In Something Borrowed, six friends share a tiara that they each wear to their weddings. Each novella in the collection details one of their stories. Okay, so you’ll quickly notice that there are six friends but only five novellas, there’s a reason for that.
Ruth-Ann had married before the stories began and had worn a particular tiara to her wedding. It was that tiara which became the “something borrowed” for each of her friends.
My Review of Always Been Yours
When the story began, I wasn’t a fan of Hanady. I liked that she was a plus-sized girl who has a positive body image but she just seemed like she was always swooning. Eventually, she grew on me and I began to appreciate her kindness and her heart.
It was quickly apparent that she was marrying the wrong man and even who was the right guy for her, what I couldn’t figure out was how the two would get together. I liked the way Ms. Weaver initiated the romance between Hanady and Keenan without it seeming forced or corny.
Keenan was a great character and within a few scenes, you quickly get a feel of what kind of guy he was and begin rooting for him to get with Hanady.
The faith elements were faint but there was a reminder that God will grant you wisdom if you ask. There was also a reminder that a person’s character will be evident in their actions…you just need to be vigilant to look at what they do as much as what they say.
I liked the way Hanady stuck to her principles and did not allow anyone to derail her from the path she knew was right. This was a sweet read and the characters will warm your heart.
About Always Been Yours by Jaycee Weaver
Hanady’s planning her dream wedding, but her injured best friend Keenan isn’t the groom. If she can’t see she’s marrying the wrong guy soon, his leg won’t be the only thing broken.
About Jaycee Weaver
Jaycee Weaver lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with her amazing husband, three daughters, two crazy shih-tzus, and a dwarf rabbit. When she’s not writing, she’s probably in pursuit of her 90 million other hobbies or shuttling the kids around.
Jaycee loves to read multiple genres, drink too much coffee, sing, take landscape and floral photos, sew, cook, bake, and craft nearly anything.
She considers herself a recovering perfectionist and occasional hot mess. She does her best to live her faith in action, being open, honest, and real; letting God be Lord over the good, the bad, and the ugly even when it’s hard.
My Review of All the Moore
This novella had all the feels. It was great seeing a different side of Leilah after getting glimpses of her personality in Always Been Yours. Ms. Shiloh did a great job making Leilah a sympathetic character without making her appear weak or having her strength exaggerated. Instead, she tried to be as independent as she could even as she had to depend on others.
And can we talk about Reggie? He was such a sweetheart! He was willing to move across the country to explore what he believed could be more with a woman he had never met. I liked the way he was able to draw out a more playful side of Leila.
The faith elements were stronger in this novella and were pretty much what I’ve come to expect from a Shiloh book. Leilah wrestled with some hards things happening in her life which sometimes caused her faith to waver but she never stopped believing in God. I like the way her friends all had a measure of faith and were able to speak encouragement over her life. I enjoyed the way Reggie prayed for her, and about her and was always willing to pray with her.
About All the Moore by Toni Shiloh
Leilah Anderson has been living behind the screen to hide her disability, then she meets Reggie Moore face-to-face. Can their relationship survive the truth and distance between them?
About Toni Shiloh
Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and multi-published Christian contemporary romance author. She writes to bring Him glory and to learn more about His goodness. Her novel, Grace Restored, was a 2019 Holt Medallion finalist, and Risking Love is a 2020 Selah Award finalist.
A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and of the Virginia Chapter, Toni seeks to help readers find authors. She loves connecting with readers and authors alike via social media. You can learn more about her writing at https://tonishiloh.com.
My Review of A Holly, Bolly Christmas
A Holly Bolly Christmas tells the story of Chahna (Ana) and Maguire. Ana is the daughter of two Bollywood actors who can’t resist the urge to set their daughter up with guys even though they know she’s in a committed relationship and Maguire a Scottish police officer. I like the way Ms. Dawn gave us glimpses into the two characters’ heritage without making it unrealistic given that they both lived in the US.
There was a bit of humor from the set-ups Ana’s parents tried, but it also provided an opportunity for Maguire to show what he was made of and how much he cared for Ana.
The faith element was evident in how quickly the characters were willing to pray and seek God’s guidance at all times. There was a reminder that the best person to turn to when we need advice or help is our Heavenly Father.
A Holly, Bolly Christmas by Mikal Dawn
A dream wedding venue at Christmas? Sign Chahna Kapoor up. Even if her fiancé doesn’t know it…
About Mikal Dawn
Mikal Dawn is an inspirational romance author, wedding enthusiast, and proud military (retired) wife. By day she works for an international sports ministry, and by night she mutters to imaginary friends, performs sketchy Google searches, and procrastinates (like any good writer!).
When she isn’t writing about faith, fun, and forever, she is obsessively scouring Pinterest (with coffee in hand, of course!) for wedding ideas for her characters.
Born and raised just outside of Vancouver, Canada, Mikal lived throughout the southern and Midwestern United States, before moving to Oklahoma with her husband, two of her three kids, and one ferocious feline.
My Review of Somehow, This Christmas
Everything that could go wrong went wrong with Cate’s wedding which is somehow ironic because she’s a wedding planner. But I like how they found creative ways to get around the problems. It was a reminder that things don’t have to be perfect and that we should focus on the people we’re experiencing life with.
I felt that the conflict between Noah and Cate over the focus of her wedding could have been played up a little more which would have made a more dramatic climax, but overall this was a sweet story.
It was good to see Cate coming a little undone when things in her wedding went wrong because it made her seem more human. She had been a little bit of a super wedding planner in the other stories so it was good to see this side of her. Noah was a sweetheart. I liked the way he was considerate towards Cate and how he made an effort to step in when he realized that things were going haywire.
The faith element was faint and mostly showed itself in the characters praying about each other and their situation. There was a reminder that God can redeem even those things that seem irredeemable if we are willing to give up our desires and seek His will instead.
Somehow, This Christmas by Teresa Tysinger
When not-so-merry mishaps threaten wedding planner Cate Forsyth’s holiday wedding and reputation, will her own happily ever after with sweetheart Noah Bennett melt away?
About Teresa Tysinger
Teresa Tysinger is an author of Southern Contemporary Romance inspired by grace. She writes on the fringes of being a wife, mom, and full-time communications and public relations professional. She loves coffee, traveling, and prides herself in knowing and loving almost every genre of music.
Born in Hawaii, raised in Florida, and educated in North Carolina, she now resides in Texas with her husband, daughter, and dog. Teresa is a proud member of American Christian Fiction Writers.
My Review of A Promise So Sweet
Ten years after they broke up, Bruce showed up on Lydia’s doorstep proposing marriage. For me, this was a bit of a stretch because ten years is a long time…especially for someone to show up with no explanation, no grand gesture, and wanting to pick up where they left off. That being said, this was a sweet story. I liked the way that Lydia was willing to give Bruce a second chance (though in my opinion, she should have made him suffer a little before she did).
The reader is quickly drawn into the story as they begin to root for Lydia to get her happily-ever-after. Bruce is passionate about his job and he quickly convinces Lydia of his sincerity and his desire to marry her. But ten years is a long time (did I say that already?) and I wish there had been another catalyst that brought him back to Lydia and that he had made of an attempt to apologize for walking away from her before.
The faith elements were more evident in this novella (I mean, the main character is a pastor) and there is the reminder that we should all seek to pursue God’s will for our lives instead of our own.
A Promise So Sweet by Andrea Boyd
Lydia Osborn hasn’t heard from her ex in ten years, so imagine her surprise when he shows up proposing marriage. Tis the season for love?
About Andrea Boyd
Each of Andrea Boyd’s series represents a different genre but all fall into the category of romance. All offer an element of her own brand of humor. And all are a tribute to God.
Besides writing, she loves spending time with her family, quilting, going to car shows, and driving around in her 1968 Barracuda convertible. Andrea lives with her husband, Tommy, and at least a couple of cats in York County, SC.
You can visit her website @ www.andreaboyd11.com
My Overall Impression of Something Borrowed
This collection had all the feels–great characters, intriguing storylines, and the strands of Christmas running throughout.
I loved the idea of a tiara being the “something borrowed” in the five weddings while also being a way to pay tribute to their friend Ruth-Ann. It was fun getting glimpses of the friends in each of the stories and though there were a few inconsistencies, it did not detract from the stories. Each novella in Something Borrowed chronicled the romance of one of the five unmarried friends but also told of the strong friendship that existed between the six ladies.
I loved reading about their friendship as much as I enjoyed reading their romances. Something Borrowed is a great collection to read if you love Christmas romances or if you just enjoy stories with a happily ever after. I received an advanced readers’ copy as part of the launch team; a positive review was not required. Get your copy of Something Borrowed today.
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