The Kowalskis Collection Volume 1: #1 - 3

Kowalski Family #1-3

by Shannon Stacey

Meet the Kowalskis…

Exclusively Yours (Book One of The Kowalskis)
When Keri Daniels's boss finds out she has previous carnal knowledge of reclusive bestselling author Joe Kowalski, she gives Keri a choice: get an interview or get a new job. Joe's never forgotten the girl who broke his heart, so he proposes an outrageous plan—for every day she survives his family camping trip, Keri can ask one question. Will a little blackmail, a whole lot of family and some sizzling interludes make Keri reconsider the old dream of Keri & Joe 2gether 4ever?

Undeniably Yours (Book Two of The Kowalskis)
Bar owner Kevin Kowalski is used to women throwing their phone numbers at him, but he's more interested in finding Mrs. Right than Miss Right Now. Enter Beth Hansen. They may have started out all wrong, but Kevin knows there's more to their relationship than a one-night stand. Especially when Beth winds up pregnant…

Yours to Keep (Book Three of The Kowalskis)
Emma Shaw needs a husband, stat! Grandma Shaw is coming to town, and she'll have nonstop questions about Emma's (stagnant) love life. A little pretend kissing with recruited fake fiancé Sean Kowalski won't hurt anyone—but when innocent kisses lead to very real sparks, Emma and Sean discover that their big ruse might just lead to happily-ever-after…

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Collections, Contemporary Romance

637 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 8, 2014

About the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shannon Stacey lives with her husband and two sons in New England, where her favorite activities are writing romance and really random tweets when she’s not riding her ATV. She loves mud, books, football & watching way too much TV.

Reviews

[Flo Hill]

Loved the stories of Joe, Kevin and Sean finding their happily ever afters

[Gretchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of contemporary romance, but since 2015 seems to be the year for me to slip back into the romance genre overall, I thought I would try this series. This is a bundle of the first 3 in the Kowalski series (of which there are 9 to date).

I didn't love the set up of any of the 3 novels: old high school flames, baby on the way, or fake engagement. But once I got past that, I enjoyed the characterization. The Kowalskis are presented as a big,close-knit family in New Hampshire, and I loved the way the family featured in each book. The relationships between the brothers/sister/cousins were believable, and the kids were real kids. This isn't a rich family visit a vacation house. This is a family that camps, rides ATVs, had volleyball games (of doom!)...normal people. I liked the way Stacey used real-life examples brought as details (the smell of DEET while camping, adjusting things on a table because of cruising toddlers, looking for a spatula, etc.)

Each novel tends to have an A-plot and a B-plot. This works best in the first novel where the budding romance contrasts with 2 marriages on the rocks. They aren't presented as a cautionary tale, but having them as part of the storyline helps ground the new relationship. The B-plot doesn't work as well as a grounding device in the other 2 novels, but they do take some of the pressure off the main storyline.

Overall, an enjoyable series to read. Not necessarily my favorite, but I'd be willing to continue reading to see the rest of the family again.

[Kanoko · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent bundle…of doom.

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: The Kowalskis