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Virtually Yours
Virtual Match is your one-stop shop to convincing those nosy relatives, the too friendly coworker, or your ex that you’re off the market. We’ll match you up with an attentive boyfriend or girlfriend. Texts, emails, phone calls, even gifts. All the fun of a relationship–well, almost all the fun–and none of the commitment. You might even forget it’s not real.
Wish I Might by Kait Nolan: Bookstore owner Reed wasn't looking for a woman. But when the new clerk he hired won't take no for an answer, he needs a girlfriend stat. His friends give him the perfect out—Virtual Match. But when Reed gets a second chance with the one that got away, his virtual girlfriend may cause more problems than she solves.
Lip Service by Wendy Sparrow: Amputee Berg is struggling with civilian life. Dating is perilous, but the girl next door is oh so tempting. His new gig as “virtual boyfriend” allows him to bask in her sunshine without risking rejection. Roxie has tried cupcakes and pizza and her neighbor doesn’t adore her yet. He recommends Virtual Match to get rid of a slimy coworker, but she absolutely can’t fall for her new fake boyfriend.
Code Name: Girlfriend by Jessica Fox: Drew needs a girlfriend—fast. Trouble is he already told his nosy coworkers all about her, and she doesn't exist. When his BFF sees an ad for Virtual Match, it seems like the answer to all his problems...until he starts falling for his match. Struggling writer Caroline thinks the tell-all feature on Virtual Match will make her career. Seems easy enough, until pretending to be someone's girlfriend suddenly gets far too real.
Dream Home by Lisa Kroger: Evie doesn’t have time for the boyfriend her mom and sister think she needs. Still reeling from her husband’s death, she’s renovating the antebellum plantation meant to be their dream home. Enter Luc, her virtual boyfriend. Luc may keep her family at bay and provide company in the dark of night, but when sinister things start happening in Evie’s house, she’s still very much on her own.
Something Old and Something New by J.R. Pearse Nelson: Delia has finally managed to kick her cheating ex to the curb. In a parting jab at her lack of tech savvy and need for companionship, he signs her up for Virtual Match. The virtual boyfriend’s texts are as creepy as the idea and getting stranger, but she can’t stop them. When an old friend shows up on her doorstep, Delia is pushed to retire old heartaches in favor of a new vision of herself and her future.
Matchmaker Reality by Sharon Hughson: Ronnie isn’t willing to put her heart on the line. A fake boyfriend through Virtual Match will satisfy her nagging family and keep her heart safe. Unexpected sparks fly with her imaginary boyfriend and she gets in deep—her feelings unearthing a past secret she’d buried. When her virtual boyfriend wants to meet, reality might ruin Ronnie’s chances of a real connection. Will her heart survive and is love worth the gamble?
Virtual Surprise by Catherine Lynn: To convince her friends she’s moved on from her divorce, Anna signs up for Virtual Match. A fake boyfriend is safe and easy…until their relationship feels real. Then, there’s her high school crush—who broke her heart. Neither man is simple and one may not even exist. Luke’s job with Virtual Match is just for extra cash. He’s still dealing with his anger for the girl who once hurt him. Then, he starts falling for his assigned “girlfriend.” Is it worth the risk to make their match real?
Home Field Advantage by Kate Davison: For Shelby, going home to Suwannee Grove after her sister’s death is the hardest thing she's ever done. The reasons she left make it even harder. One look at Dallas and she knows her bigger mistake may have been staying away so long. Dallas has always considered Shelby the love of his life and he wants her her trip home to be permanent. But if Shelby ever finds out he was posing as her sister’s Virtual Match, he doubts even his home field advantage will help convince her to stay.
Wish I Might by Kait Nolan: Bookstore owner Reed wasn't looking for a woman. But when the new clerk he hired won't take no for an answer, he needs a girlfriend stat. His friends give him the perfect out—Virtual Match. But when Reed gets a second chance with the one that got away, his virtual girlfriend may cause more problems than she solves.
Lip Service by Wendy Sparrow: Amputee Berg is struggling with civilian life. Dating is perilous, but the girl next door is oh so tempting. His new gig as “virtual boyfriend” allows him to bask in her sunshine without risking rejection. Roxie has tried cupcakes and pizza and her neighbor doesn’t adore her yet. He recommends Virtual Match to get rid of a slimy coworker, but she absolutely can’t fall for her new fake boyfriend.
Code Name: Girlfriend by Jessica Fox: Drew needs a girlfriend—fast. Trouble is he already told his nosy coworkers all about her, and she doesn't exist. When his BFF sees an ad for Virtual Match, it seems like the answer to all his problems...until he starts falling for his match. Struggling writer Caroline thinks the tell-all feature on Virtual Match will make her career. Seems easy enough, until pretending to be someone's girlfriend suddenly gets far too real.
Dream Home by Lisa Kroger: Evie doesn’t have time for the boyfriend her mom and sister think she needs. Still reeling from her husband’s death, she’s renovating the antebellum plantation meant to be their dream home. Enter Luc, her virtual boyfriend. Luc may keep her family at bay and provide company in the dark of night, but when sinister things start happening in Evie’s house, she’s still very much on her own.
Something Old and Something New by J.R. Pearse Nelson: Delia has finally managed to kick her cheating ex to the curb. In a parting jab at her lack of tech savvy and need for companionship, he signs her up for Virtual Match. The virtual boyfriend’s texts are as creepy as the idea and getting stranger, but she can’t stop them. When an old friend shows up on her doorstep, Delia is pushed to retire old heartaches in favor of a new vision of herself and her future.
Matchmaker Reality by Sharon Hughson: Ronnie isn’t willing to put her heart on the line. A fake boyfriend through Virtual Match will satisfy her nagging family and keep her heart safe. Unexpected sparks fly with her imaginary boyfriend and she gets in deep—her feelings unearthing a past secret she’d buried. When her virtual boyfriend wants to meet, reality might ruin Ronnie’s chances of a real connection. Will her heart survive and is love worth the gamble?
Virtual Surprise by Catherine Lynn: To convince her friends she’s moved on from her divorce, Anna signs up for Virtual Match. A fake boyfriend is safe and easy…until their relationship feels real. Then, there’s her high school crush—who broke her heart. Neither man is simple and one may not even exist. Luke’s job with Virtual Match is just for extra cash. He’s still dealing with his anger for the girl who once hurt him. Then, he starts falling for his assigned “girlfriend.” Is it worth the risk to make their match real?
Home Field Advantage by Kate Davison: For Shelby, going home to Suwannee Grove after her sister’s death is the hardest thing she's ever done. The reasons she left make it even harder. One look at Dallas and she knows her bigger mistake may have been staying away so long. Dallas has always considered Shelby the love of his life and he wants her her trip home to be permanent. But if Shelby ever finds out he was posing as her sister’s Virtual Match, he doubts even his home field advantage will help convince her to stay.
- GenresContemporary
725 pages, ebook
First published March 30, 2016
5 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Kait Nolan
146 books1,368 followersKait Nolan is a RITA® Award-winning Mississippi author who calls everyone sugar, honey, or darlin', and can wield a 'Bless your heart' like a Snuggie or a saber, depending on requirements. She believes in love, laughter, and that tacos are the world's most perfect food. When she's not writing, reading, working the evil day job, or wrangling family (both the two-legged and the four-), you can find her obsessively watching The Great British Bake Off.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 7, 2016
5 Matches-Made-In-Virtual-Heaven Stars!!!
Normally, I don't read anthologies. I mean, really, why bother when I'll probably only like a couple of the stories? The few that I have purchased, were bought with the mindset that I might get a story or two that are okay... or maybe, just maybe, I might get turned onto a new author that I hadn't heard of but like their style. With Virtually Yours, not only did I enjoy all of the stories (yes, of course, some more than others, I'm not a robot!) but I also found a few new-to-me authors to follow!
This book is great for a few reasons. First, each story brought a fresh take on the idea of Virtualmatch.com, which I expected. However, I did not anticipate some of the directions it took to play out. If you think each story is going to be the same... think again. Second, I was worried that with each piece being by a different author, that I wouldn't like the kinds of stories that were there. As I got further into the book, I could see that wasn't going to be a problem. Each author had me engaged very quickly and kept my interest throughout. I just have to mention that even though these were short stories, the characters and settings were so engaging and captivating! Kudos authors! Lastly, even though one or two of these stories weren't the style that I would normally read, they were all well written and entertaining. I know that when I see books in my recommendations from any of these ladies, I will be checking them out.
Negatives... you know there's got to be something, right? One of the stories wasn't edited well. The punctuation was a little distracting but the story was good. Also, for me, the stories were a little tame (but that really isn't a negative...it's more a personal preference). The only other thing on the con side that I can think of is that you're reading these fun rom-com or rom-dram type stories then BAM!!! -
Lisa Kroger.
If you are a fan, then maybe you'll know what to expect. She was new to me, so all of the sudden I'm like..whoa...wait..what? Then I'm biting my nails. I still don't think that's a bad thing because now I'm a Lisa Kroger fan. So, there's that. I'll just say I didn't see the road sign for that curve!
SPECIAL MENTIONS!!!!
Lip Service - Wendy Sparrow- Got to give a special shout-out to my homegirl, Wendy! Absolutely love her stuff! Like me, Sparrow appreciates a good flawed hero! Guess we're birds of a feather...
you see what I did there?!
Got that done, now... ahem - LIP SERVICE- Berg is just awesome. He's a marine who was wounded in action and is having some trouble acclimating back into civilian life. Enter stage left...Roxie.
Roxie is hilarious. Not on purpose, of course. Her word vomit could make even my awkward look suave (trust me, that's saying something). I literally LOLd so many times I lost count! I enjoyed this one so much I read it twice.
And Wendy - If you can't tell us about the chickens, AT LEAST TELL US HIS WHOLE NAME?!?!
Code Name: Girlfriend - Jessica Fox - Ms. Fox is a new-to-me author and I am most DEFINITELY a FAN!!! This is a Geeked Out Novella about how comic girls and comic guys should meet and make comic babies.
Ok, not really. But there is Caroline. She works a few different places, one of which is a comic store. Then there's Drew. He's a PR guy, and one of his accounts happens to be Ultimate Universe Comics. I love the banter and wit in this story. It's a favorite. I am anxiously awaiting the Geeked Out Series! GIMME GIMME GIMME
Matchmaker Reality - Sharon Hughson - Ms. Hughson is also a new-to-me author! (Where have you guys been?!) You now have another die-hard fan. In this story we meet Veronica Shay. She seems kinda uppity at first, with her mind on her money and her money on her mind. No time or inclination to meet a man. Then we meet *sigh*
Marcus Jordan.
He's a geek. And yes, I did sigh over a geek (diff'rent strokes, diff'rent folks). He sees her. She doesn't see him. Awesome story!!!
If you get a chance to read this book, DO IT!!!
SPONSOR IMAGINATION!
SUPPORT AUTHORS!
Normally, I don't read anthologies. I mean, really, why bother when I'll probably only like a couple of the stories? The few that I have purchased, were bought with the mindset that I might get a story or two that are okay... or maybe, just maybe, I might get turned onto a new author that I hadn't heard of but like their style. With Virtually Yours, not only did I enjoy all of the stories (yes, of course, some more than others, I'm not a robot!) but I also found a few new-to-me authors to follow!
This book is great for a few reasons. First, each story brought a fresh take on the idea of Virtualmatch.com, which I expected. However, I did not anticipate some of the directions it took to play out. If you think each story is going to be the same... think again. Second, I was worried that with each piece being by a different author, that I wouldn't like the kinds of stories that were there. As I got further into the book, I could see that wasn't going to be a problem. Each author had me engaged very quickly and kept my interest throughout. I just have to mention that even though these were short stories, the characters and settings were so engaging and captivating! Kudos authors! Lastly, even though one or two of these stories weren't the style that I would normally read, they were all well written and entertaining. I know that when I see books in my recommendations from any of these ladies, I will be checking them out.
Negatives... you know there's got to be something, right? One of the stories wasn't edited well. The punctuation was a little distracting but the story was good. Also, for me, the stories were a little tame (but that really isn't a negative...it's more a personal preference). The only other thing on the con side that I can think of is that you're reading these fun rom-com or rom-dram type stories then BAM!!! -
Lisa Kroger.
If you are a fan, then maybe you'll know what to expect. She was new to me, so all of the sudden I'm like..whoa...wait..what? Then I'm biting my nails. I still don't think that's a bad thing because now I'm a Lisa Kroger fan. So, there's that. I'll just say I didn't see the road sign for that curve!
SPECIAL MENTIONS!!!!
Lip Service - Wendy Sparrow- Got to give a special shout-out to my homegirl, Wendy! Absolutely love her stuff! Like me, Sparrow appreciates a good flawed hero! Guess we're birds of a feather...
you see what I did there?!
Got that done, now... ahem - LIP SERVICE- Berg is just awesome. He's a marine who was wounded in action and is having some trouble acclimating back into civilian life. Enter stage left...Roxie.
Roxie is hilarious. Not on purpose, of course. Her word vomit could make even my awkward look suave (trust me, that's saying something). I literally LOLd so many times I lost count! I enjoyed this one so much I read it twice.
And Wendy - If you can't tell us about the chickens, AT LEAST TELL US HIS WHOLE NAME?!?!
Code Name: Girlfriend - Jessica Fox - Ms. Fox is a new-to-me author and I am most DEFINITELY a FAN!!! This is a Geeked Out Novella about how comic girls and comic guys should meet and make comic babies.
Ok, not really. But there is Caroline. She works a few different places, one of which is a comic store. Then there's Drew. He's a PR guy, and one of his accounts happens to be Ultimate Universe Comics. I love the banter and wit in this story. It's a favorite. I am anxiously awaiting the Geeked Out Series! GIMME GIMME GIMME
Matchmaker Reality - Sharon Hughson - Ms. Hughson is also a new-to-me author! (Where have you guys been?!) You now have another die-hard fan. In this story we meet Veronica Shay. She seems kinda uppity at first, with her mind on her money and her money on her mind. No time or inclination to meet a man. Then we meet *sigh*
Marcus Jordan.
He's a geek. And yes, I did sigh over a geek (diff'rent strokes, diff'rent folks). He sees her. She doesn't see him. Awesome story!!!
If you get a chance to read this book, DO IT!!!
SPONSOR IMAGINATION!
SUPPORT AUTHORS!
June 12, 2016
I'm skipping around in this one a bit, because Jess, you KNOW I'm reading yours first! :)
------
Okay, have only finished one story so far, but I'm going to go ahead and review each one as I go so I don't forget important things about them all by the time I get to the end.
The first story I read was Code Name: Girlfriend by Jessica Fox. Full disclosure, Jessica is a friend of mine and I love her and she's awesome. Fuller disclosure, this is not my genre. I'm just not big on romance and I tend to be pretty picky about it. That said, I really kind of loved this story! Fun characters (even the side characters feel fleshed-out and real), great banter, hilarious dialogue about comics, and a premise that made me think I knew exactly where it was going, and yet definitely ended up going in some unexpected directions. Totally fun, totally adorable. Even though Jess has told me there will definitely be more sexy time in the full length novels (she knows I'm not always a fan of the sexy time), I am totally looking forward to reading them when they come out because I already feel like I'm addicted to the characters (the first book will follow one of the side characters in this story) and the witty talk. Jess! I want it!!!
Next up: Dream Home by Lisa Kröger (this one sounds creeeeeeepy!). Okay, so........ I liked this one, but I felt a little confused by the ending. Still, the romance aspect was sweet, though maybe not as developed as I'd have liked it to have been. Also I didn't really understand the pressure to have a date for a couples' baby shower of all things. This one might have just not been quite my style. I don't really do a lot of suspense-type stuff.
Now onto: Wish I Might by Kait Nolan. Loving it so far! Although I'm realizing that each story so far has Virtually Yours set up slightly differently, and I'm sort of wishing there was more consistency there, beyond the basic premise. Also, both this story and the one by Lisa Kröger use the phrase "pull up her big girl panties," which...ew. I just don't really like that phrase. Picky me! Anyway. Have now finished this story and I liked it a lot--enough to download another Kait Nolan story about two of the side characters in this one. I'm not really sure the Virtually Yours stuff fits in real well--the virtual girlfriend sort of completely disappears until just the right moment to wreak havoc, so it feels a little bit shoehorned in--but I really enjoyed the writing and the characters and the town of Wishful. I'm looking forward to reading more about Norah and Cam!
Moving on to Lip Service by Wendy Sparrow.
--Update--
Soooooooooo, I still haven't finished this, just because I really don't like reading e-books all that much. This is dumb, because I've enjoyed every story I've read in this anthology so far, but I just keep wishing it were available in paperback. Anyway, I will definitely finish the rest at some point, but for now I'm going to go ahead and rate it based on what I've read so far and adjust accordingly once I finally suck it up and break my e-reader back out!
------
Okay, have only finished one story so far, but I'm going to go ahead and review each one as I go so I don't forget important things about them all by the time I get to the end.
The first story I read was Code Name: Girlfriend by Jessica Fox. Full disclosure, Jessica is a friend of mine and I love her and she's awesome. Fuller disclosure, this is not my genre. I'm just not big on romance and I tend to be pretty picky about it. That said, I really kind of loved this story! Fun characters (even the side characters feel fleshed-out and real), great banter, hilarious dialogue about comics, and a premise that made me think I knew exactly where it was going, and yet definitely ended up going in some unexpected directions. Totally fun, totally adorable. Even though Jess has told me there will definitely be more sexy time in the full length novels (she knows I'm not always a fan of the sexy time), I am totally looking forward to reading them when they come out because I already feel like I'm addicted to the characters (the first book will follow one of the side characters in this story) and the witty talk. Jess! I want it!!!
Next up: Dream Home by Lisa Kröger (this one sounds creeeeeeepy!). Okay, so........ I liked this one, but I felt a little confused by the ending. Still, the romance aspect was sweet, though maybe not as developed as I'd have liked it to have been. Also I didn't really understand the pressure to have a date for a couples' baby shower of all things. This one might have just not been quite my style. I don't really do a lot of suspense-type stuff.
Now onto: Wish I Might by Kait Nolan. Loving it so far! Although I'm realizing that each story so far has Virtually Yours set up slightly differently, and I'm sort of wishing there was more consistency there, beyond the basic premise. Also, both this story and the one by Lisa Kröger use the phrase "pull up her big girl panties," which...ew. I just don't really like that phrase. Picky me! Anyway. Have now finished this story and I liked it a lot--enough to download another Kait Nolan story about two of the side characters in this one. I'm not really sure the Virtually Yours stuff fits in real well--the virtual girlfriend sort of completely disappears until just the right moment to wreak havoc, so it feels a little bit shoehorned in--but I really enjoyed the writing and the characters and the town of Wishful. I'm looking forward to reading more about Norah and Cam!
Moving on to Lip Service by Wendy Sparrow.
--Update--
Soooooooooo, I still haven't finished this, just because I really don't like reading e-books all that much. This is dumb, because I've enjoyed every story I've read in this anthology so far, but I just keep wishing it were available in paperback. Anyway, I will definitely finish the rest at some point, but for now I'm going to go ahead and rate it based on what I've read so far and adjust accordingly once I finally suck it up and break my e-reader back out!
Read
March 24, 2017I can't rate this one because I have a story in it, but it tells you how chaotic my last year has been that I'm just now reading some anthologies I'm IN, and it's not even for sale anymore. *headslap* I got into this anthology because I loved the premise of the Virtual Match app and working on it with my fellow authors was truly awesome. Having read through it...I still love the premise and I wish there were more anthologies with something similar at their heart. I really liked Kait Nolan's story--admittedly because I'm familiar with other folks in Wishful. I dug Codename Girlfriend a lot because I loved how much interaction happened through the app. I liked a lot of the others too, but those two probably turned my pages the fastest.
August 24, 2016
Edit: finished the whole book by now and added a review of the other stories to the end)
Review of Lip Service by Wendy Sparrow - Just one more story please! ;-)
( Excerpt)
I bought the anthology to read this story and wasn't disappointed, because I really really liked it. It wasn’t full of surprising plot twists, but it was sweet and fun to read.
The two main characters are ex-marine Berg (reserved, man of few words and many self-doubts) and his new neighbor Roxie (talks a lot, especially when nervous and not much luck with dates or men in general), who are interested in each other but both unable to make the first step in a way that the other person notices. When she tells him about a coworker who is/was maybe stalking her, he tells her about Virtual Match and she signs on.
What he doesn't tell her, is that he works for them by writing emails to the clients and of course he picks her. He knows it is a bad idea but he does it nevertheless and I just waited for it to blow up in his face.
But not only the main characters seemed like real people, their friends did, too and I really would like to read more about them, especially Chris and Rod.
Wish I Might by Kait Nolan:
This shortstory is about Reed, a bookshop owner and Cecily, a marketing intern in the small town of Wishful where several others of the author’s books take place (this shortstory inspired me to read them all and they are good! ;-) ).
Reed and Cecily have a history prior to this story and ended on a bad note after Reed unknowingly saying something stupid which hurt her.
So at the beginning they are both single, a fact that Reed’s employee is just too aware of and she starts hitting on him. Since he prefers to avoid conflict and she doesn’t understand his subtle ways of refusing, he uses Virtual Match for a fake girlfriend.
When he and Cecily are drawn to each other again, he more or less forgets about his subscription, which (of course) comes to the light in exactly the wrong moment.
I’m not sure whether it was really necessary to add this conflict to the story, because even without it there was a lot of conflict for such a short story, but it was all right and didn’t distract from the main conflict they had to deal with.
I liked that the characters were believable and that I didn’t have the impression that the only thing they cared about in life was their relationship, because in real life there are other things, like e.g. a career.
I also liked how the town of Wishful and the other characters were described. They didn’t feel like just the background or a support for Reed and Cecily, but as if the author had put a lot of thought into them - which I think she did for her other books.
Code Name: Girlfriend by Jessica Fox:
I like nerdy people and both of the main characters of this story are comic book fans.
Caroline is a woman who works three jobs to cover her own expenses, her mother’s medical bills and her student loans. One of these jobs is as a freelance writer for a blog of a magazine in the hope of landing a full-time job. She gets the chance for a big tell-all article about Virtual Match and signs on for a job at the local branch.
Drew signs on for a virtual girlfriend after he invented one to get his coworkers off his back, who are constantly trying to make him go drinking with them and to treat women as casual as they do.
But soon the fake relationship feels like more and unknowingly to them their lives overlap.
It was fun to read about their bantering via text and in real life, even though they seem to me a little bit blind because of all of the hints that where dropped. But maybe that’s only because I knew.
the other stories
To be honest, I couldn’t really connect to the other stories and didn’t read more than the first few pages of each. But Three very good stories in an anthology and the discovery of two authors who are new to me, is still a very good bargain.
Review of Lip Service by Wendy Sparrow - Just one more story please! ;-)
( Excerpt)
I bought the anthology to read this story and wasn't disappointed, because I really really liked it. It wasn’t full of surprising plot twists, but it was sweet and fun to read.
The two main characters are ex-marine Berg (reserved, man of few words and many self-doubts) and his new neighbor Roxie (talks a lot, especially when nervous and not much luck with dates or men in general), who are interested in each other but both unable to make the first step in a way that the other person notices. When she tells him about a coworker who is/was maybe stalking her, he tells her about Virtual Match and she signs on.
What he doesn't tell her, is that he works for them by writing emails to the clients and of course he picks her. He knows it is a bad idea but he does it nevertheless and I just waited for it to blow up in his face.
But not only the main characters seemed like real people, their friends did, too and I really would like to read more about them, especially Chris and Rod.
Wish I Might by Kait Nolan:
This shortstory is about Reed, a bookshop owner and Cecily, a marketing intern in the small town of Wishful where several others of the author’s books take place (this shortstory inspired me to read them all and they are good! ;-) ).
Reed and Cecily have a history prior to this story and ended on a bad note after Reed unknowingly saying something stupid which hurt her.
So at the beginning they are both single, a fact that Reed’s employee is just too aware of and she starts hitting on him. Since he prefers to avoid conflict and she doesn’t understand his subtle ways of refusing, he uses Virtual Match for a fake girlfriend.
When he and Cecily are drawn to each other again, he more or less forgets about his subscription, which (of course) comes to the light in exactly the wrong moment.
I’m not sure whether it was really necessary to add this conflict to the story, because even without it there was a lot of conflict for such a short story, but it was all right and didn’t distract from the main conflict they had to deal with.
I liked that the characters were believable and that I didn’t have the impression that the only thing they cared about in life was their relationship, because in real life there are other things, like e.g. a career.
I also liked how the town of Wishful and the other characters were described. They didn’t feel like just the background or a support for Reed and Cecily, but as if the author had put a lot of thought into them - which I think she did for her other books.
Code Name: Girlfriend by Jessica Fox:
I like nerdy people and both of the main characters of this story are comic book fans.
Caroline is a woman who works three jobs to cover her own expenses, her mother’s medical bills and her student loans. One of these jobs is as a freelance writer for a blog of a magazine in the hope of landing a full-time job. She gets the chance for a big tell-all article about Virtual Match and signs on for a job at the local branch.
Drew signs on for a virtual girlfriend after he invented one to get his coworkers off his back, who are constantly trying to make him go drinking with them and to treat women as casual as they do.
But soon the fake relationship feels like more and unknowingly to them their lives overlap.
It was fun to read about their bantering via text and in real life, even though they seem to me a little bit blind because of all of the hints that where dropped. But maybe that’s only because I knew.
the other stories
To be honest, I couldn’t really connect to the other stories and didn’t read more than the first few pages of each. But Three very good stories in an anthology and the discovery of two authors who are new to me, is still a very good bargain.
April 6, 2016
I have a story in this anthology. My rating is based on the OTHER seven stories.
Five Star Stories:
"Wish I Might" by Kait Nolan. I am a frequent visitor to Wishful, Mississippi, and I enjoyed this quick trip. Reed is quirky and adorable. Cecelia is just another rich girl who wants to be considered on her own merits. Parts of the story felt similar to other novels in this series, but it didn't dampen my enjoyment.
"Lip Service" by Wendy Sparrow. This story made me laugh out loud - repeatedly. The dialogue was realistic and reminiscent of a romantic comedy. I loved these characters to pieces. Also, I got choked up over the level of friendship and sacrifice shown by the veterans. This one has it all. A must read.
These two stories alone are worth the 99 cent price tag. However, there were other good stories in this collection, too.
I'd give a solid four stars to "Code Name: Girlfriend" by Jessica Fox and "Something Old and Something New" by J.R. Pearse Nelson.
Even though Fox's story was riddled with too many coincidences for me, I adored her characters. Their first meeting at the coffee shop made me smile. I was cheering for them from that moment on. And the female lead was plucky, snarky and geeky-a perfect heroine.
Nelson's story has a paranormal twist, which kept me engaged from the first page. This one had a hint of magic along with veins of nostalgia and suspense. It really was the "has it all" story in this collection.
Lisa Kroeger can write suspense (probably horror, too), but "Dream Home" felt disjointed to me. I had a hard time connecting with the character and immersing myself in the story.
The other stories tended toward the typical romance trope. Just not my cuppa Joe. I like suspense or humor to keep me entertained along the way. None of the writing was sub-par and all except ONE of the stories kept the Virtual Match app as a central element to the plot.
Folks, it's a buck. Get your copy today.
Five Star Stories:
"Wish I Might" by Kait Nolan. I am a frequent visitor to Wishful, Mississippi, and I enjoyed this quick trip. Reed is quirky and adorable. Cecelia is just another rich girl who wants to be considered on her own merits. Parts of the story felt similar to other novels in this series, but it didn't dampen my enjoyment.
"Lip Service" by Wendy Sparrow. This story made me laugh out loud - repeatedly. The dialogue was realistic and reminiscent of a romantic comedy. I loved these characters to pieces. Also, I got choked up over the level of friendship and sacrifice shown by the veterans. This one has it all. A must read.
These two stories alone are worth the 99 cent price tag. However, there were other good stories in this collection, too.
I'd give a solid four stars to "Code Name: Girlfriend" by Jessica Fox and "Something Old and Something New" by J.R. Pearse Nelson.
Even though Fox's story was riddled with too many coincidences for me, I adored her characters. Their first meeting at the coffee shop made me smile. I was cheering for them from that moment on. And the female lead was plucky, snarky and geeky-a perfect heroine.
Nelson's story has a paranormal twist, which kept me engaged from the first page. This one had a hint of magic along with veins of nostalgia and suspense. It really was the "has it all" story in this collection.
Lisa Kroeger can write suspense (probably horror, too), but "Dream Home" felt disjointed to me. I had a hard time connecting with the character and immersing myself in the story.
The other stories tended toward the typical romance trope. Just not my cuppa Joe. I like suspense or humor to keep me entertained along the way. None of the writing was sub-par and all except ONE of the stories kept the Virtual Match app as a central element to the plot.
Folks, it's a buck. Get your copy today.
July 18, 2017
It's always so hard to rate anthologies because the quality can vary greatly from story to story. The first three stories (Kait Nolan, Wendy Sparrow, and Jessica Fox) were all pitch perfect and clear 5-star stories. After those, the next couple of stories weren't as cute or engaging for me, and only Sharon Hughson's story was a standout among the rest. That said, the book was a worthwhile purchase just for those stories alone, and it sure would have been easier to rate the book without the others. :)
August 21, 2016
This was a fantastic collection with a little bit of everything in it.
Wish I Might is hilarious. I will have to read more by Kait Nolan, I enjoyed this so much.
Lip Service by Wendy Sparrow - it's soooo good. I love a story that can be silly and serious at the same time.
Code Name: Girlfriend by Jessica Fox - The dork is strong in this one. I'm sure I just had a full on nerdgasm.
Dream Home by Lisa Kroger - Holy energy shift Batman. This is nothing like the sweet, silly stories that precede it. This is an awesomely creepy romantic suspense story.
Something Old and Something New by J.R. Pearse Nelson - Not what I was expecting. I really enjoyed this paranormal romance. Now I want to find more about this family...
Matchmaker Reality by Sharon Hughson - Ummm... Wow. I wasn't expecting that at all. How can a story be both funny and tragic? (It nearly brought me to tears.) My heart broke watching Ronnie trying to come to grips with her past.
Virtual Surprise by Catherine Lynn - sigh. That was so sweet. A little angst-y while we're waiting for the will they/won't they question to be resolved but well worth the read.
Home Field Advantage by Kate Davison - This brought tears to my eyes. It's that good.
Wish I Might is hilarious. I will have to read more by Kait Nolan, I enjoyed this so much.
Lip Service by Wendy Sparrow - it's soooo good. I love a story that can be silly and serious at the same time.
Code Name: Girlfriend by Jessica Fox - The dork is strong in this one. I'm sure I just had a full on nerdgasm.
Dream Home by Lisa Kroger - Holy energy shift Batman. This is nothing like the sweet, silly stories that precede it. This is an awesomely creepy romantic suspense story.
Something Old and Something New by J.R. Pearse Nelson - Not what I was expecting. I really enjoyed this paranormal romance. Now I want to find more about this family...
Matchmaker Reality by Sharon Hughson - Ummm... Wow. I wasn't expecting that at all. How can a story be both funny and tragic? (It nearly brought me to tears.) My heart broke watching Ronnie trying to come to grips with her past.
Virtual Surprise by Catherine Lynn - sigh. That was so sweet. A little angst-y while we're waiting for the will they/won't they question to be resolved but well worth the read.
Home Field Advantage by Kate Davison - This brought tears to my eyes. It's that good.
April 10, 2016
OMG! What a fantastic group of stories around the central theme of needing a "fake" boyfriend (virtually, of course) to get family and/or friends off your back. Stop the "My friend's son is single again...", "When will you make me a grandmother?" You can even do: "I'm over you; I have a new boyfriend."
Of course, besides the girls' problems being solved on one hand, there are the cases of falling in love with their "virtual" boyfriends, and secrets by the "boyfriends" that could ruin the virtual romance.
What original stories by these ladies! I stayed up til 2 a.m. one morning and arrived at work bleary-eyed that day just because I had to finish the story I'd been reading since the evening before.
It's a masterpiece of romance, lies, eyes opened to one's own truth, and lots of HEA. Yeah!
Of course, besides the girls' problems being solved on one hand, there are the cases of falling in love with their "virtual" boyfriends, and secrets by the "boyfriends" that could ruin the virtual romance.
What original stories by these ladies! I stayed up til 2 a.m. one morning and arrived at work bleary-eyed that day just because I had to finish the story I'd been reading since the evening before.
It's a masterpiece of romance, lies, eyes opened to one's own truth, and lots of HEA. Yeah!
April 5, 2016
Absolutely Amazing. Eight different stories by eight fantastic authors, all with a central theme. Every story has to do with the fictional company Virtual Match. You've heard of internet dating sites? Virtual Match gives you a texting, emailing mate to keep family and friends from fixing you up. When I finished reading all eight stories, I wished I had been asked to contribute to the book. Pick this up and give it a read. You'll love it like I did.
I received an ARC from Kait Nolan in exchange for an honest opinion. I liked the book so much I am actively seeking out other writings by the authors.
I received an ARC from Kait Nolan in exchange for an honest opinion. I liked the book so much I am actively seeking out other writings by the authors.
November 12, 2016
Wish I Might by Kait Nolan, 4 stars.
Lip Service by Wendy Sparrow, 5 stars. Her novella was the reason I bought this book.
Code Name: Girlfriend by Jessica Fox, 5 stars.
Dream House by Lisa Kröger, 4 stars.
Something Old and Something New by J.R. Pearse Nelson, 3.5 stars.
Matchmaker Reality by Sharon Hughes, 3 stars.
Home Field Advantage by Kate Davison, 4 stars.
Lip Service by Wendy Sparrow, 5 stars. Her novella was the reason I bought this book.
Code Name: Girlfriend by Jessica Fox, 5 stars.
Dream House by Lisa Kröger, 4 stars.
Something Old and Something New by J.R. Pearse Nelson, 3.5 stars.
Matchmaker Reality by Sharon Hughes, 3 stars.
Home Field Advantage by Kate Davison, 4 stars.
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