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Rainbow's End
Join a geo-caching adventure in the spectacular Lake of the Ozarks wilderness, with Lyssa, the enthusiastic volunteer who can’t see past her own plans; Madison, a city girl paired with an outdoorsy guy who gets on her very last nerve; Hadley, who doesn’t know enough about guys to realize she’s met a womanizer; and cautious Reagan, who meets an equally cautious guy. Will they find the treasure they’re looking for … or something else entirely?
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2012
2 people are currently reading
350 people want to read
About the author
Valerie Comer
87 books228 followersValerie Comer is constantly amazed that living, talking, dreaming characters appear in her mind and flow from her fingertips and, from there, to her delighted readers. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily-ever-afters as much as she does hers, sharing rural life in western Canada with her husband, adult children, and adorable grandkids.
Valerie is a two-time USA Today bestselling author and a two-time Word Award winner. She is known for writing engaging characters, strong communities, and deep faith into her green clean romances.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
April 30, 2012
These stories are centred around Rainbow's End in the Missouri Ozarks, where four women arrive to participate in a geocaching hunt – will they find what they are looking for, or will they find love? (It's a romance collection. No prizes for guessing the correct answer, I'm afraid.)
Geocaching is like a treasure hunt with GPS devices. Participants are given GPS locations for caches, and, in these novellas, they also receive clues in the form of poems. The idea is to find as many caches as possible and leave a small memento to prove you were there. I’m not sure this is my idea of fun, but the four authors in this collection certainly manage to inject the challenge into their romances, which all take place over the same two-month period.
In Topaz Treasure by Valerie Comer, Lyssa Quinn is soliciting sponsorship for the Rainbow's End Treasure Hunt being organised by her church when she meets Kirk K, her ex-college professor, who is helping run his brother's new shop. Although she recognises Kirk immediately and remembers his very anti-Christian stance, he does not remember her and does not understand why she is so antagonistic towards him when he asks her out. My favourite part of this story was the point at the end about how we are all parts of the same body, and not all of us are called to be the mouth.
Beneath the Surface by Annalisa Daughety is the story of Madison Wallace, who has returned to her home town in time to enter the geocaching contest with her sister. However, an accident means that Madison is soon working on the geocaching competition with the home town boy next door, who is everything she never wanted, and who seems to disapprove of her too. But spending time together forces them both to overcome their preconceptions about each other.
In Welcome Home, Love by Nicole O’Dell, Hadley Parker has returned to Osage Beach after thirteen years to take part in the geocaching competition. She is flattered to be asked out by handsome Brad, partly because that takes her away from Noah who she liked as a teen. This story had a couple of loose ends that meant it didn’t work as well for me, but it still illustrated an important principle in that we need to ensure we are following our own calling in life, not trying to live someone else’s.
My personal favourite was the final story, Love’s Prize by Cara C. Putman, because it had a suspense element and I really enjoy romantic suspense. Reagan Graham is spending an extended vacation with her brother, Gerard, and his new college roommate, Colton. They have come to remote Osage Beach and the geocaching competition to escape a stalker who has been plaguing Reagan. But they might not have managed to escape after all. I liked the development of the romance in this, and I especially liked the twist at the end that I really didn't see coming.
With the exception of Topaz Treasure, these were not so much Christian romances as clean romances with Christian characters, but they were still enjoyable. I find the Barbour 4-in-1 romance novella collections are always a light-hearted and easy-to-read, perfect for a lazy afternoon when I want a short read with a happy-ever-after that will leave me with a smile.
Thanks to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
Geocaching is like a treasure hunt with GPS devices. Participants are given GPS locations for caches, and, in these novellas, they also receive clues in the form of poems. The idea is to find as many caches as possible and leave a small memento to prove you were there. I’m not sure this is my idea of fun, but the four authors in this collection certainly manage to inject the challenge into their romances, which all take place over the same two-month period.
In Topaz Treasure by Valerie Comer, Lyssa Quinn is soliciting sponsorship for the Rainbow's End Treasure Hunt being organised by her church when she meets Kirk K, her ex-college professor, who is helping run his brother's new shop. Although she recognises Kirk immediately and remembers his very anti-Christian stance, he does not remember her and does not understand why she is so antagonistic towards him when he asks her out. My favourite part of this story was the point at the end about how we are all parts of the same body, and not all of us are called to be the mouth.
Beneath the Surface by Annalisa Daughety is the story of Madison Wallace, who has returned to her home town in time to enter the geocaching contest with her sister. However, an accident means that Madison is soon working on the geocaching competition with the home town boy next door, who is everything she never wanted, and who seems to disapprove of her too. But spending time together forces them both to overcome their preconceptions about each other.
In Welcome Home, Love by Nicole O’Dell, Hadley Parker has returned to Osage Beach after thirteen years to take part in the geocaching competition. She is flattered to be asked out by handsome Brad, partly because that takes her away from Noah who she liked as a teen. This story had a couple of loose ends that meant it didn’t work as well for me, but it still illustrated an important principle in that we need to ensure we are following our own calling in life, not trying to live someone else’s.
My personal favourite was the final story, Love’s Prize by Cara C. Putman, because it had a suspense element and I really enjoy romantic suspense. Reagan Graham is spending an extended vacation with her brother, Gerard, and his new college roommate, Colton. They have come to remote Osage Beach and the geocaching competition to escape a stalker who has been plaguing Reagan. But they might not have managed to escape after all. I liked the development of the romance in this, and I especially liked the twist at the end that I really didn't see coming.
With the exception of Topaz Treasure, these were not so much Christian romances as clean romances with Christian characters, but they were still enjoyable. I find the Barbour 4-in-1 romance novella collections are always a light-hearted and easy-to-read, perfect for a lazy afternoon when I want a short read with a happy-ever-after that will leave me with a smile.
Thanks to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
May 4, 2012
Topaz Treasure is one out of 4 fun stories in the Rainbow's End novel published by Barbour. I like novellas because of their length you can take them to read in the school car line or sports practices. Being theses stories are quick reads you feel like you had a little me time in your busy day.
Topaz Treasure is a story of holding on to false beliefs, and unwillingness to accept others can change. Lyssa's roommate was fearful that Lyssa would be hurt by Kirk, a known Christian mocker. Was she right? Not telling you! I don't do spoilers. The story is set in the Ozarks and made me feel like I was home. Comer got the setting correct, right down to Ha Ha Tonka State Park. Lyssa and Kirk's characters are well written as is the story. I do wish it could have been a novel so I could have stayed with the characters a bit longer. Topaz Treasure is a unique love story in that it centers around geocaching--hunting for treasure using a GPS. Intrigued by this hobby I'm hoping to take part of some of these myself.
November 17, 2012
Have just completed the Welcome Home, Love short story written by Nicole O'Dell for the Ireland Reading Challenge 2012 that will end November 30th.
Found this entry a quick and thoughtful read - yes, definitely had the romance, but also included challenges of thinking regarding women and their self perception..
Our protagonist has recently lost 100 lbs excess weight, but how does she internalize her new image? Interesting dialogue running throughout this geo cacheing challenge she sets herself in an effort to solidify her weight success... relational challenges emerge and her responses kept me interested enough to find out if she might find success here too..
Next up? Canadian, Valerie Comer's entry in this 4 pack of summer FuN..
Found this entry a quick and thoughtful read - yes, definitely had the romance, but also included challenges of thinking regarding women and their self perception..
Our protagonist has recently lost 100 lbs excess weight, but how does she internalize her new image? Interesting dialogue running throughout this geo cacheing challenge she sets herself in an effort to solidify her weight success... relational challenges emerge and her responses kept me interested enough to find out if she might find success here too..
Next up? Canadian, Valerie Comer's entry in this 4 pack of summer FuN..
July 8, 2015
Rainbow’s End is a delightful collection of romance stories where the characters find their way to love through recognizing themselves and turning to the support of God when things seem too overwhelming. Written by four different authors, and with differences of approach and genre at times, the collection still manages to read as a cohesive whole through the threads of overlapping characters and the underlying situation where they are all involved in a church-sponsored geo-caching hunt.
For those who do not know of geo-caching, this book offers a fun introduction and just might inspire some readers to turn on their phone GPS and check out local caches. We see the perspectives of beginners and those with more experience, get hints at some of the risks for the unprepared, and learn that it’s the challenge that counts rather than the beauty of the clue. I didn’t know about the clue system before, and so my first hunt ended in failure as I stood at the coordinates with no idea where the cache might be. I found the geo-caching parts quite interesting, as you might be able to tell.
Depending on the story, if you’re religion sensitive, you might have some difficulty, but none of the stories tripped over into preaching in my opinion. In each case, the people involved either had or found faith in the course of their journey to love. The faith messages are both strong and subtle in the sense that they lay down no particular path but rather speak to trusting in God to be there for support and guidance, and about learning to listen for that guidance which often comes in a quiet way not a crash of thunder.
Though the novellas did work together, each had a distinct story so I’m going to address them separately now that I’ve talked about some of the general aspects. I did have a bit of a different experience because I got this book from NetGalley and so it was not the final version and two of the stories appear out of order. Also, I had a bit of a hand in the first story as Valerie Comer’s critique partner, but the version I saw in the process was an earlier one than the final, and I was thrilled to see how it had grown.
Topaz Treasure by debut author Valerie Comer opens the collection with a different kind of faith journey. It focuses not so much on finding religion as Lyssa is a long term believer while Kirk has discovered true faith in his brother’s recently deceased wife, but rather on learning to accept and trust in others. Kirk has more to overcome than he realizes when attracted to Lyssa because he does not recognize her as the quiet friend to an outspoken true believer he’d tormented in his early years as a professor. And Lyssa’s broken relationship with her street preacher father keeps her from admitting to the faith that is a strong part of her for fear of shoving it down someone’s throat and making a fool of herself. This novella is an internal growth journey, but each choice, and each barricade set in their way, brings Kirk and Lyssa together, while also offering healing for others around them.
Beneath the Surface by Annalisa Daughety forces two apparent opposites together when Madison’s sister dumps the geo-caching challenge on her when they were supposed to be a team, and Grant’s grandfather proves too weak to handle the pressures of the game. Madison ran from the Ozarks as fast as she could in pursuit of her mother’s dream of a city life while Grant has turned his back on the stress of competitive fishing, and high-maintenance women, in favor of being a small time fishing guide. Their story is steeped with assumptions gone wrong, sometimes between the two, but also inside of each of them as they learn to accept who they are and not be dragged down by the past or the expectations of others.
Love’s Prize by Cara C. Putman adds a bit of suspense to the collection. Reagan allows her brother to convince her to come and join in the hunt with his friend Colton as a way to escape from a stalker the police can’t seem to find. She wants to curl into a corner and hide, so resents the presence of a stranger, no matter how good looking and engaging. But when her brother loses interest in the hunt, and keeps asking Colton to stick with her as protection, something magical sparks between them that offers a chance to let her fear subside and gives Colton the opportunity to re-evaluate his plans for the future. There’s more, but I have a spoiler-free policy .
Welcome Home, Love by Nicole O’Dell is again a personal journey, but one taken primarily by Hadley, with Noah looking on in misery. Like Madison, Hadley left the Osage Beach area as a young woman. She’s had some rough times and recently got herself in order, especially her health. She joins the Rainbow’s End Treasure Hunt to prove to herself that she’s left the fat girl behind and can take on the world. The trouble is that no matter what she says, that fat girl is still foremost in her mind and drives her decisions more than she’ll ever admit. She has to learn that not all suitors are equal and to look beyond the surface of others, but also of herself, before she can see what’s right in front of her. Meanwhile, Noah, a successful youth pastor and the leader of this hunt, has a blind spot where she is concerned that existed since before she left the first time. He can’t see his own value enough to approach her with anything but frustration. He needs to learn to trust his emotions, and trust that Hadley can come to see the value in his love.
I think I’ve put the stories in the order I’ll get to read them when my actual copy arrives…and I’ll get to see the dedications and other pieces left out of the galley, but you should be able to see my enjoyment in each story with the summaries above. I was impressed at how the basic rule set opened the path for four very different types of stories. Each involves the hunt, each involves faith, and each involves a couple discovering each other and themselves. Yet the way each of the authors brought those elements together and stirred meant I didn’t feel any sense of repetition as I read the collection. The first two stories are more internal, while the last two involve a prominent external conflict as well, but that’s not the end to their unique aspects. I had fun taking a stroll through the lives of these people as they joined in the very first Rainbow’s End Treasure Hunt, and whether or not this group takes the stories a step further by reconnecting in a new collection on the second annual treasure hunt, I’m walking away with a sense both of satisfaction and of a broader world where other stories could be told. To me, this is the measure of success.
For those who do not know of geo-caching, this book offers a fun introduction and just might inspire some readers to turn on their phone GPS and check out local caches. We see the perspectives of beginners and those with more experience, get hints at some of the risks for the unprepared, and learn that it’s the challenge that counts rather than the beauty of the clue. I didn’t know about the clue system before, and so my first hunt ended in failure as I stood at the coordinates with no idea where the cache might be. I found the geo-caching parts quite interesting, as you might be able to tell.
Depending on the story, if you’re religion sensitive, you might have some difficulty, but none of the stories tripped over into preaching in my opinion. In each case, the people involved either had or found faith in the course of their journey to love. The faith messages are both strong and subtle in the sense that they lay down no particular path but rather speak to trusting in God to be there for support and guidance, and about learning to listen for that guidance which often comes in a quiet way not a crash of thunder.
Though the novellas did work together, each had a distinct story so I’m going to address them separately now that I’ve talked about some of the general aspects. I did have a bit of a different experience because I got this book from NetGalley and so it was not the final version and two of the stories appear out of order. Also, I had a bit of a hand in the first story as Valerie Comer’s critique partner, but the version I saw in the process was an earlier one than the final, and I was thrilled to see how it had grown.
Topaz Treasure by debut author Valerie Comer opens the collection with a different kind of faith journey. It focuses not so much on finding religion as Lyssa is a long term believer while Kirk has discovered true faith in his brother’s recently deceased wife, but rather on learning to accept and trust in others. Kirk has more to overcome than he realizes when attracted to Lyssa because he does not recognize her as the quiet friend to an outspoken true believer he’d tormented in his early years as a professor. And Lyssa’s broken relationship with her street preacher father keeps her from admitting to the faith that is a strong part of her for fear of shoving it down someone’s throat and making a fool of herself. This novella is an internal growth journey, but each choice, and each barricade set in their way, brings Kirk and Lyssa together, while also offering healing for others around them.
Beneath the Surface by Annalisa Daughety forces two apparent opposites together when Madison’s sister dumps the geo-caching challenge on her when they were supposed to be a team, and Grant’s grandfather proves too weak to handle the pressures of the game. Madison ran from the Ozarks as fast as she could in pursuit of her mother’s dream of a city life while Grant has turned his back on the stress of competitive fishing, and high-maintenance women, in favor of being a small time fishing guide. Their story is steeped with assumptions gone wrong, sometimes between the two, but also inside of each of them as they learn to accept who they are and not be dragged down by the past or the expectations of others.
Love’s Prize by Cara C. Putman adds a bit of suspense to the collection. Reagan allows her brother to convince her to come and join in the hunt with his friend Colton as a way to escape from a stalker the police can’t seem to find. She wants to curl into a corner and hide, so resents the presence of a stranger, no matter how good looking and engaging. But when her brother loses interest in the hunt, and keeps asking Colton to stick with her as protection, something magical sparks between them that offers a chance to let her fear subside and gives Colton the opportunity to re-evaluate his plans for the future. There’s more, but I have a spoiler-free policy .
Welcome Home, Love by Nicole O’Dell is again a personal journey, but one taken primarily by Hadley, with Noah looking on in misery. Like Madison, Hadley left the Osage Beach area as a young woman. She’s had some rough times and recently got herself in order, especially her health. She joins the Rainbow’s End Treasure Hunt to prove to herself that she’s left the fat girl behind and can take on the world. The trouble is that no matter what she says, that fat girl is still foremost in her mind and drives her decisions more than she’ll ever admit. She has to learn that not all suitors are equal and to look beyond the surface of others, but also of herself, before she can see what’s right in front of her. Meanwhile, Noah, a successful youth pastor and the leader of this hunt, has a blind spot where she is concerned that existed since before she left the first time. He can’t see his own value enough to approach her with anything but frustration. He needs to learn to trust his emotions, and trust that Hadley can come to see the value in his love.
I think I’ve put the stories in the order I’ll get to read them when my actual copy arrives…and I’ll get to see the dedications and other pieces left out of the galley, but you should be able to see my enjoyment in each story with the summaries above. I was impressed at how the basic rule set opened the path for four very different types of stories. Each involves the hunt, each involves faith, and each involves a couple discovering each other and themselves. Yet the way each of the authors brought those elements together and stirred meant I didn’t feel any sense of repetition as I read the collection. The first two stories are more internal, while the last two involve a prominent external conflict as well, but that’s not the end to their unique aspects. I had fun taking a stroll through the lives of these people as they joined in the very first Rainbow’s End Treasure Hunt, and whether or not this group takes the stories a step further by reconnecting in a new collection on the second annual treasure hunt, I’m walking away with a sense both of satisfaction and of a broader world where other stories could be told. To me, this is the measure of success.
August 25, 2022
Cute read. Stories were short and sweet.
August 5, 2025
Four related stories about a small town in the Ozarks hosting a summer of geocache hunts
May 3, 2013
Topaz Treasure is such an enjoyable read! Lyssa is a Christian, but is incredibly shy when speaking about her faith. Then she comes across Kirk Kennedy, her college professor who was cruel to her best friend. Could he possibly be the same guy she remembers from college? Or has his heart finally changed for the better? If only she didn’t feel a connection whenever she sees him, she would happily bring up this uncomfortable conversation and get closure. There’s an unexpected surprise in the story that makes it the perfect light-hearted read and there is indeed a treasure that gets found.
Beneath the Surface brings a story of opposites attract, with just the right amount of tension and sweetness. From hostility to humbleness, from heartbroken to healing; when Madison returns home after several years of being mostly absent she doesn’t expect to make amends with her family. With the help of her sister’s neighbor, adventures in geocaching, and lots of prayer, Madison realizes there’s so much more than what appears on the surface.
Love’s Prize took a little longer to get my interest, but I really enjoyed the romance here as it unfolds and the story overall adds perfectly to this book. Reagan is an accountant having some trouble at home so her brother invites her to stay with him for the summer. His friend and fellow law student, Colton, happily joins in the hopes that he will win the treasure hunt of geocaching while looking after Reagan. I completely relate to Reagan in bringing her camera along to capture the beauty and essence of looking for caches on their excursions. An unexpected twist in the story totally changes everything!
Welcome Home, Love (written by Nicole O’Dell) "is dedicated to all the women—old, young, and in between—who struggle with low self-esteem and a poor body image. Having camped there most of my life, I know the stronghold well. May you rise up with wings of beauty and take flight with your Savior as He gazes upon one of His most beautiful creations—you."
With dedications like that, my heart is won over immediately. Hadley has recently lost A LOT of weight and is in the best shape of her life physically. However, her mind is still catching up to this new image. She still sees herself as “the fat girl” instead of seeing how beautiful she has always been. She has difficulty taking compliments, she is determined to prove herself and her new strength by winning the geocache treasure hunt, she has invested thousands of dollars to make this trip in the hopes that NO ONE will recognize who she was before, and she immediately catches the attention of two men. One that broke her heart in the past and the other an obvious player. Will Hadley come to realize how beautiful and special she is in the eyes of God? There’s also a slight twist in this story and an adorable marriage proposal that goes wonderfully wrong!
Each of these stories beautifully convey messages or starting over, starting fresh, forgiveness, healing, adventure, romance, friendship, and love in the midst of one GREAT treasure hunt. I cannot pinpoint which one was best because each of them have amazing characters and obstacles to overcome. I highly recommend this book as it gives the perfect amount of clean romance, hope, fun and faith that will definitely enhance any booklover’s bookshelf!
Beneath the Surface brings a story of opposites attract, with just the right amount of tension and sweetness. From hostility to humbleness, from heartbroken to healing; when Madison returns home after several years of being mostly absent she doesn’t expect to make amends with her family. With the help of her sister’s neighbor, adventures in geocaching, and lots of prayer, Madison realizes there’s so much more than what appears on the surface.
Love’s Prize took a little longer to get my interest, but I really enjoyed the romance here as it unfolds and the story overall adds perfectly to this book. Reagan is an accountant having some trouble at home so her brother invites her to stay with him for the summer. His friend and fellow law student, Colton, happily joins in the hopes that he will win the treasure hunt of geocaching while looking after Reagan. I completely relate to Reagan in bringing her camera along to capture the beauty and essence of looking for caches on their excursions. An unexpected twist in the story totally changes everything!
Welcome Home, Love (written by Nicole O’Dell) "is dedicated to all the women—old, young, and in between—who struggle with low self-esteem and a poor body image. Having camped there most of my life, I know the stronghold well. May you rise up with wings of beauty and take flight with your Savior as He gazes upon one of His most beautiful creations—you."
With dedications like that, my heart is won over immediately. Hadley has recently lost A LOT of weight and is in the best shape of her life physically. However, her mind is still catching up to this new image. She still sees herself as “the fat girl” instead of seeing how beautiful she has always been. She has difficulty taking compliments, she is determined to prove herself and her new strength by winning the geocache treasure hunt, she has invested thousands of dollars to make this trip in the hopes that NO ONE will recognize who she was before, and she immediately catches the attention of two men. One that broke her heart in the past and the other an obvious player. Will Hadley come to realize how beautiful and special she is in the eyes of God? There’s also a slight twist in this story and an adorable marriage proposal that goes wonderfully wrong!
Each of these stories beautifully convey messages or starting over, starting fresh, forgiveness, healing, adventure, romance, friendship, and love in the midst of one GREAT treasure hunt. I cannot pinpoint which one was best because each of them have amazing characters and obstacles to overcome. I highly recommend this book as it gives the perfect amount of clean romance, hope, fun and faith that will definitely enhance any booklover’s bookshelf!
May 5, 2012
Daughety, Nicole O'Dell, Cara Putman
4 STARS
Kirk is a collage Humanities professer who used to challenge christians in class. Now he is in town to help his brother open a shop. His brother just lost his wife to cancer and is bitter.
Lyssa is shy but she is helping her church sell advertising for their GEO treasure hunting fundraiser. She walks into the store and starts to back out when she reconizes Kirk as the professor who always picked on her friend in collage.
Kirk tries to date Lyssa now does not know she was in his class years ago but Lyssa has walls up.
BENEATH THE SURFACE by Annalisa daugherty
Madison is unemployed and her sister Brook wants her to come and stay with her for the summer. She signed them both up for treasure hunt.
Grant and his grandfather signed on for the treasure hunt for something for both of them to do together.
When Brook & her husband have to leave for a family emergency. Brook and Grants grandfather said let Madison & grant work together.
Madison wears mostly dresses and famous brands and hopes to get a job in NY.
Grant just retired from professional fishing. Right now he is a guide and drives an old dirty truck.
WELCOME HOME, LOVE by Nicole O'Dell
Noah is the one who is in charge of the geocache hunt. He is the minister.
Hadley in the past year lost a 100lbs and is doing the hunt help her feel healthy. She has not seen Noah for 13 years since she saw him kissing her friend. She is angry with Noah but keeps embrassing herself in front of him.
Noah can't forget her. They were friends in thier youth.
Love's Prize by Cara C. Putman
Reagan is an accountant who was being stalked. Her cat was poisoned. So she was going with her brother and his roomate for two months and entering the geocaching contest. Reagan took lots of pictures of the two guys and the scenery but she would not sign the logs and have a record of her their.
Colton was asked by his law school roomate if he would go with them and help protect Garrets sister from the stalker. He was willing to do it and have a two month relaxing outdoors till lawschool started this fall.
Garrets is protective of his sister but he does take off at least one night a week. It was his idea to spend the summer in little town away from the city they lived in.
All four stories were good but feel like a bit was cut out. Thier was some mention of a couple of scriptures that fit in with the stories. No sex or swearing that I noticed. I just wish the stories were a little longer.
05/01/2012 PUB Barbour Publishing
4 STARS
Kirk is a collage Humanities professer who used to challenge christians in class. Now he is in town to help his brother open a shop. His brother just lost his wife to cancer and is bitter.
Lyssa is shy but she is helping her church sell advertising for their GEO treasure hunting fundraiser. She walks into the store and starts to back out when she reconizes Kirk as the professor who always picked on her friend in collage.
Kirk tries to date Lyssa now does not know she was in his class years ago but Lyssa has walls up.
BENEATH THE SURFACE by Annalisa daugherty
Madison is unemployed and her sister Brook wants her to come and stay with her for the summer. She signed them both up for treasure hunt.
Grant and his grandfather signed on for the treasure hunt for something for both of them to do together.
When Brook & her husband have to leave for a family emergency. Brook and Grants grandfather said let Madison & grant work together.
Madison wears mostly dresses and famous brands and hopes to get a job in NY.
Grant just retired from professional fishing. Right now he is a guide and drives an old dirty truck.
WELCOME HOME, LOVE by Nicole O'Dell
Noah is the one who is in charge of the geocache hunt. He is the minister.
Hadley in the past year lost a 100lbs and is doing the hunt help her feel healthy. She has not seen Noah for 13 years since she saw him kissing her friend. She is angry with Noah but keeps embrassing herself in front of him.
Noah can't forget her. They were friends in thier youth.
Love's Prize by Cara C. Putman
Reagan is an accountant who was being stalked. Her cat was poisoned. So she was going with her brother and his roomate for two months and entering the geocaching contest. Reagan took lots of pictures of the two guys and the scenery but she would not sign the logs and have a record of her their.
Colton was asked by his law school roomate if he would go with them and help protect Garrets sister from the stalker. He was willing to do it and have a two month relaxing outdoors till lawschool started this fall.
Garrets is protective of his sister but he does take off at least one night a week. It was his idea to spend the summer in little town away from the city they lived in.
All four stories were good but feel like a bit was cut out. Thier was some mention of a couple of scriptures that fit in with the stories. No sex or swearing that I noticed. I just wish the stories were a little longer.
05/01/2012 PUB Barbour Publishing
May 8, 2012
NOTE: I received this book from Netgalley in return of an honest review.
Okay, so this isn't a YA book, although there's no reason why a teen shouldn't read it. I mean, it's got romance, but the most intimate thing is kissing. So yeah, anyone 15+ should be able to read it and get the most of it.
I liked it very much because it also was Christian themed, and Christian romance is just so good! I mean, finding the road to the Lord is a miracle all on it's own. But finding romance with the right person...? Well, it's just amazing :)
This book contains four stories about four couples, who get united at the treasure hunt at Rainbow's End. Each story is separate, has it's own line of plot and everything.
The first story talks about Lyssa and Kirk, who have had a grudge ever since college. But Lyssa has no clue Kirk has changed, so she keeps on pushing him away even though her heart is pulling her in a different direction. The Christian point here is about sharing your faith boldly.
The second one was the story of Maddison and Grant, who live in totally different worlds, and dream about completely different things. And yet, when they're paired up for the treasure hunt, they find out that they aren't all that different after all. The Christian moral here is a verse from the book of Matthew: "Where your treasure is, your heart will be also." I totally loved this story.
Story number three was about Noah and Hadley who had parted ways at high school in not such good terms. Now she doesn't want to even look at him, while all he could think of is her. Hadley on the other hand, suffers from low self-esteem, and can't seem to meet her face in the mirror. But it is the way of the Lord to show that since He loves us, we must love ourselves also.
And the final one, which actually had some action in it, besides the romance, was my favorite of them all. It was the story of Reagan and Colter, who had started off the treasure hunt as strangers. They had no intentions to fall in love with anyone, since there was no space for a special person in their lives. But God had something else in mind. The Christian moral here could be split into two: trusting in God and knowing that He didn't create us to hold fear.
My rating above is an average from the four stories.
Okay, so this isn't a YA book, although there's no reason why a teen shouldn't read it. I mean, it's got romance, but the most intimate thing is kissing. So yeah, anyone 15+ should be able to read it and get the most of it.
I liked it very much because it also was Christian themed, and Christian romance is just so good! I mean, finding the road to the Lord is a miracle all on it's own. But finding romance with the right person...? Well, it's just amazing :)
This book contains four stories about four couples, who get united at the treasure hunt at Rainbow's End. Each story is separate, has it's own line of plot and everything.
The first story talks about Lyssa and Kirk, who have had a grudge ever since college. But Lyssa has no clue Kirk has changed, so she keeps on pushing him away even though her heart is pulling her in a different direction. The Christian point here is about sharing your faith boldly.
The second one was the story of Maddison and Grant, who live in totally different worlds, and dream about completely different things. And yet, when they're paired up for the treasure hunt, they find out that they aren't all that different after all. The Christian moral here is a verse from the book of Matthew: "Where your treasure is, your heart will be also." I totally loved this story.
Story number three was about Noah and Hadley who had parted ways at high school in not such good terms. Now she doesn't want to even look at him, while all he could think of is her. Hadley on the other hand, suffers from low self-esteem, and can't seem to meet her face in the mirror. But it is the way of the Lord to show that since He loves us, we must love ourselves also.
And the final one, which actually had some action in it, besides the romance, was my favorite of them all. It was the story of Reagan and Colter, who had started off the treasure hunt as strangers. They had no intentions to fall in love with anyone, since there was no space for a special person in their lives. But God had something else in mind. The Christian moral here could be split into two: trusting in God and knowing that He didn't create us to hold fear.
My rating above is an average from the four stories.
April 18, 2012
This wonderful book is broken into four stories
The first one Topaz Treasure details the life of Kirk, a professor and Lyssa a teacher and former student of Kirk's. They meet again a few years after Lyssa has graduated college and while Lyssa remembers Kirk, he has no recolection of her. Their past wasn't an easy one and now they must navigate to a future together. Kirk is seeking the lord and while Lyssa has him she isn't ready to speak up and share him. This is a really sweet love story, with an ending I love and a focus on a little thing called Geo-Caching that my family loves to do! I enjoyed seeing how this story fell into place!
The second tale Beneath the Surface Is the story of Madison and her summer in her sisters house. Once her sister leaves her without a Geo Caching partner, she partners up with Grant and what a duo they make. Madison needs some time to work past what she wants in life and Grant must learn to work past his stereo type for her, but in the end when the work both mental and figurative is done what will they have?
The third Tale Welcome Home Love involves the life of Hadley, a young woman who is on a new adventure in life, living as a healthy person. Recently having lost a large amount of weight, life is new for Hadley. Swept up by the player in town, Brad. Hadley must learn what she really wants from life and love. The Character of Noah is in my eyes her destinty, but will she see it? There is a past to see there and figuring out where they want to go from there is a great path!
The final story Love's Prize is filled with some drama, scary parts and of course romance. Garrett and his sister Reagan have slipped away from the city for the summer due to a stalker following Reagan. Colton is Garrett's soon to be college roommate. The three spend the summer looking for caches and trying to make sure there is no danger for Reagan. In the end the mystery continues and love takes over.
The first one Topaz Treasure details the life of Kirk, a professor and Lyssa a teacher and former student of Kirk's. They meet again a few years after Lyssa has graduated college and while Lyssa remembers Kirk, he has no recolection of her. Their past wasn't an easy one and now they must navigate to a future together. Kirk is seeking the lord and while Lyssa has him she isn't ready to speak up and share him. This is a really sweet love story, with an ending I love and a focus on a little thing called Geo-Caching that my family loves to do! I enjoyed seeing how this story fell into place!
The second tale Beneath the Surface Is the story of Madison and her summer in her sisters house. Once her sister leaves her without a Geo Caching partner, she partners up with Grant and what a duo they make. Madison needs some time to work past what she wants in life and Grant must learn to work past his stereo type for her, but in the end when the work both mental and figurative is done what will they have?
The third Tale Welcome Home Love involves the life of Hadley, a young woman who is on a new adventure in life, living as a healthy person. Recently having lost a large amount of weight, life is new for Hadley. Swept up by the player in town, Brad. Hadley must learn what she really wants from life and love. The Character of Noah is in my eyes her destinty, but will she see it? There is a past to see there and figuring out where they want to go from there is a great path!
The final story Love's Prize is filled with some drama, scary parts and of course romance. Garrett and his sister Reagan have slipped away from the city for the summer due to a stalker following Reagan. Colton is Garrett's soon to be college roommate. The three spend the summer looking for caches and trying to make sure there is no danger for Reagan. In the end the mystery continues and love takes over.
May 7, 2012
These stories take place around the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri and center on a geocache hunt. A geocache hunt is when you use a GPS to find a location where someone else has hidden something. You use your GPS to find that location and once you are at the location you look for the hidden object.
The first story, Topaz Treasure is about Lyssa and Kirk. Their previous interaction sets up this story. Will Lyssa be able to move past Kirk’s harsh words? Will Kirk be follow his brother down a road of bitterness or be willing to admit he was wrong?
Beneath the Surface is about Madison and Grant. Madison is going through a transition in her life and falling in love with Grant will only make it more complicated. Will they come together before Madison moves on?
Welcome Home, Love is about Hadley and Noah. They have a history but will that help them grow closer or further apart?
The last story is about Reagan and Colton. Their interactions are made interesting by the reason behind their summer connection. Will he be able to protect her? Will they find love with each other?
I liked how each story was separate and how they all took place around the same time and in the same location. All the stories were easy to read and follow. Even though they stories were short the relationships of the main characters were believable and enjoyable!
I gave this book 5/5 stars as each story was good on its own and all the stories together made for a great read!
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book I enjoyed reading. I gave an honest review based on my opinion of what I read.
The first story, Topaz Treasure is about Lyssa and Kirk. Their previous interaction sets up this story. Will Lyssa be able to move past Kirk’s harsh words? Will Kirk be follow his brother down a road of bitterness or be willing to admit he was wrong?
Beneath the Surface is about Madison and Grant. Madison is going through a transition in her life and falling in love with Grant will only make it more complicated. Will they come together before Madison moves on?
Welcome Home, Love is about Hadley and Noah. They have a history but will that help them grow closer or further apart?
The last story is about Reagan and Colton. Their interactions are made interesting by the reason behind their summer connection. Will he be able to protect her? Will they find love with each other?
I liked how each story was separate and how they all took place around the same time and in the same location. All the stories were easy to read and follow. Even though they stories were short the relationships of the main characters were believable and enjoyable!
I gave this book 5/5 stars as each story was good on its own and all the stories together made for a great read!
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book I enjoyed reading. I gave an honest review based on my opinion of what I read.
June 26, 2012
As I have said before the Romancing America series has fast become one of my favorites to read. This book is no exception. This book is told by four different couples over the same time frame. The four stories evolve around a geocaching adventure put on by a local church that lasts for the summer months.
What I liked: I really liked the whole book. My favorite story probably was the last one which has some good suspense and to be honest I was not expecting the outcome and that was a pleasant surprise for such a short story! I felt even though the four stories where not intertwined even thought they followed the same storyline setting that they where well written and fun to read and with the last story being suspenseful really make the ending enjoyable.
What I did not like: Honestly not much. The story was a little slow in one of the stories at times but still a good read.
Over all another good book in the Romancing America series and I highly recommend picking this one up. It’s an easy read and a great one if you need to read a little here and there as with four stories you can stop and start a little easier. Check it out!
http://abbiesreadingcorner.com/2012/0...
What I liked: I really liked the whole book. My favorite story probably was the last one which has some good suspense and to be honest I was not expecting the outcome and that was a pleasant surprise for such a short story! I felt even though the four stories where not intertwined even thought they followed the same storyline setting that they where well written and fun to read and with the last story being suspenseful really make the ending enjoyable.
What I did not like: Honestly not much. The story was a little slow in one of the stories at times but still a good read.
Over all another good book in the Romancing America series and I highly recommend picking this one up. It’s an easy read and a great one if you need to read a little here and there as with four stories you can stop and start a little easier. Check it out!
http://abbiesreadingcorner.com/2012/0...
June 8, 2012
I won this book through Goodreads first read program.
I am not a big fan of the romance genre but I do love God. These four short novellas weren't as bad as I thought they would be. They are four seperate stories written by four different authors that are interconnected in that they all take place in the Ozarks in Missouri. They all involve the Rainbow End Church and its geocaching contest. I didn't even know what geocaching was till I read these stories. Actually sounds kind of interesting. Each story involves a girl meeting a guy during the contest and they end up in love.
The first story, Topaz Treasure, is actually the best of the four. It has a twist to it and I do like twists. The next two stories, Beneath the Surface and Love's Prize are ok. The final story, Welcome Home, Love is not very good. Very unbelieveable.
Overall a quick easy read that wasn't too bad. Had some good Christian points that were brought out. God needs to be at the center of a relationship for it to be successful and these stories attempt to bring that out. And that is a good thing.
I am not a big fan of the romance genre but I do love God. These four short novellas weren't as bad as I thought they would be. They are four seperate stories written by four different authors that are interconnected in that they all take place in the Ozarks in Missouri. They all involve the Rainbow End Church and its geocaching contest. I didn't even know what geocaching was till I read these stories. Actually sounds kind of interesting. Each story involves a girl meeting a guy during the contest and they end up in love.
The first story, Topaz Treasure, is actually the best of the four. It has a twist to it and I do like twists. The next two stories, Beneath the Surface and Love's Prize are ok. The final story, Welcome Home, Love is not very good. Very unbelieveable.
Overall a quick easy read that wasn't too bad. Had some good Christian points that were brought out. God needs to be at the center of a relationship for it to be successful and these stories attempt to bring that out. And that is a good thing.
April 22, 2012
4 Fun, Light Romances
Rainbow’s End is a collection of four stories that run concurrently, written by four different authors presenting a very intriguing setup. The stories occur in the Missouri Ozarks at Lake of the Ozarks. All the stories occur during a geocache contest set up by a church that runs over two months. A geocache contest is when teams compete in attempting to locate a series of caches with only the longitude and latitude of the location, along with a poem to help pinpoint the location after arrival. The teams use handheld gps devices to track the exact longitude and latitude. The first three stories are simple romance stories while the fourth has some suspense included. All four stories were worth reading as above average clean romances, and the geocache contest added some fun sideline interest.
Received Galley from NetGalley.com
Rainbow’s End is a collection of four stories that run concurrently, written by four different authors presenting a very intriguing setup. The stories occur in the Missouri Ozarks at Lake of the Ozarks. All the stories occur during a geocache contest set up by a church that runs over two months. A geocache contest is when teams compete in attempting to locate a series of caches with only the longitude and latitude of the location, along with a poem to help pinpoint the location after arrival. The teams use handheld gps devices to track the exact longitude and latitude. The first three stories are simple romance stories while the fourth has some suspense included. All four stories were worth reading as above average clean romances, and the geocache contest added some fun sideline interest.
Received Galley from NetGalley.com
May 8, 2012
Thanks to Netgalley for my review copy.
I heard about this book from the Rainbow's End launch party on twitter. The more I heard the more I wanted to read this book. It is a novella written by 4 authors each writing there own story. The story is set in the Lake of the Ozarks wilderness where a geocaching event has been organised for the summer. I love the idea of geocaching and the book makes me want to try it at some stage. Each story takes place in this time frame and each is different in there own way. They fit well together. The book also features Valerie Comer's debut story and it leads of the book and is a strong story.
I love Barbour's novella's and also love the novella's that are linked. Dealing with a past time that is becoming more popular also adds to the read. Good read.
I heard about this book from the Rainbow's End launch party on twitter. The more I heard the more I wanted to read this book. It is a novella written by 4 authors each writing there own story. The story is set in the Lake of the Ozarks wilderness where a geocaching event has been organised for the summer. I love the idea of geocaching and the book makes me want to try it at some stage. Each story takes place in this time frame and each is different in there own way. They fit well together. The book also features Valerie Comer's debut story and it leads of the book and is a strong story.
I love Barbour's novella's and also love the novella's that are linked. Dealing with a past time that is becoming more popular also adds to the read. Good read.
August 20, 2012
This was a fun book to read. Last year for school my high schoolers had a geocaching club and we went once. It was fun to figure out where the caches were. This was a fun story of four different couples who were involved in a contest. Though each story was written by a different author, the stories flowed well together and the authors complemented each others style of writing. Well done ladies. Would love to read another work done by the four of you.
July 13, 2013
I love hiking and have always wanted to go geocaching. But I've not yet been able to do that activity. It was so much fun to do it virtually through this 4-1 novel. I really enjoy Valerie Comer and so was very pleased to see her speak and be able to pick up this book. I like contemporary romance, but I also like a little adventure and this novel blends them together nicely for me. You'll enjoy it :)
January 17, 2015
Loved this series of novellas about a geo cache put on by a church. Very cute, and fun to see how the group of different stories wove together. Short reads that let you pick it up and put it down. Each author brought a different slant to the stories. Only drawback is they seemed too short! I would have wanted to read more about them, some ended a little too quickly! Not any great writing, but a fun diversion.
July 7, 2012
This was an interesting book; four stories, four different authors in one book. Kinda unfair that they all get lumped into one rating. The first and last stories were my favorites; first getting the top spot. I would give Topaz Treasure a 5 star rating; Welcome Home, Love a 4 1/2 star rating; and the remaining two a 4 star rating. All in all, it was a good book.
July 23, 2012
I received Rainbow's End as a giveaway from Goodreads, but that did not influence my rating. I enjoyed the book even though I do not usually read romance. I vacationed in the Ozarks this summer so it was the perfect fit for the vacation! I liked how the stories were woven together with the same characters. If you like romance, you will enjoy these short stories.
May 1, 2013
I really enjoyed reading this novella collection. Each romance centers around the Rainbow’s End geocache hunt. I learned more about geocaching in each story and I liked the outdoors summer setting. The stories run concurrently and one of the novellas has a suspense element. I recommend this novella collection to those looking for fun romance stories with an outdoors theme.
March 6, 2015
This is truly a amazing story. When Kirk comes to help his brother open his new store his life will completely change. Lyssa is completely shocked when she finds Kirk in town. Watching the relationship between these two will have you on the edge of your seat. You will feel God working on these characters in this story. I was gifted this book for a honest review.
Read
March 4, 2018This book is about romance and a lot about geocaching. Since I've been geocaching before I was able to relate to everything that was explained to talk about in the book. I really like this book a lot but I do think that the author could've explained a little more about the geocaching for those who don't know much about it. :-)
April 20, 2012
Reviewed for Booked Up . Stay tuned for the review to be posted on Booked Up's goodreads account and the Blog
June 20, 2013
I received this book through the First Reads giveaway program on Goodreads. Review to follow!
This is a gift for my grandmother, so when she finishes this book I'll post her review.
Another book the Grandmother loved!
This is a gift for my grandmother, so when she finishes this book I'll post her review.
Another book the Grandmother loved!
June 20, 2016
I loved that this joined many of my favorite genres and hobbies. Christian romance, mystery, and geocaching - who could ask for more? Although I did enjoy the intertwining of the novellas, they writing fell a bit flat for me overall.
January 19, 2017
I enjoyed this collection of stories. The theme of a geocaching summer was very fun. And it was fun to remember where the characters of other stories were at the same time I was reading the current story. It sounded like the authors had a good time writing this together and it was a fun read.
Want to read
May 20, 2012I live in the heart of the Ozarks so this sounds awesome! =D
October 13, 2015
This was a Goodreads win. I enjoyed the stories but there wasn't much to them. It was a easy going/relaxing book.
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