I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
In this collection of contemporary romance stories, four authors showcase the lives of four women living in the coastal town of Sea Glass Bay who find a newfound appreciation for romance in the anthology book, “A Second Chance for Love”.
The Synopsis
With Mother’s Day approaching, four women living in a picturesque coastal town discover a second chance at love when they finally find their happily-ever-after partners in this anthology of contemporary romance novellas.
MOM WANTED
Claire Bishop’s life as an art teacher in Sea Glass Bay is full and rewarding, but her heart longs for a family she’ll never have. When she agrees to help out widower, Sully Vaughn, by taking care of his daughter after school, Sully is concerned his little girl, Lindie, is growing too attached to her favorite teacher. Sully is trying his best to protect his child from the heartache of loss that nearly destroyed him, but he hasn’t taken into account his passion for the dynamic woman—nor Lindie’s determination to lay claim to the perfect mom.
FATHER WANTED
Jazzy Dunbar is enjoying life as a single mom, proving that you don’t have to have a man to have it all. Jeremiah Caldwell, a good friend, made the perfect sperm donor. He’s happy with their “no strings attached” relationship … or is he? He wants to be more than a sometimes-father in baby Caleb’s life. Jazzy doesn’t want to ruin their friendship by allowing their attraction to flare, but when a serious situation threatens, will Jeremiah be able to prove that they can have love and the perfect family?
HERO WANTED
Single mom Leah Martin needs to find a wedding date for her ex-husband’s wedding. Their son, Owen, is going to be the ringbearer and her attendance is required. But this florist has no time to date around the busy Mother’s Day holiday, which is why she agrees to let her friends set her up for a blind date. Hank DeLeon’s bar shares an alley with Leah’s florist shop, which is the perfect location for a restaurant if she’s willing to relocate. When he’s asked to take her on a blind date, he has to wonder: is this a great chance for a business proposition? Or a once-in-a-lifetime chance at love?
FAMILY WANTED
After a corporate restructuring at her accounting firm, Paige Duffy moved north to Sea Glass Bay and opened a handmade candle booth at the coastal town’s popular local craft market. Now her severance is running out and Paige discovers she’s pregnant from a one night stand. Charter boat owner, Gavin Cole, lost his grandfather six months ago, promising him he’d finally pursue his dreams of sailing the open ocean. But when Paige tells him that she’s pregnant with his child, Gavin must decide what adventure he really wants: the one he’s always dreamed of, or the one he never believed possible.
The Review
These four amazing authors have done a perfect job of finding the best romance stories just in time for Mother’s Day. The stories are instantly grabbing and entertaining, bringing forth both romance and rich character development within a short amount of time. The stories feel profound and well-rounded, something not every author can accomplish within a short story, and yet each of these narratives shines brightly on its own.
What was incredibly impressive was the perfect balance the authors found with not only keeping their stories set within the same fictional town and world that this collection embodies, but still managed to hold onto their own unique writing voices and styles within their own narratives. Each author brought authenticity and engaged the reader on an emotional level, capturing the heart and romance of the collection’s theme perfectly.
The Verdict
A masterful, entertaining, and emotionally-driven narrative, “A Second Chance for Love” is a must-read romantic anthology. Fantastic writing and great character build-up in such a short span of time make this a fun and exciting read, and fans of the genre will absolutely fall in love with the love stories of this collection. Be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
About the Authors
A geek at heart, USA Today and national bestselling author Anna J Stewart writes “refreshingly unique, quietly humorous, and profoundly moving romance.” (RT Book Reviews) Her books include The Nemesis Files Trilogy (light romantic suspense), The Butterfly Harbor series for Harlequin Heartwarming (sweet romances) and the Honor Bound series for Harlequin Romantic suspense. She’s also branching out into paranormal romance with the Tome Wardens short romance collection.
NYTimes bestselling author Brenda Novak says “The talented Anna J Stewart delivers every time!” Anna lives in Northern California where she deals with a serious Supernatural & Jason Momoa addiction, surrounds herself with friends and family and tolerates two devious kitties named Sherlock and Rosie.
http://www.authorannastewart.com/
Kayla Perrin is a multi-award-winning, multi-published USA Today and Essence ® bestselling author of over fifty novels and novellas. In 2011, Kayla received the prestigious Harry Jerome Award for excellence in the arts.
From the time she could hold a pencil, Kayla knew she wanted to be a writer, and didn’t stop until she realized her dream. She is published in a variety of genres, including mystery/suspense, romance and mainstream fiction. She has written for major publishing houses including St. Martin’s Press, HarperCollins Publishers, Kensington Books, Harlequin, Ballantine and Simon & Schuster.
She has been featured on television shows such as Entertainment Tonight Canada, Who’s Afraid of Happy Endings (Bravo documentary about the romance genre), A.M. Buffalo, and the CTV News (among others). She has also been featured in Ebony magazine, Romantic Times magazine, The South Florida Business Journal, The Toronto Star, The Hamilton Spectator and many other Canadian and U.S. publications. She has been a guest on many radio shows (including CBC). In October 2007, she was featured in the Italian version of Vanity Fair after speaking at a women’s conference in Matera. Her works have been translated into Italian, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese.
Kayla has spoken to children and young adults at schools and other venues, and enjoys speaking about her passion. Through her own story, she wishes to inspire people.
https://www.authorkaylaperrin.com/
Prior to writing romance, award-winning, USA Today Bestseller Melinda Curtis was a junior manager for a Fortune 500 company, which meant when she flew on the private jet she was relegated to the jump seat—otherwise known as the potty. After grabbing her pen (and a parachute) she made the jump to full-time writer. Between writing sweet romance and sweet romantic comedy, Melinda finds time to bond with her husband over home remodeling projects. She recently came to grips with the fact that she’s an empty nester and a grandma, concepts easier to grasp than jet-setting on a potty.
Sign up for her newsletter on her website to receive two free reads.
https://www.melindacurtis.net/
A non-stop flight from Honolulu to Chicago. A quick stop at the airport bookstore and Cari Lynn Webb discovered her love for romance. She cannot recall the book she bought, but she does remember finishing it somewhere over California, feeling pleased the murderer had been arrested (justice had prevailed). But frustration reigned as Cari searched for a hidden chapter or missed epilogue that would show the heroine and the FBI agent she’d fallen in love with living their happily-ever-after. (Surely love conquered all.) Except not in that particular book. Another trip to the bookstore in her grandparents’ home town and Cari discovered an entire section of books dedicated to the happily-ever-after. There she found Kathleen Woodiwiss, Judith McNaught and then Nora Robert … and she became a life-long romance reader.
Cari’s passion for reading had not dimmed years later when she found herself newly married and inside another bookstore during her lunch break. But the shelves of happily-ever-afters surrounding her couldn’t stem her frustration at not being able to find a new historical romance (Amazon wasn’t the household name it would become). So like any dedicated reader, Cari drove back to work, opened a word document and began to write the historical she wanted to read. Months later, she printed the manuscript, presented it to her husband and asked if she should pursue acting or continue writing. With her husband’s full support, she continued writing… and now she feeds her passion for romance with a stack of to-be read paperbacks in her nightstand, multiple downloads on her kindle and her own stories.
Cari believes in the power of love simply because she’d grown up surrounded by true love. She remembers her grandparents holding hands when she visited them as a kindergartner and still holding hands when her grandmother whispered her final goodbyes to her grandfather after 70 years together. Cari’s parents have been married over 50 years. And Cari is blessed to have married her own hero. She will be the first to tell you that true love isn’t always sweet and perfect, it can be challenging, complicated and risky. But in the end, there is nothing more worth fighting for.
Wishing all of you, your very own happily-ever-after…
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