We’re going to start our day with a couple of short reviews and come back later because I’ll have some more.

*****

The moment love-phobic Marla Jacobs discovers that the shop next to her Little White Wedding Chapel is to become a funeral parlour, she declares all-out war.

Marla’s chapel in the sleepy Shropshire countryside has become a nation-wide sensation, but the arrival of Funeral Director Gabriel Ryan threatens everything Marla has worked for. She can picture the scene: wedding limos fighting for space in the street with hearses; brides bumping into widows; bouquets being swapped for wreaths.

Marla’s not going down without a fight. She enlists a motley crew of weird and wonderful local supporters, and the battle lines are drawn. But, as soon as Marla meets her nemesis, she realises just how much trouble she’s really in. His gypsy curls and Irish lilt make her stomach fizz – how is she supposed to concentrate on destroying him, when half the time she’s struggling not to rip the shirt off his back?

Undertaking Love is the perfect choice for lovers of British women’s fiction.  It’s got a little bit of love, a little bit of friends and family, and a whole lot of humor.  I’ve read a few UK romances and I’ve noticed that they tend to be a little more rambling than what I’m used to, and Undertaking Love is no different.  Luckily it is amusing in its around and about journey so I’m not complaining – there are a ton of fun supporting cast members as well as some entertaining side stories, so you won’t mind that there are a lot of pages between boy meets girl and boy & girl live happily ever after.

*****

The gorgeous Justin Pierce feels like nothing more than an object made to please women, whether he chooses to be or not. Five years as head escort at the elite, hands-off Club Blue escort agency–and a painful past–are slowly convincing him that’s all he’s good for.

Molly Harper prefers computers to people. She just doesn’t understand everyday interactions. If only emotions could be reduced to binary! But she needs a date for her high school reunion, and a friend recommends the best money can buy: Justin of Club Blue.

Trouble is, Justin and Molly were college best friends. He was always there for her until he disappeared without a word five years ago. When Molly discovers he’s the escort, her anger and heartbreak return. But Justin wasn’t escaping Molly. A dangerous figure from his former life was stalking him, and has found him again. This time, he wants a chance with Molly and he’s not running.

I’m not really sure how I feel about this one. It addresses some very serious issues – abuse, sexual harassment, sexual identity and masculinity. It definitely gave me a lot to think about but I’m not sure I felt that the issues were completely resolved.  I do think that it is worth reading, just to get its unique take on so many potentially volatile subjects. It’ll make you take a second look at some assumptions and maybe even reevaluate how you look at different situations.

It’s part of a series but I’m not sure how much influence the first book has on this story. I do get the feeling that Mellon doesn’t shy away from sensitive subjects and that there are some similar themes in both.