Melanie D. Snitker

A pleasant, clean, read with likeable characters. The disparate plot elements and are brought together well, though the ‘reveal’ moment when the links all fall into place comes some pages before Tuck, the hero cop, appears to realise it, which seems odd.

The writing lacks something, though. It fails to engender the depth of emotion which could/should be there. Perhaps too much is revealed by verbalising the characters’ introspection rather than letting the reader understand it by description and action.… (plus d'informations)

When Brandon offers Rachel a chance to resolve some of her problems, she isn't sure she should take his help. She is trying to gain custody of her niece after her sister's death, she's being evicted, and has to drop out of school. Brandon is attracted to Rachel, but he just wants to help her after praying on the matter.
This is a sweet Christian romance. Brandon and his family are wonderful people. Rachel is a little prickly at first, but she learns that it's okay to have help sometimes. A very nice story.… (plus d'informations)

Cute story. Likeable characters. Happy ending.

I'm never sure what to expect when I read Christian fiction. There seems to either be an extreme fundamentalist slant or nothing to make it Christian (except that it's clean). I wondered in a few places if Rachel was going to transform into the "model" Christian wife and mother, stereotypical homemaker. But she didn't. Rachel has a personality! She does what she wants, sometimes for better and other times for worse. And even in the end, she doesn't melt into the typical (in Christian fiction) "You were right. I wouldn't have suffered so much if I was only obedient to my husband" (*gag); she simply becomes a healthier version of herself. Thank you, Melanie Snitker!

At the same time, the character development happened a bit too quickly for it to feel real to me. Rachel definitely changed and grew. But things were resolved too quickly with relatively few (and minor) hiccups. I love a happy ending, but it some ways it felt like Rachel's struggles were suddenly all in her head and everyone she chose to trust was wonderful. Does life actually "ever" work that way?

Finally, I thought the romance was sweet, but why was Brandon always touching her face? That just seemed weird to me.

All things considered, I would definitely read another book by Melanie Snitker. It was an easy read filled with wholesome and kind people, and Christian without being super preachy. And I'm particularly curious about her other female leads.… (plus d'informations)

The stories in this collection are appropriately set in the town of Romance, Oregon.

I must admit that one of my favorite features in this series is the inclusion of rescue pets as I have some special rescued felines of my own. I also appreciate that these authors do not feel the need for explicit language or scenes to communicate the relationship between their couples.

The novellas I read are well written. Each story has a few twists that make you wonder if the relationships are really going to work out, but these are romances so you know that they do.

Each is long enough to read in one sitting, so do not let a lack of time deter you from picking up this set. One of the authors included in the stories below provided me with an advance copy of 3 novellas in this set, and I enjoyed all of them enough to plan to purchase the full set (which is offline at the time of this writing). My review is entirely voluntary.

I highly recommend this set.

Lost in Romance by Stacy Claflin
This novella introduces us to Alisyn, a nanny, and to Shane, the oldest son of her employer. Ms. Claflin does a beautiful job of bringing them to life and in keeping you engrossed in their story. Each character in this book serves a purpose…even the delightful rescue ferrets.

Finding Dori by J. J. DiBenedetto

Being almost hit by a car when trying to save a dog is not the usual way to start off your business trip to Romance. But that is exactly what happens to Dori. Although I did not feel as connected to the characters in this story, it is still a good read. Pick up this novella to follow the blossoming romance between Dori and the driver of that vehicle, Lucas. You will fall in love with them, and the dog, too.

Restoring Romance by Tamie Dearen

What happens when you learn your handsome cousin isn’t really your cousin? Ash Hendrix and Adam Walker do not start off on the right foot at their first introduction.

Can they transition from stormy sparks to sparks of romance? You need to read this
novella to find out how they progress from fighting like cats and dogs to a more romantic relationship. And yes, a rescue cat and rescue dog are a sweet part of this story.… (plus d'informations)