We’re starting off Valentine’s Day with reviews of 3 novellas that are perfect for a little treat on this day full of pink and flowers and chocolate candies … and of course love.

*****

Only Yours

A Candy Hearts Romance

by Nancy Fraser

Everyone expects Rebecca Winston to marry her high school/college sweetheart, Garrett Langley. The problem is, the flame’s gone out on their romance. They’re still best of friends, but only friends. When Garrett’s father has a heart attack, his older brother Wyatt (an L.A. attorney) returns home for the first time in years. The attraction between Rebecca and Wyatt is immediate.

Can Rebecca expect her family and, especially, Garrett to understand that her desires have changed and turned toward Wyatt?

Can Wyatt get past the feeling that he’s poaching his younger brother’s girl?

This is a cute little story set in the 60s, which made me a little nostalgic (not that I lived it but in a watching Grease on TV kind of way).  It makes sense then why Rebecca would be struggling with other’s expectations – she lives at home with her parents and is still dating a guy even though the spark is gone.  Meeting his brother again helps to emphasize it when the sparks between them fly.  They both struggle with how their feelings might affect Garrett, but they aren’t willing to let something go on that is no longer right or pass on something that could be great.

I think this could have gone a very uncomfortable way but I love the Fraser handles it without too much drama between the characters.  Instead it is sweet and homey and with a great HEA.

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3 Wishes

A Candy Hearts Romance

by Peggy Jaeger

Valentine’s Day is chocolatier Chloe San Valentino’s favorite day of the year. Not only is it the busiest day in her candy shop, Caramelle de Chloe, but it’s also her birthday. Chloe’s got a birthday wish list for the perfect man she pulls out every year: he’d fall in love with her in a heartbeat, he’d be someone who cares about people, and he’d have one blue eye and one green eye, just like her. So far, Chloe’s fantasy man hasn’t materialized, despite the matchmaking efforts of her big, close-knit Italian family. But this year for her big 3-0 birthday, she just might get her three wishes.

Just as sweet as the chocolates that Chloe makes, I love this little story of love at first sight.  You are there for the meet-cute and then the bumpy road as they move to a happy ending.  I was rooting for Chloe and her fantasy man every step of the way.  The misunderstanding between them could have been easily resolved with just a simple question or two but it would have meant that we didn’t get the fun of the story – one that had me smiling from start to finish.

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Ooh La La

A Candy Hearts Romance

by Doreen Alsen

Aspiring choreographer and dance teacher, Simon West is walking along the hall in the college where he teaches when he gets knocked over by klutzy, two left feet, accounting professor Veronica Cooke. Simon wants to get to know the beautiful woman who ran him down, but how will she react when she finds out his alter-ego is a super sexy cowboy at an upscale exotic dancing male revue and that he makes ends meet by taking off his clothes?

I’m not sure if it really would have been that easy to keep Simon’s secret and the ending may have been a little to convenient, but I didn’t mind because the story was spicy and engaging.  Super sexy but it didn’t scrimp on heart.  Because of the size, it was basically love at first sight but it was downright fun so who cares.  Simon and Veronica and cute together and I love how they connected quickly, finding a way to build on that.