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Bank Street Stories #3
Diamonds Are Forever
I hit a bit of a rocky patch during my childhood. My little brother, Phillip, and I were young when both of our parents died. We were shuffled around to different foster homes, and none of them were good situations. Eventually, a wonderful couple adopted us and treated us like we were their own.
It was smooth sailing after that. I went through middle school and high school like a normal girl with a normal family. My parents had another child, a son named Evan. So I was the oldest with two younger brothers.
I was in high school when I fell in love with Bradley Clark, the star of the football team. Things happened with us, and I ended up being homeschooled during my senior year. I am now the single mother of a three-and-a-half-year-old boy named Mac whose football star father has never so much as met him.
I was as happy as a single mother could be. Bradley was never there for us, so I didn't know anything else. My life was what I made it, and I made it good. I had settled into a nice routine where I took care of my responsibilities and made time for writing children's books, which was a passion of mine. I didn't think I was lacking anything.
Until I met Drew.
It was smooth sailing after that. I went through middle school and high school like a normal girl with a normal family. My parents had another child, a son named Evan. So I was the oldest with two younger brothers.
I was in high school when I fell in love with Bradley Clark, the star of the football team. Things happened with us, and I ended up being homeschooled during my senior year. I am now the single mother of a three-and-a-half-year-old boy named Mac whose football star father has never so much as met him.
I was as happy as a single mother could be. Bradley was never there for us, so I didn't know anything else. My life was what I made it, and I made it good. I had settled into a nice routine where I took care of my responsibilities and made time for writing children's books, which was a passion of mine. I didn't think I was lacking anything.
Until I met Drew.
- GenresContemporary
163 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 12, 2020
167 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
Brooke St. James
116 books953 followersBrooke St. James is a USA Today bestselling author and Amazon Kindle All-Star. She writes contemporary romance novels with Christian and inspirational themes and happy endings. She was born and raised in south Louisiana but has had the opportunity to travel and live throughout the U.S. An avid reader, writer, audio book addict, and fan of all things artistic, Brooke constantly has her hands in some creative activity. She's currently back home in Louisiana enjoying life with her husband, children, and two lazy dogs.
To find out more about Brooke visit her Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/brookesaintj...
Her Official website at:
http://www.brookesaintjames.com/
Follow her on Twitter or Instagram:
@brooke_stjames
To join her mailing list or for specific inquiries:
brookesaintjames@gmail.com
Listen to her audiobooks on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@BrookeStJames
To find out more about Brooke visit her Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/brookesaintj...
Her Official website at:
http://www.brookesaintjames.com/
Follow her on Twitter or Instagram:
@brooke_stjames
To join her mailing list or for specific inquiries:
brookesaintjames@gmail.com
Listen to her audiobooks on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@BrookeStJames
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
November 16, 2020
(4.5 stars) - a very unusual meet-cute!
Lucy & Drew meet by Providential chance, and Lucy figures she'll probably never see him again; but Drew finds her intriguing, and isn't about to forget about her.
Their relationship develops sweetly & steadily from there - with one little self-imposed hiccup, lol. Lucy is the adopted daughter of Tess & Daniel, and there are brief cameos of Billy & Marvin, etc, from the previous books.
This was the perfect read right now - lots of warm happy moments, & the conflicts were realistic but fairly low key. I did think it more than a little unlikely that Lucy wouldn't have called Drew first rather than risk spending all that money for nothing, but it was more dramatic & romantic that way, so I was ok with it, lol.
*Romance level: passionate kisses, heroine had a child out of wedlock during high school but it's depicted in a way that's morally constructive as well as instructive. There are no graphic or otherwise concerning details
*Religion: overtly Christian, but it's only mentioned naturally in a couple of places, including one where the heroine discusses her trust in God's Word, nothing excessive or heavy handed
Lucy & Drew meet by Providential chance, and Lucy figures she'll probably never see him again; but Drew finds her intriguing, and isn't about to forget about her.
Their relationship develops sweetly & steadily from there - with one little self-imposed hiccup, lol. Lucy is the adopted daughter of Tess & Daniel, and there are brief cameos of Billy & Marvin, etc, from the previous books.
This was the perfect read right now - lots of warm happy moments, & the conflicts were realistic but fairly low key. I did think it more than a little unlikely that Lucy wouldn't have called Drew first rather than risk spending all that money for nothing, but it was more dramatic & romantic that way, so I was ok with it, lol.
*Romance level: passionate kisses, heroine had a child out of wedlock during high school but it's depicted in a way that's morally constructive as well as instructive. There are no graphic or otherwise concerning details
*Religion: overtly Christian, but it's only mentioned naturally in a couple of places, including one where the heroine discusses her trust in God's Word, nothing excessive or heavy handed
July 4, 2021
They Didn't, But Now They Do
The third go in Brooke St. James"s Bank Street Stories series is the best yet,with heart,an adorable Todd, a sympathetic hero, and a relatable heroine who come together in a believable storyline that left me cheering!
Abigail and Daniel from the second book have adopted two very young orphans. This book follows Lucy,the older orphan. Lucy made a bad choice in high school (something she admits freely) and is living in a garage behind her parents' house with her two-year-old son, Mac,who is protective of his mama and precocious for his age. Their hometown of Galveston is on the water, and one afternoon Mac's nap is interrupted by a boat's motor. The handsome stranger takes out a diamond ring and offers it to Lucy, no strings attached. He had wanted to give it to has girlfriend as an engagement gift, but upon learning of her unfaithfulness he tried to throw it in the bay, only to have the ring land back in the boat. Strange for an athlete to fail at such a simple task. So he asks Lucy to do what she wants with it; he won't want it again.
Mac is taken with Captain Drew, as Lucy introduces them, and Drew invites both Lucy and Mac aboard his boat for some fishing. Mac returns with a garbled tale of fishing with a pirate, and Lucy's understandably concerned parents press her for more information on this "pirate", Captain Drew, who has attracted their grandson (and possibly his mother, a single mom in a vulnerable position). She laughs it off,telling them she'll never see him again.Then he comes to the hardware store where she works---and where her father is the owner---to ask her to pose as his date for a party to which his cheating fiancee has been invited. During that" fake date",Lucy successfully calms Drew's nephew, a cranky toddler, and is kissed by Drew when his fiancee is nearby. It's a night of new experiences for Lucy, who hasn't been given the opportunity to calm someone else's child or kiss a man who doesn't want to convince her to sleep with him (unlike Mac's father, who left her when she decided to have her baby). She falls for Drew but doesn't believe that he will want a woman with a child, so she regretfully suggests that they separate for a month and decide after that if they should get back together. He reluctantly agrees, and the countdown begins.
The title, Diamonds Are Forever, goes with the plot because the story starts and ends with two different diamond rings. Easy Does It, the first book, featured Tess and her love interest, Billy, whose boxing nickname is "Easy Billy". The second book, The Trouble with Crushes, had nothing to do with the plot and cost it a star. But I have no reservations about this book's title. I also appreciate that Lucy, despite the presence of Mac, doesn't want to displeased God with further bad choices and tells Drew this in what she terms a " God talk". No surprise, he's on the same page. It's refreshing to see a girl who found herself in a bad situation and didn't let it define her life. Some women feel they're not good enough anymore and might as well go whoring; Lucy tells Drew directly that her son does not indicate that she's promiscuous, and he believes her. This is the type of relationship I like to see in a romance.
Overall, third time's a charm for St. James and her Galveston gang. Who's next, and what will their story be?
The third go in Brooke St. James"s Bank Street Stories series is the best yet,with heart,an adorable Todd, a sympathetic hero, and a relatable heroine who come together in a believable storyline that left me cheering!
Abigail and Daniel from the second book have adopted two very young orphans. This book follows Lucy,the older orphan. Lucy made a bad choice in high school (something she admits freely) and is living in a garage behind her parents' house with her two-year-old son, Mac,who is protective of his mama and precocious for his age. Their hometown of Galveston is on the water, and one afternoon Mac's nap is interrupted by a boat's motor. The handsome stranger takes out a diamond ring and offers it to Lucy, no strings attached. He had wanted to give it to has girlfriend as an engagement gift, but upon learning of her unfaithfulness he tried to throw it in the bay, only to have the ring land back in the boat. Strange for an athlete to fail at such a simple task. So he asks Lucy to do what she wants with it; he won't want it again.
Mac is taken with Captain Drew, as Lucy introduces them, and Drew invites both Lucy and Mac aboard his boat for some fishing. Mac returns with a garbled tale of fishing with a pirate, and Lucy's understandably concerned parents press her for more information on this "pirate", Captain Drew, who has attracted their grandson (and possibly his mother, a single mom in a vulnerable position). She laughs it off,telling them she'll never see him again.Then he comes to the hardware store where she works---and where her father is the owner---to ask her to pose as his date for a party to which his cheating fiancee has been invited. During that" fake date",Lucy successfully calms Drew's nephew, a cranky toddler, and is kissed by Drew when his fiancee is nearby. It's a night of new experiences for Lucy, who hasn't been given the opportunity to calm someone else's child or kiss a man who doesn't want to convince her to sleep with him (unlike Mac's father, who left her when she decided to have her baby). She falls for Drew but doesn't believe that he will want a woman with a child, so she regretfully suggests that they separate for a month and decide after that if they should get back together. He reluctantly agrees, and the countdown begins.
The title, Diamonds Are Forever, goes with the plot because the story starts and ends with two different diamond rings. Easy Does It, the first book, featured Tess and her love interest, Billy, whose boxing nickname is "Easy Billy". The second book, The Trouble with Crushes, had nothing to do with the plot and cost it a star. But I have no reservations about this book's title. I also appreciate that Lucy, despite the presence of Mac, doesn't want to displeased God with further bad choices and tells Drew this in what she terms a " God talk". No surprise, he's on the same page. It's refreshing to see a girl who found herself in a bad situation and didn't let it define her life. Some women feel they're not good enough anymore and might as well go whoring; Lucy tells Drew directly that her son does not indicate that she's promiscuous, and he believes her. This is the type of relationship I like to see in a romance.
Overall, third time's a charm for St. James and her Galveston gang. Who's next, and what will their story be?
January 19, 2021
I enthusiastically award five-well-earned-stars to Brooke St. James for this outstanding novella staring Lucy and Drew. In chapter 16, Brooke wrote one of the best explanations I have seen as to why we mortals should keep the commandments of God. It was a scene where Lucy thought Drew was inviting her to come up to his hotel room with the intent of having a sexual relationship. In fact, that was not his intent. However, even though she had strong feelings for Drew, she had the courage to explain to him that she intended to reserve that intimacy until after marriage. This whole scene is one of the best discussions I have seen that explains why Christians hold the view that such intimacy is reserved until after marriage. Extremely well done, Brooke!
Another great message that permeates this entire story is that, even after making a huge mistake, a person is not forever tainted by that mistake. I very much appreciated how Lucy’s adoptive parents obviously supported her in every way after her mistake with her high school boyfriend left her pregnant and abandoned. Without a doubt, this is an uplifting and well-written story which I recommend to all my friends.
Another great message that permeates this entire story is that, even after making a huge mistake, a person is not forever tainted by that mistake. I very much appreciated how Lucy’s adoptive parents obviously supported her in every way after her mistake with her high school boyfriend left her pregnant and abandoned. Without a doubt, this is an uplifting and well-written story which I recommend to all my friends.
November 15, 2020
When Brooke St. James has a new release, I drop whatever I'm reading to jump into her next 20 chapters! She takes us on such a sweet, clean, romantic journey with each story she writes. My heart actually feels happy when I get to find out which family member speaks to her and we get gold with another multi-generational series. Lucy is young and naive but very wise and Drew is her unexpected hero she didn't know she wanted. Mac is a star and I am begging for his story in the future. This is another 5 star book!!!
November 23, 2020
Sweet Romance
A single mom. An inquisitive little boy. A betrayed man. How can these three people ever have anything in common? Enter scene one where said man gives the woman his engagement ring instead of throwing it into the ocean. The story of Lucy, Mac, and Drew begins. Find out what happens in this incredible story of love and loss, and the roller coaster called life. All on the beautiful Galveston, Texas Island. Happy Reading!
A single mom. An inquisitive little boy. A betrayed man. How can these three people ever have anything in common? Enter scene one where said man gives the woman his engagement ring instead of throwing it into the ocean. The story of Lucy, Mac, and Drew begins. Find out what happens in this incredible story of love and loss, and the roller coaster called life. All on the beautiful Galveston, Texas Island. Happy Reading!
October 12, 2023
Lucy King and her brother Phillip were orphaned when they were young and adopted by Abbie and Daniel King. She had a son during her senior year of high school. When she meets Drew who is a senator’s son, she is writing children’s books and working part time at the family hardware store. Drew and Mac get along great and her family likes him. She is resistant at first thinking it’s a fling on his part, but he perseveres and wins her over. A touching story about love and trust.
December 10, 2020
Another Good Story the from St. James.
Her stories are believable and her characters are endearing. Little Mac lives a great life surrounded by people who care for him and enjoy his childhood antics. It's another of St. James books that include references to God being a good part of a family's life.
Her stories are believable and her characters are endearing. Little Mac lives a great life surrounded by people who care for him and enjoy his childhood antics. It's another of St. James books that include references to God being a good part of a family's life.
September 6, 2021
Such a perfectly written story!!
I always feel sad when I finish a really good book! However, thanks to this series, I get to jump to the next book and pick up right where I left off. I love Brooke St James’ style of writing and can’t wait to search for her other series once I finish this one!
I always feel sad when I finish a really good book! However, thanks to this series, I get to jump to the next book and pick up right where I left off. I love Brooke St James’ style of writing and can’t wait to search for her other series once I finish this one!
November 14, 2020
Another wholesome romance book from the wonderful Brooke St. James. I like that her books are clean & wholesome 'Christian' while not at all preachy. I also like that they aren't 'angsty' but are a natural feeling progression of a relationship. I would recommend her books to readers of all ages!
December 2, 2020
Fantastic Book!
I enjoyed reading about Lucy and Drew. Lucy and her son, Mac, has a very close relationship. She does an excellent job as a single Mom. Along comes Drew and exciting things happen. You must read this very interesting and exciting book.
I enjoyed reading about Lucy and Drew. Lucy and her son, Mac, has a very close relationship. She does an excellent job as a single Mom. Along comes Drew and exciting things happen. You must read this very interesting and exciting book.
December 20, 2020
I absolutely love these books
Brooke St. James has a way of making you feel like you know these characters. Like you could be friends or in their family. Their lives feel real. I would recommend all of her books.
Brooke St. James has a way of making you feel like you know these characters. Like you could be friends or in their family. Their lives feel real. I would recommend all of her books.
March 27, 2021
Heartwarming
Loved the characters. Especially Mac who was a toddler but wise and smart for his age. Also, liked how he believed in God and knew Him for himself. A good family and love STR.
Loved the characters. Especially Mac who was a toddler but wise and smart for his age. Also, liked how he believed in God and knew Him for himself. A good family and love STR.
November 16, 2021
Adorable Romance
This is an adorable and charming love story with adorable as well as loveable characters that will have you cheering them onto their happily ever after family moments.
This is an adorable and charming love story with adorable as well as loveable characters that will have you cheering them onto their happily ever after family moments.
March 22, 2022
Diamonds ARE forever.
When you meet YOUR person, there's no need to play games. The truth always wins in the end. I have always believed that being faithful to yourself is the best policy.
When you meet YOUR person, there's no need to play games. The truth always wins in the end. I have always believed that being faithful to yourself is the best policy.
November 17, 2022
Review of Diamonds are Forever
I loved this book. It was fun to read and as always, a clean romance with good values. The characters were great. I loved reading about Mac as a child.
I loved this book. It was fun to read and as always, a clean romance with good values. The characters were great. I loved reading about Mac as a child.
November 21, 2020
Fun, sweet read
Another fun sweet read by Brooke St James. I really enjoy her writing style and like how she weaves God into the story line.
Another fun sweet read by Brooke St James. I really enjoy her writing style and like how she weaves God into the story line.
January 26, 2021
I love the sweetness of this series!
This book is tied into others. I really enjoy following the intertwined relationships and the diverse stories. I highly recommend this series.
This book is tied into others. I really enjoy following the intertwined relationships and the diverse stories. I highly recommend this series.
February 17, 2021
I really loved the characters Lucy and Drew and especially little Mac. They're relationship was so sweet. This is a super sweet, clean romantic story.
March 30, 2021
Diamonds are Forever
What a Wonderful Story, just couldn’t put it down, the best one yet. Can hardly wait for the new one to come out!
What a Wonderful Story, just couldn’t put it down, the best one yet. Can hardly wait for the new one to come out!
August 23, 2021
Lucy, Mac and Drew
Lucy loved her som Mac with all her heart. Lucy was a children’s book author and little Mac just cracks me up in the whole book.
Lucy loved her som Mac with all her heart. Lucy was a children’s book author and little Mac just cracks me up in the whole book.
January 23, 2021
Great, just great!
January 23, 2022
4* This was cute. I love their meeting and start to the relationship. Mac is so adorable. One of my favorites by this author.
March 1, 2026
I'm not into kids so this book was a little kid-heavy, but it was still a sweet story. I also wish these books weren't so short!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews