A collection with 2 of my favorite Christian authors and 1 new to me?
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I was super excited to be able to read this one. For those of you who don't know, Melissa Ferguson has yet to disappoint and I have been working my way through Denise's books this summer.
This is a collection of three engaging novellas. I found each unique and they all had nice characterization and plots. I just wish they were a bit longer so I could know the characters better.
If you are looking for short summery reads, I recommend picking up this collection.

3.5 Stars
*I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.

A Summer Detour by Denise Hunter

Allie is dreading the trip for her grandparents fiftieth anniversary party. Her family treats her with kid gloves and her parents didn't even trust her to bring more than napkins to the party. When Allie offers to drive her grandparents restored Chevy, you would think she had a record of wrecking cars and driving irresponsibly!

When Allie goes to pick up the car she actually can't drive it because it has a manual transmission, something that she has not learned how to drive. The only alternative is to call her ex-boyfriend Luke to drive the car for her. Luke agrees, but neglects to tell her he won't be coming alone. Will Allie get the car to her grandparents house in one piece? Will Allie be able to set aside her animosity of Luke for crushing her heart as a teenager, or will she continue to snub him on the trip?

This was a very quick read with the characters surprisingly developed for the length of the story. The story has some drama, humor, and tender moments that will make your heart melt. It is a second chances romance and you glimpse the entire story from both Allie and Luke's perspective. I enjoyed Allie's spunky character and the genuineness of Luke's. A fun story with a good ending. 4/5

Pining for You by Melissa Ferguson

This story moved quickly in all aspects of the story. However, it really didn't seem to go anywhere. The story was completely centered on Theo and Skye and several misunderstandings. I expected more from Ashleigh later in the story to go along with the scene of all the photos on her wall, but nothing. 2.5/5

He Loves Me; He Loves Me Not by Kathleen Fuller

I thought this story was pretty cute and a very quick read. You learn quite a bit about Sophie, Landen, and Joe. The author painted some vivid scenes and the story flowed smoothly. The animosity among some characters is wrapped up later in the story and it all comes together nicely. 4/5

★★★.5/5 for the overall story.

I am a huge Denise Hunter fan, so of course, out of the three books, hers was my favorite. There are three stories in this book. A Summer Detour by Denise Hunter, Pining for You by Melissa Ferguson, and He Loves Me; He Loves Me Not by Kathleen Fuller. I fell in love with the characters Allie and Luke in A Summer Detour. They set off on a road trip that changes everything. In the next story, Pining for You I fell in love with a Christmas tree farmer who is a big city man transported to the farm for an unforgettable weekend. Finally in He Loves Me; He Loves Me Not you are transported to a small Arkansas town to meet Sophie, a successful flower shop owner. She is entering the dating scene after many years and finds herself with two completely different bachelors. All three authors did an amazing job creating fun, clean, Christian romantic stories to fall in love with.

This Time Around is a fun collection of second chance stories. If you are looking for a quick, clean contemporary romance novella, any of these three stories could be a good choice. I enjoyed all three of them.

The first two novellas were stories where the main characters received the chance to right the wrongs of years earlier, forgive each other, and find love together again. The third novella involves two people who knew each other all through school, yet were never in a romantic relationship. However, many years later, they are finally giving dating a chance. All three stories have humorous moments and serious moments peppered throughout. This was a fun collection to read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I only read the first two stories (Ferguson, Hunter) and I LOVED them. Both so so good! I did not finish the third one, as I've had bad experiences with pushy men and the story gave me the creeps if I'm being honest. 5 stars for the first two though!!

I am a big fan of novellas and This Time Around is a wonderful novella collection. It includes “A Summer Detour” by Denise Hunter, “Pining for You” by Melissa Ferguson, and “He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not” by Kathleen Fuller.

Each story has characters who knew each other in the past and have met again as different people in the present. If you have read any of the authors’ other stories you will recognize some characters and settings and feel like you are coming home. If the authors are new to you, I guarantee you will want to find their other books and read more! I found each one charming and loved their small town setting. .

This Time Around has three novellas filled with sweet romance, wonderful characters, and a happily ever-after. I found this the perfect summer time read. Each story is a delight and I highly recommend this book. .

I received this book through the publisher and NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review.

Three sweet stories in one book written by three different authors.
In A Summer Detour by Denise Hunter is a story about Allie Adams. Allie is seen by her parents as not be dependable and flighty. So, when they are going to drive the '57 Chevy that they had restored for Allie's grandparents anniversary, Allie offer (practically begs) them to allow her to drive the car. This car has special meaning to her grandparents as it was once their car. How surprised they will be when she drives up to their party in their restored car! And, she'll finally be able to prove herself to her parents.
But...the first hitch in her plan was when she realized the car was not an automatic. Allie knew she could not drive a stick shift such a long distance. So, she did the only thing she knew to do-she begged Luke Fisher to drive her and the car. Luke, who she was madly in love with years ago, and who broke her heart.
It's an interesting and funny trip. Sweet and fun story!
Pining for You by Melissa Ferguson. This story is about Theo and Skye who were childhood best friends, became a couple, it ended and the friendship was over. Theo owns a Christmas tree farm and has moved away, but came back to when he was called about the manager having an injury. The manager is Skye's father. Skye is holding a deep grudge against Theo over something she misunderstood. One good reminder in this story is that assumptions are often wrong. Sweet, happy ending to this story.
He loves me, He loves me not, by Kathleen Fuller. The setting for this town is in Arkansas, which I loved!
Sophie Morgan is thirty five years old and finally has fulfilled her dream. She owns a floral shop that is thriving. Maybe now she has time to date? Her mother would dearly love that.
As luck would have it, she suddenly has not one, but two men interested in her. Landon is an attorney who seems to know all the right things to say to a lady. Sophie has heard some unsavory things about him, but agrees to a date anyway.
Then, there's Joe who is a teacher and coach. He messed up with Sophie in the beginning, and she isn't sure she wants to date him.
This is a sweet story with a happy ending.
I was given an advanced ecopy by the publisher, Thomas Nelson and Netgalley. I was under no obligation to leave a positive review.

Any time three incredible authors get together to produce a collection of stories, I know I'm in for a treat, and this was no exception. This Time Around is a near-perfect collection of short, but sweet, stories featuring second-chance romance.

The first novella, A Summer Detour by Denise Hunter, begins with carefree Allie Adams' promise to bring her grandparent's anniversary gift through the mountains just in time for an anniversary party. However, in her eagerness to prove she has grown into a trust-worthy adult, there's one thing she overlooked--and it's a big problem. Enter her long-ago boyfriend, Luke Fletcher. Allie and Luke had no idea what was ahead when they began this spontaneous trip, but what if being stuck in the same car for hours gives them a second-chance at the love they once had? I loved this one. It was sweet and fun to read. I loved seeing the characters grow and learn to communicate about their issues.

Melissa Ferguson's Pining For You comes next. Theo Watkins III has worked hard to climb the ladder of success and never have to get his hands dirty on the family Christmas tree farm again. He is reunited with Skye Fuller when unexpected circumstances bring her back to the farm she left behind years ago. Can they get past their misunderstandings and differences to find love again? I enjoyed seeing Theo and Skye's relationship grow and find forgiveness. This was a cute story and the characters were realistic.

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not by Kathleen Fuller is the final novella. Local florist Sophie Morgan is thirty-five and considering jumping into the dating world. The only problem? Small towns equal minimal dating opportunities, mostly since she's known the only eligible bachelors for years and has never considered dating either of them. However, right about the same time she decides dating might be a good idea, she finds herself with both men vying for her attention. Should she date the handsome and successful Landon? Or is her childhood friend turned high school teacher and coach, Joe, the one who will finally show her what true love really means? I really liked the idea behind this story, but struggled with the way it played out in places.

All in all, this is another fantastic novella collection from some incredible authors. Contemporary romance fans will definitely want to grab this one!

*I received a complimentary copy of This Time Around through the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. My positive review is not required.

This Time Around has three delightful novellas of romances revisited. All three are stories that connect to early books the author has written.
I really enjoyed the two final stories, especially Pining for Me with the story of a Christmas tree farm owner returning to run his own farm and finds his first love. Readers will enjoy revisiting favorite characters/stories if they love sequels. This Time Around is the perfect light reading for the beach!
I received a copy of the book complimentary through NetGalley, but all opinions are my own.

Second chances, a good second chance story is always a delight. Three second chance stories (although only two are true second chance) are truly delightful.

Denise Hunter (an all time fave), Melissa Ferguson (fairly new but learning to love her), and Kathleen Fuller (have always enjoyed her Amish books) come together to deliver a great summer read. You'll laugh, you'll cry and you'll cheer.

Although these are novellas I felt like I got a full story at a decent pace with all the right elements. These are second chances so something went wrong the first time that needs to be fixed, forgiven or figured out, sometimes all three and more. I believe the first two stories did that very well. There was no rush and no short cuts. There was emotion, resolution and real effort accompanied by laughter (for me at least, I don't think Allie was laughing when I was).

The third story, by Kathleen Fuller is not a true second chance in that the couple did not date before although they had known each other for a while. It was my least favourite but still good. It's also a .5 of the author's current series

A Summer Detour by Denise Hunter - this novella was a quick and cute read with a second chance romance. Both Allie and Luke were likable characters, but I didn’t fully buy their relationship. To me, Allie was a bit too immature for Luke and their past relationship felt like it was based on physical attraction more than anything else.

Pining for You by Melissa Ferguson is another second chance romance. I really wanted to like this story, but I struggled with both Theo and Skye. Theo was portrayed as very wimpy and the way Skye treated him went past the point of humor into humiliation territory.

He Loves me; He Loves Me Not by Kathleen Fuller was probably my favorite of this group of novellas. The romance was sweet, with a bit of a love triangle. I did struggle with Sophie. She could be kind of mean for no reason.

All in all, these novellas are quick, sweet, and clean reads.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. I would categorize these as clean reads as there was no faith element even though it is published by Thomas Nelson.

This is a collection of 3 short and sweet love stories. A very enjoyable read if you’re interested in hearing about good things happening to good people!

This Time Around by Denise Hunter, et al.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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Story Notes

Denise Hunter's story Summer Detour was a sweet story about falling for your first love all over again. Allie is a young woman who is out to prove to her parents she's a responsible adult and thus volunteers to drive her grandparents fully restored car to their fiftieth anniversary. Problem is, she doesn't drive a stick shift car. Her only hope is to ask her former boyfriend, Luke for a huge favor...to drive her and the car to the party. Surely she can keep her anger at his rejection of her under control long enough to deliver this surprise present....right? I really enjoyed this cute little story. It had just enough new plot mixed with recall plot to make the story believable and fun. It might even do well as a longer story if Denise wanted to expand it. The ending was just perfect and made me smile a whole lot.

Pining for You by Melissa Ferguson was my least favorite of the three but mainly because it didn't feel developed enough. Theo Watkins owns the Christmas tree farm that Skye Fuller's family manages. The arrangement is fine with everyone except Skye, who thinks that Theo is just taking advantage of her parents in the interest of money. Will she believe him when he explains how things really are or will she keep her assumptions and walls in place? There was a lot of plot going on here but due to the lack of page time, it was too rushed to really develop everything satisfactorily. This would certainly do better as a longer story so everything could be better explained and discussed so that it would be a more believable story.

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not by Kathleen Fuller was a sweet story about finding love, even when it's later than expected. Sophie Morgan has never been the most admired woman but she suddenly finds herself pulled in two directions by two handsome men in town. She will have to decide if she's going to be with the flirty Landon or the sweet but awkward Joe. Who will convince her that they love her just the way she is? I liked this one well enough but wished it had been longer. It was a complete story but I would have loved more conversations between Sophie and Joe - they were hilarious and so awkward. Definitely going to check out her other books to see if they are this same styling - if so, I just found a new favorite author!

I received this temporary complimentary E-book from Thomas Nelson Fiction via NetGalley in order to provide a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

Fall in love with falling in love, in these three short stories from popular authors Denise Hunter, Melissa Ferguson and Kathleen Fuller!

This collection of short stories is perfect for the reader who enjoys a happily ever after, with a good laugh or two along the way. Denise Fuller and Melissa Ferguson had me laughing out loud with their characters' antics and family drama! With everything from second chance romances to finding love in your 30's, these 3 stories were short, sweet and swoon-worthy.

I personally believe only a handful of fiction authors can pull off a short story and have it leave an impression on a reader. Melissa Ferguson does just that for me with her story, Pining for You. It was heartfelt, funny and romantic. Her characters were relatable and unique. It was my favorite story of the collection. I also enjoyed Denise Hunter's A Summer Detour, but found the main character to be a bit immature and better suited for a YA reader. In the last story, He Loves Me; He Loves Me Not, by Kathleen Fuller, I did find myself rushing through as this particular story felt predictable and didn't have enough element of surprise for me.

In short, I know many readers will enjoy these bright, cheerful romances and happy endings and recommend you give each of these authors a read, as well as look into their full-length novels (especially Melissa Ferguson's)! Happy Reading!

I listened to this collection of three sweet novellas by some pretty fabulous authors on audiobook. Hearing it read aloud was sometimes difficult because while all of the characters were adults (some in their mid 30s), they seemed to forget that fact, and held on to silly little adolescent grudges and ridiculous ideals. However, when I overlooked that one negative, the stories were cute, funny, and charming. I especially enjoyed the offerings by Denise Hunter and Melissa Ferguson, and it was nice to read something by Kathleen Fuller, a new author to me. It was definitely a pleasant way to spend a couple of afternoons! I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and was under no obligation to write a review.

I love novellas because you can read one in just a couple hours - great for an evening after a long day at work! Of course, romance novellas are my favorite, and This Time Around offers three great stories!

A Summer Detour by Denise Hunter

This novella is really cute! Sometimes, I feel like novellas are too rushed, but this one works well because Allie and Luke have a past, so it's not a super-quick falling in love. While some of the plot points felt clichéd and predictable, the journey was still enjoyable. Also, there were several genuine laugh out loud moments, which I always enjoy! (Keep an eye out for a raccoon and Grandpa's hearing difficulties!) The chemistry between Allie and Luke was spot on (this is a Denise Hunter novella, after all). It's a great way to spend an hour or two of your time. 4 stars.

Pining for You by Melissa Ferguson

This is a sweet second chance romance. The romance between Skye and Theo was nice but not incredibly gripping. I was actually most interested in learning about what was going on with Skye's dad! I appreciated that there were serious issues at play, and the conflict between Skye and Theo stemmed from some of those issues - it brought an element of "realness" to the story. I enjoyed reading this novella, though it's not one that will stick with me. 3 stars.

He Loves Me; He Loves Me Not by Kathleen Fuller

Oh my goodness! The only thing I've read by Kathleen Fuller in the past is a few of her Amish novels and novellas, back when I was still reading Amish fiction more than a decade ago ... but this novella is spectacular! It's not overly complex; there aren't giant twists and turns, but it's oh so delightful and romantic. I loved Sophie (probably because I could see a bit of myself in her), and Joe was so great. Two weeks after reading it, I'm still thinking about it ... and to me, that's the mark of a good story. 5 stars.

3.5 stars

Denise Hunter is one of my all-time favorite authors, and Melissa Ferguson and Kathleen Fuller are both up-and-coming new favorites! So that itself was a highlight for me in reading this collection of 3 novellas.

Each story is a standalone, which is normally great ... I guess I was just a little confused at why these 3 were brought together in a series. No overarching setting or characters, simply HEAs (which, of course, I'm a big fan of, don't get me wrong!). I think I would have enjoyed just seeing a thread of unity somehow tying them together.

But, that aside, definitely sweet romances and endearing characters. I did appreciate that these weren't your "run of the mill" stories with no effort required to resolve; there was actually some work involved in each, and good tension. Certainly those "already" fans of the author(s) will enjoy this new material, and "new" fans will enjoy the introduction to these staples of the Christian-fiction industry.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

In This Time Around, you will read three short stories written be several leading authors: Denise Hunter, Melissa Ferguson and Kathleen Fuller!

The first tale, written by Denise Hunter, is entitled A Summer Detour. You will meet Allie Adams and Luke Fletcher as they attempt to deliver a 57’ Chevy Mustang to Allie’s grandparents 50th wedding anniversary party. The situation is very complicated due to their “secret” relationship that had fizzled out years ago. Hold on as they navigate a very tricky situation!

The next tale is Pining for You, by Melissa Ferguson. Theodore Watkins III and Skye Fuller could not be more opposite. They had been formerly best friends. Now you wonder if their relationship will grow to something so much more!

The final tale is He Loves Me; He Loves Me Not, by Kathleen Fuller. Sophie Morgan is a workaholic who is ready to enter the dating scene; unfortunately, she must choose between two very handsome gentlemen!

I really enjoy these 3 sweet novellas! Falling in love and finding love the second time around. Enjoyed each one of the writing styles of the 3 different authors, none of who I had read before. Love finding new authors to enjoy!

This time around.
A Summer Detour By Dense Hunter
A sweet second chance romance. Allie can’t get any respect from her family. If she can drive her grandpa’s restored, vintage Chevy, to her grandparents 50th anniversary! She will prove to them, she has grown up and can be responsible. But there is a problem. And the only person that can help her out is her teenage crush. Luke. Really cute fun story.
Pining for you by Melissa Ferguson
Skye and Theo had a history, but it hadn’t ended well. After 14 years, their lives were thrown together again. Miscommunication, assumptions, and an exgirlfriend, could put them back at square one. Another cute story of learning to trust one another. I really liked the characters of this second chance story.
He loves me; He loved me not by Kathleen Fuller
This might have been my favorite out of the three short stories. I loved the characters, neither one was pretentious,
Just two people meeting at the right time and in the right place. I love that Sophie owned her own flower shop. (Since I work at a flower shop). Joe was a down to earth guy. Super cute, clean read.
Over all , I really liked this collection of second chance stories and appreciate that they are clean and wholesome!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.