Sweet & Sassy Anthology: Castle Collection by Cindy M. Hogan, Jo Noelle, Donna K. Weaver, Paige Timothy, & Kaye P. Clark (Blog Tour Review & Giveaway)

Welcome to my tour stop for the second novella collection from the Sweet & Sassy Anthology line, Castle Collection! I really enjoy the first collection, Hidden Identities, so I was looking forward to this one. Check out all the info below including my review and the giveaway...

Castle Collection

(Sweet & Sassy Anthology)
by Cindy M. Hogan, Jo Noelle, Donna K. Weaver, Paige Timothy, & Kaye P. Clark

Adult Contemporary Romance, Novella
ebook, 417 Pages
September 6th 2015 by Little Box Press, LLC

Summary

Readers will be delighted with five sweet, romance novellas in Sweet & Sassy: Castle Collection. In this charming anthology, you will fall in love again and again.

Dangerous Truth by Cindy M. Hogan
All By My Selfie by Jo Noelle
A Savage Ghost by Donna K. Weaver
The Ghost of Dunlow Manor by Paige Timothy
Rose of Sherwood by Kaye P. Clark

DANGEROUS TRUTH
Olivia loves everything about Belgium. So far, her humanitarian trip has gone perfectly–that is, until she sees a picture of a man she thinks is her father in the newspaper. The father who abandoned her family nine years ago without a word.

She tries to forget she ever saw his photo. He’s forgotten about her, after all. But soon it’s apparent that she can’t leave without knowing what happened.

Armed with years of hurt and the help of a gorgeous French photographer, she decides to confront him and his secrets once and for all.

Unfortunately, her father seems determined to keep those secrets hidden. . . and Olivia is one of them.

ALL BY MY SELFIE
While on vacation at McLeod Castle in Scotland, Gwen Mackenzie has nightly dreams of an ancient warrior bound by a curse. During the day, she sees Niall, nicknamed #ScottishBoyfriend. Oh, and can that man rock a kilt! As she gets to know him, she realizes that Niall is the warrior from her dreams, cursed to live as a ghost for the past five hundred years, to see life around him but never sense any of it—except Gwen.

A SAVAGE GHOST
Lia Savage reluctantly puts her dream of opening a dessert boutique on hold to help her dad remodel a castle he’s inherited in Washington State. Soon, a specter targets her younger sister.

Lia enlists the help of Coop Montgomery, the head gardener and her former crush. As they search together for a way to rid the castle of its ghost, the romance she used to dream about with him kindles. But Lia’s gentle giant means to stay in Washington while she’s determined to return to California. She must find the courage to face both the ghost and her future.

With Coop. Or without him.

THE GHOST OF DUNLOW MANOR
Bestselling author Alexis St. John needs an escape, and Nate, her personal assistant, thinks that a trip to a real castle in England will be just the thing. What neither of them planned on, though, was to encounter an actual ghost.

Lady Catherine Dunlow hates the idea of sharing her castle with tourists and does everything she can to chase them out, much to the amusement of her roguish suitor. But when her two newest guests stumble upon a mystery surrounding her death, she decides to let them stay.

With an eternal fate in the balance, Nate and Alexis must move quickly to bring the killer to light before Catherine is trapped forever.

ROSE OF SHERWOOD
Lady Rosamund, Baroness of Ravenswood Manor, is a destitute widow, imprisoned in Nottingham Castle. When the prince declares she must marry the ruthless man who had seized Ravenswood, she escapes with the help of a band of outlaws to Sherwood Forest. Her first love, a battle-worn knight, promises to help her find safety at a convent. Confused and afraid, her heart yearns for love. But are the risks too high?

My Review

Sweet & Sassy Anthology: Castle Collection was a mix of interesting stories. Some included ghosts, some were set historically and some were set in present day, some had a little suspense and magic, and they all contained sweet romance with swoon-worthy first kisses.

Dangerous Truth by Cindy M. Hogan: This started off interesting with a girl whose father left their family when she was a child and an intriguing and attractive guy who offers her help. The story didn't quite work for me. Too many stilted conversations and unrealistic circumstances. It did have some good moments spread throughout though.

All By My Selfie by Jo Noelle: This story cracked me up, made me swoon, and had a nice suspenseful edge at the same time. There was a mystery and a little magic seeped into the history of this old castle. It helped that there was a mysterious, but oh-so-hot ghost who had some serious chemistry with the heroine. It was my favorite of the collection and a story I wouldn't mind reading again.

A Savage Ghost by Donna K. Weaver: I liked that the romance started from a prior friendship and that the plot actually made sense to me. I also loved the family relationships with the pranks, goofing off, teasing, love, and also seriousness. The ending was intense and led to a nice moment between the main gal and guy. I thoroughly enjoyed this story!

The Ghost of Dunlow Manor by Paige Timothy: I loved seeing the ghost's perspective in this story and then also the reactions of those she haunts. The friendships and then romances in this one were also enjoyable and developed over time. I liked the mystery and that the characters joined together to solve the mystery as well. My only complaint would be that it ended too easily and was a little anti-climatic in that regard. Otherwise, a great story!

Rose of Sherwood by Kaye P. Clark: I loved Lady Rosamund and Sir William! I also loved an early introduction to Robin Hood and Maid Marian. There was some action and some intensity, along with some romantic tension. This one felt a little abrasive at first after reading the other stories as it was set in Robin Hood's world. There was a crudeness to the story and quite a bit of innuendo, particularly among the villains. Thank goodness for HEA endings even though getting there might be a little rough. An enjoyable story.

Content: Some innuendo and crudeness, but clean.
Source: I received a copy from the tour host, which did not affect my review in any way.

About the Authors

Cindy M. Hogan is inspired by the unpredictable teenagers she teaches. More than anything she loves the time she has with her own teenage daughters and wishes she could freeze them at this fun age. If she’s not reading or writing, you’ll find her snuggled up with the love of her life watching a great movie or planning their next party. Most of all, she loves to laugh.

Jo Noelle grew up in Colorado and Utah but also lived in Idaho and California. She has two adult children and three small kids. She teaches teachers and students about reading and writing, grows freakishly large tomatoes, enjoys cooking, builds furniture, sews beautiful dresses, and goes hiking in the nearby mountains.

Oh, and she’s two people, Canda Mortensen and Deanna Henderson, a mother/daughter writing team.

Donna K. Weaver: A wife, mother, grandmother, Harry Potter geek, Navy brat, Army veteran, and karate black belt. Donna is an avid cruiser, having sailed the Pacific five times. She’s lived in South Korea, the Philippines, Germany, and many US states. She and her husband raised six children and currently have nine grandchildren.

Paige Timothy has been writing for as long as she can remember… and probably before that, too, because her memory gets spotty at a certain point. She loves watching romantic comedies, blushes when the characters do something embarrassing, and sighs in all the right places.

Kaye P. Clark was born in New York City, grew up in southern California and raised her family living on remote cattle ranches in Arizona. She now makes her home in Idaho where she works part-time at the county library and teaches art to young children. She’s a mother and grandmother with a very patient husband who puts up with her passion for writing.

Tour-Wide Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 11/1/15

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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