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)

Review: MAGIC BITTER, MAGIC SWEET by Charlie N. Holmberg

Audience: Adult (Clean)
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 306 pgs

Rating: 5!

Audience: Adult (Clean) Genre: Fantasy Length: 306 pgs Rating: 5! I'm just a big fat Charlie Holmberg fan. I remember the first thing I read of hers, THE PAPER MAGICIAN of course. I'd planned on reat IMMEDIATELY and loved it with all my heart. 

MBMS is just...awesome. I loved the gentle fantasy to it, the heartbreak, and the lessons learned, the sweetness, the bitterness (ha!) the love, the sighs. Just great. And I won't tell you about the part I MOST MOST connected with, because that would be spoilery and I'm not mean like that. 

Content:
Language - 0
Sex - 1 (Mentions of character's {committed} relationship activities ;) )
Violence - 2 (Non-graphic discussions of slave violence, an attack on a village.)
Overall Rating - PG-13

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

Review: RESIST by Ilima Todd

Title: Resist
Author: Ilima Todd

Genre: YA Dystopian
Audience: young adult
Length: 256 pgs
Release: July 5, 2016

Rating: 5
From Amazon: Having been rescued, Remade, and returned to Freedom, Theron must now face a life without Nine. Though he's chosen to be a healer, he uses all the vices Freedom affords to try and dull the pain of losing Nine. But he can't find the peace he so desperately needs. Until he meets Catcher, a man who shows him the dark truths behind Freedom's Batcher program. From him, Theron learns what it means to be a leader and a father. When he falls in love with a captured rebel named Pua, Theron must choose: Freedom and its easy pleasures, or a life that is truly free but full of hardships and decisions.

Review:

What a book! I thoroughly enjoyed RESIST. I previously devoured the first in the series, REMAKE, loving the intriguing take on a society fighting against families and the rebels determined to take the right to families back. RESIST is just pretty much brilliant. I was struck by how the plot and narrative was used to describe families, children, conceiving--just...brilliant. Not sure how else to say it. I loved the way Ms. Todd used her words, so beautiful, touching, and moving. I loved Theron. He was so real, so strong, just great. I cannot WAIT to see how this series ends up.

And the #MarchCoverMadness winner is...

How insanely mean of me to make you all--especially Charlie and Sarah--wait for this news! I'll admit, Monday mornings are always a bit crazy for me. It seems like I'm playing catch-up with cleaning and all sorts of stuff and don't end up on my computer until the afternoon. AND since I'm two hours behind everyone, I'm sure the morning has been agonizing as you wait. ;) (Needless to say, my kitchen is clean and I've exercised, so I feel accomplished...)

Fine. FINE. I'll tell you the winner.

...


...


...


...


The #MarchCoverMadness Champion is . . .


THE SHERIFFS OF SAVAGE WELLS!

Slowly but surely, this cover has weathered every matchup and come out on top! Congratulations Sarah! You have bragging rights for the best cover in the competition!

(I also hear that she might be giving away an early copy, so go look her up!!)

Of course that's not all! We have a $15 Amazon Gift Certificate to give away! {Maybe you'll want to pick up the Kindle version of DOUBLE PLAY with that...just saying'} -- Alternately, the winner has the option of a signed copy of DOUBLE PLAY mailed to them. :)

And that winner is . . .

...

....

...

...

Cindi Hasen Brazelton!

(You'll be emails. :) )

THANK YOU SO MUCH!! To all the authors who kindly participated and all of you who kept coming back to vote and check out our books. It's been such a fun month! This will definitely be something we do next year! :)

#MarchCoverMadness CHAMPIONSHIP!

This is IT folk. The final round. The one that determines the cover to beat all covers.

I'm opening it a few days early to allow the players approbate time for smack talk and vote gathering/bribing before the votes close on Saturday at midnight, MDT!


The March Cover Madness Championship

In this corner we have

El Mago de Papel by Charlie N. Holmberg

And in this corner we have

The Sheriffs of Savage Wells by Sarah M. Eden

*Final Countdown plays in the background* *crowd roars*

Let's do this! Vote! (and remember to scroll on down, share the contest, and enter to win!)






Now scroll down and enter to win! And tell all your friends!

Voting closes at midnight on Saturday, MDT.



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