The Romantic Fiction Shelf

Letters of Trust
Wanda E. Brunstetter
Barbour Publishing
P.O. Box 719, 1810 Barbour Drive, Uhrichsville, OH 44683
www.barbourbooks.com
9781636093345, $16.99, PB, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Trust-Friendship-1/dp/1636093345

Synopsis: Life is good on their Pennsylvania Amish farm for newlyweds Vic a=
nd Eleanor Lapp -- until the day Vic's youngest brother drowns in their pon=
d and Vic turns to alcohol to numb the pain. Things get so bad that Vic los=
es his job and their marriage is coming apart. Eleanor is desperate to help=
her husband and writes letters to her friend, Doretta, living in Indiana f=
or advice. The trust Eleanor places in her friend and the gentle words she = receives in return are a balm for even darker days to come .

Critique: Another memorable and carefully crafted romance novel, "Letters o=
f Trust"in this first book of The Friendship Letters, a new series by Wanda=
E. Brunstetter. Of special appeal to readers with an interest in Amish and=
Mennonite romance novels, "Letters of Trust" is unreservedly recommended f=
or community library Contemporary Romance Fiction collections. It should be=
noted for the legions of Wanda Brunstetter fans that "Letters of Trust" is=
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete =
an unabridged audio book (Oasis Audio, 9781685923440, $36.88, CD). Libraria=
ns should note that there is also a Library Binding large print edition (Th= orndike Press Large Print, 9798885788465, $35.99) available.

Editorial Note: Wanda E. Brunstetter (www.wandabrunstetter.com) is one of t=
he founders of the Amish fiction genre. She has written more than 100 books=
translated in four languages. With over 12 million copies sold, Wanda's st= ories consistently earn spots on the nation's most prestigious bestseller l= ists and have received numerous awards.

Match in the Making
Jen Turano
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton Road, Ada, MI 49301
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764241345, $26.99, HC, 358pp

https://www.amazon.com/Match-Making-Matchmakers-1/dp/0764241346

Synopsis: Miss Gwendolyn Brinley accepted a temporary paid companion positi=
on for the Newport summer season, believing it would be a lark to spend the=
summer in America's most exclusive town. She suddenly finds her summer tur= ning anything but amusing when her employer expects her to take over respon= sibilities as an assistant matchmaker. Tasked with the daunting prospect of=
attaining advantageous matches for her clients, Gwendolyn soon finds herse=
lf in the employ of Mr. Walter Townsend, the catch of the Season, but a gen= tleman Gwendolyn finds beyond irritating.

Walter Townsend is reluctantly in search of a wife for the sake of his unru=
ly motherless children who cannot keep a governess for long. What he wasn't=
expecting was Miss Brinley, an amateur matchmaker who turns his quest for =
a new wife into a complete and utter debacle. Constantly besieged by societ=
y ladies on a mission to win his affection, Walter must find a way to overc= ome their inundating attention -- and his unexpected attraction toward Gwen= dolyn.

The more time they spend together throughout the Newport Season, the harder=
it is for Gwendolyn to find Walter a wife when she realizes his perfect ma= tch might be her!

Critique: A fun read from cover to cover, "A Match in the Making" by noveli=
st Jen Turano is a delightfully original romance that is the stuff of which=
Hallmark Channel movies are made. While "A Match in the Making" is very hi= ghly recommended as a clean, popular and worthy addition to community libra=
ry Historical Romance, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "=
A Match in the Making" is also readily available in a paperback edition (97= 80764240201, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Jen Turano (www.jenturano.com) is known for penning quirky = historical romances set in the Gilded Age. Her books have earned Publishers=
Weekly and Booklist starred reviews, top picks from RT Book Reviews, and p= raise from Library Journal. She's been a finalist twice for the RT Reviewer=
s' Choice Awards and had two of her books listed in the top 100 romances of=
the past decade from Booklist. Readers can find her on Facebook, Instagram=
, and Twitter.

Yours Truly, The Duke
Amelia Grey
St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250850416, $8.99, PB, 368pp

https://www.amazon.com/Yours-Truly-Duke-Say-Do/dp/125085041X

Synopsis: Fredericka Hale needs a husband, and fast. She's been caring for = her deceased sister's three young children, and now a childless cousin has = petitioned the court for custody. Fredericka is powerless to stop her, but = having a husband might sway the ruling. The last thing Fredericka wants is =
a hurried-up marriage to a man she doesn't know -- much less love, but she'=
ll do it for the children. So when the handsome Duke of Wyatthaven shows up=
with a proposal, she accepts. He'll help her, and in return, they'll lead = separate lives. But distance cannot keep them from their powerful attractio=
n.

At the top of his game in London, the Duke of Wyatthaven has no interest in=
marriage. However, if Wyatt doesn't marry by week's end, he'll lose a siza= ble inheritance from his grandmother. When Wyatt's solicitor finds Miss Fre= dericka Hale, Wyatt considers this little hiccup solved. Miss Hale is lovel=
y, and intelligent. Most importantly, she prefers country life to London, s=
o he's free to continue his life as usual. But when circumstances force Fre= dericka and the children to show up at the duke's door, Wyatt can't deny he=
's always been under her spell. Will the duke give up his bachelor lifestyl=
e and give into the fiery passion growing between them?

Critique: A fun read from first page to last, "Yours Truly, The Duke" by Am= elia Grey is a Regency Romance fans pure delight. Original, absorbing, "You=
rs Truly, The Duke" is unreservedly recommended for community library Roman=
ce Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that = "Yours Truly, The Duke" is also readily available in a digital book format = (Kindle, $8.99).

Editorial Note: Amelia Grey (https://www.ameliagrey.com) is the author of o= ver twenty-five books, including the Heirs' Club trilogy and the Rakes of S=
t. James series. Her awards also include the Booksellers Best, Aspen Gold, = and the Golden Quill. Writing as Gloria Dale Skinner, she won the coveted R= omantic Times Award for Love and Laughter and the prestigious Maggie Award.=
Several of her books have also been featured in Doubleday and Rhapsody Boo=
k Clubs.

Best Served Hot
Amanda Elliot
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
www.penguin.com
9780593335734, $16.99, PB, 368pp

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Served-Hot-Amanda-Elliot/dp/0593335732

Synopsis: By day, Julie Zimmerman works as an executive assistant. After ho= urs, she's @JulieZeeEatsNYC, a social media restaurant reviewer with over f= ifty thousand followers. As much as she loves her self-employed side gig, w= hat Julie really wants is to be a critic at a major newspaper, like the New=
York Scroll. The only thing worse than the Scroll's rejection of her appli= cation is the fact that smarmy, social-media-averse society boy Bennett Ric= hard Macalester Wright snagged her dream job.

While at the Central Park Food Festival, Julie confronts the annoyingly han= dsome Bennett about his outdated opinions on social media and posts the res= ulting video footage. Julie's follower count soars -- and so does the Scrol= l's. Julie and Bennett grudgingly agree to partner up for a few reviews to = further their buzz. Online buzz, obviously.

Over tapas, burgers, and more, Julie and Bennett connect over their shared = love of food. But when the competitive fire between them turns extra spicy,=
they'll have to decide how much heat their relationship can take.

Critique: With a very special appeal to fans of romance comedy, "Best Serve=
d Hot" by Amanda Elliot is a delightfully original and thoroughly fun read = from cover to cover. Clearly novelist Amanda Elliot has a full and complete=
mastery of the genre and "Best Served Hot" will prove to be an immediately=
popular and enduringly appreciated addition to community library Contempor= ary Romance Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading li= sts that "Best Served Hot" is also readily available in a digital book form=
at (Kindle, $10.99).

Editorial Note: Amanda Elliot lives with her husband in New York City, wher=
e she collects way too many cookbooks for her tiny kitchen, runs in Central=
Park, and writes for teens and kids as Amanda Panitch. (www.penguinrandomh= ouse.com/authors/2243903/amanda-elliot)

Forged in Love
Mary Connealy
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton Road, Ada, MI 49301
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764241390, $29.99, HC, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/Forged-Love-Wyoming-Sunrise-1/dp/0764241397

Synopsis: In 1870, Mariah Stover is left for dead and with no memory when t=
he Deadeye Gang robs the stagecoach she's on, killing her father and brothe=
r. As she takes over her father's blacksmith business and attempts to move = forward, the old-fashioned townspeople meet her new occupation with disdain=
..

Handsome and polished Clint Roberts escaped to Western Wyoming from the pai= nful memories he left back east. In the hope of a new life, he opens a dine=
r where he creates fine dishes, but is met with a harsh welcome from the to= wnsfolk who prefer to stick to their old ways.

Clint and Mariah are drawn together by the similar trials they face in a ne=
w town, and Clint is determined to protect Mariah at all costs when danger = descends upon her home. As threats pursue them from every side, will they s= urvive to build a life forged in love?

Critique: Another finely crafted and enjoyable historic romance from the pe=
n of Mary Connealy, "Forged in Love" is especially recommended to the atten= tion of readers with an interest in Christian historical fiction and wester=
n romance novels. While unreservedly recommended for community library Roma= nce Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists =
of the growing legion of Mary Connealy fans that "Forged in Love" is also a= vailable in a paperback edition (9780764241130, $16.99) and in digital book=
format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Mary Connealy (www.maryconnealy.com) writes "romantic comed= ies with cowboys" and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style.=
She has sold more than 1.5 million books. She is the author of the popular=
series Brothers in Arms, Brides of Hope Mountain, High Sierra Sweethearts,=
The Kincaid Brides, Trouble in Texas, Lassoed in Texas, Sophie's Daughters=
, and many other books. Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her = very own romantic cowboy hero.

A Third Option
E. Aly
Marshwinds Press
www.uniquereads.com
9781734117066, $12.95 Paper/$20.95 Hardcover

https://www.amazon.com/Third-Option-Eugene-Kelly/dp/1734117052

Does ambition preclude romance? In Amy Leonard's case, it may prove an unli= kely and unwelcome obstacle to achieving senior partner in her company -- a=
goal she has strived and fought hard for.

As the story opens, Amy already has a lover and roommate in Tom. In many wa= ys, her life is predictable and its course has been set. Relatively quickly=
into the story, it becomes evident that Amy's life course is not on the sa=
me page as Tom's. In fact, it's set to change in a way that challenges her = greatest ambition.

As readers move through Amy's increasing dilemmas about what she envisions =
as being valuable for her future, they face, alongside her, choices which a=
re both different and irrevocable. Each option holds the possibility of tot= ally transforming her life, but no option seems completely satisfying.

Her protege in the company, Reggie Boykin, offers her another choice that a= dds new possibilities, but his idea also places him at risk in new ways as =
he takes his own big step into the unknown and struggles to keep a secret f= rom Amy that he has hidden all his life.

As an author, E. Aly builds a romance from unlikely roots, adds the conflic=
t created by job and two co-workers who face their own life-changing moment=
s, and follows each through the mire of ethical and emotional choices. The = focus on emotional evolution, changing priorities, and the juxtaposition of=
work world and family life creates a satisfying backdrop for an evolving r= elationship that rests on rocky foundations.

As Reggie, Tom, and Amy find themselves mired in an increasing love triangl= e-style dilemma, each must make choices that seem to go against everything = they've believed and fought for. A Third Option is a study not in tradition=
al romance and relationship-building, but what happens when life introduces=
surprising twists to carefully planned life paths. Each of the characters = feels compelled to step up to the challenge in different ways, holding diff= erent feelings, and these lend a fine layer of complexity to the story.

While the result can be billed a 'romance', A Third Option actually is far = more detailed than the usual story of love. As Amy, Tom and Reggie re-exami=
ne their lives and options, new paths emerge which recreate ideals of love =
as well as testing their characters and life objectives.

Libraries looking for love stories that emerge from turbulent roots and sur= prising connections will find A Third Option attractive and recommendable, = especially to book clubs seeking more than the standard romance's progressi= on.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promo= ting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no fund=
s from authors or publishers. Full permission is given to post any of these=
reviews on thematically appropriate websites, newsgroups, listserves, inte= rnet discussion groups, organizational newsletters, or to interested indivi= duals. Please give the Midwest Book Review a credit line when doing so.

The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "Califo= rnia Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwat= ch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available=
for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview=
(dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
, and list price).

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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