Cool off this weekend with a romance read

Here are some of the romances Happy Ever After’s contributors have recommended recently.

The Ringmaster’s Wife by Kristy Cambron. Mixing fictional characters with true historical figures is a daunting task, but author Kristy Cambron achieves such excellence in that vein that the reader is compelled to devour the author’s note at the end, just to find out which characters lived among us ... and which were constructed on the page. Historical fiction lovers will adore this novel! A vivid and romantic rendering of circus life in the jazz age, The Ringmaster’s Wife features two rich love stories and a glimpse into our nation’s live entertainment history. (Recommended by Serena Chase)

Broken Ground by Karen Halvorsen Schreck. Coming-of-age romance ... written through the eyes of a grieving widow? Indeed! A hearty “Brava!” to Karen Halvorsen Schreck for this beautiful portrait of young love, loss ... and the slow, subtle draw toward love, anew. The style of prose gently dances between literary fiction and women’s fiction, pitting innocent trust against learned fear, and naivete against the quest for true wisdom. Grief, hunger and hope are expressed through Ruth’s first-person point-of-view in a heart-rending fashion that is truly experiential. A masterfully written historical novel that honestly and compassionately sheds light on issues of marginalization and ignorance still plaguing our nation today, Broken Ground is not to be missed. (Recommended by Serena Chase)

Alpha Wolf Need Not Apply by Terry Spear. This is No. 19 in the Heart of the Wolf series but can be read as a stand-alone novel without missing a thing. As usual, Ms. Spear brings to the reader the backstories that are necessary to move this book’s plot forward without resorting to an information dump. Another great shifter story by Terry Spear, and one I recommend to lovers of romance, mystery and stories of strong women finding their mates. (Recommended by Becky Condit)

Unbreak My Heart by Nicole Jacquelyn. I loved her MC series, but this one is mesmerizing. Kate’s best friend, Rachel, dies in a car crash, leaving behind her husband, Shane, three kids plus the one she was pregnant with … right there, I was hooked. Kate steps in and takes over Rachel’s role as protector and surrogate mother until one night with Shane changes everything. From this moment on, life is a high-stakes game of emotions, heightened when Shane gets deployed. Jacquelyn does an amazing job of portraying a hopeless widower, the best friend and the kids. Each page will make your heart beat a little faster … brace yourself. (Recommended by Rachel Blaufeld)

Bittersweet by Sarina Bowen. Griffin Shipley is a farmer in Vermont, and Audrey Kidder is a struggling chef in Boston. They have a heated past — before he turned down a football career to run his family’s farm, and she failed out of college and went to culinary school. Now her new employer is giving her the run-around and sending her on fruitless expeditions to buy local produce and meats way under cost. Griff is on her list of purveyors to visit. Old sparks ignite when they recognize each other, except she’s tasked with undermining him. Of course, even I fell in love with farming in Vermont thanks to Griff … the recipes, the cider and the apples, and of course, Grandpa, all made this fantastic. (Recommended by Rachel Blaufeld)

Waking Olivia by Elizabeth O’Roark. This was a one-sitting, not-move-out-of-my-seat read for me. I love when a book sneaks up on me like that. Olivia is a track star who cannot seem to run fast enough from her own demons. She has some serious problems that have resulted in her losing her D1 scholarship. She’s now been handed a second chance. Will is her new coach, a young guy who gave up his mountain-hiking dream to save his family’s farm. He coaches on the side to help pay for his brother’s tuition. Will can tell Olivia is trouble in more ways than one, especially when it comes to his attraction to her. Then, he gets a firsthand look at her nightmarish problems, and he can’t stop himself from either helping or falling for her. The side characters are awesome in this one, too … the brother, the girlfriend and the head coach. I loved them all. (Recommended by Rachel Blaufeld)

Lucky Ball by Lisa N. Paul. I don’t typically read humor, but Lucky Ball by Lisa N. Paul struck my fancy. And it certainly isn't only funny. It's got a lot of meat to it ... Wren, a humorous gal with depth, can’t seem to make a decision without shaking her magic ball (remember those thingies from when you were young?). She’s had the ball since she was a young girl, and it’s her crutch in this very harsh and cruel world. She meets Logan Enders, alpha rocker and sweet guy, and he humors her with the ball from their very first kiss. Despite the ball being a silly habit, a beautiful love story unfolds. Enders finds “Lucky” (his nickname for Wren) endearing. He gets her quirks like most young women want to be understood. It’s also fairly steamy, and when the ball is mixed with the love scenes, I couldn’t help but smile and keep turning pages. Of course, you have to read to see what happens with Wren’s lucky ball, but I will say this: Logan is just the right amounts of softie and hardness. (Recommended by Rachel Blaufeld)

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