Around every corner and even right in front of you, love is spinning fabulous stories.
Love can be rekindled between hearts broken by lies and betrayals if you’re willing to make a pass. Sometimes it takes playing referee to a cat and dog to find your true soul mate. Predictable might be the name of the game, until the unexpected comes along to push you into something new.
Love takes so many different twists and turns: a sister left behind who is freed when she learns to love; the moment when magic sparks between two strangers and turns into something more; or second chances that come with just a little push.
Just like a kaleidoscope, every shade and shape of love is imprinted on our hearts. Maybe you’ll find a few of those stories of love in this book?
Gina Ardito, Grace Augustine, CJ Baty, Linda Boulanger, Edward Buatois, Jennifer Daniels, Laura Hern, Andi Lawrencovna, & M.M. Roethig
Gina Ardito is the award-winning author of more than twenty romances in contemporary, historical, and paranormal sub-genres. In 2012, she launched her freelance editing business, Excellence in Editing, and now has a stable of award-winning clients, as well.
She’s hosted workshops around the world for writing conferences, author organization chapter meetings, and library events. To her everlasting shame, despite all her accomplishments, she’ll never be more famous than her dog, who starred in commercials for 2015’s Puppy Bowl.
Laura Hern is a new author. Her Lainey Maynard cozy mystery series is fabulous. ROOMMATES gives us a glimpse into the early years of Lainey's life. After her roommate Amy leaves, she and her cat have no clue what will happen. When the handsome Darren and his drooling dog move in it becomes chaos. This was a fun read and great intro to her series.
Gina Ardito has been a favorite author of mine for a long time and to work on a project with her was wonderful. PLAY ACTION PASS brings us the story of confident, beautiful Cameron Delgado, CEO of the Duke Awards honoring her father, and former football player, Jordan Fawcett. The poignant, and sometimes cheeky, history between these too is filled with a torment that tugs at their hearts as well as the reader's. The way Gina entwines these lives will make you want to not put this story down until you finish.
Linda Boulanger is the mistress of medieval England when it come to story telling. In SURRENDER TO THE STORM: Prelude to HEART OF THE STORM, we are treated to a story about newly married Hezekiah Strom and wife, Ivetta. As this is the prelude to another book, I will not give spoilers. Safe to say, however, this is one for historical romance readers far and wide. Be looking for HEART OF THE STORM.
Jennifer Daniels brings to the anthology a story of survival after a devastating event in WHISPERS OF THE HEART. This is a true love story of support and encouragement after your life is turned upside down.
Andi Lawrencovna continues with her Neverland Saga with her contribution of THE NIGHTINGALE. Mistress of the retelling of fairy tales, Andi brings us another story of love and mystery. Two sisters after the same prince. You know this won't turn out well for someone.
CJ Baty's SECOND CHANCES is the story of a first love that waits what seems a lifetime to blossom. With the help of his son, Daniel may have another chance at what who he once wanted. This is a male/male story and well written.
Edward Buatois' A LOVE FULL OF COLORS is an incredible story of what happens when the kindness of a stranger brings life into someone who needs it. Love blossoms and light is brought to an otherwise dark situation. A lovely story of love.
M.M. Roethig tells us about John and Mary Williams in TWO HEARTS. This is the story of a couple who has been married for thirty years. The kids are gone, they find little in common, and wonder if their marriage will last. A different look at the stages of love.
A delightful and charming collection of short stores or novellas of romance. One or more will appeal to everyone. A great way to discover new-to-you authors. Thanks to one of the authors I was able to obtain a copy for a voluntary review.
Play-Action Pass by Gina Ardito---5 Stars A sweet second chance romance. If Cameron and Jordan had simply communicated instead of making assumptions, their love would have stayed strong and true from the beginning. Loved Jordan's big romantic Hail Mary pass.
The Magic of Sapphire Creek by Grace Augustine---4 Stars A sweet, paranormal second chance romance. Bethany can communicate with animals and has healing abilities with both animals and humans. Rowdy left her at the altar 10 years ago but has never stopped loving her. She has never stopped loving him. Now, thanks to Lucie, they reconnect and get a second chance at love.
Second Chances by CJ Baty---4 Stars An MM romance. Asa and Daniel reconnect through Facebook 30 years after they first met. Daniel is still in the closet but Asa has been out his entire adult life. Sweet.
Surrender to The Storm by Linda Boulanger---4 Stars A historical romance. A story of an arranged marriage that turned into true and lasting love.
A Love Full of Colors by Edward Buatois---3 Stars I'm not really sure how to describe this story. It was definitely different. Carlton is old-money wealthy and it's expected that he will marry Haven. Then he meets Becka--who is totally unconventional. After spending one evening together, he turns his back on his life and knows Becka is the only one who can bring color to his world. They end up together.
Whispers of Fate by Jennifer Daniels---3 Stars Tipper faces a tragedy in losing Logan. Then she gets a second chance at love when Fate brings her and Aaron together. I have trouble with the fact Tipper is still grieving and then WHAM! Insta-love. The story was full of typos and grammatical errors. It definitely needs a proofreader to go over it.
Roommates by Laura Hern---3 Stars This wasn't really a romance. Lainey and Darren were roommates for a week when she was injured in an accident. Then he made a grand gesture and the story was over. I know it is just a ficlet but it needed some meat added to the story.
The Nightingale by Andi Lawrencovna---4 Stars A fairy tale of two sisters locked in a tower by their father. The gist of the story is physical beauty doesn't make you a worthwhile person and being ordinary looking doesn't make you worthless. True beauty comes from a pure heart and soul and can overcome many obstacles.
Two Hearts by M.M. Roethig---5 Stars John and Mary realize something is missing from their marriage. They know the foundation is strong and they agree they will work to keep the love alive. Sweet.
Book Review: Kaleidoscope Hearts Vol. 2: Nine More Chances to Fall in Love My Rating: 5 Stars Reviewed by: Tammy - Book Nook Nuts
REVIEW A fantastic book by many authors. I am leaving a review right now for a few.
Play-Action Pass by Gina Ardito The first story in this anthology finds us with Cam who deals with an overbearing mother, who treats her like crap. A lost love Jordan is back in town and with him, he finds nothing is what it was/or seems with Cam. At a funeral, Jordan finally gets some insight into what happened between him and Cam. Can he fix this? Cute, rekindling a love gone wrong story.
The Magic of Sapphire Creek by Grace Augustine Bethany is a lover of animals and that is why she is a veterinarian. She isn't your typical vet though. Rowdy a blast from her past strides in and?? How is she going to deal with this man who up and left her on their special day? I enjoyed this magical story.
Second Chances - CJ Baty What do you do when the one you always wanted got away? Life doesn't always go your way when you are different. When you are expected to marry and have children with a wonderful woman. Well Daniel did all that but the one who held his heart, his soul was not the one he got. He didn't want a woman. He wanted Asa the man who held his heart. Will he get that second chance? With his son's help, he just might. Very well written M/M romance on second chances.
Surrender to The Storm - Linda Boulanger A heartwarming historical romance. Ivetta was married to a man she knew nothing of. The Storm is what they called him and she understood why when she looked upon his handsome face. Could he ever truly love her? Could she return that love? I truly enjoyed this enchanting story.
I hope to get to more of these wonderful stories in this set very soon.
This was a eclectic mix of short story/novella length romances. Several were second chance ones, some had paranormal elements, there was a medieval, a same sex, first time romance, and one with an older couple. There were plenty of funny, sexy, and romantic moments in these stories. I don't mind a little paranormal like talking to animals in the second story, but it's not my preferred romantic genre, neither is medieval and same sex, so I skipped those.
I liked the first two stories the best, which were both second chance romances. In Play Action Pass, Cam and Jordan broke up over misunderstandings and miscommunications and there's a lot of hurt on both sides. It took a shared passion for her father's charity to bring them back together. In The Magic of Sapphire Creek, Bethany is more than just a veterinarian, she's a healer with magical powers. Her ex left her at the altar on their wedding day to pursue his dreams, but he's back and wants a second chance. He has a special expectant Bernese Mountain dog that helps to bring them together.
This collection has a variety of short reads in one collection. I like these types of collections as they give you a sample of a lot of different styles. This collection contains a varied set of stories. My favorite was the first by Gina Ardito. Her short story built the characters quickly and reeled me in. It was a great story of second chances. I enjoyed the variety in the collection. I think there is something for everyone! I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
There is a nice variety of stories in this book - something for everyone. It's a good opportunity to try a new author without the commitment to an entire book. Some of these are very short, a couple are quite a bit longer, all well-written. I couldn't pick just one favorite out of the group, but I'm a bit partial to Whispers of Fate (love when Logan gives Tipper his blessing to move on) and Play-Action Pass (terrific second chance).
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I know I read this back when I got it but somehow the reviews just poofed. So I re-read this last night. The team player story in the beginning portion of this collection of books will certainly grab at your heartstrings without doubt. It makes you think how many have felt what the main female character has before? I loved this collection but for me the standout in it is now many of these stories make you stop and think for a minute, to me that's powerful!
A great collection of short romance stories full of love. Each story is well written and the characters are well developed. You can choose to read each story or just a few. Each one is a quick read so you don't have to put your life on hold when you start reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Kaleidoscope Hearts 2 is a nice collection of short stories. It includes an enjoyable variety of authors and styles. It’s a great way to find a new author, too!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This anthology was excellent. I loved all the stories in it, each filled with different types of love and romance. A truly terrific read. The authors who put this anthology together have something truly special to share with readers.
Have you grabbed your copy? Nine authors, nine chances to fall in love. Currently listed as a Valentine's Free Read at Book Funnel. https://books.bookfunnel.com/valentin...