(Image from Barnes & Noble)

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, it's the perfect time for a little romance.  Fictional ones are particularly nice since they always end with a swoony HEA (Happily Ever After).  This is especially true in Love Unexpected: A Storybook Romance.  The new collection includes three sigh-worthy novellas by favorite LDS authors Melanie Jacobson, Jennifer K. Clark and Julie Daines.

Since I'm a big Jacobson fan, it's no surprise that her contribution, Storybook Romance, was my favorite of the three.  The story stars Ellie Hanover, a 20-something New York City book editor who loves championing quality novels.  Her old boss trusted her instincts; with his passing, the publishing house where she works is being run by a shrewd woman whom Ellie has never liked.  Apparently, the feeling is mutual.  When Ellie plucks a promising novel out of the slush pile, she hopes she can convince her boss to take on the project.  Especially since the more Ellie chats online with its author, the harder she's falling for him.

The second novella, He Loves Me Not by Jennifer K. Clark, revolves around Kenedee Roberts, a young woman who manages the office of a river rafting company in Utah.  She's in love with her handsome boss who, despite having a girlfriend, leaves fresh flowers on Kenedee's desk every morning.  As soon as the timing is right, she knows he'll make his move.  Can she stand to wait around for him?  Or will Kenedee have to take matters into her own hands?  

Fools of Us All by Julie Daines rounds out the collection.  It features Jane Ricks, a 26-year-old who's always lived in the shadow of her dynamic twin sister.  While Jennica is off trying to become a star, Jane's home taking care of their mother, who's been physically and mentally disabled since the car accident that killed the girls' abusive father.  When Mason McIntyre, the guy Jane has pined for since high school, asks her out, she can't say no.  Even though Mason thinks she's Jennica.  Will the case of mistaken identity end in disaster or a destiny more delightful than Jane ever could have imagined?

While the first and last stories appealed to me more than the middle one (which just seemed silly and far-fetched), all of them are light, clean, and romantic.  Predictable, of course, but fun, too.  At 162 pages, the whole book can be enjoyed in an hour or so.  If you're in the mood for a quick, heart-happy read, look no further.  

(Readalikes:  Reminded me of Melanie Jacobson's novels, The List; Not My Type; Twitterpated; Smart Move; Second Chances; and Painting Kisses)

Grade: 

(for the whole collection)

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for nothing offensive -- the stories are just geared toward adult readers (although they're perfectly appropriate for teens)

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Love Unexpected: A Storybook Romance from Covenant in exchange for taking part in the book's blog tour.  Follow along on the tour here: