Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love, Red Rock, TX Style, April 8, 2005
3 wonderful novellas that take place in Red Rock TX the home of the Fortunes of TX fame. The town's Spring Fling, a big party, is soon and the local R.R.Gazette has published an anonymous love letter - everyone in town has an opinion of who the author is and whom it's for. Ann Majors SECRET KISSES features Jane Snow & Matt Harper, they have a history from back in high school, and are now vying for the same job at Fortunes TX Ltd. Jane's Mom convinces her the letter is from Matt at the same time she's telling Matt that Jane wrote it to him! With true TX style Ms Majors writes a fun novella. Christ Rimmer's HIDDEN HEARTS introdues us to Annie Grant, a teller at the Fortunes' Red Rock Commerce, and Greg Flynn, he is one of R.R. finest. Greg was Annie's older brother's best friend but Hank's been gone for 7 years now. Hank and Greg each restored an old motorcycle and Hank lost his life on one of their many rides. Greg feels he needs to be Annie's big brother but she wants more - she has loved him since she was 10 years old. An incident at the bank, due to that letter, has Annie determind to tell Greg of her love. Will Greg take Annie to the Spring Fling? Ms Rimmer has given us a great short story with wonderful characters. Karen Rose Smith's DREAM MARRIAGE gives us the Mannings - Gareth & Laura. He has been gone for 6 weeks for business and she's stayed at her mother's and now doesn't want to go home but does find herself pregnant, what will she do? She has become a caterer, is good at it and loves it, and now has the contract for Spring Fling. Great story of a couple trying to reunite. Will Gareth come to the Spring Fling? We also find out who wrote that letter that created all the fuss in Red Rock. All 3 were great short stories
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Fortunes of Texas: Reunion - Secret Admirer , August 17, 2005
At the age of seventy-two, Ol' Bill still enjoys meddling. Unfortunately, he uses his job at the Red Rock Gazette to post the vast majority of his meddling for everyone to see. With Spring Fling fast approaching and not a speck of discontent, Bill finds a way to stir up trouble with the help of a love letter sent into the gazette, a letter he craftily leaves the sender's name off when he adds it to the paper.
SECRET KISSES by Ann Major
Jane Snow moves back to Red Rock after her mother's cancer scare. Now she's vying with her nemesis Matt Harper for the director of market research position. He caused her unbelievable humiliation as a teenager and just once she would love to best him - even though he still excites her.
Matt Harper has always had it all. He's the all around good guy. Everybody loves him. Only once, has he not been able to obtain what he really wants, Jane Snow. They may be competing for the same position, but Matt really wants her in one position - preferably in his bed.
Jane's mom uses the letter published in the Red Rock Gazette to her own advantages to get Matt and Jane together; she just knows they are meant for each other. Matt and Jane share a Christmas kiss, in front of witnesses, which positively sizzles. They are meant to be together, if only they can get through the pain of the past.
HIDDEN HEARTS by Christine Rimmer
Annie Grant lost her brother, Hank, in an accident seven years ago. Since then, Greg Flynn, has been keeping his promise to Hank and watching out for Annie. Annie, however, is in love with Greg and she's out to prove to him that she's all grown up and he's definitely not her brother.
Greg Flynn is an officer of the Red Rock police department. He's always seen Annie as his best friend's little sister, with Hank gone, he steps in and takes over the big brother position. Somewhere along the line his feelings for Annie change, and while he'd like to go back to friend status, Annie isn't about to let the man she's in love with backtrack to giving her just a pat on the head now and again.
Dirk Jenkins is holding up the bank where Annie works. Actually, he's taking her hostage and holding up the bank at the same time. She told him she didn't love him and thanks to the letter in the local paper, Dirk is out to save her from her mundane life. Before he notices, she presses the silent-alarm button. Greg is one of the first police officers to arrive, which both thrills and terrifies Annie. When he refuses to back down from Dirk, she's afraid Dirk will shoot Greg before she gets the opportunity to tell him how she feels. Having experienced Greg's loving the week prior, Annie doesn't want to lose Greg now. And then Dirk pulls the trigger . . .
DREAM MARRIAGE by Karen Rose Smith
Laura Manning loves her husband, Gareth. There's never been any doubt of that, however, she also isn't willing to play second best to his job. When he left for Tokyo six weeks ago, Laura left him and moved back in with her mother, only returning to their home to use the kitchen for her catering business.
Gareth is very much in love with his wife. He knows she was unhappy about his recent business trip to Tokyo, but he still expected to find her in the kitchen preparing something for some catering job she has lined up. Returning home, he finds a quiet house and upon inspection of the bedroom, Laura's summer clothes and other possessions are missing. He married for life, didn't she?
The pregnancy test is positive. Laura could almost laugh at the irony of it. Gareth is due home and now this... could life get any more complicated? Laura has been lonely in her marriage, that's the reason she started the catering company in the first place. Gareth has been gone longer and longer for business, often not even making it home for supper. They just don't enjoy each other the way they used to. Gareth's so serious all the time, Laura longs for the playful man he used to be. Nothing has gone as Gareth planned; every attempt he's made to reconcile with Laura has met with resistance or left him feeling like a fool. He knows she still desires him, her body's reaction to him every time he kisses her tells him that. What does a man have to do to win his own wife back into his home and his bed?
SECRET ADMIRER contains some of the sweetest stories I've read by three of today's best authors. With a single idea involving a letter sent into a local paper that ends up bringing three couples together in tales that are sure to leave you smiling. The characters are all a pleasure to read about, even Ol' Bill. I became enthralled in the dynamics of the small town. Everybody knows everybody else's business, I know how annoying that can get but I also know there's nothing else like the closeness you experience by living in a community like that. Each of these authors' wrote beautiful stories that are well worth reading many times over. Definitely a keeper!
Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)
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2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
three fine interrelated novellas , April 12, 2005
Prologue. An anonymous person sends a love letter to the Red Rock Gazette.
"Secret Kisses" by Ann Major. Shy Jane Snow wonders if Matt Harper did it, but she fears pursuing this as he humiliated her back in high school. Besides they are competing for the same job as Director of Market research at Fortune, TX LTD.
"Hidden Hearts" by Christine Rimmer. Police Officer Greg Flynn sees Annie Grant more as a younger sister rather that the life time lover role that she wants. When she sees the letter, she prays that Greg wroite it, but it will take a hostage situation to open up his eyes that his love for Annie is radically different than that of a sibling.
"Dream Marriage" by Karen Rose Smith. When her spouse Garth Manning runs off on business in Tokyo, Laura decides enough is enough as he always chooses work over her. She wants children and is deciding to be a single mom though she runs a business. She knows Gareth back in Texas wants to reconcile and wonders if he placed the love letter in the local newspaper as part of baring his soul.
These are three fine interrelated novellas start off with a misconception involving the letter and takes off from there as somewhat comedic contemporary romances starring likable protagonists in which the woman knows what she wants.
Harriet Klausner
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by Barbara Boswell
by Marie Ferrarella
