The Pancake Club Anthology

The Pancake Club #1-4

by Jennifer Conner, Marilyn Conner Miles

Love on the Airwaves

After being on a big-city network news station, the last thing Tessa Sheldon wants to do is return to the small town of Mercy Ridge to work at the local radio station. But, she doesn’t have many choices.

Police Officer, Dolan Nash, wants to feel something other than the pain and death that’s surrounded him the past few years. If he keeps his head down and focuses on the peaceful quiet of the small town, the memories will stay quiet as well.

Sometimes we keep secrets inside. It’s easier than bringing out the darkness of our pasts. Will Mercy Ridge be the place where Dolan and Tessa find peace… and possibly love?

Lesson Plan for Love

As soon as Chad Granger thinks he’s exhausted every prospect of finding a woman in Mercy Ridge, the new third-grade teacher shows up in town and rents a cabin on his parent’s farm. He’s immediately attracted to the hippie-like woman who appears to be the exact opposite of his former girlfriend.

Kristin Warner is conflicted about her attraction to Chad, but convinces herself there’s nothing wrong with nurturing a friendship between them. Not quite ready to share her secret, she refuses to go out with him with a brief explanation that she isn’t ready for a boyfriend.

When Chad discovers why Kristin won’t date him, he faces the toughest decision of his life—to close his mind to her or open his heart.

Damage Control

Teenage love is a road fraught with heartache and Jennifer Defoe was no exception. Hers is an unrequited love for a boy who thought her a friend. When he left for the Navy, Jennifer gave up on her future and any hope of love.

Michael Harrison left Mercy Ridge with grand plans of travel and adventure only to have it come crashing down upon him after a tragic accident leaves him scarred. He flees back to the only home he has ever known for the chance to heal.

Jennifer Defoe hurts from a future that never was. Michael Harrison hurts from a past that he gave up. What happens when the fear of being close to someone collides with the fear of being hurt again? And can either of them overlook the past long enough to envision a future with each other?

Saddle Up For Love

Barb Sessions is a wrangler for the Saddle Up Dude Ranch, just outside the small town of Mercy Ridge. A couple times a week she and her other Pancake Club get together for breakfast at the Memories Diner and discuss single life in a small town. Trouble is, her other friends are all now engaged to be married. Barb meets a lot of dudes, couples in love and children on her job, but never any men her age. Could it be because she's always in jeans and cowboy boots?

Dirk Adams is new to town and the new owner of the town's Large Animal Mobile Veterinary Clinic. This is his first job as a practicing veterinarian. He's heard that small town folks often don't warm up to new people...and now he's getting ready to replace their beloved retiring Doc Nick. How will they react to Dirk's new ways?

Genres: Anthologies

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 12, 2015

About the author

Jennifer Conner is a best-selling Northwest author who has written eighty short stories, screenplays, books, and audiobooks. She writes in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, Paranormal Romance, Historical Romance, and Erotica.
Her horror screenplay, Starvation Heights, placed in four national contests and won three including the Austin After Dark contest.
Jenni and Angela Ford have also written multiple stories together and a sweet romance screenplay, Winning Love for Valentine’s Day.
She has been on Amazon’s top fifty authors ranking and many of her books have hit #1 in sales.
Her novel Shot in the Dark was a finalist in the Emerald City Opener, Cleveland, and Toronto RWA contests.


Jennifer is an Associate Publisher for the indie traditional publisher, Books to Go Now which resides in the Seattle area. They pride themselves in helping new authors get their foot in the door with well-edited manuscripts, professional covers, and platform uploads.

She lives in a hundred-year-old house that she grew up in. Her semi-small town holds an interesting mix of resident hillbillies, yuppies and Navy Seals. And of course Seattle, only a few miles away, is the birthplace of Starbucks so coffee is always on the checklist. She blows glass beads with a blow torch, (which relieves a lot of stress and people don't bother you). Jenni watches and reads all genres of movies and books and loves to lose herself in a good plot.

Reviews

[Serena · Rating 3 out of 5]

stars

In compliance with FTC guidelines, I have won this book through the Goodreads Giveaways.

Love on the Airwaves by Jennifer Conner ***
Lesson Plan for Love by Jackie Marilla **
Damage Control by J.W. Stacks ***
Saddle Up For Love by Marilyn Conner Miles ***

My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.

[Natasha Lane · Rating 3 out of 5]

You definitely have to have a specific taste for this book. If you're into Western or country style romance, then this anthology is right for you. It has all the small town country charm infused with the " attractive new stranger who stumbles into town" feel. There are a total for four stories. Two of which are told mainly from the male perspective and two mainly from the female perspective. Seeing the writers (who are all female) take on the minds of the other sex was really interesting because it can be a challenge for some authors. There was also the country "twang" that was added to the dialogue. As you can expect it presented it's own charm. Now, the anthology is short, so if you want a quick read look no further. Of course, the stories in the anthology are short, as well which sometimes made them seem a little rushed, but that's all a preference of pace. Overall, I would say this was a good read for someone who doesn't mind quick pace (with neglect to some plot development), small town typical country romance. :)

Side note: In the first story, the male character originates from a city, but he still has a very country accent. That bothered me a lot just because it didn't make his character seem very authentic.

[Bette Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice compilation of 4 sweet small town romance stories. Each story is about a member of the "Pancake Club". A group that started as 4 single people living in a small town, looking for more. Each story is pretty short so everything moves along pretty quickly. I think I would have enjoyed this a bit more if the stories were just a bit longer, but it was an enjoyable afternoon read.

I would recommend this one.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read all four of the delightful authors featured in this anthology and enjoyed their work, so I couldn't pass up this collection of four different romances linked to a great group of friends in a modern small town. These writers deal in different ways with some serious issues of our times, while providing the happy endings we need to survive these times.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet collection of small-town romantic stories about four different women who meet regularly at breakfast. The stories are refreshing and well crafted. There is no smut contained in any story. Two of the stories are told from the woman’s perspective, and two are told from the man’s perspective. I enjoyed following these modern women as they searched for the true meaning of love and romance in their daily lives. The stories all have a small-town feel to them in addition to being set in a small town. As I said, it is refreshing to read such nice romances. Kind of puts me into a great frame of mind after all the murders, mysteries and misfortune I hear/read about every day. This is a great read for anyone looking for something short and sweet, to take them out of the everyday humdrum. There are four stories in the book, are each self-contained, short and interesting, and I cannot decide which one I like best. Each can be read in a short time, which is good for the busy person. This book will appeal to anyone who enjoys a good romance, and who wishes a book they can pick up, read and put down as necessary. Right now, the book will make a great beach read, a good to travel with, and a great book to read as you have time. I enjoyed reading it and I highly recommend it. I received this from Library Thing to read and review.

[Mariel Hoss · Rating 4 out of 5]

*ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

A collection of short but sweet small-town romantic stories about four friends who meet regularly for pancakes at breakfast. The stories are refreshingly sweet with none of the lust/sex at the first meeting type of interaction. Two are from the woman’s perspective and two are from the man’s perspective.

This is truly a "romance" read that focus more on the emotional side of a romantic connection. Though there are plenty of sexual tension...they remain just that...tension to add to the deliciousness and tingle of the first romantic blush. This is a great read for anyone looking for something short and sweet, an escape from the daily grind. Great as a beach or a curl-up-by-the fire read.

[Bee☕ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a charming collection of four, short stories set in my very own state of Washington. A change a scenery. A new school teacher. A little bit of country home. A new veterinary Doc. Single life in a sleepy, country town. Cute and sweet.

I would recommend to readers of the Linda Lael Miller or Lorraine Heath. I didn't find any of these stories particularly stood out but as stand alones, they still cossed over (same town) to peak interest. This collection is easy to pick up and put down and pick up again for a light-hearted beach or vacation read.

Many thanks to LibraryThing's Early Reviewers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.