Enjoy five sweet and refreshing, clean romances with heart—from first loves to second chances, all from award winning, and bestselling authors
Seaside Surprises (a novel) by Stacy Claflin, International Bestselling Author
Tiffany Saunders hopes to pick up the pieces of her life in a new city. She winds up stranded in Kittle Falls and a chance meeting with a handsome local changes everything.
Jake Hunter has some deep emotional scars and is trying to cope with running the family business. The last thing he wants is a relationship—until a mysterious brunette walks into his store and complicates it all.
Tiffany prefers to keep the painful memories of the past where they belong—in her rear view mirror. But dark secrets cannot stay hidden forever. Just as the walls around Tiffany’s heart start to come down, the past catches up with her. Will true love be able to conquer all?
Love at First Date (a novella) by Susan Hatler, New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author
Ellen decides that finding the right guy is about compatibility. So she signs up for Detailed Dating—the local online dating scene in Sacramento. She filters through the profiles of each provided “match,” and narrows it down to two candidates.
When Ellen’s friend asks her for a favor, dog-sitting leads to disaster and Ellen ends up at the vet where she meets a man she can’t get out of her mind. Henry isn’t a logical choice, but she pays for dog obedience class just to spend more time with him.
Ellen knows that for a lasting relationship, she should go for one of the pre-screened guys. But her heart keeps begging her to give Henry a chance.
Riverbend (a novella) by Ciara Knight, USA Today Bestselling Author
Five years after the death of his wife, Dr. Mitchem Taylor is ready to open his heart again. Only one thing stands in the way of giving love a second chance--the strictly enforced "no dating" rule. A rule that pierces his heart every time he thinks about his university assistant, Cynthia.
Cynthia Gold has been in love with her boss, Mitchem since they day they met. Pining away over a love she can never have forces her to make a drastic change—a new job thousands of miles away. But can she walk away from her life she enjoys and a boy who’s like a son, or keep her heart bound to a man who may never love her.
Whiskey and Gumdrops (a novel) by Jean Oram, New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author
Mandy Mattson just saw her ex tie the knot with her long-time rival and there's only one way to make herself feel better--to finally follow her dreams and open her own restaurant.
But she can't do it alone... She's going to need the help of her sexy best friend, Frankie Smith--the man she's been keeping at arm’s length since she began crushing on him in high school.
Will she be able to follow her dreams even if it means losing her heart?
Uptown Heiress (a novella) by Lindi Peterson, Award Winning Author
Hotel empire heiress Grace Adams has an epiphany. Love isn’t a game. Neither is life. It’s time to find a job and prove she doesn’t need Daddy’s money. Waiter, Justin Walker, is biding his time working for the rich crowd. His service pays off when he meets beautiful Grace Adams. He asks her out, not knowing she’s a hotel heiress.
When they find out they are competing for the same job, Grace and Justin try to maintain their budding friendship and romance.
Stacy Claflin writes about complex women overcoming incredible odds. Whether it's her Gone trilogy of psychological thrillers, her ongoing Transformed paranormal saga, or her Seaside Hunters sweet romance series, Stacy's three-dimensional heroines shine through.
Decades after she wrote her first stories on construction paper and years after typing on an inherited green screen computer that weighed half a ton, Stacy realized her dream of becoming a full-time author.
When she's not busy writing or educating her kids from home, Stacy enjoys watching TV shows like Supernatural, Pretty Little Liars, and Once Upon a Time.
I haven't read all of these yet, but I've loved the stories that I have read.
Seaside Surprises-- Tiffany is escaping a terrible ex and what better way to forget her troubles than to end up stranded in a beautiful, touristy, seaside town. Kittle Falls sounds like a fantastic place to live, work, and find love. I enjoyed the descriptions of the things the locals liked to do--things the tourists didn't know about. I also loved the local characters and the way they all looked out for one another and seemed like one big family. I wouldn't mind taking a vacation there myself! I really loved the setting and the characters. This is a perfect summer beach read, especially for readers who don't want all fluff. There is some suspense mingled in with a climatic ending and a tough topic is brought up and handled in a great way.
Love at First Date-- Ellen is determined to find the perfect man and goes through an online dating site to do so. She thinks that if on paper they're very compatible, then the relationship will be great. But what she learns surprises her. I thought this was a fun, cute, short story. Ellen's mom doesn't count her dad and they are both determined that Ellen ends up with the perfect relationship. Really--you can plan and plan exactly how things are going to go in your life and they never go the way you've planned. Craig was hilarious in a dry kind of way--82%. Haha. Henry was great--kind and mysterious and very sweet.
Whiskey and Gumdrops--The story starts off with an uncomfortably embarrassing situation, which led me to believe this story would be a bundle of laughs. After the first few chapters, it settles into mostly following Mandy in her prospect of becoming a business owner with only a smattering of interactions with Frankie. In a live example of always wanting what you can't or don't have, the adventures of Mandy and Frankie are entertaining, but not as plentiful as I'd hoped. Some moments seemed to drag on a bit, but in other moments, the pacing was perfect. I did enjoy the camaraderie of the citizens of this small town, but often found myself frustrated with the games and the beatings around the bush. There were moments when I was rooting for the characters, as well as moments of tender emotion, and I was happy with the way things wrapped up.
4 of the stories were clean, simple romance stories that were just too sugary sweet and predictable for my liking, but I stuck with them. The 4th story in the collection, something about whiskey in the title was painful and offensive with tacky, crude writing. It didn't take long before I skipped over it.
I would have given this book 3 stars if not for the story Whiskey & Gumdrops. I couldn't finish that book ... it had foul language and too much sexuality. The portion that I did read didn't have any actual sex but it was constantly thought about and the language just got worse so I quit reading that one. I enjoyed the rest of the books and they were sweet & clean. Ms. Oram's book doesn't fit in this group.
I like Whiskey & Gumdrops enough to possibly read the other books in the series. Otherwise, I wasn't impressed with this selection. Riverbend was okay. Love at First Date was okay. They were all just kind of mehhh. Whiskey and Gumdrops I did enjoy somewhat.
It was a freebie, so at least I didn't waste my money.
I chose five stars because in the end the book was well written even though it took longer to finish than it normally should, I would recommend this book to those who have a romantic side and enjoys a blossoming relationship.
I love a good bargain. Five sweet romances for free? Can’t beat it. Oh, wait. I mean five WONDERFUL sweet romances for free. Can’t beat THAT.
The set starts with Stacy Claflin’s novel, SEASIDE SURPRISES. Handsome Jake is stuck in town, stuck running the family business—just generally stuck. Just when the tedium is more than he can stand, in comes Tiffany, keeping some secrets that spice things up and intriguing Jake. She tries to keep him at arm’s length, tries to deny her feelings, but love just can’t be denied. Unfortunately, neither can Tiffany’s past. The characters are ones you’ll root for, the setting is one you’ll want to visit again, and the resolution to the story is a total rush.
The second story in the set is Susan Hatler’s novella, LOVE AT FIRST DATE. Ellen’s family and friends’ history with relationships has taught her one thing—love should not be left to fate. So she’s come to rely on algorithms and probabilities to find her perfect match. The problem? The man the dating service says is her perfect mate looks great on paper and lukewarm in person. But fate offered up a hot alternative. These characters are so endearing, you’ll love them from the first word to the last.
The middle story in the set is Ciara Knight’s novella, RIVERBEND. This is the story of Mitch, a widower with a young son and an assistant, Cynthia, who holds both his personal and professional life together. When he wins an award at work, his acceptance speech makes both of them realize what they mean to each other, but because of a no-dating-coworkers policy (and a series of other misunderstandings), they risk losing everything that matters most to them. This story will tug at your heart.
The fourth story in the set is Jean Oram’s novel, WHISKEY AND GUMDROPS. Mandy has ignored Frankie’s romantic feelings for her for years, keeping him firmly in best-friend-mode. But when her ex gets married, she decides she needs a major life-change, too. So she goes from waitress to restaurant-owner. But she needs help. Lots of it. And he’s just the guy to give it to her. The interplay between the two of them is dynamic, and the antagonists (not villains, but antagonists) are also fun to read. One of them is especially well developed. The setting of the small town of Blueberry Springs is also very well done and is a place you’ll find yourself wanting to visit.
The final story of the set is Lindi Peterson’s novella, UPTOWN HEIRESS. When waiter Justin and heiress Grace vie for the same design job, Grace falls for him and he for her. There are only two problems. One, the obvious, they’re after the same job. And two, she’s lying to him about her identity. Justin has a clear disdain for the upper class. This story surprised me, as I thought it was going to be about a reality dating show. Pleasantly surprised, I might add. I liked these characters, and liked the way the job situation was resolved in the end.
So yes, this set is worth a free download. But it would be worth paying for, too. Every single one of these stories is an enjoyable read—clean romance, logical plotting, compelling characters, varied and enjoyable settings. It’s with no hesitation that I give this set five stars.
4 stars Enjoyed this one a lot. It was hard to read about her relationship with Trent, what a loser. Jack's family was functionally dysfunctional. I didn't love how she found Jack so soon after leaving Trent, she wasn't even divorced yet. But overall I enjoyed it.
One thing bugged me, his shop was constantly busy but never mentioned delivery of goods and stocking the shelves was only mentioned once. I guess stuff magically appeared on it.
Moral Note: Verbal and physical abuse, mild to heavy violence. A cut off swear word.
3 Stars Cute novella, romance, short and sweet.
Moral Note: Nothing major to report
4 Stars Very cute!!! Loved the characters (except that hussy Rachel of course. Liam wasn't my fav either but his heart was in the right place for his friend. I didn't like how the author switched between full names and nicknames. But other than all that really sweet story.
Moral note: Rachel is quite the hussy as mentioned before, sticking her goods in Mitcham's face, and what not.
0 Stars Started reading this and the "b" word appeared in the second chapter along with her unbuttoning her top to get more tips and decided to pass.
4 Stars This one was really cute. I can't believe she would go off on a motorcycle with a complete stranger, but whatever. Both characters were great I thought. And while I was super mad at the end at what happened to her design, and I wanted to have her slash Justin's bike tires it all worked out swell in the end.
Seaside Surprises (a novel) by Stacy Claflin Is a delightful sweet clean romance with Tiffany is running away from an abusive relationship and is running his family business. Each have things they are struggling with as they come together they find they it is easy to help the other.
Love at First Date by Susan Hatler A cute short romance about looking for love in all the wrong places only to find it right in front of you where you least expected. People can be too much alike or think they want something they do not. Sometimes compatibility is over rated we can be too compatible or think we want one thing when in fact it isn’t what we want at all.
Elle felt she needed to find someone compatible she signed up on Detailed Dating site. She did her profile and got her dates. The dates were all wrong she found what she really wanted was what she didn’t want at all. A cute funny read.
Riverbend by Ciara Knight This was a short cute read Mitchum lost his wife and isn’t interested in dating with a young son that is all he really needs. When friends give him a push he gives it a try but there is only one woman he is interested in. He decides he will put his all into winning her for him and his son.
Whiskey and Gumdrops by Jean Oram Mandy and Frankie have been friends for years always being there for the other through good and bad times. Mandy is a girl with many issues, she loves Frankie but is afraid to grab what he wants to share so afraid of losing what they have. Frankie has always pushed her to go for her dreams as well as his love. With her spending so much time trying to stand on her own she pushes him away is about to lose him forever.
Each of these books has wonderful parts that will touch you. Each author gives you a wonderful plot with compelling scenes you will love. They are well written by wonderful authors. They are sweet clean lovely stories which makes this a delightful set. ****************************
This is the first book I have read by the author and was in love with every bit of it. If I had one complaint it would be that it was too short, I wanted MORE!!! LOL Riverbend was sweet and refreshing. My heart really went out to Mitchem and Cynthia they were both pretty much clueless of what the other person felt. Of course Mitchem is still trying to live in the past and is not sure if he's ready to move on but once he realizes things he knows he cant live with out the one that's been standing in front of him this whole time but it just might be too late. Cynthia has been chasing Mitchem for far too long and she cant stand by and wait any longer and is debating whether or not she should just move on. I really loved reading Riverbend and am now excited to read more by Ciara Knight!
Seaside Hunter: I liked the main characters and the overall story. I didn't like that she was technically still married. That made the story a bit uncomfortable for me. Rating: 3 stars Content: clean - a swear word, abuse
Love at First Date: I read this previously. It is a fun, cute, quick read. Rating: 4 stars Content: Clean
Riverbend: I liked this story and the characters in it. It sounded like it belonged to a series. I looked it up, and it does. I look forward to reading other books in this series. Rating: 4 stars Content: clean - a swear word
Whiskey and Gumdrops: I started reading this story, but stopped after encountering more content than I would like.
Uptown Heiress: This was a fun and cute story. I liked the characters. Rating: 3.5 stars Content: Clean
I enjoyed reading these short stories. Reminded me a lot of the Harlequin paperbacks I used to read. Fun to breeze through them without being bogged down with a lot of characters or drama. You knew by the nature of the story the girl was always going to end up with the guy! Nice to read these types of stories as a break from heavy dramas I often read.
Beautiful love stories and all of them are about lives of women who love to be independent and want to make it on their own. Especially loved Susan Hatler's Love at first date, but maybe I'm biased because I always liked her creations.
I really like these boxed sets because it's nice to try new authors. I'm giving this four stars cause I enjoyed all the books except for one. Excited now to read more from the authors I liked!
Looking for a great introduction to some amazing authors and stories that won't leave you bored. This is it! Fun, quick reads for a rainy day or when you need a lift for your spirit!
I spent some very enjoyable hours reading these sweet books. Each and every one was terrific by themselves, but I looked forward to the next ones. Coming to the last one was sad, but I look forward to reading more from those authors.
I have read 4 out of the 5 books so far and have loved all of them.
Seaside Surprises is the first in this series by Stacy Claflin. Tiffany is on the run and Jake is looking for something new. They hit it off and face danger together.
Love at First Date by Susan Hatler. I have read all of the At First Date series. Love, love, love them. Ellen makes a list of "her" perfect guy and sign up for a dating service. Thinking she has found some prospects she overlooks Henry who she meets at dog obedience training. Let's just say sometimes the one is staring us in the face.
Riverbend by Ciara Knight is such a sweet novella about Cynthia, assistant to Professor Mitchem. They have been in love with each other for years but for various reasons have kept this to themselves (while with the exception of their bffs).
Whiskey & Gumdrops by Jean Oram is the first in her Blueberry Springs series. Love this series!!!! Mandy and Frankie have been best friends for years (can a girl & a guy just be friends?). Frankie has been in love with Mandy forever but Mandy was in love with her now married ex. Will Mandy finally "see" Frankie and give him a chance?