A Valentine Kiss

Matchmaker by Carla Fredd Camille Johnson and Justine Valentio are about to discover that when two very conniving elderly ladies (their respective grandmothers) unite in order to conquer a mutual goal -- marring them off to each other -- there is no stopping them. And, even with Justine's dislike of citified women will not put a damper on the meddling ladies plans of sharing a great-grandbaby. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, will the grandmothers' wishes come true? I took great pleasure in reading Matchmaker. This short story had a great mixture of laughter, tearful moments, jealousy, heartache and passion. The bond that developed between the couple was a joy to watch and their love scenes were spicy hot and tantalizing. Camille and Justine's grandmothers were a hoot and added enormous intriguing moments to the storyline. Cupid's Bow by Brenda Jackson Kimara Stafford has been in love with Kyle Garwood her entire life. At the age of sixteen, Kimara was about to let her love be known; however, Kyle crushed her heart when he declared his love to someone else. Now, ten years later Kimara finds herself in a heated dilemma that involves Kyle and if she is not careful, she could end up losing her heart once again. Cupid's Bow was a heart-warming story that brought forth many different emotional moments throughout the plot. There was a grieving sadness, passionate sexual interludes and great despair. The attraction between Kimara and Kyle was steamy. I thought the author did a magnificent job building on their chemistry to make their love making sizzling hot. Made in Heaven by Felicia Mason Val Sanders hates her birth name and her birthday. You see, she was born on Valentine's Day and her parents thought it would be neat to name her in honor of the special day. After her latest date fiasco, her two best friends decided to give Val a birthday gift certificate to a dating service. Val feels that her life has gone from bad to worst. And then Val met Eric Fitzgerald, the co-owner of the dating service. Will Eric be able to change Val's negative Valentine's Day feelings into happy ones? Made in Heaven is a heart-warming, comical story that will keep you glued to your seat. This tale was about a woman who believed that she was misfortunate to be born on the most romantic day in the world and a man determined to prove to her wrong by showing her the wonders of being in love. Overall, I found A Valentine Kiss to be a heated, steamy, passionate anthology. This collection of stories was well written and had some wonderfully romantic, tender filled moments that will definitely put you in the mood for Valentine's Day. Each story within A Valentine Kiss was unique, yet different, and they all focused on the special day that was made for lovers. Nikita Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I enjoyed everyone of these stories. The first story is about two elderly ladies trying to get their grandchildren together, and even though the attraction is strong, there's one problem, the handsome leading man in the story. Can he let go of the past to find true love? The second story is by one of my favorites, Brenda Jackson, and is also part of the Madrais series. Kimara has liked Kyle since her teenage years but he has never paid her any attention, will the help of a meddlesome grandfather and his will bring the two together? The last story is about a woman who even though named after the holiday (Valentine) does not believe in love, let alone love at first sight, until she meets handsome Eric Fitzgerald. Will Eric make her believe in love again?

If anyone wants to know how to put together a perfect anthology collection, I would point them to A Valentine's Kiss (and to Welcome to Leo's). The collection begins with a theme of matchmakers and adds three talented authors who crafted excellent stories. All three of the stories are keepers that readers will want to revisit again and again and again.

I may me bais because Brenda Jackson is my favorite author, but that means something. "A Valentime Kiss" is a great story about two people put in a compromising position where they are doing something for a bigger cause; where as, at first they would not think of doing something so out of this world. But love came make you do strange things! Kyle and Kimara are a fun couple to read about. I enjoy the reading a lot! If I was in Kimara shoes, I would not have thought twice about living out my dreams with my first crush! I highly recommend everyone who sees this book advertised to buy it, along with all of the other Brenda Jackson stories like the complete set of the Madaris Brothers stories, you will not regret it! Not to focus on this one author, the other two stories were very good also!

Many themed novella collections are unevenly matched, but the three pieces in Arabesque's "A Valentine Kiss" each hold their own. Three of the line's best writers, Carla Fredd, Brenda Jackson and Felicia Mason, have contributed tales of well-meaning matchmakers aiming at their marks. It is a Valentine's Day collection that provides sweet reading throughout the year. Carla Fredd's "Matchmaker" takes place in the Georgia settings that have made her a favorite. It is the story of a Justin Valentio, a country sheriff, and Camille Johnson, an Atlanta professional, who are drawn together in a small Georgia town by their next-door neighbor grandmothers. Camille is immediately attracted to Justin who fights his attraction because his mother and ex-wife both found small-town life unappealing. In "Cupid's Bow," Kimara has loved Kyle Garwood since she was six and he was fourteen. Their parents were best friends who perished in a plane crash several years ago. When Kyle's grandfather's will stipulates that he will lose the family fortune unless he and Kimara marry and create an heir, the two become unwilling participants in an "arranged marriage." "Made in Heaven" is Felicia Mason's contribution to the collection. "Val" (Valentine) Summers doesn't believe in love at first sight, in romance or Valentine's Day -- despite the fact that her parent's were married Feb. 14 and she was born on the same date a year later. Her friends decide to help her loosen up by giving her a gift certificate for a dating service. Val's still not convinced and wants no part of it. Eric Fitzgerald is a professional matchmaker who believes in love at first sight, romance and Valentine's Day. He just doesn't believe in dating the "needy" women who have made him rich and successful. When Eric's partner introduces them, sparks fly. Eric knows that Val's the one and sets out to change her mind about love, romance and him.