King of the Friend Zone by Sheralyn Pratt (Power of the Matchmaker)

King of the Friend Zone by Sheralyn Pratt (Power of the Matchmaker)

Summary from Goodreads:
From the Power of the Matchmaker series:

Esme Taylor has an amazing fiancé, a lifelong best friend, and a problem. 

The problem stems from the fact that her best friend is named Hunter and, well. . .he’s kind of (totally) hot. It’s hate at first sight when her fiancé, Jon, and Hunter meet. Jon’s convinced that Hunter is in love with Esme, and that Hunter must be out of the picture if their upcoming marriage is to succeed.

Esme thinks Jon is paranoid.

The truth is, Jon’s not that far off. Hunter is in love with his best friend and always has been. What Jon has wrong, however, is that Hunter never had any plans of ruining Esme’s happily ever after. Hunter wants what’s best for Esme, even if that’s not him.

When Jon pushes hard to end Esme and Hunter’s friendship, opposition comes from the most unlikely of places. It’s an eccentric lady with a cookie cart who suggests a different solution to Esme’s problem: Hunter and Esme should give each other a chance.

They’ve both thought of the possibility over the years—of course they have. But with a ring already on Esme’s finger and a heap of hurt feelings and broken trust in the mix, there hasn’t been a worse time to explore the depths of their feelings for each other.

Both Esme and Hunter think it’s time to move on and leave childhood crushes in the past. The question is: Can one woman and the taste of one cookie change their minds?

4 Stars

Received ebook in exchange for an honest review

My Review:
When I read the summary I thought, "Oh it's My Best Friend's Wedding" in a book! Well, the concept is a story that has been told. However, I found that I couldn't put this book down once I got in to it. I was so engrossed in these characters' stories that I wanted to know how everything resolved.

These 2 main characters were definitely likable. However, they made stupid choices. We all make stupid choices. I get that. But their choices were really what drove the conflict in this story. Sometimes I wanted to reach through the ereader and strangle them. 

Luckily, these 2 decide to be honest...with themselves and with each other. Once the honesty comes in to play, these characters face even more challenges. Again, I was very interested in seeing how these characters resolved their feelings and came to a happy ending. And with the Power of the Matchmaker series, you know there will be a happy ending.

This book, being part of the Power of the Matchmaker series, had Miss Pearl, the Matchmaker, helping Esme and Hunter through their unresolved feelings. I loved reading about Miss Pearl being a cookie seller. The concept of the cookie (you'll have to read to find out!) was so fun to read. Miss Pearl has "played" many roles in the different books and this one was one of my favorites.

Warnings: None

I would let my 15 year old read this book.

You can purchase this book:
Amazon

The Fall of Lord Drayson by Rachael Anderson

The Fall of Lord Drayson by Rachael Anderson

Summary from Goodreads:
Who is he really? A high and mighty lord or a lowly servant?

When Colin Cavendish, the new earl of Drayson, informs Lucy Beresford that she and her mother need to vacate the house they've called home for the past two years, Lucy is fit to be tied. They have no money, no relations they can turn to for help, and nowhere to go. How dare the earl break the promise his father had made to the Beresfords without so much as a twinge of conscience?

Fate plays her hand when Lucy discovers the earl unconscious and injured in the middle of the road. When he awakens with no recollection of who he is, Lucy seizes the opportunity to teach the earl a much-needed lesson in humility and tells him that he is nothing more than a mere servant. Her servant, in fact. 

And thus begins the charming tale of a pompous lord and an impetuous young woman, caught together in a web so tangled that it begs the question: Will they ever get out?

5 Stars

Received an ebook in exchange for an honest review

My Review:
This was an unexpected read. When I read the summary I immediately thought I knew where the story was going to go. Thank you, Rachael Anderson, for writing something different than expected.

In this story, Lucy put Lord Drayson in the position of being her servant after he lost his memory. There were many funny scenes as Lord Drayson tried to do tasks that he was unfamiliar with. And the banter that ensued between Lord Drayson and Lucy was great to read.

There were times I was frustrated with Lucy. We, as readers, have a broader vision and I so wished she would make different choices. However, in life, one doesn't have the broader vision and these two characters made mistakes like we all do.

Lord Drayson began the book as one person. During his memory loss, he evolved. It was pleasant to read his thoughts and watch his discoveries about himself.

The development of the relationship of these 2 main characters was lovely. It was slow and friendly to start and then there were times of great passion as well.

I appreciated the way this story resolved. Again, the story took unexpected turns and I liked that the ending wasn't completely predictable. The one thing you could count on though was a happy ending.

Warnings: None

I would let my 15 year old read this book.

You can purchase this book:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

A Timeless Romance Anthology: Blind Date Collection by Annette Lyon, Sarah M. Eden, Heather B. Moore, Victorine E. Lieske, Rachel Branton, and Sariah Wilson

A Timeless Romance Anthology: Blind Date Collection by Annette Lyon, Sarah M. Eden, Heather B. Moore, Victorine E. Lieske, Rachel Branton, and Sariah Wilson

Summary from Goodreads:
Three Historical Romance Novellas:

THE PROMISE THAT KATY DID, by Annette Lyon: After the death of Sue Ellen, the closest thing she has to family, Katy knows it’s time to leave the house she’s lived in as a guest and start over in the city. She quickly secures a job, but before leaving, she must honor the unusual promise she made to Sue Ellen on her deathbed: meet with Mr. Balmer. The elderly gentleman arranges for his grandson Barrett to escort her to a town dance. That evening, shy Katy quickly feels at ease with her partner. If her new position weren’t taking her from town morning after next, perhaps something could develop between them. But Barrett may not feel the same about her, and besides, they don't have enough time to find out.

A LADY OF SENSE, by Sarah M. Eden: Eleanor Sherwood has lived her entire life under her parents’ thumb with little hope of escape. When they choose the unbearable Mr. Broadstead to be her future husband, she begs her father for another option. He arranges for her to meet Peter Havensham, who quickly proves himself a good and kindhearted gentleman, completely different from Mr. Broadstead, and utterly undeserving of a forced engagement. Eleanor cannot bring herself to prey upon Peter’s honor, but neither can she imagine a life with Mr. Broadstead. What is a lady to do when faced with such an impossible choice?

A SECOND CHANCE, by Heather B. Moore: Virginia needs a new start in order to recover from her broken marriage and vicious gossips of her neighborhood in Boston, so when her best friend Millie invites Virginia to Chicago, she goes to live with her friend’s family. But when Millie asks Virginia to participate in a double-date, Virginia knows she’s not ready to start dating again. Reluctantly she agrees, only to find out that Max might just be the man who can repair the cracks in her heart.

Three Contemporary Romance Novellas:

BRAELYNN’S BLIND DATE, by Victorine E. Lieske. When Braelynn agrees to go on a blind date, she thinks she’s hit the jackpot. Tyler is gorgeous and the perfect gentleman. Of course she should have known it was too good to be true. It turns out that Tyler really wasn’t Tyler, but a random stranger who went along with Braelynn’s mistaken assumption. So, she chalks it up to a dumb mistake until she gets to work Monday morning and discovers that her gorgeous blind date is now her new boss.

BIANCA’S HOPE, by Rachel Branton: A blind-date-gone-wrong is not the way Bianca would have chosen to celebrate the news that she might be losing her business, but saying no to the sister who took care of her after their mother’s death proves impossible. So for one date, one torturous evening, she’ll endure the company of an infuriating, heartless man she has no intention of ever seeing again. She doesn’t expect her heart to have other plans. Bianca soon learns that sometimes the unexpected is not only what you need, it’s exactly what you’ve been waiting for all along.

BLIND SPOT, by Sariah Wilson: Ria has prepared most of her life to meet her prince, trouble is, her mother keeps yanking her back to reality. So when Ria reads about a country teeming with princes, she drops everything and applies to grad school. But every blind date goes wrong, and while Ria commiserates with her roommate Tessa and Tessa’s totally un-prince-like brother Paolo, Ria discovers that all the things she thought she wanted in a man are far from what she really needs.

4.5 Stars

Received ebook in exchange for an honest review

My Review:
I hear the words "Blind Date" and I cringe a bit. In general, we all have bad associations with blind dates. That is part of what makes this collection so fun.

I admit, I prefer the historical stories in this collection. But that is mostly because I prefer historical stories in general. They carry me to another time and place. In the historical stories, the blind dates are not what we think of as blind dates today. Yes, they are dates with someone the character doesn't know. However, the dates seem to be set up from a more simple and innocent place than we think of blind dates today.

In the contemporary stories, we read about more typical blind dates...one friend sets up another friend with someone they think will get along well. They actual call them "blind dates" in the contemporary stories. 

With all 6 of these stories, I'm glad that the characters didn't have a blind date, fall in love instantly, and live happily ever after. Each story has some conflict, some small, some big. It gives the stories more interest. At the same time, we know going in to these stories that they will have a happy ending of some sort. I personally like that. It is part of the reason I love the A Timeless Romance Anthology collections. I look forward to reading stories that have clean and happy romance.

Warnings: None

I would let my 15 year old read this collection.

You can purchase this collection:
Amazon
Kobo
Barnes and Noble