Cinder Heart

From Goodreads:
"Sixteen-year-old Gabriella just wants to finish high school without ticking off her stepmom and being forced out of her father’s house. When she finds out she’s the girl prophesied about in the fairytale Cinderella, her world gets turn upside-down.

Things get worse when the cute senior, Hal Charm, finally discovers that she exists. Add a fairy godmother, the powers of fire and speed, and a villain other than her stepmom and Gabbie’s life goes up in flames.

Now she's forced to decide between ignoring her destiny to save her friendships, or risking discovery to become the hero she needs to be."

***
Oh, how I wanted to love this book! The idea was interesting and I wanted to see how it all came together. But the execution was choppy and erratic, there was far too much telling and not enough showing, and it ended up not being a pleasant read at all. The characters seemed interesting and the story really could have gone somewhere. It had potential. Unfortunately, that potential needed to be brought out with a lot more polishing.

Silver Screen Kisses

Buckle up, because here's the *synopsis* of this 400+ page book from Goodreads:

"Silver Screen Kisses is a collection of stories inspired by movies from everyone’s favorite list. Written by award-winning and bestselling authors, these contemporary romances take the reader back to Echo Ridge in the spring, when the promise of new love is budding just like the tulips around the Emerald Inn Bed & Breakfast.

My Fair Lacey by Janette Rallison
 Lacey Johnson has dreamed of opening a restaurant for years. All she needs is one little loan to make it happen. But with the way Lacey talks and dresses, she looks more like someone who would hold up a bank than someone who’d ever get a loan from one. When Garrett Halifax, her roommate’s Harvard-educated brother, volunteers to change her image and teach her to speak correctly, she jumps at the chance. But she quickly finds she’s in over her head. Pretending to fit in with the town’s elite is harder than she thought, and despite her best efforts, she’s falling for Garrett. Could someone who is handsome, rich, and educated ever consider her as more than just a project? A contemporary twist on My Fair Lady, this is a story that is sure to please Echo Ridge fans.

You’ve Got Email by Heather Tullis
 Maria never expected to fall in love with a man she’d never met, but she can’t wait to get to her laptop every night to chat with Bobwhite67. She would be happy to focus on getting to know him better, but her two jobs and two sons keep her ridiculously busy. Then there’s her ex-husband’s bookie, who’s impatiently waiting for the last couple payments on his debt.

Bret can’t help but notice how hard the beautiful Maria works and the similarities she has with the Zoomama he’s been talking with online. Though he really wants to make things easier for her, Bret accidentally gets her in hot water with both of her bosses. Can he get Maria to give him a chance in the real world and not just online?

The Princess Bride of Riodan by Rachelle J. Christensen
 When a mysterious man offers to help Elise redecorate the old Bed & Breakfast, she gladly hands him a wallpaper steamer. After she discovers his true identity, she doesn’t know whether to curtsy or run and hide. Unfortunately, hiding isn’t an option because her heart is already tangled up with the handsome prince. At the same time, Elise’s old crush from high school wants a relationship and she’s forced to decide whether to chase after a fairy tale ending or stay grounded in reality.

My Best Man’s Wedding by Cami Checketts
 Jessica Mason made a vow to marry her best guy friend, Josh, when they turned thirty. When Josh calls with the news that he's coming home to Echo Ridge for his wedding, Jessica is determined to break up the happy couple and take her rightful place as his bride. Gentry Trine, a coworker, agrees to pretend to be her fiancé to stir up feelings of jealousy. However, Jessica didn't realize fake fiancés could kiss like champions, and make a girl smile nonstop. Can she figure out which is the right man for her before she loses them both?

While You Were Skiing by Lucy McConnell
 Mia Davis’s new job in guest relations at Ruby Mountain Ski Resort gets complicated when the gorgeous Ryder Montgomery falls off the ski lift, tells everyone they are engaged, and then loses consciousness. Worried about a head injury, Mia plays along, making him lunch, kissing in the front entryway and planning a future together; a future Mia wants with all of her heart. Things become all the more complicated when Ryder’s estranged family gets involved. Caught up in the fantasy and romance, Mia has to tell the truth or risk losing a part of herself and the man she loves forever."

***

My Fair Lacey--As always, Janette Rallison's writing cracked me up. I love reading her books for the tremendous humor as well as the sizzling romance. This My Fair Lady knockoff has great characters and a fantastically tight and twisty plot. Loved every minute of it.

You've Got Email was good set up and looked to be suspenseful. I wondered how the characters were going to get themselves out of the situation, but then it just...fizzled. Missed opportunity for great suspense and relationship building.

The Princess Bride of Riodan--Oh my. Such good characters! Elise, the heroine, was a little bland but I found myself rooting for her anyway. LOVED the inclusion of iconic Princess Bride lines and the fantastic way they were worked into the dialogue in situations that had nothing to do with the movie.

My Best Man's Wedding--So, the best man came out of nowhere, but the guy friend and the romance sizzled. Loved that the heroine got over herself quickly and followed her generous heart. Good read.

While You Were Skiing--This was a great story. Characters had depth, the plot was well done without being a carbon copy of the inspiration movie, and I actually wasn't sure who was going to get the girl at first. Loved the inclusion of the WYWS lines and actions (post it notes for important documents FTW!). Adorable story.

I loved how the stories tied each other together, but stood well on their own. They were all clean reads that still had smoldering romances. Well done anthology. I highly recommend it.