(White Pine Island Novellas #1 & #2)
by Amie Denman & May Williams
by Amie Denman & May Williams
Adult Contemporary Romance, Christmas
ebook, 179 pages
October 1st 2016Welcome to White Pine Island! Just a few miles off the coast of Georgia, this island is accessible only by boat, plane, and your imagination. Many residents call the island home year-round, but day visitors and tourists bring plenty of excitement with them. Like other resort islands, there are quaint shops, cool restaurants, and friendly bars. There are several resorts on the island, but the queen of them all is the elegant Grand Hotel on a bluff with an ocean view. Owned by the extensive, multi-generational Phillips family, the Grand Hotel offers elegant service, five course dinners, and plenty of romance.
Ned & Bethany by May Williams
Sometimes the heart hits a hole in one…
Bethany Hinkle arrives at White Pine Island’s Grand Hotel for her sister’s wedding and to do a little environmental snooping. She snaps pictures of the hotel’s pristine golf course to ensure its compliance with EPA standards. Soon, she realizes that the course’s manager is as attractive as the course he so carefully protects.
Ned Phillips feels the weight of family expectations squarely on his broad shoulders. The Phillips Family has owned and operated the Grand Hotel for three generations. For now, he manages the hotel’s golf course and makes plans for its future—plans that could be destroyed by Bethany’s spying. He gets close to the lovely environmentalist to watch for her next move until he gets too close to let her go.
Ellen & Pete by Amie Denman
What happens when you fall in love with your best friend just when it’s too late?
All her life, Ellen Phillips has loved working for her family’s Grand Hotel on White Pine Island. Flying the hotel’s airplane and piloting the island ferryboat while knowing someday she will inherit the luxurious resort is a fairy tale existence she has no desire to change. She’s always loved Pete McCormack, too. After all, he’s her best friend, confidante, and playmate. Until she suddenly sees him in a different light just before Christmas.
Pete McCormack has made sacrifices for his family’s golf cart rental business on the island, choosing to stay home and run it instead of pursuing his dream of his own career on the mainland. When his parents announce their plans to sell the business so Pete can leave the island, he has to choose between the future he thought he always wanted and his newfound love for the woman he would be leaving behind.
My Review:
I love a sweet holiday romance and it's exciting to get two stories in one book. I love the beach and the idea of an island resort during the holiday season is intriguing. There is a strong devotion to this island setting in each story and I love the feelings that allegiance brings to my heart. This place is home and the citizens are family to these characters and that means something.
In the first novella, Ned and Bethany are at opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to the Grand Hotel. Ned's family has owned it for generations and he wants to do all he can to keep things they way they are, but Bethany works for a company who is trying to get rid of it, due to environmental reasons.
Opposites can attract, as they both learn and they have to struggle through to discover their priorities. I like how each character is dedicated and loyal to his/her job and family. It takes a lot of strength to stand up for truth and love. I'm not a fan of strong language and unfortunately, that ruined it for me.
Content: a lot of swearing (pretty much everything, including a couple of "f" words); innuendo and fade-to-black intimate scenes.
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The second novella gives us the story of two best friends who are realizing their love for one another as the threat of a move looms. Ellen, the daughter of the Grand Hotel owners, has a very interesting job--she flies planes and the island ferry and loves it. Pete has always been there for her, but is ready to move on with his career--on the mainland.
I love the idea of friends first and these two have a rock-solid relationship. New love is exciting and it's fun to experience it along with the characters. I enjoyed the descriptions of celebrating Christmas on this island and the fun times and parties that occur. These two characters are delightful.
Content: a handful of mild swearing; fade-to-black intimate scenes.
Amie Denman lives in Ohio with her husband, sons, cats, and dog. When she's not reading or writing, she enjoys walking and playing outside. Born with an overdeveloped sense of curiosity, she's been known to chase fire trucks on her bicycle just to see what's going on. Amie believes that everything is fun: especially roller coasters, wedding cake, and falling in love.
May Williams is convinced that she read every book in the public library of her hometown as a kid. Today, her house sags under the weight of books. If she’s not reading or writing, May can be found pursuing her other two passions – sewing and running. May lives happily in a little town on the shores of Lake Erie with her husband, two children, three cats, and one oversized dog.
Tour Schedule
October 16th: Launch
October 17th: Katie's Clean Book Collection & Book Lover in Florida
October 18th: Nicole's Book Musings & The Silver Dagger Scriptorium
October 19th: Falling Leaves & Letters from Annie (Douglass) Lima
October 20th: underneath the covers & Beck Valley Books
October 21st: Brooke Blogs & Teatime and Books
October 23rd: Grand Finale
Tour Giveaway
1 winner will receive Under the Boardwalk and Carousel Nights by Amie Denman (US only)
1 winner will receive a $25 Amazon eGift Card (open internationally)
Ends October 28th
Sounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteHi Katie,
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting us today. Hope everyone has a wonderful week.
May
Sounds awesome! Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteI think it sounds like a nice book to read for the holiday.
ReplyDeleteI really like your thorough Content comments. It helps me when choosing a book to read.
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