Book Review – Dear Stranger

A beautiful love letter to the most troublesome of holidays…

Soft-hearted Reese Ahearn is single for Valentine’s Day. Again. But that’s not going to stop her from spreading the holiday’s sentiment on the streets of Melbourne with short, sweet, anonymous love letters, left for strangers to find.

The last thing she expects, however, is a reply…

Y’all, Dear Stranger has to be one of the sweetest little stories I’ve read in ages.  It’s not very long, Amazon has it listed at 27 pages, and the perfect lunchtime read.  It’s supposed to be a Valentine’s Day read but I think now is the perfect time – the sun is shining and happiness should abound – plus you can pick it up at Amazon for only 99 cents.

Reese is kind and caring, cheerful and fun.  She goes out of her way to brighten people’s day by leaving little notes for strangers to find.  I would never have thought of it, but it is so sweet and when she explains it makes so much sense.  Alone on Valentine’s Day she goes about leaving her notes, feeling sad about how alone she herself is, hoping to make someone else happy.

Ian sees Reese in a coffee shop and, when she leaves it on her table, is the recipient of one of her anonymous notes.  Having been attracted to her immediately, those feelings deepen once he reads her letter.  Intrigued, he spends the day trying to find a way to give back to the stranger a letter of her own and hopefully get to know her better.

I usually complain about novellas, especially ones this short, because I always feel like I’m cheated.  And even though we don’t get the “and then…” of their story, I actually think that the ending was absolutely perfect.  This is the story about two people who are alone and looking for someone else.  It’s about their feelings and motivations.  And it’s about what happens when fate delivers them into each other’s path.  I don’t need to know what happens next because I know it is going to be wonderful.  I finished Dear Stranger with a smile on my face and one in my heart, which makes it the perfect romance in my mind.

Book Review – Her Royal Protector

Now I’ve got a review of Alexandra Sellers’s newest, Her Royal Protector.  It’s sexy and fun, especially if you like Middle Eastern heroes.

*****

Her Royal Protector

by Alexandra Sellers

Aly Percy is her family’s ugly duckling, and she’s never been allowed to forget it. So she knows better than to imagine that Cup Companion Arif al Najimi’s blue gaze holds anything but contempt for her as a woman, or ever will. But if he’s offering to show her just how wild one night with him can be, wouldn’t she be a fool to turn down his charity? She may never get another offer like this one.

Arif al Najimi isn’t sure why he’s dreaming about the little scientist who’s so determined to take crazy risks for the sake of her research into the endangered turtles of his country. But as luck would have it, he’s going to get the chance to do a little research of his own…into the question of why Aly believes her own negative publicity about how desirable she is—and how hard it will be to convince her of the truth.

Buy Links:  Amazon   Barnes and Noble   Kobo

Indulgence’s Links:  Facebook  Twitter: @IndulgenceBooks  Steals and Deals

*****

Review:

Based on her book list on Amazon, it looks like Sellers books are full of Sheikh-y goodness and Her Royal Protector is no different.  It’s a little about two people fighting their feelings and a bit about Aly’s self-esteem issues and a decent amount of intrigue over who might be harming the turtles.  It’s a pretty quick read and I really liked Aly and Arif together.  Both have their hang-ups and I liked the way that Sellers brings it all together in the end.

This is the beginning of a series but Her Royal Protector is a complete story and there isn’t really a lot of indication about what we could see next.  Which is nice because you don’t feel like any of it leaves you hanging.  But we’re given a look into an intriguing and different world, a paradise that makes me want to find my own little piece.

Middle Eastern heroes are definitely a different breed (so you have to be in that kind of mind frame) and Arif is a wonderful example, with a little modern twist.  Readers who enjoy a good sheikh/sultan story, will like him and look forward to a HEA for him and Aly.

*****

Author Info:

Canadian born, Alexandra Sellers was raised in Toronto and on the prairies. She studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London (UK) and acted on stage for several years before her first novel was published by Dell and Robert Hale in 1980. Since then she has written over 40 books. The author of the popular Sons of the Desert series, she is the recipient of the Romantic Times’ Career Achievement Award for Series (2009) and Series Romantic Fantasy (2000). She divides her time between London, Crete and Vancouver.

http://www.alexandrasellers.com

http://facebook.com/AlexandraSellersAuthor

www.twitter.com/AlexndraSellers

www.pinterest.com/alexndrasellers

*****

Giveaway:

$25 Bath and Body Works GC

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1cb554360/

*****

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Book Review - Before We Kiss

The newest Fool's Gold book by Susan Mallery came out this week and I'm super excited to have the review!

*****

Former pro-football kicker Sam Ridge has notoriously bad luck with women—from cheaters to fame chasers. Still, the gorgeous brunette at the bar in Fool's Gold looks harmless—until she takes him home and he discovers a room devoted to securing a man, for life.

Dellina Hopkins never guessed that storing gowns from a friend's bridal boutique would chase away her first and only fling. After her parents died, she skipped her "wild youth" to raise her sisters. She doesn't want forever from Sam, but one night—all night—would've been nice.

His clean getaway gets messy when his firm hires Dellina to plan an event. As long hours lead to late nights, the two succumb to temptation again. Has Sam's luck finally changed? Or this time, will Dellina be the one to run?

Is anyone going to be surprised when I say that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Susan Mallery?  I didn’t think so.  Once again, she brings her readers a touching, sweet, romantic, funny, endearing and beautiful love story.  We got a little peek at the two in When We Me, but now we get the rest of their story.

With Sam’s history, it is no wonder that he’s running scared from any kind of commitment.  His marriage ended horribly and he’s not had much better luck with women since.  But he’s got a big heart, he’s just afraid to give it away.

As if his relationship woes aren’t enough, Sam’s family is one of the funniest things ever … even for Fool’s Gold, where quirky is a way of life.  I don’t know how he survived his childhood without being a total basket case, because his parents are an absolutely hoot and one of the best things in the story.  Somehow managed to grow into a well-adjusted, caring man.

Dellina is giving and sweet and sassy.  Fool's Gold is her home and she epitomizes everything that makes the little town so great.  She'll be wonderful for Sam if he'll just let her in.

As always, we’re given updates on previous couples and some hints at future stories.  (I have to say that I’m dying to get to the bottom of what Kenny is hiding.)  It’s one of my favorite parts of the Fool’s Gold stories but it is also one of the most frustrating … because I end up impatient for what comes next.

Full of laugh out loud moments and some steamy interactions between Sam and Dellina, Before We Kiss has Mallery’s unique blend of heart and humor.  The dialogue is snappy, the characters are engaging, and the story is complex.  I loved Sam from the moment he first showed up and I was so happy to see him find his match.