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Aliso Creek #3
The Daisy Chain
Welcome to the Aliso Creek Novella Series
Liz, Gemma, Arie, Jess, and Drew have been best friends since creating “the Five” at Aliso Creek High School. But that was over ten years ago, and each is still trying to find that perfect someone... if perfect is even possible.
Actually, Jess Giles does find her perfect match, but since Charlie’s several years older than she, they never have a moment of harmony from his adult kids who protest the marriage. When Charlie dies in a tragic accident, his kids add insult to injury and sue Jess for her share of the inheritance. The only person Jess trusts for financial advice is Charlie’s financial planner, Preston Michaels. Just talking to Preston on the phone makes Jess feel flustered, yet strangely comfortable at the same time, so she puts off meeting him for as long as possible. When Jess has to attend the formal hearing, she’s about to find out if the man she’s been talking to over the phone for several months lives up to the voice that she’s grown attached to.
Liz, Gemma, Arie, Jess, and Drew have been best friends since creating “the Five” at Aliso Creek High School. But that was over ten years ago, and each is still trying to find that perfect someone... if perfect is even possible.
Actually, Jess Giles does find her perfect match, but since Charlie’s several years older than she, they never have a moment of harmony from his adult kids who protest the marriage. When Charlie dies in a tragic accident, his kids add insult to injury and sue Jess for her share of the inheritance. The only person Jess trusts for financial advice is Charlie’s financial planner, Preston Michaels. Just talking to Preston on the phone makes Jess feel flustered, yet strangely comfortable at the same time, so she puts off meeting him for as long as possible. When Jess has to attend the formal hearing, she’s about to find out if the man she’s been talking to over the phone for several months lives up to the voice that she’s grown attached to.
65 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 14, 2013
17 people are currently reading
219 people want to read
About the author
Heather B. Moore
164 books1,595 followersHeather B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling author of more than ninety publications. Heather writes primarily historical and #herstory fiction about the humanity and heroism of the everyday person. Publishing in a breadth of genres, Heather dives into the hearts and souls of her characters, meshing her love of research with her love of storytelling.
Her ancient era historicals and thrillers are written under pen name H.B. Moore. She writes historical women's fiction, romance and inspirational non-fiction under Heather B. Moore, and . . . speculative fiction under Jane Redd. This can all be confusing, so her kids just call her Mom. Heather attended Cairo American College in Egypt and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. Despite failing her high school AP English exam, Heather persevered and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in something other than English.
Please join Heather's email list at: HBMoore.com/contact/
Website: HBMoore.com
Twitter: @heatherbmoore
Instagram: @authorhbmoore
Facebook: Fans of Heather B. Moore
And yes, the Blog still lives: MyWritersLair.blogspot.com
Literary honors: 2020 Goodreads Choice Award Semi-Finalist, Foreword 2020 INDIES Finalist, ALA Best New Books - September 2020, 6-time Best of State Recipient for Best in Literary Arts, 2019 Maggie Award Winner, 4-time Whitney Award Winner, and 2-time Golden Quill Award Winner.
Heather is represented by Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret.
Her ancient era historicals and thrillers are written under pen name H.B. Moore. She writes historical women's fiction, romance and inspirational non-fiction under Heather B. Moore, and . . . speculative fiction under Jane Redd. This can all be confusing, so her kids just call her Mom. Heather attended Cairo American College in Egypt and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. Despite failing her high school AP English exam, Heather persevered and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in something other than English.
Please join Heather's email list at: HBMoore.com/contact/
Website: HBMoore.com
Twitter: @heatherbmoore
Instagram: @authorhbmoore
Facebook: Fans of Heather B. Moore
And yes, the Blog still lives: MyWritersLair.blogspot.com
Literary honors: 2020 Goodreads Choice Award Semi-Finalist, Foreword 2020 INDIES Finalist, ALA Best New Books - September 2020, 6-time Best of State Recipient for Best in Literary Arts, 2019 Maggie Award Winner, 4-time Whitney Award Winner, and 2-time Golden Quill Award Winner.
Heather is represented by Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
September 15, 2015
A fun romance, though short. Of course, I knew going in that it is a novella, so no real surprise there. I was a little hampered in this one by the grief of the main character, Jess. It's a year after the loss of her husband and the story starts with her still in the depths of that grief. She seems to be holding onto it, somewhat, and delaying her recovery out of fear of losing her connection to him. The problem is that I have no idea how to relate to that kind of grief and that kept a distance between me and Jess that was uncomfortable for me. I liked Preston. I wanted Jess to be with him because I could see what a solid guy he was. But I didn't know any better than Jess did if this was too soon and if she should/could trust her growing feelings for him. I kind of wish the author/publisher had allowed this one to be a bit longer--mostly to give me the reassurance that the relationship would endure the way that I hope that it will. In the end, though, I did enjoyed it and would love to read more by the author.
August 20, 2013
This was the perfect book to read right before going to bed last night. I was exhausted but wanted to unwind and escape for a few minutes before falling asleep and had just downloaded a free copy of this novella from Amazon so thought I'd give it a try. I started in and didn't turn the light out until I had finished it.
The Daisy Chain is a short novella easily read in an hour that left a smile on my face. It's only 61 pages long so when you pick it up you know it's not going to have a huge in-depth story line. However even with just 61 short pages Heather did a great job of creating characters and a story I cared about and could relate to. This is not the first novella in this series but I was able to read it as a stand alone without feeling like I was missing something. That said I will definitely pick up the other books in this series to read about the other characters who were mentioned in this book.
Rating: 4 Stars - Great Book
Content: Clean
Source: Free download from Amazon.com
The Daisy Chain is current free to download from Amazon.com. Grab your free copy while you can!
August 30, 2013
This novella had great characters that were easy to love and connect with. Jess is a 30 year old widow, still mourning for her dead husband a year after his death in a car crash. With his adult kids contesting his will giving her an equal share of his money, her only ally is Preston, her financial adviser. She's only talked to him over the phone for the past year, and is too nervous to meet him in person, but when events thrust them together, it leads to a chain of events that will surprise both of them.
March 1, 2013
Heather's latest novella in the Aliso Creek series hit the mark again for a quick read filled with everything a reader desires. The characters are genuine, emotions authentic, and just enough romantic tension to keep the pages turning for a satisfying end.
If you enjoyed reading Third Time's the Charm (An Aliso Creek Novella), then you'll love The Daisy Chain.
I look forward to reading more of Heather's series.
If you enjoyed reading Third Time's the Charm (An Aliso Creek Novella), then you'll love The Daisy Chain.
I look forward to reading more of Heather's series.
August 18, 2013
A deeply emotional read, “The Daisy Chain” was both sad and touching. Everyone who has lost a loved one will be able to relate to Jess’s grieving, especially those who have had to deal with the death of a spouse. I couldn’t really relate to Jess, but I was happy to join her on her journey of healing and finding happiness again. A good read for those romantic-at-heart bookworms looking for a heartwarming quick fix.
August 24, 2013
Ugh. I hate novellas. They are ok when they are in the middle of a series. But not the first book. I think this could have been a really great novel. I felt like it picked up at the end of a really good story. To me it was creepy that she was willing to get in a car and go for a drive/boat ride with a stranger. I know they had talked for months and gotten to know each other but I didn't feel like we got to experience the relationship build up.
February 4, 2013
I really enjoyed this novella from Heather Moore. What I am liking most about these short stories are the strong plots and characters. I can't wait for the next installment of the Aliso Creek gals. I do hope Drew gets a story too.
April 26, 2013
SO fun! I'm excited to read the rest of the series. Thanks for writing my kind of romance, Heather! :)
February 20, 2017
I would've liked it to be longer, but it's still a sweet, simple novella. I like that Heather Moore can write with passion without getting smutty. I'll definitely be checking out more of her books!
September 3, 2013
The Daisy Chain by Heather B. Moore
Something about the cover drew me to want to read this book. I remember chaining flowers together in a chain to wear around my neck and wrists when I was a young girl.
This is the story about Jess and it goes back in time to when she was first married to Charlie. You learn a lot about their past life's into the present day.
Charlie had 2 kids older than Jess when he married her. A year after he died in the car crash she is still heavily mourning him. The kids were suing for the inheritance and she had one of Charlie's friends as a financial adviser checking into things for her.
She feels if she goes to the meeting with the judge she will be betraying Charlie by meeting other men-Preston her financial adviser and the 2 kids will be there. Her friends talk her into going - to fight for what Charlie wanted her to have.
What happens at the meeting is most unexpected as the kids produce a box of cards from their father to Jess over the period of seven months. They ask for forgiveness from her and agree to drop the lawsuit. The kids had once thought she was a gold digger but the cards proved otherwise..
He takes her on a drive to relax her and they end up at the marina and she realizes he's bought Charlie's yacht. They had sold it because it was just too big for just the 2 of them. The kids never wanted to use it.
Jess was happy to learn about Preston and Charlie's relationship with the will but as friends also and he shared with her what Charlie thought of her and he could see it.
Love the descriptions of the places they went to, her studio and how she makes the jewelry.
After making his sister a bracelet and they deliver it to her she realizes she knows about a lot of her over the past year and Jess is afraid others will read too much into it.
She's afraid they are moving too fast and it's just too soon after Charlie has left.....
Love how the book got it's title.
The other books in the series are highlighted at the end of this book.
Something about the cover drew me to want to read this book. I remember chaining flowers together in a chain to wear around my neck and wrists when I was a young girl.
This is the story about Jess and it goes back in time to when she was first married to Charlie. You learn a lot about their past life's into the present day.
Charlie had 2 kids older than Jess when he married her. A year after he died in the car crash she is still heavily mourning him. The kids were suing for the inheritance and she had one of Charlie's friends as a financial adviser checking into things for her.
She feels if she goes to the meeting with the judge she will be betraying Charlie by meeting other men-Preston her financial adviser and the 2 kids will be there. Her friends talk her into going - to fight for what Charlie wanted her to have.
What happens at the meeting is most unexpected as the kids produce a box of cards from their father to Jess over the period of seven months. They ask for forgiveness from her and agree to drop the lawsuit. The kids had once thought she was a gold digger but the cards proved otherwise..
He takes her on a drive to relax her and they end up at the marina and she realizes he's bought Charlie's yacht. They had sold it because it was just too big for just the 2 of them. The kids never wanted to use it.
Jess was happy to learn about Preston and Charlie's relationship with the will but as friends also and he shared with her what Charlie thought of her and he could see it.
Love the descriptions of the places they went to, her studio and how she makes the jewelry.
After making his sister a bracelet and they deliver it to her she realizes she knows about a lot of her over the past year and Jess is afraid others will read too much into it.
She's afraid they are moving too fast and it's just too soon after Charlie has left.....
Love how the book got it's title.
The other books in the series are highlighted at the end of this book.
May 4, 2013
Like with the other novellas in the series, I was immediately interested in meeting Jess and discovering how her romance would evolve, especially since we learn that she is a widow, only a year apart from her beloved husband. How can her romance already have ended when the story has only begun? But that's where Moore brings readers the perfect balance.
Jess learns that her friendships can support her, no matter how difficult her loss, and her step-children have made life for her this past year. And she also discovers that "the five" and not her only friends.Even though she has never met Preston Michaels in person, Jess has come to rely on his advice, but there's so much more. She loves just talking to him, even though she's afraid their "relationship" will change if they actually meet. When the day comes that she feels forced to attend a court meeting with Charlie's grown children, Jess feels torn--should so attend, or should she make one more excuse not to meet Preston in person.It's a romance, so we all know what will happen, but that doesn't stop us from worrying how it will all work out for Jess.
I highly recommend the entire Aliso Creek novella series for those looking for short, clean romance.
Jess learns that her friendships can support her, no matter how difficult her loss, and her step-children have made life for her this past year. And she also discovers that "the five" and not her only friends.Even though she has never met Preston Michaels in person, Jess has come to rely on his advice, but there's so much more. She loves just talking to him, even though she's afraid their "relationship" will change if they actually meet. When the day comes that she feels forced to attend a court meeting with Charlie's grown children, Jess feels torn--should so attend, or should she make one more excuse not to meet Preston in person.It's a romance, so we all know what will happen, but that doesn't stop us from worrying how it will all work out for Jess.
I highly recommend the entire Aliso Creek novella series for those looking for short, clean romance.
January 8, 2014
What a SWEET, TENDER, ROMANTIC story!
A grieving widow...
A financial counselor...
And two adult step children...
give you a wonderful story to cuddle up with...
and then a smile with the ending!
Jess loved her husband, Charlie, and he loved her back.
BUT...
The fact that he was so much older than her left his two adult children feeling that she as only after his money.
When Charlie is taken in a terrible accident his kids fight for her share of the inheritance.
Jess leaves all of this in the hands of her financial counselor, Preston.
Jess and Preston have been communicating on the phone for over a year now....
The battle looks like it is coming to an end.
See what happens when Jess and Preston finally meet in person...
OH. SO. GOOD!
You will LOVE this romantic tale!
A grieving widow...
A financial counselor...
And two adult step children...
give you a wonderful story to cuddle up with...
and then a smile with the ending!
Jess loved her husband, Charlie, and he loved her back.
BUT...
The fact that he was so much older than her left his two adult children feeling that she as only after his money.
When Charlie is taken in a terrible accident his kids fight for her share of the inheritance.
Jess leaves all of this in the hands of her financial counselor, Preston.
Jess and Preston have been communicating on the phone for over a year now....
The battle looks like it is coming to an end.
See what happens when Jess and Preston finally meet in person...
OH. SO. GOOD!
You will LOVE this romantic tale!
February 24, 2017
Jess's husband died and she's grieving. Her husband was older and his adult children (Jess's age) continue to make life challenging, including a knock-down-drag-out battle over money. Her financial adviser Preston has kept in contact over the phone during the past year. Besides financial concerns, he's also been sensitive to how Jess is coping. He's become a good friend. Finally able to leave her house and eager to simply get the confrontation with her late husband's children over with, Jess meets Preston face-to-face for the first time.
Jess has already loved and been loved by a very good man. How can she possibly hope for happiness in her future when she knows the best part of her life is behind her?
I love how gentle Preston is with Jess, but that he also says what needs saying.
Jess has already loved and been loved by a very good man. How can she possibly hope for happiness in her future when she knows the best part of her life is behind her?
I love how gentle Preston is with Jess, but that he also says what needs saying.
February 19, 2013
Audience: Adult (Clean)
Genre: Romance
Length: 61 pages
Rating: ***** (I loved it!)
Pros: I can't even explain why I liked this one better than THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM. I did so love Preston's forward style. And the portrayal of Jess' guilty feelings, perfect. It was refreshing that while she grieved for her husband, she admitted her attraction -- and later need -- for Preston. And now that I'm off maternity leave and back to editing, the novella length reads are perfect for in between projects!
Disclaimer: Very mild sensuality.
Read this review and more at http://raneesclark.blogspot.com/p/rev...
Genre: Romance
Length: 61 pages
Rating: ***** (I loved it!)
Pros: I can't even explain why I liked this one better than THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM. I did so love Preston's forward style. And the portrayal of Jess' guilty feelings, perfect. It was refreshing that while she grieved for her husband, she admitted her attraction -- and later need -- for Preston. And now that I'm off maternity leave and back to editing, the novella length reads are perfect for in between projects!
Disclaimer: Very mild sensuality.
Read this review and more at http://raneesclark.blogspot.com/p/rev...
February 14, 2013
I love it. The bad thing as I have found with most of these short stories is I don't want them to end. I like that her husband that passed away wasn't bad or mean. You find that a lot with books about widows. They find out some awful secret or something after the spouse dies. I think I loved that both men were decent good men. I really liked this and cant wait to read more.
June 5, 2013
I really like these cute little stories of the five. I love Moore's writing, she really has mastered the art of character development. This story of Jess and finding a second chance of love was cute and enjoyable to read. The only downer was that it ended to soon. My hope is that Moore will come up with a new series with all of the five in them together...
July 30, 2017
This is a great choice for when you don't have a lot of time to read but want something satisfying. I liked seeing the building relationship between Jess and Preston. Preston was totally lovable, and I felt like Jess's emotions--both her grieving for her deceased husband and her growing attraction for Preston--were developed well.
August 30, 2013
A little too short for my taste. I really wasn't able to get into the book, by the time I started connecting with the characters it was over. But a cute read if you have just a few minutes.
Moral Note: Clean
Moral Note: Clean
September 15, 2013
Very short and sweet story of letting go and finding love again. It is a novella so don't expect it to be long and drawn out. With 145 pages it gets straight to the point. It could be turned into a novel and the characters developed more. Maybe a prequel?
February 5, 2013
This was a fun, quick read and a well developed short story. I look foward to more like this one.
May 4, 2013
Loved it! All of these novellas are a must read.
July 22, 2022
4.5 stars. I'm enjoying this series of novellas by Heather Moore (love her stuff!) -- this is another fun one!
May 6, 2013
I loved this one. The whole series are so well written. The characters are real and enjoyable!
July 9, 2013
Clean, super fast novella. LOTS of drama in a small package, a little too much for me, but it was so short and easy to read, I finished it easily in under an hour!
August 24, 2013
This I read off of my Kindle. It was a short novella. It was a sweet romance story that took only a short while to read. It was a nice way to spend a summer afternoon.
August 27, 2013
A cute quick book. I enjoy Moore's historical novels as well. I appreciate that she quickly got to the point and didn't string things out. :)
August 28, 2013
A read to get me through my workout
September 1, 2013
This is a novella so I knew going into it that there would be limited character development. But I think the author did a great job allowing you to become invested in the characters so quickly.
October 17, 2013
I love this series. So well done.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews