Robyn Reviews: FOUR CHAMBERS (Power of the Matchmaker) by Julie Wright

Book: The Four Chambers (Power of the Matchmaker)

Author: Julie Wright

From Amazon: Every time Andra Stone crosses paths with Everett Covington, trouble follows. First she loses her scholarship, then she loses the apartment she’d wanted more than anything. But tragedy hits hardest when she loses her grandmother—the best friend Andra has ever known. She determines that Everett is a talisman of ill fortune. When Everett comes to work in her hospital and is applying for the same position she’d been working toward since residency, Andra believes him to be her personal poltergeist.

The human heart has four chambers—four chances to get it right. Andra has only one chance left.

Audience: Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length: 219

Rating: 4

Review

This was a good book. I enjoyed reading it and following Andra and Everett and their efforts to get together. Everett has always been in love with Andra, but I felt like he sometimes didn’t try very hard with her, but then again, Andra wasn’t very helpful either. I sometimes felt like they weren’t very much I love with each other. I think Pearl got really frustrated with them, sometimes. Which actually makes them pretty real characters. I sometime felt very much like wringing Andra’s neck. :)

I really liked that they were friends first and had each other’s best interests at heart. Even when they thought they weren’t going to be together. I really like how each author in this series portrays Pearl in a different light. She has so many different ways of matchmaking! You will really enjoy reading this book. It is clean and sweet. The characters have to overcome many obstacles in order to be together. Read it, you won’t be sorry.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Content:

Sex - 1 – Some kissing

Violence - 0

Language - 0

Overall Content Rating - PG (Adult Themes)

Robyn Reviews: LOVE IS COME (Power of the Matchmaker) by Heather B. Moore

Title: Love is Come (Power of the Matchmaker)

Author: Heather B. Moore

From Amazon: 

From the Power of the Matchmaker series: LOVE IS COME

Nelle Thompson lives a life of privilege during the turn of the century New York City. When her parents are killed in a terrible accident, she’s forced to live with her aunt’s family in a small town in Connecticut, and treated as a poor relation with no financial independence. Broken hearted and riddled with insomnia, Nelle’s health begins a downward spiral. When a locked part of her heart blossoms around her cousin’s fiancé Mathew Janson, Nelle doesn’t know if she can endure one more heartbreak. Miss Pearl, owner of the local apothecary shop, becomes a mother figure to Nelle, but a fateful summer day has Nelle questioning everything she's ever believed and wondering if she’ll ever love again.

Audience: Adult (Clean)

Genre: Historical Romance

Length: 264 pages

Rating: 5

Review:  The Power of the Matchmaker series is lovely and fun. This book, Love is Come by Heather B Moore, live up to any expectations by this wonderful author! Historical Romance is one of my favorite genres. And Heather Moore is one of my favorite authors.

Nellie is a spoiled, yet sweet young girl. She is out to find her true love and thinks she has, when she is let down horribly by someone who is just after some kisses. When her parents are killed in an accident, she is sent off to live with her Aunt to await her inheritance. There she is treated as a maid and forced to fend for herself as much as possible. When she meets Pearl, she is shown how she can grasp her own happiness and Pearl teaches her how to see the good in others, despite their obvious differences and less than desirable qualities. Her relationship to Matthew, her cousin’s soon-to-be fiancé, is sweet and frustrating because it seems that both want to be together, but the cousin always stands in the way. I love the way Matthew treats her with respect and concern even when others think she is really crazy. I love Pearl. She tries so hard to push these two together, but they are determined to do the ‘right thing’ and stay away from each other. Through out it all, Nelle learns to love others and overcome the harshness with which she is treated and see the good in her Aunt and cousin. She is able to see beyond the surface. Matthew is an honorable, and lovable hero. He loves with all his heart.

If you are looking for good, clean romance with a little sass, you will love this book. There is sweet kissing and swoon worthy scenes that won’t embarrass you if your kids pick up this book :) I love that.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Content:

Sex - 1—some kissing

Violence - 0

Language - 0

Overall Content Rating -  PG (written for adult, has adult situation, but no sex or violence)

Robyn Reviews: SPRING IN HYDE PARK

Title: Spring in Hyde Park (Timeless Regency Collection, Book 3)                            

Author: Jennifer Moore, G. G. Vandagriff, Nichole Van

Book Description

From the publisher of the #1 Amazon bestselling A Timeless Romance Anthology series in Clean Romance. 

Join three bestselling Regency Romance authors, Jennifer Moore, G.G. Vandagriff, and Nichole Van, for three new novellas in SPRING IN HYDE PARK:

A HAPPY ACCIDENT by Jennifer Moore. Jonathan Burles father has just died, making him the new Marquess of Spencer and the most sought after bachelor in London. An unfortunate accident leads to a forced marriage to Maryann Croft, a young woman who possesses no title, and an unexpected secret. With the unstable beginning to their marriage, finding love together seems impossible.

THE DISDAINFUL DUKE by G. G. Vandagriff. Lady Saphronia Huffington has always thought of herself as plain next to the beauty of her sister, Lady Lavinia. So when her sister becomes engaged to Lord Gilbert Caldwell and Saphronia is paired for wedding events with his brother, the granite-faced Duke of Mayfield, who is known to prefer beauties, she sharpens her wit. Thus begins a lengthy sparring contest during which the Duke realizes Saphronia is anything but plain.

AN INVISIBLE HEIRESS by Nichole Van. Miss Belle Heartstone has everything money can buy—houses, servants, carriages, clothing, jewels. A husband, however, is proving much harder to, ehr . . . purchase. Colin Radcliffe, the newly minted Marquess of Blake, is in desperate need of funds—preferably of the wife-free variety. When circumstances draw the two together, Blake might be the only man able to see beyond the Belle’s outer façade, and fall in love with the woman inside.

Audience: Adult (Clean)

Genre: Regency Romance, Novellas, Anthologies

Length of Book: 261 pgs

Rating: 5

Review:

Let me just start out with “Awesome. Great. Just what I expected!” I am not disappointed in this collection. Regency is my favorite genre and these ladies are definitely on their game when it comes to writing regency romance. Jennifer Moore never disappoints, G.G. Vandagriff is on her game as usual and Nichole Van is an author I haven’t read yet and this novella was a great introduction for me. 

“A Happy Accident” by Jennifer Moore is a sweet story about misunderstandings. There is plenty of angst and fun, romantic moments. A forced marriage because of greed by a father results in a fun romance. There is also some thoughtful discourse on mental illness and the stigma of it during the regency period. I wish this could have been a full length novel so we could have delved deeper into some of the side stories. I really hope that Archie and Jane have a story and we get to read it. Maryann is a sweet girl who has everyone at her fingertips, but she has her secrets and Jonathon can't decide who she really is. It is a great story that gets you thinking and is really nice read for anyone!

“The Disdainful Duke” by G. G. Vandagriff is another great story about a girl who thinks she is plain, especially when compared to her younger sister. The Duke really just thinks she is a spinster and firmly on the shelf until she intrigues him because she gives him the brush off and speaks her mind to him. She lets him know what she thinks of him. She has surprises in store for him. The Duke never thinks to marry, but when he meets Saphronia, his heart makes a change. I really loved the way they interacted and overcame their differences. There were obviously misunderstandings and some sweet romantic moments. Very good reading for a nice or rainy spring evening!

“An Invisible Heiress” by Nichole Van is a delightful surprise. I was a little hesitant in the beginning but I was quickly drawn into the story. I loved how the Marquess couldn’t remember meeting Belle. I loved how he told her she was worth more than her money and she deserved love, then promptly ‘forgot’ about her. Belle’s deception was fun and real. I enjoyed how they came together and forgave each other for their supposed lies. I really liked how Colin fell in love with her before ‘remembering’ who she was. He then had to reconcile himself with her ‘deception’. I enjoyed this story a lot and look forward to reading more from Nichole Van.

Content

Sex - 0

Violence - 0

Language -  0

Overall Content Rating - PG Adult themes

Source: Review copy

Robyn Reviews: DEFIANCE by G.G. Vandergriff

From Amazon: Hitler’s armies overrun France, Rudolf von Schoenenburg, a young Austrian baron, is living in exile in England. Though his true love, Hannah, is engaged to another man, Rudi and Hannah risk their lives together to help rescue thousands of British Troops from Dunkirk. Their powerful love story develops against the backdrop of the Battle of Britain and an old world being blown to pieces.

Rudi’s family and friends suffer under the nightly barrage of bombs and rockets of the London Blitz while he pilots a British fighter plane in what looks like an impossible defense of the small island. Each night is a desperate fight for survival, each dawn a miracle.

While Hannah spends her days and nights helping to provide early warning of German air attacks, she realizes that every hour of every day is precious. Each moment carries the threat of sudden death. As the world around her changes, should Hannah allow her passion for Rudi to overcome promises she made to her dying father in what seems like another lifetime?

Audience: Adult (Clean)

Genre: Historical Romance

Length: 272 pages

Rating: 4

Review:

This is a great story about Rudi, an Austrian baron, and Hannah, a Jewish girl. They love each other, but Hannah has promised her father that she will marry a Jewish man, Samuel. She convinces herself that she loves Samuel and will marry him to please her father. I like the growth Hannah experiences as she lives through war torn England and starts to make her own decisions regarding what she believes and what she thinks about the war. Hannah is very brave and sets out to prove herself a loyal Briton and helps defend her country and also helps save many others through her efforts. I felt the turmoil that was surrounding Rudi’s family and Hannah. It’s kind of hard remembering that these were very real events that were described. I had a little bit of a hard time believing some of the things that Hannah participated in, but since I’m not an expert on history at that time, I’ll give the author the benefit of the doubt. Hannah turns out to be a very brave girl and make some hard decisions. Rudi is a very likable hero. He is brave and patient. I liked him because he had what I would call true love for Hannah and wanted what was best for her, but still held out hope for a happy ending. I liked Rudi’s family, too. They were brave and fun people. The historical events described in this book had great detail and I felt like I was part of the war. Sometimes, I was on the edge of my seat and couldn’t wait to turn the page. I thought the actions of those involved in the war and the British people were very realistic and true to life. You should read this book, it is a  fun, educational, enjoyable and clean romance full of true love.

Content:

Sex - 0

Violence - 1 (war violence)

Language - 0

Overall Content Rating - PG

Source: Review Copy

Robyn Reviews: MARRYING CHRISTOPHER by Michelle Paige Holmes

From Amazon: Having seen both his sisters Grace and Helen happily married, Christopher Thatcher is free to pursue his dream of life in America. With adventure in his heart and mind, he boards one of the first steamships set to cross the Atlantic in the record breaking time of only twenty-five days. Within the first two of those, his resolve—to avoid women and the complications they often bring to a man’s life—falters when he meets Marsali Abbott, a young woman with a past even more troubling than his own. Whether from years of habit protecting his sisters, or simply because he feels drawn to Marsali, Christopher chooses to help her and becomes her friend. As the truth about what awaits Marsali in America becomes evident, he is faced with a more difficult choice, one that will impact their lives far beyond four weeks together at sea.


Audience: Adult (Clean)

Genre: Historical Romance

Length: 347

Rating: 5

Review:

Welcome back to the Thatcher Family! This is the story for Christopher, and it's just as fun as the first two books.  I enjoyed getting to know Christopher as much as reading about Helen and Grace. This story tells of Christopher’s adventures aboard ship and his struggle to be true to himself. He plans to get settled before falling in love, but, as is true for all, love comes when you are least expecting it. Marsali grew and became a true woman. She was a very likable and fun heroine. She grew and developed into a great heroine.  Watching these two fall in love was lots of fun. They had adventures and the usual misunderstandings.  Their determination to do the right thing was nice and fun even though what they thought was the right thing wasn’t always what I wanted to happen. This author is very good at drawing you in and keeping you interested. This is a very fun book to read with lots of good lessons to learn. Great, clean romance!

Content               

Sex - 0

Violence - 0

Language - 0

Overall Content Rating - PG (romance meant for adults)

Source: Review copy