This was a great collection of three light romance stories dealing with second chances and hope. The novel was a great afternoon escape.
Many thanks to Thomas Nelson Fiction and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This Time Around contains three romantic short stories. In A Summer Detour, Allie promised her parents she could safely deliver the restored classic Chevy to her grandparents’ anniversary party. But when she is left with no other option than to rely on her ex-boyfriend to help her make the trip, will their rocky past get in the way of keeping her promise? In Pining For You, Theo is called away from a date to attend to the farmer who runs his family’s Christmas tree farm only to discover that Skye, his ex-girlfriend and the farmer’s daughter has returned to town. Theo quickly realizes that he needs to win Skye back, but Skye has some unresolved issues with Theo. Will Skye give Theo a chance to clear the air or will she let her assumptions about him destroy their second chance? And finally in He Loves Me; He Loves Me Not, Sophie is finally ready to date. When she has to choose between handsome and successful lawyer, Landon, and high school football coach, Joe, will she be able to see past her preconceived ideas about both men to find out who is right for her?

This was a fun, easy read. Of course with short stories, you don’t have as much time to get to know the characters, and I think I miss that in these, but the stories all had a good a plot. A Summer Detour was my favorite of the three, as it had a little more backstory and the plot just had more going on. But all three stories were clean romances and enjoyable to read.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I enjoyed these stories that were sometimes funny, sometimes sweet but ultimately about forgiveness and second chances. There was plenty of romantic moments, misunderstandings and crazy situations. These stories were never boring! There really wasn't any element of faith to them but all were clean reads. These stories are all stand-alones but I noticed at least two are related to other books by the authors, which was a fun surprise as I hadn't known that beforehand. Overall, these are fun, sweet romances I recommend if you're looking for a happily-ever-after!

I received a free kindle copy of this book from Netgalley. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own.

I ❤️ Second Chance Christian Romances: they remind me, that God keeps giving me another chance, each time He forgives me of my sins! That's why I thoroughly enjoyed 📖, "This Time Around" by Kathleen Fuller, Denise Hunter, & Melissa Ferguson. I Highly Recommend the 3 Engrossing, & Entertaining Stories, in this Wonderful Boxset! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was a sweet collection of romances that I would definitely recommend trying!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

This Time Around is three short stories from Denise Hunter, Melissa Ferguson, and Kathleen Fuller. Each one features a second chance at love. In the first, Allie is determined to show her parents that she is an adult and can drive the car they restored for her grandparents all the way to their anniversary party. The only problem is that it is a manual and she doesn't know how to drive it. Cue boy next door Luke, who agrees to help her get the car there. Hailstorms and more problems arise and they drive together, both trying to ignore their past. In the next, Theo and Skye are at Skye's home, a Christmas tree farm, together for the first time is fourteen years. Can they work through the past to find their way to a future? The last one is in Maple Springs and has Sofia, who owns a flower shop, and is ready to try dating for the first time in over a decade, at a loss when she has two men vying for her attention. Will the attention cause her to decide she'd rather be single?
I love sweet romantic stories with happy endings. They are great when you just need a reason to smile and these did not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed them. Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher.
All opinions are my own. #Bookstagram #all_the_pages

For lovers of happily ever afters—this collection of three light and sweet romance stories will sweep you off your feet.

In A Summer Detour by Denise Hunter, you’ll meet free-spirited Allie Adams, who undertakes a road trip to deliver her grandparents’ newly restored ’57 Chevy in time for their fiftieth anniversary party . . . along with Luke Fletcher, the former boy-next-door who callously crushed her heart.

My thoughts: Denise Hunter is one of my favorite romance authors and this novella was adorable. I simply loved it. Second chance at love and yet the road to happiness was paved with unexpected potholes. I laughed. I cried. I didn't want the story to end. In fact I went back and read it again.


Pining for You by Melissa Ferguson invites you to a cozy Virginia mountain town where Christmas tree farm owner Theo Watkins III has the opportunity to drop everything for one weekend to play farmer and potentially win back the heart of his childhood best friend, Skye Fuller. Only problem? He’s the kind of man who drives a Tesla, not a tractor.

My thoughts: This is a relatively new author for me. In fact this is only the second story of hers that I've read. I can't say that I'm really a fan. A gentleman farmer and a farm girl what an unlikely pair. I learned more about spiders than I ever wanted to know. There were some funny moments.


Last but not least, He Loves Me; He Loves Me Not by Kathleen Fuller will transport you to a small town in Arkansas where thirty-five-year-old Sophie Morgan has spent years making her flower shop a success. But when this workaholic decides she’s ready to make time for dating again, she finds herself with two handsome men vying for her attention.


My thoughts: the story was kind of nondescript. It was pleasant, a good read, but nothing about it really stands out. Maybe that was the intent. Love when you're least expecting it.



Whether your perfect romance involves rows and rows of Fraser firs and white pines glinting in the moonlight, childhood love that never ends, or a second chance at a happily ever after, you’re sure to find a story within this collection to warm your heart any day of the year.

Praise for This Time Around:

“Cozy up and prepare to lose yourself in this enchanting collection. Each story is as inviting and wonderful as the last. Reunion romances and heartwarming second chances are sure to delight readers.” —Nancy Naigle, USA TODAY bestselling author

“Romance readers are in for a sweet treat! Authors Denise Hunter, Melissa Ferguson, and Kathleen Fuller have joined forces for a novella collection all about second chances, making the most of them when they’re right in front of you, and fighting for them with everything you’ve got when necessary. Come for this trio of talented storytellers and stay for the humor, heart, and confident hope that there will be a happily ever after, This Time Around.” —Bethany Turner, award-winning author of Plot Twist


Perfect for lovers of sweet happily-ever-afters
Stand-alone novella collection
Book length: 80,000 words
Includes discussion questions for book clubs


Overall thoughts: I would definitely buy this book. It was a good read and Denise Hunter's story was definitely worth it. I was given a copy free and all opinions are my own.

If you are a fan of Christian romance, this is one you are going to want to add to your collection! This Time Around features three great novellas from some great names in the genre! Denise Hunter is a personal favorite of mine, and certainly was the name that drew me in, but I have read and enjoyed novels from Melissa Ferguson and Kathleen Fuller as well so I was really excited to check this one out... and it didn't disappoint! Sweet romances, small towns, second chances and plenty of swoonworthy moments (and laugh out loud ones too), this collection of novellas is definitely ideal for the contemporary Christian romance fan... the stories are very short and quick to read, but without feeling rushed or incomplete. Each story is a standalone so you can read them at once or here and there as your schedule allows too. I found these to be great lighthearted quick reads to read in between more intense reads when I needed a bit of a break! I couldn't get enough! So much talent (and romance) packed into these pages, and I adored it!

**I received a complimentary copy of this book for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

"As the title insinuates, these stories are about second chances at love. Each story could be described as cute and sweet.

My favorite was He Loves Me: He Loves Me Not by Kathleen Fuller. The fact that two men were all of a sudden interested in Sophie and that they had a bad past relationship was fun. Unfortunately, the fact that the story was told from just Sophie and Joe's perspectives did kind of give away who she would end up with. I saw why it was necessary but still. I liked Joe a lot, Sophie was mostly good but was a bit mean to Joe and dated Landon for the wrong reason.

There were some elements of the other two stories that I liked and some that I didn't. So my rating reflects my thoughts on the best of the bunch.

These stories are clean reads but not what I consider Christian Fiction as they are classified. There was no faith element in any of them.


I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own."

This Time Around is a fun novella collection complete with three clean, lighthearted second chance romances. I have been a long time Denise Hunter fan and more recently have enjoyed Melissa Fergusson's full length novels. I have only read one Kathleen Fuller book so I am not as familiar with her work. I enjoyed all the stories, but the Hunter and Fergusson ones were my favorite. I just did not enjoy the storyline as much in the Fuller one. It was not as believable to me as the other ones. I did appreciate that characters in all three stories connect to other books each author has written.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this novella collection. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book - all thoughts on this review are my own. This book of three Novellas was a great read! First Denise Hunter brings a story of forgiveness while going on a road trip in a 57 Chevy with the boy who broke her heart. Second Melissa Ferguson brings a cute story of a guy trying to impress his childhood love - very fun story - loved the characters! and Kathleen Fuller brings you a story of Sophie who has two men fighting for her affection and finding that one true love. Great stories - I need to read more from these authors!

This is a compilation of short stories by 3 different authors. I was familiar with two of the authors, and I love that this is a great way to get to know new ones!

They were all three good stories. I almost wish they weren't short stories. There was so much more to offer in the story lines!

Summer Detour we follow unpredictible Allie as she delivers a refurbished Chevy to her grandparents. Only problem- she doesn't drive a stick shift and has to convince Luke Fletcher, who broke her heart, to help her out.

Pining For You we are in the mountains of Virginia at a tree farm where two unlikely characters cross paths again and their history becomes a great burden to overcome.

He Loves Me; He Loves Me Not follows a flower shop owner who suddenly finds herself in the middle of a dating war- and it's two very different men trying to date her!

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This Time Around is a collection of three second chance novellas by Authors Denise Hunter, Melissa Ferguson, and Kathleen Fuller. The stories are not related but each is a short sweet clean story.

Two of the authors were new to me and I was pleased with their stories.

Each was a stand alone novella which was fine. I normally enjoy when there is some theme tying the stories together but it worked well in this setting.

I would recommend this set of novellas if you are looking for a light hearted read by some new to you authors.
No violence, language or sexual content

I received this book from Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.

This Time Around has three short novella’s each featuring a fun romance. The first two stories are second chance romances -one of my favorite tropes. Each story is unique and written by a different author. It is always fun to discover new-to-me authors and this was my first time reading anything by Denise Hunter. I only read the first two stories, but plan to pick up the third when I need a quick palate cleanser between books.

Melissa Ferguson’s story Pining for You was my favorite. I love how there is always a slight overlap between characters in her stories, offering everyone a chance at a happy ending.

I actually took this book on vacation last month. The stories were the perfect length to read on the plane without feeling bogged down in a lengthy novel. If you want a book to try to squeeze in before the summer ends, this would be perfect.

Thank you NetGalley, and Thomas Nelson—FICTION for the copy of This Time Around. This is my personal review.
I enjoyed each of the three stories in this book equally. It was a joy to read so them and I would like to see them made into a Hallmark movie.
I enjoy reading romance books and to have these three authors come together in one book was a great pleasure for me. I can not pick one out that I liked better than the others - each was a nice escape for me.

This was such a sweet read filled with three mini stories. Each story is written by a different author, and all of them are great! All three books are clean romance stories. I could picture them being made into Hallmark movies.

This book was a fun way to get a glimpse into how each author writes. I love Melissa Ferguson, and I really liked the reading books by the other two authors as well. If you’re looking for a quick summer read, I highly recommend checking these out!

I really enjoyed this book!! It was so fantastic and I loved getting to read it early thanks to Netgalley! Please pick this one up ASAP!!!

These were cute stories of lost love and forgiveness. I found some of the stories a little rushed in parts and hard to read. This book is perfect for a hot cup of coffee and a cool day.

Second chance romances are one of my favorite tropes, so of course I jumped at the chance to read this collection. With 3 sweet, clean romances, this set of novellas is a good choice for a quick romantic read this summer.

I loved this book! 5 stars. I stayed up way to late just to finish it, and I even shed some tears!! I love when a book can make you feel the emotions!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the read. All opinions are my own.