Be My Texas Valentine by Jodi Thomas; Linda Broday; Phyliss Miranda;Dewanna Pace

4 stories for Valentine's Day

The Valentine's Curse
Valerie is a widow, two times over. She accompanies her father to the local dance where the whole neighborhood is.
Brody is just in from tracking down some cattle and is given orders from his boss' wife to attend the dance. He is also told to sit near the widow and talk to her. She has a curse that the whole town bets on how long any relationship will last before her next spouse is dead. Brody thinks it's all superstitious and pays no mind to it all.
He walks away into a dark section and she's going to say goodnight and he hugs her and gives her a kiss.

He stops to get the bosses wife sewing machine and she is there and he helps out. He finds himself there again another time and helps out. He gets another hug and their relationship starts slowly.

He's a loner and not too sure about women and she's had two husbands and is very shy, it's a wonder they even connected at all.

She gives him an ultimatum and he agrees to become her husband, tend the farm/ranch and she will live up to her party as a wife. The old boss has some cattle delivered to him as he's the only one to understand them so he has to fix up the fences so they can roam and fatten up. Trouble arises and after a whole day goes by and he's not returned Valerie heads to the old boss and they send out the search parties to locate him. She figures if it's such a curse she at least wants to buy his bones on her property.

Lot of tender slow love in this book. You can tell they really are learning about one another and just taking things slow. Really appreciated having the epilogue so we'd not have to guess as to what happened over time.

Cupid's Arrow by Linda Broday
Logan is back in town and runs into Rue Ann while she's leaving a store.
She is set to marry Theodore and he's been seeing a lot of Charlotte.

With some help from elderly ladies who like to play pranks and have relationships go their way they play a huge part in getting couples together that they know will work.

This reminds me of The Waltons and the elderly sisters who always come to visit their neighbors.

Little do they realize all the lies and arrangements to work against what they want.
Arranged marriages and deals in the backroom are made to advance their careers.

Others have lied to keep them apart and destroy their lives in town.

Loving Miss Laurel Phyliss Miranda
The men in town want business to pick up via the railroad so they need to spend the money on paving the main road.
The women don't think the town is at all ready for that growth so they want to spend the money on a library for the kids to enjoy now.

Some women disguised themselves as boys and overheard the meeting that went on and report back to the mayor's wife.

Laurel has just returned from the East and is appointed the new womens society president job. The men have their own club and will stand behind the new paving. The women will stand behind the new library.

The men plot to have a Valentine supper and dance and the women plot to raise more money by providing free beer to them the proceeds going towards the library.

Problem is that's all the women dressed as boys heard so they went to the newspaper and got things mixed up and that's what was printed in the next newspaper. They didn't get the mens' side which was not what was printed.
Laurel gets mad at her uncle and leaves the house, thinks she'll take the job of president of the womans' society and do bookkeeping for the saloon while being able to live on their property.
There is an scuffle at the livery and a few people have confronted her with solutions to her problem.
Hunter, the mayors mother: Melba Ruth recalls the terms of Laurel's parents will and she is to inherit the estate and all sums on Valentine's Day-her birthday.
The mayor must find her to set things straight. Some one has taken her as she's left her weapon behind.
The truth comes out in the end...

Sweet Talk by Dewanna Pace
Noah is a doctor and his practice is very busy. He has a housekeeper and a talking bird-well he squawks a lot.
JoEmma is wheelchair bound and has a talking bird that has flown away. The bird show up at the docs in the same cage with help from the housekeeper.
The Valentine Dance is approaching and the hearts with names on them has been done. Now to draw one name and that man will be your date for the evening, if you don't have a date. They agree the sisters can visit the bird at his place just so they can keep the birds together. The older sister is the beautiful flirty type which he has no interest in.
He's never gotten to know JoEmma much.

His father stops by to tell him he choose the right sister and he asks him about her health as he was the last one to treat her. He tells Noah and leaves it open for improvement.
Noah's not talked to his dad in years and again the housekeeper comes to the rescue.
The ending is most fitting on all accords. ( )

Reviewed by JoAnne
Review copy ARC from Zebra Books
This anthology had stories by 4 authors - 3 that I had not read before, Linda Broday, Phyllis Miranda, DeWanna Pace. I have loved all of Jodi Thomas' books and have now added three more authors to my to be read list. All 4 stories were set in Texas and set around Valentine's Day in some way. All 4 were enjoyable reads although very different in their storyline.

The Valentine's Curse by Thomas was by far my favorite. So many people believed that the widow, Valerie, had a curse that if she touched anyone then ultimately they would die. She had already buried two husbands. Brody, the Yankee cowboy, had no friends and was a loner. He tended to keep to himself, get his work done and didn't fraternize with the other help on the ranch even at meal times. The two seemed an unlikely pair to wed, let alone fall in love. It was a sweet love story that was fun to watch.

Cupid's Arrow by Broday was entertaining in its approach to getting Rue Ann and Logan together. You had no choice but to root for them to be together and know that it was just a matter of time before they figured it out too. Theodore was no match for either one of them. There was laughter at some of the antics Rue Ann got into.

Loving Miss Laurel by Miranda was the hardest for me to get into. It turned into a nice story but it took me awhile to warm up to Hunter. I liked that he realized he wanted to change the type of man he was and set out to woo Laurel Dean. I was happy with the ending although there were unexpected twists along the way.

Sweet Talk by Pace was enjoyable and I loved that Noah helped JoEmma realize the type of person she was and that she could realize her dreams. He fooled you into thinking he was a no nonsense doctor with no other life but was observant and more aware of what was going on around him than others gave him credit for. I was happy that their dreams came true at the Valentine's Day dance.

Favorite Quotes: The Valentine's Curse
"I'm all right," Brody finally said in a far angrier tone than he'd meant to use. "I'm not going to die on you."
She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "I know. You promised you wouldn't leave me and I'm trying to believe you, but you never promised to love me. That wasn't part of the partnership between us."

Cupid's Arrow
He seemed to breathe a whole lot easier since they'd gotten all the misunderstandings and lies that had stood between them out of the way. He was glad that Rue Ann hadn't given birth to his child-yet. That was something he wanted to be there for. He wanted to hear the baby's cry for the first time. And he wanted to hold Rue Ann in his arms and tell her how very much he loved her every day for the rest of their lives.

Loving Miss Laurel
Within minutes, Hunter stood with his feet apart and arms folded across his chest, staring at the sleeping angel curled up in the back of his wagon.
What in the hell had happened to cause Laurel Dean to leave home in the middle of the night and wind up sleeping in a bed of supplies?

Sweet Talk
Something unspoken but electric passed between her housekeeper and the doctor, and JoEmma couldn't fathom its meaning.
"You're right." He winked at the older woman. "At least until our little bird is ready to trust me and not fly away next time."
"Just remember she'll stick around a lot longer if you don't let any kittens in to play."
JoEmma wondered how Gabby and the cat he fed had anything to do with the way he slept.
Maybe he liked to share his bed with a cat. ( )

Jodi Thomas' contribution to this book was a good story, the others not so much. ( )

Anthologies are best enjoyed when it is quite obvious that the contributing writers had great fun with their characters and story lines. "Be My Texas Valentine" from "The Fabulous Four", Jodi Thomas, Linda Broday, Phyliss Miranda, and DeWanna Pace, is just such a reader's treat of a book. I loved this book--it has such delicious flavor in the storytelling! Jodi Thomas' "The Valentine's Curse" brings together two loners, a "black widow" and a Yankee Civil War Veteran, both the objects of much misleading rumor mongering. Brody Monroe has never really felt welcome among Texas Southerners, but something made him determined to stay put and try to make a new beginning. Valerie Allen, twice a widow, has a fearsome, cursed, reputation that keeps men at bay. When Brody and Valerie are brought together, he rediscovers kindness and tenderness, and she finds someone who sees who she really is as a woman. Can they break the curse of superstition and speculation and find happiness neither ever expected? In "Cupid's Arrow", from Linda Broday, the course of true love does not run smooth due to the interference of others. Rue Ann Spencer believed her father when he told her that the man she loved, Logan Cutter, took a bribe to walk out of her life. Rue Ann left town, and when she returned several years later, she became engaged to another man. Seeing Logan again brings up heartache and long-cherished dreams. Logan never knew why Rue Ann left him and the town behind, and he has carried the hurt of losing her along with a need to get answers to his questions. When truths are revealed, will these two hearts find forgiveness and a fresh start with each other? Phyliss Miranda's "Loving Miss Laurel" reunites long-separated friends Hunter Campbell and Laurel Dean Womack. Hunter's mother had befriended the shy, teenaged Laurel after the mysterious death of Laurel's parents. Later, Laurel was sent away to school by her uncle who managed her late parents' business affairs. Through the years, Hunter has worked hard to overcome the poverty of his childhood, winning a fortune through his gambling skill. Now the mayor, he has plans to expand the town and bring a railroad into the area. When Laurel returns, Hunter is once again captivated by her loveliness, but the two of them seem to be odds over the town's future. When secrets from the past become a serious threat to Laurel's safety, will Hunter be able to save Laurel and find a way to unite their hearts? "Sweet Talk" from DeWanna Pace features love birds and bird lovers and a mischievous matchmaker whose heart is in the right place. Dr. Noah Powell has worked hard to establish his medical practice, and each time he delivers a baby and sees the happiness of family life, he feels his own loneliness. His little feathered friend, Amigo, brings a measure of comfort. However, when Amigo shows his own signs of a lonely heart, Noah determines to find him a companion. JoEmma Brown has been wheelchair-bound since a bout with scarlet fever left her heart in a weakened state. Her talkative little love bird, Gabby, brings her much joy. The love birds find each other when Gabby flies out the door one day and makes her way into Noah's office through an open window. Will the bird lovers know the true happiness that the love birds have found in their little nest? If determined matchmakers have their way, Noah and JoEmma will be building a love nest of their own! "Be My Texas Valentine" is a perfect Valentine's day confection for romance lovers. ( )

Review originally posted at Reader's Edyn: http://bit.ly/z7OAFt

My thoughts:

My overall experience with this book was enjoyable. I have said quite a lot recently that at times I feel completely swamped with the level of sex in the romance novels I read. Seems like the farther the authors push it, the higher they raise the fence. Like, who can break through the next level of taboo and make it still readable. And … I also have friends and family that are not as *cough* how do I say this … open-minded as I am *coughs* with the material they read. It is refreshing to be able to recommend stories to those whom I know would not be able to handle certain … errr … stories otherwise.

That said, I can definitely recommend this book to everyone. There is no foul language and such a limited hint of sex that I cannot imagine anyone being offended by the contents of any of the stories. All stories are Texas-themed historical romance. Who doesn’t love the cowboy that finally finds his other half, while still remaining the tough protector that everyone else sees him as? Not me! While I have not had the pleasure of reading any of these authors before, I am thankful that I was allowed a taste of all four of them and their writing styles. I have a love/dislike relationship with anthologies. I love them because they are, in a way, a sampler of multiple authors. You can take a glimpse into the writing style of many authors within one book. Rather than buying four separate books and not knowing if you will be satisfied or not, you can take a short cut of sorts through anthologies. But what I object to about anthologies are that they oftentimes lack the components of a really good book because the stories are so short. You just don’t have enough time to get to know the characters in depth and still experience the conflict prior to the happily-ever-after.

However, having no prior knowledge of these authors, I can honestly say that I enjoyed all of the stories for different reasons. One of the stories I really enjoyed, but the ending ruined it for me. For the most part, this is an anthology that worked and I am very pleased to have spent my time reading it. I will break down each story individually with a quick summary, followed by my personal thoughts on the story.

Jodi Thomas Website: http://www.jodithomas.com/
The Valentine Curse
Brody is a Yank, often shunned by the other ranch hands simply because he used to play for the wrong side. But hidden within their mirth is a level of unspoken respect for his talent healing animals. Twice made a widow, Valerie now has a new stigma; a curse said to afflict and man who comes near her. When the two meet, they get along well and part ways. Eventually their paths cross again and Valerie offers Brody a proposal he can’t refuse: one year married, living on her ranch to try and make it thrive. If the two aren’t suited, they will part ways amicably. But this woman who has never known a real marriage has never known the love of a good man and both just might end up finding happiness within their business arrangement/marriage.

I really loved this story. Brody is a good guy, plain and simple. Valerie is a hard-working woman who has given up on her hopes and dreams of a loving marriage and children. While her lack of affection within her first two marriages is sad, I enjoyed how her knowledge deficiency in some areas worked to Brody’s benefit. He eventually wages an all out war for their future. Either it will work and they will begin a wonderful future together, or he could ultimately push her away if she is not ready to accept him. The “button deal” was pretty clever and my favorite part of the story. Toward the end of the story, you can’t help but want to push these two together and help them find their happy-ever-after a bit sooner. Jodi Thomas will be a name I will look to in the future.

Linda Broday Website: http://www.lindabroday.com/
Cupid’s Arrow
Rue Ann and Logan. The poor dears are victims of a great misunderstanding and possibly a rather large conspiracy to keep them apart. They had planned a future together until one fateful day when it all came crashing down. Rue Ann leaves to complete school, but eventually returns for her impending wedding to another. This, of course, gives both Logan and Rue Ann the opportunity to seek out answers to many questions that have plagued the two for the last couple of years. But will they get up the gumption to confront each other before Rue Ann has pledged her life to another?

While I enjoyed this story, I felt like I had read it before. The plot is not new. It is possible that it could have had the opportunity to distinguish itself as unique in its own way as a full-length novel, but not within the shorter length of a novella. Rue Ann’s father plays a role within the conspiracy, but I felt that he gives in just a bit too easily toward the conclusion. For all of the lengths that he went to in the conspiracy, I would have expected a much different outcome for him. Complaints aside, I still found this story entertaining. Above all, it is a sweet Texas romance and it is so very hard to go wrong with such a genre. Ultimately, I had fun getting to know Rue Ann and Logan and was very much entertained by the antics of the elder sisters Miss Charlotte and Miss Emily.

Phyliss Miranda Website: http://www.phylissmiranda.com/
Loving Miss Laurel
Hunter has been a busy man for the last 8 years. He has made his own fortune and successfully built a profitable ranch; not including the businesses in town he has his hands in. Laurel has been gone during this time and has only just returned to town at her Uncle’s request; an odd request considering he has not kept in contact with her since sending her off to school all of those years ago. But curiosity gets the better of her and she comes back and runs right into Hunter. The two had been friends prior to her hasty departure and quickly their attraction ignites a deep longing for one another. But Laurel is shrouded in mystery from her past to the present and Hunter has a nagging feeling that he needs to get to the bottom of it. That feeling is intensified ten-fold when he discovers the danger that Laurel is in.

I started out absolutely loving this story. It was a little bit longer than the first two and consequently had a slightly better developed plot line as can be the case as stories lengthen. I liked that Hunter basically rose from the ashes to become a successful businessman, rancher, and mayor. I wasn’t as thrilled with Laurel because she is presented as an intelligent, strong young woman, but is sometimes given lesser characteristics. For instance, she struggles to grasp her Uncle’s involvement in some nefarious dealings despite his personality and while she obviously fears him, she stands up to him which presents a bit of a contradiction. But I liked her paired with Hunter. And irritation aside, I read straight through the story quickly, enjoying the tale unfold before my eyes. Until the end. I wanted to rip the pages out and stomp on them. It finished so fast and then was tied up all neat and tidy in a few short sentences. And to add injury to insult an author’s note is added which does nothing to make me feel any better about the ending and in fact could actually spur questions that now need an answer. Uppermost in my mind, what the heck happens next? There is a huge void of nothingness between the rapid ending and the author’s note. Accordingly, I have a love/hate relationship with this particular story.

DeWanna Pace Website: http://www.dewannapaceonline.com/
Sweet Talk
Noah is the town doctor who has followed in his father’s footsteps. High in demand for more than his doctoring skills, Noah is also the object that many of the single ladies of the town have set their cap for. But Noah is very busy tending to his patients and has little time left for socializing. JoEmma is wheelchair-bound since a bout with scarlet fever. Afraid of not being able to obtain her greatest desires, she has hidden in the shadow of her illness. While maintaining a positive attitude toward life in general, she has rejected the idea of pushing herself beyond the capability of her exhausted heart and stops trying to strengthen her legs so that she can walk again. But JoEmma has hidden her feelings for Noah for a number of years; ever since they were children and he rescued her from a fall, carrying her all the way home. The two come together when JoEmma’s love bird escapes and makes her way to Noah’s love bird, becoming a mated pair. The birds cannot be separated and before too long it becomes apparent that the birds may well have the right idea of things.

Hands down my favorite story! This story contains every component a sweet romance should have. The depth of both main characters and even the secondary characters is amazing. I love that the storyline is outside of the box. How many main characters have you read about that start off in a wheelchair? And what better pairing than with a doctor? I very much enjoyed my time spent getting to know JoEmma, Noah, and their loved ones. Each character, even with flaws, was presented in a way that endeared me to each one. Even the sibling rivalry between JoEmma and her sister aids in enhancing the relationship dynamic between the two. Overall, this tale is adorable and you can’t help but wish each character a happy ending. If Ms. Pace writes this consistently in all of her stories, then she is definitely one to keep an eye on.

(Uncorrected Proof provided by Kensington for review) ( )