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Central Park Rendezvous
Welcome to the Big Apple where four generations of heroes find a love that never ends. Home from Afghanistan, Sean Wolfe is avoiding his dreams. Will Jamie Russo and an old coin give him new hope? Once betrayed by love, Alan James is embittered. Will a sweet reunion in Central Park heal his broken heart? Helen Wolfe is struggling to provide for herself and her family. Is Bernie O’Day her answer to prayer? Damaged in body and soul by war, William Wolfe’s fiancée has rejected him. Will he ever risk his heart again? Will love persevere despite unimaginable odds?
Dream a Little Dream by Ronie Kendig
A Love Meant to Be by Dineen Miller
To Sing Another Day by Kim Vogel Sawyer
Beauty from Ashes by MaryLu Tyndall
Dream a Little Dream by Ronie Kendig
A Love Meant to Be by Dineen Miller
To Sing Another Day by Kim Vogel Sawyer
Beauty from Ashes by MaryLu Tyndall
288 pages, ebook
First published August 1, 2012
4 people are currently reading
392 people want to read
About the author
Ronie Kendig
67 books1,255 followersRonie Kendig is a bestselling, award-winning author of over forty books. She grew up an Army brat, and now she and her Army-veteran husband have returned to their beloved Texas after a nearly ten-year stint on the East Coast. They survive on Sonic runs, barbecue, and peach cobbler that they share--sometimes--with Benning the Stealth Golden and AAndromeda the #mwdwashout. Ronie's degree in psychology has helped her pen novels of intense, raw characters.
Since launching onto the publishing scene, Ronie’s Rapid-Fire Fiction has hit the CBA Bestseller List, won the prestigious Christy Award, Carol Award, Realm Award, Alliance Award, back-to-back RT Reviewers' Choice Awards, the HOLT Medallion, the IRCA, and FamilyFiction’s Readers’ Choice Awards.
Ronie loves people and helping other writers through speaking, workshops, and/or mentoring. Find Ronie at www.roniekendig.com, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/rapidfirefiction) , Twitter (@roniekendig), Goodreads, and Instagram (www.instagram.com/kendigronie ).
Since launching onto the publishing scene, Ronie’s Rapid-Fire Fiction has hit the CBA Bestseller List, won the prestigious Christy Award, Carol Award, Realm Award, Alliance Award, back-to-back RT Reviewers' Choice Awards, the HOLT Medallion, the IRCA, and FamilyFiction’s Readers’ Choice Awards.
Ronie loves people and helping other writers through speaking, workshops, and/or mentoring. Find Ronie at www.roniekendig.com, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/rapidfirefiction) , Twitter (@roniekendig), Goodreads, and Instagram (www.instagram.com/kendigronie ).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
August 8, 2012
The stories in this book takes place in different time periods but the authors bring the stories together very well. I have read many of these four-in-one books. This particular book is unique in how the story lines are tied together.
Some of these four-in-one books have stories that could really stand-alone. They may relate to each other but you could read one and enjoy it without reading the others. Central Park Rendezvous is different in that you have to read all of them to get the full story. I liked that about this book. Written this way by these great authors gives the book a novel feel instead of four separate stories.
I gave this book 5/5 stars. I liked the characters in each story. I enjoyed the settings and thought they made each story unique. Each author writes her part of the story very well. They all flow well together. The book itself has a conclusion you will enjoy. I liked the historical aspects in this book as well. If you like Christian historical fiction with a touch of romance, you will enjoy this book!
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book I enjoyed reading. I gave an honest review based on my opinion of what I read.
Some of these four-in-one books have stories that could really stand-alone. They may relate to each other but you could read one and enjoy it without reading the others. Central Park Rendezvous is different in that you have to read all of them to get the full story. I liked that about this book. Written this way by these great authors gives the book a novel feel instead of four separate stories.
I gave this book 5/5 stars. I liked the characters in each story. I enjoyed the settings and thought they made each story unique. Each author writes her part of the story very well. They all flow well together. The book itself has a conclusion you will enjoy. I liked the historical aspects in this book as well. If you like Christian historical fiction with a touch of romance, you will enjoy this book!
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book I enjoyed reading. I gave an honest review based on my opinion of what I read.
August 3, 2012
Most Barbour novella collections are four separate but related romances, usually four friends or siblings, four people in the same location, or four members of the same family in different generations. While Central Park Rendevous follows this general pattern, it is different and I really liked that originality.
Each story features a romance that is some way related to Central Park (the title of the collection is a big clue), gold coin from the Civil War, a soldier who has been changed by his wartime experiences, whether physically or mentally.
The first story is Dream a Little Dream, by Ronie Kendig. It is set in the present day, and is unusual in that it is actually told in several parts, so that it forms both the beginning and the end of the collection, introducing and rounding out the four stories. Jamie Russo meets Sean Wolfe, who has recently returned from Afghanistan.
A Love Meant to Be by Dineen Miller is set in 1973, in the Vietnam War. Alan James is off to war and plans to reunite with Gal Gibson when he gets home. But Gail’s sister foils their reunion, until Jamie, his niece, finds out and trys to make things right thirty-eight years later.
To Sing Another Day by Kim Vogel Sawyer was my favourite individual story. Set in World War II, it was the story of Helen Wolfe, who has to relinquish her dreams of being a professional singer when her fiancé abandons her and she has to care for her family. She pawns a family heirloom, a Civil War gold coin, to feed her family, an act which changes everything.
Beauty From Ashes by MaryLu Tyndall provided the Civil War perspective, through the story of William Wolfe, who gave his fiancé, Annie, a gold coin engraved with his initials before going to fight in the Civil War. When he returns home, he finds Annie changed from her letters… and her sister has the coin.
This is the best Barbour novella collection I have read, both because of the quality of writing of the individual authors, and because of the originality of having four stories so interwoven that story one is actually told in four parts, yet manages to fit into the whole, and all centred around a reunion in Central Park. An excellent beach read.
Thanks to Barbour and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
Each story features a romance that is some way related to Central Park (the title of the collection is a big clue), gold coin from the Civil War, a soldier who has been changed by his wartime experiences, whether physically or mentally.
The first story is Dream a Little Dream, by Ronie Kendig. It is set in the present day, and is unusual in that it is actually told in several parts, so that it forms both the beginning and the end of the collection, introducing and rounding out the four stories. Jamie Russo meets Sean Wolfe, who has recently returned from Afghanistan.
A Love Meant to Be by Dineen Miller is set in 1973, in the Vietnam War. Alan James is off to war and plans to reunite with Gal Gibson when he gets home. But Gail’s sister foils their reunion, until Jamie, his niece, finds out and trys to make things right thirty-eight years later.
To Sing Another Day by Kim Vogel Sawyer was my favourite individual story. Set in World War II, it was the story of Helen Wolfe, who has to relinquish her dreams of being a professional singer when her fiancé abandons her and she has to care for her family. She pawns a family heirloom, a Civil War gold coin, to feed her family, an act which changes everything.
Beauty From Ashes by MaryLu Tyndall provided the Civil War perspective, through the story of William Wolfe, who gave his fiancé, Annie, a gold coin engraved with his initials before going to fight in the Civil War. When he returns home, he finds Annie changed from her letters… and her sister has the coin.
This is the best Barbour novella collection I have read, both because of the quality of writing of the individual authors, and because of the originality of having four stories so interwoven that story one is actually told in four parts, yet manages to fit into the whole, and all centred around a reunion in Central Park. An excellent beach read.
Thanks to Barbour and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
June 28, 2012
Dream a Little Dream by Ronie Kendig
Afghanistan War, present day
Jamie Rosso's uncle Alan is a collector of war memorabilia. He reseaches medals and other pieces and tries to find out who they belonged to. He's a Vietnam veteran and when he returned the woman he was supposed to marry was gone. He always kept hoping he would find her. Now after almost 40 years he's ready to move on with life and he's closing his shop. Jamie can't believe uncle Alan is giving up and she decides not to give up. When Alan is not looking she's snatching away a box with letters from the Wolfe Estate. The Wolfe family is very dear to Uncle Alan and Jamie can't believe he wants to get rid of this box with letters. Jamie decides to dig through the box and tries to find the living Wolfe relatives.
Sean Wolfe got injured by an IED in the Afghanistan War. He's suffering from Traumatic Brain Injury and has scars on his neck and jaw. His fiancée broke up with him. He is hurt and swears he is done with women.
Sean comes from a family of warriors. His father served in Vietnam and came back a different man. He killed himself when Sean was just 4 years old.
Jamie found Sean and gave him the letters from his grandfather. First he didn't want to read them, because of the bad memories they would give. But Jamie told him: "We all need the bad memories to recognize the good ones." (I love that quote!)
Sean starts reading the letters and finds out that his dad was a better man than what his mom let him to believe. When he is reading the letters he finds out about a coin that has passed through the Wolfe family for centuries. He asked Jamie if she also found that coin in the box with letters.
Jamie wonders if Sean knows a woman called Gail. She is the woman her Uncle Alan was supposed to marry. Jamie is convinced there must be a connection to the Wolfe family.
Together Jamie and Sean are reading the Wolfe letters and learn the history of the Wolfe family.
A Love Meant to Be by Dineen Miller
Vietnam War, 1973
Alan is at his friend's (Sean's father) house and there he meets Gail. He's struck by her beauty and disappointed to find out she's engaged to another man. Gail is in New York City for the Summer. Alan offers to show her around and finds himself falling in love with her. Gail is attracted to him, too, but she's engaged. Can their love ever happen?
When Alan is called for duty to Vietnam. Gail promised him to wait for him and they agreed to meet each other on the Bow Bridge. Alan gave the Civil War coin to Gail as a promise of his love for her. But when he came back there was no sign of Gail. What ever happened that she wasn't there and couldn't be found?
To Sing Another Day by Kim Vogel Sawyer
WWII, 1941
Helen Wolfe is the oldest of her siblings. Their parents died and Helen tries to run the family. But when her sister gets sick for a long time, she must stop working to care for her and they ran out of money. Her brother Henry has the Civil War coin and it's the only thing of worth they possess. Helen went to the pawn shop in hopes to get good money for the coin. There she met shop owner Bernie O'Day. He felt sorry for Helen and gave her more money for the coin than its worth. Some time later Henry Wolfe came to Bernie's shop asking for a job. Bernie decided to hire him although he didn't need an extra hand. He just wanted to help the Wolfe family. He starts to care for the family and hopes it might grow to something more with Helen.
When Japan attacks the US, Bernie signs up for duty. Will the coin return to the Wolfe family?
Beauty from Ashes by MaryLu Tyndall
Civil War, 1865
Permelia and Annie Shaw are sisters who live on the Shaw Plantation. Their parents died during the Civil War and their brother is serving in the Army. Annie is engaged to Wiliam Wolfe, colonel in the Army. When he left he gave Annie the coin with the inscription 'Love Never Fails W W'. He's been gone for years and Annie gave up on William and found a new boyfriend. She stopped writing to William and tossed the coin out of the window. Her sister Permelia found the coin and started writing letters to William. William thought Annie was writing the letters and he discovered that she has more depth than he thought. He started to fall in love with this new Annie.
When the war is over he rushes over to the Shaw Plantation and wonders what Annie will think of his injury--burn marks on the right side of his face. When Annie sees them she is shocked and she cannot make herself look at him. Permelia is shocked too, but she is not afraid to look at him or his scars. What he sees in her eyes is confusing him.
Annie is hiding in her room for two days and Permelia is trying to encourage Annie to come out and meet William. When she finally meets him she can't look him in the eyes or to his injured face. William finds out that she sounds so much different than she did in her letters. He also finds out that he is no longer attracted to her, but Permelia makes his heart race.
A Wolfe is man of his word and he promised to marry Annie, so he still intends to do so.
When Annie's other lover comes calling, she must make a decision, but she doesn't. Who will she finally choose? What will William do when he finds out who wrote the letters? Who will meet William on New Year's day on the Bow Bridge?
This was a tremendous read! I loved to see all the novellas get connected to each other. Ronie Kendig's Dream a Little Dream is split up in four parts and is told between the other three novellas. Jamie and Sean's story each time develops further after they have learned more about the Wolfe family (after another novella). Will they also find love?
All novellas center around the Bow Bridge in Central Park - William Wolfe's coin with inscription 'Love Never Fails' - in each story someone is struggling to trust God and in each story a man goes or went to war.
*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my review copy.*
Afghanistan War, present day
Jamie Rosso's uncle Alan is a collector of war memorabilia. He reseaches medals and other pieces and tries to find out who they belonged to. He's a Vietnam veteran and when he returned the woman he was supposed to marry was gone. He always kept hoping he would find her. Now after almost 40 years he's ready to move on with life and he's closing his shop. Jamie can't believe uncle Alan is giving up and she decides not to give up. When Alan is not looking she's snatching away a box with letters from the Wolfe Estate. The Wolfe family is very dear to Uncle Alan and Jamie can't believe he wants to get rid of this box with letters. Jamie decides to dig through the box and tries to find the living Wolfe relatives.
Sean Wolfe got injured by an IED in the Afghanistan War. He's suffering from Traumatic Brain Injury and has scars on his neck and jaw. His fiancée broke up with him. He is hurt and swears he is done with women.
Sean comes from a family of warriors. His father served in Vietnam and came back a different man. He killed himself when Sean was just 4 years old.
Jamie found Sean and gave him the letters from his grandfather. First he didn't want to read them, because of the bad memories they would give. But Jamie told him: "We all need the bad memories to recognize the good ones." (I love that quote!)
Sean starts reading the letters and finds out that his dad was a better man than what his mom let him to believe. When he is reading the letters he finds out about a coin that has passed through the Wolfe family for centuries. He asked Jamie if she also found that coin in the box with letters.
Jamie wonders if Sean knows a woman called Gail. She is the woman her Uncle Alan was supposed to marry. Jamie is convinced there must be a connection to the Wolfe family.
Together Jamie and Sean are reading the Wolfe letters and learn the history of the Wolfe family.
A Love Meant to Be by Dineen Miller
Vietnam War, 1973
Alan is at his friend's (Sean's father) house and there he meets Gail. He's struck by her beauty and disappointed to find out she's engaged to another man. Gail is in New York City for the Summer. Alan offers to show her around and finds himself falling in love with her. Gail is attracted to him, too, but she's engaged. Can their love ever happen?
When Alan is called for duty to Vietnam. Gail promised him to wait for him and they agreed to meet each other on the Bow Bridge. Alan gave the Civil War coin to Gail as a promise of his love for her. But when he came back there was no sign of Gail. What ever happened that she wasn't there and couldn't be found?
To Sing Another Day by Kim Vogel Sawyer
WWII, 1941
Helen Wolfe is the oldest of her siblings. Their parents died and Helen tries to run the family. But when her sister gets sick for a long time, she must stop working to care for her and they ran out of money. Her brother Henry has the Civil War coin and it's the only thing of worth they possess. Helen went to the pawn shop in hopes to get good money for the coin. There she met shop owner Bernie O'Day. He felt sorry for Helen and gave her more money for the coin than its worth. Some time later Henry Wolfe came to Bernie's shop asking for a job. Bernie decided to hire him although he didn't need an extra hand. He just wanted to help the Wolfe family. He starts to care for the family and hopes it might grow to something more with Helen.
When Japan attacks the US, Bernie signs up for duty. Will the coin return to the Wolfe family?
Beauty from Ashes by MaryLu Tyndall
Civil War, 1865
Permelia and Annie Shaw are sisters who live on the Shaw Plantation. Their parents died during the Civil War and their brother is serving in the Army. Annie is engaged to Wiliam Wolfe, colonel in the Army. When he left he gave Annie the coin with the inscription 'Love Never Fails W W'. He's been gone for years and Annie gave up on William and found a new boyfriend. She stopped writing to William and tossed the coin out of the window. Her sister Permelia found the coin and started writing letters to William. William thought Annie was writing the letters and he discovered that she has more depth than he thought. He started to fall in love with this new Annie.
When the war is over he rushes over to the Shaw Plantation and wonders what Annie will think of his injury--burn marks on the right side of his face. When Annie sees them she is shocked and she cannot make herself look at him. Permelia is shocked too, but she is not afraid to look at him or his scars. What he sees in her eyes is confusing him.
Annie is hiding in her room for two days and Permelia is trying to encourage Annie to come out and meet William. When she finally meets him she can't look him in the eyes or to his injured face. William finds out that she sounds so much different than she did in her letters. He also finds out that he is no longer attracted to her, but Permelia makes his heart race.
A Wolfe is man of his word and he promised to marry Annie, so he still intends to do so.
When Annie's other lover comes calling, she must make a decision, but she doesn't. Who will she finally choose? What will William do when he finds out who wrote the letters? Who will meet William on New Year's day on the Bow Bridge?
This was a tremendous read! I loved to see all the novellas get connected to each other. Ronie Kendig's Dream a Little Dream is split up in four parts and is told between the other three novellas. Jamie and Sean's story each time develops further after they have learned more about the Wolfe family (after another novella). Will they also find love?
All novellas center around the Bow Bridge in Central Park - William Wolfe's coin with inscription 'Love Never Fails' - in each story someone is struggling to trust God and in each story a man goes or went to war.
*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my review copy.*
July 25, 2012
Ever been to Central Park in New York City? I haven’t. . .and haven’t had a huge desire to before now, either. I’m a farm girl from the West, and I like it that way!
However, Central Park Rendezvous is a collection of four stories which feature Bow Bridge as a lovers’ meeting place in Central Park, and some of the pictures I’ve seen as I work on scheduling the posts on Romancing America definitely tempt me. I hope you’ll click over and subscribe there to read posts and excerpts of each of the releases, as well as interviews with the authors.
Central Park Rendezvous is a combination of contemporary and historic stories in the Wolfe family. Not only that, but each of the four novellas deals with war heroes and the aftermath of various wars.
I read an advanced reader copy on my Kindle via NetGalley with the goal of reviewing it. I thought there was an error in the download when, at about 15% of the way in, I found myself starting the second novella when the first had not yet come to a conclusion. In a unique twist, the first novella is split into four sections woven around the other three stories as the contemporary characters discover letters from the past and delve into the Wolfe family heritage.
The novella that begins the collection and ties it all together is “Dream a Little Dream” by Ronie Kendig. Sean Wolfe has just returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. The main thing he learned in war–and his fiancée’s ‘Dear John’ letter–is that his mother was right: he is no good, and no one could love him. If no one could love him before, why now, when he’s disfigured from the war? Enter Jamie Russo, a woman who’s put off her own dreams in hopes of helping her beloved uncle find his. Neither Sean nor Jamie dares to dream. . .until they find an engraved coin and a packet of letters from the past that shed a whole new light on the Wolfe family, and the need to follow one’s dreams.
“A Love Meant to Be,” by Dineen Miller, is the second tale in the collection. Jamie’s uncle, Alan James, has spent nearly forty years hoping to find his true love, Gail Gibson, once again. They’d met the summer before he went off to Vietnam and fallen deeply in love, though Gail had been engaged to someone else at the time. She’d broken her engagement and promised to meet Alan on Bow Bridge on New Years Day, but she never showed up. Jamie takes matters into her own hands to find the elusive Gail, but can true love be re-ignited after all they’ve been through? ‘Love never fails’ is written on the coin, but is it true?
“To Sing Another Day” is the third novella, written by Kim Vogel Sawyer. The years preceding World War II have been rough for Helen Wolfe. Her parents both died in a trolley accident, leaving Helen to raise her younger siblings herself, though her fiancé thought she should put them in an orphanage and pursue her dreams of singing on stage with him. This caused the break in their relationship. Still, Helen can barely make ends meet and has to pawn the gold coin that’s been in the family since the Civil War. Pawn Shop owner Bernie O’Day wishes he could do more for lovely Helen than give her double the coin’s worth, but Helen is strong and stubborn. . .and resisting God’s work in her life. Bernie hires Helen’s younger brother, which gives him other ideas for how to help this family. But will Helen allow him to be her champion, giving her reason to sing again?
MaryLu Tyndall wrote the fourth novella, “Beauty from Ashes.” Permelia Shaw has spent the Civil War trying to hold the family’s tobacco plantation in Virginia together and coddling her sister Annie, who’s wedding to William Wolfe had been delayed due to the war. But now William is back, wounded, only to discover that Annie has been seeing other men in his absence–and that one of them claims to be her fiancé. He begins to see Annie as she truly is and wonders how he’d missed the dignity and beauty of her quiet sister Permelia. Annie refuses to choose between the two men who claim her hand, and Permelia won’t force William to choose. Which sister will meet William on Bow Bridge on New Years Day? Is it true that ‘Love never fails?’
What did I enjoy about these stories? I loved the strong ties that weave between them: the difficulties and wounds from the wars, the gold coin engraved with ‘Love never fails,’ and the pursuit of dreams, as well as the setting of Bow Bridge in Central Park. The most fun thing about the collection is the interweaving of Sean Wolfe and Jamie Russo’s story between the others, and seeing the impact learning his family history had on Sean. Besides, I tend to love contemporary stories best!
However, Central Park Rendezvous is a collection of four stories which feature Bow Bridge as a lovers’ meeting place in Central Park, and some of the pictures I’ve seen as I work on scheduling the posts on Romancing America definitely tempt me. I hope you’ll click over and subscribe there to read posts and excerpts of each of the releases, as well as interviews with the authors.
Central Park Rendezvous is a combination of contemporary and historic stories in the Wolfe family. Not only that, but each of the four novellas deals with war heroes and the aftermath of various wars.
I read an advanced reader copy on my Kindle via NetGalley with the goal of reviewing it. I thought there was an error in the download when, at about 15% of the way in, I found myself starting the second novella when the first had not yet come to a conclusion. In a unique twist, the first novella is split into four sections woven around the other three stories as the contemporary characters discover letters from the past and delve into the Wolfe family heritage.
The novella that begins the collection and ties it all together is “Dream a Little Dream” by Ronie Kendig. Sean Wolfe has just returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. The main thing he learned in war–and his fiancée’s ‘Dear John’ letter–is that his mother was right: he is no good, and no one could love him. If no one could love him before, why now, when he’s disfigured from the war? Enter Jamie Russo, a woman who’s put off her own dreams in hopes of helping her beloved uncle find his. Neither Sean nor Jamie dares to dream. . .until they find an engraved coin and a packet of letters from the past that shed a whole new light on the Wolfe family, and the need to follow one’s dreams.
“A Love Meant to Be,” by Dineen Miller, is the second tale in the collection. Jamie’s uncle, Alan James, has spent nearly forty years hoping to find his true love, Gail Gibson, once again. They’d met the summer before he went off to Vietnam and fallen deeply in love, though Gail had been engaged to someone else at the time. She’d broken her engagement and promised to meet Alan on Bow Bridge on New Years Day, but she never showed up. Jamie takes matters into her own hands to find the elusive Gail, but can true love be re-ignited after all they’ve been through? ‘Love never fails’ is written on the coin, but is it true?
“To Sing Another Day” is the third novella, written by Kim Vogel Sawyer. The years preceding World War II have been rough for Helen Wolfe. Her parents both died in a trolley accident, leaving Helen to raise her younger siblings herself, though her fiancé thought she should put them in an orphanage and pursue her dreams of singing on stage with him. This caused the break in their relationship. Still, Helen can barely make ends meet and has to pawn the gold coin that’s been in the family since the Civil War. Pawn Shop owner Bernie O’Day wishes he could do more for lovely Helen than give her double the coin’s worth, but Helen is strong and stubborn. . .and resisting God’s work in her life. Bernie hires Helen’s younger brother, which gives him other ideas for how to help this family. But will Helen allow him to be her champion, giving her reason to sing again?
MaryLu Tyndall wrote the fourth novella, “Beauty from Ashes.” Permelia Shaw has spent the Civil War trying to hold the family’s tobacco plantation in Virginia together and coddling her sister Annie, who’s wedding to William Wolfe had been delayed due to the war. But now William is back, wounded, only to discover that Annie has been seeing other men in his absence–and that one of them claims to be her fiancé. He begins to see Annie as she truly is and wonders how he’d missed the dignity and beauty of her quiet sister Permelia. Annie refuses to choose between the two men who claim her hand, and Permelia won’t force William to choose. Which sister will meet William on Bow Bridge on New Years Day? Is it true that ‘Love never fails?’
What did I enjoy about these stories? I loved the strong ties that weave between them: the difficulties and wounds from the wars, the gold coin engraved with ‘Love never fails,’ and the pursuit of dreams, as well as the setting of Bow Bridge in Central Park. The most fun thing about the collection is the interweaving of Sean Wolfe and Jamie Russo’s story between the others, and seeing the impact learning his family history had on Sean. Besides, I tend to love contemporary stories best!
August 17, 2012
This book had a very interesting storyline. We start out in modern day New York City where we meet Jamie and Sean. The other stories intertwine together through letters written by Sean’s family from the past. We travel to 1973 during Vietnam war then back to Jamie and Sean. We then head to 1941 and the beginning of WWII. After another stop back in the present we head all the way back to the civil war. The book concludes with present day.
What I liked: I really like how this story was told. It felt like one novel not 4 shorter ones. Having one of the stories be the focal point was also fun as it felt more like a regular novel. The authors did such a good job of writing together I kept forgetting that 4 people wrote the book. The use of the letters to hold the story together made it unique.
What I did not like: I wish Helen and Bernie’s story(1941) had been a little longer. It also felt like that story was left hanging a little bit and it would have been nice to know how it all turned out for them.
Over all I really enjoyed this book I even cried at the end. I just really liked how all the stories tied together and make the whole book uniform. A must read!
http://abbiesreadingcorner.com/2012/0...
What I liked: I really like how this story was told. It felt like one novel not 4 shorter ones. Having one of the stories be the focal point was also fun as it felt more like a regular novel. The authors did such a good job of writing together I kept forgetting that 4 people wrote the book. The use of the letters to hold the story together made it unique.
What I did not like: I wish Helen and Bernie’s story(1941) had been a little longer. It also felt like that story was left hanging a little bit and it would have been nice to know how it all turned out for them.
Over all I really enjoyed this book I even cried at the end. I just really liked how all the stories tied together and make the whole book uniform. A must read!
http://abbiesreadingcorner.com/2012/0...
January 4, 2013
I don't usually enjoy these types of books...the 4 in 1 stories. I rarely buy them.I am not a big romance reader. I don't mind some romance but generally prefer historical. I did pick this up and I am glad I did. I decided to buy it becuase it was about NY...where I grew up and also had 2 of my favorite authors....Marylu Tyndall & Kim Sawyer. The stories were really well written...and follow memebers of a family. My favorite parts were by Kim Sawyer and MaryLy Tyndall....theirs were more historical and really more intersting. This books was so much better than other types of these romances. I really enjoyed it....and I think you would too =)
August 17, 2012
Central Park Rendezvous is written by 4 authors, each telling the story
of 1 generation and how the coin played a part in their lives. It
amazes me how the 4 stories are brought together as one to complete the
story of the ancient coin, where it came from and how it was passed
along from one generation to the other. It tells of love, trials, and
overcoming obstacles. An amazing story of how God continues to work in
their lives, even after many years have passed. A wonderful read that
leaves you wanting to "get to know" all of the characters more.
of 1 generation and how the coin played a part in their lives. It
amazes me how the 4 stories are brought together as one to complete the
story of the ancient coin, where it came from and how it was passed
along from one generation to the other. It tells of love, trials, and
overcoming obstacles. An amazing story of how God continues to work in
their lives, even after many years have passed. A wonderful read that
leaves you wanting to "get to know" all of the characters more.
August 12, 2015
Really enjoyed these stories & loved the way they were put together!
December 9, 2019
How can a coin from the Civil War bearing the inscription, "Love Never Fails" effect the Wolf family from that generation to the present? Four different authors masterfully weave through the lives of each generation with the coin as the centerpiece. Or is it?
March 12, 2025
The book was good but the self doubt of each character got annoying. You get to have story of ancestor but wish those were written as epistle style since the source of the history is letters. Only read due to Ronie Kendig as one of the authors.
September 23, 2020
4 in 1. Really enjoyed how the 4 stories intertwined with each other.
December 31, 2021
One very good author, one good, others ok.
June 29, 2024
Started out good. Became unrealistic and boring.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2013
This is an intertwining collection of four historical romances centered around a keepsake coin and the Bow Bridge in Central Park in Manhattan.
Dream a Little Dream by Ronie Kendig
Sean Wolfe has come back from Afghanistan a broken man. His past concerning his father Patrick's suicide haunts him as much as the TBI that leaves him with permanent mental scars. He has no one in the world but his devoted aunt, until a chance meeting brings closure to his past, comfort to his present, and hope to his future.
Jamie Russo is the niece of Alan, former love of a woman named Gail, who is closing his antique shop after decades of business in Manhattan. Jamie grieves her uncle's decision both for the sake of his lost dream of finding Gail, and for the other loose ends it leaves. One of those loose ends, a packet of letters from the Wolfe family who were old friends of her uncle, becomes her mission. She has laid aside her dream of dancing, but finds purpose in caring for others. She seeks out the Wolfes, and finds Sean.
The letters draw Sean closer to healing from his haunted past, to solving a mystery about his aunt, and to finding a love he thought he would never experience. Written with grit as well as insight, this story interweaves with the other three stories, going back in time to the Civil War following a keepsake coin through four generations of romance, until the satisfying end.
A Love Meant to Be by Dineen Miller
This story features Gail and Alan during the era of the Vietnam War. Alan is Patrick Wolfe's best friend, and like a son to Patrick's father--perhaps moreso even than Patrick. The elder Wolfe gives Alan the family keepsake of a Civil War coin to pass along to the one he loves. When Alan proposes to Gail after a whirlwind romance in the city, including clandestine kisses on Bow Bridge, she promises to wait for him until he returns from the war. But will her former fiance lure her away with his money and prestige, or will her heart remain faithful?
To Sing Another Day by Kim Vogel Sawyer
Helen Wolfe is a brave young lady tasked with raising her younger brothers and sisters after her parents' untimely death. Though gifted to sing like a songbird, she must leave that dream behind to put food in their mouths. Her former intended, a rising singer, scorns her practicality, drawn to the big city lights and theater fame. He wants nothing to do with her life of drudgery and responsibility.
Helen comes to a painful decision to part with a family heirloom coin in exchange for food. At the pawn shop she meets Bernie O'Day, a kind and large-hearted man who gives her more than the coin is worth. He also employs her brother to help out. Their lives intertwine as a spark of love forms. . .they spend a Christmas together where Bernie plays Santa Claus to the younger Wolfes, and his heroism shines in contrast to Helen's former intended, who only esteems all that glitters. The attack on Pearl Harbor spurs Bernie to join the war effort, and the love story hangs in limbo from there.
Beauty from Ashes by MaryLu Tyndall
William Wolfe is a wounded officer engaged to Annie Shaw, a southern belle living on a plantation in Virginia. Little does he know that Annie's letters throughout the war were actually penned by her sister Permelia. When he returns to collect his bride, he has assurances from the genteel letters that she won't mind his dramatic facial scar. In person, Annie proves superficial and unfaithful. Will William's broken heart lead him away from true happiness with the real authoress of his love letters? Will the coin he gave Annie speak to Permelia that True Love Never Fails?
The picturesque Bow Bridge in Manhattan's Central Park draws these couples through time to finding true love, often amid the downy snowfalls of a New York Christmas or New Years.
Dream a Little Dream by Ronie Kendig
Sean Wolfe has come back from Afghanistan a broken man. His past concerning his father Patrick's suicide haunts him as much as the TBI that leaves him with permanent mental scars. He has no one in the world but his devoted aunt, until a chance meeting brings closure to his past, comfort to his present, and hope to his future.
Jamie Russo is the niece of Alan, former love of a woman named Gail, who is closing his antique shop after decades of business in Manhattan. Jamie grieves her uncle's decision both for the sake of his lost dream of finding Gail, and for the other loose ends it leaves. One of those loose ends, a packet of letters from the Wolfe family who were old friends of her uncle, becomes her mission. She has laid aside her dream of dancing, but finds purpose in caring for others. She seeks out the Wolfes, and finds Sean.
The letters draw Sean closer to healing from his haunted past, to solving a mystery about his aunt, and to finding a love he thought he would never experience. Written with grit as well as insight, this story interweaves with the other three stories, going back in time to the Civil War following a keepsake coin through four generations of romance, until the satisfying end.
A Love Meant to Be by Dineen Miller
This story features Gail and Alan during the era of the Vietnam War. Alan is Patrick Wolfe's best friend, and like a son to Patrick's father--perhaps moreso even than Patrick. The elder Wolfe gives Alan the family keepsake of a Civil War coin to pass along to the one he loves. When Alan proposes to Gail after a whirlwind romance in the city, including clandestine kisses on Bow Bridge, she promises to wait for him until he returns from the war. But will her former fiance lure her away with his money and prestige, or will her heart remain faithful?
To Sing Another Day by Kim Vogel Sawyer
Helen Wolfe is a brave young lady tasked with raising her younger brothers and sisters after her parents' untimely death. Though gifted to sing like a songbird, she must leave that dream behind to put food in their mouths. Her former intended, a rising singer, scorns her practicality, drawn to the big city lights and theater fame. He wants nothing to do with her life of drudgery and responsibility.
Helen comes to a painful decision to part with a family heirloom coin in exchange for food. At the pawn shop she meets Bernie O'Day, a kind and large-hearted man who gives her more than the coin is worth. He also employs her brother to help out. Their lives intertwine as a spark of love forms. . .they spend a Christmas together where Bernie plays Santa Claus to the younger Wolfes, and his heroism shines in contrast to Helen's former intended, who only esteems all that glitters. The attack on Pearl Harbor spurs Bernie to join the war effort, and the love story hangs in limbo from there.
Beauty from Ashes by MaryLu Tyndall
William Wolfe is a wounded officer engaged to Annie Shaw, a southern belle living on a plantation in Virginia. Little does he know that Annie's letters throughout the war were actually penned by her sister Permelia. When he returns to collect his bride, he has assurances from the genteel letters that she won't mind his dramatic facial scar. In person, Annie proves superficial and unfaithful. Will William's broken heart lead him away from true happiness with the real authoress of his love letters? Will the coin he gave Annie speak to Permelia that True Love Never Fails?
The picturesque Bow Bridge in Manhattan's Central Park draws these couples through time to finding true love, often amid the downy snowfalls of a New York Christmas or New Years.
October 26, 2012
Central Park Rendezvous is skillfully crafted by four different women into one beautiful romance. I was really excited because it was written by some of my favorite authors, but I did doubt a little when I saw the cover. I judge a book by the cover and the cover didn’t reflect the story very well in my opinion. So, enough about the cover... The book starts with the story of Jamie Russo and Sean Wolfe. This portion of the book is modern day and is actually split into four different portions in between the other stories. I thought it was odd at first but it was actually really skilled how I wanted to skip the other stories and just see what happened to Sean and Jamie. Kendig did a really good job of bringing the characters to life and advancing the plot in such a short amount of pages. Then we go to the story of Gail Gibson and Alan James, which brings us from the Vietnam War to present day. I really liked this portion of the book (by Dineen Miller). If I didn’t already know a portion of the story, I never would have expected the ending. I actually shed a few tears. The reader is then brought back to the world of Jamie Russo and Sean Wolfe. Then suddenly the reader is taken to World War II America where families are struggling and men are fighting overseas. This was the most homey portion of the book, the only thing that could have made reading Sawyer’s portion more homey was if I could cuddle up with a blanket by a warm fire. Helen Wolfe is struggling to support her siblings and Bernie is God’s instruments to meet her needs. I did cry at during this portion a little, too. After heading back to current day again, suddenly the reader is thrust into the Civil War. The last portion of the book, MaryLu Tyndall’s, is a hit for all those who love history (like me). Sisters Annie and Permelia could not be more opposite; one sister is kind and godly, the other has a bad attitude with a heavy dose of self-centeredness to top it off. William Wolfe comes back scarred after the war to claim Annie as his bride, but she is repulsed by him. Will he marry Annie or fall in love with Permelia? Tyndall’s portion of the book had a Sense and Sensibility feel to it. Although, Marianne came to her senses whereas Annie really never learned from what God placed before her. I really liked Permelia and caught myself praying that God would send me a friend like her. The Romancing America books I’ve read are always kind of cheap and lame, but not Central Park Rendezvous. Five/five stars no question. A must read!
March 7, 2013
I have never read a Four-in-One Collection by four different authors, where each story ties in with one another. I have noticed with all the Romancing America series each book contains four different stories, one after another. Only did I notice with “Central Park Rendezvous” the first story is split four different parts with the other three stories going back in history in relating to a letter from the first story. I like more of a historical novel and seeing how with all of them tying together from present day to 1865, I have truly enjoyed this novel. Each story takes in dealing around certain wartimes like the Afghanistan War of this present time (by Ronie Kendig), Vietnam War of 1973 (by Dineen Miller), World War II of 1941 (by Kim Vogel Sawyer), and Civil War of 1865 (by MaryLu Tyndall). Read this four-in-one collection novel to see how a family heirloom gold coin with a description on is passed through the generations of a many years working through each of the different couples based around Central Park in New York!
July 31, 2012
Four authors. One story.
My review of 'Central Park Rendezvous' by Ronie Kendig, Dineen Miller, Kim Vogel Sawyer and MaryLu Tyndall:
These four authors did an amazing job bringing each of their sections together to create a wonderful tale. This book follows the lives of four generations, each with their own heartbreaking and heartwarming story; yet all sharing the same goal. I found myself going back and forth from present day New York to New York past. It was a whirlwind of time and emotions! Reading this book helped me to realize the impact a war can have on the lives of people and how putting our faith in God is job number one. I encourage anyone who has a loved one in the military, anyone who is seeking God's purpose for their lives or simply anyone who enjoys getting totally swept away, to pick up 'Central Park Rendezvous' and let yourself get lost in the lives of these wonderful characters.
My review of 'Central Park Rendezvous' by Ronie Kendig, Dineen Miller, Kim Vogel Sawyer and MaryLu Tyndall:
These four authors did an amazing job bringing each of their sections together to create a wonderful tale. This book follows the lives of four generations, each with their own heartbreaking and heartwarming story; yet all sharing the same goal. I found myself going back and forth from present day New York to New York past. It was a whirlwind of time and emotions! Reading this book helped me to realize the impact a war can have on the lives of people and how putting our faith in God is job number one. I encourage anyone who has a loved one in the military, anyone who is seeking God's purpose for their lives or simply anyone who enjoys getting totally swept away, to pick up 'Central Park Rendezvous' and let yourself get lost in the lives of these wonderful characters.
December 13, 2012
This book is a wonderful example of why I LOVE Romancing America! It holds great mysteries, secrets, romance, and some shocking endings! It is paced well and the four books fit just right together. Even though it is written by 4 different authors the novels ebb and flow wonderfully together. Excellent historical romances that bring beauty from war. Typos plagued "A Love Meant to Be" but I'm just warning you. My favorite was MaryLu Tyndall's "Beauty From Ashes", get it and see which one is your favorite! All of the authors are unique and imaginative!
My song choices can be interchanged with the novels but I have four that I like with these books: "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" by Dean Martin, "Bless The Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts, "At The Beginning (LP Version)" by Richard Marx & Donna Lewis, and "So Close" by Jon McLaughlin
Acts 16:31
~ASC
My song choices can be interchanged with the novels but I have four that I like with these books: "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" by Dean Martin, "Bless The Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts, "At The Beginning (LP Version)" by Richard Marx & Donna Lewis, and "So Close" by Jon McLaughlin
Acts 16:31
~ASC
March 5, 2013
Easily the best four-author book I've ever read. The stories were of four generations of the Wolfe family, each written by an incredibly talented Christian fiction author. Each of the men and women were a part of a war, from the war in Afghanistan to the Civil War. All of the stories are tied together by a coin which is inscribed with "Love Never Fails". There is more meaning to the saying than just romance, it also speaks of God's love never failing too.
MaryLu Tyndall is the author for the Civil War story and she is one of my favorite authors, but this book has led me to discover the wonderful talent of the other authors as well. I'm looking forward to reading other works by these lovely ladies!
MaryLu Tyndall is the author for the Civil War story and she is one of my favorite authors, but this book has led me to discover the wonderful talent of the other authors as well. I'm looking forward to reading other works by these lovely ladies!
February 22, 2013
I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. It's difficult enough for a single author to keep all of the details straight when writing a book, but to have four different authors working together, all of them writing a story from a different time period, is pretty incredible. And these ladies...Ronie Kendig, Dineen Miller, Kim Vogel Sawyer, and MaryLu Tyndall...pulled it off beautifully. Not only that, but instead of writing their stories in chronological order, they take the reader on a journey back in time, with a few little breaks in between. They are stories of real heroes, sacrifice, romance, and God's love. I give this book 5-stars.
March 22, 2013
A charming collection of stories that follow a family - albeit in a hopscotch fashion - through the Civil War, WWII, Vietnam and finally the Iraq War. A special coin that pre-dates the Civil War is passed from father to son and carries a special meaning through the years. At first I was confused by the layout of the book. It starts with the most modern story and works its way back in time, with breaks back to the modern story. But it works and it's a nice look at the changes - and the similarities - of people across time. Suitable for any age, I highly recommend this one.
January 4, 2014
I don’t want to ruin any of the stories but I think you should be prepared that the stories are interwoven. I almost threw the book after reading the first story because I thought they were going to leave us hanging… they don’t. These stories were much better than I expected in a collection. To be honest I only read it because Ronie Kendig was one of the authors.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.
November 3, 2012
I loved how they intertwined the past and the present. I've not read something done like this. But it was fun and you found yourself looking forward to going back in time. Four amazing authors come together in this Novella and I am happy to say one of my favorite authors (MaryLu Tyndall) is one of them. If you like heartwarming and heart wrenching stories that are wonderfully researched, if you love our military, or just a great love story you'll enjoy curling up with this novella.
July 17, 2013
I found the constant changing of stories and authors annoying and at times hard to follow. The setup of this book left me disappointed but after getting past this the stories are nice stories. Which is why I gave it 2 stars instead of the 1 star I had been planning.
February 14, 2015
The book
I loved how this book was put together. It amazed me how 6 author could connect so well on the same storyline. I can't say enough good things about the book. A love story thru generation of time. A family legacy...
I loved how this book was put together. It amazed me how 6 author could connect so well on the same storyline. I can't say enough good things about the book. A love story thru generation of time. A family legacy...
May 14, 2016
The modern day- and the Civil War stories were my favorites. The WWII one wasn't about the war at all, while the Vietnam-era story was a prequel for the modern one so in many ways it didn't feel like a separate story.
September 17, 2012
Loved it! Very creative.
June 17, 2013
This was a really good read following several love stories all intermingled through time. Really enjoyed it!
May 20, 2015
Interesting warm stories based on a coin that makes the rounds.
May 16, 2013
Good read. Four stories that intertwine into one. I grabbed this book on a whim at Walmart, but now it has me wanting to read more in the series!
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