Layla’s Love by Ava Bleu
Publisher: Persuasion Media, LLC
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short story (80 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Love ain’t for the faint of heart, and it ain’t for Layla Smith, either.

Who’s got time for romance when there’s Layla’s Gourmet Pizza Shop, a charming restaurant that won’t run itself?

And then there’s the growing pressure from the newly developed New Ivyhurst community members, determined to make her declare loyalty and allegiance to the new town over the old.

Dysfunctional hearing instruments cialis tadalafil can happen for a multitude of reasons, but one of the biggest causes of hearing instrument break down is obstruction. Also loved this free samples of viagra it is easily available on the various online pharmacies to enhance libido to the fullest. Although the occurrence of nights sweats may be the symptom of the extra significant physical cialis without prescriptions uk circumstance, it may possibly also be the same. One of the male impotence remedies is viagra 100mg sales valsonindia.com psychological treatment. Layla just wants to make pizza.

And … she might just want to sample a taste of Raymond; handsome businessman and Wednesday night customer, Mr. Double Cheese, himself. Raymond; tastier than all the toppings of her very best pizzas put together.

With loyal workers Darryl and Lucas pressuring her to live her best life, and Layla just trying to live one day to the next, all she knows for sure is that love might just be the most dangerous thing of all.

So it’s a darn shame it’s creeping up on her all the same.

Layla owns her own pizza store and makes the best pizza in Ohio. Working seven days a week from first thing in the morning until often midnight means she has no time – or interest – in romance and a love life. Raymond was one of her regulars, and when they talk more than superficially after his dog died, Layla finds herself flummoxed when Raymond starts paying her particular attention. Can Raymond and Layla navigate their busy lives into something resembling a compromise together?

I found this to be an interesting, almost “confessions of” style of story. Told in the first person I enjoyed really getting to know Layla and understand exactly where she was coming from. I also was surprised but really intrigued when I found that Layla did a few things that weren’t very heroine-ish but were completely relatable and realistic. Things like snapping at her customers and mis-reading the signals Raymond gave her. Raymond and Layla’s relationship didn’t get off to a smooth, customary romance-book-style beginning and while this didn’t endear Layla to me, it really did capture my attention. Partly because it made this a story unlike the usual ones I read, but also because I found it completely relatable. Friendships and relationships don’t always start off being picture-perfect and smooth and we do say silly things and make mistakes sometimes. While it’s not often described in romance stories it did resonate with me and make the whole tale feel more like real-life.

I was pleased when Darryl and Lucas – Layla’s two friends and co-workers – didn’t hold back with a few hard truths after Layla shot Raymond down in flames. I feel it could have been easy for the author to have written that scene a different way. I really felt that having Darryl and Lucas both stand up to Layla and not sugar-coat their view of her poor behavior was some excellent and strong writing. Personally, I didn’t like Layla’s attitude – though when she explained why she felt the way she did I understood – and it was an unusual feeling for me to not like and sympathise with the heroine to a story. At times this was not a comfortable read, and while I can appreciate it, I strongly feel this book won’t be for all readers. I’d personally put it into one of those “I’m in a certain mood” style of books. I do have to give the author kudos for writing some realistic and unflattering aspects into the main character in Layla.

Readers who enjoy realistic characters – flaws and all – and romances that don’t progress smoothly but have misunderstandings and difficulties should find this sweet short story relatable, logical and very true to life. I feel if you’re looking for a soft, warm and fuzzy style of romance this story won’t suit your tastes, but with multi-dimensional, realistic and interesting characters, a solid plotline and plenty of reality this should be a good read for many people.

Living Love by Ava Bleu
Publisher: Persuasion Media, LLC
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short story (42 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Kim and Christopher Jenkins are getting on each other’s nerves. They love their daughter and their hometown of Ivyhurst but their family vision is a little off track. Kim wants a home like the ones she sees on cable DIY shows. Chris wants to work more than be at home with his family. And despite the fact that they both hold down jobs, they can’t seem to make ends meet.
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Now their hometown of Ivyhurst is showing signs of stress, too. Which begs the question, what does a loving marriage look like when the realities of life set in?

Kim and Christopher were childhood sweethearts who had mostly made good. With a teenager and a comfortable life the only thing Kim wants is a dream house for them to make their home. But money is super tight and Kim is worried that for the first time maybe she and Christopher aren’t exactly on the same page.

This is a slightly bittersweet – but I felt very realistic – short story. Even when two people love each other very much, life doesn’t always go as you expect it to and that was what I felt reading this story. Kim and Christopher are both completely normal and very relatable characters. I felt like they loved each other very much but had somewhat lost touch with each other over the course of almost fifteen years of being together.

Readers looking for a happy or blissful story probably won’t find that here. While realistic and understandable, I felt the ending wasn’t what I was expecting from a romance novel. Similarly there was no “romance” aspect really to my mind. While Kim and Christopher were a solid and well-established couple, I felt this story focused more on their relationship and expectations – rather than any chemistry or romance as such between them. I’m not sure this style of story will appeal to readers looking for something more romantic or gentler. I have to admit though, I found it very fresh and interesting to see how Kim and Christopher compromised and worked through the bump in their marriage. It was a good reminder that sometimes couples have to make hard sacrifices when things get tough.

Short and a bittersweet reminder of how not all romances are fairy tales – I found this to be a good short story.