The Writers Studio

Kristen Collins is cursed. It’s the only explanation for this recent run of catastrophes. She’s lost her brand-new car and a winning lottery ticket, and her ex-boyfriend just drove off with all her possessions. She’s even lost the empty office that’s been her lunchtime sanctuary. Plus, the new hire who’s taken it over is precisely the kind of impending heartache she knows to avoid, from his intense gaze to that irresistible crooked smile.

Developer Aiden Scott plans to stay at the Denver architecture firm just long enough to prime it for takeover. A job like his can’t get personal. Yet from the moment he collides with Kristen, he’s smitten. He wants to save the stunning interior designer from every crazy scenario she winds up in. But who’s going to save him when his business agenda shatters Kristen’s trust?

You have to feel for Kristen. At some point do we feel the world is against us? One thing I did notice is that, while it takes trial and error, Kristen learns from her past and just goes with the flow even when she might be waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

I know it hurt Aiden not to share why he was at her company's firm but he kept a promise. That's integrity above everything. Something her previous ex's didn't seem to have.

I loved her friend, Amy. Amy was the one constant in her life through all of Kristen's trials and tribulations.

The one thing I hoped for in the end involved the lost lottery ticket. they did both take the bus, after all.

My only challenge with this book was the irregular formatting. At some points both of their back and forth conversation would be lumped into the same paragraph. A bit confusing for me trying to figure out who was speaking. The other thing (more towards the last quarter of the book) was the line jumping. Lines that would cut off in the middle and bounce below. Either Jill needs to pay more attention to who is formatting her book, or learn a bit more.

Overall, I found the book enjoyable but dropping a quill for the formatting. I'm giving UNLUCKY IN LOVE...

You'll find more of Jill's books and about her by following any of the links below.

"One day I’m going to marry you..." Jake Harper had said those words to Vanessa Conroy since kindergarten, but after watching her parents’ bitter divorce and living with her mother’s devastation, Vanessa made a promise to herself—she’s never getting married. She’ll stay single and pursue her dream of being a ready-to-wear fashion designer. In high school, Vanessa dated and broke up with every bad boy in the book, while Jake remained her consistent buddy. He was her wingman, her best friend, her go-to person for special occasions, but she held him at a distance. Why ruin a wonderful friendship? On the night of their final prom, Jake takes a risk and kisses her. Stunned by how right it feels, Vanessa rashly blurts out a deal: if they’re still single at thirty, maybe she’ll marry him. Now, thirteen years later, they’re back in Sweetheart Bay to be part of her sister’s wedding. And they’re both still single at thirty. Vanessa begins to see Jake in a new, more romantic light, but Jake, a successful architect living in California, hasn’t said a word about their old pact. As family drama bubbles and old feelings resurface, Vanessa must face the one possibility she’s always run from: what if her true love has been standing beside her all along? Can she and Jake find their happily-ever-after back on Sweetheart Bay?

The very opening of the story, and subsequent levels of school in the early stages of the book, were great. Onery Jake taunting Vanessa that he was going to marry her. In turn, Vanessa was adamant she was not going to marry - EVER! So much fun in this back and forth between the two characters and a great way to introduce them. This worked well between the two right up until prom night when they made a deal.

When both return for her sister's wedding, things still go pretty smoothly as we watch them work things out. That's where the story fell off into the tide for me.

Lenora Worth had a great story going then she brought in other circumstances in trying to explain why Vanessa was never going to marry. By the last quarter of the book I was losing interest, and I think the author was too. Multiple typos and editing issues began to show. For me, this added to the distractions from the secondary (and third) characters. I know where she was going with them, but her road got bumpy along the way. 

That said, knowing what Lenora Worth was after doesn't make getting to the end of the story any easier. I'm giving, The Sweetheart Deal...

Promise...

"In her heart, Kathryn knew this was the place she was meant to be. And she couldn’t wait to prove it to her father, herself, and anyone else who might doubt it."

All her life, Kathryn has known she didn't belong in the city where she was raised. So when she is offered a teaching position in the small, frontier town of Promise, in the Dakota Territory, she doesn't hesitate to accept. When she arrives, she knows she's found the place she belongs.

However, she is faced with many obstacles as she proves to her family, and herself, that she is cut out for life out here. The biggest problem she comes up against is in the form of a man who is determined to prove she won't make it until snowfall.

"Miss Kathryn Reeves wouldn’t be here come the winter.

He guaranteed it."

Colt Hammond has no desire to deal with another spoiled city girl who thinks living on the frontier will be a fun little adventure. He did that once, and he won't make that mistake ever again.

Just because she's living on his property, and teaching at the little schoolhouse where his children will be going, doesn't mean he has time to look after her until she's ready to admit defeat and head back home.

What neither of them counts on though, is how strong the promise of love can be between two people who are destined to be together.

In Maplewick, forty-eight-year-old widow Susan Howarth inherits a bakery that is one bad week away from closing for good.

The ovens cut out at random, the inspection is overdue, and the landlord has made it clear the lease can be pulled if the doors do not reopen fast. Susan is determined to start over, but she has a deadline she cannot afford to miss.

The only contractor who can get the shop ready in time is John Barrow, fifty two, the high school sweetheart Susan never truly forgot. John is calm, steady, and back in Maplewick for reasons he keeps to himself. Working side by side before sunrise, they fall into old rhythms that feel dangerous and familiar.

An ex-developer wants the building empty, and he is pushing for the bakery to fail.

If Susan can reopen on time, she keeps her fresh start and the place her town loves. If she cannot, she loses the bakery and the last piece of family she has left. 

A clean, closed door, later in life second chance romance novella with a clear happily ever after.

I loved the setting for this story and the fact that the author created 'later in life' characters. While most contemporary adult romances feature characters in their mid-to-late twenties, reading about the pitfalls and promise for the senior generation is a nice respite. As I say this, I now my characters fall into the twenty-somethings. Maybe something for me to think about. 

Overall, The Main Street Bakery Ledger was a comfortable read. I found a couple of editing problems that would have been easy to fix. My biggest thing was the 'ledger'. While the story opens with the ledger, there isn't anything further about the book. No secrets left by Aunt Margaret to be revealed every time Susan checked the ledger. In fact, she never looked in it again. I think from that aspect, the book could have been better titled. 

For those reasons, I'm giving The Main Street Bakery Ledger:

You can find out more about Anna Hart and her books by following the links below:

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All my best!

~ Angela

Two unlikely matchmakers set the stage for love

Fynlee Dale returns to Holiday to take care of her wacky grandmother. Although it means giving up her dreams of a career and husband, she needs to be there for Grams.

Carson Ford vows to take care of his elderly aunt after buying her ranch. Comfortable with all aspects of his life, his world turns upside down when he meets a woman who's impossible to forget. 

They find themselves in the midst of a plot by two scheming old women determined to make them fall in love.

I don't know about you, but when I find an author whose books I thoroughly enjoy, I want to read them all. Normally, I wouldn't repeat an author in the same month (usually, not in the same year) but when I saw Valentine Bride, I knew I needed to kick off the 'season of love' books with this one my Shanna Hatfield.

Shanna has a unique way of giving us sexual tension through the character points of view when the couple aren't together. We feel their struggling with their independent feelings for the other, not just when they share the same air space. 

Along with great characters in Carson and Fenley, she also gives us quirky characters. I loved Aunt Ruthe and Grams Matilda in this book. I couldn't even dislike Hillary. Every character Shanna creates brings something to the table, not just items tossed out there. 

If you want a fun read for Valentine's Day then I highly recommend VALENTINE BRIDE by Shanna Hatfield. Valentine Bride is Book 1 in the Holiday Brides series and I'll be reading the rest of them.

I'm giving Valentine Bride:

You can get your copy by clicking the Amazon link below the cover image above. Also, check out all of Shanna Hatfield's links. Be sure to sign up for her newsletter!

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After a Christmas Eve catastrophe that left her heart encased in ice, Sierra Goodwin detests anything to do with winter and the holiday season. To take her mind off her troubles, her best friend talks her into a weekend spa getaway to a town she’s never heard of. Her bestie’s boyfriend tags along like a bumpy third wheel, and things go from bad to worse when they arrive in town to find a winter fest in full swing. Then Sierra runs into a handsome stranger, a man everyone calls Mr. Snowman, and discovers her heart might not be a frozen fortress after all.

Kylan Snow loves his life, his Christmas tree farm, and the town of Pinehill where he was raised. There’s nothing he enjoys more than a beautiful winter afternoon spent outside in the crisp, fresh air, or time spent with friends and family. When he unexpectedly encounters a dimple-cheeked woman in need of a little hope, he has no idea one weekend with her with completely alter his world.

Will their winter wishes for a forever sweetheart come true? Find out in this sweet romance brimming with laughter, snowmen, small-town charm, and love.

For the last three years, Georgia has called the quirky southern town of Sugartree home, dutifully moving back to manage her parent’s coffee shop after her father suffered a heart attack and finding contentment in her busy schedule and the occasional shenanigans of her three younger siblings.

When Lakeland Lovett, troubled son of the local pastor, wafts through the door of Good Start Coffee like a tantalizing cup of hot chocolate, Georgia promises herself she won’t fall prey to his charms and annoyingly perfect face again. She’s not the girl she was in high school who foolishly put her trust and heart in his careless hands. She knows better now, and more importantly, she knows Lake… at least she thinks she does.

But with Lake strutting around Sugartree, driving Georgia crazy all over again with his pesky nicknames, dumb dimples, and swoon-worthy attention laser focused on her, she starts to find any promises to maintain her distance from Lakeland Lovett harder to preserve, and Georgia begins to see him, and her life in Sugartree, in a whole new way.

I just could not get into this book. I understand that every author has their own 'voice', their way of presenting a story. For Ms Goodwin, her voice reminds me a bit like Pulp Fiction. She starts with THEN when Georgia is a teenager going to her first dance, then she jumps to the NOW when Georgia is all grown up and back home. Next thing you know, we're back to THEN. 

She is great in staying in point of view and her description. 

I'm giving SOUTHERN SNOW...

.5

You'll find the book by clicking the Amazon link posted below the book cover above.

Until next week...

All my best!

~ Angela

After losing his parents in a tragic accident, Gideon struggles to care for his younger sisters and manage the family farm alone. As a fierce Christmas storm approaches, his friendship with Miriam deepens, forcing them to confront the possibility of a love that could change everything.

I love how the author brought the two together. They build a friendship over a period of time, which we know is the best basis for a solid relationship. 

My only issue with the story was missing words in sentences.  There were multiple places, too many in a short (100 pages maybe?). I will read the other five books in the set before I send them back. The box set is available on Kindle Unlimited.  

I'm giving Love In A Snow Storm

All my best!

~ Angela

Inheriting my grandparents’ beloved Christmas tree farm was supposed to be a dream come true. But when I arrive in the charming small town of Holly Ridge, I quickly discover the farm is in serious trouble, and it’s up to me to save it.

Enter Blake Markham—the rugged handyman who’s been helping my family for years. He’s the strong, silent type, but behind those blue eyes and flannel shirts is a heart as weathered as the farm itself. As we work side by side to bring Holly Forest Christmas Tree Farm back to life, sparks fly in ways I didn’t expect.

But can I trust my bruised heart to someone like Blake? With the pressure of keeping my grandparents’ legacy alive, and my growing feelings for Blake, I’m torn between staying safe or risking it all for love.

I loved this story. A couple of typos aside, the book was a pleasant read. I curled up with the fireplace on the TV for background, a cup of mulled cider, a cozy blanket, and a cat to keep me company set the stage for a relaxing afternoon. 

My heart went out to Avery. with parents having gone through a bitter divorce years prior,  her grandfather and Holly Ridge held her happiest memories. She was going to keep the tree farm at all costs.  Then there's Blake. He'd had his own financial issues, thanks to his father and he wanted to protect Avery

There's a surprise secondary character in this story I think you'll like. With the quick read, I'll be picking up the remaining ten books in this series.

I'm giving INHERITANCE FOR CHRISTMAS...