365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #356

The Wedding Gift - Sandra Steffen
Mills & Boon Cherish
Harlequin Mills & Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263888799

My rating

From the back cover:

"A second-chance love...
A small miracle kept nurse Madeline from completely unravelling. When a tragic accident claimed her fiance, at least his heart could be used to save another life. Seeking closure, she went in search of the man who had received this gift. What she found - exasperating, irresistible architect Riley - opened a whole new world to her.
Not since the transplant had Riley felt as alive as when Madeline waltzed into town. Soon she had the bachelor wrapped around her finger. Had Riley been given his very special second chance to wed this once-in-a-lifetime woman?"


I have had this book on my Kindle for ages and honestly I forgot I even had it!

The heroine Madeline has tracked down the hero Riley, wanting to see if he is doing well. Riley is the man who received her late fiancé's heart donation after a tragic accident, something that Madeline has never quite gotten over. Although she had only planned to see from a distance that he OK, she ends up needing to meet him. Riley thinks that Madeline, as a nurse, was hired by his worried mother to check up on him, he ignores all of Madeline's denials and tells her leave. However, when they meet again Riley feels a strange connection to her and begins to think that a relationship, albeit a casual and temporary one, with her may be just what he needs to get him out of his recent funk. Madeline also finds herself drawn to Riley, and spending time with him makes her feel happy for the first time in a long time. But Riley still doesn't know the real reason she is there, and Madeline doesn't know how to tell him the truth.

This is a very sweet, simple, and easy to read romance. The relationship between the hero and heroine built gradually and felt very real. The characters were able to deal with their issues as their relationship progressed, and this is satisfying to read. I could see the conflict coming a mile off, and it played out a little too predictable for me. The flowery 'magical' elements included by the author are, in my opinion, frustrating as they make the book feel a little silly. And, the ending is very poor - it is way too cheesy as well as rushed.

But, this is a sweet and enjoyable story.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #120

The Wedding She Always Wanted - Stacy Connelly
Mills and Boon Cherish
Harlequin UK
ISBN: 9780263878813




My rating






From the back cover:

"Emily’s world tilted on its axis when Javier twirled her in his arms. The jilted bride-to-be never expected to meet a man like him at the wedding that should have been hers. Still, she knew the handsome playboy was wrong for her in every way. So why was she letting him sweep her off her feet?
Javier didn’t believe in fate. But from the moment he spun Emily onto the dance floor he was captivated by her. Emily had faith in Javier – and in the passion that made him long to shed his bachelor ways. What would it take to get her to say yes? To take that fateful walk down the aisle…with him?"



I found this one in my local library and picked it up mainly because it's a) new and b) has a nice cover. This is an OK book.

At the start of this book the heroine Emily is bridesmaid at her cousins wedding, however it should have been her wedding. After finding out her ex-fiancé had got another woman pregnant, she had cancelled the wedding and has suffered from the gossip ever since. At the wedding she connects with Javier, the hero, who is the only one who is able to see through her bravado and wants to talk to her rather than about her. As they build a friendship Emily realises that she needs to make changes and lead her own life away from her controlling family. Javier helps her find her own home and get her confidence back and she helps him to be strong and confront his mother about her constant disappointment in him. Both of them think they don't want a long term relationship after being hurt, but there is more that just a fleeting attraction between them.

This is a quick read and quite sweet as a romance. But I found it rather dull and at times quite frustrating. There are way too many 'family issues' in this book that are really not that big a deal. To me the heroine was too spineless to be appealing and the hero was nice enough but didn't really leave an impression. The ending is lovely and romantic but just that little bit too cheesy.

Like I said, this is a sweet romance but falls very short of what I was expecting.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #46

Their Newborn Gift - Nikki Logan
Mills and Boon Romance/Cherish
Harlequin Mills and Boon
ISBN: 9780263876758



My rating



From the back cover:

"One big secret…
When Lea became accidentally pregnant she decided that she would go it alone. Rodeo star Reilly wasn’t the sort of man who’d want to be tied down. But five years later she needs to tell him her secret…
One tiny blessing…
Learning he’s a daddy is bittersweet for Reilly, because his little girl is fighting to survive. Her only hope is a new brother or sister. Can he and Lea create a newborn miracle – and a future together?"

This book was originally published under the Mills and Boon Romance line but was re-branded and re-released under the Cherish Line in ebook form when Mills and Boon re-branded many of their lines and covers in late 2010. This was offered as a free ebook download (along with 12 more titles) from www.everyonesreading.com or you can also get these titles free from the Amazon Kindle store, which is where I got my copy from.

The story begins with the heroine Lea travelling with her little daughter Molly to visit the hero Reilly. Five years ago Lea and Reilly shared a night together, Lea had left in the early hours never seeing him again and did not tell him that he is Molly's father. Reilly is surprised to see Lea again, he was angry that she left as he felt they had connected and he is even more angry when he learns of Molly's existence. Lea informs Reilly that Molly is very sick and needs a bone marrow transplant, preferably from the cord blood stem cells of a full sibling. She asks Reilly to get her pregnant again so this would be possible. Reilly tells her that due to injuries sustained while he was a Rodeo competitor he can't get her pregnant in the biblical way! But offers her the use of his banked sperm.
Both Reilly and Lea are wary of relationships from issues in their childhoods. Reilly sees this new baby as his last chance to have his own family, and sets the condition that Lea must give him full custody once the baby is born. Lea knows that giving up the child will be one of the hardest things she will ever do but knows she must in order to save Molly. As Lea and Reilly spend time together during her pregnancy they begin to get to know one another properly and start to work through some of their own issues.

This was a very emotional and intense book, and very beautifully written. The characters are both very well developed, and I really enjoyed the fact that both were flawed and had the chance to grow and move on within the story. Nikki Logan has certainly written about a hard hitting subject with the impending loss of a child and a parents attempt to do anything in their power to save that child. I will admit that I felt a little uncomfortable initially about the subject matter of creating one child in order to save another, however this was handled with care and sensitivity by the author and there was no doubt that the characters would love the new baby equally.

I loved the Australian countryside setting and all the references and descriptions of the local nature, although I did have to keep looking up the occasional thing after not having a clue what it meant! I have actually learnt quite a few things about Australian nature and wild life from reading this book!

I have Nikki Logan's recent UK RIVA release on my TBR pile and if it's as good as this one then I can't wait to read it!

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #26

The Baby Swap Miracle - Caroline Anderson
Mills and Boon Cherish
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263888703




My rating




From the back cover:

"Through a twist of fate they found a family and each other!
Sam Hunter only intended to help his brother fulfil his dream of having children, but now, through an IVF mix-up, a complete stranger is pregnant with his child! To make matters worse, shes utterly gorgeous.
For warm-hearted widow Emelia Eastwood, this child was meant to be the final legacy of her husband. The hospitals discovery turns her world upside down. Sam begins to feel fiercely protective of his accidental family and soon he and Emelia discover that the twists and turns of fate can lead to a love they never expected."

Can you believe it, another book with an IVF mistake involved! Is there some epidemic of IVF mistakes happening that I have missed?! Anyway regardless this was another good book. Also I made an effort to read this as it's from the Cherish line and I know I have been reading a lot of Modern and Intrigue books recently.

The book begins with the heroine Emelia being informed that the baby she is carrying is not her late husbands after a mistake at the IVF clinic, instead she is carrying the hero Sam's baby. Sam was the sperm donor for his brother and sister-in-law's attempts to have a baby. During the IVF treatment all four of them became good friends. As if that is not enough heartache for Emelia she also has to face her in-laws turn their back on her and find out that they tricked both her and her late husband (while he was dying) into going through posthumous IVF treatment.
Due to all the upheaval she has been through with her husbands death of cancer and the IVF treatment Emelia has nowhere else to turn but to Sam. Sam was hurt deeply by a woman in his past and vows never to let a woman in his heart again, however he desperately wants to be part of his baby's life so asks Emelia to move in with him despite that he is very attracted to her.

This is a really sweet love story, however it is full of emotional upheavals, which really give depth to the story. I really felt for Emelia and how alone she felt after everything she has been through, yet she was a really warm and honestly written character that I instantly liked. Sam on the other hand was a little frustrating, he just could not let go of his past and I just wanted to scream at him to get over it! I liked how this story took place over a 4 month or so period as it really gave the feelings the two characters have for each other time to develop.

This story left me with a warm feeling all over, as you would expect from the Cherish line! Oh and it helped that it was set in Suffolk, that's my neck of the woods!

Xx