August 2023 MBR The Romantic Fiction Shelf

The Romantic Fiction Shelf

Adam's Emporium
Sarah Swatridge
Linford Romance Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444851168, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 264pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/adams-emporium-sarah-swatridge/1143546941

Synopsis: Ester Sharp once dreamed of becoming a doctor or dressmaker. But then her husband spent her small fortune and died young, leaving her penniless and pregnant. Now she lives in the slums, providing for her beloved daughter Polly by taking in mending and running errands. One such task is visiting Adam Boniface, the handsome pawnbroker, on behalf of her poor but proud neighbors. The two enjoy each other's company, and a warm relationship of mutual respect develops. But then a valuable gift gone missing sees Ester arrested on suspicion of theft!

Critique: An original and impressively well crafted novel that will have a special resonance with readers interested in true romance stories where there are seemingly insurmountable odds against a happy ending, this large print paperback edition "Adam's Emporium" by novelist Sarah Swatridge from the Linford Romance Library series is especially recommended for personal reading lists and community library Romance Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: The stories by Sarah Swatridge (https://sarahswatridge.co.uk) have a romantic element, but she's also had stories published which deal with coming to terms with a miscarriage, depression, bullying in the workplace, adult literacy. As a novelist, she aims to pull at her reader's emotions, ideally to make them laugh and cry -- but leaving them feeling good at the end.

Flirting with Fire Mass
Jane Porter
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
www.penguin.com
9780593438428, $8.99, PB, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Flirting-Fire-Jane-Porter/dp/0593438426

Synopsis: Forty-nine-year-old Margot Hughes has lived and breathed theater for the past twenty-five years. After a devastating breakup with her playwright fiance, she now wants nothing to do with the industry. She has sworn off New York, theater, actors -- all of it.

She returns to her hometown on California's central coast and takes a job in real estate, where she manages significant investment properties. But Margot is suddenly thrown back into the theater world when Sally, her friend and boss, who had been restoring and funding Cambria's historic theater, has a heart attack. Before she knows it, Margot is tapped to take over the troubled summer production of Barefoot in the Park.

But the play is no walk in the park because the leads and director have all quit, and Margot struggles to find new actors -- until Max Russo arrives.

Forty-five-year-old Max is a former soap opera star turned rugged cowboy on TV's most popular western series. Max has a huge following and is the perfect hero to step up and save the play, provided Margot stars opposite him.

Although adamant she would never return to theater, Margot enjoys the long hours of rehearsal with a professional like Max, who is charming, witty, and passionate. But when the curtains close, can Margot allow herself to fall for Max when he represents everything she left behind?

Critique: Another gem of a women's friendship and contemporary romance novel by a master of the genre, "Flirting With Fire" by Jane Porter is a fun read from cover to cover and especially recommended for the personal reading lists of her legions of dedicated fans. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99), "Flirting With Fire" is an especially recommended pick for community library Contemporary Romance collections.

Editorial Note: Jane Porter (www.janeporter.com) is the author of more than 75 romance and women's fiction titles. She has been a finalist for the prestigious RITA award six times, with her Tule Publishing novella, Take Me, Cowboy, winning the Novella Category July 2014. Today, Jane has over 15 million copies in print, including her wildly popular Flirting with Forty, a novel picked by Redbook Magazine as it's Red Hot Summer Read in 2006 before being turned into a Lifetime movie in 2008 starring Heather Locklear. In 2021 two of Jane's Taming of the Sheenan romances were turned into original movies for the Great American Family Network. Jane holds an MA in Writing from the University of San Francisco.

Must Love Flowers
Debbie Macomber
Ballantine Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
www.randomhouse.com
Random House Audio Books
9780593600559, $28.00, HC, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Must-Love-Flowers-Debbie-Macomber/dp/059360055X

Synopsis: Joan Sample is not living the life she expected. Now a widow and an empty-nester, she has become by her own admission something of a recluse. But after another birthday spent alone, she is finally inclined to listen to her sister, who has been begging Joan to re-engage with the world. With Emmie's support, Joan gathers the courage to take some long-awaited steps: hiring someone to tame her overgrown garden, joining a grief support group, and even renting out a room to a local college student. Before long Joan is starting to feel a little like herself again.

Across town, Maggie Herbert works mornings as a barista, tending to impatient customers before rushing to afternoon nursing classes. She lives with her alcoholic father, ducking his temperamental outbursts and struggling to pay the household bills. But her circumstances brighten when she finds a room for rent in Joan's home. In the unexpected warmth of her new situation, Maggie finds a glimmer of hope for a better life. But will Maggie's budding attraction to one of her favorite customers ruin the harmony she's only recently found with Joan?

Meanwhile, what is Joan to make of the mysterious landscaper who's been revitalizing her garden -- a man who seems to harbor a past loss of his own?

As Maggie and Joan confront difficult life choices, they draw strength from this new friendship in surprising ways -- discovering in the process that "found family" is often the very best kind.

Critique: As a novelist, Debbie Macomber has a genuine flair for the kind of narrative driven storytelling style that has made her one of the most popular authors working today. "Must Love Flowers" is her newest work and a 'must' for the growing legions of her fans. While unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Romance and Women's Domestic Life collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Must Love Flowers" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99). Librarians should also be aware that "Must Love Flowers" is also available for their collections in a large print paperback edition (Random House Large Print (9780593743744, $30.00, 400pp) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Random House Audio, 9780593740071, $40.00, CD).

There's No Coming Back from This
Ann Garvin
Lake Union Publishing
https://amazonpublishing.amazon.com/lake-union-publishing.html
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781542033596, $16.99, PB, 303pp

https://www.amazon.com/Theres-No-Coming-Back-This/dp/1542033594

Synopsis: It seems lately that Poppy Lively is invisible to everyone but the IRS.

After her accountant absconded with her life savings, newly bankrupt Poppy is on the verge of losing her home when an old flame, now a hotshot producer, gives her a surprising way out: a job in costumes on a Hollywood film set.

It's a bold move to pack her bags, keep secrets from her daughter, and head to Los Angeles, but Poppy's a capable person -- and how hard can a job in wardrobe be? It's not like she has a choice; her life couldn't get any worse. Even so, this midwesterner has a lot to learn about the fast and loose world of movie stars, iconic costumes, and back-lot intrigue.

As a single mom, she's rarely had time for watching movies, she doesn't sew, and she doesn't know a thing about dressing the biggest names in the business. Floundering and overlooked, Poppy has one ally: Allen Carol, an ill-tempered movie star taken with Poppy's unfiltered candor and general indifference to stardom.

When Poppy stumbles upon corruption, she relies on everyone underestimating her to discover who's at the center of it, a revelation that shakes her belief in humanity. What she thought was a way to secure a future for her daughter becomes a spotlight illuminating the facts: Poppy is out of her league among the divas of Tinseltown.

Poppy must decide whether to keep her mouth shut, as she's always done, or with the help of a scruffy dog, show the moviemakers that they need her unglamorous ways, whether the superstars like it or not.

Critique: As a novelist, author Ann Garvin has an impressive and genuine flair for the kind of narrative driven storytelling style that will keep readers with an interest in romantic comedy simply riveting from first page to last. A fun read and the stuff of which Hallmark movies are made, "There's No Coming Back from This" is an exceptional and unreservedly recommended pick for community library collections. It should be noted that "There's No Coming Back from This" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781713616313, $19.99, MP3-CD)

Editorial Note: Ann Garvin (www.anngarvin.net) is the author of five funny and sad novels about people who do too much, in a world that asks too much from them. Ann teaches in the low-residency master of fine arts program at Drexel University. She is also the founder of the Tall Poppy Writers and is dedicated to helping authors find readers and vice versa.

Summer in the Spotlight
Liz Johnson
Fleming H. Revell Company
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.revellbooks.com
9780800744625, $29.99, HC, 368pp

https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Spotlight-Prince-Edward-Island/dp/0800744624

Synopsis: Kelsey Ahern has performed at the Victoria Playhouse on Prince Edward Island every summer since she was seven. But when a hurricane destroys the building, it's not just her memories that are in jeopardy. Her future as a teacher and drama coach are too. She teams up with Levi Ross, the facilities director at the high school, to produce a benefit show to raise money to rebuild the theater. He has a reputation for being able to fix anything, and Kelsey is sure there's more to the quiet man than meets the eye.

For his part, Levi has admired Kelsey for years, but he can't seem to find the words to tell her. When a popular weatherman arrives in town to cover the aftermath of the hurricane and takes an interest in Kelsey and her show, Levi realizes that the time has come to speak up -- or lose the heart of the woman he longs for.

Critique: The final book in the 'Prince Edward Island Shores' series by Liz Johnson, "Summer in the Spotlight" will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in wholesome contemporary Christian romance novels. The stuff of which Hallmark movies are made, "Summer in the Spotlight" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for community library Contemporary Romance collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of Liz Johnson fans that "Summer in the Spotlight" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9780800737399, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).

Editorial Note: Liz Johnson (www.lizjohnsonbooks.com) is the author of more than a dozen novels, including Beyond the Tides and The Last Way Home, as well as the Georgia Coast Romance and Prince Edward Island Dreams series.

Kiss the Girl
Zoraida Cordova
Hyperion Avenue
c/o Disney Books
https://books.disney.com
9781368053365, $15.99, PB, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Kiss-Girl-Meant-Zoraida-C%C3%B3rdova/dp/136805336X

Synopsis: Ariel del Mar is one of the most famous singers in the world. She and her sisters (together, known as the band Siren Seven) have been a pop culture phenomenon since they were kids. On stage, wearing her iconic red wig and sequined costumes, staring out at a sea of fans, is where she shines. Anyone would think she's the girl who has everything.

But lately, she wants more. Siren Seven is wrapping up their farewell tour, and Ariel can't wait to spend the summer just living a normal life -- part of a world she's only ever seen from the outside. But her father, the head of Atlantica Records, has other plans: begin her breakout solo career immediately, starting with a splashy announcement on a morning talk show.

The night before, Ariel and her sisters sneak out of their Manhattan penthouse for a night of incognito fun at a rock concert in Brooklyn. It's there that Ariel crosses paths with Eric Reyes, dreamy lead singer of an up-and-coming band. Unaware of her true identity, Eric spontaneously invites her on the road for the summer. And for the first time in her life, Ariel disobeys her father -- and goes with him.

Caught between the world she longs for and the one she's left behind, can Ariel follow her dreams, fall in love, and, somehow, find her own voice?

Critique: Deftly blending elements of comedy, coming of age, and romance, author Zoralda Cordova once again demonstrates her natural flair for originality and the kind of narrative driven storytelling skills that keep her readers fascinated and engaged from first page to last. A thoroughly fun, wholesome, memorable, and uplifting read, "Kiss the Girl" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library collections. It should be noted that "Kiss the Girl" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Zoraida Cordova (www.ZoraidaCordova.com) is the author of more than two dozen novels and short stories, including the Brooklyn Brujas series, Star Wars: The High Republic: Convergence, and The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina. In addition to writing novels, she serves on the board of We Need Diverse Books, and is the co-editor of the bestselling anthology Vampires Never Get Old, as well as the co-host of the writing podcast, Deadline City. She writes romance novels as Zoey Castile.

Finding Us
Tracie Peterson
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton Road, Ada, MI 49301
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764237423, $29.99, HC, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Pictures-Heart-Tracie-Peterson/dp/076423742X

Synopsis: While taking photographs at an exposition in Seattle in 1909, Camera Girl Eleanor Bennett snaps an image of a woman in widow's clothes with deep sorrow etched in her expression and a young infant in her arms.

Eleanor longs to study botany at the University of Washington and soon becomes fast friends with botanist Bill Reed, but she can't stop thinking about the widow in the photograph. She is stunned to learn Bill recognizes the woman as the sister-in-law he believed lost in a shipwreck.

As Eleanor and Bill hunt for Amelia Reed to reunite her with her grief-stricken husband, they must stand together to face the danger that follows and learn to trust that God will direct their paths.

Critique: Of particular interest to readers with an affinity for American Historical Romance novels from a Christian perspective, "Finding Us" showcases author Tracie Peterson's impressive and narrative driven storytelling skills. Original, entertaining, and with a good many unexpected plot twists and turns, "Finding Us" is a highly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Romance collections. It should be noted that "Finding Us" from Bethany House Publishers is also available in a paperback edition (9780764237416, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Tracie Peterson (www.traciepeterson.com) is the author of more than 100 novels, both historical and contemporary. She has won the ACFW Lifetime Achievement Award and the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. Her avid research resonates in her many bestselling series.

The Roommate Pact
Allison Ashley
Mira Books
www.mirabooks.com
c/o HarperCollins
https://www.harpercollins.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9780778334248 $18.99 pbk / $10.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Roommate-Pact-Novel-Allison-Ashley/dp/0778334244

Synopsis: The proposition is simple: if ER nurse Claire Harper and her roommate, firefighter Graham Scott, are still single by the time they're forty, they'll take the proverbial plunge together -- as friends with benefits.

Maybe it's the wine, but in the moment, Claire figures the pact is a safe-enough deal, considering she hasn't had much luck in love and he's in no rush to settle down. Like, at all. Besides, there's no way she could ever really fall for Graham and his thrill-seeking ways. Not after what happened to her father.

Just as things begin to heat up way before the proposed deadline, Graham's injured in a serious rock climbing accident -- and he needs Claire's help to heal. She'll do whatever it takes to nurse him back to health -- even if it means moving in to Graham's bed and putting up with his little dog, who hates her.

But with this no-strings arrangement taking a complicated turn, keeping "for now" from turning into "forever" isn't as easy as they'd planned!

Critique: The stuff of which Hallmark Movie Channel romance comedy/dramas are made, "The Roommate Pact" by novelist Allison Ashley is a fun and funny read from cover to cover. While a choice and original contribution to community library Contemporary Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Roommate Pact" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798212657846, $41.99, CD).

Editorial Note: Allison Ashley (https://authorallisonashley.wordpress.com) is a music-loving, coffee-drinking mom of two who loves love stories. She is also an oncology pharmacist and spends her days focused on helping patients through one of the hardest things life can throw at them. Her escape has always been books (specifically books about happiness, love, and laughter) and it was inevitable that she'd eventually write her own. She promises to always write stories with deep romance, intense connection, and humor -- but most of all, that coveted happy ever after!

Letters of Comfort
Wanda & Brunstetter
Barbour Publishing
1810 Barbour Drive, Uhrichsville, OH 44683
www.barbourbooks.com
9781636094878, $16.99, PB, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Comfort-Friendship-2/dp/1636094872

Synopsis: Doretta Schwartz used to be so happy and passed her positive attitude along to friends in several letters she wrote each month. But that all changed the day she learned of her fiance's death and a heavy weight of depression fell upon her. Feeling empty, she puts away her letter writing and won't even respond to calls from friends.

William's twin brother, Warren, is also grieving his loss, while at the same time, trying to be supportive to his parents and Doretta. Doretta responds to Warren's friendship, but is he just becoming a replacement for the once-in-a-lifetime love she lost?

Critique: "Letters of Comfort" is the second book in author Wanda Brunstetter's outstanding new series 'The Friendship Letters'. This latest of her deftly crafted and fully entertaining Amish wholesome romance novels "Letters of Comfort" is very highly recommended and of particular interest for Amish & Mennonite fiction enthusiasts. It should be noted for the growing legions of Wanda E. Brunstetter fans that "Letters of Comfort" fans that "Letters of Comfort" is also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99). Librarians should note that there is also a large print edition of "Letters of Comfort" (Thorndike Press Large Print, 9798885792530, $35.99, Library Binding).

Editorial Note: Wanda Brunstetter (www.WandaBrunstetter.com) is an award-winning romance novelist who has led millions of readers to lose their heart in the Amish life. She is the author of over 100 books with more than 12 million copies sold. Many of her books have landed on the top bestseller lists, including the New York Times, USA Today, Publisher's Weekly, CBA, ECPA, and CBD. Wanda is considered one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre, and her work has been covered by national publications, including Time Magazine and USA Today.

And Then There Was You
Nancy Naigle
Griffin
c/o St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/stmartinspress
9781250794178, $18.00, PB, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Then-There-Was-You-Chestnut/dp/125079417X

Synopsis: Reeling after falling prey to a Romeo con-artist who just waltzed away with the better part of her belongings, Natalie Maynard works closely with the detective assigned to her case, only the few leads have led nowhere.

Detective Randy Fellowes can't promise Natalie restitution, but he's determined to find the culprit and serve up justice. Married to his work, he's caught off guard when Natalie has his thoughts wandering to more than the case.

Natalie soon seeks refuge in the one thing she still owns -- an old fishing cabin in the mountains of Chestnut Ridge. She quickly falls in love with the town and the eccentric people who are teaching her so much about the area and its heritage.

Through these people, and the determination of Detective Fellowes, she rediscovers her courage, self, and a reason to risk love again.

Critique: A deftly crafted contemporary romance novel that will have a special appeal to fans of the 'happy ever after' style of clean and wholesome romance stories, "And Then There Was You" launches novelist Nancy Naigle's new 'Chestnut Ridge' romance series. The kind of story that Hallmark Channel movies are made (literally!), "And Then There Was You" is a particularly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary Romance Fiction collections. It should be noted that "And Then There Was You" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Editorial Note: Nancy Naigle (https://nancynaigle.allauthor.com) writes small-town love stories with a whole lot of heart. Several of her published novels have been made into Hallmark movies, and most recently The Shell Collector was adapted as the first Fox original movie to stream on Fox Nation.

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