Another Winner! 'Fiance Finale' - Love Off Script 3 - by Angela Ruth Strong

 

About the book:

Charlie Newberg is sure about one Nicole Lemaire is the woman God wants him to marry. There's a slight problem, though—he's already left her once. The day before their wedding. To make a documentary.

But he's got a plan. The marketing firm she works for is the ideal choice for promoting his new film. Collaborating will give him the perfect chance to propose again, so he conspires with her boss to make sure she runs the campaign for the same kind of documentary Charlie left her—basically at the altar—for.

Despite Nicole's resistance, the two work well together. But Charlie's going to need more than teamwork to convince the jilted bride to give him a second chance. In fact, he might need to fall in love in a way he's never really understood.

My review:

This was such a fun book, mostly because you never knew what Charlie would say or do!  There were different twists and turns where you thought the story was going one way and then it didn't.  It was wonderful to see Charlie's sister, Meri, from the first book and catch up with her and Kai.  I haven't read book two yet but plan to soon; Charlie's friend's story sounds just as hilarious as him and his sister's.  The story does work as a stand-alone but Meri's story is not to be missed!  Both Charlie and Nicole have such growth throughout the book in different ways.  I loved that Charlie had this strong community around him who encouraged him when he needed it but also called him out on his mistakes and had real Godly wisdom about his purpose and about love.   Nicole is estranged from her dad for betraying their family and isn't sure if they'll ever reconnect.  She starts to understand the importance of community herself.  There were some good romantic scenes and also some hilarious ones.  I highly recommend this satisfying story!

I received a free copy of this book from Kregel Publications.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.

Sweet Regency Romance! 'The Gentleman's Confession' - Matchmaking Mamas 3 - by Anneka R. Walker

 

About the book:

Inexperienced in love, Jemma seeks help from her best friend, Miles, unaware that he has secretly loved her for years.

Brookeside, England, 1822

Jemma Fielding has always considered herself an independent woman, but to honor her beloved grandmother’s dying wish, she makes a promise that she will marry and fall in love. To fulfill her promise, she turns to the Matchmaking Mamas Society for assistance and is paired with the charming Mr. Bentley. Though he is everything Jemma could hope for in a match, she is clueless about how to win his heart. Desperate to make a good impression, she seeks guidance from her dearest friend, Miles Jackson, a humble rector with a talent for understanding matters of the heart.

However, Miles’s secret affection for Jemma has spanned years, and teaching her to love someone else threatens to betray his own heart. Trapped by his own selfless nature, Miles fears he will never be more than a humble rector in her eyes.

Even as he gives Jemma lessons in love, Miles grapples with the challenge of convincing her that Mr. Bentley may be a perfect gentleman but he is not the perfect match for her. Will Miles’s advice in romance jeopardize their years of friendship, or will it reveal the attraction that has quietly blossomed between them, proving that this time, the Matchmaking Mamas may have made a mistake? Miles must decide if he’s brave enough to confess his feelings to Jemma before she is whisked away forever.

My review:

This was a fun Regency romance with one of my favorite tropes, the friends to lovers romance, but clean of course.  We have one very independent woman who never wanted to marry and one best friend who suddenly realizes he might lose the woman he loves for good.  To top if off, she wants him to help her fall in love with someone else!  The frustration and yearning were palpable throughout the story as you see Miles struggle to be selfless while his own heart is breaking.  Jemma, meanwhile, is also trying to be selfless as she believes Miles and her cousin are meant for each other and she doesn't want her heart broken.  Misunderstanding ensue.  I did get pretty frustrated with Miles as he should have just explained himself to her cousin.  Even though he had never courted her, much less proposed, there was an assumption on her part and everyone else's that they were going to be together so the right thing would have been to explain his intentions so she could be free.  This would have also freed Jemma and himself from one misunderstanding, anyway.  This was more of a clean read than a Christian book as there wasn't much about faith even though Miles was a vicar.   However, many vicars of that time were appointed or positions bought for second sons who wouldn't inherit.  There were a lot of sweet moments with lingering glances and some kissing.  Overall, this was a fun read with a satisfying romance!  I would recommend it if you like romance.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher  I was not compensated for this review.   All opinions are my own.                                                                                                                                                                     .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Sweet Christmas Romance! 'Meddling with Mistletoe: A Red Door Inn Christmas Romance' - Prince Edward Island Dreams - by Liz Johnson

 

About the book:

The recipe for romance is simple: sweets, treats, and mistletoe meets

Whitney Garrett is preparing to enter culinary school in the spring, but first she has to sell enough homemade pies at the local Christmas markets to pay her tuition. When her oven breaks, Whitney asks Marie Sloan, proprietor of the Red Door Inn, if she can use the inn's kitchen to keep up with her orders. Marie agrees, with a catch: Whitney has to watch the three Sloan children and cook breakfasts for the Red Door in return.

The inn is busy with holiday guests--including Aretha Franklin Sloan's perpetually single nephew Daniel and Ruby, a businesswoman in town to purchase Aretha's antiques store. Intent on making a Christmas match for the two, Aretha enlists Whitney's help in her schemes. But the deeper Whitney gets, the more she realizes that Ruby is not the right woman for Daniel--and the more she thinks that she just might be his perfect match.

My review:

This was a perfect Christmas romance about a grumpy numbers guy who avoids Christmas and is forced to spend time at the Red Door Inn with creative Whitney and the three adorable children she's watching.  He gets pulled into spending time with them and eating the delicious food she prepares and realizes what he's been missing.  His heart was broken by his fiance and he's focused on nothing but work since but he starts to hope that maybe his life can have more.  I liked that Daniel isn't the usual perfect hero as he seems to be a little bit autistic and has a hard time reading social cues. His ex-fiance made him doubt himself even more and it doesn't help that Whitney fights her feelings since she's supposed to be helping match him with Ruby, the businesswoman negotiating to buy his aunt's store.  She also needs the money for tuition that Aretha agreed to pay her for helping and she wants to prove to her parents that she can finish something as she's had trouble following through on things.  Which will win out, her feelings or her goal?  Will Daniel find out about the matchmaking plot?  There's a subtle faith message as Daniel attends a rehearsal for the Christmas pageant and is reminded of God's love and presence.  The romance was very sweet and it was great to catch up with prior characters in the series and meet their children!  I highly recommend this sweet Christmas story!

I received a free kindle copy of this book from Revell.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.

           The Author

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   © Erin McFarland

   Liz Johnson

   Liz Johnson is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 20 novels, including Beyond the Tides, The Last Way Home, and Summer in the Spotlight, as well as the Georgia Coast Romance and Prince Edward Island Dreams series....

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