BESTSELLING AUTHOR COLLECTION Reader-favorite romances in collectible volumes from our bestselling authors.
Ready for Romance by #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber
As a teenager, Jessica Kellerman was in love with one of the boys next door, Evan Dryden. Now an adult, Jessica is working for the Dryden brothers at their law firm. Evan finds her past crush amusing, but there's a bigger problem—Jessica has actually fallen for Evan's brother, Damian.
No one will let Jessica forget her girlish infatuation, least of all Damian, who's trying to be the ultimate matchmaker and set Jessica and Evan up once and for all. But how can she convince Damian of her true feelings when he’s still trying to push her toward his brother?
FREE BONUS STORY INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME!
Child on His Doorstep by New York Times bestselling author Lee Tobin McClain
After his little brother is abandoned on his doorstep, Corbin Beck admits he needs help. Thankfully, former hometown party girl Samantha Alcorn is making a fresh start as a live-in nanny. With sparks flying, the unconventional situation has them feeling like family, but Samantha’s secret could change everything…
Debbie 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.
Ready for Romance by Debbie Macomber & Child on His Doorstep by Lee Tobin McClain is a 2022 Harlequin publication.
I checked this book out on impulse at the Overdrive library. This is a two book bundle pack of previously published Harlequin romance novels.
I encourage publishers or authors who have control over their book rights to digitize their older books- so I’m glad to see so many of Debbie Macomber’s vintage titles are available in e book format. The first book featured in this two-fer was originally published in 1994- nearly thirty years ago!
Naturally, a Harlequin romance written several decades ago will be somewhat dated. But, other than some truly cringeworthy workplace casualness, for a lack of a better word, and the premise of hiring a woman for matchmaking purposes, rather than for her job skills, the story was still readable and enjoyable. It’s an average story, nothing especially memorable here, but it was fun to read one of Macomber’s early works.
3 stars
The second ‘bonus’ book is a more recent release, and as such, I thought it was the better story- so this is the one I’m going to review. This is also a Harlequin publication- originally published in 2020 for the ‘Love Inspired’ faith based imprint.
Corbin’s parents were alcoholics leaving him bitter and resentful towards them. Then he discovers, he has a much younger brother, when his mother drops him off on Corbin's doorstep.
Corbin knows nothing about children, but thankfully, and quite fortuitously, he finds Samantha, a woman looking for a fresh start, with a background in childcare, to become a his live-in Nanny.
Little does he know that Samantha’s involvement is slightly orchestrated.
As Corbin and Samantha get to know one another better, they both feel a spark between them- but Samantha’s past struggles with substance abuse causes Corbin to put up all his immovable defenses. Yet Samantha is slowly softening his resolve to never get emotionally involved with an alcoholic. But what would he do if he found out that Samantha has been keeping a big secret from him?
I’ve been meaning to give this author a try for a while, and this was a great way to sample her work. The story is quick, with a strong message of human frailty, being judgmental, and about being open to forgiveness and hope.
This is a nice story with mature characters, and I got a good first impression of this author. I think Lee Tobin McClain has moved, as did Debbie Macomber, into the women’s fiction category, and I’m looking forward to reading a few of her newer books in the near future.
3.5 stars for this one
Overall, this is a solid pairing of older books by two authors who have both progressed with their writing. I do wish readers had a better idea of how old the Macomber book is before going in, as I thought it might be a bit misleading. It didn’t bother me because I don’t really mind reading older books, but others might be confused by the pub date and the updated cover.
Other than that, this was a nice, warm, comforting way to spend a cold January Sunday afternoon.
I really enjoyed both stories but I didn't expect the second story to be written by someone else. I love Debbie Maxi her stories. Her characters are great and easy to follow. The story line was very good. The second story at first was hard to figure out. As I read it. It got better and more interesting. I enjoyed the second story more than I thought I would.
Growing up Jessica Kellerman was in love with one of the boys next door, Eric Dryden. Now as an adult, she is a legal assistant. When she returns home to look for a job, she soon finds herself working at the law firm of the two brothers from next door. Will her love for Eric kick in once again, or will she find herself in love with his brother?
I love Debbie Macomber books and am new to Lee Tobin McClain. I wish that the McClain book was the first in the series- I hunted down the first book to read before reading that part of the book. Was this strictly necessary? No, but I like reading books in order. Overall, I liked both stories within the book.