Hearts Entwined: A Historical Romance Novella Collection (Hearts Entwined Collection)
by
Karen Witemeyer (Goodreads Author),
Mary Connealy (Goodreads Author), Regina Jennings (Goodreads Author), Melissa Jagears (Goodreads Author)
The Love Knot - When Claire Nevin's troubled younger sibling sends her an unexpected package by rail, the gift and the man who delivers it--an unexpected face from the past--threaten to upend Claire's life forever. Fighting to hold on to all she has built, will she lose what matters most?
The Tangled Ties that Bind - Connor Kincaid returns home determined to win the hand of the woman he was too young for when he left. But Maggie is training to be a doctor in a distant town, while Connor's about to settle on a ranch. Will either be willing to give up their dream? Or will they both have to give up the love of a lifetime?
Bound and Determined - As punishment for his recklessness, Private Bradley Willis is sent on an errand to help a retired cavalry officer move a herd across Indian Territory. No one told him the herd would be camels instead of cattle, nor that the officer's headstrong daughter, Ambrosia Herald, would seem to be trying to undermine the whole enterprise. He's definitely been saddled with more than he's bargained for.
Tied and True - Wealthy Marianne Lister is in love with business assistant Calvin Hochstetler, but he can't see past the difference in their social status. When Marianne takes a job to prove that she is prepared for a life of hard work alongside the man of her dreams, will it be enough to convince Calvin to risk it all for love?
My Review: 7.5/10
This was a collection of 4 sweet, short reads. I believe they are all picking up supporting characters from previous works, but I can't say for sure because I only follow two of the authors. A couple of times, I felt like I would have enjoyed the stories a lot more if I had read the connected novels. Unlike the first collection of novellas, these characters do not intertwine- the stories are actually set years apart.
#1 The Loveknot
After Claire's history was revealed, I felt frustrated with her for making such a huge decision so impulsively. On the whole, I didn't really connect with this story or their choices. But I did love the theme of knots in relationships.
#2 The Tangled Ties That Bind
This one felt like there was a lot of history between the characters. I think it probably reads better if you're familiar with the Kincaid novels- there are a lot of offhand references made to other characters and what they're doing that were lost on me. The opening scene is rather long, but once the story gets going, it really pulls you in. I really loved Maggie's character and the frankness between her and Conner. Things were dealt with openly and honestly, which was like a breath of fresh air as a reader. I liked Connor's determination and the way they worked through things.
#3 Bound and Determined
As always, Ms. Jennings blends humor and sweetness well. The unique details made this story interesting and despite it being a shorter story, the character's are able to undergo realistic growth, which gives the story depth.
#4 Tied and True
I think this might have been my favorite story (though it was close)! My initial reaction was annoyance because Marianne Lister was internally bemoaning her wealth and lack of skills beyond social niceties; characters with low self esteem (especially when they are described as abundantly blessed with good looks, wealth, excessive kindness, generosity, intelligence, etc) are not my cup of tea. However, in this case, they both had an understandable reason. And Marianne had me unexpectedly laughing out loud just pages in. It's unusual in this genre for the woman to be pursuing the man and it made for a unique story full of heart and humor. I loved her tenacity and relentless hope and forthrightness.
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