Review: Each story is very different...
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 01 18, 2014
Reviewed by JoAnneBook provided by Edelweiss for reviewReview originally posted at Romancing the BookThis was an anthology that was a salute to the military. The three authors each wrote a story that had someone who was in the military or had served in the military at its core.The stories were very different and my favorite was Home Sweet Home by Candis Terry. Least favorite was Letters From Pie Town by Lynne Hinton.Home Sweet Home seemed most realistic to me in its approach. I loved how the townspeople worked together to surprise Aiden after he had come back from Afghanistan after losing his two best friends. Paige’s love for him had never waned since they were children together and he had felt the same way until he returned and felt broken by the war. Their rekindled romance was heartwarming and you felt you could be part of the town rallying around Aiden just from the feel good aura of the book. There was the requisite happily ever after and nice closure.Letters from Pie Town didn’t reel me in since it was a series of letters written by the townspeople to their wounded soldier still in the hospital in Germany. The story was very one sided and I couldn’t embrace it. Also, the story ended without me realizing it was the end until I turned the page and saw the sneak peek of the next Pie Town story. The excerpt did add some closure but it really wasn’t enough and it was in the next book in the series.The Bookish Miss Nelson was an enjoyable read and I liked the chemistry between Pippa and William as well as the adventures they got into together. There was a happily ever after and the author’s note gave nice closure.I disliked that after each story there was an excerpt of another of the author’s books. This took away from the theme of the anthology and made the book appear longer than it actually was if you weren’t interested in reading the excerpts – which I wasn’t but felt compelled to since they were there.I did enjoy the About the Author segment at the end of the book where I learned more about each of them. I have read books by Cathy Maxwell before but not the others and will give some of them a try.Favorite Quote:  From Cathy Maxwell’s The Bookish Miss Nelson –His lips next to her ear, he said, “You are not supposed to kiss someone with your lips all pressed together as if you are tasting something disagreeable.”“I wouldn’t know,” she said, heat rising into her cheeks.From Lynne Hinton’s Letters From Pie Town –They all love you, that’s for sure. I mean I knew it when you left for boot camp. I heard all the stuff they said about you joining the army and everything but since they all heard about you getting hurt, everybody has to stop and tell me and Frank how much you mean to them and how they’re all praying for you. It’s a nice thing, Raymond. I hope you know what you mean to the folks here.From Candis Terry’s Home Sweet Home –Before his demons returned to mess with his thoughts, he gave Paige all his attention. He made slow, sweet love to her, as if he were still the man he used to be. When they came together with a final thrust and moan, Aiden realized that he’d give anything to be the man Paige wanted him – needed him – to be.As much as he wanted it to be true, he also realized it was impossible to resurrect the dead.