The Sunrise Foundation motto: “Helping Exceptional People Lead Exceptional Lives”, says it all for Anna and Ceelie.  The two women work hard as life coaches to help their clients reach their potential despite their handicaps.  Therefore, Anna met the caregiver for a potential client with smiles even though Liam Franklin was all tense frowns.  Liam only wanted a babysitter for his twin brother and he wanted things to remain the same with Colm in a cocoon of safety at his home.  Anna, on the other hand, knew Colm could do much more for himself.  She encouraged him to spread his wings.

Liam was intrigued by the feisty Anna and she made him smile.  So how could he convince her to stop pushing Colm without pushing her away?  Anna knows she is getting too close to Liam but she loves both of the Franklin brothers and she knows Colm would flourish with more freedom and responsibility.   Should she step back or speak up?

Award winning author Holly Jacobs tugs at our emotions as she tells a tale of twin brothers, one a successful business owner the other with special needs, and the compassionate woman that loves them both.  Ms. Jacobs describes the challenges and joys of having a family member that is exceptional with her classic inspirational style.  A ONE-OF-A-KIND FAMILY is a lovely read that delivers a potent message.

Alexis Brown was there when her pregnant sister was shot.  She was there when her niece was born in the ambulance and when her sister told her the father’s name with her dying breath.  Now, three months later, Alexis needs financial help for the baby.  She grudgingly decides to approach the father, star quarterback Dan Delito.  But instead of simply giving money, he takes full custody of baby Michelle, devastating Alexis.

Dan falls in love with Michelle but he soon discovers that he needs help and hires Alexis to be Michelle’s live in nanny.  For the past two years, Dan had been deep in grief over his wife that died of breast cancer.  But since meeting his daughter and her feisty auntie, he is beginning to see the joy in life again.  Alexis is falling for this gentle man but her trust is hard won.

Emotionally charged, QUARTERBACK DADDY is a book that will be hard to put down.  Dynamic characters Alexis and Dan each have their own demons but their love for baby Michelle brings them together and allows a deep affection to grow.  Award winning Linda Barrett relates this tender love story with warmth and  perceptiveness that will captivate her readers.

Belle sisters, Cait and Maddie are happily married with families of their own;  which leaves Skylar in charge of running High Five, the family ranch.  There is only one problem, High Five’s foreman and ex-con, Cooper Yates.  The man is rude and will not listen to Skylar’s orders.  He has to go!  Skylar’s first priority is keeping her daughter  safe, whether it be from threats to take Kirea away by her daughter’s grandparents or insubordination from a criminal cowhand.

When both of her sisters stand up for Cooper during a family meeting, Skyler is forced to rethink her opinion.  The more she learns about Cooper the more she falls for the outlaw cowboy.  And when he saves her daughter, well, there is no turning back.

Master storyteller Linda Warren has a way with words that pulls the reader in and wrings the last bit of emotion out before she lets go.  SKYLAR’S OUTLAW is the last beautiful book in The Belles of Texas series and I am sad to day good-bye to these three sassy sisters and their ruggedly handsome cowboys.  In SKYLAR’S OUTLAW we meet Skylar’s courageous little girl, Kirea, diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, a disease that Ms. Warren has experienced first hand and so aptly portrays for her readers.  The gratifying way the Belle family surrounds Kirea with love and support touches the heart and helps define the special feelings that Cooper has for Skylar and Kirea.  You won’t be able to put this book down until the last page is turned.

As a reckless young man, Troy Denton made a huge mistake. The day he found out he was going to be a father, he asked his cousin for a loan so he could marry his girlfriend and provide for his family. Troy’s cousin tricked him into going along on a robbery which resulted in their arrest and a seven year jail term. Marlee Britton felt betrayed by Troy and vowed her baby would not have to go through what she did as a child of a convicted criminal. She decided to cut all contact with Troy and raise her son by herself.

Inevitably, Troy was released from prison and wanted to meet his son. He still loved Marlee and hoped to win her heart again. Marlee had been hurt and disappointed by her own father and perceived Troy as the same type of man. But as she saw Troy with their son and felt her own need and attraction for him, her resolve began to melt.

Talented romance writer Cindi Myers introduces intriguing characters in her beautiful story, THE FATHER FOR HER SON. Troy and Marlee want what is best for their son, which is a loving family to nurture him. Their struggles to achieve this mutual goal, when trust is an issue, hooks the reader and has us rooting for a happily ever after ending.

Devlin Chandler has returned to Carnelian Cove for the summer and Addie Sutton is in turmoil. Dev and Addie grew up in the Chandler house, Dev as grandson to one of the town’s leading citizens and Addie as the housekeeper’s daughter. Addie had a crush on Dev as a teenager but nothing ever came of it.

Dev always wanted a friendship with Addie and since his return home, he is determined to act on his attraction to her, even joining a stained glass workshop taught by Addie. But there are secrets and grudges in their families’ pasts that keep them apart. Will the strength of their new found love be enough to shatter the barriers?

Favorite author Terry McLaughlin writes emotionally connected stories with layers that entice the reader to peel them away and savor each word. A SMALL TOWN REUNION presents familiar characters and the close-knit setting of Carnelian Cove, just ripe for romance. Ms. McLaughlin has a canny way of involving readers in her stories and after reading A SMALL TOWN REUNION, I was not only sighingly satisfied but I wanted to learn to work with stained glass. This book is a lovely way to start your holiday.