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A review by momwithareadingproblem
A Timeless Romance Anthology: Road Trip Collection by Jolene Betty Perry
4.0
I received an eARC of this book via I Am a Reader in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
A Timeless Romance Anthology's Road Trip Collection is a sweet, clean, contemporary mix of short novellas. I love this series! The authors pick a theme that is common in romance novels and write six novellas centered on it. This time the theme (as the title suggests) is road trips. It’s a fun read for Summer when most are taking vacations already to read about others on the road, and I loved each author’s spin on the books. There’s a story about best friends, a game show, recent heart aches, and new love. It’s a great mix when you need to read something on the go or want a quick contemporary fix.
What Falling Feels Like by Jolene Betty Perry ★★★★
What Falling Feels Like is a heart-breaking story about Kendell and her best friend’s little brother Tyler. Kendell was the popular girl in high school, had it all, so now that she is divorced and feels like she has nothing, she isn’t prepared for the former gangly teen that followed her around. Tyler is anything but gangly. He’s filled out and at 21 a successful businessman. He is everything Kendell feels she doesn’t deserve, especially after how she treated him. Tyler wants nothing more than to rub his success in Kendell’s face, until he sees her again. Then that old crush feeling rekindles along with a powerful urge to protect her from herself. Together they are spending a few days on the road to visit his very-pregnant sister. Kendell still heart-broken from her divorce finds herself falling for the new Tyler who is really the guy she grew up with, she’s just finally taking notice. I enjoyed their story. Kendell was a little hard for me to like at first, but I was impressed by the author’s ability to show her character growth in just under 60 pages. It’s sweet, and I’ll admit to tearing up just a bit.
Antiques Road Trip by Sarah M. Eden ★★★★★
Antiques Road Trip is one of my favorites from the collection. The author does something I wasn’t expecting. She blends contemporary with historical and it worked. Kelsey studied women’s history in college and was always fascinated with the 1800s. When a game show offers her the chance to be a contestant with the prize a trip to Europe and $100,000, she jumps at it. The twist of the show, she will be in character as a woman from the 1800s AND will be taking a road trip with others during that time period. Devon only signed up to be a part of the game for his sister who is slowly dying from ALS. He knows little about the time period other than what his sister forced him to watch in those movies. I really enjoyed this one! I liked the way the author brought the past into the present. I also enjoyed reading the connection between the two main characters. It was sweet and like finding two pieces of the same puzzle.
Wouldn’t It Be Nice by Raneé S. Clark ★★★★★
Another favorite from the collection, Wouldn’t It Be Nice is the only true road trip story in the collection, meaning it is the only one that the entire story takes place on the road. Jacqueline has just dumped her long time boyfriend when he refused to take off of work to go on the road trip he helped plan with her and her lifelong friends. Heartbroken, she arrives thinking she will be a fifth wheel to her sister and best friend and their beaus, when her friend’s brother arrives to take her boyfriend’s place in the van. Hudson is a few years older than Jac, but was just as much her friend as his sister was. Having been away at medical school, Jac has missed Hudson so he coming on the trip is perfect for her, until his sister lets slip that as kids Hudson planned his wedding with her as the bride. I loved reading this story, the sweet friends turned more and the incredibly swoon-worthy moments. Seriously the pining for her ex and wondering if she’s moving too fast isn’t even on the radar because of the relationship built between Hudson and Jac by the author. Loved it!!!
Head Over Heels by Annette Lyon ★★★★★
Head Over Heels satisfied the nerd in me and turned out to be a humorous, swoony story. Tristan is a struggling entrepreneur with her own lifestyle blog about navigating the single life. The blog is wildly successful, just not very monetary. While in Salt Lake City, she gets an offer she cannot pass up to do an article on a singles conference in Las Vegas. The catch is she has to figure out a way to get there without breaking the bank. Her friend sets her up with a coworker and the two hit it off and decide to play a prank on their mutual friend. What started as fun though quickly turns into something real and Tristan wonders if it is one-sided. This is a sweet story (albeit with some serious insta-love) full of 80’s pop music and some comic con fun. Really enjoyed it!!
Two Dozen Roses by Heather B. Moore ★★★
I’m torn on how to feel about Two Dozen Roses. In this novella, workaholic Dayna takes time off to drive her mother to her brother in Oregon on the scenic highway. The two decide to do all the touristy stops along the way and come across Roman and his brother Garrett who are traveling the highway in honor of their deceased sister. Dayna is immediately turned off by Garrett who reminds her of her lying ex-husband, but the quiet brother Roman intrigues her with his honesty and direct questions. It’s a sweet story with some swoon-worthy moments, but because it is a short novella I felt it was really rushed and i didn’t have a chance to really get to know the characters or their motives, unlike some of the other stories in the collection. It was just okay for me.
Try, Try Again by Aubrey Mace ★★★
Again I’m torn on how to feel about this novella Try, Try Again. Sarah has harbored a crush on Justin since she’s known him, but when he turns the tables admitting he cares for her too, she tucks tail and runs. Six months later she finds herself still pining for him when she comes across an obituary for Justin’s grandfather. She cons her best friend into a 6 hour road trip just so she can see him again. I personally was a little lost. Sarah liked Justin, Justin liked, even kissed, Sarah, yet somehow six months goes by without the two exchanging words? I don’t get it. Then the characters didn’t really seem to fit the story. I mean how old are they?! Sarah’s friend is married and very pregnant, yet Sarah works in an OB’s office answering phones part time. The maturity of the characters didn’t match their actions. They acted like teens, adolescents in my opinion, yet I got the impression they were supposed to be older, maybe just out of college? I’m not sure and this bothered me, even though it was only supposed to be a short story.
A Timeless Romance Anthology's Road Trip Collection is a sweet, clean, contemporary mix of short novellas. I love this series! The authors pick a theme that is common in romance novels and write six novellas centered on it. This time the theme (as the title suggests) is road trips. It’s a fun read for Summer when most are taking vacations already to read about others on the road, and I loved each author’s spin on the books. There’s a story about best friends, a game show, recent heart aches, and new love. It’s a great mix when you need to read something on the go or want a quick contemporary fix.
What Falling Feels Like by Jolene Betty Perry ★★★★
What Falling Feels Like is a heart-breaking story about Kendell and her best friend’s little brother Tyler. Kendell was the popular girl in high school, had it all, so now that she is divorced and feels like she has nothing, she isn’t prepared for the former gangly teen that followed her around. Tyler is anything but gangly. He’s filled out and at 21 a successful businessman. He is everything Kendell feels she doesn’t deserve, especially after how she treated him. Tyler wants nothing more than to rub his success in Kendell’s face, until he sees her again. Then that old crush feeling rekindles along with a powerful urge to protect her from herself. Together they are spending a few days on the road to visit his very-pregnant sister. Kendell still heart-broken from her divorce finds herself falling for the new Tyler who is really the guy she grew up with, she’s just finally taking notice. I enjoyed their story. Kendell was a little hard for me to like at first, but I was impressed by the author’s ability to show her character growth in just under 60 pages. It’s sweet, and I’ll admit to tearing up just a bit.
Antiques Road Trip by Sarah M. Eden ★★★★★
Antiques Road Trip is one of my favorites from the collection. The author does something I wasn’t expecting. She blends contemporary with historical and it worked. Kelsey studied women’s history in college and was always fascinated with the 1800s. When a game show offers her the chance to be a contestant with the prize a trip to Europe and $100,000, she jumps at it. The twist of the show, she will be in character as a woman from the 1800s AND will be taking a road trip with others during that time period. Devon only signed up to be a part of the game for his sister who is slowly dying from ALS. He knows little about the time period other than what his sister forced him to watch in those movies. I really enjoyed this one! I liked the way the author brought the past into the present. I also enjoyed reading the connection between the two main characters. It was sweet and like finding two pieces of the same puzzle.
Wouldn’t It Be Nice by Raneé S. Clark ★★★★★
Another favorite from the collection, Wouldn’t It Be Nice is the only true road trip story in the collection, meaning it is the only one that the entire story takes place on the road. Jacqueline has just dumped her long time boyfriend when he refused to take off of work to go on the road trip he helped plan with her and her lifelong friends. Heartbroken, she arrives thinking she will be a fifth wheel to her sister and best friend and their beaus, when her friend’s brother arrives to take her boyfriend’s place in the van. Hudson is a few years older than Jac, but was just as much her friend as his sister was. Having been away at medical school, Jac has missed Hudson so he coming on the trip is perfect for her, until his sister lets slip that as kids Hudson planned his wedding with her as the bride. I loved reading this story, the sweet friends turned more and the incredibly swoon-worthy moments. Seriously the pining for her ex and wondering if she’s moving too fast isn’t even on the radar because of the relationship built between Hudson and Jac by the author. Loved it!!!
Head Over Heels by Annette Lyon ★★★★★
Head Over Heels satisfied the nerd in me and turned out to be a humorous, swoony story. Tristan is a struggling entrepreneur with her own lifestyle blog about navigating the single life. The blog is wildly successful, just not very monetary. While in Salt Lake City, she gets an offer she cannot pass up to do an article on a singles conference in Las Vegas. The catch is she has to figure out a way to get there without breaking the bank. Her friend sets her up with a coworker and the two hit it off and decide to play a prank on their mutual friend. What started as fun though quickly turns into something real and Tristan wonders if it is one-sided. This is a sweet story (albeit with some serious insta-love) full of 80’s pop music and some comic con fun. Really enjoyed it!!
Two Dozen Roses by Heather B. Moore ★★★
I’m torn on how to feel about Two Dozen Roses. In this novella, workaholic Dayna takes time off to drive her mother to her brother in Oregon on the scenic highway. The two decide to do all the touristy stops along the way and come across Roman and his brother Garrett who are traveling the highway in honor of their deceased sister. Dayna is immediately turned off by Garrett who reminds her of her lying ex-husband, but the quiet brother Roman intrigues her with his honesty and direct questions. It’s a sweet story with some swoon-worthy moments, but because it is a short novella I felt it was really rushed and i didn’t have a chance to really get to know the characters or their motives, unlike some of the other stories in the collection. It was just okay for me.
Try, Try Again by Aubrey Mace ★★★
Again I’m torn on how to feel about this novella Try, Try Again. Sarah has harbored a crush on Justin since she’s known him, but when he turns the tables admitting he cares for her too, she tucks tail and runs. Six months later she finds herself still pining for him when she comes across an obituary for Justin’s grandfather. She cons her best friend into a 6 hour road trip just so she can see him again. I personally was a little lost. Sarah liked Justin, Justin liked, even kissed, Sarah, yet somehow six months goes by without the two exchanging words? I don’t get it. Then the characters didn’t really seem to fit the story. I mean how old are they?! Sarah’s friend is married and very pregnant, yet Sarah works in an OB’s office answering phones part time. The maturity of the characters didn’t match their actions. They acted like teens, adolescents in my opinion, yet I got the impression they were supposed to be older, maybe just out of college? I’m not sure and this bothered me, even though it was only supposed to be a short story.