Category Archives: Romance

I had never read a novel by Teri Wilson before nor had I seen the movie that this book is based on. So, I read it with no preconceived notion and was wonderfully entertained.

The story is about Ashley, a small town girl, who just can’t wait to get to New York City. She thinks her life is perfect as she works for the most prestigious jewelry store and has a boyfriend who she thinks is about to propose. Add to that, she is going to Paris for the holidays.

Things fall apart and she heads home to lick her wounds and get ready to go back to work. The train ride back home is uneventful except for an interesting stranger and the discovery of an antique charm bracelet on her arm when she awakens from a nap.

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I’ve recently been reading Regency Romances, both older and newer published novels. This is an older book that has been recently been published as an ebook. I had read other Elizabeth Mansfield books years ago but this is one that I had not read before.

The book is funny and has a cast of characters that keep bringing you back to it. Caroline Whitlow is a proud young woman. She has always been so. She can’t take “charity” from anyone. The problem is, she doesn’t always understand that what she sees as charity is, in fact, simple kindness.

She and her two younger brothers move out from the home they have been living in for twelve years when the new heir is coming home.

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Mr. Malcolm is a rich and eligible bachelor. He has females running after him all the time. In order to weed out those who are unsuitable (by his criteria), he creates and list and if a young lady doesn’t meet just one item on the list, she is out of consideration.

A young lady, Julia, takes umbrage at the thought, having read much more into an evening with Mr. Malcolm has her escort, and she makes plants to get even.

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I am so pleased to find a new author who writes in the style of the Regency Romances that I read when I was much younger. Actually, I found this book to be even better than most of those I read years ago.

The book has a romance that develops normally. It doesn’t have sex or profanity. That’s so unusual these days. I stopped reading Regencies years ago because they had morphed into something less appealing which included detailed sex scenes.

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It’s been years since I read a new sweet and, yes, proper Regency Romance. Many that call themselves Regencies today include graphic and/or explicit sexual scenes.

That is not the case with Lakeshire Park. The story is the key in this book. The story is about two individuals in particular. Amelia Moore and Mr. Peter Wood are the heroine and hero of this story.

Amelia is trying to promote a marriage between her sister Clara and Sir Ronald. It is imperative that it happen soon as the two sisters (unbeknownst to Clara) have fairly well been cast off by their dying and truly unlikeable stepfather.

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When I first started to read this book, I thought I was reading a mystery but, somehow, it came across as a romance. Then I remembered that it was a book released by Hallmark and the romance part of the mystery made sense.

It is the second in a series of three books. The books are about the Shepherd sisters. In this book, Savanna Shepherd as just moved home after losing her long term relationship when her fiance decided he needed something more.

Because she worked for his family, she felt the need to quit and move back to the small town she grew up in and leave behind her prestigious job as an art authenticator.

Savanna loves being home, her new job and spending time with her neighbor, an much older lady who has a wonderful art collection.

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I had not read very far into this book when I realized why the story line was so familiar. It is the same story as that of “You’ve Got Mail”. If this wasn’t done intentionally, I can’t explain the similarities. Everything from a young woman with an inherited business going under to a conversation between strangers carried out over email.

Just as with the movie, the story was fun and heart-warming. The two main characters have good impressions of each other when they spy one another from afar. When they find out who the other is, prior prejudices take over.

The story is set at Christmas time and the title points to one my favorites parts of the story. Each chapter is begun either with a bit of history of their town or, more fun, letters from children to Santa. Those letters made me laugh more than once.

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I watch many Hallmark movies as they are both wholesome and leave you with a good feeling. In transitioning these movies to books, Hallmark is providing a great reading selection for those who want a love story with a clean story line.

When I read romances, I prefer this format. This book follows the format of the screenplay of the movie but branches out into the thoughts and feelings of the characters. When get to see into the minds of several of the characters as the POV changes quite often.

The story is about a young woman, Nikki, who is trying to establish herself as a chef but who lacks the culinary school credentials to be hired by the formal restaurants in her town. She does get hired to assist a very well-known chef and celebrity but only as an administrative assistant. There is also a hunky and sweet chef named Paul who is intrigued more and more by Nikki.

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I’m a real fan of Hallmark movies both mysteries and romance. They are always clean and wholesome stories with a happy ending. Perhaps not as life-like as reality but certainly what we all hope and long for.

Hallmark has recently been releasing books which are based on their movies. “Moonlight in Vermont” is just such a book. I definitely enjoyed the movie, which starred Lacey Chabert who is a favorite of mine. Because of seeing the movie, I continue to see the character of Fiona (in the book) in the guise of Lacey.

The book reads like the movie but with a deeper feeling as, in the book, we are privy to the thoughts and feelings of the characters. This is something, in a movie, that an actor has to relate by expression or tone of voice and that is something I can miss seeing/hearing as a viewer. In a book, I can mull over the thoughts to see the why of what happens and not just the consequences of the action.

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I recently read a short story by the writing team that makes up May McGoldrick (Nikoo and Jim McGoldrick.) It has in a book called “Christmas in Kilts” and was by far my favorite short story in the book. I was so impressed that I wanted to read the first in their new series, “Romancing the Scot”. I was also pleased to find the writing team has an older series that will ties in as well (previous generations of The Pennington Family.)

The story in this book is beautiful and lyrical, frankly one of the best that I have read in years. There is intrigue and plot points and the romance is lovely. However, there is even more to the story. The writing team has taken the time in blend into this story true events about the time. From the sad deaths on the battlefield to the plight of the deaf/mute and the Irish, there are events that actually took place which are melded seamlessly into the storyline.

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