The Romantic Fiction Shelf

When Stars Align
E.K. McCoy
https://ekmccoy.com
Atmosphere Press
www.atmospherepress.com
9781639885084, $17.99

https://www.amazon.com/When-Stars-Align-K-McCoy/dp/1639885080

Dr. Augustus Owens is used to the challenging world of a trauma ER environm= ent, but he isn't used to finding out that one of his critically ill new pa= tients is a former lover. Armed with such a summary of events, readers migh=
t anticipate that this story will be told through Dr. Owens's eyes, but it'=
s Elsie McCormick who opens the tale with her growing awareness that she's = fighting for her life. How did she end up in this condition, and will she s= urvive?

When Stars Align considers love, destiny, and fate as Elsie reviews her lif=
e and the only man she's ever loved, Auggie ("Gus"). Her third-person refle= ction is complimented by the first-person observations of Dr. Augustus Owen=
s as he treats her and, against all odds, falls back in love, despite havin=
g dedicated his life to medicine. Most doctors would have quit trying to br= ing the dead to life. Not Gus. As soon as he realizes who he is treating, h=
e fights against all odds - and seemingly wins. However, this is just the f= irst step in a battle not only to save her life, but to return to what they=
once had: "In an earlier chapter of my life - during a time when I was hap=
py and actually liked myself - this Jane Doe had been my other half, the on=
ly girl I'd ever loved, my everything." It's more than evident from the sta=
rt that Gus remains fond of this woman, which lends to his determination to=
save her.

Readers might think, from this beginning, that the story will revolve aroun=
d recovery processes. These are incorporated into a bigger picture of a blo= ssoming relationship that receives an unusual supplemental experience: E.K.=
McCoy has compiled a When Stars Align soundtrack, available on Spotify, wh= ich is linked to events in specific chapters. Readers can use this to set t=
he mood and relive the music that inspired McCoy, helping her to bring her = characters to life. It's as close to a movie as you can get within the writ= ten word, and brings alive the story of aligning stars between past and pre= sent which allow the star-crossed lovers to carry onward towards the future=
..

Readers of romance stories will find much to like about the evolving relati= onship described here. Those who believe in destiny, especially, will find = When Stars Align a riveting tale of new connections and opportunities for t= ransformation. Romance libraries looking for stories about second chances w= ill find When Stars Align a compelling tale.

Lyrical Bliss in Tuscany
Cindy Irish
Enoch Publications, LLC http://www.cindyirish.com/the-stories/lyrical-bliss-in-tuscany
9781942627043, $14.99 Print/$2.99 ebook

https://amzn.to/3RBK6dr

Lyrical Bliss in Tuscany is Book 3 in the Bel Homme Quartet. It will best b=
e enjoyed by prior enthusiasts of the series, who will find the story of It= alian opera singer Nico Biviano to be compelling as he pursues the classica=
l crossover group Bel Homme in a new venture that introduces unexpected rom= ance along with its different notes. Italian culture, romance, and music we= ave a solid story of achievement, pursuit, and new journeys as Nico's world=
tour turns into a relationship with the very different Gina, who also didn=
't anticipate falling in love. Both pursue success in different ways. Each = has dealt with the distractions of previous relationships in manners that e= schewed lasting connections. And they discover, within one another, a mirro=
r of their expectations and ambitions that promise to produce results great=
er than the sum of their individual efforts.

Cindy Irish does an exceptional job of following Nico and Gina as they step=
out of their comfort zones, both with each other and in their individual a= mbitions and pursuits. Nico is constantly surprising Gina (and she often su= rprises herself) as they contemplate an attachment that could require an ex= orcist to untangle. Irish adds family interactions on both sides to introdu=
ce more surprises requiring flexibility on both characters' parts. This, in=
turn, creates a fine tension that moves beyond romantic and sexual encount= ers to embrace the growing affair's potential for changing family interacti= ons and relationships, as well. The music-driven, Italian-backed culture of=
love and growth emphasized in Lyrical Bliss in Tuscany forms the backdrop = for a powerful story that ends with a surprising revelation.

Readers who look for multifaceted romances touched as much by evolutionary = processes as by a couple's growing attraction will find Lyrical Bliss in Tu= scany a haunting story that's nicely steeped in musical culture and romanti=
c surprises. It also follows several characters who circle around Nico and = Gina with their own changing involvements. Lyrical Bliss in Tuscany deserve=
s a place on the shelves of libraries strong in novels that spin a fine yar=
n of the psychological transformations love can bring.

Never Meant to Meet You
Alli Frank
Montlake
9781542034104, $12.95, PB, 319pp

https://www.amazon.com/Never-Meant-Meet-You-Novel/dp/1542034108

Synopsis: Self-appointed fixer of other people's woes Marjette Lewis is unc= haracteristically determined to keep to her side of the driveway when it co= mes to her flawless neighbor Noa Abrams. Professionally, Marjette has her h= ands full as she prepares for a new class of kindergarteners and her first = year of teaching without her best friend, Judy, as campus "Black-up." And a=
t home, her son's budding manhood challenges her expectations, and her vexi=
ng ex-husband continues to be a thorn in her side.

But when tragedy strikes Marjette's street, and an unexpected child shows u=
p on the first day of school with an uncle who has all the class moms aflut= ter, Marjette is forced to contend with both her neighbor and her own heart= ache over losing the life she once thought was guaranteed. Through laughter=
, tears, and the gift of found family, Marjette and Noa navigate the ritual=
s of loss together and discover the strength to remake their lives -- wheth=
er they meant to or not.

Critique: A carefully crafted and decidedly entertaining novel that is unre= servedly recommended for community library Contemporary Romance and Domesti=
c Family Life fiction collections, "Never Meant to Meet You" by the team of=
authors Alli Frank and Asha Youmans is also available for personal reading=
lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99) and as a complete and unabr= idged audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781713668664, $14.95, MP3-CD).

Editorial Note #1: Asha Youmans received a degree from the University of Ca= lifornia, Berkeley and settled in Seattle, Washington where she taught in p= ublic and private schools for nearly 20 years. "Never Meant To Meet You" is=
her first book.

Editorial Notes #2: Alli Frank has worked in education for over 20 years in=
San Francisco and Seattle. She has been a teacher, curriculum leader, coac=
h, college counselor, assistant head, private school co-founder, sometimes = pastor, often mayor, and de facto parent therapist. A graduate of Cornell a=
nd Stanford Universities, when she needs good food (because she can't reall=
y cook) she turns to her co-author Asha Youmans.

Orchid Blooming
Carol Van Hende
Azine Press
https://carolvandenhende.com
9781958223031, $29.95, HC, 248pp

https://www.amazon.com/Orchid-Blooming-Carol-Van-Hende/dp/1958223034

Synopsis: Kind and generous, twenty-seven-year-old Orchid Paige will never = forget that day. Living as best she can after witnessing her parents' fatal=
accident, the beauty industry marketer yearns to win a promotion to China =
to connect to her mom's ancestry. But with competition fierce, she despairs=
she'll never make the grade -- until she meets an encouraging man who make=
s her feel safe despite her usual distrust.

After Orchid convinces the handsome entrepreneur to let her gain experience=
at his nonprofit project, she's determined to keep their relationship prof= essional and ignore their powerful attraction. But when working on his mili= tary ad campaign for veterans triggers her own unresolved PTSD, she fears h=
er confident mentor may be too good to be true even if she could trust him = with her heart.

A childhood tragedy followed her into adult life. Will she ever claim real = happiness again? Can she conquer her vulnerabilities before she loses her c= hance at forever?

Critique: A literary masterpiece of contemporary romance fiction, "Orchid B= looms" once again demonstrates and documents author Carol Van Den Hende's g= enuine flair for originality, the creation of memorable characters, and the=
kind of narrative driven storytelling style that is as elegant as it is en= gaging. A fun read from cover to cover and unreservedly recommended for com= munity library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists o=
f those with an interest in mulitcultural romances and romance novels with =
a disability element that "Orchid Blooms" is also available in a paperback = edition (9781958223017, $18.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99=
).

Editorial Note: Carol Van Den Hende's novels "Orchid Blooming" and "Goodbye=
, Orchid" have been awarded more than 20 times, winning the 2020 American F= iction Award for urban fiction, 2020 Pinnacle Achievement Award for multicu= ltural fiction, IAN Outstanding Fiction for Best New Novel, Best Book Final= ist, Royal Dragonfly Award, Audiobook Reviewer Author of the Year. Plus, "G= oodbye, Orchid" has been named one of the most anticipated fall reads by Bu= zzfeed, Parade, and Travel+Leisure, one of The Write Review's Top Books of = 2020 and has been featured in Glamour, Bookstr, Frolic, Chicago Tribune, LA=
Times, DIYMFA, WABC Radio among others. The Pulpwood Queens selected Goodb=
ye Orchid as a 2022 Bonus Book-of-the-Month.

The Wish List
Michelle Major
HQN
c/o Harlequin Books
https://www.harlequin.com
9781335430649, $9.99, PB, 368pp

https://www.amazon.com/Wish-List-Novel-Carolina-Girls/dp/1335430644

Synopsis: For some families, a Christmas reunion is like a feel-good movie.=
For Beth Carlyle, it might be more of a disaster epic.

Her ex-husband's new girlfriend is already pregnant. Her self-absorbed, bes= tselling author mother recently suffered a stroke and has summoned Beth's s= isters, Freya and Trinity (neither of whom even seem to like Beth very much=
) back to Magnolia.

Beth is so lonely and stressed that she spills her guts to a stranger, wond= ering why the handsome newcomer affects her so deeply.

Reality TV star Freya deliberately forged a career that would upset her mot= her, who's always been as brilliant as the sun... and just as distant. Now =
a handsome literary agent is making Freya dream of a different life.

As for Trinity, she just wants to start over after leaving an abusive relat= ionship and make a future for her and her baby.

It'll be a Christmas like no other in Magnolia. But the Carlyle sisters mig=
ht find they have more in common than their shared past -- and that the hol= idays are made for second chances.

Critique: Enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a bonus holiday nov= ella set in Magnolia, "The Wish List" by Michelle Major is an original, def= tly crafted, fun and engaging read that is unreservedly recommended for com= munity library Contemporary Romance collections. It should be noted for ded= icated romance fans that "The Wish List" is also readily available in a dig= ital book format (Kindle, $6.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio boo=
k (9798212154789, $41.99, CD).

Editorial Note: As an author and reader of novels, Michelle Major (www.mich= ellemajor.com) loves stories of new beginnings, second chances and always a=
happily ever after.

Happily Ever Amish
Shelley Shepard Gray
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street, Floor 21, New York, NY 10018-2522
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9781496739827, $26.00, HC, 272pp

https://www.amazon.com/Happily-Ever-Amish-Apple-Creek/dp/1496739825

Synopsis: Addie Byler may be Apple Creek's resident wallflower, but she kno=
ws she has a lot to offer -- and much to be grateful for. Raised by her lov= ing grandmother, she lives a life filled with good friends and hard work. W= ary of romance, Addie assumes no man will look beyond her glasses and her t= endency to talk to her rescue donkey, Snickers -- until the day she finds a=
note from a secret admirer. A prank, most likely. But then, a second note = arrives!

It's not that Daniel Miller doesn't like Addie, he just doesn't want to cou=
rt her. She's too willful, too chatty, too odd. Yet when he learns she's be=
en teased because she's never had a beau, he decides to send a little note =
of encouragement. One note leads to another. And when Addie begins replying=
with thoughtful messages of her own, he's struck by her sweetness and warm= th. Soon, what began as a sympathetic gesture becomes something deeper. Dan= iel fears revealing the truth, but with courage, faith (and a helping hand = from their close-knit community) Apple Creek's most unlikely couple may fin=
d their path to happiness!

Critique: A classic Amish/Mennonite romance novel by a truly gifted author,=
"Happily Every Amish" by Shelley Shepard Gray is a thoroughly charming and=
engaging read from first page to last. While highly recommended for commun= ity library Contemporary Romance collections, it should be noted for the pe= rsonal reading lists of the legions of Shelley Shepard Gray fans that "Happ= ily Ever Amish" is also readily available in a paperback edition (978149673= 9858, $16.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.21).

Editorial Note: Shelley Shepard Gray (www.ShelleyShepardGray.com) is the tw= o-time Holt Medallion Award-winning, New York Times and the author of over = one hundred novels. Her novels have been translated into multiple languages=
and highlighted in the Philadelphia Enquirer, The Washington Post, Time Ma= gazine, NPR and USA Today.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promo= ting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no fund=
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(dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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