This Time Around: Three Sweet Romances

Hunter (Autumn Skies), Ferguson (The Cul-de-Sac War), and Fuller (The Farmer’s Bride) deliver enjoyable novellas that showcase love in unexpected circumstances. In Hunter’s “A Summer Detour,” Allie Adams offers to drive her grandparents’ newly restored 1957 Chevy to their home as a surprise gift for their 50th wedding anniversary. However, after realizing that she is unable to operate the manual transmission, she is left with little choice but to ask her ex-boyfriend Luke for assistance. Forced together, they confess their mistakes and admit they never stopped loving each other. In Ferguson’s “Pining for You,” Theo Watkins, the wealthy owner of Evergreen Farms, runs into his ex-girlfriend, Skye, at the home of her father, the farm’s caretaker, after 14 years apart. As Skye struggles to cover her father’s debts, Theo realizes love is more important than money and they rekindle their relationship. In Fuller’s delightful “He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not,” Sophie, a 35-year-old single florist, is afraid of being hurt by love and determined not to date handsome, divorced high school teacher Joe. After a date with a vapid lawyer, Sophie faces her fears of commitment and plunges in deep with Joe. Joe, meanwhile, must overcome a heartbreak to find a second chance at love. These soothing romances nicely capture the giddy feelings of new love. (July)