Cowboy Taking a Chance: a sweet, clean romance short story

Cowboy Taking a Chance is a Coming Home to North Dakota series prequel by Jessie Gussman. After a quilt gets ruined, Marigold Baldwin finds herself owing a favor and agrees to a blind date. Dodge Powers has always had a bit of attraction for Marigold, his best friend, for a while. When he hears she has been set up with a blind date, he realizes he wants to take a chance and suggests they forget that they are best friends and go on a real date. Dodge is taking a chance for something more; but could he lose everything? Or will the best friends actually fall in love?

Cowboy Taking a Chance is a sweet, clean romance. It is a short story, only ten chapters long. In my opinion, too short. There was not enough time to develop the relationship between Marigold and Dodge. There wasn’t really enough time for readers to get to know Marigold and Dodge as individuals as well. There is no time for any real conflict or resolution. The story does set up the town and its community well. Overall, I did enjoy the story. I just wish it was a bit longer and I may continue with the rest of the series. If you are looking for a quick sweet, clean romantic read, I do recommend Cowboy Taking a Chance. 

Cowboy Taking a Chance is available in eBook and audiobook

The Wrong Game: sports romance with fun banter and angsty drama

The Wrong Game by Kandi Steiner is a sports romance with angst and spicy romance. Gemma Manchini is a diehard football fan. She bought season tickets to the Chicago Bears as a gift for her late husband. Reeling from his death and a secret she keeps heavily guarded, Gemma has zero interest in a relationship; however, in order to get her back into the dating scene, her best friend, Belle, comes up with a plan: take a new hot, preferably funny, single guy every week to the games. However, Bartender Zach Bowen offers to be a practice round for Gemma and she agrees. Gemma finds him infuriating, overbearing but undeniably gorgeous. She is still determined to keep her heart out of their arrangement. One night. One game. And he’s done. However, Zach wasn’t ready to step aside and decided to play a new game in order to show her he was worth taking a chance on. Will her plan play out? Will Zach win this game and her heart? 

I have been waiting to read this book ever since I saw an ad on Facebook and the premise intrigued me. When the chance came to read it, I dove right into it. I loved the football aspect from a fan’s perspective rather than a player. From the very beginning, Gemma is a woman who has been deeply hurt and yet has to play the grieving widow for the sake of her late husband’s family. From the opening chapter to the ending page, Gemma goes through an amazing growth and my heart broke for her when she finally hit rock bottom and shattered. However, my favorite character, by far, was Zach. He was a man who has a heart for Gemma and will do all he can to prove himself to her. Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was worth the wait. I read it through the night as I could not put it down. If you enjoy sports romance with some spice, I highly recommend The Wrong Game. 

The Wrong Game is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Crimson Kingdom: as the threat of war grows, Rowan must choose a marriage alliance. Which man would she choose?

Crimson Kingdom is the third book in the Lochlann Feuds series by Robin D Mahle and Elle Madison. Rowan thought she had escaped as a prisoner when she stepped foot back in Lochlann. She thought being home would make everything better. However, even safe at home, she is haunted by the memories of Socair and everyone she left behind.  While the talk of war surrounds her, Rowan realizes that entering a marriage alliance is the only way to keep her kingdom safe and prevent another war. She doesn’t have a shortage of options as many marriage proposals flooded in from all over Socair. Only two options have her conflicted. Does she play it safe and choose the man who makes it obvious that he cares for her? Or does she choose the man who seems cool and uncaring and fuels a fire inside of her? 

I have read through this series with eagerness. The first two books were gripping and exciting. I took the chance to read Crimson Kingdom soon after finishing Tarnished Crown. While this story was good, Crimson Kingdom was not as exciting as the first two books. The story was bogged down by the negotiation talks. However, I enjoyed finally seeing Rowan with her family and their interactions. Who she would choose kept me guessing and was shocked and not so surprised at the same time with her choice. There were great emotional moments and fun banter. The story does end on a cliffhanger as the first two books did. Overall, I did enjoy this story and I am looking forward to the rest of the series and a resolution to the feud. If you enjoy the fantasy genre, I recommend Crimson Kingdom and the entire Lochlann Feud series. 

Crimson Kingdom is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Always Mine: a small town friends to lovers romance

Always Mine is the first book in the Honey Mountain series by Laura Pavlov. Niko West has been Vivian Thomas’ best friend since kindergarten. Now he is the most beautiful man she has ever seen as a broody, chiseled firefighter. She has never crossed the line of their friendship as he has been the most solid person in her life. However, when her family gets a wedding invitation from her ex-boyfriend, Vivian decides she needs a fling, to discover what she has been missing, and makes Nike an offer he can’t refuse. It was supposed to be a one time thing; but they didn’t realize it would add fuel to the fire that slowly burned between them. Can they go back to just being friends? Or will they take a chance to have the kind of relationship they could only dream of before? 

Always Mine is a sweet and spicy friends to lovers romance with plenty of banter, drama and great emotional moments. In the small town of Honey Mountain, everyone is a big family community. I enjoyed Vivian and her family. The love and banter between the sisters is wonderful. Her relationship with her father is lovely. I also loved how Niko is a welcomed additional member of the family and her romantic relationship with him is encouraged. I loved Niko and my heart broke as he deals with his less than loving family. Overall, I loved the romance between Vivian and Niko. I loved the introduction of the supporting characters and setting up the possibility for their own stories in the series. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. If you enjoy small town, friends to lovers romance, I highly recommend Always Mine. 

Always Mine is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Story of My Life: when you hit rock bottom what can you do but move to a small town and start over

Story of My Life is the first book in the Story Lake series by Lucy Score. Hazel Hart is at rock bottom. She is being forced from her apartment in the Upper East Side by her ex-husband and her publisher gives her a final warning: write and publish or be dropped. When she sees an article about a small town rallying around a neighbor in need and a house up for action, Hazel takes the plunge and buys the house sight unseen. Taking her agent and best friend, Zoey, along, Hazel moves to the rural Pennsylvania small town of Story Lake. She hopes she can rediscover her writing mojo in the small town life. Swoon worthy inspiration hits when she meets hot but grumpy contractor Campbell “Cam” Bishop. In the name of research, she begins to fully live the small town life and a fake relationship with Cam, what possibly could go wrong? 

As a fan of the Gilmore Girls, Story of My Life was recommended to me. And after reading the note from the author, “This series is my love letter to every reader who said they wanted to move to a fictional town . . .,” I had to take a chance on this book. Lucy Score is an author I have seen all over social media and BookTok; however, I have not read any of her books before. I am so glad that I picked up Story of My Life. There was fun banter, sweet emotional scenes and spicy scenes with plenty of angst and grand gestures. At first, l didn’t like Hazel but once she arrived in Story Lake and goes head-to-head with Cam and the town, she grew on me. I loved Cam and the whole Bishop family. Their interactions were so fun. Overall, I loved this story and I am eagerly looking forward to future books in this series. I highly, highly recommend Story of My Life. 

Story of My Life is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Nathanael: a man of honesty, straightforwardness and faith

Nathanael, sometimes called Bartholomew, is a disciple which little is known but a lot can be learned from. It is thought that his two names are derived from his full name: Nathanael Bar-Tolmai. Nathanael means “God has given” and Bar-Tolmai means son of Tolmai. While his occupation is unknown, Nathanael was a man of honesty, straightforwardness, insight and faith. Even though he initially rejected Jesus, he recognized him as the Son of God and the King of Israel. He was a man in “whom there is nothing false” by Jesus (John 1:47). From Nathanael’s example, we learn that Jesus respects honesty in people and even if they challenge him because of it. Nathanael becomes a key leader in the early church. Who was Nathanael? Why is skepticism normal and even healthy? Jesus saw an authentic believer in Nathan. How did he know? 

Philip found Nathanael and told him about Jesus (John 1:45); however, Nathanael responded with skepticism, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” (John 1:46). Nazareth was hated with the Roman garrison there and the town had a poor reputation in morals and religion among its residents. Nathanael’s hometown is Cana, about four miles from Nazareth and he would have been well aware of the town. Nathanael was well versed in the Law of Moses and the prophets. However, he was not a member of the academic elite. He undertook the study of the scriptures as a hobby, a personal passion and not a profession. However, despite his prejudice, Nathanael still came to meet Jesus. As he approached, Jesus knew him before they physically met. It is evidence that Jesus knows us all who we really are before we come to him. God knows the real you and still wants you to follow him. God knew us before he formed us in our mother’s wombs (Jeremiah 1:5) for a plan and a purpose (Jeremiah 29:11). 

While Judeans saw Galileans as lower, even the Galileans viewed Nazareth as rough, uncultured and uneducated. A modern comparison would be that many people outside of California see its residents as “loony leftists” or “the land of fruits and nuts.” Even though the description doesn’t describe everyone here. It is understandable why Nathanael was skeptical when Philip announced that Jesus of Nazareth was the one the Law, Moses and the prophets wrote about (John 1:45). Skepticism is defined as doubt as to the truth of something. Honest skepticism is a healthy and constructive attitude characterized by a willingness to question claims and being open to new evidence and reason. There are five characteristics to honest skepticism. First, openness to evidence. There must be a willingness to consider new evidence and arguments. Second, critical thinking. An ability to analyze information, to identify potential biases and evaluate the validity of claims before accepting or rejecting them. Third, self awareness. One must recognize their own susceptibility to bias and error in their personal judgment. Fourth, humility. There must be a willingness to be wrong and adjust views in light of new evidence. Lastly, respectful inquiry. Honest skepticism respectfully engages with others to seek understanding of new perspectives and reasonings. 

Despite Nathanael’s skepticism and prejudices, Jesus saw in him an authentic believer. There was nothing fake or insincere about him. Essentially, Nathanael was not a hypocrite. Jesus saw through the sinful, the imperfect and the ordinary to the eager heart who was willing to leave everything to follow Him. In Matthew 5:8, Jesus says “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” The Greek word for pure is katharos meaning “clean, blameless, unstained from guilt” and the Greek word for heart is kardeeah meaning the physical heart as well as the spiritual center of thoughts, desires and sense of purpose. Being pure of heart means to be free from hypocrisy and ulterior motives and a focus on God. Seeing God refers to experiencing His presence. Being pure of heart does not mean believers are free from sin or struggles, it just means that they are driven by love and devotion to God. A pure heart is a willing heart for God. Answering God’s call with eagerness (Isaiah 6:8) and focusing our actions as if for God and not for man (Colossians 4:9). 

In conclusion, after the resurrection and the ascension, the last verse that speaks of Nathanael is Acts 2:1-4 on the Day of Pentecost. Church history suggests he traveled and ministered to parts of Persia and India, even as far as Armenia where he is claimed as a saint. Nathanael was a man of honesty and despite his prejudice, he was willing to meet Jesus and examine the claims and believed when the claims proved to be true. Honest skepticism is normal as we examine and weigh new evidence. God sees our heart and when we are eager and focused on Him, we can experience His presence in a deep and meaningful way. Nathanael may not have been as prominent as Peter or John; but his honesty and faith is still a lesson we can learn from and an example to strive to be. 

Shot in the Dark: urban fantasy romance with hunters and fae

Shot in the Dark is the first book in the Shot in the Dark series by Mary Dublin and Anne Kendsley. Elysia has simple rules: obey the curfew, never fly past the boundaries and never, ever speak to humans. Sylvia has spent her life evading the village’s ironclad rules. She has always been curious about the world outside the village. One journey takes her to an empty mansion where she visits with the resident ghost and searches through the treasures left behind. Her secret exploration is shattered when a bullet pierces her wing and she is taken captive by seasoned hunters, Jon and Cliff. After she saves Jon’s life, Sylvia and the hunters form an unlikely alliance to hunt for a cruel werewolf. As they hunt together, she learns the stories about humans aren’t as true as she was taught and her cold hostility melts into a cool respect and maybe even an attraction. Will they find the werewolf in time? 

As a fan of Supernatural, I was intrigued by Shot in the Dark as it is described as “an action packed urban fantasy novel” that explores “forbidden love and found family.” I am fairly new to the urban fantasy genre as I do not read much in this area and the inspirational connection to Supernatural is what drew me in. The story was interesting at first, slows down in the middle, then the action speeds up in the last quarter of the book. There is a bit of a romance between Jon and Sylvia but there are no spicy scenes. As I read, I wasn’t sure if I liked the book or would be continuing the series. However, with the final actions at the end and the epilogue, I am intrigued enough to continue the series. I liked the characters and the story definitely as a Supernatural/hunting vibe. If you enjoy urban fantasy, I recommend Shot in the Dark. 

Shot in the Dark is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook