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Rating: ![2 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-2-0.gif) Summary: Just a really dumb collection Review: I think I would have given this book the dreaded 1 star, except that a few of the stories are halfway entertaining. Halfway. Mostly, this collection of five short stories is abrupt, undeveloped, stupid, and boring. Here is a short run-down of the five stories and my take on them:"Yesterday once more" by Debbie Macomber is about a woman who walked out on her fiancee years before and is now back in town to make amends. Because his mother is dying, they enter into a marriage of convenience. This story is dumb! The hero is a jerk; the plot is contrived (how many people do YOU know that are in a marriage of convenience?); the whole piece is stilted and abrupt. "Adam's image" by Debbie Macomber is about an ugly doctor who meets a beautiful woman. He has an inferiority complex; she pursues (i.e., stalks) him because she fell instantly in love with him. Although a little better than "Yesterday," the characters are undeveloped. He acted like a complete jerk to her throughout the story, the source of his angst is adequately not explained, and then they resolve everything in a paragraph and live happily ever after. "Roomful of roses" by Diana Palmer is a story of a wounded overseas reporter who has returned to his old sweetheart's house to recuperate. He commences to turn her life upside-down. In this story, at least the attraction between the characters is well portrayed. However, I thought the hero was a domineering jerk, and, like the other stories, the story was abrupt and undeveloped. "Woman hater" by Diana Palmer is a story about a Montana rancher who falls for the secretary of his brother. This was the best of the stories: the dialogue between the main characters was witty, refreshing, and honest. However, Palmer crams too many plot twists into her story--the characters seem to be running here and there trying to keep up with the action of the story. Also, there are too many undeveloped secondary characters in the story who just don't advance the plot. This needs to have been at least a novella, if not a full-length book, to accommodate the secondary character development and the plot developments. "Always a bridesmaid" by Patricia Knoll is a "Wedding Planner" story. There must be a lot of desperate wedding planners out there who are constantly falling for the groom. In this one, add a "surprise" ending, and the whole thing is wrapped up. Knoll says she tries for quirky humor and interest characters, but they weren't found here. These short stories are fine if you want absolutely forgettable romance. All of them had potential to be amusing novellas or full-length books, but were incomplete as short stories.
Rating: ![2 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-2-0.gif) Summary: Too Short Review: These stories were too short for you to get involved with the characters. They also are not new stories, I had previously read the Diana Palmer stories but when I purchased the book I assumed they were all new. I think for a person to get to know the characters and care about them the writers definately need to be able to write longer stories.
Rating: ![4 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-4-0.gif) Summary: Entertaining! Review: Yes, I do agree with the others who rated this book and said the stories were to short, and you almost feel cheated by this. But, I thought that was what the whole point of this book was for- working women who don't have time to just sit around and read long romance novels all day, and who would love to be able to do that but it's just not possible. So if you are a very busy women, who loves to read when you can find the time, then you will most definately appreciate these well-written short stories.
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