I Love You By Brandy Wilson

Title: I Love You

Series: Candy Hearts Romance

Author: Brandy Wilson

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 57

Publisher: Wild Rose Press

SYNOPSIS:  Tate Campbell liked his life.  Running his bar kept him busy and paid his bills, and a relationship with anyone wasn’t on the horizon.  He sure wasn’t expecting a Valentine surprise, especially one who looked like a fallen angel-with a broken-down car.

Dace Robinson’s career as an ER doctor left little time for relationships.  Valentine’s Day was just another day on the calendar, albeit one filled with annoying decorations and sad reminders she had no one special in her life.  Until the night car trouble compelled her to seek help in a biker bar, and the handsome owner claimed Dace as his woman – she had no idea how sweet Valentine’s Day could be.

REVIEW:  I liked the characters. They were both so different it was very interesting how they got together. He was her hero rescuing her with a broken down car. Then he rescued her again from a leader of a biker gang, by claiming her as his in front of the gang.  

Before long sparks started to fly, they both weren’t looking for love but found it. They both were very strong characters by themselves but together they were even better. The hot, sex scenes made it even steamier too.

I highly recommend this book.

SWEETIE PIE BY WILLA BLAIR

Title: Sweetie Pie

Series: Candy Hearts Romance

Author: Willa Blair

Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy/Futuristic Romance

Pages: 73

Publisher: Wild Rose Press

SYNOPSIS:  Makenna Stewart flees Scotland for the Big Island of Hawaii intent on making real a cherished dream-a bakery of her own.  Hard work and long hours leave Makenna craving some fun I her life. Her best customer, Greek-god sexy surfer Tom may be just what she needs, but she suspects there’s more to him than board shorts and a devastating smile.

Retired professional surfer and real-estate multi-millionaire Tom Bensford, is there when she opens every morning, but he’s not craving her Morning Glory muffins. Fascinated by the dark-haired, blue-eyed wahine with the creamy Celtic skin and devastating Scottish accent, he’s never met a woman like her.  Too bad he’s about to destroy her dreams.

To him, it’s just business. To her, it’s the kind of betrayal she fled Scotland to escape.  Can the island magic in Makenna’s heritage save her dream and their romance, or will his secret tear them apart?

REVIEW:  I loved this story. The two characters kept me engaged in the story. I was cheering them on but couldn’t feel a little betrayed by Tom too. He was keeping a big secret and should have confided in Makenna.

Makenna’s has wanted her own bakery and now the man she loves may be selling the property out from under her. She is crushed by this betrayal. Tom hates it but doesn’t know how to solve this problem. He tries to come up with another solution which proves to Makenna how much he cares about her.

I highly recommend this book.

REAL LOVE BY CHARLOTTE COPPER

Title: Real Love

Series: Candy Hearts Romance

Author: Charlotte Copper

Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy/Futuristic Romance

Pages: 52

Publisher: Wild Rose Press

SYNOPSIS:  As a young girl, Monda was placed into the tutelage of Mistress Teevac.  Trained to use her empathic skills and educated in the ways to please a man, Monda is on her way to her new mate and master when her spaceship crashes.  Rescued by a handsome space lieutenant, who literally makes her heart race, Monda’s eyes and heart are opened to new possibilities.

When Lieutenant Patrick Lancaster looks at the exotic Monda, he sees beautiful not alien.  With an instinct to protect her and the desire to have her, he’d be honored to call her his own, but the stars have something else in mind. Or do they?

REVIEW:  I loved this short read of two people falling for each other from different worlds literally. Monda is an empath so she knows that the Lieutenant is having strong feelings for her. But they both are fighting their attraction.  She is promised to another but hopes to be able to stay where she is. 

The paranormal aspect of this story kept me interested in it and hopeful for the two to get their happily ever after.

I recommend this book.

GOT LOVE? BY ANGELA HAYES

Title: Got Love?

Series: Candy Hearts Romance

Author: Angela Hayes

Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy/Futuristic Romance

Pages: 79

Publisher: Wild Rose Press

SYNOPSIS:  With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, gorse fairy, Flora Hawthorne is up to her neck in flowers, chocolate, and all things romance. She has no time for love, until she comes face to face with her own personal Cupid and the sparks fly!

Looking to settle down, Cupid Tharin Terize wants fairy Flora Hawthorne to be his valentine, not just for one night, but for the rest of time.  Now, all he has to do is convince her.

REVIEW:  I loved these characters because they were so different and extraordinary. It was believable that they would have a whole town of these different breeds. Flora and Tharin kept me engaged in the story and I was rooting for them to get their happily ever after even if Flora was a little reluctant.

Valentine’s Day is one of the busiest days for her owning a flower shop but she makes time for romance. Tharin has bought the house Flora has dreamed about owning one day and offers to show her the inside.

You know from the beginning they were meant to be together. As the story unfolds you can’t wait for them to become each other’s Valentine.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story in the paranormal world. It kept me guessing and enhanced the story.

I am giving it 4 Flaming Hearts.

BE MY LOVE BY J.C. MCKENZIE

Title: Be My Love

Series: Candy Hearts Romance

Author: J.C. McKenzie

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 80

Publisher: Wild Rose Press

SYNOPSIS:  Broken-hearted and bitter, Brenna Jones plans to spend Valentine’s weekend at her parent’s cabin, reading romance novels and devouring heart-shaped candy. When her truck hits a snowdrift and plows into a bank-during a storm, no less-her plans take a drastic detour.  Eric Buchanan, the playboy jerk from her past, comes to her aid.  He’s her only option for reaching safety.

Eric can’t wait to escape his parent’s latest attempt to set him up. He’s given up on happiness, knowing he blew his chance at love a decade ago. When his snowmobile ride turns into a harrying escape from a blizzard, he discovers Brenna stranded in the storm.  After he ensures her safety, he plans to explain the misunderstanding that tore them apart. Can a secluded cabin help Eric convince Brenna to be his love?

REVIEW:  This was a really good book. The characters drew me in and the more they interacted the more I liked their dynamic. Their chemistry was evident and it held my attention through the whole story.

I would recommend this book.

ASK ME BY LAURA STRICLAND

Title: Ask Me

Series: A Candy Hearts Romance

Author: Laura Strickland

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 72

Publisher: Wild Rose Press

SYNOPSIS:  Alone on Valentine’s Day, Leo Rankin attends the library’s Blind Date With a Book event hoping for something he can take to bed with him that night, and finds himself competing against Gerri Webb for the last remaining book. Wild child Gerri is not his usual type. Yet he feels an immediate, sizzling attraction and agrees to share the book and its accompanying bag of candy hearts.

The whole idea of a Blind Date with a Book is to go off genre, so Gerri doesn’t mind when their flirty conversation suggests they unwrap each other rather than the mystery book. When a candy heart advises, “Ask Me,” she asks Leo back to her apartment.  She never expects button-down Leo to hit all her buttons, but by the next morning she fears her heart’s in danger. Can one night spent of genre translate to real life?

REVIEW:  This story was a great read. Such a great idea for a blind date, I really could relate with the two characters and how opposites did attract on this blind date. Leo is a history teacher and Gerri is a tattoo artist. Could you get these two any different but they seemed to click together. I really enjoyed this story.

I recommend this story.

DEVILISH DELIGHTS BY LEIGH PAUL

Title: Devilish Delights

Author: Leigh Paul

Genre: Erotic Romance

Pages: 32

Publisher: Wild Rose Press

SYNOPSIS:  Artist-for-hire, Laura Chambers, has been commissioned to create a collection of paintings capturing the essence of the tarot.  She’s nearly finished with each card but has left the scandalous for last – the devil card.  In her search for the perfect muse, Laura hires Todd Drake, a nude model with a sinful body and a naughty gleam in his eyes. Though his panty-melting smile and fiendish essence will ensure her devil will be caught on canvas, he just might driver her to delicious distraction in the process or… capture her heart.

REVIEW:  Laura is an artist who needs to find a muse to complete a painting of the devil or her interpretation of the devil. She hires Todd to do the nude modeling and she can’t concentrate once he disrobes. She decides to take a break and then asks him to come back the next day. She is still struggling with getting the inspiration she needs. Todd gives her that evil, tempting grin and she decides to have some fun if he is willing? She hasn’t been able to work staring at him so she releases some of her sexual tension. Once they have exhausted each other she has a clear picture now of the devil’s painting.  She finishes the painting and gets the complete set of paintings to the buyer.

Todd and Laura wind up together. They are lucky they found each other.

This is a very short story but in the few pages you read you will be drawn in and turned on by it. This is very smoking hot and I couldn’t put it down.

I recommend this short story.

WANTON WORDS BY LAYLA CHASE

Title: Wanton Words

Author: Layla Chase

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 63

Publisher: Wild Rose Press

SYNOPSIS: A corporate retreat provides laid-back Tadeo Xalvador with the opportunity he’s been waiting for—close quarters with co-worker Kit Emelin.  She’s brushed him off in the past, but he’s banking on her brusque manner having less to do with the professional competition between divisions…and everything to do with avoiding the attraction sizzling between them.

Her type A personality drives Kit to view the forest retreat as another place to display her leadership skills. Nowhere in her plans does she allow for a board game of wanton words with the sexy wonder boy of sales.  She clings to her rule against dating a colleague.  But when coyotes drive them into an empty cabin, adrenaline and lust lead to unquenchable passion she can’t deny.

REVIEW: To say Tadeo and Kit have chemistry is an understatement. They can’t be in the same room without having heated stares and both getting turned on by the other. Kit fights it until the board games portion of the retreat starts to find Tadeo is playing scrabble with her and using very descriptive and sexy words that make Kit all hot and bothered.

They wind up in the same cabin on the way back to their own cabins due to wolves. Tadeo is grateful for the wolves appearing to help his seduction along. They steam up the sheets and Kit wonders what tomorrow is going to bring.

Tadeo knows that this is more than a romp in the sack. He decides to convince the stubborn Kit he wants to be with her.

I enjoyed this story. It shows that body movements can mean different things. Kit felt Tadeo was ignoring her and acting like a hot shot salesman, when all along he was trying to hold himself back from attacking her like prey. His restraint was the hardest thing he had to do. He wants Kit and makes it his mission to get her.

RED HOT BY KAYDEN CLAREMONT

Title: Red Hot

Series: A Candy Hearts Romance

Author: Kayden Claremont

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Mature 

Pages: 55

Publisher: Wild Rose Press

SYNOPSIS:  Treena Stanton, artistic coordinator of Sierra’s Cowboy Theme Park, wants to exact revenge on Clayton Wagner.  She had a crush on him in school, but he never acknowledged her existence. Revenge is sweet but not as sweet as the pleasure of his touch.

Strategic accounts manager, Clayton Wagner lost a bet and has to work the next twenty-four hours at this buddy’s theme park. But when his “boss for the day” with mouth-watering curves demands he wear a cowboy costume, all he can think about is finding out what’s under her petticoat.

But when the truth is revealed about their past, will the sparks of passion fizzle or burst in Red Hot Flames?

REVIEW: Short story but packed with humor and sexy scenes. Dress up hasn’t been so much fun for Treena. Now she gets to dress up Clayton Wagner who never acknowledged Treena in high school. She goes into this with revenge in mind. What she finds out that Clay is a good sport and is very interested in her. Also that revenge isn’t that important now that she and Clay have a connection. She can finally let go of the past and look to the future with Clay in it. Clay is charming and very sexy. He turns into a standup cowboy for the show and for Treena.

I recommend it.

SAY YES BY KATIE O'SULLIVAN

Title: Say Yes

Series: A Candy Hearts Romance

Author: Katie O’Sullivan

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 79

Publisher: Wild Rose Press

SYNOPSIS:  Darby Malone has trouble saying no. Hosting a children’s Valentine party at her recently renovated gallery is the last straw, and the last time she intends to say yes to anything.  That is, until she meets Ben, a well-known Cape Cod artist with eyes as deep and blue as the ocean. He stirs feelings in her that have been dormant for too long. Can she afford to say yes to him?

Ben Phillips needs this gallery show.  His life has been empty since his wife died four years ago, his paintings the only things giving him solace. But his style has changed, his art completely different than the breezy shore paintings he staked his reputation on. Can he convince Darby to give him a chance—and to consider him for more than just a place on her gallery walls?  Will she give him a place in her heart as well?

REVIEW:  Darby Malone has moved home from New York to open up an art gallery. She had had it with the big city and the artists she had been involved with. It never turned out good. She had just given in to her sister to have a little girls Valentine party at her gallery and said no more favors as she is cleaning up blue juice off of her gallery floor.

Ben Phillips walks in and watches her clean up the floor. He is an artist that is known in town. He has moved back to his parent’s house. He needs a favor and Darby is hypnotized by his ocean blue eyes. He has been shut off from the world and wants to display his art in her gallery. It signifies the dark times he has had since his wife died. He warns Darby that it isn’t his famous beach scenes. He wants to have the showing on Valentine’s Day.

Through the whole story I could tell Darby really wants to help Ben but is holding herself back. She doesn’t want to make the same mistakes with her heart. She is falling for him and she doesn’t see it. They had a great chemistry and the whole story is about the show. I felt that it wasn’t complete at the end. I think if the gallery show would have taken place that would have made a better ending for me.

They did get together in the end but again I felt their story wasn’t finished.

I recommend this story.

ME + YOU BY BRENDA GAYLE

Title: Me + You

Series: A Candy Hearts Romance

Author: Brenda Gayle

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Later Life

Pages: 86

Publisher:  Wild Rose Press

SYNOPSIS:  Teacher Lori Tait has always wanted a family, but now she’s 40, she’s pretty much decided all the good men are taken.  Instead, she devotes herself to her students, particularly one little girl whose struggle with math seems inconsistent with an otherwise brilliant and artistic mind.

Mark Wilder hadn’t planned to become a father, but when a fling resulted in his daughter, Grace, he whole-heartedly embraced the role. Raised in a family of boys, what does he know about women and girls? Once he learns of Grace’s inability to comprehend basic math, he welcomes the role of tutor as a way to connect with his daughter; the opportunity to spend time with her sexy teacher is an added bonus.

When Lori crack’s the mystery of Grace’s problem, Mark’s world is thrown in to turmoil; he’s the last person who can help his daughter. He pushes everyone away, confirming Lori’s theory about men.  Grace, however, has other plans. Using her new-found understanding of math, she sets out to prove to her father and teacher that, together, they add up to the perfect match.

REVIEW:  I really liked this story. It showed Lori as a great teacher worrying about her students and trying to help them succeed. It also shows two parents, Mark and Jade, who are divorced still get along for their daughter, Grace. Grace still seems to be a happy child and wants her dad to be happy.

Grace is a very smart little girl and she comes up with a plan for the Valentines party at school to get Lori and Mark back together. It works out and as they say they get their HEA.

I recommend this book.

SECRET ADMIRER BY ALLY HAYES

Title: Secret Admirer

Series: A Candy Hearts Romance

Author: Ally Hayes

Genre: Sweet, Clean Contemporary Romance

Pages: 81

Publisher: Wild Rose Press

SYNOPSIS: Andi’s new to town and looking for a fresh start in the dating department.  She’s attracted to the guy she sees each morning, but begins flirting via text with Garrett, a friend of her new co-workers.  Despite many attempts and determination, she misses opportunities to introduce herself to Cute Coffee Shop guy or actually meet Garrett in person. With Valentine’s Day approaching she succumbs to the sugar rush of Candy Hearts when “Secret Admirer” continues to appear in the messages, she takes it as a sign to decide which guy is her real Secret Admirer.  

REVIEW: Andi has taken a different position in her firm to start over. She wants to get away from the area she was in and wants a fresh start. She is befriended by one of her co-workers, Bree right away. It seems she won’t be alone after all. Bree suggests Andi join her and a group of her friends on Friday night and Andi decides to go. She has a lot of fun and is now one of the group. She has met almost everyone but the infamous Garrett. He texts her and is very flirty and Andi wonders if he is just being friendly but learns he is interested in her. They text each other often and she is getting very comfortable with him even though she hasn’t met him yet. She also has the super, hot coffee guy, Connor who she has actually talked to now.  She makes the decision to meet Garrett after many failed attempts to get together with the group but Andi doesn’t want anyone else knowing in the group. Not even Bree.

When Andi finally pulls into the bar she sees Connor sitting at the bar and finds out that Garrett Connor is his name. The cute coffee guy and Garrett are one in the same. She is the lucky one.  

Also there is another story within this one about Bree. Bree wants her boyfriend to ask her to marry him. She is at the breaking point almost and tells Andi she is going to give him an ultimatum. Andi advises Bree against that and tells her to try not and think about it. Bree does that and her man proposes to her finally. She thanked Andi for the advice.

I liked this story. It was fun and even though I knew that Connor and Garrett were one in the same I still enjoyed the story. It pulled me in with Andi’s story about starting over. I am glad she finally got to not only have a life but meet her dream man.

ADORE ME BY DARCY LUNDEEN

Title: Adore Me

Series: A Candy Hearts Romance

Author: Darcy Lundeen

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 90

Publisher: Wild Rose Press

SYNOPSIS:  A hacker is targeting Meredith Crismis’s struggling new dessert company.  But when the tech firm she depends on sends hunky computer expert Vlad Wiznitsky to fix the problem, things begin improving for Meredith, both personally and professionally.

First, her relationship with Vlad heats up to the sizzling point, then Meredith’s given the chance to snag a wealthy customer who could put her company’s bottom line permanently into the black.  It seems like a dream come true, until the persistent hacker turns her “Divine Desserts” website into an X-rated marketplace, the wealthy customer demands a discontinued decorative item or else no sale, and her relationship with Vlad begins to unravel under the pressure of her obsession with professional success.

For a woman who deals with creating intricate wedding cakes and luscious muffins, life has suddenly become the ultimate recipe for disaster.

REVIEW:  This story starts off with a bang. Meredith is just getting her business started and she winds up having her computer hacked so many times that would throw a red flag up to me. But she keeps calling the same tech guy.

When her normal guy is off, the office sends Vlad, hot good looking geek to her rescue. He does more than reset her computer. He gets her to enjoy life with him and Meredith needs that. Soon though her auntie sends a big referral her way and all Meredith sees are the dollar signs.

She is obsessed with finding the discontinued candy hearts the referral’s daughter wants on her wedding cake. Vlad finds himself talking to a wall because Meredith has shut him out completely.

They have a huge argument and “break up.” Not only has she not found any way to get the candy hearts – she doesn’t know where things stand between her and Vlad when a delivery box comes to her house.

Meredith and Vlad are miserable but Vlad continues to snoop around and finds out who the hacker is and who he is working for. He brings the hacker and news to Meredith.

Vlad tells her to open the box and he has given her the best Valentine’s present every. He found the candy hearts for her. What a great ending to the story.

BE MINE BY APRIL HOLLINGWORTH

 Title: Be Mine

Series: A Candy Hearts Romance

Author: April Hollingworth

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 55

Publisher: Wild Rose Press

SYNOPSIS:  Beth has always loved Mark.  He was the boy of her dreams even though she was nothing more than his little sister’s best friend.  Now he’s back from the military and looking at her differently. Though that could be the plate of lasagna she dropped in his lap.

A series of mishaps gives Mark opportunity to spend time with her. He is sure that he is the man for her but experience has taught Beth not all men can be trusted. Can he convince her that he wants her to be his for Valentine’s Day and ever after?

REVIEW:  Great story from beginning to end. Beth and Mark both had such great chemistry. Even though Beth was protecting her heart Mark was able to break through the barrier and prove he wanted her for always not just one day.

I recommend this story.

FORGET ME NOT BY MAUREEN L. BONATCH

 Title: Forget Me Not

Series: A Candy Hearts Romance

Author: Maureen L. Bonatch

Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy/ Futuristic Romance

Pages: 79

Publisher: Wild Rose Press

SYNOPSIS:  The car accident totaled Sabrina Post’s convertible and reinvented her memories. She can’t recall dumping Cole Dawson ten years ago.  What her new clairvoyant visions tell Sabrina is he’s her husband.

Any practical girl would question her sanity.  But if Sabrina wants to make this imaginary future a reality, she’ll have to regain Cole’s trust and eliminate her rival, the coffee shop waitress who’s pegged Cole as husband #4.

To prove she’s foreseen their destiny, Sabrina stirs Cole’s interest by revealing specifics about him she couldn’t have otherwise known.  Unfortunately, the one detail he vividly remembers is the pain when she left him and their “rinky-dink” town in her rearview mirror.

If Cole can’t believe she’s a changed woman, can Sabrina accept the only second chance she has a love exists in her memories?

REVIEW: Sabrina returns home to find that she can’t remember much about the past but she keeps imagining her husband and when she finds out he is her ex-boyfriend, Cole that she dumped for the big city what is she to do? She tries to win him back and he doesn’t want to let himself get his hopes up. He is afraid his heart can’t take it again.

When Sabrina surprises him and buys a coffee shop in town to prove she isn’t going anywhere. The heat they once had ignites even more than before.  Cole hasn’t gotten over her and she knows she will always love him.

I like this story. Sabrina tried to go her own way and to let Cole go his by joining the army. She knew their relationship wasn’t going to work long distance. She wasn’t as happy as she thought she would be and missed her family and her “rinky-dink” town. Cole did follow his heart and gave Sabrina a second chance. She had proven to him she had changed for the better.

I recommend this story.

CHILL OUT BY JANA RICHARDS

Title: Chill Out

Series: A Candy Hearts Romance

Author: Jana Richards

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 76

Publisher: Wild Rose Press

  

SYNOPSIS:  Renata Cabral needs to hide for the weekend. Her cousin’s Valentine’s Day wedding means she’ll face embarrassing questions from her large, extended family.  Questions like “Why aren’t you married yet?” Since the breakup of her last relationship, she’s not ready to answer that question. She invents a work-related excuse and escapes to a friend’s lakeside cottage.

Noah Brownlee has been hiding for two years. But now he’s ready to come home and mend his broken relationship with his brother.  When a friend offers the use of his lakeside cottage, Noah arrives in the middle of a blizzard with his English Mastiff, only to find the place is already occupied.  With her big brown eyes and quirky sense of humor, Renata stirs feelings he thought dead.

As the blizzard rages, the candy hearts predict love. Can Valentine’s Day work its magic between them?

REVIEW:  Chill out is a great title for this story. When you put a man and a woman hiding out together, and you add in a huge dog, Spike who seems to be fond of Renata, things get very interesting. Even though they have different reasons for hiding out they decide they might as well enjoy themselves. She hadn’t planned on being snowed in. Noah is sending all kinds of signals and Renata thinks he isn’t interested in her. Little does she know he is fighting himself not to make a move on her?  

When Noah finally gets the nerve up to call his brother, Renata is there to support him. She is a caring person and he wants to know more about her. His brother doesn’t answer but does call back. He agrees to meet Noah and once the snow is cleared away Renata and Noah go their separate ways.

Noah will need to decide to go after Renata if he wants her in his life.  Renata wants Noah too but is afraid of rejection.

I really liked this story. I highly recommend it.