Four Chambers (Power of the Matchmaker Series) by Julie Wright

Four Chambers (Power of the Matchmaker Series) by Julie Wright

Summary from Goodreads:
Every time Andra Stone crosses paths with Everett Covington, trouble follows. First she loses her scholarship. Then she loses the apartment she’d wanted more than anything. But tragedy hits hardest when she loses her grandmother—the best friend Andra has ever known. She determines that Everett is a talisman of ill fortune. When Everett comes to work in her hospital and is applying for the same position she’d been working toward since residency, Andra believes him to be her personal poltergeist.

The human heart has four chambers—four chances to get it right. Andra has only one chance left.

4 Stars

I received an ebook for an honest review

My Review:

Mike and I on our wedding day

This book hit close to home for me. Not the romance part, but the medical school, residency, job part. My husband is an Anesthesiologist. We married when we were both still in Undergraduate School. We have been married for 22 years. During that time we have gone through the arduous task of getting in to Medical School, completing an MD AND a PhD, completing a 4 year Residency Program, and then finally getting a job, that my husband LOVES. Yes, this process took 12 years of EXTRA schooling/training, post undergrad. I could identify with the process that these 2 characters went through to get to where they wanted to be in their medical careers.

Mike and his sister, Dr. Kinghorn,
 at Graduation,. Dr. Carter MD, PhD

As someone who has gone through the medical career process, I was very frustrated that these two characters put their careers before their relationships. I understand that career is very important. But to me, having gone through this, I wished that the characters recognized their need for each other sooner. I know the statistics for divorce is high in medical careers. And, in some ways I see why the characters didn't make that leap. However, it was difficult for me to read them going through that process.

Julie Wright did an excellent job of creating the angst between these two characters. I was grateful that Miss Pearl, the Matchmaker, was there to help these two through the years of seeing each other. Miss Pearl had a bigger role in this book than in some of the others. She showed up several times, and in different cities. I loved how she was able to take on a different career. In some of the Power of the Matchmaker books, Miss Pearl was a woman without a specific career. And, in books like this one, Miss Pearl took on a career that she doesn't have traditional training in (at least that we know of). 

Once again, I look forward to reading more in the Power of the Matchmaker Series. The books are stand alone. The common thread is Miss Pearl, the Matchmaker.

Warnings: None

I would let my 18 year old read this book.

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A Timeless Romance Anthology: Road Trip Collection by Jolene Betty Perry, Sarah M. Eden, Ranee S. Clark, Annette Lyon, Heather B. Moore, and Aubrey Mace

A Timeless Romance Anthology: Road Trip Collection by Jolene Betty Perry, Sarah M. Eden, Ranee S. Clark, Annette Lyon, Heather B. Moore, and Aubrey Mace

Summary from Goodreads:
WHAT FALLING FEELS LIKE by Jolene Betty Perry
High school was years ago, and Kendell is ready to admit that Tyler, her best friend’s younger brother, has matured into a good-looking man. But the once-popular Kendell is recovering from a marriage-gone-wrong, and she regrets turning Tyler down for high school prom. On their road trip to deliver a refurbished camper, Kendell rediscovers all the reasons she liked Tyler, but it might be too late to rekindle their friendship.

ANTIQUES ROAD TRIP by Sarah M. Eden
Kelsey is living out her dream for the weekend as she participates in a reality show contest by living on a 19th century film set. The contestant who wins the show receives a trip to England and $100k, more than enough to get her through grad school. When she meets Devon, who was coerced by his sister to participate, friendship blossoms. When things go wrong for Kelsey, Devon is there to help, and she soon realizes that winning the contest isn’t what she most desires.

WOULDN’T IT BE NICE by Ranee` S. Clark
When Jacqueline's boyfriend Colin drops out of their long-planned road trip with friends to put his job first—again—it's the final nail in the coffin of their dying relationship. But then Hudson, her best friend’s brother, takes Colin's spot for the road trip, and Jacqueline’s disappointment in her ex takes a back seat to the chance for reestablishing the close ties she once had with Hudson. When their friendship detours into romance, it forces Jacqueline to question her reasons for breaking up with Colin and her future with Hudson.

HEAD OVER HEELS by Annette Lyon
Tristan is proud to be an entrepreneur, running a popular singles’ lifestyle blog. So when she gets an offer to cover a singles convention in Las Vegas, she needs to find a way to get there from another freelance job in Salt Lake without breaking into her personal savings. Her friend sets her up with a co-worker who happens to be driving that way, and Tristan is more than surprised to come face-to-face with a man she has a lot in common with, not to mention seems to click with right away. The two decide to play a prank on Tristan’s friend, and pretend that they are smitten with each other, but soon, the lines between pretend and reality start to fade.

TWO DOZEN ROSES by Heather B. Moore
Dayna reluctantly takes time out of her busy work life to drive her mother up the Pacific Coast Highway from California to her brother’s home in Oregon. Strangely enough, they keep running into two brothers who are traveling the same route in honor of their sister’s memory. The older brother Garrett is a merciless flirt, but the younger brother Roman is who captures Dayna’s attention. Soon she realizes that the brothers are extremely competitive, and she’s just become their next target.

TRY, TRY AGAIN by Aubrey Mace
Sarah’s secret crush on Justin takes a sudden turn when he breaks up with his girlfriend and declares that he’s interested in Sarah. She believes he’s just on the rebound, and they slowly drift apart. Six months later, Sarah still can’t stop thinking about what might have been. She ropes her friend into taking a road trip to visit Justin, hoping for a second chance. When Justin sees her, he wants answers, and Sarah has to decide if she’s brave enough to finally tell him the truth.

4.5 Stars

Received an ebook from one of the authors in exchange for an honest review.

My Review:
Road Trips. The word alone brings up feelings from traveling across the country as a kid to the trip our family took last fall to Steamboat Springs, CO. I'm sure you are having some of those same feelings. Some good, some bad. It might be "don't make me get back in that car" to "what other snacks do we have?". Our family makes traveling playlists. My daughters bring movies that we sometimes watch, sometimes don't (that wasn't an option when I was a kid). We play the alphabet game. Again, we each have our own experiences with Road Trips, but whatever that is, this collection of short stories brings those feelings to the surface.

Road trips confine us to a small space for long hours at a time. Some of the stories use that to the advantage of developing relationships. Some of the relationships are "old", but this time in the car is perfect for rediscovering the friendships and seeing what might lay ahead. Other stories find the characters discovering something new. Again, a confined car is a great place to get to know one another! There is only one story that didn't have the 2 main characters sharing in the road trip. This gives the main character time to work through thoughts and feelings as she travels. It is a different take than the other stories.

I enjoyed this collection as I do all of the A Timeless Romance Anthologies. Next up - Blind Date Collection coming in September according to the website.

Warnings: None

I would let my 18 year old read this collection.

You can purchase this collection:
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Timeless Regency Collection: Spring in Hyde Park by Jennifer Moore, G.G. Vandagriff, and Nichole Van

Timeless Regency Collection: Spring in Hyde Park by Jennifer Moore, G.G. Vandagriff, and Nichole Van

Summary from Goodreads:
Join three bestselling Regency Romance authors, Jennifer Moore, G.G. Vandagriff, and Nichole Van, for three new novellas in SPRING IN HYDE PARK:

A HAPPY ACCIDENT by Jennifer Moore. Jonathan Burles' father has just died, making him the new Marquess of Spencer and the most sought after bachelor in London. An unfortunate accident leads to a forced marriage to Maryann Croft, a young woman who possesses no title, and an unexpected secret. With the unstable beginning to their marriage, finding love together seems impossible.

THE DISDAINFUL DUKE by G. G. Vandagriff. Lady Saphronia Huffington has always thought of herself as plain next to the beauty of her sister, Lady Lavinia. So when her sister becomes engaged to Lord Gilbert Caldwell and Saphronia is paired for wedding events with his brother, the granite-faced Duke of Mayfield, who is known to prefer beauties, she sharpens her wit. Thus begins a lengthy sparring contest during which the Duke realizes Saphronia is anything but plain.

AN INVISIBLE HEIRESS by Nichole Van. Miss Belle Heartstone has everything money can buy—houses, servants, carriages, clothing, jewels. A husband, however, is proving much harder to, ehr . . . purchase. Colin Radcliffe, the newly minted Marquess of Blake, is in desperate need of funds—preferably of the wife-free variety. When circumstances draw the two together, Blake might be the only man able to see beyond Belle’s outer façade, and fall in love with the woman inside. 

4 Stars

Received an ebook from author in exchange for an honest review

My review:
I love the A Timeless Romance Anthologies. Last year they added Timeless Regency Collection. They include 3 longer novellas all taking place in the Regency Period. This specific collection includes 3 stories which all have Hyde Park as an important part of the story.

I would love to travel to England. And after reading these stories, if I ever get to go, I'm putting Hyde Park on my list of sights to see. 

Hyde Park is a gathering place for the upper crust to see and be seen. However, in 2 of these stories, the main action in Hyde Park takes place with very little to no other people around. I find that interesting. Rather than have it be a big public event in Hyde Park, these incidents are fairly private. The 3 stories include other scenes in Hyde Park as well that are more along the lines of typical scenes in Hyde Park, with pomp and circumstance.

My favorite story of the 3 is the first, A Happy Accident. It tugs at my heartstrings. I definitely am drawn to this kind of story. 

I look forward to reading more of the Timeless Regency Collections. The next one due out is Summer House Party.

Warnings: None

I would let my 18 year old read this collection.

You can purchase this book:
Amazon
BN