New Love for New Year: My Review of Countdown to First Night

Countdown to First Night: Winter's Heart\Snowbound at New Year\A Kiss at Midnight (Harlequin Anthologies)

About the Book:

Ten, nine, eight, seven…

Winter's Heart by Jillian Hart

Shelby Craig comes to Snow Falls for a First Night job, but secretly hopes it will be a respite from her grief and a haven for her two young kids. A sympathetic cop becomes the determined widow's staunchest ally—though helping her may break his heart.

Six, five, four…

Snowbound at New Year by Margaret Daley

This was supposed to be a done deal! Children's book author Ellie Summers came to the festival to meet her new illustrator. She didn't expect him to turn down her proposal. And then to find the obstinate man so charming… Is it wrong to hope his matchmaking twin daughters succeed?

Three, two, one…

A Kiss at Midnight by Brenda Minton

Pride is a hard thing to swallow, but Jolie Godwin does her best to ignore her grievances with Jake Wild this one time. The man is graciously letting her exhibit her artwork in his luxury resort for First Night. He seems like a good person and a devoted uncle. If only he'd always been so perfect. Because his kiss is something she can't forget….

Cue the fireworks!

My Comments:

I enjoyed these sweet clean romances, all set in a small Colorado town around New Year's Eve.  They were short and really had no subplots, just the main plots of learning to trust, taking a chance and gaining new love for a New Year.  If short sweet reads are  your thing, you'll like this book.  Grade:  B- (about the best I give formula romances).  Thanks to the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.

The Rancher's Secret Wife: My Review

The Rancher's Secret Wife (Love Inspired)

About the Book:

After knowing the woman for all of three hours, soldier Reese Cooper married waitress Cheyenne Jones. She was pregnant and scared, alone in Las Vegas—and he was about to ship out on a dangerous tour of duty. But months later, Reese comes home to Dawson, Oklahoma, no longer the strong cowboy who vowed to help Cheyenne. Shrapnel and a guarded heart changed everything. But with a wife and baby counting on him, Reese is about to learn what real courage is all about.

My Comments:

I was in the mood for short mindless romances and NetGalley provided this one and others.  If you can get past the highly improbable premise for this book it isn't a bad story.  Reese came home blind and is having to re-learn how to do everything.  Luckily for him, he is part owner of the family ranch and he is a member of a large supportive family.  Cheyenne thinks that no one loves her.  The father of her baby abandoned them.  She was adopted by her parents, and later overheard them make a comment which she took to mean she was not loved.  Together the two of them get to know each other and fall in love.  Reese seemed awfully good at adapting to blindness and citizens of this small town readily took to Cheyenne, so realism isn't a big part of this book.  Still, I enjoyed it and will give it a B-.