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cinta's review
3.0
I got a free ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.
This book includes five different stories from different authors. Although I only really liked two of the stories, the overall opinion is that it can be an entertaining little anthology for people who are real fans of Valentine's Day. I'm not. I prefer showing love to my husband any other day. But I digress. The book... I found that some of the stories needed more development, which would be solved if they were longer. Some of the characters lacked of depth and the dialogues sounded shallow sometimes. And still I kept on reading every night until I finished the whole book. I am very exigent with books, but this means that I found it entertaining even though I didn't enjoy all the stories.
A cute little anthology for romantic people, very apt for reading on Valentine's Day, either if you have a date or not. The five stories offer different approaches to love, with different people in different stages of life and different circumstances. In 'Guiding Hearts' you will read about an unexpected love story when a GPS seems to have a life of its own. In 'Better Late than Never' you will read about childhood lovers who get in touch again. In 'Dream Architect' you read about coworkers and their dreams. In 'One Hot Angel', an angel will find love on Earth. In 'Rock my Bones', destiny reunites an anthropologist and one of his fans.
If you are a fan of romantic stories, grab your copy and enjoy it this weekend. This book deserves 4 stars, but I found editorial and proofreading issues, and I remove stars for that.
This book includes five different stories from different authors. Although I only really liked two of the stories, the overall opinion is that it can be an entertaining little anthology for people who are real fans of Valentine's Day. I'm not. I prefer showing love to my husband any other day. But I digress. The book... I found that some of the stories needed more development, which would be solved if they were longer. Some of the characters lacked of depth and the dialogues sounded shallow sometimes. And still I kept on reading every night until I finished the whole book. I am very exigent with books, but this means that I found it entertaining even though I didn't enjoy all the stories.
A cute little anthology for romantic people, very apt for reading on Valentine's Day, either if you have a date or not. The five stories offer different approaches to love, with different people in different stages of life and different circumstances. In 'Guiding Hearts' you will read about an unexpected love story when a GPS seems to have a life of its own. In 'Better Late than Never' you will read about childhood lovers who get in touch again. In 'Dream Architect' you read about coworkers and their dreams. In 'One Hot Angel', an angel will find love on Earth. In 'Rock my Bones', destiny reunites an anthropologist and one of his fans.
If you are a fan of romantic stories, grab your copy and enjoy it this weekend. This book deserves 4 stars, but I found editorial and proofreading issues, and I remove stars for that.
lissyiszy's review
3.0
Guiding Hearts by Claire Gillian
Description: Is a lonely woman's GPS sentient or is her subconscious taking her by the hand to help heal a scarred heart? When Jemma Ernst's GPS malfunctions and sends her to the home of handsome and engaging Gabriel Nash, she writes it off as a fluke. But she can't seem to reprogram him out of her thoughts nor her GPS.
I really enjoyed this story, the characters, and the way the author created the "accident" for Valentines. I found myself quickly immersed in the story and laughing at the protagonists inner dialogue. Especially when it came to the GPS and where it was taking her. I think this story was a well crafted short story. The author not only wrote an entertaining story but one that has a deep underlying struggle for the characters.
4 out of 5 rating for me!
Better Latte Than Never by Katrina Sizemore
Description: Single and cold on Valentine’s Day, Hailey Merritt is not looking forward to working all day at the coffee shop while everyone around her is cheery with romance and she’s stuck trying to figure out her next step in life. But, when a special bouquet arrives for her from a secret admirer, she decides to reserve judgment on this holiday and find whomever sent the flowers. Maybe Cupid has a plan to make this her favorite Valentine’s Day ever.
While I like the idea of this story and the "accident" inciting event it could have been a little better. It's a little pet peeve of mine in stories where characters lie when being truthful would have been so much better and saved them a lot of time. Perhaps it's because I'm a fairly honest and blunt person. Still, there characters have good hearts and it's a nice but predictable story.
3 out of 5 rating for me!
Dream Architect by S.L. Hughson
Description: Taylor and Sons Custom Design keeps ASHLIN TAYLOR at arm’s length from her dream job. If only she were a son, she could follow her architectural dream. In the Taylor creed, girls get married and boys have careers. DYLAN CUTRIGHT focuses on finishing college and landing an architectural engineering job in a large firm. Minus emotional ties. After their accidental encounter, their attraction is amplified during their work interaction.
Unlike her family, Dylan encourages Ashlin to pursue her dream by enrolling in college. He even argues her case with Uncle Mike. All of this support confuses Ashlin because when she moves closer to him, he rebuffs her for reasons she can only speculate about. Valentine’s Day might be the perfect opportunity for Ashlin to make him notice her. They are working together - alone - on the most romantic day of the year. Dylan builds her dream of career, but will he ever lower his walls and become more than just the man IN her dreams?
This story was ok but it didn't quite hit home as much as I would have liked. The "accident" for this story was funny and plausible. I liked the characters well enough and the plot was good but it wasn't engaging enough for me. I skimmed a lot of the office work stuff which was kind of boring for me. I do like that the characters supported each other's dream to become better despite what anyone thought.
3 out of 5 rating for me!
One Hot Angel by Jaylee Austin
Description: Oblivious to Tiffany Jenkins in three short weeks her life will end—unless she makes the perfect choice. Will she chose revenge and expose her ex-husband? Or chose love and surrender her heart to the only man who can save her?
I quite enjoyed this story even though it was highly unlikely, but then again I love fantasy stories. I loved the tone of voice of the writing. I found it entertaining and amusing. Again, the "accident" in this story is unrealistic but entertaining. I like how there is a struggle of morals for the characters. I also liked the protagonists and the story flew by for me because it I was eager to learn what would happen with the characters.
4 out of 5 rating for me!
Rock My Bones by Wendy Sparrow
Description: Jared has been eyeing the sexy mural painter from inside the museum’s paleontology lab, but she’s way out of his league. He can’t let her paint that obviously misplaced fern, though…even if it means initiating contact. You could call her a paleontology groupie, but Shay Meyers is interested in a more modern specimen. An adult male Homo Sapien to be exact—one who needs to be dragged out of his lab for a practical course in mating rituals. If she’s lucky, this will be the Valentine’s Day she rocks his bones.
I ended up skimming this story because I wasn't that attached to either of the characters or the sexual tension between the two. I think it could have been a better story but I kept rolling my eyes at the dialogue and awkwardness of the characters. It prevented me from getting immersed in the story. The "accident" for this story didn't seem like an accident but more of a bumbling of ineffective or lack of communication.
2 out of 5 rating for me!
Overall, it's a decent anthology which will fulfill your needs if you're ever in the mood for a variety of romances. As with most anthologies, some stories are better fleshed out or written than others but definitely worth a pick up if you like to see romances unfold.
Overall Rating
3 out of 5 rating for me!
A quick disclaimer, a copy was provided for an honest review. I was not compensated in any other way.
Description: Is a lonely woman's GPS sentient or is her subconscious taking her by the hand to help heal a scarred heart? When Jemma Ernst's GPS malfunctions and sends her to the home of handsome and engaging Gabriel Nash, she writes it off as a fluke. But she can't seem to reprogram him out of her thoughts nor her GPS.
I really enjoyed this story, the characters, and the way the author created the "accident" for Valentines. I found myself quickly immersed in the story and laughing at the protagonists inner dialogue. Especially when it came to the GPS and where it was taking her. I think this story was a well crafted short story. The author not only wrote an entertaining story but one that has a deep underlying struggle for the characters.
4 out of 5 rating for me!
Better Latte Than Never by Katrina Sizemore
Description: Single and cold on Valentine’s Day, Hailey Merritt is not looking forward to working all day at the coffee shop while everyone around her is cheery with romance and she’s stuck trying to figure out her next step in life. But, when a special bouquet arrives for her from a secret admirer, she decides to reserve judgment on this holiday and find whomever sent the flowers. Maybe Cupid has a plan to make this her favorite Valentine’s Day ever.
While I like the idea of this story and the "accident" inciting event it could have been a little better. It's a little pet peeve of mine in stories where characters lie when being truthful would have been so much better and saved them a lot of time. Perhaps it's because I'm a fairly honest and blunt person. Still, there characters have good hearts and it's a nice but predictable story.
3 out of 5 rating for me!
Dream Architect by S.L. Hughson
Description: Taylor and Sons Custom Design keeps ASHLIN TAYLOR at arm’s length from her dream job. If only she were a son, she could follow her architectural dream. In the Taylor creed, girls get married and boys have careers. DYLAN CUTRIGHT focuses on finishing college and landing an architectural engineering job in a large firm. Minus emotional ties. After their accidental encounter, their attraction is amplified during their work interaction.
Unlike her family, Dylan encourages Ashlin to pursue her dream by enrolling in college. He even argues her case with Uncle Mike. All of this support confuses Ashlin because when she moves closer to him, he rebuffs her for reasons she can only speculate about. Valentine’s Day might be the perfect opportunity for Ashlin to make him notice her. They are working together - alone - on the most romantic day of the year. Dylan builds her dream of career, but will he ever lower his walls and become more than just the man IN her dreams?
This story was ok but it didn't quite hit home as much as I would have liked. The "accident" for this story was funny and plausible. I liked the characters well enough and the plot was good but it wasn't engaging enough for me. I skimmed a lot of the office work stuff which was kind of boring for me. I do like that the characters supported each other's dream to become better despite what anyone thought.
3 out of 5 rating for me!
One Hot Angel by Jaylee Austin
Description: Oblivious to Tiffany Jenkins in three short weeks her life will end—unless she makes the perfect choice. Will she chose revenge and expose her ex-husband? Or chose love and surrender her heart to the only man who can save her?
I quite enjoyed this story even though it was highly unlikely, but then again I love fantasy stories. I loved the tone of voice of the writing. I found it entertaining and amusing. Again, the "accident" in this story is unrealistic but entertaining. I like how there is a struggle of morals for the characters. I also liked the protagonists and the story flew by for me because it I was eager to learn what would happen with the characters.
4 out of 5 rating for me!
Rock My Bones by Wendy Sparrow
Description: Jared has been eyeing the sexy mural painter from inside the museum’s paleontology lab, but she’s way out of his league. He can’t let her paint that obviously misplaced fern, though…even if it means initiating contact. You could call her a paleontology groupie, but Shay Meyers is interested in a more modern specimen. An adult male Homo Sapien to be exact—one who needs to be dragged out of his lab for a practical course in mating rituals. If she’s lucky, this will be the Valentine’s Day she rocks his bones.
I ended up skimming this story because I wasn't that attached to either of the characters or the sexual tension between the two. I think it could have been a better story but I kept rolling my eyes at the dialogue and awkwardness of the characters. It prevented me from getting immersed in the story. The "accident" for this story didn't seem like an accident but more of a bumbling of ineffective or lack of communication.
2 out of 5 rating for me!
Overall, it's a decent anthology which will fulfill your needs if you're ever in the mood for a variety of romances. As with most anthologies, some stories are better fleshed out or written than others but definitely worth a pick up if you like to see romances unfold.
Overall Rating
3 out of 5 rating for me!
A quick disclaimer, a copy was provided for an honest review. I was not compensated in any other way.
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