors who will Heat Your Summer Nights:

ALL HAT NO CATTLE by Randi Alexander

Deep in cowboy country for a rodeo, Harper Johansen is looking for a cowboy of her own, but roughneck Shaw Donahue needs to convince her to value a man for more than his cattle. 

FOR LIBERTY by Rene Folsom

While deployed, his mission classified, the heartfelt letters Maximus writes are the only bits of communication Liberty receives while he is away. His letters are a constant reminder of why he chooses to fight: For Liberty. 

COME WITH ME by Sable Hunter

Lacy has never experienced the big ‘O’. This July 4th will have more explosions than fireworks in the sky. Jake will prove to Lacy he can be all she needs – in bed and out.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHERRY by Graylin Rane

When a widowed news reporter receives notice she’ll receive a Candy Man, she’s nervous. Can she open her heart and her home to another man?

SCORIN’ ON THE FOURTH OF JULY by Cassandra Carr 

When professional hockey player Mikael meets USA Olympic goaltender Terri, both her beauty and skill attract him. But Terri might have to leave town to keep playing and their blossoming love put on ice.

ONE LAST RODEO by Michel Prince

Mistakes happen when we’re young, now this rodeo pickup man will have one chance to fix it with his ex. She ran to the city to make it big on the news, but he’ll bring this country girl home.

STARS AND SPARKS by Christin Lovell

One curvy journalist. One ex-marine. Two people attempting to find their new place in this world, but, sometimes, it’s not about finding a place; it’s about finding a person. And there’s nothing but stars and sparks between these two.
FIRECRACKER! by Desiree Holt – She's hot as a pistol in the rodeo ring, leaving the competition n ashes. But can this firecracker bring the same explosive emotion to a night with two hot, hot, hot men?

SPARKS FLY by Mari Carr 

I Do is the easy part. Happily ever after? Not so much. Over the Fourth of July weekend, Evan vows he'll reignite his wife, Annie's passion with his own brand of fireworks.

RETURN TO HER by Alexandra O’Hurley

Writhing passion quickly turns into more when friends become lovers. Their surrender comes days before an ill-timed deployment, where the two are quickly ripped apart. Will fate prevent this soldier from returning to her?

Let me start by saying I am not typically a fan of short stories. I am a fast reader and I prefer longer stories in novel form that I can savor for as long as possible. That being said, these are some of the most amazing short stories I have ever read. I enjoyed this book from start to finish and then went back and started it again. “Red Hot & Boom” indeed!

All of the stories have a Fourth of July/Independence Day theme (hence the title). That is pretty much where the similarities end. They are all unique stories, with their own plots and true to life characters. Out of the ten stories featured, it would be extremely difficult to choose a favorite. It really depends what kind of mood you are in. If you want a sexy threesome, Desiree Holt’s "Firecracker!" is definitely the way to go. If you want an inspiring story about a couple reigniting their fire, Mari Carr practically burns the place down in "Sparks Fly". That is one hot story! And if you want a sweet and sexy love story with a HEA, "Come With Me", by Sable Hunter & Ryan O’Leary is just what you are looking for. There is something for everyone here. This is a phenomenal collection by some very talented writers who have made me a fan of short stories again.

So why only 4.5 hearts out of 5? Well, the reason for that is, out of the 10 stories in the book, I felt that one or two were not quite complete for me. They felt rushed. The stories weren’t as well developed as the others and the endings were quite abrupt. They were good stories and kept me entertained. But they were only good where the others were excellent. Still, I’ve read the book twice already and I can definitely see myself picking it up to read again in the future.

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Romancing Austin by Various Authors

Romancing Austin
By: Riley Bancroft, Evelyn Berry, Cara Carnes, Jax Garren, Irene Preston, Rebecca Royce, Chandra Ryan
Publisher: Valkyrie Books
Published: May 5, 2015 by
Genre: Contemporary, Anthology, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Length: Novella, Novel
Heat Level: Spicy
Reviewer: Toni
Date: May 3, 2015

 

Former rock star Dex Reed throws a wild comeback party in his Austin penthouse, and seven romances heat up the night.

No Quitting Allowed – Rebecca Royce
One last assignment and then Lana is quitting her job, quitting Austin, and moving on with her life. Until Jake stumbles into her and changes the direction of her whole world.

Twisted – Cara Carnes
Caleb "Colt" Douglas agreed to close out Twisted Delirium's sold out world tour with a gig at SXSW for one reason--win back the woman he left behind.

Do Over – Chandra Ryan
When life offers Juliana a fresh start, will she follow her heart or play it safe?

Consortium – Riley Bancroft
Record exec Holt Michaelson married the enigmatic Chloe to keep his assets safe from a vindictive competitor, but after a fiery encounter with his new wife, he's determined to claim her as his own, body and soul.

Tall Order – Irene Preston
Dylan made the worst mistake of his life when he chose his career over Aston, but tonight he'll take a risk on Aston even if it's too late.

Enchanted – Evelyn Berry
Stripped of her magic, fairy princess Aurora is torn between her duty to her imperiled family and to a brilliant musician who holds the key to their freedom...and her heart.

One Night with the Vampire – Jax Garren
Tonight Alex will finally possess the woman he's craved, but Sofia's dangerous family secrets threaten to tear them apart.

Welcome to my home town!

I have the hardest time reviewing anthologies or book sets, but I’m happy to say the last two that I have read have been perfect. The new trend of collaborative stories is brilliant and I love how over a half a dozen people can come together, brainstorm, make up “world” rules and then let their imaginations fly.

That is what you get with Romancing Austin. It’s not just a bunch of rock n roll related stories thrown together and distributed to capitalize on the popular Austin event; South by Southwest. You have a well thought out mini world of excellence. You have seven stories that wrap you up, keep you warm, and makes you want to cuddle and stay in for the night.

Each story has the element of different types of love stories. All of them are unique and fresh; with only a handful of them being part of established series.

No Quitting Allowed – is a story about “New Love”. Strangers brought suddenly brought together; one who loves Austin and the other who can’t wait to leave. I loved how Jake was able to capture Lana with is sense of adventure and determination.

Twisted – “Calculated Second Chances” are in the cards for Caleb and Shasta. What a sweet story of forgiveness with a touch of tragedy. While things were pretty set in stone and you can see that nothing has changed for these two; I loved how Ms. Carnes showed Caleb with strength and a bit of insecurity.

Do Over – is what happens when life decides to throw you over a cliff, but you look at the positive side and say “hey what a great view”. Juliana is all about making lemonade with Luke. Both of them are blindsided by “Surprise Love”. Loved it!

Consortium – From business partners to “Surprise Love”. Such a great story of a married couple trying to find common ground when what they thought was agreed upon is not what each of them want. I got tingles a few times.

Tall Order – The other “Second Chances” love story. While it may seem like a duplicate theme, the story had an abundance of heart and depth. I loved the journey these two had to go on to get back together.

Enchanted – tell of the “Magic of Love”. Two completely opposite people seem to keep getting gentle nudges into each other’s arms and I can’t be more pleased. What a different story! One that had me smiling most of the way through.

One Night with the Vampire – and to finish off the exceptional anthology, is the story of “Secret Love”. Oh my. How can the tender heart of a soul filled vampire champion his personal savior against great odds when he has nothing but himself to give…sigh. This story was a totally unexpected treat.

Each story is special and is well blended with the theme of the anthology. I enjoyed every story, but of course I had my favorites. While I really should rate them individually, this book can’t be separated and should be read in its entirety; making it very distinctive in the world of anthologies. I will admit I’m one of those readers that pick and choose stories to read in traditional anthologies, they are usually so vastly different or set deep into the authors other series, they are hard to enjoy. Not the case here. I never felt confused or not totally enthralled within the pages.

These seven ladies did an amazing job and this novel shouldn’t be missed!

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