Much Ado About Love A Contemporary Christian Romance Collection
From Russia with Love, Susan May Warren Beyond the Waves, Lynnette Bonner Stealing Adda, Tamara Leigh Tide Will Tell, Lesley Ann McDaniel Share with Me, Jan Thompson Give the Lady a Ride, Linda W. Yezak
From Russia with Love by Susan May Warren
Kat Moore can’t believe that 24 hours after landing in Moscow, she’s on the run from the KGB. But after receiving a mysterious key, and an invitation to Russia, Kat can’t stop herself from hunting for her mysterious past.
Decorated FSB agent Vadeem Spasonov is good at his job - which is why he intercepts American “tourist” Kat Moore before she is snatched by an international smuggler. Unfortunately, she’s only made it worse by escaping protective custody. Now he has to not only track her down, but keep her safe long enough to get her home.
(Formerly published as Ekaterina.)
Beyond the Waves by Lynnette Bonner
Officer Kylen Sumner and Taysia Green have a history. He's broken her heart more than once. So when he returns home claiming he just might be in love with her, she wants nothing to do with him. If only her heart would get the message!
Stealing Adda by Tamara Leigh
Adda Sinclaire, bestselling romance author, has no romance in her life. That might have something to do with her husband—correction, ex-husband—running off with her rival, Stick Woman. To top it off, Adda has a case of writer's block. But just when she catches her breath—and the eye of a gorgeous man (ahem, her new editor)—her arch-nemesis gives the pot one final stir. Can you say "plagiarism"?
Tide Will Tell by Lesley Ann McDaniel
Kate Jennings is about to marry the man of her dreams. The rumor that he might have been involved in the disappearance of his previous wife pales in comparison to the past she’s running from.
Josh Collins just wanted a relaxing weekend with friends. Until he met Kate, the fiancée of a notorious billionaire. He’s drawn to her in spite of the loveless marriage she’s careening toward and the deadly secret she’s refusing to reveal.
Share with Me by Jan Thompson
Six years ago, Ivan McMillan was a budding crossover violinist, but that career was cut short when Grandpa Otto died, and Ivan came home to St. Simon’s Island to take care of Grandma Yun and her broken hip. Now he has found a new road back to the orchestral stage. The last thing he needs is a detour he cannot afford. But Brinley. Ah, Brinley. So pleasing to look at… So pleasant to be with… That is, until she turns his career upside down and ruins his life!
Give the Lady a Ride by Linda W. Yezak
She's a classy New York socialite.
He's a rugged Texas bull rider.
Opposites aren't quick to attract when the lady who enters the cowboy's world is on a mission to sell the ranch. But as she learns to love his integrity, she yearns to get to know him better. To buy time to explore the possibilities between them, she issues a challenge: “Teach me to ride bulls.”
I can't help be amazed at the gifts God has delighted me with - a wonderful husband, four amazing children, and the opportunity to write for Him.
I've been writing as long as I can remember - I won my first book writing contest in first grade! Over the years, writing has become, for me, a way to praise God and see Him at work in my life.
Although I have a degree in Mass Communications from the University of MN, my real writing experience started when I penned the The Warren Report - a bi-monthly newsletter that detailed our ministry highlights.
Living in Russia meant I never lacked for great material - and those experiences naturally spilled out first into devotionals and magazine articles and finally into my first published story, "Measure of a Man," in the Tyndale/HeartQuest, Chance Encounters of the Heart anthology.
Susan and husbandI grew up in Wayzata, a suburb of Minneapolis, and became an avid camper from an early age. My favorite fir-lined spot is the north shore of Minnesota - it's where I met my husband, honeymooned and dreamed of living. The north woods easily became the foundation for my first series, The Deep Haven series.based on a little tourist town along the shores of Lake Superior. I have to admit - I'm terribly jealous of Mona, the heroine of my first full-length book, Happily Ever After, a Christy Award Finalist published in 2004 with Tyndale/Heartquest.
Our family moved home from the mission field in June 2004 -- and now we live in the beautiful town I'd always dreamed of! God has amazed me anew with His provision, and blessings -- and allowed me a season when I can write full time for Him.
I 'm delighted you've stopped in to visit. My hope is that you'll be blessed and encouraged by soul-stirring stories of regular people interacting with a God who loves them.
I'd love to hear from you! I love getting mail, especially from readers and I welcome your questions and comments. Write to me at susan@susanmaywarren.com. And, if you're interested, sign up for my newsletter, a quarterly sneak peek into upcoming releases and projects. Thank you for your interest and support.
This is a collection of Christian contemporary romance novels, some of which I liked better than others. I had read some of the books previously and while I enjoyed them, I didn't re-read them. My comments apply only to the books I read this time around.
In Stealing Adda, it seemed that although Nick and Adda were Christians, she was writing and he was publishing romances that didn't seem appropriate for Christians. There was nothing explicit in this story, but there were subtle comments about the love scenes in her book. I really enjoyed the story except for my doubts about the appropriateness of her books.
Tide Will Tell is about a woman marrying a wealthy man whose wife went missing a year earlier, and a lot of people thought he had something to do with her disappearance. Nothing indicated that the first wife had been declared dead or that Chase had divorced her, so I kept wondering how Chase and Kate could be getting married until there was a legal end to his previous marriage.
In Share with Me, Brinley's wealth and spending habits seemed excessive, and Ivan was overly sensitive about his poverty.
Give the Lady a Ride was my favorite of the stories.
This volume is all about Romances with happy endings. "From Russia With Love" by Susan May Warren *** I liked this Romantic Suspense novel. The lead characters were good and the story was interesting, but this was one of those books where one of the minor characters caught my attention. I'd like to know more of Pastor Pyotr's story... There is a quote near the beginning of this book that really got me hooked: "His brow pinched, his eyes darkening. "Do you think I'm stupid?" Oh, how the latent rebel in her wanted to jump all over that comment. She bit back a reply and shook her head." "Beyond the Waves" by Lynnette Bonner *** I liked this book. I'd read it a couple of years ago (I own a copy of this as a stand alone novel) but it was enjoyable to read it again and refresh the story in my mind. "Stealing Adda" by Tamara Leigh *** Very entertaining even for this second reading (I already own a copy of this as a stand alone novel). "Tide Will Tell" by Lesley Ann McDaniel *** This is the first book by this author that I've read. Plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing in this Romantic Suspense but there were times when the lead character, Kate, truly frustrated me. "Share With Me" by Jan Thompson *** Nice but... sometimes the slow pace got to me and I just wanted to cheat and skip to the end. "Give the Lady a Ride" by Linda Yezak *** Easy read, could finish in one sitting probably. City woman meets ranch foreman, there is attraction and they are both willing to see if it goes somewhere. The "speed" with which the relationships develop in this story is a bit suspect but if all you want is a modern day fairytale then it's alright.
I'm in the process of reading this collection which I got for free on my kindle. Reviews as I finish each book.
From Russia With Love by Susan May Warren: I will start off by saying I don't tend to be a fan of contemporary fiction. However, I enjoy a contemporary with historical elements, and this one with a woman trying to uncover secrets about her family's past, had me interested. I liked the characters, and I may seek out other books in this series, if I remember. Warning to those who aren't into a lot of religious content, which doesn't bother me... It's pretty strong in this book. 3 stars.
I have read Bonner's devotions in Guidepost for years but this is the first time to read one of her books. All the authors write clean romance stories...and each one kept me up late at night because it was so hard to put them down.
Each of these stories in their own way tells us that we need to give our lives over to God, to have faith that God will give us what He knows we need and not necessarily what we want.
Out of these 6 books, I had previously read 2, "From Russia with Love" and "Stealing Adda" (see previous reviews). "Beyond the Waves," "Share with Me" and "Give the Lady a Ride" were good. "Tide will Tell" just felt like a cheesy horror movie.