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Romance

Romance

Balancing Act by Emily March
Lake in the Clouds series #2. Contemporary chick lit, romance. Family oriented. Can be read as a stand-alone. Best read in order since this book continues the timeline after the first.
Multiple POV Genevieve, Noah and Willow, all 3rd person. A wedding in the early part of this book is the couple from the first book.
Genevieve Prentice is settled in Lake in the Clouds, Colorado forging new relationships with her adult children. Willow Eldridge has moved to Lake in the Clouds to rebuild a relationship with her mother. Her focus is also on her troubled young son who has some emotional trauma to work through. Drew befriends a quiet, reclusive man that builds doll house models for training fire fighters. Noah has his own demons and PTSD to deal with, but puppies and a talkative young boy helps to ease his heart just a bit.

Genevieve is struggling to keep something of her own. Not her kids or sister.
Willow is rebuilding her life now in Lake in the Clouds but there is pressure to move back to TN from her in laws. There are more complications that her late husband has left behind.
Noah feels guilty that he survived the fire when his brother did not.
Healing. Living. Connections and family. Healing hearts. Life and complications thrown in. Survive. Adjust and conquer. And love.

Lots going on here. It comes down to family and love. Relationships. Healing.
It feels epic. I know these people. It’s heartwarming and deep. And I hope to revisit Lake in the Clouds again soon.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy to keep.

Terrific story about family, finding yourself, and overcoming tragedy. This is the second book in the series. I haven't read the first one, but enough backstory was explained to keep me from feeling lost. There are three main characters: Genevieve Prentice, her daughter Willow Eldridge, and their neighbor, Noah Tannehill. Genevieve and her sister, Helen, own a lodge in Lake in the Clouds, Colorado. Willow, widowed two years earlier, moves there with her two children, looking for a fresh start and to reconnect with her mother. She meets the reclusive Noah, a firefighter recovering from injuries received during a tragic incident.

Genevieve has enjoyed her new life in Colorado. After many years as a mom, she has enjoyed traveling, exploring nature, and getting involved in her new community. With her latest project ending and facing a milestone birthday, she feels a bit lost about where her life is heading. When Willow moves to town, Genevieve suddenly finds herself slipping back into family mode, being a mom and Nana on call. She feels she is losing all her progress after her move. I could feel her frustration and fear as she wondered about her future. She received helpful advice from two men, and I enjoyed watching her take that advice. I liked seeing her reconnect with Willow, though there were a few bumps in their road along the way. Her support of Willow is crucial during an unexpected crisis. Her last scene in the book is hilarious and satisfying.

Willow left Nashville hoping to make a better life for her children and reconnect with her mother. During Willow's marriage, they became estranged, and she feels it was mostly her fault. She's ready to come clean about her marriage, her husband, and their life, but talking about it is more challenging than she expects. In the meantime, she steps in as the planner for her brother's upcoming wedding and discovers a possible career path. She also has eight-year-old Drew and four-year-old Emma to take care of. Drew is a pistol with some issues stemming from his father's death, and he keeps Willow on her toes. Drew brings Willow together with Noah in a scene that could have been any parent's nightmare but was the start of a meaningful friendship. I liked seeing the changes and healing that Willow experienced during the book.

Noah moved into his grandfather's house in Lake in the Clouds after experiencing a tragic fire call that left him badly injured. He spends most of his time in his workshop, avoiding people whenever possible. Thanks to Drew, Noah, and Willow are frequently thrown together and soon form a friendship. Noah is surprised to find himself emerging from his shell. I ached for Noah and the trauma he suffered and rooted for him to overcome the demons that haunted him.

I enjoyed watching the relationship between Noah and Willow develop. It started rocky, thanks to Drew's antics, but they soon discovered that their traumatic pasts made it easier to relate to each other. The more time they spent together, the closer they grew, and the more they could share the details of their pasts. I liked how they were able to help each other look at events from a different perspective, enabling them to heal and move forward. There are also some beautiful scenes involving them and the children and the effect on their developing relationship. They each experience an unexpected curveball that must be dealt with before they can look to a future together, but they make it happen with love and support from each other and their friends and families.

Secondary characters such as Gabe Throckmorton and Genevieve's sister Helen add extra interest to the book. I liked Gabe, who is still grieving the loss of his wife but has a growing and changing friendship with Genevieve. I look forward to later books and seeing if that relationship progresses. I loved Helen. She is fun-loving and outspoken, and she loves her family. She and Genevieve have had a great time together over the past two years, and she is understandably hurt when Genevieve appears to no longer have time for her. They must deal with a few growing pains, but in the end, their relationship is stronger than ever. I laughed out loud at Helen's method of getting stop signs for the town.

#netgalley

Delightful! I often find novellas and short stories too short and with abrupt endings. This was a fun and complete story. Well narrated. I look forward to more by Emily March.

FROM GOODREADS: It’s peak tourist season in Eternity Springs, and Dana Delaney has her hands full running her ice cream parlor, Scoops. The last thing she needs is for her star employee to fall sick, but she’s in luck when a newcomer to town offers to fill in…and the fact that he’s sinfully handsome with a sexy Scottish accent is an added treat.

A-list sports agent Cal Buchanan is visiting Eternity Springs to scout marriage proposal locations for a client, not get distracted by the beautiful owner of the local ice cream parlor. But when she’s short staffed, he can’t resist the opportunity to dip in and help. If he plays it right, she might even return the favor and give him a tour of the town’s most romantic destinations. Will their attraction lead to a romance more decadent than Scoops’ Double Chocolate Toffee Crunch—or will it melt away by summer’s end?

Mistletoe Mine by Emily March is a 2023 publication. (Originally published in 2011)

I missed this one when it was originally published in 2011. It’s been repackaged, if you will, with a new cover and an updated excerpt at the end of the story. But, regardless, it’s a new story for me, and I’m glad I was made aware of it.

It’s been a long time since I landed my feet in Eternity Springs, and it was nice to revisit that world for a short time. This story is, as are most holiday themed novellas, short and sweet. There is depth to the story as well as some Christmas scenery to capture the romance of the season as well as the magic.

Overall, a quick, enjoyable story everyone can enjoy- at any time of the year!

3 stars

Eternity Springs is a little slice of heaven in Colorado and the way author Emily March describes it, it is so comfortable, so homey, so familiar you could swear you have actually been there, that this is a real place, these are real people and this story is a Christmas newsletter or something. Aaaah, it’s wonderful. Just a chapter or so into the audiobook I was listening to and I was right back there again, at Angel’s Rest, with magical Celeste Blessing and all the other familiar faces.

Molly Stapleton is going to be marrying her college sweetheart soon. They are a perfect couple and she knows they will be very happy. There is one thing, though, that has put a tight band of sadness around her heart: her parents separated after a family tragedy a few years ago and it doesn’t look like anything will bring them back together. Pride, misunderstandings, accusations. Molly’s mother Emma is a concert pianist and has been on non-stop tour. Her father Jared just stays at their ranch and broods. In some part of her brain Molly probably knows that sometimes things just happen, people split up, people don’t get back together; she knows she is an adult about to be married herself and should just accept it. But emotionally she is a 10-year-old where they is concerned. She wants her family back again.

Can the magic of Eternity Springs bring Emma and Jared back together? They both love Molly dearly and are excited about her marriage and neither would behave in a way to spoil Molly’s special day. But can they let their barriers down enough to let go of the past, to see things as they might be in the future? A sweet, romantic story infused with emotion and humor and a large helping of favorite people we’ve come to know and love.

Thanks to the author for giving me an audiobook copy of Mistletoe Mine. The narration and pacing were perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it and the entire series without hesitation. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

The Getaway by Emily March is a 2022 Forever publication.

A great start to a new series!

This is March’s first foray into pure ‘women’s fiction’ and of course, she aced it. I have always thought her books could lean that way, though they’d more often be categorized as contemporary romance- but this one has a very nice balance of mature characters and younger couples. Genevieve is quite recognizable as a woman who devoted her life to raising her children, only to find that as adults they are all embroiled in their own personal dramas now, and have for all intents and purposes, shut her out.

So, it’s time to shake some things up! When Genevieve makes the stunning announcement that she’s starting a new life, her children are floored- but she also issues a unique challenge for her son, Jake- which sends him on his own soul-searching mission…

I loved Genevieve and her sister, Helen, and could really relate to the conversations they had and agreed with a lot their musings. I enjoyed Jake and Tess’s journey- as individuals and as a couple. The family drama is absorbing, and the scenery and location seems so cathartic- and is the perfect place for this new series to develop.

Overall, the series set-up was exceptional- I’m looking forward to more "Prentice family" drama and adventure!

4+ stars½

What a nice soothing Christmas tale of faith, hope and love. the oldest of the clan gets sick and everybody loses faith he will not come out of it, nor do they really want to celelbrate Christmas, a miracle happens to bring them all together this opens up the series for me to start reading it. I'm very happy with the family relationship.

The Getaway by Emily March
Lake in the Clouds series #1. Women’s fiction. Contemporary with family, siblings and a touch of romance. Minor spinoff of the Eternity Springs series. This book can be read without knowing or reading the prior series.
Genevieve dedicated herself to raising her family without working outside. She values family above all else. Her children are all adults and not getting along. She makes a startling announcement that she is selling the house and that she expects her eldest, Jake, to figure out who he is.
This story follows two main paths: Genevieve decides to purchase and renovate a hotel while remaining connected to family and Jake as he takes assessment of his life and family relationships and a love interest.

I really liked that Jake isn’t overconfident. He’s going through life changes and that’s thrown him a bit off his game. He expresses that exactly to Tess. It was such a feel good and heartfelt moment.
Zero heat in this one as it is classified as Women’s fiction. All the frisky antics are behind closed doors.
I’m sure it took Genevieve a huge amount of strength to walk away from her arguing children. I’m not sure how I feel about that piece of the storyline but I will say that by the end I was happy as all the pieces came together in a satisfying finish.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy to share.

Eternity Spring #8

Ah, Eternity Springs. This small, heartwarming Colorado town just makes you want to move there for the space of a book, curl up in its pages and let the characters solve all the world’s problems. This was my first book in this series that hasn’t been a Christmas novel, so this was a bit of a change. Luca is a basketball coach haunted by a tragedy that occurred a few years ago while he was driving a bus on the way to a game. Hope is a kindergarten teacher who has been grieving for five years ever since her young daughter was kidnapped. I especially loved all the scenes with Luca’s big family in this one.

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.

Emily March is one of those great authors who knows just how to put five candy canes worth of Christmas cheer in a holiday novel. This one was jam-packed with sleigh rides, snowy days, treks through the woods to look for Christmas trees, searches for the perfect ornament at a Christmas store, calls to Santa, cookies on a special plate, snowballs, and so much more. There was also a completely enthralling plot that kept me turning pages as a little boy wants a father, a doctor is dealing with a completely creepy stalker, a man has to decide to give up the single life, and the characters of Eternity Springs, Colorado rejoice around friends and family.

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.

This was a super-sweet Christmas story and had all the elements I love. Great romance with wonderful backstory? Check. Jax and his son Nicholas have experienced tough times and need a fresh start. Claire’s horrible ex-fiance broke her heart and shattered her faith and she needs to start over? What better place to do it than a cozy small town.

Then we add a great dose of Christmas in both a connection to Nicholas’ story and also Claire’s shop in town. Check! I love it when holiday books go extra cinnamon-sprinkles on the holidays. Add in a dose of puppy cuteness (check!) and I was so sold on this one. Heartwarming and a dose of sweetness and small-town life as broken pieces of two families come together to form a new one. Really loved this one.

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.

Fun short story for Valentines' Day. Performance very good.

Valentine’s Day has always meant trouble for wedding photographer Ali Lovejoy. All her worst romantic disasters have happened on V-Day, so she’s made a habit of hiding out at home in her pj’s until it’s over. But when her best friend begs her do an engagement photo shoot on the dreaded holiday, Ali reluctantly agrees and travels to the quaint Colorado mountain town of Eternity Springs to help her bestie.

While scouting romantic locations for the shoot, Ali is stunned to encounter a naked man skinny dipping in the hot springs. After the most awkward meeting of her life, she eventually agrees to a Valentine’s date with the sinfully delicious stranger. Is she destined for a fresh new disaster—or will she finally find real love?

Boone by Emily March is a 2020 St. Martin’s Press publication.

This is the final installment in the ‘McBrides of Texas’ arc in the long running Eternity Springs series. Obviously, Boone McBride is the featured ‘cowboy’ in this installment and his story is perhaps the most emotional.
Boone gets a phone call that will change the course of his life, but he’s unsure if he can take another heart wrenching disappointment. Still, his motto remains: “Be a light.”

He gets a chance to do that quicker than he had anticipated when he sees a woman standing precariously close to the edge of a dangerous precipice. Boone expertly coaxes the woman away from whatever she may have been considering. His help, kindness and understanding just might be the beginnings of a special relationship…

Hannah couldn’t take the pain anymore. The anniversary was coming up and she didn’t think she could bear it. Her spontaneous trip to Eternity Springs began with somber intentions, but little did Hannah know that Eternity Springs is a magical place, perfect for those who are need of healing and hope…

This is a special story that tackles some very heavy subject matter, but it is also a story that shows how s grief and heartache can bring strength and healing to others when they find themselves in a dark place. It’s a story about renewal, finding inner strength and peace, and then paying if forward.

The romance is centered around mature adults, with no immature conflicts or hormone fueled angst. I loved that!

The story begins with a wedding and ends with one- and all three McBride’s and their partners are ready to face life’s challenges together, forever!

Tucker by Emily March is a 2020 St. Martin’s Press publication.

Gillian Thacker runs a Bridal Shop in Redemption, Texas. Her own wedding plans, though, aren’t going so well. After a big blow-up with her fiancé- Tucker McBride comes to her rescue. An immediate spark ignites, but Gillian is engaged, and Tucker is trying to find his way since his days in the Army have come to an end.

Yet, he and Gillian keep bumping into each other as both her wedding and business dreams come tumbling down around her. Tucker, who never really considered the prospect of falling in love, much less marriage, is suddenly finding the notion of great interest. Can he convince Gillian to take another chance on love?

For me, this arc in the Eternity Springs series got off to a bumpy start. For that reason, I put a little space between it and this second installment.

But, this book made up for that, and then some!! The book starts off with some great humor and snappy dialogue and the momentum builds, with strong character growth and the perfect blend of emotion and warmth.
I enjoyed this one from start to finish! The characters have fabulous chemistry, the landscape is vivid, the tone is light, and often funny, but there is enough depth to keep me emotionally invested and entertained at the same time!

Overall, this one of the best contemporary romance novels I have read so far this year!!

5 stars

I didn't read the first book in the series but this could be a standalone. I think you miss a few details you otherwise would have had but not anything that takes away from your understanding of the book. What took away from it for me was the over the top writing and terrible characters. Gillian is one of the most annoying female MC's I have read in quite some time and Tucker wasn't much better. The book was disjointed, predictable and frankly I was bored. Gillian's whining and worries about what other people might think and what was "proper" just drove me bonkers. If it weren't for a couple of redeeming side characters, I might have not finished this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Hannah is searching. Searching for something better out of life. She has lost everything she has ever loved. She is contemplating ending it all when Boone McBride enters her life. His giving heart and, of course, his magnetism creates a sensation she has not felt in a long time. Will Hannah let Boone in her life or will she let him go?

This is my least favorite type of romance novel. It’s a little too sweet and too dramatic. But, this type of romance has its followers and I totally understand the appeal. It is so nice to have a feel good read without complications or too many surprises. And this story hit me at the right time. I fell head over heels for Boone. He has strength, charisma and he has a huge heart…what is not to love!

Need a feel good charmer! This is it! Great characters and a wonderful setting of Eternity Springs, Colorado makes this story worth your time! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Boone by Emily March
The McBrides of Texas #3

Three cousins star in this trilogy of romance stories set in Texas. All three men, and the women they ended up with, were strong wonderful people and their romances a delight to read. In this, the final book of the series, we learn about Boone’s life before he moved away from the big city and we also get to know Hannah’s backstory with the losses that drew her into a deep dark hole that nearly sucked her into its maws. All of the Eternity Springs series stories bring hope, love, and happily ever after endings to at least one couple and sometimes more.

What I liked:
* Boone: strong, intelligent, caring, kind, compassionate, giving and a great book boyfriend. He steps in and does what needs to be done and is a safe place to land for the woman he pretty much falls for soon after meeting her.
* Hannah: a good person dealing with a huge loss who arrives just where she needs to be to heal, fall in love and begin again. She and Boone are perfect together.
* Seeing Tucker and Jackson again and hearing how they and their partners are doing
* Holly: a wonderful little girl
* The growth made by both Boone and Hannah
* Celeste and the idea of the wings blazon
* The uplifting emotional feel of the story
* The idea that one can love again
* Bree and her birth mother – what a sad story but what a happy ending
* Ranger: a sweet puppy
* The reality of what it is like to be a parent with a newborn
* The romance and glamping and all the rest
* All of it really except…

What I didn’t like:
* The losses both Boone and Hannah sustained in the past – they happen to many but are never easy to deal with
* Saying goodbye to the series when I read the last page.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Every Emily March book is better than the last. I’ve learned by now that thinking I’ll read a couple of chapters at a time is nonsense. When I start I know I will read straight through.
I say it in all my reviews of Emily March’s books so it probably sounds like a broken record, but not even a chapter in and I start getting that warm, fuzzy at-home-again feeling. Eternity Springs and Redemption are places I feel I’ve been, places I know, places I feel safe, and when I’m there I’m surrounded by people I know and love and trust and care so much about.

Boone is no exception. Yes, I read it straight through, and I cried through about half of it. Sad crying, happy crying, hopeful crying. And when I finished I was completely satisfied. Boone is the final book in the Eternity Springs: The McBrides of Texas trilogy. Just like Jackson and Tucker, Boone McBride is a big, handsome, capable tough guy, someone who will take care of things. But he’s not really so tough. He’s been through some tough times, though, and has worked very hard to overcome them. He’s got a good career, good place to live and good friends, but he’s just shy of that perfect contentment he craves. He’s big-hearted and kind and caring, and we want him to be happy.

Hannah Dupree is passing through. She’s always passing through somewhere, because she’s been through some tough times, too, and stopping and settling in is not on her to-do list. But when Boone and Hannah meet he recognizes another wounded soul and wants to pay back a little of what he’s received from Eternity Springs and the folks who live there and in Redemption. Neither one of them is thinking about love. But we are – we see it before they do, and what fun it is to watch them dance around it. To spend time with two truly nice people who have so much to give.

In addition to wonderful locations and wonderful characters, with Boone and all of the Eternity Springs books you get the bonus of a solid story, things that feel real happening to people that seem real. You get to peek back at the characters you already know and see how they’re doing, and meet new characters you know from the start you’ll love. The writing is excellent, the plot smooth and the characters deep and well-developed. What a joy and pleasure these books are. Thanks to author Emily March and St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance copy of Boone via NetGalley for my reading pleasure and honest opinion. All opinions are my own. I loved this book and highly recommend it. Each book stands alone, but do yourself a favor and read them all to meet everyone in Eternity Springs and Redemption. You’ll be so happy you did. In 2020 especially, I want to live in Eternity Springs or Redemption. Everyone would wear masks without having to be nagged, they would help each other like they always do while responsibly and safely social distancing, and no one would be hoarding toilet paper.

Boone by Emily March
3rd book of the trilogy McBrides of Texas, a subset and 18th book in the Eternity Springs contemporary romance series. Can be read as a stand-alone sweet romance.

Boone sees desperation in Hannah when he finds her at Lovers Leap overlook. He convinces her to stay in Eternity Springs where she can heal and find purpose again.
It’s an emotional journey for them both because of their sad, individual histories. Family, both actual and created, plus support of community help both Boone and Hannah in healing and believing in the future.
It’s a beautiful story of romance and hope.

I liked the hero a lot. His willingness to open himself up to Celeste and his brothers was just a part of what made him lovable.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy to share.

This was a terrific conclusion to the McBrides of Texas subset of the Eternity Springs series. It is a story of love, loss, and healing. Boone is one of the three McBride cousins who inherited the land called Enchanted Canyon back in Texas. Boone doesn't spend much time there, having moved to Eternity Springs, Colorado, after a devastating loss sent him looking for peace and escape. After five years, he's gained the reputation of a smooth-talking, charming ladies' man, but also a man with a big heart. He's ready to move past the pain of his past and is advised that the best way to do so is to "be a light" for someone else.

Hannah has been on the run from her past for three years. After a tragedy took everything that mattered from her, she feels no hope of happiness in her future. She has reached the end of her rope and contemplates her options as she stares at Eternity Springs from the overlook at Lover's Leap.

When Boone sees Hannah standing there, he's compelled to stop. As soon as he gets close to her, he recognizes the pain in her eyes. I loved how Boone stepped into her circle and began talking to her, distracting her from her thoughts. Some of his conversation was pretty ridiculous, but he was desperate to pull her back to the land of the living. I loved how he talked to her about Eternity Springs and encouraged her to explore the town. He even goes as far as to offer to rent her the guest cabin on his property. Boone is quite the steamroller, and he soon has her settled in and ready to explore.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Hannah and Boone. The connection is there from the start, thanks to their similar pasts. Boone is further along the road to healing and quickly realizes that Hannah is someone very special. I loved seeing how his kindness and empathy helped Hannah begin to live again. There is a little bump in the road when someone from Boone's past throws a life-changing curveball into his world. It is something that Hannah feels that she isn't equipped to handle. I appreciated how Boone tries so hard not to push her too quickly out of her comfort zone. As a result, she adjusts faster than she expects.

I especially enjoyed Boone's determination to romance Hannah. When Boone makes a decision, he goes all-in, and this was no exception. There were some sweet scenes of them together, from stargazing to glamping. Hannah helps Boone out of several crises that also serve to bring them closer together. I loved seeing the effects of Boone's attention as Hannah's formerly dark existence began to add color and light. Like Boone, when Hannah makes a decision, she commits fully. Their big moment at the end is fantastic, with a fun twist that I didn't see coming. I laughed out loud at Boone's reaction, especially his comment about his cousins. There's one last crisis they have to deal with, but by doing so together, they banish the last of their ghosts and move ahead in a life full of love.

I've never read any of the Eternity Springs books but will have to do so. I'd like to know more about Celeste, who plays an integral part in all three McBride books. I liked what I read about the town and its people and look forward to getting to know more about them. I especially enjoyed the way the women of the town rallied to help Boone with an emergency.

There wasn't much time spent in Enchanted Canyon, but that doesn't mean Tucker and Jackson were left out of the book. Both of them have their moments to shine. I loved how Boone called them for advice when he panicked a little about his feelings for Hannah. They provided an excellent combination of teasing, which he deserved, and truth, which he needed.

Lost interest and did not finish.

I will be honest. This book was really not for me. I added it to my review pile without a lot of thought and overlooked it for longer than I would like to admit. I did eventually get around to it and had rather mixed results. I felt like there were some things that I did like, and some that I didn't care for at all.

The book did start out strong and I really felt for the Hero, Daniel. How could you not? As the book progressed and focused more on both Daniel and Shannon, I couldn't completely get on board with their romance. There were way too many secrets and overreactions. They also seemed really quick to forgive each other, so much so, it didn't always feel authentic.

I will say that there is one scene that really ruined this book for me. I think that my 3-star rating is quite generous considering how much I hated this one scene. I finished this book over a year ago and this scene has stayed with me. When Shannon gives Daniel some news that he does not want to hear, he crosses a line that completely changed how I looked at his character. I am all for flawed characters making mistakes and coming back from them but his behavior was unforgivable. I wanted Shannon to forget about him and find someone that would treat her better. He didn't deserve a second chance after the things he says in this book.

I thought that Amy Landon did a good job with the narration. I did think that some of her voices were not distinctive enough and I sometimes had a hard time determining who was talking but that was only an issue when there was a larger group of characters. I wouldn't hesitate to listen to more of her work.

I can't recommend this book. I thought that the book started strong but ended quite poorly. I would give the author another try in the future though.

I received a digital review copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my local library.