Margo Hoornstra

Only if You Dare by ( Dearly Beloved) by Margo Hoornstra is a 2013 The Wild Rose Press publication. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This quick “lunch break” read is a nice contemporary romance that puts a spotlight on PTSD and how difficult treatment can be and how it takes a toll on intimate relationships.

Cynthia is a counselor helping those suffering from these issues, so it feels like a karma intervention when Cynthia meets Jonah, a courtroom judge, by chance.
Jonah is haunted by his military service and for that reason has kept serious relationships at bay. Cynthia has also sworn off relationships after her divorce. However, the chemistry between the couple draws them together, but it gets complicated as their hearts tell to let go and allow this relationships to develop and their heads warn of dire consequences. Can they learn to trust each other and allow love to sooth over the rough edges?

One of the drawbacks to really short stories is that the characters don't always have a lot of time to develop and grow. If this story has a drawback I would have to say missing out on Jonah's personal progress would be it. Of the two characters, I felt that Jonah was dealing with the darker set of circumstances, but it was Cynthia who held out the longest, simply refusing to let go of her fears and trying to divorce the physical from the emotional aspects of the relationship, which seldom ever works, and it nearly cost her dearly. So, it seems her story took first chair and I would have liked to have seen Jonah's progress more prominently featured.

I did appreciate the message I think the author was trying to convey and that would that all of us go through hard times in life, been deeply hurt by a break up, and while no one wants to repeat that sort of pain, we can't let fear deprive us of a second chance at love, and no one gets a guarantee, so trust is something that goes hand in hand with accepting a person warts and all.

Overall, this is an enjoyable read with a moral to the story all of us can learn something from. 3.5 stars… (más)

Review- Saturday in Serendipity by Margo Hoornstra

Margo creates a delightful cast of characters in this anthology. The stories circle around the people who reunite for their 20th class reunion.

In Three Strikes Thursday I was hooked on the first page by baseball jock Barry Carlson who made a stupid mistake with the girl he loved Amanda Marsh and left her behind when he went on to a successful sport career. He returns to coach the local team, but Amanda also works there. Unable to resolve their differences, they also admit their love never died. The resolution is sweet.

Two onTuesday brings together Matt Durand, an investment financier & Blane Weston, head of a construction company looking for investors. He’s fascinated by a beautiful woman in a man’s job and wants to pursue a relationship. Blane has worked hard to be a success and resists his efforts because she feels he doesn’t respect her. She hopes to find another investor while at the reunion, but Matt throws a wrench in the works. Another great resolution.

Jake Holbrook & Dr. Bethany Thomas were friends since third grade and thought that love would bind them together. A misunderstanding has Jake leaving. Instead Bethy marries another only to spend years in regret. Jake hires Bethany to head the clinic at his hospital. Bethany is fighting to recover from years of mental abuse and every error on Jake’s part widens the wedge. The way they find the way to a new life together is well written and believable.

I recommend this to everyone who believes in love and happily ever after.… (más)

Reviewed by EmmaRae
Review copy provided by Wild Rose Press
Get ready for some warm fuzzies!

Matt flies into town to check out an investment prospect. Instead of meeting a balding, overweight male contractor, he finds Blane. Instantly dazzled, he's shocked when she turns down his proposal flat. Not used to rejection, he hops on a plane and follows her to Summerville. Even he isn't sure if he's following the woman or the business opportunity. He finds out soon enough he's only there for her. Blane's misfortunes thrust the two together and they find themselves opening up to each other.

As soon as I finished this book, I jumped onto ARe to find more books by this author. The chemistry is hot, but the author keeps it G-rated and I liked that. So many authors in ebooks think “chemistry” is body part descriptions. I was surprised just now when I realized it was 35000 words. It seemed a lot shorter to me. I wish it was longer and we had more time with the two characters. Get this book to get a warm and fuzzy feeling inside, and you won't regret it.… (más)

A Nice Change of Pace is an extremely short e-book quickie. At only 5 pages, it has the feel of the beginning of a longer story with the serendipitous meeting of the hero and heroine. Melinda is a harried woman who is trying to balance an exhausting schedule of both work and college classes. She desperately needs a change of pace, and finds it when Rod accidentally almost runs her down on his scooter. I really liked what there was of this story but wished that I could have followed Melinda and Rod “into the sunset” to see what would happen next for them. This is a very sweet novella with absolutely no sensual content, not even a kiss, so it would be appropriate for all romances readers. This was my first read by Margo Hoornstra, but I liked her writing style and plan to check into her other works. A Nice Change of Pace is available as a free download from the publisher, The Wild Rose Press.… (más)