Other Hearts Whisper Back #RomanceGems

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. It's the day that, as Laura mentioned on yesterday's post, the naysayers come out of the woodwork to "poke fun at romance."

It's the Romance Gems' day to celebrate love. All kinds of it--we all have families and friends--but especially romantic love. The single rose, dancing in the kitchen, walking two-by-two in the moonlight kind.

Come celebrate with us, if you will. Here are some of our favorite celebration books. We hope you try some--or all!--of them as part of your own Valentine's celebration, and we hope you enjoy them. 

Wishing you love from the Romance Gems. 

In Marcia King-Gamble's Ring in the Moment, Keisha Wilson gets the surprise of her life when her boyfriend, Brian O'Connor dumps her, and right before one of the biggest holidays of the year. Brian gives no explanation, and although Keisha is hurt she has no choice but to move on. What else can she do?

Brian has never stopped loving Keisha, but he's reluctant to drag her into a mess. A past indiscretion has come back to haunt him, and until he can get that situation handled, he's in no position to make a commitment. But when Brian realizes that Keisha isn't going to sit home and mope, and he may lose her, he decides it's time to take action.

Portia, the woman back in his life, has other plans, She's not going to walk away without a fight. Brian. responsible as they come, has to take a hard line if he wants to win back Keisha.

But given Brian's secret, will Keisha take him back? Can love survive deception?

In By Heart, also by Marcia King-Gamble, Cynthia Lawsen (Cyndy) first introduced in By Design is totally off men. Her last romantic encounter was not a pleasant one. The only good that came of it was her beautiful son, Eli. Eli is her entire world until Jacques Moreau comes along. Half Algerian, sexy as they come, and a talented sculptor, he's everything Cyndy has dreamed of and thought she could never have. But Jacques has his own secrets, and she suspects he's in love with someone else. And although Cyndy knows he's completely out of her league, she's determined to live in the moment.

Jacques' goal is to sweep this delightful woman off her feet. But the elephant in the room remains --- the matter of the other woman or is it women? Is Cyndy a fool to hang in there, or should she move on and find someone completely monogamous?

Peggy Jaeger offers up 3 Wishes. Do wishes have expiration dates? Valentine's Day is chocolatier Chloe San Valentino's favorite day of the year. Not only is it the busiest day in her candy shop, Caramelle de Chloe, but it's also her birthday. Chloe's got a birthday wish list for the perfect man she pulls out every year: he'd fall in love with her in a heartbeat, he'd be someone who cares about people, and he'd have one blue eye and one green eye, just like her. So far, Chloe's fantasy man hasn't materialized, despite the matchmaking efforts of her big, close-knit Italian family. But this year for her big 3-0 birthday, she just might get her wish!

A Valentine's Day offering from the Christmas Town bunch is only $1.99! Gem Liz Flaherty's contribution in Be My Heartwarming Valentine is A Place to Hang Her Heart, but there are eight stories by Harlequin Heartwarming authors to...er...warm your heart. 

Christmas Town to the rescue!

An abnormally cold and snowy winter wreaked havoc in Christmas Town. Pipes froze, snowy roofs caved in, and even the famed gazebo in the town square was blown over! But the hardest hit was the historic town library, where pipes burst – flooding the main floor and destroying all the books and computers. While insurance helps, it won’t cover everything. Christmas Town’s solution?

Calling all bachelors!

The Knotty Elves decide a Valentine’s Day Bachelor Auction kills two birds with one stone – raising money to save the library while working their matchmaking magic. From a personal chef to the town’s snow plow operator, there’s one thing all these handsome, homespun heroes have in common: they’re about to find love, Christmas Town style.

Be sure to check out You Bet Your Valentine by Anna J Stewart, the prequel novella that starts all the Valentine’s Day fun!