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Summer Love
The season is hot and love is blazing! Breezes that are soft caresses, beaches a-shimmer with sunlight, and jasmine-scented nights make summer the perfect season for romance. Now four bestselling authors turn up the heat with love stories as lush as a rose garden. Stories include:
"Straight from the Heart" / Janelle Taylor
The efforts of a matchmaking friend leave wary Kimberly Harden stranded with a handsome attorney in a mountain cabin where sparks fly--and feelings catch flame.
"Summer Fantasy" / Jill Marie Landis
Screenwriter Kylee Christopher travels to the romantic island of Kauai to cure her writer's block...never dreaming that her hidden passions will be unlocked by a breathtaking Hawaiian stranger.
"Early in the Morning" / Stella Cameron
A frustrated librarian is determined to drive her scholarly fiance wild with desire before the wedding, but she may need some heavenly help to ignite the passion of a man afraid of being burned.
"Sultry" / Anne Stuart
Sultry matches the climate in the Old West when a part-time sheriff and gunfighter and a gusty dance hall proprietress head toward a dangerous showdown with their hearts.
"Straight from the Heart" / Janelle Taylor
The efforts of a matchmaking friend leave wary Kimberly Harden stranded with a handsome attorney in a mountain cabin where sparks fly--and feelings catch flame.
"Summer Fantasy" / Jill Marie Landis
Screenwriter Kylee Christopher travels to the romantic island of Kauai to cure her writer's block...never dreaming that her hidden passions will be unlocked by a breathtaking Hawaiian stranger.
"Early in the Morning" / Stella Cameron
A frustrated librarian is determined to drive her scholarly fiance wild with desire before the wedding, but she may need some heavenly help to ignite the passion of a man afraid of being burned.
"Sultry" / Anne Stuart
Sultry matches the climate in the Old West when a part-time sheriff and gunfighter and a gusty dance hall proprietress head toward a dangerous showdown with their hearts.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1997
1 person is currently reading
86 people want to read
About the author
Janelle Taylor
101 books243 followersThe legendary Janelle Taylor was born on June 28, 1944 in Athens, GA. In 1965, she married Michael Taylor with whom she had two children, Angela Taylor-MacIntyre and Alisha Taylor Thurmond. Ms. Taylor attended the Medical College of Georgia from 1977 to 1979 and Augusta State University from 1980-1981. She withdrew from the latter after she sold her first two novels. Today, she is the author of thirty-nine novels, three novellas, and many contributions to other collections. There are thirty-nine million copies of her works in print worldwide and she has made The New York Times Bestseller List eight times. Ms. Taylor's works have also been featured ten times on the "1 million +" bestseller's list at Publisher's Weekly.
Some of Ms. Taylor's most recent books include By Candlelight, Someday Soon, Lakota Dawn, and Lakota Winds (due out in paperback in May 1999). She has also made contributions to other books including The Leukemia Society Cookbook, Christmas Rendezvous, and Summer Love. In addition, readers can see her as co-host of the QVC/TV Romance Book Club Show.
Ms. Taylor's interests include collecting spoons, coins from around the world, ship models, dolls, and old books. She loves to fish, ride horses, play chess, target-shoot, travel (especially in her motorhome and out West), hunt for Indian relics, and take long walks with her husband. Reading, in particular books set before 1900 and current Biographies, Thrillers, Horror, or Fantasy novels, is also one of Ms. Taylor's favorite activities. She is also extremely active with charity work and was even featured on the cover of Diabetes Forecast in February of 1998.
She lives in the country on seventy-nine acres of woods and pasture with a lake and a catfish pond. She writes her novels in a Spanish cottage which overlooks a five-acre lake, a working water mill, gazebo, and covered bridge.
Some of Ms. Taylor's most recent books include By Candlelight, Someday Soon, Lakota Dawn, and Lakota Winds (due out in paperback in May 1999). She has also made contributions to other books including The Leukemia Society Cookbook, Christmas Rendezvous, and Summer Love. In addition, readers can see her as co-host of the QVC/TV Romance Book Club Show.
Ms. Taylor's interests include collecting spoons, coins from around the world, ship models, dolls, and old books. She loves to fish, ride horses, play chess, target-shoot, travel (especially in her motorhome and out West), hunt for Indian relics, and take long walks with her husband. Reading, in particular books set before 1900 and current Biographies, Thrillers, Horror, or Fantasy novels, is also one of Ms. Taylor's favorite activities. She is also extremely active with charity work and was even featured on the cover of Diabetes Forecast in February of 1998.
She lives in the country on seventy-nine acres of woods and pasture with a lake and a catfish pond. She writes her novels in a Spanish cottage which overlooks a five-acre lake, a working water mill, gazebo, and covered bridge.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 1, 2010
The five star rating is for "Sultry" by Anne Stuart. I reread this one over the weekend. It was as wonderful as the other two times I read it. Ms. Stuart does the western so well. I feel like I'm there in that poorly-named, dusty, rambshackle, titular town in Wyoming, in the saloon with painted ladies, tired and horny cowboys, gamblers, and gunslingers, and our couple: Mrs. Carolina Cunningham and James Patrick de Cordoba O'Malley. I can't answer the question you're wanting to ask about Carolina's marital status. You'll have to read it to find out. But, knowing that I don't like adultery in romances, you should be fine. O'Malley is a gunslinger turned lawman on the trail of Billy Gaither, who is returning to Sultry to see his grandmother before she dies. He's the worst of the worst, yet, his younger brother is rapidly following in his footsteps. When Carolina kills the younger brother for cutting up a prostitute, she unleashes Hell's vengeance on her and the town in the form of the elder Gaither. Her "husband" is dying of consumption, and he's in no shape to protect her. But, O'Malley is ready and willing to do so, and to claim this wary, independent, transplanted Southern belle's heart. I am not at all impartial about Anne Stuart. I love pretty much all of her books (there's a few I merely like and fewer that I think are just okay.) But, this short story claims a place in my heart because of the fantastic mood she had captured. It's like a snap shot of the Old West, with a stellar love story. A hero to die for, and a strong, feisty heroine. Watching them fall and fight their mutual enemy was one of the best ways to spend a little time (and I know I look forward to doing so again, many times in the future). Once again, Bravo Ms. Stuart!
June 26, 2020
I wasn’t a fan of this book. I felt very annoyed throughout, and kept asking myself why I’m still bothering with reading this. I’m not sure if I ever want to read a book with a few romance short stories again, this kind of ruined it for me. If only Summer fantasy and Sultry were the only two stories in here id easily rate 4 stars, but that’s not the case so feel free to skip straight from the heart and Early in the morning! I wasted to much time on this book.
Straight from the heart - No. This short story was a big no for me, what a way to start off a book. The beginning had potential, a cute sappy romance between a man and a woman who recently became divorced, each having a child from their previous marriage, each having a mutual friend named Betsy who basically set each other up. Betsy told Kim to use her cabin over the weekend for a getaway, for Kim to get there and realize Betsy already told Stephen to stay there for the weekend. Then things went bland, and Kim started getting portrayed as what I would call a shallow person. It seemed as if she hated Stephen for such a shallow reason, but yet she liked/loved him ? What? She would let some romance spark then put him right back in his place, but don’t worry they make up and are happy in the end. While reading I came across Kim calling Stephen her slave, and she the master. That is a big no no, especially in this year of 2020 in the middle of June with all the riots, and protests of the movement black lives matter. It didn’t happen just once either, through the short story Kim kept referring to Stephen as a slave and her the Master, I was slightly appalled because slavery is no joking matter even when trying to fit it in to a short romance story, there was nothing cute about it. I’m not saying I stand with the black lives matter movement, because to me all lives matter, but I would not recommend this book during this time to anyone for that reason of those poor terms Janelle Taylor decided to use. It’s to much of a hot topic at the time, it always has been but it’s particularly worse right now in 2020, just saying. I like to be able to relate to the female characters in stories I read, but I could not relate to Kim at all, as I said she’s much to shallow. So that being said if I could rate this short story separately, I wouldn’t even waste .5 stars on it. After reading this first story of the book, I keep considering if I should continue or not.
Summer fantasy- Such a sweet story, I enjoyed reading this one. I want to go to Hawaii now, I mean who wouldn’t fall in love with Rick Pau he sounds like a Hawaiian God. Kylee was made so sweet and innocent in this story, never been in love before so it’s her first time “testing the waters” in Hawaii. Everything fit together so perfectly!! The fact that kylee lives in L.A. writing sappy romantic screenplays, and has never experienced love before seems a little unlikely though, like if you never experienced it “love” how could you write about it and make stories out of it for a living. Also kylee is a 25 year old virgin? What? That’s almost unheard of anymore. That’s great props to her for saving her virtue, but to come to an island to give it away to a random stranger. I guess we can say she might be finding out what love is like. As I said very sweet story. I’d rate about 3 1/2 stars! Back to the topic of slavery I’m sorry, but it popped up once in this story also. Not as bad as the first story but at one point after the hurricane/storm, Kylee refers to her clean up work as “slave labor”. I get it’s just a reference, but this movement happening right now gets you thinking about all of this in a different light. Overall Jill Marie landis seems to be a very good writer, she knows how to draw you in. I would consider reading more books by her.
Early in the morning- officially confused. Started out as a sweet romance, couple Steven and Chloe were about to get married awe how sweet. Turns out Steve has some issues? He didn’t want to have sex before the wedding because of his issues which is why his first wife left him. Then all of a sudden they are kid napped by aliens who call them selves sardines from sardo. What? These aliens want to learn how to “mate”, so they half as get freaky when Steven didn’t want to before. In the end they get married and end up making love like no tomorrow. I feel like this was more of some twisted sadistic sci-fi type of story rather than a romance. It seems like Stella Cameron was tripping on acid when she wrote this short story. Not a huge fan of this story, sorry! Save your time and skip this one.
Sultry- By far my favorite of the four stories. This one was excellent! I’ve never been much into “western type romances”, I honestly didn’t think I’d like it based on the description. Boy was I wrong, I very much enjoyed it and I may consider reading other old western books now. I just can’t get over the character Carolina, she is so strong willed and let’s just say she don’t need no man to take care of her. Carolina and Dennis had such an interesting back ground, so when something happens, I could just feel all the emotion I almost wanted to cry. Dennis did ask the new sheriff in town “O’Malley” to look after her and to take Carolina with him when he leaves. When Carolina first met O’Malley, you could feel the sparks fly right away. This wasn’t your average sweet romance, it was hot and steamy! I almost wish this story was separate from all the others, because I would rate this a good 4 stars.
Straight from the heart - No. This short story was a big no for me, what a way to start off a book. The beginning had potential, a cute sappy romance between a man and a woman who recently became divorced, each having a child from their previous marriage, each having a mutual friend named Betsy who basically set each other up. Betsy told Kim to use her cabin over the weekend for a getaway, for Kim to get there and realize Betsy already told Stephen to stay there for the weekend. Then things went bland, and Kim started getting portrayed as what I would call a shallow person. It seemed as if she hated Stephen for such a shallow reason, but yet she liked/loved him ? What? She would let some romance spark then put him right back in his place, but don’t worry they make up and are happy in the end. While reading I came across Kim calling Stephen her slave, and she the master. That is a big no no, especially in this year of 2020 in the middle of June with all the riots, and protests of the movement black lives matter. It didn’t happen just once either, through the short story Kim kept referring to Stephen as a slave and her the Master, I was slightly appalled because slavery is no joking matter even when trying to fit it in to a short romance story, there was nothing cute about it. I’m not saying I stand with the black lives matter movement, because to me all lives matter, but I would not recommend this book during this time to anyone for that reason of those poor terms Janelle Taylor decided to use. It’s to much of a hot topic at the time, it always has been but it’s particularly worse right now in 2020, just saying. I like to be able to relate to the female characters in stories I read, but I could not relate to Kim at all, as I said she’s much to shallow. So that being said if I could rate this short story separately, I wouldn’t even waste .5 stars on it. After reading this first story of the book, I keep considering if I should continue or not.
Summer fantasy- Such a sweet story, I enjoyed reading this one. I want to go to Hawaii now, I mean who wouldn’t fall in love with Rick Pau he sounds like a Hawaiian God. Kylee was made so sweet and innocent in this story, never been in love before so it’s her first time “testing the waters” in Hawaii. Everything fit together so perfectly!! The fact that kylee lives in L.A. writing sappy romantic screenplays, and has never experienced love before seems a little unlikely though, like if you never experienced it “love” how could you write about it and make stories out of it for a living. Also kylee is a 25 year old virgin? What? That’s almost unheard of anymore. That’s great props to her for saving her virtue, but to come to an island to give it away to a random stranger. I guess we can say she might be finding out what love is like. As I said very sweet story. I’d rate about 3 1/2 stars! Back to the topic of slavery I’m sorry, but it popped up once in this story also. Not as bad as the first story but at one point after the hurricane/storm, Kylee refers to her clean up work as “slave labor”. I get it’s just a reference, but this movement happening right now gets you thinking about all of this in a different light. Overall Jill Marie landis seems to be a very good writer, she knows how to draw you in. I would consider reading more books by her.
Early in the morning- officially confused. Started out as a sweet romance, couple Steven and Chloe were about to get married awe how sweet. Turns out Steve has some issues? He didn’t want to have sex before the wedding because of his issues which is why his first wife left him. Then all of a sudden they are kid napped by aliens who call them selves sardines from sardo. What? These aliens want to learn how to “mate”, so they half as get freaky when Steven didn’t want to before. In the end they get married and end up making love like no tomorrow. I feel like this was more of some twisted sadistic sci-fi type of story rather than a romance. It seems like Stella Cameron was tripping on acid when she wrote this short story. Not a huge fan of this story, sorry! Save your time and skip this one.
Sultry- By far my favorite of the four stories. This one was excellent! I’ve never been much into “western type romances”, I honestly didn’t think I’d like it based on the description. Boy was I wrong, I very much enjoyed it and I may consider reading other old western books now. I just can’t get over the character Carolina, she is so strong willed and let’s just say she don’t need no man to take care of her. Carolina and Dennis had such an interesting back ground, so when something happens, I could just feel all the emotion I almost wanted to cry. Dennis did ask the new sheriff in town “O’Malley” to look after her and to take Carolina with him when he leaves. When Carolina first met O’Malley, you could feel the sparks fly right away. This wasn’t your average sweet romance, it was hot and steamy! I almost wish this story was separate from all the others, because I would rate this a good 4 stars.
July 5, 2020
Straight from the Heart by Janelle Taylor ***
Summer Fantasy by Jill Marie Landis **
Early in the Morning by Stella Cameron **
Sultry by Anne Stuart ***
My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.
Summer Fantasy by Jill Marie Landis **
Early in the Morning by Stella Cameron **
Sultry by Anne Stuart ***
My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.
June 21, 2012
A set of 4 sweet stories. My favorite was "Summer Fantasty" by Jill Marie Landis, set in Kauai, Hawaii. It has a nice amount of spice to it. Least favorite was "Early in the Morning" by Stella Cameron. I love Science Fiction, but the concept of this one just didn't work for me.
All in all, a nice, fun read for the Summer Time!
All in all, a nice, fun read for the Summer Time!
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March 8, 2009JANELLE TAYLOR = STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART
June 6, 2011
Anne Stuart did a good job of writing a fairly fast paced western. Gunslinger/sheriff and a virgin acting as a saloon owner/madam.
October 14, 2011
A collection of four stories. All were OK, but none great. The last story, Sultry by Anne Stuart was the best.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews