The 13 of Hearts by Kay Springsteen

hearts
The 13 of Hearts by Kay Springsteen
Publisher: esKape Press
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (362 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Orchid

Lin is a mother on the run from a painful and deadly past. She’ll do anything to protect her children. But a damaged marine with PTSD and a bad case of superstition threatens their safety when he grows close enough to uncover her secrets.
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US Marine Pete “Rabbit” Kincaid only wants to go back on deployment, but after his most recent injury, he might not make it back into the fight. When he meets Lin Doyle, a young mother of two, he quickly realizes the fight has come to him.

Is his heart big enough to save them from her past?

Peter (Rabbit) Kincaid keeps crossing the path of Lin Doyle and her two children. Lin is a single mother with a past, who tries to remain a recluse. At first Rabbit helps because he feels sorry for her, but pity quickly turns to intrigue and an attraction he is unable to fight.

This is an excellent book. The conflict between the main characters is offset by the people at the homely B&B where Rabbit lives, and the decision they all make to help Lin fight her past. The characters are well crafted from moody Pete who is suffering post traumatic stress disorder to Lin’s son Nate who hides his mother’s secret but by doing this loses his childhood. There were warm moments, cold moments, frightening situations and imagined problems. I loved the way Lin and Pete unsuccessfully fought the feelings they had for each other and have to add that this was totally believable.

The author led me to believe I had guessed the hidden mystery of the book, but still kept me interested enough to keep reading. Thank goodness I did because I was wrong. I hadn’t been lead astray, just reached the wrong conclusion with the clues given.

Do You Hear What I Hear? by Margaret Brownley

hear
Do You Hear What I Hear? by Margaret Brownley
Publisher: SMP Swerve
Genre: Contemporary, Holiday
Length: Short Story (92 pgs)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Welcome to Heywood, Oregon where three lost women find healing, hope and love under the bright light of the town’s old Star Inn this Christmas season.

Two bad things happened to Sally Cartwright that week. Three if she counted the pink slip received at the Home and Family magazine’s annual Christmas party. But nothing was worse than plowing into a snowbank and being stuck in a town she swore never to see again. A town she once called home. Now she must spend the long cold night in the car or follow the bright shining star through the woods to the old Star Inn. She chooses the inn and that’s where her troubles really begin…
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Lumber mill owner, Rick Rennick, is in no mood for Christmas cheer. Having recently buried his father, he’s still trying to sort out the financial mess left behind. Unless Rick comes up with a miracle, the mill run by the family for generations is about to shut down for good. That would put a lot of men out of work and impact the future of the town. If things weren’t bad enough he’s now stuck at the old Star Inn waiting for the road back to his cabin to reopen. His luck takes another turn for the worse when he suddenly comes face to face with the past he’d sooner forget. For unless he’s seeing things, the only woman he’s ever loved is standing in front of the inn’s blazing fire trying to get warm. How is it possible that one chance meeting could stir up so many old memories?

Both Rick and Sally regret what happened between them, but his family lumberyard clashes with her tree-hugging ways and neither is willing to try again. It will take the storm of the century, one stage-struck young boy, a certain meddling “angel”—and even a cranky cat—to convince them that in matters of the heart, sometimes the second time around is best.

She’s only going home to see how her grandmother is doing and help her over the holidays. It’s not starting out very well when she slides off the road into a snow bank and has to walk to the local inn and see if they have a room for the night. Sally lives in the city now and is hoping her new job pans out. This is an interim vacation.

When she reaches the inn, they do have space for her. She also gets to listen to the boy recite his lines from the play he’ll be in. More than once. And, worse luck, she runs into her old flame at the inn. The weather has kept him from getting home, too.

Ms. Brownley writes a sweet romance that draws you in and makes you smile. Sally has all these reasons why she and Rick wouldn’t make a good couple. They are opposites. They eat different things, like different things and want different things. It wouldn’t last. The author almost convinces you of that. Good thing the innkeeper doesn’t give up on them.

With grandma getting together with a man who lives at the rehabilitation house with her, love seems to be in the air. When they decide to go to the play together, he races her wheelchair and grandma screams all the way there.

This is a light airy read with goodness between the lines. It’s a perfect holiday read. Anything that can put love in your heart and give you good feelings is a winner to me. You won’t be disappointed in this sweet romance.

A Kiss and a Dream by Linda Andrews

KISSDREAM
A Kiss and a Dream by Linda Andrews
Love’s Great War #6
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (323 pgs)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

She escapes with a dead woman’s name and finds sanctuary with a widower reeling from his wife’s betrayal. Can a love built on lies survive the truth?

Gretchen Foltz honors her late father’s request and ends up locked in the workhouse by her greedy brother. Dreaming of a home and freedom, she embarks on a dangerous winter journey only to awake in a stranger’s home. Hiding behind a lie, she discovers a man worthy of her trust. But at what cost?

Kian Bryne is struggling to feed his four children. The last thing he needs is to rescue a woman stranded on the ice and running from her own demons. With his rich in-laws threatening to take custody of his children, he’ll make a desperate alliance to keep his family together. When a simple kiss shatters their agreement, he’s left yearning for more.
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Can they untangle the lies before someone separates them forever?

A Kiss and a Dream is part of a series of clean romances set during the Great War. If you like characters that walk off the page, unique settings, and romance mixed with adventure and intrigue, then let Linda Andrews take you to a time when only the brave possessed the courage to risk all for love.

Kian’s heart has been broken by a liar before.

When Kian stumbled on Gretchen and two young children nearly frozen to death, none of them could have imagined how much all their lives were about to change. Gretchen has narrowly escaped the nightmare of the workhouse, and Kian is struggling to survive in a small town that has turned its back on him. Neither of them have dared to think about love and happiness for a very long time. However, winter has always been good to Kian, and he can’t help but wonder if Gretchen is the blessing he’s been looking for. Unfortunately, Kian isn’t the most popular man in town, and some will stop at nothing to see him ruined.

I admire Gretchen very much. She is an extremely strong, hardworking woman who has survived against the odds many times, but she met her match on a frozen lake in Michigan. Gretchen is understandably cautious when she wakes up in a strange place, but Kian is the very definition of a hero and shows her kindness and respect from the moment she opens her eyes, and it was very easy to imagine them as a couple even in these early moments of their relationship. Gretchen and Kian find themselves in a mutually beneficial arrangement. Gretchen cleans, cooks and takes care of the children in exchange for a home and food. It was supposed to be a simple arrangement, but a kiss complicates everything. Gretchen quickly learns that Kian’s late wife was a devious woman, and some of her secrets still have the power to hurt Kian. Gretchen does her best to protect the man she loves, but as I read I couldn’t help but wonder if she was making the situation worse by hiding the truth from him. Would Kian be able to forgive her lies or will she lose the first man she’s ever loved?

In addition to creating likable characters, Ms. Andrews did an excellent job developing the setting of her story. I enjoyed following Gretchen through her daily routines, and I could almost smell the gingerbread she baked as a treat for Kian and the children. Ms. Andrews’ attention to detail let me fully immerse myself in the story, and I thoroughly enjoyed spending some time in Hope’s Point.

I must say that the ending wasn’t quite what I expected. There were quite a few loose ends that needed to be tied up in a short amount of time. I wasn’t sure how it all could be accomplished. There was one problem that had the potential to be truly heartbreaking, however Kian’s quick thinking saved the day in a very creative and satisfying way.

I’m very glad I had the opportunity to read A Kiss and a Dream. While this is the sixth book in a series, it stands alone very well. Looking for a warm, sweet romance sure to leave you with a smile on your face? Pick up a copy of A Kiss and a Dream today.

Red Jack’s Daughter by Edith Layton

RED
Red Jack’s Daughter by Edith Layton
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (233 pgs)
Heat: Sweet
Rated 5 stars
Review by Snapdragon

HER HEART WAS DIVIDED IN THREE

Jessica Eastwood’s country sweetheart, Tom Preston, wanted her to be the free and independent spirit that her gallant officer father had raised her to be.

Jessica’s irresistibly attractive distant European cousin, Anton Von Keller, wanted to mold her into a sophisticated woman of the world.

Society’s most eligible aristocrat, the dazzling Lord Leith, wanted Jessica to be the star of the London Season, a model of feminine beauty and fashion.
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But before Jessica could find out which of these women she truly was, she had to decide which one of these maddeningly desirable men she really loved…

An unexpected treasure, Red Jack’s Daughter is a wonderful foray into a (sweltering) ballroom in London, at just that point in ‘the season.’ Yes; a wrap up to the annual marriage mart.

The perhaps unfortunate choice of title does not reach out and grab readers; but rest assured it is the only dull note in the entire tale. From start to finish, beginning with the not-young lady’s point of view right to final resolution, the story is entirely unpredictable and intriguing. Main character Lord Alexander Leith is inveigled to dance with the rather easily overlooked Jessica Eastwood. It hardly seems an auspicious start.

We feel at once the one’s discomposure but also, quickly, grasp his main interest’s point of view. Jessica is indeed an amazingly self-possessed heroine and (quite unlike most of the rather well-behaved ladies of the time) she will make up her own mind and pursue her own fortune. Still, we cannot but hold out a hope for the well-meaning Alex, who just set out to do a friend a favor. It all begins with a little conspiracy; a consideration of fashion (while of course avoiding the spectacular.)

Fashion and the ordering of new dresses seems like the most obvious (and dull) event given the times, but no dressmaker ever quire ran into a challenge like Jess!

The ins-and outs of London society are visited from a very different perspective in this tale. We readers begin to suspect there may indeed be reason to hope…although there is no escaping personal history…but, no spoilers here!

If you enjoy historical romances, you must put this one right at the top of your list. The writing style is beautiful; characters deep and very light, (except for rather grumpy aunty) and Layton’s perceptive touch with humor is quite perfect.

I cannot remember when I have enjoyed a dance in the ballroom of London’s marriage mart more: clever and Most enjoyable.

Opening Gates by Nancy King

GATES
Opening Gates by Nancy King
Publisher: Plainview Press Publishing
Genre: New Adult, Women’s Fiction, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (270 pgs)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Quince

Summer, 1956. With her parents away and her boyfriend abroad, Rennie is on her own. To make money for college, she takes a job as a recreational therapist in a large mental hospital in New York City, despite her reluctance to sign a loyalty oath in the charged times of McCarthyism. She has no relevant experience, but she’s good at sports. How hard can it be? Very hard, she discovers.

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Too stubborn to quit, Rennie finds meaningful ways to connect with her patients and creates previously unimagined opportunities for them. She also discovers a new, stronger part of herself. By summer’s end, no longer dependent on other’s opinions, she can listen to her heart and conscience and make crucial changes in her own life.

Opening Gates is story from which I got more than I bargained for. It is coming of age story that covers some pretty serious issues like gender equality, mental illness and life in USA in late 1950s.

The main character, and also the narrator, is 19 year-old Rennie Weinstein. Rennie is college student who decides to apply for a summer job in a mental hospital in New York as a recreational therapist, because it pays well. She thought that her job would be relatively easy one, but as soon as she enters the hospital she realizes that it a whole unknown world lies there, a world that has rules of its own which are almost impossible to change. But slowly, with hard determination, and a strong will, Rennie starts to change some rules. Also her different and human approach to patients starts to change the life of women in the mental hospital.

Opening Gates is not an easy read, not just because it deals with mental illness, but because there is so much injustice in this story. The treatment of women in the hospital is often very tenacious and inflexible. The patients are perceived as things or as trouble makers and people who want to help them or make their life a bit better are restricted by so many written and unwritten rules. There are few scenes that are harsh, but I believe that they also picture realistic treatments of the patients in the mental institution at that time. The author does not go into a private stories of the women in the hospital, because her focus is on the main character and the changes Rennie goes through during her summer work, but on the other hand she is describing the atmosphere, sights, and smells so well.

This is a story worth reading because it provides a genuine insight into a mental institution in 1950s. The message of the story: “the little things go a long way”, resonated to me for a long time after I finished the book.

Finding Mimi by Gerald A. Jennings

MIMI
Finding Mimi by Gerald A. Jennings
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary, Historical
Length: Short Story (56 Pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Myrtle

David McClain, retired teacher, is depressed as he faces the fourth summer since the death of his wife. The big Victorian house, once full of the happy sounds made by his beautiful wife and three lively daughters, now is silent, and he has resigned himself to stoic loneliness.
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Do dreams carry an underlying message that points to a situation in one’s waking life that remains unsettled? Sometimes, digging deeper is the only way to know.

David McClain knows true love better than most. Meggie was all any man could ask for in a wife. She was beautiful. She was smart. And she loved him with all her heart, just as he loved her. Together they raised three wonderful daughters before her untimely death brought his world crashing down. Four years have passed since Meggie’s death, and now, for no apparent reason, David has begun to have dreams of another woman. One whom he feels he should know, but cannot see her face well enough to remember.

Pastor Mike encourages David to seek out the help of their mutual friend, Ben, a psychologist, to help decipher the meaning of his sudden recurring dreams. Ben finds his friend’s dreams interesting enough to warrant writing a paper about them. David, however, is only interested in finding their meaning. Then one day, a dream comes when David finally sees her face clearly: Mimi.

Although this novella has an interesting tale to tell, it is disappointing in that it does just that—it tells the reader about every event. There is no firsthand experience with the sights, sounds, tastes, emotions, or lives of its characters. As a reader, I did not get to live the story with its characters, but rather stood in the background for its retelling. One early chapter gives the entire long ago backstory of the main character’s original meeting (dialogue and all) and his subsequent relationship with Mimi via a counseling session with his friend and therapist, making this feel more like an extra-long synopsis than a novel.

Finding Mimi is a quick easy read with a hint of mystery, and you’ll not find a single typo or misused word. It might be the perfect novella to take along on your next flight or quiet getaway.

The Air Dragon’s Secret by Keryn Munson

AIR
The Air Dragon’s Secret by Keryn Munson
The Dragon Keeper’s Tale Book One
Publisher: Rogue Phoenix Press
Genre: Action/Adventure, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (197 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Orchid

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Young dragons Glan and Nuriel have broken dragon law, a union of fire and water punishable by death. The spark between them grows; an unbreakable bond fraught with danger. As word of their pairing spreads, clashing cultures tip an uneasy peace between earth, water, fire and air. Hunted by rival dragon groups and an unbalanced father bent on revenge, the two must decide to hide, run or fight to save their alliance and their future.

In the time before man, there were three different types of dragon – earth dragons, fire dragons and water dragons. The different clans did not interbreed or have much to do with each other.

Water dragons Glan and her brother Kaelin, flee the massacre of their family and take refuge in a small lake where they are befriended by male and female fire dragons. Their escape to the world above the home lake and their mating with the fire dragons brings a new type of dragon into existence – the air dragons, but this is only the beginning. The four adult dragons must protect their young, but their efforts could bring about a war between the different clans.

A slow start to this book makes it difficult to get into the story. Although the series is called The Dragon Keeper’s Tale, it’s not really about the dragon keeper, more about the dragons. Once the keeper fades into the background the story begins to evolve and pick up speed and this gave me the impetus to carry on reading.

A dragon tale with a difference.

White Girl by Grace Jelsnik

WHITE
White Girl by Grace Jelsnik
Publisher: Self Published
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Short Story (107 pgs)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Stargazer

When her lifelong best friend, Maggie, entrusts a USB drive into Tashina’s care, she tells the rookie FBI agent to give it to an unknown David if anything happens to her. He’ll find her, Maggie assures her. Hours later, Maggie is dead, and Tashina’s family and friends are under surveillance. She has nowhere to run but to the home of her mother’s people, the Lakota Sioux on Pine Ridge Reservation. In her journey from California to South Dakota and back again, the half-Lakota Tashina learns not only what is on the USB drive but also what it means to be half-Indian and half-white in a world where both sides still nurse old grievances. A mission to honor a friend’s request becomes a period of discovery for the woman disparagingly called “white-girl.”

When the world around you is about to change and you hold the key to stopping the potential collapse of the world economy; would you be able to risk everything to save those who have always alienated you?
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White Girl follows the story of Tashina O’Donnell, a rookie FBI agent who aside from finding her own place in her work, struggles to reconcile her own Native American heritage. Since she is half Lakota Sioux she faces discrimination from both the rest of society and her family. With a darker skin complexion and blue eyes, she finds difficulty blending in and especially going undercover.

When she is forced to run or be killed, Tashina makes difficult decisions that in turn impact the future of both the U.S. Economy and the economic struggles of the entire world. The mysterious stranger, David, is not quite the knight in shining armor, but is not too far from it. Greatly helpful at some points and frustrating and mission focused at others, David brings his own history and past to complicate the mission that they must complete.

The author puts a great emphasis on the plight of Tashina’s family and proud heritage. With descriptive accounts of the history of the Lakota Sioux and excellent dramatic dialogue between Tashina, her family, and David the reader begins to understand the difficult and strained social relationship that exists in today’s society. The author puts light on the struggles of Tashina’s people and shows Tashina’s struggles to be accepted as a member of her own tribe.

As if the interactions of society were not enough there is still the pursuers who will stop at nothing to recover the USB drive and see Tashina dead. Add to that the strained relationship between Tashina and David and you have a severely complex story that causes the reader to look at the root of our own shared society.

Be sure not to miss this great adventure which will have you considering how you look at our societal interactions and the world today!

Now and Then Friends by Kate Hewitt

FRIENDS
Now and Then Friends by Kate Hewitt
Publisher: New American Library
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: Full Length (336 pgs)
Heat: Sweet
Rated: 4 stars
Reviewed by Poppy

Childhood best friends Rachel Campbell and Claire West have not only grown up, but after fifteen years, they’ve also grown apart…

After her father left, Rachel had to dedicate her life to managing her household: her two younger sisters, her disabled mother, and her three-year-old nephew. When Rachel’s not struggling to look after all of them, she makes her living cleaning the houses of wealthy families—inclulding the Wests, where a surprise now awaits her. . . .

A lifetime of drifting in other people’s currents has finally left Claire high and dry. First it was her parents, then the popular crowd in school, and finally her fiancé. Now she’s returned to Hartley-by-the-Sea to recover. But running into Rachel brings back memories of past mistakes, and Claire wonders if she now has the courage to make them right.

Soon Claire’s brother, Andrew, asks Rachel to keep an eye on Claire, which is the last thing either woman wants. But as their lives threaten to fall apart, both Claire and Rachel begin to realize what they need most is a friend. The kind of friend they once were to each other, and perhaps can be again. . . .

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I struggled with a rating for this book, and I’m struggling a bit with the review. It’s hard to categorize, exactly, why I enjoyed it and why I kept happily returning to it after I’d put it down for a moment. This isn’t an edge-of-your-seat thriller, or a heart- warming romance. It’s more, rather, a day (or a few weeks) in the life of two women whose lives are at a pivotal moment and how the choices they make, even little ones, may affect their total future.

Claire was my favorite of the two … oddly, she felt more human and actually stronger than Rachel, despite outward appearances. Rachel’s constant irritation with life in general wore on me a bit, and there were times I wondered why Claire and Andrew even wanted to be around her. She goes through changes as the book progresses, thankfully, and by the end I really enjoyed her.

Claire has been treated as if she is fragile and utterly breakable her entire life. She finds just a little spine when she leaves a stint in rehab that she didn’t even need, and goes against her parents’ wishes for her to live with them, instead returning to the home of her youth. It’s there her journey truly begins.

Rachel is trapped in a life she hates. Her mother is an invalid, her father left when she was just eighteen, and her sisters do little to help her with keeping them afloat. Home life is a constant battle, and it gets worse as time goes on. More, suddenly her friend from school, the same friend who up and dumped her without any warning, shows up in town again and acts as if nothing was wrong.

There’s a solid cast of secondary characters to back the girls up. Dan, Lily, Meghan, Mrs. Carwell, Andrew, and others make Hartley-by-the-Sea a real living, breathing place.

I admit to tripping over some British slang and phrasings (like A-Levels … I had to go find out what grade that was in reference to), but I’m sure the reverse is true with the folks from over the pond read books written in the US.

Thing is … nothing much happens in the story. I mean, stuff happens, but nothing earth shattering. It’s really just watching the girls figure out some things in their lives. I still, even after thinking about it more while writing this review, can’t put my finger on what made this book so charming. However, I really, really hope the author visits the town again. I can’t wait to see what’s happening with Claire, Dan, Rachel, Andrew, Lily and others. I’m really quite hooked!

Wanted by Shelley Shepard Gray

WANTED
Wanted by Shelley Shepard Gray
Sisters of the Heart, Book Two
Publisher: HarperCollins
Genre: Contemporary, Inspirational
Length: Full Length (166 pgs)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

For a split second, Katie feels certain she’s about to receive everything she’s ever wanted. . .
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Twenty-year-old Katie Brenneman has always quietly fancied Jonathan Lundy. So when the brokenhearted widower asks her to help him take care of his two young girls, Katie knows it will be a trying time—yet she cannot pass up a golden opportunity to get to know this man better.

Just as she’s settling into her new life, a message arrives from Katie’s past, threatening to expose her darkest secrets. During her Rumspringa, her running-around years, she experimented with activities forbidden in the Amish way of life. Frightened by how far she’d strayed from her values, Katie ran back home, vowing to cut all ties with the outside world. Now her transgressions are coming back to haunt her, just as Jonathan seems willing to welcome her into his heart.

Will the past destroy Katie’s chances for love? Or will Katie allow herself to accept God’s love, forgive her past, and receive everything she’s ever wanted?

Sometimes, a book just speaks to you. You read it at the right time in your life and it holds a deeper meaning than it probably was written to do, yet, that’s what Wanted did for me. Katie, the heroine, made mistakes and like her friend Anna, in Hidden, the past must be dealt with. The doing of it, facing and reconciling with the past in order to have a better, brighter future is a hard thing to do. It’s the main conflict in this book and I think it will resonate with many readers. The best thing though is the message; forgiveness is healing and freeing. A person just has to take those brave, courageous and difficult first steps to get the ball rolling. It’s that kind of journey that Katie takes which makes this book worth reading.

What made this story so special to me were the inspirational words and prayers written within. It’s not preachy or trite. They’re heartfelt and earnest and key to the spiritual nature that is integral to the Amish community that’s being written about. And yet, as divergent as I am, being an Englisher and all, some of the passages in this book eerily echoed the message in my own pastor’s recent homily. To be able to stare at the words, and see how Ms. Gray incorporated them into living life, in a seamlessly believable and honest way, spoke volumes to my heart. This is a romance story, pure and simple and it’s a good one. But it’s also filled with a simple joy, a humble view on life without all the discord and confusion that the pursuit of materialism can bring. Ms. Gray boils it down to respect of a man for a woman and a woman’s pride in doing her best to show how she cares for those she loves. It’s not the words; it’s her actions, her grace and her willingness to do these things without expectation of reward. Doing the right thing does not always end up being its own reward, but sometimes, it is and does.

The external conflict comes from a past that Katie must face. It is actually sad and poignant and full of emotion. It’s an aspect that gave this novel depth and significance. How the author made it come full circle was well done Ms. Gray wrapped it up with a warm and satisfying happy ever after to come. I say ‘to come’ because every step of a romance in Katie’s Amish community seems cherished and respected and never rushed. It’s a given that Katie and Jonathan have found their way to each other and the courtship will be done according to the Amish way, but by doing so did not leave me unsatisfied. If anything, it gave me a gentle pleasure, a warm smile and confidence that all is as it should be. I found Wanted to be an emotionally fulfilling read with characters, both main and secondary that touched my heart. It’s a solid romance.