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Time for Love
Two women each discover that the heart is what's important
A Friend or Two
Elizabeth Wainwright, an East Coast heiress in disguise, takes a job waitressing at a Fisherman's Wharf cafe, eager to live a simpler life. One day Andrew Breed--handsome, mysterious and charismatic--walks in. He says he's a longshoreman, but his words and actions don't quite add up. Is Elizabeth falling in love with someone who's pretending to be something other than he claims? Is Andrew?
The Trouble with Caasi
Caasi Crane, CEO of a West Coast hotel chain, has always taken her job seriously--and taken her most important employee for granted. But when Blake Sherrill, her very skillful, and very attractive, general manager resigns, Caasi suddenly realizes she not only needs him, she loves him. So now the question is: How can she convince Blake to stay--in Portland, on the job and, most important, with her?
A Friend or Two
Elizabeth Wainwright, an East Coast heiress in disguise, takes a job waitressing at a Fisherman's Wharf cafe, eager to live a simpler life. One day Andrew Breed--handsome, mysterious and charismatic--walks in. He says he's a longshoreman, but his words and actions don't quite add up. Is Elizabeth falling in love with someone who's pretending to be something other than he claims? Is Andrew?
The Trouble with Caasi
Caasi Crane, CEO of a West Coast hotel chain, has always taken her job seriously--and taken her most important employee for granted. But when Blake Sherrill, her very skillful, and very attractive, general manager resigns, Caasi suddenly realizes she not only needs him, she loves him. So now the question is: How can she convince Blake to stay--in Portland, on the job and, most important, with her?
- GenresRomanceContemporary
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 30, 2019
6 people are currently reading
1228 people want to read
About the author
Debbie Macomber
914 books20.7k followersDebbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of today’s most popular writers with more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. In her novels, Macomber brings to life compelling relationships that embrace family and enduring friendships, uplifting her readers with stories of connection and hope. Macomber’s novels have spent over 1,000 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Fifteen of these novels hit the number one spot.
In 2023, Macomber’s all-new hardcover publication includes Must Love Flowers (July). In addition to fiction, Macomber has also published three bestselling cookbooks, three adult coloring books, numerous inspirational and nonfiction works, and two acclaimed children’s books.
Celebrated as “the official storyteller of Christmas”, Macomber’s annual Christmas books are beloved and six have been crafted into original Hallmark Channel movies. Macomber is also the author of the bestselling Cedar Cove Series which the Hallmark Channel chose as the basis for its first dramatic scripted television series. Debuting in 2013, Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove was a ratings favorite for three seasons.
She serves on the Guideposts National Advisory Cabinet, is a YFC National Ambassador, and is World Vision’s international spokesperson for their Knit for Kids charity initiative. A devoted grandmother, Debbie and Wayne live in Port Orchard, Washington, the town which inspired the Cedar Cove series.
In 2023, Macomber’s all-new hardcover publication includes Must Love Flowers (July). In addition to fiction, Macomber has also published three bestselling cookbooks, three adult coloring books, numerous inspirational and nonfiction works, and two acclaimed children’s books.
Celebrated as “the official storyteller of Christmas”, Macomber’s annual Christmas books are beloved and six have been crafted into original Hallmark Channel movies. Macomber is also the author of the bestselling Cedar Cove Series which the Hallmark Channel chose as the basis for its first dramatic scripted television series. Debuting in 2013, Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove was a ratings favorite for three seasons.
She serves on the Guideposts National Advisory Cabinet, is a YFC National Ambassador, and is World Vision’s international spokesperson for their Knit for Kids charity initiative. A devoted grandmother, Debbie and Wayne live in Port Orchard, Washington, the town which inspired the Cedar Cove series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
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January 1, 2020Categories
Contemporary Romance, Romance, Romance Collections & Anthologies
Contemporary Romance, Romance, Romance Collections & Anthologies
May 17, 2020
the men in this book were quite pushy and rude. i like a strong male character not a jerk!!!!!!
June 5, 2025
the first story is cute the second story is a repeat story from another one of her books
November 16, 2024
Debbie Macomber writes novels that are sold in airports and drugstores everywhere, but I had never read one until now, and it was a twofer -- A Friend or Two and The Trouble with Caasi, both collected in Time for Love.
When I started the first novel, A Friend or Two, I was confused. It seemed like it was a 1950's pulp romance, with both the major and minor main character couples getting engaged after a few weeks of dating, within minutes of saying I love you for the first time, with the clear but unspoken assumption that the life goal of every woman in her early 20s is to get married. (One of the couples, after they got engaged, realized that they both wanted to have children, so that was lucky.) And there was this line:
"Peter loves you," Breed inserted, matching Gilly's clipped tones. "And if it means kidnapping you so that he has the chance to explain himself, then I don't consider that much of a crime."
The characters constantly have internal monologues about what is going on with the person they are dating and are supposedly in love with -- speculation that is never addressed by questions such as, "Hey, why is your apartment as bare as a hotel room? Why don't you have any personal touches here?" or "You have a lot of free time suddenly. Did you lose your job?"
Even the two women characters, who are supposed to be best friends, demonstrate a remarkable lack of curiosity about each other. When they get an apartment together, minor main character Gilly never asks major main character Beth where she is moving from or why she wants to give up her old apartment. (Also never addressed is who furnishes the new apartment, and where they get their pots and pans.)
The woman are so, so helpless. Beth manages to get lost on a beach. She literally can't follow the shoreline back to her car. She also gets lost in the woods. She slowly follows a deer for an hour, and then spends an hour trying to find her way back, and then she is exhausted. She thinks she might die of exhaustion.
My confusion was partially cleared up when I saw that the collection . . . Read my full review on A Middle-Aged Divorcee Writes Smut. (Blog is 18+. This post mentions virginity but is basically clean.) https://m-adws.blogspot.com/2023/12/r...
When I started the first novel, A Friend or Two, I was confused. It seemed like it was a 1950's pulp romance, with both the major and minor main character couples getting engaged after a few weeks of dating, within minutes of saying I love you for the first time, with the clear but unspoken assumption that the life goal of every woman in her early 20s is to get married. (One of the couples, after they got engaged, realized that they both wanted to have children, so that was lucky.) And there was this line:
"Peter loves you," Breed inserted, matching Gilly's clipped tones. "And if it means kidnapping you so that he has the chance to explain himself, then I don't consider that much of a crime."
The characters constantly have internal monologues about what is going on with the person they are dating and are supposedly in love with -- speculation that is never addressed by questions such as, "Hey, why is your apartment as bare as a hotel room? Why don't you have any personal touches here?" or "You have a lot of free time suddenly. Did you lose your job?"
Even the two women characters, who are supposed to be best friends, demonstrate a remarkable lack of curiosity about each other. When they get an apartment together, minor main character Gilly never asks major main character Beth where she is moving from or why she wants to give up her old apartment. (Also never addressed is who furnishes the new apartment, and where they get their pots and pans.)
The woman are so, so helpless. Beth manages to get lost on a beach. She literally can't follow the shoreline back to her car. She also gets lost in the woods. She slowly follows a deer for an hour, and then spends an hour trying to find her way back, and then she is exhausted. She thinks she might die of exhaustion.
My confusion was partially cleared up when I saw that the collection . . . Read my full review on A Middle-Aged Divorcee Writes Smut. (Blog is 18+. This post mentions virginity but is basically clean.) https://m-adws.blogspot.com/2023/12/r...
February 18, 2020
It’s an easy read. Not my favorite Debbie Macomber stories but good for passing the time and enjoying some me time. The first story - A Friend or Two - An easy read. Elizabeth has a lot of money but Breed doesn’t know it. Or does he? Love story with a twist at the end of how Elizabeth and Breed are connected via her Dad Charles. But you know it will end happily right!?! The friend Gilly and Peter...Love is in the books for them too!
The second story - The trouble with Caasi - I didn’t particularly like this one. I didn’t like Blake. He angered me. Caasi was hard to figure out and the story just drew on. They work together in Cassi’s family company but Blake is going to quit. Caasi wants him to stay but he won’t. Then Caasi doesn’t want to work there....The ending was great and happy which helped make the book better.
The second story - The trouble with Caasi - I didn’t particularly like this one. I didn’t like Blake. He angered me. Caasi was hard to figure out and the story just drew on. They work together in Cassi’s family company but Blake is going to quit. Caasi wants him to stay but he won’t. Then Caasi doesn’t want to work there....The ending was great and happy which helped make the book better.
March 7, 2023
Two novellas in this book - the first "A Friend or Two" was very good - a little romance, a little intrigue. 5 stars for that one.
The second one "Trouble with Caasi" was terrible - neither she nor the eventual bf were likable. Plus their relationship bordered on emotional/physical abuse. As well it would make a good lawsuit of sexual harassment in the workplace today (original story published in 1985 but it was reprinted in 2019 - did the editors not catch that in current times there was a criminal element to their relationship? Though it was straightened out at the end and they attributed it to miscommunication, it still did not make sense to me. Miscommunication or not, why would you want to have a relationship with someone who acted like that? They were both guilty of nasty behavior.
Negative stars for the second one.
The second one "Trouble with Caasi" was terrible - neither she nor the eventual bf were likable. Plus their relationship bordered on emotional/physical abuse. As well it would make a good lawsuit of sexual harassment in the workplace today (original story published in 1985 but it was reprinted in 2019 - did the editors not catch that in current times there was a criminal element to their relationship? Though it was straightened out at the end and they attributed it to miscommunication, it still did not make sense to me. Miscommunication or not, why would you want to have a relationship with someone who acted like that? They were both guilty of nasty behavior.
Negative stars for the second one.
February 2, 2020
This book contained two stories
The first one called 'A Friend or Two"..... excellent story of Elizabeth who
escapes to San Fransico and meets Gilly and eventually meets Breed.
The second one called "The Trouble with Caasi" .... another excellent store
of Caasi, who runs Empress Hotels after her father died. She is dumbfounded
that Blake, the general manager turns in his resignation.
Both stories the characters have a hard time being honest with their feeelings.
The first one called 'A Friend or Two"..... excellent story of Elizabeth who
escapes to San Fransico and meets Gilly and eventually meets Breed.
The second one called "The Trouble with Caasi" .... another excellent store
of Caasi, who runs Empress Hotels after her father died. She is dumbfounded
that Blake, the general manager turns in his resignation.
Both stories the characters have a hard time being honest with their feeelings.
February 19, 2020
A reprint of two stories written in the 80s, the actions of the characters seem to be dated. Normally a huge fan of Macomber's romances, I found myself not rooting for them to get together but instead hoping they would go their separate ways in both stories. Although being hot and cold can be normal if you are playing hard to get but it seems to be too excessive and in some instances, the males too dominating.
July 12, 2020
These two short stories really disappointed me especially for one of my favorite authors. There was less romance. To fast paced. Very predictable. Unfortunately that’s a gamble you take...not all stories are GREAT.
July 22, 2020
This was not one of my favorites from Macomber. The 2 mini-stories are addicting to read. While the ending is predictable, the journey is fun and unanticipated. Unlike most of her work, with these, the journey ends abruptly.
June 15, 2025
I like the booms with 2 stories in one, but I also dislike them - because I find them mixed and matched in other books that I have read previously. Since there are so many it is hard to remember till I start reading them. So many books so little time- lol
January 6, 2020
Usually I love Debbie Macomber books but this one fell flat. The first story was better than the second but both seemed rushed and didn't have a well developed plot.
January 7, 2020
Predictable but sweet
February 9, 2020
This was more like a Harlequin Romance than a Debbie Macomber novel. Disappointing, but I finished it. The two stories were both very romantic and very unlikely.
February 13, 2020
Two cute romances! Loved them!
March 5, 2020
even though you know how it’s going to end you are on pins and needles until the end.
March 27, 2020
Enjoyed both stories!
March 28, 2020
I guessed the ending of both by page 10 but that didn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the stories. Read on a plane so like a beach read.
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April 17, 2020My first time reading a Debbie Macomber book. I’ve read better but the the stories were decent.
The second one was more entertaining.
The second one was more entertaining.
April 25, 2020
Loved both stories
June 5, 2020
There were 2 short stories in one. It was a quick read.
July 2, 2020
Two great stories. Didn’t want to put it down!
September 6, 2020
Honestly, I was surprised by how much these romances sucked.
December 12, 2020
2 romance stories with a fairly predictable plot. The Trouble with Caasi was the better story of the 2.
March 13, 2021
Nice love stories.
October 8, 2021
Easy Read
April 4, 2023
Story #2 was better
September 12, 2023
There are two stories in this book. The second one, "Trouble with Cassi" is the worst Macomber book I've read. A disjointed romance with a relationship that is extremely annoying.
February 29, 2024
Very cheesy
May 10, 2024
Both of the stories in this book are super heartwarming. The 2nd story had me glued-- I read it one day while it took me about five days to read the 1st one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews