Sweet Surprise Romance Collection
Nine
Contemporary Romances by authors:
Wanda
E. Brunstetter, Kristin Billerbeck, Kristy Dykes, Aisha Ford, Birdie L
Etchison, Pamela Griffin, Joyce Livingston, Tamela Hancock Murray, Gail Sattler
Review by Deb Czajkowski
Sweet
is the operative word on more than one level.
First, this book is a collection of nine separate stories, all romances,
and all (spoiler alert!) very sweet and predictable, with no surprise twists in the plotlines. The second sweet aspect (and perhaps the surprise
aspect?) comes in the form of a baked treat in each story. In some of the stories, the delicious dessert
is a strong−but still secondary to the romance−focus of the storyline. In others, it’s just a sweet addition that adds a bit of interest and delightfully
connects these nine stand-alone romances.
A bonus is that at the end of each short story is a recipe that was
prominent in that narrative. Sweet!
Kayli,
in Sweet as Apple Pie by Kristin
Billerbeck, is a European trained chef who has opened her own neighborhood
bakery in California. Adam is a
contractor from a small town in Montana who is hired to build a major
restaurant/bakery café just down the street from Kayli. How does author Kristin Billerbeck bring two
such unlikely people together? With−you
guessed it! −apple pie.
While
cupcakes are Cynthia’s specialty in Cupcakes
for Two by Birdie L.Etchison, she loves baking just about anything. So
starting her own online baking school proves to be a great way to share her
gift for culinary concoctions as well as to distract her from Gabe, the
handsome but headstrong owner of the B&B she now manages. Will Cynthia’s sweet nature or his sweet
tooth be his undoing?
Lorna
is a young widow returning to college.
She is intent upon finishing her degree; and also intent upon not finding a new romance. It’s here she
meets Evan, a fellow student and a culinary novice, who falls for her on Day
1. How will author Wanda E. Brunstetter
use blueberries in her story, Blueberry
Surprise, to heat things up for Evan and Lorna?
In
Pamela Griffin’s Bittersweet Memories
& Peppermint Dreams, Erica proves that to try, try, and try again does
not always get you to success, especially if you have absolutely no knack in
the kitchen department. Despite her
domestic disasters, will Erica try and try again for sweet success in the
romance department?
Dairy
Baked is looking for a new photographer for their ad campaign. Gwendolyn is known for her creativity behind
the camera, but applying her creativity to her culinary concoctions proves calamitous. In Cream
of the Crop by author Tamela Hancock Murray, will Gwendolyn’s dairy
disasters lose her this big account?
Will they lose her the respect of—and perhaps something more−from the
boss’s son?
Apple
Annie is Apple Valley Farm’s third generation owner’s nickname, and for good
reason. Not only is her Awesome Caramel
Apple Pie known far and wide, but the restaurant is chock full of everything
apple, thanks to Annie’s degree in marketing and her devotion to the property’s
success. Then the unthinkable happens.
How will Joyce Livingston, author of Apple
Annie, turn heartache into happily-ever-after for Annie?
When
Angel inherits an old building, she sees her dream of opening her own
restaurant finally coming true. Getting
it ready and making it a success are all Angel can think about, all she can
focus on, all she wants to focus on. Cyril, on the other hand, is a business owner
in the neighborhood who believes faith, family, and friends should rank highest
in the success category. Author Kristy
Dykes strives to show us in Angel Food
that your home truly is where your heart is.
Where will Angel’s heart end up?
Monica
and Gil were teen sweethearts, long ago separated by a family feud that also
divided the two restaurants the families had jointly owned. Now, Monica’s family does “Just Desserts”, while Gil’s family runs
the restaurant. A client wants Monica’s
famous desserts for her wedding, but she also wants Monica to cater the main
meal, something Monica cannot do. Enter
Gil. Can Gil and Monica work together to
fulfil this contract? Will the two families stand in the way of either a
business collaboration or a personal one?
Read Aisha Ford’s Just Desserts
to find out!
Apple Pie in Your Eye
by Gail Sattler brings us Lynette, the pastor’s daughter, and Rick, a faith
filled member of the congregation. Rick
has loved Lynette for years, but Lynette won’t date a congregational
member. When the church roof needs to be
replaced, a serious fund-raiser is required, and Rick and Lynette join forces
to bring in the dough. (Yes, like pie
crust dough.) J Will
their combined efforts cash in enough to pay for the roof? Can Lynette get past her fears to see her
future?
These
nine fictional concoctions unfold into lovely literary dramas, filled with
faith and joy and love. If you enjoy
light-hearted romance with the added sweetness of culinary delights, you will
find these stories and recipes heavenly.
Whether you are a romantic at heart, looking for uplifting reads, or you
just love to try new recipes, you will find it in Sweet Surprise Romance Collection.
Happy reading; happy baking!
Purchase the book at:
BarbourBooks is giving 3 lucky winners a print copy of
The
Sweet Surprise Romance Collection!
Open
Internationally!
