Review of '2014 Summer Collection Romance Anthology'

Five complete sweet to sensual stories from five multi-talented authors in settings to make any summer occasion more special. Included are:

Meet Me In Seattle by Markee Anderson

Madysen Duke has been coerced to participate in a reality show with her teacher friends. But little does she know, her high school flame is also along for the ride, with intentions much different from hers. Even though she's out for the money, he's trying to thwart whatever crime is happening right before their eyes.

Arrow Through The Heart by Stephanie Burkhart

Summer vacation and the Fourth of July brings Ella to New Hampshire while participating in a tennis competition. Logan is an innkeeper's son who bumps into Ella and invites her for an ice cream. Attraction flares and they enjoy spending time together, but each has their own plans for their life. Then disaster strikes Ella. Can a summer attraction truly become a lasting relationship?

Taking Liberty by Gerald Costlow

Liberty "Libby" Bell is a waitress at a roadside diner, trying to hide from an abusive ex-boyfriend who refuses to leave her alone. She strikes up a romance with Roger, a hunky local fireman, and seems to be getting her life back into gear. Then her ex-boyfriend tracks her down.

Will she be forced to leave Roger and run away again, or see the ex- boyfriend and risk a violent confrontation?

And if that isn't enough to handle, suddenly there's a serial killer in their midst.

Marcy’s Struggle by Larry Hammersley

Marcy Mason is in her final year of graduate school, pursuing a PhD in chemistry. She has brains and looks, but struggles in the romance department. She met Ross Franklin in undergraduate school when she was a senior; he was a freshman and second-string quarterback. Her problem – she was hung up on Leroy Doyle at the time.

Leroy is married and moved away, but Ross, now star quarterback, isn't convinced she’s over Leroy. When Leroy arrives on campus to give a lecture, Marcy must make all the arrangements. After contact with Leroy, Marcy admits to what she’s known all along—she’s over Leroy and wants Ross in her life. Can she convince Ross to look past their different backgrounds and give love a chance?

The Garden by Jory Sherman

Summer brings forth fresh vegetables in the garden and with them, the ultimate fight against insects and wild critters to protect those vegetables. Harvey enjoys his garden, especially the corn – watching it grow, providing food for his beloved wife Ruth. Then, something unusual happens in the garden and his corn begins to disappear.

Read an excerpt:

From Meet Me in Seattle:

Madysen sighed and picked up more books. "How much is this going to cost me?"

"Nothing. You could even make money doing this. It'll only take a week of our time and voila, instant rich women." Iris threw her hands into the air and laughed, showing off her dimples.

Madysen wished she had dimples and that her skin was as smooth and pink as Iris' skin. With Iris' wild red hair, the woman actually glowed all the time. But instead, Madysen had to settle for her long wavy brunette hair and freckled skin. She wasn't ugly, but bright green eyes seemed to turn the men away for some reason. Or maybe it was her rail-thin figure. Or maybe Mac had dumped her for that college co-ed for some other reason. It certainly wasn't for the young girl's brains.

Madysen had to stick to the conversation instead of dwelling in the past. "Who else will be there tonight?"

"Just the Cast-Off Club. And maybe my brother."

Madysen rolled her eyes. "You aren't going to try to fix me up with Quentin again, are you?"

"Ah, come on," Iris said, and nudged Madysen with her elbow. "He's fun and employed. What else could you ask for?"

**My thoughts**

This book is perfect for those who like a little suspense and a dash of romance in their short stories.

Of the five in this book, the first one, Meet Me in Seattle, definitely kept my attention the most, at least for the first two-thirds of it. There was a lot of action in it that kept it moving. The last one, The Garden, was definitely my favorite one, because it had a great message.

All five of these stories are unique and not quite what I was expecting when I agreed to review this book. Romances are rapid and people aren't always what they seem. In some ways, they would be more interesting if they could be fleshed out into longer stories. It isn't one that I am going to rush back to reread, but was an interesting read over the weekend and a change of pace from the mainstream.

BOOK BUY LINKS:

AMAZON \ Smashwords \  Barnes and Noble

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Markee Anderson makes her home in northeast Wisconsin, surrounded by Packer fans, snow, and cheese. Along with her husband, they have three adult children and two Boston terrier babies. She writes under different pen names, all at: www.sweettalebooks.com

Come visit her at: http://markeeanderson.com

Stephanie Burkhart was born in Manchester, New Hampshire. After graduating from Central High, she joined the U.S. Army. She spent eleven years in the military, seven stationed in Germany. She left the Army in 1997 and settled in California. Stephanie has been married for over twenty years and has two boys, Andrew and Joseph. She now works for LAPD as a 9-1-1 Dispatcher.

Come visit her at: http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

Gerald Costlow lives in Michigan and has published several novels and numerous short stories and novellas over the years. He's currently publishing a romantic-supernatural series with Publishing by Rebecca Vickery.

Larry Hammersley is 76 and has been married to Sue for 51 years. He has two children and five grandchildren. Larry enjoys jogging, amateur radio, occasional woodworking, and is active in his church. He's been writing for 39 years.

Come visit his blog at: http://larryhammersley.blogspot.com/

Jory Sherman began his literary career as a poet in San Francisco's famed North Beach in the late 1950s, during the heyday of the Beat Generation. He has been published widely in literary journals. His first book of poetry, So Many Rooms, was published by Galley Sail Press in 1959.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jory-Sherman/267712936601703

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