#NetGalley Book Review: Once Upon A Heartbreak by Cassie Rocca

This is a cute second chance romance although a little annoying at times.
Once Upon a Heartbreak
by Cassie Rocca

File Size: 2432 KB
Print Length: 243 pages
Publisher: Aria (May 1, 2018)
ASIN: B07BMHDDJ2
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Second Chance
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Is true love really out there? A hilarious, heartwarming romance: perfect for the fans of Jo Watson, Debbie Johnson and Holly Martin.
Liberty Allen used to be a hopeless romantic, that is, until Zack Sullivan unwittingly broke her teenage heart.
Fifteen years later, Liberty has her life together in New York City, running a successful business and engaged to be married in just a matter of months. But something just seems to be missing...
All of a sudden, Liberty runs into Zack out the blue, forcing her to question everything she thought she knew about her life, her happiness, and even her feelings on true love...

Review:
Liberty was an overweight 15-year-old when she met Zack, a 17-year-old who was more interested in baking than partying and girls. Both suffered through teen mocking and bullying so it isn’t surprising that they developed a friendship with Liberty being the tester for many of Zack’s baking projects. An event caused Liberty to feel humiliated and abandoned by Zack. Liberty moved away the next day, changing her life to discipline herself to not eat sweets and to exercise rigorously in order to achieve and maintain an attractive body image. Liberty also disciplined herself to close her heart to true emotions and settle instead for rational emotional responses.

Fifteen years later Liberty is engaged to be married to her unemotional, lawyer boyfriend whom she has dated for several years. His sister is getting married and he asked Liberty to marry him and have a double wedding. The wedding is still several months away when they agree to visit Cape May with Liberty’s employees. Liberty is thrown for a loop when she discovers their host is none other than Zack.

Zack, now a single dad of a five-year-old daughter, is thrilled! He is awed at how beautiful Liberty is but he is dismayed that she tries to avoid him and won’t eat the meals and desserts he has prepared. He realizes she has lost the sparkle he cared for so many years before. Liberty tries to hold onto her anger from the loss of her first teenage crush but part of her wonders if Zack could really care for her as she is. Can Zack convince Liberty that he truly does care for her before she walks down the aisle to a ‘comfortable’ but uninspired marriage?

It was frustrating and sad to read Liberty’s lack of confidence and the extremes she took to change her nature. Zack and his daughter are lovely characters and Liberty’s friends are nice additions with their own romances. I found the ending a bit strange as it veered to cover the romances of Liberty’s friends in addition to her own romance. I didn't realize that this is the third story and the other romances were wrapped up here.

I found the story an easy read, and mostly fun if you can get beyond Liberty’s insecurities. I recommend this to readers who enjoy second chance romances.

Source: NetGalley 2018. This qualifies for NetGalley Challenge.

Book Review: How to Charm a Beekeeper's Heart by Candice Patterson

This is a charming, inspirational romance.
How to Charm a Beekeeper's Heart
by Candice Patterson

File Size: 1428 KB
Print Length: 400 pages
Publisher: White Rose Publishing; 1 edition (October 28, 2016)
ASIN: B01BB7R9HC
Genre: Christian, Contemporary Romance
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Weddings are the last thing beekeeper Huck Anderson wants to be associated with, considering his past. So when he inherits a building occupied by a bridal boutique, he aims to evict the failing business and open a sporting goods store. That is until his tenant ends up being Arianne Winters, a woman he's indebted to from a mistake made years ago. When a life-threatening injury derails Huck entirely, Arianne offers a compromise to keep her boutique and her life out of bankruptcy—she'll aid in his lengthy recovery if he'll allow her to remain in his building. But nursing her adversary proves challenging when her adolescent crush resurfaces. Amidst a battle-of-wills, their lives intertwine in unexpected ways, providing opportunity to overcome their pasts and start anew. Will this confirmed bachelor consider holy-matrimony, or will Huck's choices sting them a second time?

Review:
This is a sweet, second chance romance. I loved the bee facts shared at the end of each chapter in tips and quotes.

Arianne was the brain in high school who helped Huck, the jock, get through his tests. She’d always had a bit of a crush on him but suffered a heart blow when he stood her up for prom. She moved on to a safer, saner romance in college, married and had a daughter. Sadly, her husband walked out before the child was three. Arianne has been struggling to make a living at her bridal boutique while raising Emma and taking care of her 25-year-old sister who can’t seem to find herself… or a job.

Huck inherits a building from his uncle and determines he will evict the bridal shop tenant and open a sporting goods store. That plan isn’t so easy when he learns that the tenant is the girl he wronged in high school. Huck has secrets and issues from his past that have made him a loner. He doesn’t do “relationship” although he is willing to spend a few weeks with a woman who isn’t looking for any long-term romance. Huck wants to get away from Arianne as quickly as he can. This plan doesn’t work either when he suffers a serious accident and Arianne steps forward to take care of him during his rehabilitation in exchange for allowing her time to move the bridal shop.

Huck finds himself enjoying the company of Arianne and adorable Emma. He is even willing to share his bee farming with them. Even though he is willing to encourage Arianne to pursue her dreams, he doesn’t think he is worthy of her love. Arianne continues to struggle with her business and her sister. She isn’t sure she can handle the pain of an unrequited love and she doesn’t want to risk hurting Emma with another man who would most likely abandon them. Still, she might not be able to keep her heart from falling for the man she has always fantasized about.

I really enjoyed these struggling characters and watching as they wrestled with their past pains and lost dreams. Ms. Patterson does a nice job showing their growth and allowing the romance to grow, even through their fears. Emma adds a precocious and sweet character.

The writing is nicely handled with nice descriptions, smooth delivery, and easy flow. I really enjoyed how Arianne’s strong faith, and Emma’s child’s faith, are shared, by little graces and even in flaws, so that Huck begins to long for an unconditional love he has never known. The story is engaging and the characters’ journeys are believable and heartwarming. I recommend this to readers who enjoy inspirational, small town style, second chance romance.

I received this from NetGalley and it qualifies for my NetGalley Challenge.

Book Review: Love in the Details: A November Wedding Story (A Year of Weddings Novella) by Becky Wade

This is a lovely second-chance romance.
Love in the Details: A November Wedding Story
(A Year of Weddings Novella)
by Becky Wade

File Size: 1942 KB
Print Length: 93 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (October 27, 2015)
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishing
ASIN: B00UF72DSK
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Novella
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Holly ended things to give him a better life, but she was the future he’d always dreamed of.
Eight years have passed since Holly last saw her high school sweetheart, Josh. Now the wedding of Josh’s best friend has brought him back to Martinsburg, Texas. His duties as best man and Holly's as the church's volunteer wedding coordinator link them together. As they work behind the scenes to plan a beautiful November wedding for their friends, they're forced to confront painful reminders of what might have been.
Holly broke up with Josh all those years ago in an attempt to ensure his future success. However, she never told him the true reason behind her actions and now must decide whether to keep her secret hidden. She's terrified of letting herself fall for him because she barely managed to piece her life back together after losing him the last time.
Not a day's gone by since Josh parted from Holly that he hasn't thought about her. The pain of the past eight years has been too much to bear and he doesn't want to make himself vulnerable to her again. But the more time he spends with her, the harder it is to deny the love he still has for her.
Will Josh and Holly risk their hearts on the hope that God's timing really can be best?

Review:
Holly and Josh were high school sweethearts. He was the school geek but she still loved him. When Josh went away to college at MIT, Holly became convinced that she would only hold him back so she broke up with him. She hasn’t found a man to love since Josh, but she prays that God will bring the right man to her.

Josh was stricken when Holly broke up with him giving no reason. He dedicated himself to his studies and became a successful businessman based out of Paris. He is returning home for the first time in eight years to be the best man for his friend. He tried to prepare himself to see Holly and walk away from her. Instead he ends up working with her as the church wedding coordinator and a local guide to the community.

Holly tries to protect her heart from falling for Josh feeling that she isn’t worthy of his sophisticated lifestyle. She is afraid to hope he could learn to care for her again. Josh is cautious to trust knowing how badly he was hurt before. Is there a chance for them to overcome their past and find a second chance at love?

This story is lovely, short and sweet. I was smiling with an occasional wince at the painful moments and fears. Their reactions are natural with emotions that are very real to life. I enjoyed the gentle faith that helped to shape their characters and ultimately their relationship. The writing style is light and made for easy reading. I would be interested in reading more from Ms. Wade after enjoying this short taste of her work. If you are a reader who enjoys warmth, inspiration and second chances, I recommend you pick up this sweet book.

I received this through NetGalley for an honest review. It is part of my NetGalley Challenge.

Book Review and Giveaways: A Kiss to Build a Dream On (A White Pine Novel) by Kim Amos

This 'second chance' romance is a fast, light read.

A Kiss to Build a Dream On (A White Pine Novel)

by Kim Amos

• File Size: 796 KB
• Print Length: 352 pages
• Publisher: Forever (March 31, 2015)
• ASIN: B00LLIIZAC
• Genre: Contemporary Romance
• My Rating: 3.5 of 5.0

Book Description

Publication Date: March 31, 2015
TROUBLE IN HIGH HEELS . . . 
If pride goes before a fall, Willa Masterson's trip back to White Pine, Minnesota, should be one heck of a tumble The girl who left her hometown-and her first love, Burk Olmstead-in the rearview twelve years ago was spoiled and headstrong. But the woman who returns is determined to rebuild: first her family house; then her relationships with everyone in town . . . starting with a certain tall, dark, and sexy contractor.
MEETS HER MATCH
Burk has no reason to believe Willa has changed, and every reason to discourage her from converting the Masterson house into a B&B. He has plans of his own for that house, and they certainly don't include a no-vacancy sign. But Burk didn't count on how distracting Willa's bright green eyes or her all-too-familiar touch would feel-or how impossible she will be to resist . . .

Review:
Willa was a spoiled heiress who left her small-town high school sweetheart without so much as a goodbye kiss to flee to New York. There she lived a high society life-style with shopping as her main occupation while her investor boyfriend controlled her accounts. Willa was shocked when her boyfriend was arrested for fraud and theft, including having wiped out Willa’s accounts. Fortunately Willa had two assets left when it was all over - one old trust account and her home estate in White Pine.

Willa returns home with the plan to turn the old family house into a Bed & Breakfast. The problem is her high school sweetheart, Burk, is the local contractor and he had other plans for the home. He has cared for the property for the past twelve years since Willa left, continuing even after her absent mother died and no one was paying him. Burk isn’t thrilled to have the girl who broke his heart back in town but he is happy to have the job to keep his crew employed.

Willa realizes that she has hurt a lot of people and she must apologize and make amends if she wants to succeed with her B&B. She volunteers to help the high school girl’s track team and is invited to a recipes exchange group. Even though Willa has no clue how to cook she joins the group of women and begins to make real friends for the first time in her life.

Burk and Willa find it tense to work together as both hide their past feelings and hurts. Willa doesn’t want to reveal the extent of her money problems, although she can't hide how ill-prepared she is for many normal life tasks. Burk figures Willa will leave town soon and he wants to convince her to sell the house to him. He surely doesn’t want to fall prey to Willa again.

I liked the small town features, the secondary characters and the second chance romance. The setting descriptions are crisp, several emotional portrayals are worded really well and the message of forgiveness is nicely presented.  I was able to get beyond Willa being a mean person in high school, a foolish young woman not caring for her own money,  to suddenly being a nice girl... after all, people can mature. The story reads quickly but I was bothered by the constant thread of visual sexuality and then the basic sex scenes. When they weren’t ‘secretly’ ogling each other’s chests, their chests were aching from loss and longing. The focus on sexual attraction took up way too much of the book for my likes. Although this made the reading tedious for me, some readers will no doubt like this aspect.

I received this title through NetGalley for an honest review for Forever Romance blog tour. This qualifies for my NetGalley Challenge. 

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1xfmEZm
B&N: http://bit.ly/1ErH3HJ
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1AxKQ4M
BAM!: http://bit.ly/1F4vQC8
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1I04MCu

About Kim Amos

A Midwesterner whose roots run deep, Kim Amos is a writer living in Michigan with her husband and three furry animals. 

Website: http://www.kimamoswrites.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimAmosWrites

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kimamoswrites

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kimamoswrites/

Excerpt available at author website.

GIVEAWAYS

Rafflecopter
a Rafflecopter giveaway

ONE PRINT COPY (US/Canada only).

Graciously provided by the publisher:

ENTRY FORM HERE

(Don't forget to fill in the form for entry!

I have noticed a few commenters who forgot to enter through the Form.)

For 3 Extra Bonus entries (a) comment on the review,

OR

(b) visit THE AUTHOR'S WEBSITE and tell me something you like/learned there.

* This contest is open to US/CANADA only for Print Copy.
* This contest will close 5 PM (Central) April 11, 2015.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED after April 11, 2015.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond on the winners form linked in the announcement or by email.

Book Review: Mistletoe on Main Street by Olivia Miles

This is a sweet, second-chance romance with likable characters and a charming Christmas setting.
Mistletoe on Main Street
by Olivia Miles

• File Size: 1519 KB
• Print Length: 400 pages
• Publisher: Forever (September 30, 2014)
• Sold by: Hachette Book Group
• ASIN: B00HQ2N44Y

Genre: Contemporary Romance
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Sleigh bells, snow, and second chances . . .
Briar Creek's quaint shop windows, cozy homes nestled in snow, and neighborly residents are what Christmas dreams are made of--for everyone except Grace Madison. She left her hometown years ago to pursue a writing career. But when her father's death leaves his bookstore empty, Grace must return to face why she fled Vermont in the first place: Luke Hastings, who still heats her up like a shot of smoky whiskey on a cold winter's night.
Grace is back, and Luke is worried. How much has she changed as a bestselling author in the big city? What memories will she stir up? And was the choice he made five years ago the biggest mistake of his life?
Now, with their past, present, and future rocking around the Christmas tree, it's time for Grace and Luke to face the music . . . and the mistletoe.

Review:
Grace and Luke were young sweethearts, dating for ten years from middle grade through post graduate days. As their days at school came near an end Luke was prepared to ask Grace to marry him. They would move to the house he had built in their hometown, he would teach school where he was taught and they would settle down to raise a family. But Grace didn’t want to stay in the same “boring” town where she grew up. She wanted to go to the big city and become a famous author. When neither would budge, Grace ran off to New York, crying for her loss and feeling betrayed. Luke remained home and soon met a young woman who wanted the same things he did: to live a quiet life and raise their own children in their home town. Luke married Helen but never quite forgot Grace.

Grace succeeding in writing a best seller and established a routine life in New York but she never forgot about Luke. Five years later Grace returns home to help her family face Christmas after the death of her father earlier in the year. This time Grace has left behind an ex-fiance and a book that the critics declared a bomb.

Grace and Luke come face to face but dance around their past hurts and feelings of abandonment. Luke is filled with guilt and is clinging to the memory of his wife who died unexpectedly two years before. Luke feels he would be betraying Helen if he pursues any feelings for Grace. Besides, he expects Grace will only go away again after the holidays.

Grace wasn’t prepared to see Luke but she was excited to see her family. Her youngest sister, Jane, is there to welcome her with her three year old daughter, Sophie. Although Jane is putting on a good front things don’t seem quite right in her picture perfect domestic life. Meanwhile, middle sister, Anna, is angry that Grace stayed away so long. And all three girls want to find a way to nudger their mother, the once Queen of Christmas, out of her depression.

Grace begins to think that she might stay in cozy Briar Creek where she is needed by her family. Luke may not be giving her a reason to stay but she decides that she must give her father’s beloved bookstore, where she learned to read and dream, a second chance.

Grace and Luke both have a lot of emotional history to deal with and accept. They each have to make sure they know what they want and that they are willing to leave the past and move on to the future. Grace fears that may be a future without each other but she finds new strength in making decisions for her own life.

This read quickly and I enjoyed the easy writing flow.  I liked the strong and humanly fragile sides of the characters. The sisters make a good addition and I suspect there will be stories for them in the future. The small town setting is lovely. The story is not completely predictable as there are side family issues and some set-backs to keep the second-chance romance interesting. I am glad to have read this book and would enjoy more easy romance from Ms. Miles. I recommend this to readers who enjoy an easy read and especially those who like second-chance romance tales.

I received this title from Forever/Hachette, through NetGalley, as part of Release Blitz. Please see the other titles and Giveaway on the Blitz post!

Book Review and Giveaway: Love Remains (The Matchmakers Book 1) by Kaye Dacus

A nice, second chance, Christian story.

Love Remains (The Matchmakers Book 1)

by Kaye Dacus

• Series: The Matchmakers (Book 1)
• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Barbour Books (August 1, 2010)
• ISBN-13: 978-1602609891

Genre: Christian Romance

My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Book Description

Publication Date: June 18, 2010

Every grandmother wants to see her grandchildren happy, especially when it comes to their love lives. Join five active senior ladies—and one gentleman—who take a great interest in the lives and loves of their single grandchildren and become The Matchmakers. Zarah Mitchell and Bobby Patterson become the first focus of meddling grandmothers when he moves back to Nashville to work for the Tennessee Criminal Investigations Unit. Will Zarah be able to forgive the man who years ago chose a military career over her—especially when she learns he is investigating the historic preservation agency for which she works?

Review:
Zarah Mitchell is a young woman with confidence issues. All her young years she was criticized by her father, the General. The same man idolized her older sister and later focused on his new family, but he never had time or approval for Zarah. As a senior, Zarah dated a young soldier behind her father’s back. When he disappeared from her life she went off to college heartbroken and men-shy.

Fourteen years later Zarah is still cautious of men. She is highly respected by her boss and peers at her work with the historical preservation agency. She is also a successful leader, and willing servant, in her church singles’ group. Things are secure, if in a rut, until her teen love, Bobby, sudden moves to town to work at the Nashville office of Tennessee Criminal Investigations Unit.

Bobby is glad to see Zarah again but sad to see that she seems to be taken advantage of by those around her. Bobby doesn’t understand how he lost Zarah fourteen years ago. He begins to wonder if they might have a second chance. But first he has to deal with the fact that his new assignment involves investigating the agency where Zarah works. Then he will have to convince Zarah to open up to him and take a chance on live beyond her routines.

There are some wonderful messages of forgiveness and second chances. The story also shows the need for balancing servanthood instead of being a doormat. Ms. Dacus edges in the issue of self confidence but I felt she missed a bit of a chance to emphasize that our true worth should be found in being creations and children of a mighty, heavenly God rather than in trying to please an earthly father.

There are parts of the story that seemed no more than filler, mundane actions. But most of the story is enjoyable and engaging. This is the second book we have read by this author and we liked the first one too. The writing in this story has an easy flow and makes for a quick, light read.

This was Ladies' Book Club reading for August and we all enjoyed the easy read.

Giveaway:

ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY for my gently read print copy

ENTRY FORM HERE

(Don't forget to fill in the form for entry!

I have noticed a few commenters who forgot to enter through the Form.)

For 3 Extra Bonus entries comment on the review, OR

visit THE AUTHOR'S Website and tell me something you like/learned there.

* This contest is open US Only for Print Book.
* This contest will close 5 PM (Central) September 20, 2014.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED after September 20, 2014.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.