Kisses Between the Lines

Echo Ridge Romance #2

by Rachelle J. Christensen

Welcome to Echo Ridge, New York where romance finds its way into the hearts and lives of the people who walk the streets of the close-knit community.
In these five novellas, readers will experience the power a book has to change a life, make dreams come true, and bring two hearts together as the characters work to fill the classic section of the library. Filled with charm, wit, secrets, and hope, each story is a sweet romance with a promise to keep you turning pages into the night. We hope you enjoy this book and the kisses between the lines.

The Kiss Thief by Rachelle J. Christensen
As the head librarian of the Echo Ridge Library, Britta Klein thrives on order and categorization. Unfortunately, the old church-turned-library is in desperate need of a renovation. The Harvest Hurrah fundraiser seems to be the answer, but plans keep going awry. With help from Milo Geissler, accomplished musician, piano tuner, and kiss thief, each catastrophe is narrowly avoided. When Milo goes to great lengths to help Britta find a key classic book, she begins to wonder if there is more to life than books and order. Can she allow this man who speaks the language of music to tune her heart to a new song?

The Lion, The Witch, & The Library by Lucy McConnell
Jennifer Solomon's birthday wish is for the one thing she's been too shy to go after: Kirke Staples, Echo Ridge’s resident playwright, an avid mountain biker, and her best friend. Friend, as in don’t kiss, don’t covet, and don’t under any circumstances fall in love with the man. But it’s too late—she’s already fallen in love. Hoping for a birthday kiss that will change everything, she arranges an "accidental" meeting with the handsomest man on the library board. Her carefully laid plans are thrown off track when the beautiful Bay Barington sweeps into town and casts a spell over Kirke. In her efforts to win Kirke’s heart, Jennifer is forced to take a look at her inner self and decide what type of woman she wants to be, a lion or witch.

The Last of the Gentlemen by Cami Checketts
Despite the hardships she’s faced, Emma Turner, is determined to make a good life for her three children. Working nights and struggling through life doesn’t leave much time for romance, which is just fine as far as Emma is concerned. But when her son's good-looking lacrosse coach takes an interest in her children, Emma has to fight off the smolder in her stomach and banish her daydreams. This school-girl crush needs to end before she embarrasses her son and herself. If only she could tell that to her heart.


Much Ado About a Kiss by Heather Tullis
Fay’s life is just fine, thank you. Running the café she’d practically been raised in: Check. Her artwork in a gallery: Check. Volunteering on the library board: Check. The one thing she doesn’t need right now is a guy in her life—especially her brother’s irritating best friend from high school, so when the two men announce that they are moving home to start a ski and mountain bike shop in town, she isn’t pleased. If only she could completely forget that one kiss she and Austin shared in high school. Why does he have to upset her just-fine world? Not this time. Not if she can help it. But can she?

Pride & Persuasion by Connie E. Sokol
Lindy Marchant has left heartbreak and downtown L.A. to help her cousin kickstart an antique shop in sleepy Echo Ridge. That is, until she's roped into the library fundraiser to become an assistant for Armand D. Beaumont, the French bestselling detective writer. The two have met before, and Lindy hasn't forgotten the disastrous outcome. Now Armand's celebrity quirks threaten to upset her life yet again.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance

536 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 9, 2016

About the author

Rachelle J. Christensen is a mother of five who writes mystery/suspense and solves the mystery of the missing shoe on a daily basis. She graduated cum laude from Utah State University with a degree in psychology and a music minor. She enjoys singing and songwriting, playing the piano, running, motivational speaking, and of course reading.

Rachelle is the award-winning author of twenty books, including The Soldier’s Bride (a Kindle Scout Selection & Whitney Award Finalist), Diamond Rings Are Deadly Things, Veils and Vengeance, Proposals and Poison, Hawaiian Masquerade, and Christmas Kisses: An Echo Ridge Anthology. Her novella, “Silver Cascade Secrets,” was included in the Rone Award–winning Timeless Romance Anthology, Fall Collection.
Join Rachelle’s VIP mailing list to learn more about upcoming books & get your free book at www.rachellechristensen.com

Reviews

[Donna Weaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Welcome to Echo Ridge, New York where romance finds its way into the hearts and lives of the people who walk the streets of the close-knit community.

In these five novellas, readers will experience the power a book has to change a life, make dreams come true, and bring two hearts together as the characters work to fill the classic section of the library. Filled with charm, wit, secrets, and hope, each story is a sweet romance with a promise to keep you turning pages into the night. We hope you enjoy this book and the kisses between the lines.
* The Kiss Thief by Rachelle J. Christensen
* The Lion, The Witch, & The Library by Lucy McConnell
* The Last of the Gentlemen by Cami Checketts
* Much Ado About a Kiss by Heather Tullis
* Pride & Persuasion by Connie E. Sokol

MY TAKE
I didn't realize when I started listening to this that it was the second book in the series, but that ended up not mattering. I'm not sure how the books before and after it connected, but in Kisses, all the activities are tied to a library fundraiser. I found it cleverly intertwined, the characters engaging, and the love stories a delight.

[Kathy Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars

The Kiss Thief by Rachelle J. Christensen
3 Stars

After being made fun of in elementary school, Britta has spent the majority of her life trying to hide her German heritage. She refuses to abide by her mother’s wishes of marrying a strong German man with a strong German heritage. She will not let her children grow up being made fun of like she was. Little did she know that fate had something else in store for her… ;)

From the moment Milo first laid eyes on Britta, he knew there was something special about her and he just had to get to know her better. However, she had built the walls around her heart so high, he knew he would have a hard time knocking them down. But never underestimate a man in love… ;)


The Lion, The Witch, & The Library by Lucy McConnell
3.5 Stars

Jennifer has been in love with her best friend Kirke for awhile but she is too scared to cross the line from best friends to something more. There is a lot at stake but Jennifer knows that if she doesn't take that next step, she could be missing something amazing in her life. She plans and prepares for the day of her confession only to be taken off guard by Kirke's announcement of the famous Bay coming to town. Now she has to decide whether to fight for love or let it slip through her fingers.

Kirke has been blinded by fame, fortune and loaded promises, He thinks that with Bay at his side, his career will skyrocket. Little does he know that Bay is a wolf in sheep's clothing and all her moves are to better her career, not his. Disaster strikes and Kirke is left feeling alone and discouraged. In an instant his eyes will be opened and he will have to decide what he really wants in life. He only hopes it isn't too late to fix the mess he created for himself and his best friend.

The Last of the Gentlemen by Cami Checketts
4 Stars

Emma has had it pretty rough in her short 34 years. But she is determined to make a better life for her 3 adorable kids. She works hard and sacrifices a lot to make sure they have everything they need. However, this leaves zero room for love. But she still can’t help but notice her son’s lacrosse coach, Chayton. Sadly, she doesn’t think he will ever see her as more than his favorite lacrosse player's mom.

Chayton can’t get the beautiful Emma off of his mind. There is just something about her that he is drawn to. It just feels right for them to be together, for him to be a father to her 3 kids. But how can he convince her that next step? How can he get her to give them a chance? If anyone deserves a happily ever after it is Emma and Chayton. Gotta love a man who has made up his mind and refuses to take no for an answer! ;)

Much Ado About a Kiss by Heather Tullis
3 Stars

Fay has her whole life figured out. She has a success diner, her art is in a gallery and she’s volunteering on the library board. She just doesn’t have time for her estranged father who wants to make amends or for Austin, the boy she shared a mind-blowing kiss with in high school. Her life is perfectly fine without either of them in it… or is it?

Austin can’t understand what he did to Fay to warrant her hatred of him. In his mind, a single mind-blowing kiss in high school should not be the cause. He really wants to move forward with her but she is consistently defensive and cranky around him. But that is no match for a man who has been in love with her for years… ;)

**I received a copy of this book from one of the authors in exchange for my honest review.**

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy a good anthology, especially one that has a central theme and characters who make appearances throughout the book. Each of these stories takes place in upstate New York, in the small town of Echo Ridge. I absolutely adore books with a small town feel. I grew up in a very small town and can relate to these types of characters and situations and it brings on the nostalgia.

This autumn, the head librarian, Britta Klein, is trying to raise much needed money to make renovations to the local library. The stories all revolve around characters who are connected to the library in some way. Each character is given a classic book to find to help complete the library's collection and their quests to find these books plays a big role in the plot and in the romance that is discovered along the way. The titles are creatively done to put the bow on top of each one in a satisfying way.

I noticed another common thread between most of the stories and that is they all revolve around past hurts, injustices, grudges, or trials. Most of the characters have something in their pasts to cause them to either be clueless about their situations or a little shy at pursuing their romantic dreams. It's interesting to start picking up on so many commonalities between the stories.

Some of the stories move at a slower, gentler pace than others and give the reader a few frustrating moments of "just get over yourself already!" but they are sure to be a delight to savor on those crisp, autumn nights.

Content: Each story has mild romantic elements and a couple are mildly religious. Clean!

*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review*

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of my favorite authors are filling the pages of this book! What a fun trip back to Echo Ridge, New York to meet new characters and see some from the previous books. This is the second book in this series, but it can be read independently.

I love anthologies like this. They give you a common theme between the novellas but the variety of different authors and writing styles. I love how the authors of this anthology include characters from each other's novellas in their books. It ties the stories together and gives everything a real feeling of community. The book/library fundraising theme for this anthology was so fun. I could easily picture the library, events and characters in all these stories which was fantastic.

So, it's love from me for this book! I'm looking forward to the next book and what these authors come up with next!

Content: Clean

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had so much fun collaborating with the other authors in this anthology to bring a set of 5 more clean and wholesome romances. These novellas are uplifting, happy stories filled with characters that you'll want to meet! Echo Ridge, New York has a lot going on in preparation for the annual Harvest Hurrah. The crisp scent of Autumn and the rich scent of love is in the air. Each of these stories take only about 45 minutes to one hour to read. The set is available in paperback, audio, and ebook. I hope you love the stories and those yummy recipes too!

[Adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Kiss Thief by Rachelle Christensen
Head librarian Britta is busy planning the Harvest Hurrah, a huge fundraiser for the library, which means she doesn't have time for Milo. Plus, he's German and she, having been teased as a child for her German roots, wants nothing to do with any German man. But as Milo consistently supports and helps her, she finds that her heart and her head might not agree about this handsome German man.

Milo was a total sweetie, so I liked him. I didn't feel like Britta's reluctance to accept her German heritage or a German man was developed well enough; I just wasn't quite buying why she was as traumatized by her experiences as she was.

The Lion, The Witch, & The Library by Lucy McConnell
Jennifer has long had feelings for her best friend Kirke--and on her birthday, they share a moment that makes her think maybe he's starting to feel something, too. But playwright Kirke had previously used his connections to meet a reality TV star, Bay Barrington, who comes to town and wants to partner with Kirke in screenwriting and in romance, even convincing him to leave Echo Ridge and move to California.

Bay was the typical spoiled pretty flat character. Kirke seemed a little dim-witted to get swept up by her, but that was totally believable because I've seen that happen time and again in real life. Jennifer was pretty quick to forgive him for hurting her, but I felt like that was consistent with her character.

The Last of the Gentlemen by Cami Checketts
Emma is a hard-working single mom to three kids, including her son, Mason, a high school lacrosse player who has a total hottie, Chayton for a coach. Emma is certain he wouldn't be interested in her, but he is. Their relationship seems perfect until Mason gets hurt in a lacrosse game and Emma and Chayton disagree about whether he should be able to play again.
Ah, Chayton. He was pretty dreamy. (Side note, coulda done without the author's description of his "chocolate skin". Not sure I'd agree that an American Indian has chocolate colored skin anyway, and I've read complaints from various people from diverse racial groups complaining about having their skin color compared to food). I found this storyline--with Emma overcoming hurtful relationships from the past and the single-parent angle--to be really interesting.

Much Ado about a Kiss by Heather Tullis
Fay and her brother's best friend Austin have pretty much been at each other's throats, constantly squabbling, since high school, when the two of them kissed. Fay blames Austin; Austin doesn't understand why she's upset--and it's a topic Fay has never been willing to talk about. But when Austin moves back to Echo Ridge to open a business, he finds some opportunities to start redeeming himself in Fay's eyes--and he's hoping to change her mind about him for good. At the same time, Fay's dad, who has long been out of the picture, comes around and tries to fix his relationship with Fay, but Fay isn't so sure she wants anything to do with him.
Didn't always love the timing of things in this story (like, Fay seemed pretty interested in Austin before she ever started to resolve her feelings from high school; she's a tough girl and it would have seemed more consistent with her character for her to demand some answers before she started dating him), but it did have what might be my favorite line of the anthology: "If there's a you and a me, how can there ever again not be an us?"

Pride & Persuasion by Connie E. Sokol
French author Armand is the headlining act of the Harvest Hurrah; he's supposed to do a reading and a book signing to kick things off. Lindy is assigned to be his personal assistant, and she's not surprised when he cancels the reading, saying he's had an allergic reaction to a cat, since in her former job, he canceled a reading at an event she'd scheduled as well. While part of her thinks he's just a prima donna, as he helps her set up her cousin's antique shop, he seems genuine and kind. With her conflicting feelings for him, as well as those for her former business partner/boyfriend who is anxious to rekindle their relationship, Lindy doesn't know what she should do.

Armand was pretty adorable. I loved seeing when he admitted to Lindy what the problem was and why he didn't want to do a reading.


Overall, I liked the book but I didn't always feel like the writing was as polished as it could have been. There were little things that bothered me--like, I couldn't really get a feel for how big Echo Ridge is supposed to be...it's supposed to have this small town feel but it's hosting a huge fundraiser (huge for ANY library, not just a really small library) and it supports quite a few small businesses, which doesn't seem realistic for a really small town.
Marian the librarian was also a pet peeve; I had no problem with her being crusty, but as a former librarian myself, it was totally incomprehensible to me that she would ask for donations for the classics collection and be so demanding about them--they have to be hardcover, great condition, etc. I could buy the whole asking for donations thing, but in my library experience, we were happy to get donations in good condition, be they hardback or paperback. And the fact that she wouldn't already have Twilight in her collection also didn't seem believable to me; a good librarian puts aside personal feelings about the book and stocks what readers want to read--and if she doesn't, the library director should do something about it. Other readers might not have an issue with that, but for me, it was one of those "small" things that rankled.

I liked the library theme throughout the stories, and it was fun to see a minor character in one story become the main character in another. I also liked the fact that all of the stories are clean romances.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kisses Between the Lines (Echo Ridge Romance book #2) is another anthology set in the adorable-sounding town of Echo Ridge. Each novella is a stand-alone although each story does intertwine with characters and other main points of interest in the town. Although different authors are writing, I still find myself wanting to live there and eat at the diner, go sit in the library, hike in the mountains, etc. And you know you have good writing when you have such strong feelings for a character that you just want to smack, smack, smack one of them! I occasionally have the opportunity to review books for free for an honest review and I’m glad I had the chance to read this one.
4 Stars. Clean. Still mad at Kirke.

[Megan | Reads Alotl Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I really like the idea behind the stories . All of the authors have overlapping characters and situations from the one town and it's really fun to read. They're really clean and sweet stories and easy-to-read . It makes me want to live in a place like Echo ridge. The play on the movie titles and movies is also really fun .

[Daynagirl17 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the silver screen kisses, so I thought I’d give this a try. First one wasn’t my favorite, but they got better as you go. These are great to listen to as I’m running, because they are quick and mindless. Love a good romance! Although, overall rating might be 3.5

[Mekayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun short story romances that happen in a small New York town. I enjoyed it.

[Marier Farley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about the book. It told a good story but I just did not resonate with the characters.

[Tammy Niederhauser · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[KimberlyDawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great set of stories! Loved this anthology, and I highly recommend it!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Kiss Thief by Rachelle J. Christensen: This was quite long for a novella, compared to other anthologies I've read, but I really enjoyed how it took the time to develop the relationship and the story between Britta and Milo and the struggles they both faced and how they worked to overcome them individually and then together to build a relationship. The library setting was entertaining, with Marian the librarian giving everyone assignments of classic must-read books to donate to the library. The writing was well done and a very entertaining read, from the Harvest Hurrah to the library itself and the town of Echo Ridge.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Library by Lucy McConnell: I also really enjoyed this novella. It was fun, entertaining, even if a bit predictable, and with very well-developed characters and story line that kept me laughing and interested the whole way through. I also enjoyed that it took place simultaneously with the other stories in the anthology, so that the settings (the Harvest Hurrah and the library) are the same, but we are seeing them from the perspectives of multiple characters.

The Last of the Gentlemen by Cami Checketts: Great story! This was really relateable to me, the busy mom putting her kids first and herself last. The story was very well developed, as were the characters. It seemed to me like the story was so well developed that the back story of Emma and Beau had already been told in another book and this was the sequel with Emma and Chayton. Emma's daughters were darling and their personalities really shown through in the writing. I also enjoyed the little bonus love story between Emma's son Mason and Kaitlyn. Again, I liked the carry over of the setting, events, and characters from story to story, all taking place around the same time and the interaction between characters from other stories, while still focusing on the love story between the 2 main characters. While the focus on finding the books for Marian at the library was less involved in this story than in the first two novellas and would have loved to have the 2 books talked about more, I still thought the books Marian picked for Emma and Chayton (The Last of the Mohicans and The Princess Bride) tied in to their personalities well.

Much Ado About a Kiss by Heather Tullis: Cute interaction between Fay and Austin. I really liked Fay and her pink stripes in her hair. Her personality would be fun to see at the cafe and her artwork! I struggled a bit with this one just because the history between the two seemed more implied than explained, until later on in the story, so I kept waiting for that explanation that took a while to develop. There was also the strained relationship with Fay and her dad that needed to be solved. It did feel a bit like there was more to this story that had already been told that was just left to the reader's imagination or assuming the reader had previous knowledge of. Overall, another great addition to the anthology and building even more on the characters of Echo Ridge in this book and apparently from the first one (that I know need to go read so I can follow those love stories!!).

Pride and Persuasion by Connie E. Sokol: This last novella seemed to tie up this collection very well. It takes us back to the first novella, where Armand, Britta's famous relative who comes to Echo Ridge to put in a book-promoting appearance to help raise money for the library, is introduced, but we find out more of what was going on behind the scenes while Britta was pursuing her own romance. I loved the setting of the antique shop and the way that influenced Armand and Lindy's growing relationship. It was so well described, that it became a place I would definitely love to visit, with the antiques, the beautifully laid out items and furniture, and the little cafe portion of it! I did notice a few errors in the French used in the book, but as I received the book from one of the authors to review, I'm wondering if it may not be a final draft and these will have been caught in the published version. Overall, a really fun love story, with challenges for both Armand and Lindy in their personal lives and as their relationship together develops. I look forward to seeing if, in the next anthology in this series, Lindy's cousin Shennedy gets a chance at romance!!

Overall, a really entertaining, fun, easy read. I enjoyed the crossovers of characters from story to story and how all the stories took place at the same time, surrounding the Harvest Hurrah and the library and the theme of each story that subtly included tones of the classic books the characters were supposed to find to donate to the library. I look forward to going back to read the first anthology in the series, as well as to the next one coming out next year!

***I received a copy of this book from one of the authors in exchange for my honest review.**

[Charity Bradford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome to Echo Ridge, New York, where romance finds its way into the lives of the people who walk the streets of the close-knit community. In these five novellas, listeners will experience the power a book has to change a life, make dreams come true, and bring two hearts together.

My thoughts are in italics after each summary.

The Kiss Thief by Rachelle J. Christensen - -The old Echo Ridge library is in desperate need of a renovation. Librarian Britta Kleins heart refuses to be swayed by musician Milo Geissler and his irresistible dimpled smile. But when he helps her find a key classic book, Britta wonders if there is more to life than books and order.

There were parts of this story that I loved simply because my dad is German. Sadly, he didn't have the accent because he's full-blooded German born and raised in America. :) Anyway, Britta is so determined to never get involved with a German boy because of the way she was teased growing up that she almost misses out on the love of her life. I loved how being around Milo brought out the little bits of her childhood that she did love until finally she was willing to take a risk. I also loved the music metaphors throughout. Lovely!

I give this one a 4.

The Lion, the Witch & the Library by Lucy McConnell - - Jennifer Solomons birthday wish is to have the one person shes been too shy to go after: Kirke Staples, her best friend. Friend, as in don't fall in love with the man. But its too late. In her efforts to win Kirkes heart, Jennifer is forced to decide what type of woman she wants to be.

Jennifer was a lot of fun from the very beginning. The story starts with her realizing she wants more from her best friend. Unfortunately, he's been actively trying to get the attentions of Bay Barrington (an actress who comes to visit and causes a TON of trouble!). Kirke is a bit frustrating to me. He's attracted to Jennifer, but he keeps thinking that since he put so much time and effort into meeting Bay that he needs to follow through with that. Stupid clueless men! There's some great drama as both of them go back and forth trying to figure out what they really want.

I give this one a 4.

The Last of the Gentlemen by Cami Checketts - - Working nights and struggling through life, Emma Turner doesnt leave much time for romance. But when her sons good-looking lacrosse coach takes an interest in her children, Emma has to fight off desire and banish her daydreams. If only she could tell that to her heart.

Chayton finally gets his chance at love! I really liked him as a character in the Christmas stories. He might not have been right for Chelsea, but he was just such a good guy you couldn't help hoping he found love soon. And Emma is such a sweet and deserving recipient of his attentions. I love how he does everything he can to make Emma and her girls smile simply because he likes to see them smile. He truly is like a knight in shining armor riding in to save the day.

I give this one a 4.

Much Ado about a Kiss by Heather Tullis - - The one thing Fay doesn't need right now is a guy in her life, especially her brother's irritating best friend from high school, whose kiss made her heart flutter. Why does he have to upset her just-fine world? Not this time. Not if she can help it. But can she?

Oh! This story made me so sad for Fay. She's been stressing over a kiss for years not knowing what was really behind it. I love Fay and her artistic approach to life and the cafe. Austin remembers the kiss quite differently than Fay. They both have to come to a new understanding of what happened then in order to move forward with their feelings now.

I give this one a 4.

Pride & Persuasion by Connie E. Sokol - - Lindy Marchant is roped into the Echo Ridge library fundraiser to become an assistant for Armand D. Beaumont, a bestselling detective writer. While Armand inadvertently assists Lindy with the shop, she uncovers his painful truth and an inconvenient growing attraction.

After getting a glimpse of Armand from The Kiss Thief, it's nice to see what was going on with him and Lindy. We've got two strong personalities butting heads and they don't even know why! There are some fun surprises along the way and both find their futures are more hopeful with each other in their lives.

I give this one a 4.

I really enjoyed the collection as a whole. It was clean, sweet, and all the stories were well written. I give the entire thing a solid 4.

1-5 scale and what it means:
1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad
2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing
3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive
3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love
4: Solid mind candy / worth reading
4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read
5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

[Dawn Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: I was given a complimentary copy for an honest review.

This is a delightful collection of novellas around the central theme of life in the town of Echo Ridge, New York. The library, which is managed by Britta Klein, is fundraising for some much needed improvements. So, each novella features a different character who is involved in the fundraiser and their individual romance. Also, integrated into each novella is a particular classic book that becomes part of the plot, not to mention the name of the novella.

The Kiss Thief by Rachelle Christensen introduces the overarching theme of the fundraiser and all of the various characters that we get to know in the other stories. It then focuses on Britta Klein and her romance with Milo Geissler. The themes covered in the story are about one's heritage and overcoming past hurts and insults.

The Lion. The Witch, and the Library by Lucy McConnell focuses on Jennifer Solomon and Kirke Staples. Jennifer loves to read and spends as much time as possible in the library while she tries to complete her library sciences degree. In the meantime, her best friend, Kirke, who is a playwrite, finds himself in a love triangle with reality TV star, Bay Barington.

The Last of the Gentlemen by Cami Checketts focuses on another library board member, Chayton Liechty who is the high school lacrosse coach and Emma Turner who is a single mother of 3 and whose son is the lacrosse team captain. The themes covered in this story are about overcoming a traumatic past relationships.

Much Ado About a Kiss by Heather Tullis focuses on Fay Griffith and Austin Sparks. This is a second chance story and covers themes such as forgiveness and confessing past mistakes.

Pride & Persuasion by Connie E Sokol focuses on Lindy Marchant and Armand Beaumont. Lindy is in town to visit her cousin and to escape a bad relationship. When her cousin learns that she needs surgery, she finds that she has to be the personal assistant to the visiting celebrity, international bestselling author, Armand D Beaumont. Themes covered are about being true to yourself and facing your weaknesses.

All in all, it's an enjoyable read. Each of the stories is completely clean of any offensive language and graphic situations. They contain kissing, but that's all.

Technical Details:
The Kiss Thief - Rachelle J Christensen
1% - 20%, 23 Chapters

The Lion, the Witch, and the Library - Lucy McConnell
21% - 41%, 21 Chapters

The Last of the Gentlemen - Cami Checketts
41% - 55%, 15 Chapters

Much Ado About a Kiss - Heather Tullis
56% - 76%, 15 Chapters

Pride & Persuasion - Connie E Sokol
76% - 100%, 17 Chapters

Overall rating - 4 stars

[Nari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great collection of novellas based in a fictional town named Echo Ridge. All the stories have something to do with the library fundraiser that the town is doing. The first one The Kiss Thief is about Brittany Klein who is the head librarian. She was teased and ridiculed as a child for her German heritage so she tries to hide it. Milo Geissler is the local piano tuner and a gifted musician and very German. He has been interested in Britta from the beginning and Britta feels an attraction towards him too but she fights it because of his obvious German heritage. Milo comes to Britta's rescue a few times and Britta's heart starts to soften towards him. Can Britta see past childhood experiences to find a love of a lifetime?
The next story The Lion, The Library is about Jennifer and Kirk. Jennifer wants to be more than just Kirk's best friend. Bay Barrington a movie star that Kirk has been obsessed with comes to town and the two start to date. Jennifer must decide whether to fight for Kirk or let him go and move on. Will Kirk open his eyes and see that his best friend can be so much more?
The Last of the Gentlemen is about Emma Turner a single mom who is struggling to make ends meet and her son's lacrosse coach Chayton. Emma lost her first husband to death and went through a bad divorce with her second abusive husband. She has given up on happily ever after and is just trying to take care of her 3 children. Chayton admires Emma's beauty and her strength. He can't help but love her children too. Will Emma let Chayton help her see that she has a chance at love and a complete family?
Much Ado about a kiss is about Fay who owns the town's main restaurant and her brother's best friend Austin. Fay and Austin shared a kiss in high school which Fay thinks was a prank. Austin was interested in Fay in high school and as he spends time with her again discovers he is still very interested in her. Will Fay be able to clearly see the past and realize what her future can be like?
The last one Pride and Persuasion is about Lindy who has come to town to help her cousin and Armand a famous French author who has been roped into a reading that will be part of the library fundraiser. Lindy has a had a prior experience with Armand and thinks he is egotistical author. When Armand helps Lindy set up her cousin's shop she sees another side to Armand. What is Armand really like and why does he keep cancelling on readings? When Lindy finds out will she be able to help Armand and the library?

[Lisa Swinton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it would be great fun to live in Echo Ridge. I enjoyed getting to know more of this town's characters through this anthology, having read the previous one. I like the intwerwoven events and people. It brings more life to the town and the stories.

Each author has her own way of storytelling, yet they still come together nicely so a reader can enjoy a clean and wholesome romance with just the right mix of kissing and chemistry. Each story is character driven with emotion and depth. These are well developed characters, backstories, and plotlines.

Grab a plate of cider and cookies for reading. Or make the recipes inserted at the end of each tale, a happy bonus in my opinion. I'm looking forward to trying them.

Would someone please write Jesscia's story? She needs a happy romance. Perhaps in the next one...

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Kisses Between the Lines very much. It is another in the Echo Ridge Anthology series. However, you can read it without reading the other one first. The stories are fun and the romance is clean. I especially like how each story interconnects with the others. There are also characters from and references to the first book. It makes it feel more real, like an actual community where everyone's lives intertwine and impact each other. A great read for when you want a feel-good story.
I received a reviewer copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kisses Between the Lines is an anthology of five stories. The stories include:
The Kiss Thief by Rachelle J Christensen
The Lion, the Witch, and the Library by Lucy McConnell
The Last of the Gentlemen by Cami Checketts
Much Ado About a Kiss by Heather Tullis
Pride and Persuasion by Connie E Sokol
This is the first time I have read anything from the Echo Ridge Romance series. I am definitely going to go back and catch up. I really enjoyed this book. It is fun, clean and romantic.
Highly recommended
5 plus stars

[Donna Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of these stories were great but I definitely had a couple that were my favorites. The stories shared the same town, the same people and some of the same events even though they were all very different. This is a great way to be exposed to authors you might not be familiar with who have written wonderful clean romances.

[Teresa Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good novellas

This collection of novellas was a great follow-up to the first Echo Ridge collection. It is always great to have characters from previous books reappear. These are good wholesome romance stories. They don't contain gratuitous sexual situations like a lot of books. For me, that is a plus.

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun anthology - following 5 different couples (each with their own novella) during the Harvest Hurrah - a fundraising event for the Echo Ridge library. Some of the couples made appearances throughout the other stories which I thought was fun.

Content: Very Clean
Source: Kindle Unlimited

[Mandi Ellsworth]

I really liked this idea, of several authors writing novellas of people in the same town, through the same couple of weeks, surrounding the same events. There's a small amount of overlap, which I liked. The stories were fun to read, too, which always helps.

[Scarlet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute anthology. I loved that each story revolved around the same event- the Library fundraiser, but each story was given in that couples perspective. It was really well written and I can't wait to read more about Echo Ridge. Highly recommend it.

[Mary Ann Bulloch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I seriously love these books! They are perfect for escaping into. I read their Christmas ones last year and could barely contain my delight when I found out they had a fall version! These sweet little romances are light and clean and uplifting. Love them!

[Gabrielle Zastrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book lovers dream romance

If you love sweet, innocent, and central themed series romance stories this is the anthology for you. I especially loved it because every story centers around the library and books.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5.0

This anthology is full of fun and romance as it follows the residents of a small town called Echo Ridge.

Read full review in the 2016 December issue of InD'tale Magazine.