Tag: Contemporary Romance

Sea Rose Lane + Giveaway

After a devastating layoff, attorney Eric Nash heads back to the town where he grew up–only to discover that his childhood home is being transformed into a bed & breakfast. Instead of plotting his next career move in peace, he’s constantly distracted by noise, chaos–and BJ Stevens, the attractive but prickly blonde architect and construction chief who’s invaded the house with her motley crew.

As for BJ, her client’s son might be handsome, but after a disastrous romance, dating isn’t high on her agenda. Yet when they join forces to create a program for Hope Harbor seniors, might they also find healing, hope, and a new beginning themselves?

Three-time RITA Award winner Irene Hannon takes readers back to Hope Harbor for a new season of charm, romance, and second chances.

My Review:

published in 2016

i’m rereading this whole Hope Harbor series via audible editions and am loving Therese Pummer’s narration so much! She breathes life into these characters and heart and humour into her interpretation of Hannon’s exquisite words.

*****

I adore this series. Each book reads as a standalone but I love the continuity the familiar folks from Hope Harbor bring to each story. I especially adore Charley who crops up at the most convenient times with words of wisdom or silent acceptance as needed. There’s something divinely inspiring about that man and his way with people…and critters.

So, as first meets go, this one is a bust. Well, it’s fun for the reader but not so much for BJ and Eric. Talk about making a bad first impression — on both sides. Kind of light-hearted with undercurrents of angst. Not to mention instant awareness. The words fairly crackle off the page as these two muddle through their first scene. Thing is, both have blinders on so their next meet and the one after that and…well, let’s just say there are a lot of missteps before they sort out a wary truce. Scrumptious to read!

Told from multiple points of view, Hannon weaves together a compelling story of loss and heartache. There are some edge-of-your-seat moments where I hardly dared breathe as I watched events unfold before my eyes. I love how this author meshes diverse threads into a triumphant conclusion that celebrates the hope being in relationship with God can bring. And she’s an expert at throwing out unexpected zings of humour that always catch me off guard and have me laughing out loud. 

Sea Rose Lane is a slice of real life and the whole gamut of emotions that entails. Cue the Kleenex box and chocolate bonbons. You’ll need a hefty dose of both as you navigate your way through the pages of this book. Besides — how can you not want to read a book that features a belching seal named Caspar? Doesn’t that little juicy tidbit have you salivating for more? 🙂

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – paperback, ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Sea Rose Lane,  leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday September 6 2025

The Rules of Falling for You + Giveaway

The perfect match can’t be far–certainly not at a Regency-themed singles retreat–or so podcaster Zoe Dufour believes. After years of creating content for her relationship podcast inspired by Regency etiquette and era-appropriate rules for romance, she knows her listeners have anticipated this retreat. But she also attends with expectations of her finding the ideal modern-day gentleman who can meet every one of the nonnegotiables on her checklist.
  
Harrison Lundquist, Zoe’s podcast producer and best friend’s brother, reluctantly agrees to attend the retreat to capture footage while seeking a career-advancing promotion. He views the retreat as ridiculous. And Zoe’s methods for finding her real-life Mr. Darcy? Downright absurd! But as he films her whirlwind dates, his growing feelings for her are sidelined by suitors vying for her attention. When Zoe realizes her ideal checklist might be holding her back, she must decide if she’s willing to rewrite her rules and take a chance on the person who has been there all along.   
  
With this Regency-infused spin on a contemporary rom-com, Mollie Rushmeyer’s witty characters, touch of whimsy, and sweet romance will win hearts.

My Review:

What a deeeeelightful read! Who knew Mollie Rushmeyer could write rom/coms? I wasn’t sure what to expect, being familiar with her first two deeply thought provoking and emotional novels,’The Bookshop of Secrets’ and ‘The Lost Manuscript.’ I couldn’t quite wrap my head around the same author infusing this much humour into her storytelling but, woohoo, comic genius for the win!

The setting is brilliant! Our heroine is a crazed Austen/Regency era mega-fan who has made it her life’s work to infuse the genteel courting rituals of the era into a wildly popular podcast. She spins Regency etiquette and traditions into expectations for potential suitors for the modern woman.

And when Zoe is invited to participate – and record – her experiences at a Regency themed singles retreat, complete with costumes and chaperones (!) well, that’s when the fun really begins. Because her new podcast producer just happens to be a man she has a very complicated history with. Best friend’s brother. Once-upon-a-time good friend. Witness to her most embarrassing moment. Possible secret crush. And the man she has been studiously avoiding for the past eighteen months.

Harrison and Zoe are thrown into the whirlwind activity of a 21st century Minnesota Marriage Mart. Courting with Regency rules of engagement. While in period dress. What could possibly go wrong?! If you’re Zoe, quite a lot actually.

The comedy is priceless. The romance, exquisitely torturous because of the pacing – we wait a loooonnnnggg time for Harrison and Zoe to ‘fess up to their feelings. Lots of agonizing inner battles to not feel the attraction and nefarious suitors to thwart. But, oh my, when Harrison finally makes his declaration and takes the pursuit of love seriously…well, clear off the fainting couch and prepare for a swooning marathon.

And our stubborn heroine? She’s so married to her impossible checklist in her search of the perfect ‘gentleman’, that she’s at risk of ignoring the perfect ‘gentle man’ who has been at her side all along. Sniffle sigh!

A modern day Regency Romance that made me laugh and swoon!

I listened to the audio edition of this novel and Emma Faye and Kyle Tait’s flawless narration elevated my enjoyment of this story so much. They really captured the characters’ personalities and the comedic beats brilliantly. Made this a listening experience to savour.

My thanks to RB Media and Net Galley for providing me with an audio edition of this book.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – ebook or audible — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Rules of Falling for You,  leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday September 6 2025

The Island Bookshop + Giveaway

A heartwarming tale of family, love, forgiveness and second chances.

When Kennedy Marshall sets off for a prestigious career in the city, she leaves behind the sunlit shores of North Carolina’s Outer Banks—and runs from a love she believes she can never have. With her sister, Lara, managing their grandmother’s beloved island bookshop, Kennedy feels confident she’s escaped the past. But when Lara is suddenly injured, Kennedy is drawn back into the island’s warm embrace—and bittersweet memories she thought she’d buried forever.

For Wes Armstrong, the Outer Banks is more than home—it’s his anchor. Building a successful family business was supposed to bring stability, but life has been anything but steady since his wife’s passing. Haunted by past regrets and facing a life-changing decision, Wes is determined to make the right choice for his family’s future. Yet Kennedy’s unexpected return stirs up old emotions and mistakes he thought he’d put to rest.

As hidden family secrets surface and long-buried truths come to light, Kennedy and Wes must navigate the delicate tides of forgiveness, second chances, and the unspoken love that still lingers between them. Can they find the courage to rewrite their story and create a new future on the island’s shifting sands?

Perfect for fans of clean, wholesome romance and gentle mysteries, The Island Bookshop is a heartwarming story of love, family, and the enduring power of second chances.

My Review:

Captivating setting, a surprise dual timeline and characters I came to care about all contributed to making this a memorable read for me. My first contemporary novel by Roseanna M. White (and wondering if it might be her first too?) Gave me Melissa Tagg, Betsy St. Amant vibes.

I was loving on the descriptive writing style, just getting my feet wet (ha – quite literally) along with Kennedy as she comes racing home for a family emergency with all the emotional complications that go along with that (I’m looking at you, Wes) and then I turned the page and suddenly found myself in 1938! Same place, different time and my heart did a little bookish jig at the unexpected dual timeline. To be fair, the contemporary timeline takes prominence, but I loved the tantalizing glimpses of Ana in 1938, wondering how the two would connect. Spectacularly as it turns out!

I certainly can’t resist a librarian heroine, especially one who works at the Library of Congress! Be still my library lovin’ heart! Plus, Kennedy is part owner of the island bookshop so she has the best of both worlds and so do we since there’s lots of bookish content and bibliophile nostalgia.

And then there’s Wes. The focus of Kennedy’s unrequited love for so many years, way back to their teens. His first romance was very much a cautionary tale of what can go wrong when you keep ‘the one’ in the friend zone because the friendship is too important to risk. Instead, he married someone else with disastrous results. Cue the set up for the perfect second chance, friends to more romance. So touching and tentative and heartwarming!

But before we can fully embrace the happily ever after, there’s a family legacy to save, and a family history to uncover which makes for a captivating read.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy available to anyone, anywhere in the world so…woohoo…International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of the The Island Bookshop, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday August 30 2025.

Dying to Read + Giveaway

Random Retro Re-Read

Cate Kinkaid is just dipping her toe into the world of private investigating until one of the many résumés she has floating around lands her a real job. All she has to do is determine that a particular woman lives at a particular address. Simple, right? When the big and brooding house happens to contain a dead body, this routine PI job turns out to be anything but simple. Is Cate in over her head?

Readers will be hooked from the very first chapter of this fast-paced and witty romantic mystery from bestselling and award-winning author Lorena McCourtney.

My Review:

published in 2012

An engaging mystery with no end of false trails and intriguing subplots. I have to admit this armchair sleuth (a graduate of the Nancy Drew/Trixie Belden School of Sleuthing) was hard pressed to solve the murder before heroine Cate Kinkaid.

Fascinating and amusing characters provide lots of scope for mayhem as Cate catapults herself into the thick of things. Loved Cate’s pithy point of view — and the whole story is from her perspective. Snappy dialogue mixed with Cate’s unique insights provide humour in nearly every scene but that doesn’t stop drama from unfolding too. Both professional and personal angst counter Cate’s witty asides and make for a well-rounded and captivating read. 

Oh — and watch out for the kitty diva, Octavia. Doesn’t every supersleuth need a little help from a familiar now and again?

And let’s not forget about the dragon-slaying knight in shining armour hero – a cute guy but what an annoying habit! Cate wants to slay her own dragons, thank you very much…in theory anyway. This light romance sealed the deal for me — and I’m hoping Dying to Read is just the beginning of a promising new cozy mystery series.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy available to anyone, anywhere in the world so…woohoo…International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of the Dying to Read, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday August 23 2025.

Northargyle Abbie + Giveaway

When Abigail Morgan, a naive pastor’s daughter with an overactive imagination, inherits a cottage in Australia, she never imagines the story it will unlock. Armed with a museum studies degree and a penchant for daydreams, Abigail heads to Hyacinth Cottage to unravel the truth of her grandmother’s past—an unknown world of adventure, deception, and love.

While sifting through letters, photographs, and hidden relics, Abigail meets Colter Wellesley, a charming local who helps her navigate the labyrinth of clues with a blend of wit and charm she struggles to resist. But Colter comes with secrets of his own. As their investigation and romance deepen, Abigail wonders if Colter is more tangled up in her grandmother’s mystery—and that of the princess who vanished more than sixty years ago—than she ever imagined.

In this modern reimagining of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, the line between imagination and reality blurs, and every clue discovered could be the key to unlocking a royal legacy.

My Review:

This was one of my most anticipated reads this year and Janelle Leonard did not disappoint! Impressive debut novel!

Love the family history angle that sends Abigail way out of her comfort zone on the hunt for her beloved gran’s secret story. (Hello! Road trip to Australia? Yes, Please!) She’s wildly imaginative and endearingly awkward. Each chapter includes whimsical Abbie musings in classic museum placard style which gives readers a glimpse of her quirky wit.

So, insecure pastor’s daughter finds herself on the adventure of a lifetime as Leonard loosely reimagines Jane Austen’s ‘Northanger Abbey’. But make no mistake, ‘Northargyle Abbie’ is most definitely a unique story all on its own.

This is as much a coming of age story as it is a delightful contemporary romance. But, oh my, when Colter makes his appearance, well, time to clear off you fainting couch. In Abbie’s words, “Ladies and gentlemen, I just experienced a meet-cute worthy of its own chapter.” ( p 70) And the man arrives with a certain air of mystery which was all kinds of fun to sort out.

The romance is swoonaliciously unhurried, there are mysteries to solve and bad ‘uns to thwart, all with an eye on the fairy tale promise of a scrumptious happily ever after. Divine reading that was impossible to put down.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy available to anyone, anywhere in the world so…woohoo…International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of the Northargyle Abbie, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday August 16 2025.

The Second Story Bookshop + Giveaway

She inherits the bookshop of her dreams . . . But she has to run it with the ex she vowed never to speak with again.

Shelby Thatcher adores working in the charming small-town bookshop her grandmother opened years ago. Since high school she’s helped Gram turn the shop into a community hub for book lovers in the lakeside town of Granville, NC. When her beloved grandma passes away, Shelby inherits the bookstore. But to her shock, Gram leaves half ownership to Gray Briggs, the man who broke Shelby’s heart years ago.

Granville residents have been vilifying Gray as long as he can remember. After graduating high school he couldn’t skip town fast enough, even though it meant leaving the girl he’d fallen deeply in love with and alienating her family once and for all. Now he’s back, the beneficiary of his elderly friend’s will. Facing the town’s animosity is difficult, but seeing Shelby again is sheer torture. No one could ever stir his heart the way she did.

As the adversaries are forced to work together, Gram’s beyond-the-grave scheme is working–Shelby’s old feelings for Gray begin to resurface. But the problems that destroyed their relationship before still remain, and a new one surfaces–one that threatens Gram’s beloved bookshop. Is their love doomed to fail again, or will they find a way to make it work this time around?

My Review:

A Second Chance Romance set in a bookish backdrop? Yes please! Even though Shelby and Gray’s love story includes a…gasp…dreaded love triangle! I almost gave up before the story really started but it’s Denise Hunter and if I can’t trust her with my fragile LT resistant heart, who can I trust? And truly, as far as love triangles go this one wasn’t as angsty as it could have been. I could explain why but then I’d be sharing spoilers so…guess you’ll have to trust me just the way I had to trust the author.

Poignant and tender and steeped in emotion, this novel brought on all the feels, from fuming to swooning and everything in between. Kept me invested right through to the end. A high school romance gone terribly wrong and Shelby’s been nursing some significant resentment ever since. Meanwhile, Gray has been trapped in his regrets. Their coming together once again results in an explosion of mixed emotions and the opportunity to finally come to terms with the past.

Hunter explores the complex issue of bullying – both then and now – with stomach churning precision. Gah! I felt for Gray and everything he had to endure. I appreciated the snippets of storytelling from their past that set the stage for the present. It explained so much and helped me feel sympathetic to both hero and heroine. And I love the way Gram’s gentle support reaches out to both of them after her death. Such a wonderful legacy of love!

I enjoyed listening to the audio edition of ‘The Second Story Bookshop’ narrated by Kim Churchill. I felt like she had a good grasp of the characters’ personalities which carried over into her performance, making me appreciate them, and their story, all the more.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson, Zondervan Fiction Audio and Net Galley for providing me with an audio edition of this book.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS BOOK DOESN’T RELEASE UNTIL OCTOBER 7 SO THERE WILL BE A BIT OF A WAIT TO CLAIM YOUR WIN!

US – ebook edition

Canada – available ebook or audible — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Second Story Bookshop,  leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday August 9 2025

Like a Winter Snow + Giveaway

Cozy up with this charming and uplifting romance all about unexpected love, true friendship, and family loyalty. Set during a Christmas-time wedding among the falling snow, this sweet story will warm your heart.

Women’s counselor Joy Beckman has always been a friend and helper to all. That’s why she’s given up everything to be with her parents as her mother suffers through Alzheimer’s. Joy may not have a thriving career or a love life at the moment, but she’s doing what she does best—taking care of others. And even though it’s difficult, she knows it’s where she is supposed to be.

But life throws a curveball when she has to leave her parents temporarily to travel to Cornwall, England, for the December wedding of her best friend. While there, Joy helps Sophia tackle her last-minute to-do list, and in the process, finally meets a man who turns her head—and her heart. The only problem? He lives in snowy London, and her life is with her parents back in sunny Florida. 

She tries to resist Oliver Lincoln’s charms, but it’s harder than it should be. With her heart torn in two, Joy is forced to choose between a life she knows she’s meant for and the one she didn’t see coming.

Fall in love with this enchanting romance that’s sure to delight fans of Rachel Hauck and Melissa Tagg. Even if you have not read The Secrets of Paper and Ink (where the quaint village of Port Willis was first born), you can fully enjoy this heartwarming holiday novella.

My Review:

published in 2020

A lot of bookish friends have recommended this Port Willis Romance Christmas series and this is the year I am going to catch up with them all. After reading this first book #1, I can totally see what all the buzz is about.

A short, sweet novella length story filled to the brim with inspiration and hope and the spirit of Christmas. Oh, and an impossible romance. Oliver is British, Joy American, and they meet at a mutual friend’s Christmas wedding in Cornwall. Eeeeeppp – perfectly divine setting! Their attraction is real and quickly developing into something much deeper only they are an ocean apart except for Joy’s brief holiday sojourn.

Such a captivating, insightful story that explores the kind of courage it takes to trust God – especially at the most difficult time in our lives. “Yes, but I think sometimes God wants us to be stretched. To choose the thing that’s frightening and unsure. To live boldly. To take a chance on the unknown.” (p 156.)

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Like a Winter Snow,  leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday July 26 2025

A Match Made at Christmas + Giveaway

Hayes McGuire never believed the stories about a famous Nantucket matchmaker until she ropes him into taking over her duties while she’s off the island for Christmas.

So he enlists the help of the one person he can trust with this crazy scheme—his best friend, Prudence. Armed with a series of rules, a book of success stories and the promise of Christmas magic, the pair of old friends sets out to make a Christmas match.

Little do they know that magic doesn’t discriminate, and the pair soon finds their years of friendship deepening into something more. Will Pru and Hayes ignore the electricity in the air between them or will there be more than one match made at Christmas?

A Match Made at Christmas is a stand-alone holiday novella.

My Review:

published in 2020

A seriously brilliant twist on the friends to more trope with so much Christmas pizzazz I can’t even…

“They were like two shattered pieces of glass, and she had to wonder if their pieces would ever fit together.” (p 8)

A blissfully happy marshmallows-melting-in-my-hot-chocolate romantical read that transformed me into giggling goo. 🙂 (And apparently left me a tad addlepated to boot!) 

Loved the matchmaking magic that turns out to have quite a kick! And the valiant way Hayes tries to honour his promise to carry out his mission. And, since he’s a romance flunkee, he enlists the aid of his bestest of best friends, Pru. Who is also his secret love, though he refuses to acknowledge that pesky feeling. And Pru, well, she’s all about preserving their friendship at any cost — including not giving in to the romantic notions about Hayes that have plagued her for years. 

Thrown together on a holiday quest to bring light and love to an unsuspecting pair, these amateur matchmakers aren’t prepared for the residual fallout that has the potential to make or break their friendship forever.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy available to anyone, anywhere in the world so…woohoo…International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of the A Match Made at Christmas, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday July 26 2025.

The Christmas Heirloom + Giveaway

Perfect for the Christmas season, four beloved authors bring their bestselling, award-winning talents to a multigenerational collection of romantic holiday novellas. In stories ranging from 1820s Regency England to present-day Washington state, readers will be treated to Christmas tales of an heirloom brooch passed from mother to daughter for almost two hundred years. Will the family legend claiming the brooch brings love to its recipient hold true for these women separated by the years but bonded together by the ties of family?

In Kristi Ann Hunter’s “Legacy of Love,” Sarah Gooding never suspected returning a brooch to an elderly woman would lead to a job . . . and introduce her to the woman’s grandson. While he may be far above her station, she can’t help but notice that his desire to make this Christmas special for his grandmother matches her own.

In Karen Witemeyer’s “Gift of the Heart,” widow Ruth Albright uses the family brooch as collateral for a loan from the local banker. But the more she comes to know the man behind the stern businessman, the more she hopes for a second chance at love as the holidays draw near.

In Sarah Loudin Thomas’s “A Shot at Love,” Fleeta Brady’s rough-and-tumble childhood means she prefers hunting to more feminine activities. She never expected her mother’s brooch might be how a fellow hunter turns her attention from competition to romance one December.

In Becky Wade’s “Because of You,” Maddie Winslow has spent years in love with a man whose heart was already spoken for. When a church Christmas project brings them together and she stumbles upon an old family brooch, might it finally be her turn for love?

My Review:

published in 2018

I don’t read a ton of novellas but I’m fond of Christmas collections and these stories do justice to that beautiful cover. I love the heirloom brooch connection to all four stories and the way we get to follow it through the generations.

Loved the opportunity to time travel with four of my favourite authors, savoring spectacular love stories that span centuries. Each one reads like a full length novel with all the complexities of character and plot. Think toe-curls and swoons times four! Leaves a romantical reader kinda breathless! And you can’t beat four happily-ever-after Christmas themed love stories to get you in the holiday spirit! A perfect pre-Christmas gift for any avid reader on your list (including you!)

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback copy available to anyone, anywhere in the world so…woohoo…International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of the The Christmas Heirloom, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday July 26 2025.

The Christmas Gathering

A CHRISTMAS REUNION by Shelley Shepard Gray: Tricia Troyer is thrilled when Brandt Massey, her cousin’s English friend, joins the Troyers’s holiday gathering for the second year in a row. When Brandt asks Tricia to be his girlfriend, they both know she’ll have important choices to make about her future. But the two aren’t as different as some believe-and with open hearts and understanding, their very own Christmas miracle just might be possible . . .

WE GATHER TOGETHER by Lenora Worth: When Lucas Myer meets Kayla Hollinger on the shores of Lake Erie, he’s smitten. The two plan to meet again-but soon enough they discover a problem: their relatives are locked in a longtime feud and forbid them to socialize. Fortunately, Lucas and Kayla are old enough to make their own decisions-and they decide to create a Christmas miracle of forgiveness and love . . .

HITTING ALL THE RIGHT NOTES by Rachel J. Good: Years ago, Andrew was banished by his Amish family when he chose a career in music. And now, just before Christmas, he and his band find themselves stranded after their manager absconds with their money. Desperate, Andrew is offered a job teaching piano-but that’s just the first miracle. His work will not only bless others in need, but a longtime fan might just capture his heart-and even lead him home . . 

My Review:

Three heartwarming holiday novellas that share one common thread: Christmas family reunions, Amish style.

Shelley Shepard Gray’s classic storytelling creates drama and hope around a forbidden Amish/Englisch romance that seems doomed from the start. That forbidden love theme continues when Lenora Worth’s hero and heroine are thwarted by feuding families. And the love of forbidden music complicates the lives of one Amish couple looking for a Christmas miracle in Rachel J. Good’s novella.

Simple details of Amish holiday traditions bring a gentle festive touch to these stories. A lovely addition to any library’s Christmas collection.