Romance

Quick delightful stories. Were better than I thought they would be. ( )

First Impressions: A nice story about a girl that moves back home after the death of her grandmother and turns her home into a little antique shop. Of course what kind of story would it be if there wasn't some mysterious, good looking stranger that moved into town not long ago, just across the way from her. An enjoyable short story romance.

Blithe Images: I found this story somewhat irritating. It was a bit over the top with the "innocent" model falling in love with the rich magazine owner. It was hard to relate to and I did not find the characters very realistic. ( )

First Impressions: I'd call this formulaic crap if it wasn't so well written. I genuinely liked both Vance and Shane (although I hate their names) and thought there was good character development, especially with Vance. However, it's very much the "he has secrets and doesn't tell her until she finds out from someone else, even though he totally meant to, and she's super pissed" trope. Decent enough escapist reading. Obviously a repackaged Silhouette title.
Blithe Images: Threw it at the wall. I have to say straight off that I am not a fan of borderline abusive "alpha" heroes. When Bret, who happens to be Hillary's boss, compels her to lunch with him despite her reluctance, straight up says "I rarely listen to 'but' or 'no.'", then stalks her to a club where she's on a date, makes her dance with him, then physically and forcibly restrains her from leaving the dance floor until she agrees to call him by his first name, and when she complains he hurt her tells her he thinks she's tough and can take it, I was completely done. That is never acceptable. I refuse to read about her falling in love with this a$$hole.
First Impressions: 3 stars
Blithe Images : half a star, if not less
Together: 2 stars ( )

I gave this book 4 stars because I am a sucker for a happy endings and Christmasy books. The stories are cheesy, predictable and you can tell they are early Nora Roberts. However, you know this when you pick it up. They are nice stories with lovable characters, of course and I really enjoyed reading them. ( )