Hearts Entwined: A Historical Romance Novella Collection

Karen Witemeyer · Mary Connealy · Regina Jennings · Melissa Jagears

Jan 2018 · Baker Books

About this ebook

Four top historical romance novelists team up in this new collection to offer stories of love and romance with a twist of humor. In Karen Witemeyer's "The Love Knot," Claire Nevin gets the surprise of her life awaiting her sister's arrival by train. Mary Connealy's "The Tangled Ties That Bind" offers the story of two former best friends who are reunited while escaping a stampede. Regina Jennings offers "Bound and Determined," where a most unusual trip across barren Oklahoma plains is filled with adventure, romance, and . . . camels? And Melissa Jagears' "Tied and True" entertains with a tale of two hearts from different social classes who become entwined at a cotton thread factory.

Each tale is a fun blend of history and romance that will delight readers.

Ratings and reviews

My favorite moments & lines from this collection: The Love Knot "You ARE my future, Claire. Nothing is more important to me than you." Ah! That line! And another moment that stole my heart is later in the book when Peter's sings a low lullaby to a baby. I loved learning about Peter and Claire's history together and where they hailed from. The Tangled Ties that Bind Starting the story with the characters up a tree--literally! Mary Connealy is a comedy genius. There's nothing like getting reacquainted with an old crush while hovering over the deadly horns of a mama buffalo. This scene came to life for me, calling up memories of a trip I took to Wyoming where I saw a buffalo napping beside a picnic table. The giant beast made the table look like doll house furniture. Bound and Determined If you've seen the movie HAWMPS! you will love this gem. Laughed myself to tears in the third chapter. I thought, "Oh no she didn't just go there,” but yes, indeed, she did. Tied and True “Don’t shove away a lifetime of blessing because you fear trials. You’ll have them no matter what you do.” This story began with some beautiful, poignant moments and had me glued all the way through the ending. My Overall Impression: Loved this collection and would recommend to anyone who loves clean historical romance with a side of laughter. I sighed at the many sweet scenes interwoven with comedy and heart-tugging moments. Can't wait to read more from all these authors! *I received a copy of this book from the publisher free of charge. My review is voluntary, and the opinions expressed are my own.

The Love Knot – A Ladies of Harper’s Station Novella by Karen Witemeyer VERY SWEET STORY May 1895, Harper’s Station, TX Claire Nevin has received vague word that her younger sister, Polly, is in trouble. She is sending Claire more information through a friend who will arrive soon on the train. The last person she expected to step off of the train was Pieter, who broke her heart less than a year ago. But, Pieter is determined to win her back. Ch. 7 Dressed in a cotton nightgown and wrapper, with a pair of thick stockings on her feet, she laid the Bible she’d brought with her on the table before padding over to the stove. She moved the kettle to the left side of the hob, where the stove emitted the most heat, then pulled out a chair and slid onto the sturdy wooden seat. No single day in the entire course of her life had brought as much change and emotional upheaval as this day. Not leaving Ireland. Not abandoning school to work in the embroidery shop. Not even that dreadful day in Rochester. She felt as wrung out as an old petticoat on washing day. *** The Tangled Ties That Bind – A Kincaid Brides Novella by Mary Connealy GOOD STORY June 20, 1883 Rawhide Colorado Connor Kincaid is heading home after 5 years away to finally be reunited with his family and Maggie, who he has loved and pined for while gone making his mark/becoming a man. The opening reunion of these two was fantastic. It involved an angry buffalo in the tree-filled Rockies. Unbeknownst to Connor, Maggie is moving away, to his complete shock. She waited years for him to return, and when he didn’t she deiced to get busy living and go to Denver to go to school. After his ire subsides, he decides to follow her, and prove his love. Together they are a strong team and I really enjoyed what they learned. You can definitely see the impractical side of youth and snap decisions sometimes, particularly with Connor, but when push comes to shove he is a strong young man and quite smart as well. Maggie is rightfully cautious with her heart, but smart and determined in her own right. Good story. Side note: Apparently (according to my files) I read book one in this series way back in 2014 when it was a free download. And the © date is actually 2011, so I find it interesting to be revisiting these characters all these years later. *** Bound And Determined – A Fort Reno Novella by Regina Jennings LOVED IT August 1885, East of Ft. Reno, Indian Territory Once again Private Bradley Willis, has made a snap decision that has landed him in hot water. For retribution, he will be sent off to help a former cavalry officer, Captain Herald, move his heard across the plains and back home to Texas. However, when he arrives he is stunned to learn the heard is camels! In addition, he will meet his match in gumption with the officer’s daughter, Ambrosia Herald. Ch. 3. His mouth twitched. “I’m not your father ma’am. It doesn’t matter a whit to me if you get riled up, if you pout, or if you threaten to run away from home. I specialize in reckless, dramatic gestures, and I doubt any of yours would impress me.” I enjoyed this adventure very much, especially since I just read book 1 a few ago. The camels add a lot to the story and I enjoyed getting to know more about the interesting animals. *** Tied and True – A Teaville Moral Society Novella by Melissa Jagears SWEET STORY OF TRUST September 1908 While David Kingsman travels to Teaville in book 2, this charming story takes place back home in Kansas City, MO. Marianne Lister is David’s childhood friend and his perfect future mate. That is according to his father and her parents as well. However, Marianne has been drawn to Calvin Hochstetler; the kindest, most hardworking man who makes her laugh and feel special. She believes making tea and playing hostess to high society types is the only thing she is good at. But helping him with his Widows and Orphans ministry gives her purpose, albeit she is still making tea. CUT OFF - SEE A M A Z O N

Hearts Entwined is a great collection of Novellas by four great authors. I love this type of collection because it's a good way to try out a new author. This time I am familiar with each of these ladies and I love their work. Each writes in her own style. They are all funny, entertaining and a great read. Two of the stories I liked so well I purchased them twice. I didn't mind reading them a second time, they are that great. I would highly recommend Hearts Entwined. If you like fun, Christian Historical Romance you will love these.

About the author

Karen Witemeyer is a winner of multiple Carol Awards and has been a finalist for the RITA Award and National Readers' Choice Award. She lives in Abilene, Texas. www.karenwitemeyer.com

Mary Connealy is well-known for her award-winning, bestselling historical romantic comedies. She lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska. www.maryconnealy.com.

Regina Jennings is the acclaimed author of The Fort Reno Series. She lives outside Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with her husband and four children. www.reginajennings.com.

Melissa Jagears, author of the Unexpected Brides series, lives in Kansas. Her novella, "Love by the Letter," won the 2014 Carol Award. www.melissajagears.com.