Monday, March 31, 2014

Sincerely Yours


Sincerely Yours
A Novella Collection
Jane Kirkpatrick, Amanda Cabot,
Laurie Alice Eakes, Ann Shorey
(Revell)
ISBN: 978-0800722043
April 2014/384 pages/$14.99

Four unexpected letters. Four intrepid women. Four lives changed forever.

Spanning a century and a continent, these romantic novellas will lead you on a journey through the landscape of love. Four young women find their lives altered after each receives a letter that sets her on a new path. From a Hudson River steamboat to a lush drawing room, from a carousel carver's workshop to a remote hospital, you'll be swept into the lives of women who are making their way in the world and finding love where they least expect it.

Moonlight Promise by Laurie Alice Eakes
Camilla Renfrew is a highborn English lady fleeing false accusations when she runs smack into love on a steamboat bound for the new Erie Canal. But can this unexpected attraction survive the treacherous journey?

Lessons in Love by Ann Shorey
Marigold Montgomery Bentley writes marriage advice for Kipler's Home Weekly even though she is single. Everyone assumes from the initials that "M. M." is a man. When the editor asks to meet Mr. Bentley, can Merrie come up with a ruse to keep her writing job?

One Little Word by Amanda Cabot
Lorraine Caldwell will lose her family fortune to a reckless cousin if she doesn't marry quickly. When she learns her long-lost brother is alive, she hopes she's found the answer to her problems. What she finds instead is a mysterious carousel carver who turns her life upside down.

A Saving Grace by Jane Kirkpatrick
Grace Hathaway must rescue a dear friend from a remote and notorious clinic that promises healing but delivers only heartache. In a place laced with deceit, where lives hang in the balance, whom can she trust to help her?

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Photo Credit:
© Carole Marie Photography
Jane Kirkpatrick is the New York Times and CBA bestselling author of more than twenty-five books, including A Sweetness to the Soul, which won the coveted Wrangler Award from the Western Heritage Center. Her works have been finalists for the Christy Award, Spur Award, Oregon Book Award, and Reader's Choice awards, and have won the WILLA Literary Award and Carol Award for Historical Fiction. Many of her titles have been Book of the Month and Literary Guild selections. You can also read her work in more than fifty publications, including Decision, Private Pilot, and Daily Guideposts. Jane lives in Central Oregon with her husband, Jerry. Learn more at www.jkbooks.com.

Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of the Texas Dreams series, Christmas Roses, Summer of Promise, and Waiting for Spring. Her books have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards and the Booksellers Best. She lives in Wyoming. Find out more at www.amandacabot.com.

Laurie Alice Eakes is the author of Lady in the Mist, Heart's Safe Passage, A Necessary Deception, A Flight of Fancy, and several other novels. She won a National Readers Choice Award for Best Regency in 2007 for Family Guardian. Laurie Alice writes full-time from her home in Texas, where she lives with her husband and sundry dogs and cats. Learn more about her at www.lauriealiceeakes.com.

Ann Shorey is the author of the At Home in Beldon Grove series, Where Wildflowers Bloom, and When the Heart Heals. She has also published selections in the Cup of Comfort series and in Chicken Soup for the Grandma's Soul. Ann and her husband make their home in southwestern Oregon. Learn more at www.annshorey.com.

MY THOUGHTS

I generally don't pick up individual novellas because they are just too short for me since I am such a quick reader. However, I do enjoy collections like this of novellas by different authors with a common theme or even connected characters. This collection contains four novellas that are actually very different and stand alone; they are tied together by the common threads of being historical romances and the fact that a letter received by the heroine plays a significant part in the story. Although I have read very little that Jane Kirkpatrick has written, I have enjoyed several books by Amanda Cabot, Ann Shorey, and Laurie Alice Eakes, so I knew to expect intriguing stories from their pens. As expected, the tales are charming with likeable characters whose dilemmas drew me in on the opening pages. While the brevity of each novella required that the pace move quickly, none of them felt rushed, and the resolutions were satisfying. This is a great book to tuck in your bag or car for those waiting times when you need a quick, light read.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Amanda Cabot and Revell Books as part of their blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


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2 comments:

Amanda Cabot said...

Linda -- Thanks so much for taking the time to read and review Sincerely Yours. I'm delighted that you enjoyed our stories. I'm also very pleased that the shorter format worked for you. As someone who's often challenged to finish a book in less than 110,000 words, I was worried about whether readers would find the stories too short.

Ann Shorey said...

Linda, I'm late reading your lovely review, but I "sincerely" thank you for reviewing Sincerely Yours. So glad you enjoyed our stories!