Short and sweet novellas that can each be read in just a couple of hours. The first 2 are second-chance romances and of the three, Denise Hunter’s and that racoon have to be my favorite

This Time Around, a novella collection by Denise Hunter, Melissa Ferguson and Kathleen Fuller. The stories are about second chance romances.

The trio of novellas starts off with A Summer Detour by Denise Hunter. Next up was Pining for You by Melissa Ferguson, and He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not written by Kathleen Fuller.

All three stories were clean and easy to read romance about second chances. Having some back story helps to bring tension and believability to each story. They are short, fun and have happy endings. Something to take to read at the beach. The release date in July 2021.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Net Galley and the publisher. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

Three fun short novellas. Would be an excellent beach read.

I received a copy via NetGalley--all opinions are my own.

I was excited to read this book when I saw that the authors of this anthology were some of my favorites! All of the stories are set in small towns and they are all second chance romances but each story is quite unique and held my interest from beginning to end. This would be a great beach read! More details below about each book. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A SUMMER DETOUR BY DENISE HUNTER (Allie and Luke)

It turns out that sometimes when we’re on a journey and things come up that cause a delay or a change in direction, those very things can lead us by another way to the place we want to go—both on road trips and in life. I enjoyed both Allie’s and Luke’s personal journeys that took a wrong turn but eventually brought their paths back together again. It was also a fun, quick trip back to Copper Creek for fans (like me) of Hunter’s Blue Ridge Romance series. I love a sweet, feel-good second chance romance and this story delivered!

PINING FOR YOU BY MELISSA FERGUSON (Theo and Skye)

Theo came as often as possible to Whitetop, VA pop. 413 in order spend time there in the family cabin at the Christmas tree farm owned by his family. He had an ulterior motive that he carefully hid from his family—he wanted to see Skye, his best friend since childhood whose dad ran the farm. Theo and Skye fell in love and soon after confessing this to one another, Theo started off to college at UVA. Time and distance eventually worked its way between them. This story is about their second chance. I loved the characters in the book—even the secondary characters were fun. I also loved the way Theo and Skye worked through their issues until their puppy love was mature and committed. Great story!

HE LOVES ME; HE LOVES ME NOT BY KATHLEEN FULLER (Joe and Sophie)

I recently discovered this author and her story is set in the same small town as in that book— Maple Falls, a town that is beginning to come back to life after years of decline. He Loves Me; He Loves Me Not features Sophie and Joe who had known each other since childhood but now, in their thirties, they are finally able to see and appreciate each other. They got off to a rocky start but finally they get their HEA. He loves her!

This Time Around is a collection of three novellas. I really enjoyed A Summer Detour by Denise Hunter and Pining for You by Melissa Ferguson. I love second chance stories and especially love the writing style of these authors. I have enjoyed every book I've read by them. Kathleen Fuller is a new author for me. Her story, He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, was less enjoyable to me. There wasn't as much backstory to make it believable, in my personal opinion. All in all, if you're looking for sweet, easy to read stories, this collection fits the bill.

Between 3 and 3 1/2.

A trio of cute second-chance novellas set in small towns with relatable characters. They're clean and quick reads that left me with a smile. Each one is a sweet story with a happy ending.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Two of my favorite authors in one book? Yes,please! This book is perfect to grab for when you want a good story but don't have a ton of time to read and commit to it. Denise Hunters books are always filled with REAL life characters, and I love that! Melissa Ferguson writes deeply hilarious stories with the characters sharing the same crazy thoughts as I have! Love love love!!

Sweet novellas showcasing second chances. These authors all do a good job of creating their story worlds and you can’t help feeling happy with the outcomes. If you want a slightly predictable, easy-to-read romantic book, you’ll enjoy these stories.

A Summer Detour by Denise Hunter - 3 stars
Pining for You by Melissa Ferguson- 2 stars
He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not by Kathleen Fuller - 2 stars

I've been in a bit of a book slump so when I recieved this ARC I couldn't wait to read it. This Time Around is a combination of three novellas about finding love again with a last partner.

I've enjoyed Melissa Ferguson's first two books and was thrilled when I could read Pining For You (the second book in this compilation). Theo needed this redemption story because he deserves love. I admit I don't like Ashleigh but she had a limited time in the book so I could handle it.

I would recommend reading this to everyone because it's three short stories that bring a lot of warm and fuzzy feelings!

This Time Around is a collection of three novellas that feature second chance romances. From best friends to old flames, Denise Hunter, Melissa Ferguson and Kathleen Fuller give their characters a second shot at love. Notes, despite the Christian publisher and authors, these novellas do not reference faith, God or Christianity.

A Summer Detour is the first and my favourite in the collection. Probably not surprising as it’s by Denise Hunter and I love her writing style. In A Summer Detour Allie begs her family for a chance to prove herself and is tasked with driving her grandparents’ beloved restored Chevy to their anniversary party. The only problem is that she can’t drive manual. Luke Fletcher is the only one she can think of who might be able to help - her parents’ neighbour and the man who broke her heart years ago. She’s kept her distance since then but hours in the car, a hail storm, detour, dog with digestion problems and other mishaps later, maybe she and Luke can sort through the hurt and find a way to a future together. This novella is light and funny, yet I really felt for the way Allie believes her parents don’t trust her or see her as capable. Luke has always seen Allie’s worth and this road trip is the perfect opportunity for him to redeem himself in Allie’s eyes and prove he’ll always be there for her.

Pining for You by Melissa Ferguson is the second book the in collection and another novella I really enjoyed. Again, mishaps and humour bring our two characters together. Skye has returned home to the farm her parents work at, appalled by the conditions they are living in and the low salary her father receives. The man to blame is her childhood best friend, farm owner and once boyfriend, Theo Watkins. Theo has always been better suited to the boardroom than outdoors, but when Skye’s father is injured, he rushes to the farm and is shocked to find that Skye has returned home. Theo and Skye share so much history. Working together (well, Skye works and Theo freaks out about snakes, spiders, bears and other things that might get him), Theo knows this is his chance to prove to Skye the mistakes are in the past and he is the man for her, but Skye is scared history will repeat itself and she’ll be left hurt. The history Theo and Skye share shine through this book and make their quick reunion so poignant and it’s so easy to see them fall back together. They are very sweet together and the humour in the book, as well as the deeper topics touched upon make this a very enjoyable novella. It’s also worth noting that Theo is black and it is so utterly refreshing to finally, finally!! have some diverse characters in mainstream Christian fiction.

He Loves Me; He Loves Me Not is the third novella in the collection. Written by Kathleen Fuller, in this story Sophie and Joe (independently) have both decided it’s time for them to start dating. Sophie owns the local florist and is approached by both Joe and handsome Landon. Joe is a coach at the high school and he knows Landon is bad news. Sadly his attempt to ask Sophie out and warn her about Landon seems to backfire and she is left mad at him. It doesn’t take long for him to try again and he wants to prove to Sophie that they would be good together. The timing and backstory of this book fell flat and it was hard to believe these characters had lived in the same town for so long, written each other off and then so suddenly fell in love. We get a marriage within two months!!! After hardly knowing each other!! They only spend one date together. Also, the treatment of bees in this book is horrible. Bees are so important for our world and these characters are so quick to want them dead. Bees should never be killed with pesticide (for so many reasons, not least because their numbers are in decline). Even if they are the Africanised bees and not European honey bees (the characters would have been unable to tell) they should have been removed and not attacked and killed. It’s things like this, that a few minutes of research would have made clear was so wrong, along with a quick and unrealistic romance that made this story my least favourite of the collection.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

All 3 novellas were light and sweet, but there was something just a little off about each one. Summer Detour is based on several unbelievable coincidences that lost me from the get-go. In Pining for You, I couldn't quite figure out the connection between Theo and Skye in the past, nor could I figure out the different settings referenced in the book - where Theo lived at the beginning, where that was in respect to Skye's parents, where her cabin was, etc. He Loves Me; He Loves Me Not is just based on a weird premise - I don't think single 35 year old are that desperate, and I would have preferred Sophie to be a strong single lady! Plus, the way Joe is introduced, he doesn't seem like that hot of a commodity, lol! Then we are supposed to think he has big muscles and Sophie's feelings about him turn on a dime. Good to pass the time, wouldn't choose to read again.

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

This Time Around is a great collection of romances! All three stories are so romantic and perfect for romance readers.

A Summer Detour by Denise Hunter is probably my favorite out of the stories. It centered around Allie who is enlisted to drive her grandparent's 57' Chevy to her parent's house for her grandparent's anniversary party. She is the youngest in the family and a free spirit so her mother always makes her feel incapable of completing everyday tasks. She wants to prove to her family that she can be trusted to get the truck from point A to point B.

Of course, things don't go according to plan and needs to find someone who can drive a stick shift. She ends up having to call Luke, the man who broke her heart oh so many years ago. Luke is very closed off and is shocked to hear from Allie. He agrees to go on this road trip with her.

Their journey is full of ups and down yet their chemistry still shines through. I loved their story and getting to know these characters.

I give A Summer Detour 5 stars. It's a second chance romance that left me rooting for Allie and Luke the entire time. They are so different but readers will see how perfect they are for each other.

I love this author and I was so excited when I received this book! It didn't disappoint. I loved this one even more than the others previous work! It was unputdownable

I really enjoyed this collection. The stories were easy to read and a perfect way to relax after a long day at work. The three stories were all very sweet and made me want to read more from the authors! Thank you for this opportunity to read!

This book is 3 stories in one. Each novella written by a different author. A Summer Detour by Denise hunter takes you on an adventurous road of Allie and Luke, whose past is just as adventurous as their current road trip.
Pining For You by Melissa Ferguson centers around Theo Watkins, a well to do businessman who ends up helping run his family's Christmas tree farm which is a little out of his element.
He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not by Kathleen Fuller is about Sophie, a 35 year old florist, who has 2 guys pining after her, one of the being Joe, her childhood friend since Kindergarten.

All 3 of these stories are fun reads, heartwarming stories of love, hope, and adventure. I was grateful to receive an advanced copy through Netgalley. These authors are new to me, and I look forward to reading more of their books!

“This Time Around” is made up of three novellas by Denise Hunter, Melissa Ferguson, and Kathleen Fuller, each on the general theme of second chance romance . I enjoyed reading all three. My favorite was Denise Hunter’s. There’s good humor in all three books, along with good romance. If you want some relaxing reads that won’t take much time, this one fits the bill.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
#ThisTimeAround #NetGalley

The subtitle of this book tells it all--three sweet romances. And all three stories are sweet, almost enough for a diabetic coma 😉. Melissa Ferguson is the only author not known by me, and for me, hers was the least appealing novella. Someone else will like it, but I was reading this book on the heels of a thought-provoking book that had me reeling after I finished it.

In Denise Hunter's offering, Allie has volunteered to drive the 1957 Chevy her parents had restored to her grandparents 50th anniversary. There are a couple of problems, the major one being that her parents don't trust her and the second one being she can't drive a stick shift. So, being the resourceful girl that she is, she enlists the aid of her best childhood friend, Luke. Along the way, they get lost, encounter a hail storm, and lose the car to some joy-riders. It's quite the rollicking tale that brings healing to Allie and her relationship with her family. It also opens a door long-since closed to Luke and Allie.

In Melissa Ferguson's story, Theo is called home to his family's Christmas tree farm when the manager is injured in an accident. What he doesn't know is that his first love, Skye Whitesides has come home to help out. The tension between the two of them is based on unrealistic expectations and misunderstandings. Once all that is cleared up, then, . . . .

Kathleen Fuller is better known to me as an Amish fiction writer, but her contemporary story is the best of these three. Sophie owns Petals and Posies, the local florist shop in Maple Falls, Arkansas. Joe is a friend who has been intrigued with Sophie since their school days. Kathleen has thrown in a villain in the character of Landon, an attorney who is trying to tear down all the legacy businesses in Maple Falls to make way for a new development.

For a couple of afternoons of mindless entertainment, this book is a perfect fit. It's a great "palate cleanser" to come after a thoughtfully deep book. Four stars.

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

This book was three separate stories in one. My favourite was the first one written by Denise Hunter (A Summer Detour). The characters showed development across the course of the story and it was just a great story. While I was given this book free in exchange for an honest review, I would have brought it for that one story alone.

Worth a read - all three are rom com stories and a light easy read. One of them has a non-traditional hero in them which was interesting.

This set of novellas, written by 3 differ by authors, was an enjoyable read. Each story has me engaged and wanting more. If you’re interested in a quick romance read, I recommend This Time Around.