Tag: novella

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#BookReview: Falling Into Forever by Denise Keiser

Short. Clean. Innocent Fun. This is one of those romances that is *so* innocent and playful that you almost begin to question just how old these characters are. And to be clear, they are very clearly adult characters… but the fun and pranks here are so innocent as to be juvenile, making you think that these characters had been playing these same games for many, many years… despite having just met.

The epilogue(s) here – one official and yet the chapter *before* it taking place a year after the main events of the book, usually denoting a form of epilogue even if it isn’t labeled that – feel perhaps a touch tacked on, particularly given some of the revelations therein as they relate to the overall main story, but that is one where your mileage may absolutely vary.

Overall this was a fun, quick read (a couple of hours or so for me), great for those times in the holiday season when maybe you only have a few minutes between doing things to get any reading in, but perhaps are actively looking for a shorter-ish book that won’t make you think too hard about things.

Very much recommended.

This review of Falling Into Forever by Denise Keiser was originally written on November 18, 2024.

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#BookReview: The (Not So) Perfect Second Chance by Maggie Dallen

Short. Quick. Hallmarkie. Perfect For Holiday Season Or Any Time You Need A Quick Break From Reality. Let’s face it, particularly barely two weeks out from polls beginning to close in the 2024 Presidential Election, we could *all* use a break from reality… but we don’t all have hours to spend in some 300+ page book, much less a 700+ page fantasy tome. Enter this short story originally written as part of an anthology, but now available independently. I read it in I want to say 2.5 hrs or so, it really is that quick. And can be mostly read in shorter chunks still, if that is all the time you have. It works *best* as a finale to the Falling In Friar Hollow series, as it was written as, but in all honesty, if you don’t mind knowing that the couples featured in a *romance book* wound up together… this could also work as an introduction of sorts to the series. Similarly, if you’ve never read Dallen and/ or her contemporary books, this is a solid introduction to her general style for that type of tale. Very much recommended.

This review of The (Not So) Perfect Second Chance by Maggie Dallen was originally written on October 22, 2024.

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#BookReview: Love In The Alaskan Wilds by Jennifer Snow

Need More From These Characters. Maybe it was because this novella was on the back of a full length novel (Second Chance Alaska) where best friends suddenly became lovers, but this novella – while technically a complete romance according to all RWA standards as I know them – feels more like the beginning of a romance than an actual full fledged romance. Which is weird, because in pretty well every other novella Snow has done, you never get this sense at all. Yes, they are all similarly paced and have a similar page count, and this one does in fact continue both of these. But with the others, it felt like we were getting a complete romance tale… condensed. Here, it feels more like we’re getting the first date/ very beginning of the relationship. Which works and was great… it just felt like there was so much more to do with these two characters. Thus, if the series is in fact continuing, this reader in particular hopes that this couple can become at least prominent secondary characters in a follow up tale. Even for the brevity here, this is still an excellent introduction to this author, her manner of storytelling, and the general setting and stories of this particular series – for any that may be coming into this new. For longer time fans, this is a solid outing in this particular series. Very much recommended.

This review of Love In The Alaskan Wilds by Jennifer Snow was originally written on March 21, 2023.

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#BookReview: A Time Travel Christmas by Karen McQuestion

Heart And Magic In A Short, Quick Read. This is a perfect Christmas story for anyone who has ever wanted to spend just “one more day” (as Diamond Rio once sang) with a lost loved one at Christmas. Through some scifi/ magical time travel, our lead here gets to do just that – going back to one pivotal night when her grandmother was just a young girl that would change her grandmother – and her entire family – for generations to come. As someone who has been very vocal about wondering about just such tragedies in his own grandparents’ lives, this was particularly moving. But even more generally, this is a great tale that somehow manages to mashup both The Family Man (one of my all time favorite Christmas movies) and Balto (a movie my youngest brother was *obsessed* with as a kid). While lighthearted overall, there is a very real, very visceral threat of imminent danger – and even death – hanging throughout the middle 80% ish of the tale, and this really drives how quick of a read this is – you won’t want to put it down for fear that on the next page someone might die. And yet, the Christmas magic – complete with family and snow (meaning Yankee Christmas, as it rarely snows at that time in the South ;)) and plenty of warmth and surprise – is also present throughout the tale. Very much recommended.

This review of A Time Travel Christmas by Karen McQuestion was originally written on December 2, 2022.

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#BookReview: Meeting Up With The Mason by Maddie Evans

Light And Fun Will They/ Won’t They. This is a novella length (just 72 pages) light and fun end of summer read where a couple meets up accidentally via a video chat service (the basic premise of this multi-author series) and falls in love over the span of just a few days. The only real tension here is both of the people involved knowing all along that they only have these three days together before they go back to their “real” worlds, and since this is a romance book… well, you already know (roughly) how it ends. 😀 Great for the “clean” crowd, and a great introduction to this author’s general style. For those looking for spicier romance tales… this author, and this series apparently, isn’t that. But for those looking for a short book you can read while the kids are in the pool or at some sports practice or whatever… again, 72 pages. If you have an hour, maybe two, you can easily finish this book. 😀 Very much recommended.

This review of Meeting Up With The Mason by Maddie Evans was originally written on July 24, 2021.