Can't help but smile when reading her sweet, clean love stories
587863
ETA: That obsession has never left - Still love her books and this one remains a favorite!

May 2010 - I'm going through a Marcia Lynn McClure phase right now. I love her books! This is the 7th book of hers I've read and I doubt my obsession with her books will ease until I've read everything she's written.

Loved Kissing Cousins. Can't help but smile when reading her sweet, clean love stories.
3751784
This is such a wonderful collection of sweet, Christmas romances. I suggest that you grab a glass of wine, mug of hot chocolate or cup of tea, curl up in your favorite reading spot and enjoy!

Surprise! Youre a Christmas Bride by Natalie-Nicole Bates
New  to Vinegrove Maisey has joined the women at  Que Syrah Syrah for their weekly get together, however she is not impressed when she unknowingly chooses a name from the Love List Basket. She leaves without looking at the name and stuffs it in her pocket. On her way home she meets officer Sean Marshall after her cab breaks down & he offers her a ride home. Little does she know his name is on the paper in her pocket. They develop a relationship and then Sean learns of the Love List and he is hurt thinking she has used him in some game.  Will she lose him or will he understand her explanation? He has some secrets of his own & is not sure she will understand. Their road to love may be bumpy but  Natalie-Nicole Bates does a great job of bringing them together. A story well worth reading!

Christmas Kisses and Wishes by Sharon Kleve
Sharon Kleve once again gives us a story to warm our hearts. This is a sweet romance with endearing characters and some lovable animals thrown into the mix. Finn and Keaton caught my heart as soon as they were introduced and the fact that they both loved animals sealed the deal for me. I also liked the inclusion of some of the characters from the previous Love List books. Will definitely be going back and re-reading them now. I highly recommend this book; in fact, any of Ms Kleves books are well worth reading. Thank you Sharon Kleve for another wonderful story!

A Home For Christmas by Jennifer Conner
This is such a wonderful story. Single mother Kady, and her teenage son Noah, have moved in with her parents in Vinegrove to start over after losing everything in a fire. Editon a local entrepreneur had a crush on Kady in high school.  She disappeared before graduation and has now shown up again thirteen years later, much to his delight. I really enjoyed this romantic story of Kady and Editons relationship and Noah was such a great addition to the story. Jennifer Conners stories always leave you feeling so good and this one is no exception. A must read for sure.

Country Christmas Wishes by  Angela Ford
Dakota arrives in Vinegrove to start a new job and meets Tristan Hart when their vehicles almost collide. There is an instant attraction between the two of them. Tristan has been working diligently managing his cousins family vineyard so has had little time for a relationship. After meeting Dakota he feels ready to give it a try. Dakota has left the city and the family she feels little connection to in search of the man she is hoping may give her what she has missed. She meets the women at Que Syrah Syrah and chooses a name from the Love List basket and is surprised to see it is Tristan. Fate seems to have worked it's way into Dakota & Tristans lives but will the Love List drive them apart instead of bring them together? Angela Ford gives us a lovely story that will warm your heart and leave you feeling satisfied at the end.
1176638
Its the time of the year for pumpkin spice, golden leaves, and gratitude.  Im soooo grateful that this collection not only met, but exceeded my expectations.  I have read works of each of these authors before and loved them so it wasn't a surprise that I would enjoy these novellas.  There is also the fact that I have a personal love affair with novellas.  No really, its a complete (if done well) story that is satisfying, sigh worthy, and doesnt keep me up all hours of the night.  (True, I could start reading earlier.)

A Merry Dance (Josi Kilpack) has a sweet heroine who still eavesdrops in her uncles study, but is well spoken and educated.  Her interactions with the hero are entertaining and witty.  I loved Mortimer, our hero.  I love his patience.  A sweet novella full of fun.

Unmasking the Duke (Donna Hatch) is my favorite of the three (though to be fair, they're all fantastic).  Hannah gets herself into some funny circumstances due to her shyness.  Her sister throws her a grand ball (which she would rather do anything than attend) and she discovers that as an actress playing a part she can be more forthright and brave.  Our hero reminds me a great deal of Darcy (P&P) so I knew I would love him.  The main characters dialogue drew me in and had me laughing, smiling and not wanting it all the end.

Whats In a Name (Nancy Campbell Allen) is such an entertaining plot.  I have sisters  and have gotten into scrapes because of them (perhaps not in the way that our character Penny did). The authors portrayal of the siblings was rich.  I loved the Duke.  It was refreshing to have a character that figured out things, was kind, and still allowed the others in the story to come into their own understanding.  I loved the laugh out loud moments in this novella.

Autumn Masquerade has instantly become a favorite of the clean collections and collaborations of artists that I always enjoy.  I know I will read this again and smile because of the lovely excellent writing.

Content: Clean
Source: ebooksforreview
3213779
Lori Wilde's Love at First Sight is one of those cute feel good books. If you like the sweet than this book is the one for you. It is the first full length book in her Cupid Texas series, and it was delightful.
Natalie McCleary is the heart of this book. As Cupid Texas' very own cupid, she wants to believe in love first sight but has yet to experience it herself. As she is giving thought on how to reply to one of her "cupid" letters she is suddenly struck with what one could only describe as lightening, for there on the road sits Dade Vega an ex Navy Seal fixing his bike. It's love at first sight for Natalie.
Dade Vega has come to Cupid in search of a former Seal friend who has gone missing.  Dade is a wanderer with a troublesome past, who doesn't trust anyone. As he catches Natalie riding by on her bicycle, lightening seems to strike him as well. Like Natalie it's love at first sight, although Dade tries to fight his feelings.
It is clear that these two are meant for each other. The characters and the romance blend smoothly for what can only be described as a heart-felt book. While there are portions of this book that are sugary sweet, there are other portions that come off as kooky. There are parts of the book were I felt the dialogue did not make sense, and also portions of the story that did not quite add up. Overall I didn't love the book but I enjoyed it. Love at First Sight is worth the read and I would suggest it to anyone who enjoys a sugary sweet romantic tale.
826488
Each story took passion up just a notch or two.  The love lost scenario always evokes the warm and fuzzies when reading them.  It also showed that things really are not always as they seem. Each story gave the reader a different storyline to try to unravel.  I thoroughly enjoyed them all and look forward to the new releases.  Thank you once again Mrs. Jackson.
2908663
50 Shades of Love is a brief compilation of eight short love stories to include:

1. Sweet Inspirations
2. Frost in the Window
3. The Renovated Romance
4. Best Friends Lost and Found
5. Wedding in Black
6. Do You Believe in Magic?
7. Coffee, Tea or Something Stronger?
8. The Almost Perfect White Rose

Each story is sweet and leaves out the sex so prevalent in most romance novels. These are stories about everyday people meeting by chance, getting to know each other and allowing their hearts to grow fonder before jumping into bed. How refreshing!

Ms. Summers is an engaging writer. Her style is easy, breezy and brief. No superfluous fluff here. As a relationship coach, Im sure she was able to tap into her professional experience to construct realistic and genuine scenarios, since it shows in her writing. Theres little dialogue going on between characters and what was there wasn't separated. However, that was okay since I found that it helped the stories flow beautifully.

If you're looking for some charming love stories and not your typical lust stories then I recommend grabbing a copy of this book. I will be downloading Volume 2 next!
4708225
A sweet clean romance anthology consisting of 3 novellas, the 1st & 3rd of which I found totally wonderful. The 5 star rating is for the 1st & 3rd stories (only).
A Happy Accident  Jennifer Moore
When Jonathan Burels, the Earl of Rensfield comes across a young lady stranded when her carriage is stuck in the mud during a late night storm, he comes to her rescue only to find himself forced by her opportunist father to marry her due to compromising situation. Initially angered & resentful of Maryann, her calm reasoning makes him realize that she was as much a victim of her father as he & they both try to make the best of the situation.
But Maryann has a fearful secret that she darent divulge to Jonathan, that of her sister Jane secreted away in a discrete institution that cares for abnormal patients.
A beautifully written, sweetly romantic story of the slowly developing relationship between Jonathan & Maryann who learn to make the best of their situation. An amusing scene during a meal where they discover their compatibility when it comes to vegetables  she loves carrots & hates parsnips & he the opposite and they thereafter happily swap & snitch each others vegetables, was amazingly charming & warm at the same time and quite the tone of the story  charming, warm with characters that I could not but help fall in love in.

The Disdainful Duke - G.G Vandagriff
Jerky, insipid writing with barely developed characters. The authors writing style put me to mind of schoolgirl essays, what I term she says, he says writing.
Theres hardly any sense of romance. The Duke starts off as an arrogant, not particularly likable character who barely seems to notice or tolerate the heroine & his transition to suddenly having feelings for her is unconvincing.
The story is very abrupt & unsatisfactory.

The Invisible Heiress - Nichole Van
A beautifully written, story that will tug on your heartstrings for its sweet romance & storyline. Arabella Heartstone Belle is an unusual young lady. Barely nineteen, she is an astute business woman with more financial acumen that a man two (make that multiple!) times her age. Mentored by her banker father from a child, her wealth amounts to over 80thousand pounds which she had managed & grown ever since her father passed 3 years ago. I can only imagine that her upbringing must have been odd, from a liberal father who never saw his only childs gender as a barrier to her more conservative mother who sprouts the usual women must marry mantra & somewhat brainwashes her daughter to believe she has to. To the extent that after a thorough investigation, Belle proposes marriage to the impecunious Marquess of Blake, Colin Radcliffe.
When Colin gently turns her down, his words of advice totally turns Belles life about. God has granted you wings, Miss Heartstone. Twoud be a shame if you never learned to fly. He tells her she no reason to shackle herself in marriage, you are capable of amazing things Miss Hearstone. You merely need to believe in yourself.
In gratitude, Belle anonymously invests in Colins business schemes thinking to provide him with the necessary capital to fund his investments. Which later steamrolls into years of correspondence between Colin and Belle who keeps her real identity hidden. What starts as a business relationship rapidly grows into a warm, trusting friendship and has Belle falling deeply in love.
Belle and Colin are wonderful, warm characters that had me totally enchanted from the 1st page. Belles heartbreak at thinking she would never have the chance to win Colin & even lose the friendship she had when she was anonymous had me crying. A truly lovely, poignant story.

Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review
1567922
I'm a big fan of Echo Ridge. Clean, sweet, wholesome romances. What's not to love?

Sometime, I'd like to read them all back-to-back and see how all the characters fit together. I lose the thread with the spacing between the books.

This may be my favorite one as the authors took classic romantic comedy films and gave them their own Echo Ridge twist. They picked some of my fave films from this genre, so I loved reading these stories. There are great quotes from the original movies thrown in, many of which my family quotes.

There's great storytelling, depth of character, swoony romance, and solid writing.

If you're not a fan yet, you will be. Page turning romance that will keep you up at night.
4032297
The Kiss Me Chronicles was a fun and entertaining book of short love stories!  Debbie writes in a simple, humorous and fun style and she makes each character so real that i feel that i am sitting in the room listening to the character tell me about their life.  This book was truly enjoyable to read.  I had a lot of laughs in addition to suspense and a heartwarming experience.
242732
Excellent as usual.  I love all of the Timeless Romance Anthologies.  The stories are perfect for a quick sit down read.  They are sweet,clean, and fun to read. I look forward to the next collection.
3157015
I've read a few of  this author's books and have enjoyed them all so far.  Her gay stories are sweet and romantic  with none of the dirty, repetitive sex that is so prevalent in a lot of gay books today.
1103263
This is a wonderful Adult romance novel with a little time travel thrown in. The story of Jake Kilchurn and Amanda Of Artane(DiPiaget)is very sweet and clean. Her books are relatively clean of explicit sex scenes. This is a great family to read about and I always laugh at her funny lines and the banter between siblings. Her web sight is a good place to go if you are new to her. There is a specific order to her books.

Reread on March 20. Still love this family. This book has a lot of other characters from other books. It makes a lot more sense now that I have read all of her books. Amazed at how clean this one is!
3591655
This book was given to me to read in exchange for my honest opinion.

I just finished reading The Christmas Cookie Collection by Lori Wilde and I can honestly say I truly enjoyed it! What a beautiful collection of heartwarming tales for Christmas. Each of the 4 short stories centers around women from The Christmas Cookie Club of Twilight, Texas. Carrie, Raylene, Christine, and Grace each have experienced some form of heartbreak and sadness in their lives. However, each of these brave ladies have underestimated the power of true love and the beauty and inspiration of hope.

Even though we only get a quick glance into the lives of these 4 heroines, Lori manages to weave her stories with enough detail and emotion that I came away feeling as if I got to know them and I feel satisfied.  I mean who hasn't ever wondered about their high school sweetheart, or the what if's of life decisions that we've made. Good or bad moments in our lives that change us forever? Do things happen for a reason or is it Fate stepping in? As we read through each story and learn about the past that has shaped their current lives, these strong Texas beauties each placed some type of wall around their cautious hearts. I could well relate to that particularly the story of Christine. When a freak car accident at age 16 forever changes her life path from Olympic runner to Twilight bakery owner, she is left with a permanent limp and internal scarring robbing her of the chance to conceive. But fate or perchance the Sweetheart Legend of Twilight, Texas steps in and creates a second chance with an old high school crush and gives her hope that heals her soul. Christine accepts Eli and his children into her heart and is able to come out from under her heartsick burden of never feeling truly fulfilled.

This book was definitely worth setting aside my hectic life for a little while and enjoying the sweet reflection and tender moments created by such realistic and heartwarming characters that only author Lori Wilde can achieve in her stories and does so well.
132830
I have read 5 of these books in this series, and they are wonderful to read.  This author knows how to write good, clean romance stories.  The romantic scenes are done so appropriately and there is a lot of humor in each story that while you are reading you are smiling. So glad I came upon this author.
1688910
If you are looking for a sweet, clean contemporary romance with humor and heart, Blackmail Boyfriend is the book for you.  A case of mistaken identity has the potential to tarnish Haley Patterson's squeaky clean reputation.  In an attempt to take back control, Haley blackmails Bryce, the popular boy who started the rumor, to date her for a few weeks.  I really like Haley's character - she is funny and kind and smart, and as with most "fake romance" stories, even if the plan is devious, the reasons behind it are genuine.

My favorite characters in the book are Haley and Bryce's best friends: Jane and Nathan, respectively.  Much of the witty banter and heartfelt emotions occur when they are around, and these friendships help the reader connect with the main characters.  This is a great story about coming of age while looking beneath the superficial layers people (including ourselves) hide behind.

With so many dark, angst ridden stories on the YA shelves, Chris Cannon's books are amusing and enjoyable.  She truly has a gift of storytelling.  I am a fan of dragon shifting series and I highly recommend her books for teenage and YA readers (adults too!) who enjoy funny dialogue, authentic characters and engaging plots.
3183142
This book had three sweet romances that take place in the fall.  They are all sweet stories about the progression of love.  I am a fan of Becky Wade already so I enjoyed that story a great deal.

The first story takes place around a bakery.  The second story takes place around a florist shop and the third story is around a wedding coordinator.  All three having wedding stories in them.  All stories were clean romances meaning there was no foul language or sex.  Definitely my kind of enjoyable reading.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
1098644
Meet Cute is fabulous! There are some absolutely adorable stories in this collection, but it isn't fluff. Some of the stories are actually quite serious, and take on subjects like death, and being transgender. I love that they take on some challenging subjects in a way that is as accessible as it is enjoyable. All of the couples make your heart melt just a little, but none more so for me than Jocelyn Davies's
story about two people who meet on passing subways, or Jennifer Armentrout's story about love found from a missing library book.

Meet Cute is perfect for when you just want a story that will make you feel good in the end, especially when you might not have the time for a novel. In less time than it takes to watch a Hallmark movie, you can read a much better story here.

{Disclaimer: I received a free ARC of Meet Cute from NetGalley}