Romance: Love in full bloom

In the second installment of Hope Ramsay’s Chapel of Love series, A Small-Town Bride, Amy Lyndon’s father kicks her out and cuts up her credit cards when she refuses her family-approved groom. Trying to stand on her own feet for the first time, Amy gets a job on the landscape crew at a local Virginia resort. Nobody expects much from her, including her boss, Dusty McNeil, aka the “Casanova of Shenandoah Falls.” But Amy finds pleasure in her work, in standing up to her family and in a flirtation with Dusty. Entrenched bachelor Dusty can’t help but admire Amy’s attitude and work ethic, but he knows the high-society girl is above his touch—until she isn’t. Still, he tries to keep the relationship casual, aware he’s not marriage material and that her extended and interfering family would never approve of a forever for the two of them. Yet some desires cannot be denied, and the best of intentions evaporate in this fun, charming frolic of a story.

A DUKE OF HER OWN
Determined to fulfill her father’s bequest, an heiress confronts a recalcitrant duke in Karen Ranney’s Victorian-era romance, The English Duke, the second novel in the Duke series. Following the death of her father, a brilliant inventor, Martha York travels to the home of Jordan Hamilton, the new Duke of Roth and her father’s protégé, to deliver her father’s notes and the prototype of his torpedo ship. But Jordan’s pride dictates that he develop such a device on his own. Still, he finds Martha beautiful in body and mind, and when he reluctantly asks for her advice, he’s even more impressed. But there is more than one snake in their garden. While the pair is falling in love, schemers work to change the course of their future. They must put a stop to these maneuvers and place their happiness first in order to win the game of love.

TOP PICK IN ROMANCE
An extraordinary romance is found within the pages of Alyssa Cole’s An Extraordinary Union, as well as unforgettable insight into the struggles and pain of the Civil War era. Elle Burns, a former slave with an eidetic memory, uses this trait as a spy for the Loyal League, a society determined to destroy the Confederacy. Installed as a slave in the household of a Virginia senator in the course of her undercover work, she meets Rebel soldier Malcolm McCall, who is actually a Pinkerton detective tasked with funneling information to the newly established Secret Service. Though their interests are aligned and trading secrets will help them both, Elle is wary of the Scotsman turned American. Malcolm, though, is instantly attracted to Elle’s intelligence, bravery and beauty. As they work together, facing danger after danger, she begins to trust him, and they both fall in love. Will they survive to help their cause and find happiness together? The historically accurate language, attitudes and risks add tension and conflict to this very special story.

This article was originally published in the April 2017 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.