The Eternal Engagement. Mary B. Morrison. 2012. Dafina Books. 288 pages. [Source: personal copy.] I took a chance on The Eternal Engagement because I wanted to take advantage of it being on audio book.  So this review will reflect both the book itself as well as the audio production.  My experience with audio books has generally been positive.  It’s an easy way to get some “reading” done while you physically can’t put your nose in a book. I listen while I’m driving, grocery shopping, and walking around.  I thought this story would be a compelling read, but I was disappointed. The story itself focused on four characters whose lives and relationships are entwined disastrously. Lincoln somehow manages to propose to (with the same style ring) and impregnate both his girlfriend Katherine and his ex, Mona-Lisa literally moments before his high school graduation. The rest of the book follows Lincoln’s ten-year stint in the Army, Mona-Lisa’s impulsive and volatile marriage to long-time friend, Steven, and Katherine’s attempts to maintain her image while raising her son as a single mother under her judgmental mother’s eye.

The Other Side of the Pillow. Zane. 2014. Atria Books. 288 pages. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] Zane’s newest release is best described an exploration of common pitfalls of relationships. It’s part romance, part self-help, and all parts interesting.  Through its characters, Zane highlights the havoc caused by infidelity,  mistrust, poor communication, chance events, and myriad other problems that plague today’s relationships.  The book revolves around Tevin’s courtship if Jemistry.  This story is told from the perspectives of both Jemistry and Tevin, and the reader is introduced to their closest friends and family, all of whose relationships have varied impacts on how the two approach their own relationship.

Heat. Jamie K. Schmidt. 2014. 239 pages. Loveswept.  [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] When Mallory woke up from a drug-induced stupor that was forced upon her by an abusive fiancee, she went on the run. Two months later, she found herself in seeking refuge in her sister Colleen’s massive compound – part fashion school, part sex den. What Mallory thought would be a chance for her to hide out from a drug-addicted ex ends up turning into  a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her to explore her own identity , motivations, and sexuality.  In the process, she’s introduced to Max who doubles as an instructor and her bodyguard, much to her chagrin.

Delectable. Adrianne Lee. 2014. 273 pages. Forever. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] You ever read a book so descriptive that you can taste what the characters are eating? This is definitely a book that makes you wish you actually could taste what they’re eating. “Delectable” is a story loosely about the opening of a pie shop, Big Sky Pie, but really focuses on the seemingly failed marriage of Callee and Quint McCoy. It’s full of small-town charm that makes the book both endearing and entertaining at once. Quint and Callee were (not quite) happily married until his father Jimmy died of a massive heart attack. Quint’s way of dealing with his father’s death was to run away from the comfort of his mother and wife. When he returns from a month-long fishing trip, he has only an empty house, divorce papers, and a failed real-estate business to welcome him. His mother, Molly, however, has taken it upon herself to follow her dream of opening a pie shop … in the same space he once called his business office. When Callee shows up out of the blue for one last bit of closure before leaving for Seattle, they’re both present…

A January Bride. Deborah Raney. 2013. 99 pages. Zondervan. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] As part of a “A Year of Weddings,” I read A January Bride. The second book in the series, this novella tells the story of author Madeline and widower Arthur as their friend, a spry octogenarian affectionately known as Ginny, plays matchmaker. Madeline’s house is being renovated, which doesn’t suit her need for peace and quiet while she’s writing. Arthur has a bed & breakfast that sits largely empty while he works as an English professor. When Ginny calls on Arthur to let Madeline use his house while she recuperates from a sprained ankle and tries to beat a publishing deadline. Competing schedules keep the two from meeting, but they exchange almost daily notes, getting to know one another from afar. The only catch is they’re both greatly misinformed about the other – they both think they’re talking to someone Ginny’s age, when the reality is that they’re both barely middle-aged. Even more complicated is that they’ve actually met one another and didn’t even realize it.