Review: A nice combination all focused on love
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 31, 2013
The collection starts with Play With Me by Lisa Renee Jones. True to her form, her characters are often deeply troubled, bruised not broken, and there is an element of coming together to heal the wounds. Kali is a recent transplant to Vegas, having moved there for a job that disappeared while she was en route. An interview with a temporary agency lands her a position as the personal secretary for the CEO of a casino group, and Damon West is everything one would expect of a man in that position. The twists as the two decided on their relationship trajectory, and the secrets revealed as they worked to their happy ending was cleverly portrayed and well devised. I'm a fan of this author, and find her talent for first person narration brings an immediacy to the story that is often less apparent in other works.Second up is Mary Ann Rivers, who I was fortunate to have read previously with her novel The Story Guy. In this anthology she brings us Snowfall, a lovely novella featuring a female microbiologist living in Ohio, far from her home, and dealing with a diagnosis of Retinitis Pigmentosa, a degenerative condition that can result in blindness. Jenny is fighting against the restrictions her disease brings, and refusing every attempt to engage in life despite the diagnosis. Her OT Evan, who has displayed the patience beyond patient has coaxed, cajoled and ultimately stepped over the line of professional, as his feelings for her take over. Jenny, for her part has been engaged in a on-line relationship with a photographer, filling her nights with dreams and chat often of a sexual nature. While I twigged to the mysterious photographer long before Jenny did, I found the story and the excitement Jenny displayed for her work, and the odd bits that reference it were adorable and gave her a likability that her actions early on often lacked. Again, the path to love isn't simple here, but there is an ending that will make you smile.Lastly is a new author to me, Serena Bell and her title, After Midnight. This was not a story of new love, but of overcoming issues and learning to trust an old flame. Nora and Miles met on New Years Eve a year ago - instant attraction and things dreams are made of. But they were separated before they could exchange information, leaving both wondering. Nora is, however, far more reluctant to allow Miles back into her life after she obtained his contact information. Still thinking he will disappear, and holding onto past issues from bad breakups, she is only willing to trust in her judgment to make initial contact. Miles, however, has retreated from opening the door to a relationship and effectively cut himself out of the game before it starts. Another beautifully crafted short that shows the slow growth of a relationship when both sides are hesitant and reluctant.I received an eBook copy from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.