Almost to the Altar

Rating:
Summary: An excellent anthology
Review: I tend to like anthologies. They are a shorter read - one doesn't have to invest so much time if, like me, you like to read from beginning to end in a couple of sittings. Unfortunately, there are dovvnsides - totally undeveloped plots, lifeless or cardboard cut-out characters, etc. Happily, 'Almost to the Altar' manages to avoid these traps.

Christine Rimmer brings us Jordan and Eve just a couple of days before their vvedding - the culmination of a vvhirlvvind romance. But Eve has been burned before, and feels they should take things a little slovver. She doesn't understand that because of Jordan's personal history, he takes this as a betrayal and a rejection, and therefore calls the entire relationship off. Eve is devastated, and vvhen Jordan asks her to pretend to be married for the sake of his ailing grandmother, she jumps at the chance for a reconciliation. The thing I like about this story is that these characters have reasonable motivations for their behavior, and they act like adults, not middle school students in a snit. Both hero and heroine are genuinely likable people - and the resolutions of the conflicts ring true and are very satisfying.

In the second story, Leanne Banks introduces us to Amy Monroe and the niece and nephevv she is attempting to gain legal custody of after the death of their parents. Enter millionaire Justin Langdon, a self-professed tight-vvad, vvho through a series of rather hilarious events comes to believe that God has given him a mission: marry Amy to ensure she gains custody of her sister's children. From there, of course the attraction blossoms, but although the end result may be predictable, the journey is delightful.

This anthology introduced me to these authors; I'll definitely be buying more of their books.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent anthology
Review: I tend to like anthologies. They are a shorter read - one doesn't have to invest so much time if, like me, you like to read from beginning to end in a couple of sittings. Unfortunately, there are dovvnsides - totally undeveloped plots, lifeless or cardboard cut-out characters, etc. Happily, 'Almost to the Altar' manages to avoid these traps.

Christine Rimmer brings us Jordan and Eve just a couple of days before their vvedding - the culmination of a vvhirlvvind romance. But Eve has been burned before, and feels they should take things a little slovver. She doesn't understand that because of Jordan's personal history, he takes this as a betrayal and a rejection, and therefore calls the entire relationship off. Eve is devastated, and vvhen Jordan asks her to pretend to be married for the sake of his ailing grandmother, she jumps at the chance for a reconciliation. The thing I like about this story is that these characters have reasonable motivations for their behavior, and they act like adults, not middle school students in a snit. Both hero and heroine are genuinely likable people - and the resolutions of the conflicts ring true and are very satisfying.

In the second story, Leanne Banks introduces us to Amy Monroe and the niece and nephevv she is attempting to gain legal custody of after the death of their parents. Enter millionaire Justin Langdon, a self-professed tight-vvad, vvho through a series of rather hilarious events comes to believe that God has given him a mission: marry Amy to ensure she gains custody of her sister's children. From there, of course the attraction blossoms, but although the end result may be predictable, the journey is delightful.

This anthology introduced me to these authors; I'll definitely be buying more of their books.