Thursday, February 7, 2013

Book Review: A Timeless Romance Anthology: Spring Vacation Collection

A Timeless Romance Anthology (Spring Vacation Collection)It's official.

I'm totally in love with anthologies. Or perhaps it's just these talented writers' work that I adore so much.  Sarah M. Eden, Heather B. Moore and Annette Lyon are some of my favorites writers of adult fiction. So when I got the opportunity to review this collection I knew it would be as wonderful as their Wintertime Collection.

Each story was so unique, offering the reader as many opportunities as possible to fall in love with its characters. Fitting, since so many of the characters had such a hard time of it themselves! The tension was fabulous, the characters divine (ahhhhh, Drew), with the plot lines carrying enough depth to keep them from being classified as trite love stories.

Sarah's The Best Laid Plans had me crying. Crying! I didn't even cry with Harry Potter. There is nothing more heartbreaking than watching two people who are obviously perfect for each other deal with the emotional obstacles caused by the betrayal of a third party. I loved the way her characters knew they belonged together and weren't questioning that aspect, making the story more about how and if they were going to make it work. Which totally worked for me.

Tess rocked. We'll just leave it at that. :)

There were new authors in this collection that I hadn't read before but was delighted to discover. And while not every story resonated for me, they all stuck with me for days following my reading. I found myself pondering each one and thinking back to all the spring breaks I had enjoyed, knowing that these characters found something there that I could appreciate.

Love.
_________

The anthology is available exclusively for ebook on Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords. For only $3.99!

To learn more about the Timeless Romance Anthologies and stay updated on the upcoming Summertime collection, readers can visit the blog here:  http://timelessromanceanthologies.blogspot.com/ 


Here's a brief synopsis of each story. In case you need a little more convincing. :)


About the Anthology
A Timeless Romance Anthology: Spring Vacation Collection
Six Award-Winning Authors have contributed new stories to A Timeless Romance Anthology: Spring Vacation Collection. Readers will love this collection of six sweet contemporary romance novellas, centered on a Spring Vacation, all with one thing in common: Romance.
In Moonlight Kiss, a delightful story by Josi S. Kilpack, Sarah is looking forward to the company retreat, namely because she’ll finally meet Clint—the man she’s been Instant Messaging for a few months. As a single mom, Sarah gets out . . . well, never. So adding vacation days onto the retreat so she can spend time with Clint is daring, yet exciting. She just hopes that the suave on-line Clint will live up to the man she hopes to share her heart with.
In Annette Lyon’s charming novella, Chasing Tess, Tess had been patiently waiting through three years of law school for James to pop the question. The night has finally arrived—at his graduation party. But his big announcement turns out to be completely unexpected . . . and devastating. Tess flees the party, promising herself she’ll never let herself waste time on James again. But as she makes a desperate cross-country drive, James makes his own plans on how to win her back.
Dancing at the Flea Market is a sweet romance by Heather Justesen. Mara, fresh out of the cold North Dakota tundra, spends her spring break in Texas with close friend, Anna. When the two women run into Carter, an impatient man with a painful past, it takes hearing Mara’s stunning voice at the local Karaoke club to thaw his heart. But as Mara gets to know Carter, she has to decide if the distance between their lives and homes is worth trying to bridge.
In Sarah M. Eden’s captivating novella, The Best Laid Plans, Madison gives up a vacation to CancĂșn with her office friends to return home and babysit her mother, who is in another sketchy relationship. The only problem with returning home is running into Derek, her ex-boyfriend who she decided to break up with before he could break up with her—Madison believes in always being one step ahead. When Derek teams up with Madison to investigate whether her mother is dating the right guy, Madison has a hard time ignoring what her heart is telling her about giving Derek another chance.
Picture Perfect, an exciting story by Heather B. Moore, follows Gemma who has never done anything out of the ordinary, until her boyfriend Randy decides to ignore her. But even cutting and dyeing her hair doesn’t get his attention. She decides to join her old high school friends for spring vacation, only to be faced with Drew, her best friend who suddenly seems interested in her as more than a friend. Gemma must decide if her heart is on the rebound or if it’s finally met its true match.
In Aubrey Mace’s enchanting romance, The Science of Sentiment, Rosie will do anything to forget Kevin, his completely perfect kisses, and the fact that he dumped her. When she arrives at her grandfather’s mountain cabin for a spring getaway, she discovers her worst nightmare—Kevin has been invited to stay the weekend too. Since there is only room for one in such a small space, Rosie is determined to kick Kevin out. But Kevin has other plans . . . which might include a reminder of why he’s the perfect kisser.