ASK ME WHY by Jodi Thomas, Marie Force, Virginia Kantra & Shirley Jump

Berkley Jove

July 7^th, 2015

978-0-515-15538-9

Contemporary Romance

Mass Market Paperback

Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by Publisher

4 Hearts


Four brand new novellas to fall in love with from some of your favorite authors.

Midnight Bet by Jodi Thomas (Harmony Book 8.5) - For Rick & Lizzie Matheson, coming back to Harmony, Texas is a step neither anticipated making. But when they end up in a shooting incident, well things just go from bad to worse. Can these two find a way to risk their hearts to the one person who they find they can not be without?

As much as I enjoy Ms. Thomas’s Harmony, Texas series, there was just too much going on in this story and I felt it would have been better served as a full length novel rather than a novella. We got two storylines going on, Rick and Lizzie’s and though I enjoy the mystery of how and why the Matheson’s were targeted, the author doesn’t get into the meat of the story about these two characters. The storyline felt incomplete to me, in my opinion and the characters felt one dimensional. There were hints over t he pasts of some of the characters but alas, the author never does more than just mention them then goes on a different path, leaving the reader scratching their head in confusion. Overall, this was just an okay story that has potential to being a great one but doesn’t quite make the mark.

You’ll be Mine by Marie Force (Green Mountain Book 4.5) - You are invited to Will Abbott and Cameron Murphy’s wedding. Get ready to laugh, cry and tell a love struck moose that Cam is off limits in this latest chapter in the Green Mountain Series.

I got to admit this was one story I have been waiting for since the first book in the Green Mountain Series, All You Need is Love, thrust its claws in me and since then I have been on pins and needles waiting for each book in the series to come out. The readers will laugh, cry and laugh some more as we take in the antics of the Abbott family and friends as well as a certain love-struck moose, who crashes the reception. Ms. Force does a marvelous job in keeping the romance alive in her novella, You’ll Be Mine and I literally was on pins and needles as I flipped the page hoping these two very special characters got their happy ever after. What really left me in tears was Cameron’s way of making her late mother a part of her wedding and I know readers will just bawl their eyes out over those scenes just like I did. Overall, this was truly one of the best in the anthology and I am eager to see where the next book in the series goes from here.

Carolina Heart by Virginia Kantra (Dare Island Book 4.5) - Cynthia Lodge is determined to start over with her daughters, one that doesn’t include the complications of a man or a relationship. She just never anticipated that Max Lewis is determined to show her that loving someone won’t always lead to heartbreak.

I enjoyed the first book in the Dare Island series and though I haven’t kept up on it like I want to, Carolina Heart is a great addition to the series. It’s filled with two main characters that steal your heart right from the beginning. I loved watching Cynthia come into her own and learn to trust her heart again. Max and Cynthia are two characters you just can’t help but fall in love with. With a romance that will make you melt to characters that you are dying to meet in real life, Ms. Kantra delivers a sparkling addition to her Dare Island series that will make you run to get the other books in the series. I am looking forward to rediscovering this gem of a series in the future.

Wrapped Around Your Finger by Shirley Jump (Southern Bell Book Club Book 0.5) - Maggie McBride is determined to make it in the man’s world of construction. But when she asks Nick Patterson to a wedding, well these two find that some walls can be broken down, kiss after kiss.

This is a new author for me so I was a little hesitant when I started reading this story. But man does the author deliver a set of main characters that are quite enjoyable and a little bit heart meltingly delightful. WRAPPED AROUND YOUR FINGER is a sweet romance that just sparkles in the light. It contains a set of main characters that the reader can get behind on and root for as well as deal with things like fear, insecurities, etc that could doom a relationship. Ms. Jump delivers a sweet romance that you can’t help but enjoy till the very last page.

ASK ME WHY is a lovely anthology that has something for everyone. If you are enjoying the authors for the first time, this will give you a glimpse into the series the stories in this anthology is centered in and might make you a fan after you read these wonderful novellas. With a touch of the computer keys, all the authors in the series capture the romance as well as the happy ever after the characters longed for. ASK ME WHY is full of small town charm and stories you will fall in love with. I highly recommend you grab this anthology and settle in over a long afternoon for some entertaining and heart melting reading that will make you smile.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement