Spring in Snow Valley Anthology #bookreview
Title: Spring in Snow Valley Anthology
Content Warning: Clean
~ Synopsis ~
Operation—Kiss the Girl, Cindy Roland Anderson
Ivy Baker is doomed to marry a man she only pretends to be in love with to save the family ranch. Since she isn’t marrying for love, Ivy secretly creates a kissing wish list composed of scenes from the romance books she loves to read. She hopes to experience at least one kiss from her list before she becomes officially engaged and seals her fate. When she travels to Snow Valley to help her aunt recover from knee surgery, Ivy finds herself falling for Kellen Thomas, an irresistible cowboy she should avoid. By chance Kellen finds Ivy’s list, and decides to make it his mission to help her fulfill her bucket list, turning her world upside down and making Ivy want to choose her heart over duty.
Love Coming Late, Jeanette Lewis
Cynthia Eddington never thought she’d return to Snow Valley after a string of bad luck forced the sale of her beloved farm there. But here she is, about to start a new life with her children, Jackson and Anoria. Cynthia plans to focus on her career and her family; she’s not looking for romance and she’s definitely not looking for sexy cowboy, Colby Schroder.
Running from the Cowboy, Cami Checketts
Missy Horman escaped an abusive marriage and returns to Snow Valley to help her father deal with her emotionally disturbed mother. Volunteering to teach a youth Sunday school class seems like a good way to get out of her comfort zone—until she ends up kissing Porter Wilson in front of a bunch of teenagers. Embarrassed, and secretly thrilled, by the kiss, she writes Porter off as a playboy. But, Missy wasn’t the only one affected and Porter’s new mission in life is to prove that there’s more to him than flirting and world-tilting kisses. He wants to show her that a true cowboy knows how to treat a lady and, if Missy can’t keep her wits about her, she might just let him.
The Bet, Taylor Hart
When Destiny Morningstar gets blackmailed into spending her spring break in Snow Valley, the last thing she’s looking for is a date, especially not with Adam and Chase Moon—two attractive and athletic brothers. But soon she finds herself tangled up in a dating spree that includes a flag football game, swinging around the barn dance, and hiking to Snow Valley’s romantic hot springs with the town’s most eligible bachelors. At every turn she’s within kissing distance of one of the delectable Moon men. When she discovers she’s been part of some bet fueled by sibling rivalry and overactive egos she has to make a decision—forgive them both or miss out on the best thing that’s ever happened to her.
Sealed with a Kiss, Kimberley Montpetit
Jessica Mason and Pastor James are struggling to make their long-distance relationship work between Snow Valley and New Orleans where Jessica dances with the local ballet company. When April Murphy, a war widow with a child, shows up in Snow Valley, James reluctantly begins to wonder if he and Jessica are really meant to be. April would make the perfect pastor’s wife and he’d have an instant family and the stability he craves. But he can’t get the spitfire Jessica out of his mind and when she returns to Snow Valley to accept an inheritance, her male ballet partner in tow, the love triangle takes on a new edge. Can Jessica and James figure out how to create a family while living in two different states—or do they allow their hearts to move on and forget the passion they once shared?
Romancing a Husband, Lucy McConnell
Natalie Lawson is at a crossroads. Her husband is down on his luck and some days he’s just plain down while Natalie is moving forward, gaining promotions and starting new adventures. In some ways, they’ve grown apart and Natalie can’t help but wonder if her path through life will always include Eli. When tragedy throws them together, Natalie learns a profound lesson that may save her marriage and provide the key to romancing a husband.
~ Book Review~
What a fun idea for an anthology! Each book in the anthology takes place in Snow Valley and many of the characters appear in several of the stories. As a lover of series, the idea appealed to me. All of the stories were clean reads and religion featured prominently in many of the stories. If you are looking for super sweet reads, this may be the anthology for you.
Operation Kiss the Girl was a DNF for me. Although I’m perfectly happy to read clean reads once in a while, this novel was too squeaky clean for me. I had a hard time believing a soldier turned cowboy could be this innocent. I was in the military and am too familiar with soldiers to find Kellen a believable character.
Love Coming Late is a short and sweet read, which you can finish in an afternoon. I love a story with an older heroine, but I was disappointed in Cynthia. She’s a total scaredy-cat. And her daughter – Anoria? Wow! I didn’t think much of her at all.
Running from the Cowboy was cute and sweet. There were quite a few names to slog through, but otherwise I enjoyed this story. Religion plays prominently in this story as well.
The Bet involves a set of brothers competing for one girl. I’m not really a fan of love triangles or men competing for a girl. I did like Chase Moon, though. And his grand gesture was super sweet.
Sealed with a kiss was a difficult read for me. I get really annoyed with characters when they don’t talk to each other. Misunderstandings due to a lack of communication make me want to throw my kindle across the living room.
Romancing a Husband was my favorite story. It was realistic and heartwarming. I love stories, which feature couples older than thirty. After all, the vast majority of people on the earth are older than that – as am I.