Ella Sheridan

I received an advanced copy of this book from Patricia D. Eddy, whose contribution "Her Mafioso's Honor" is about midway through the book, for review. I started with her story, and am slowly making my way through the rest.

I love anthologies like this, especially romance-laden ones, as they give a ton of heat in bite-sized stories that don't have the same kind of pressure to commit as a full-length novel or series (though, who are we kidding - most of these stories are going to send you show more searching for the full catalogues of the authors within).

"Her Mafioso's Honor" serves up the kind of characters you can't help but want to see more of. Evelyn and Damian are both driven by a sense of duty and pride, though stemming from wildly different circumstances, and clash together when Evelyn finds herself over her head. Cue the steam, swoon and that longing to see a so-called "bad boy" take names and save the day. I'm thrilled that we may see more of these characters developed in the year ahead.

Following Eddy's story was "So Much More" by Reina Torres. Somehow the author managed to create that delicate sense of hesitation and slow burn within just a few chapters. The shared history and pining between the two characters made the heat in the story that much more satisfying, and I'd happily read about the hinted back story in a full-length novel.

As I continue through the other stories, I will try to update my review, however, considering this anthology is literally free across all major retailers, I'd highly recommend diving in. With so many stories to choose from, there's bound to be one that draws you in and provides that perfect evening escape. show less

A twist with the hero being married to someone else at the start of the book, I guessed the secret reason for the marriage, but for two intelligent people, they hadn't thought it through. It was quite a good story, but it saddens me that only way to challenge a misogynist is to discover he's a rapist, rather than his character develops and evolves.

Obviously some people never change, but it would have been nice if it happened here.

Lily is turning 40, the mayor of Black Wolf's Bluff, and trying to live down an ex's lies about her. JD is the grandson of the town's wealthiest family as well as the only living ancestor of the town's founder. When his grandmother dies, JD comes back to town to turn the estate into a ski resort. Lily turns his eyes to the local community and the talent living there. JD also ignores her ex-s lies causing Lily to finally stand up to him. But can the two of them find happiness together?

I show more enjoyed this story. I liked that the heroine is over 40 as are her friends. I liked that she is a strong woman with that one weak spot of her ex. When she finally stands up to him, I was so glad. I liked that JD took up Lily's challenge to discover the talent in the town instead of bringing in outsiders. I liked that the town wanted growth but still wanted to maintain its identity. Lily and JD were made for each other. Neither accepted society's expectations.

I look forward to the rest of the series. show less

There is a great mix of short stories in this collection, some you will love more than others but the fact there is something for everyone is fantastic.
I thoroughly enjoyed Prince of Seattle by Fiona Archer as it is a bit of a second chance older and wiser story and links into the Sons of Sydney series with Adam Justice. Kayla and Gabriel have a past and none of it good due to loss and humiliation and due to a chance meeting thanks to Adam it turns out now is the time to address the past show more and see what the future holds. This book makes me want to go back and read the first two books available in the Sons of Sydney series again! show less