Table of Contents
Praise for the novels of ONE OF TODAYS BEST WOMENS FICTION AUTHORS.The Romance Reader
JUST DESSERTS
A real treat. A Romance Review
Good pacing and dialogue make this warmhearted story one that readers are sure to relish. The romances have both serious and funny elements. If you like lighthearted, feel-good, romantic tales, you are sure to enjoy reading Just Desserts.
Romance Reviews Today
There are surprising, funny twists to this story and a lot of touching episodes to pique the emotional side... Highly entertaining, cleverly written, and hard to put down... A witty and warm read... I look forward to reading other novels by this author. Fresh Fiction
A fun, romantic read. I enjoyed it and recommend it for all those who like a great story filled with humor and romance.
Midwest Book Review
Once again Bretton produces a wonderful, heartwarming story full of strong emotion, humor, charming pets, delightful characters, and a lovely romance. Theres also a poignant secondary romance. The way Bretton brings all this to life and pulls it all together for a satisfactory conclusion is what makes her a wonderful storyteller. Romantic Times
JUST LIKE HEAVEN
I laughed, I cried, I cheered... Bravo, Barbara Bretton... Another winner! Contemporary Romance Writers
Just Like Heaven... is exactly that... An engaging, humorous, and tender novel. Romance Reader at Heart
Brettons lyrical writing enthralls from the first page.
Romantic Times
Peopled with an interesting cast of secondary characters, not to mention this strong couple, this one will keep you reading past your bedtime. BellaOnline
SOMEONE LIKE YOU
Bretton, a master storyteller, superbly dramatizes a great range of emotions in this compelling tale.
Booklist(starred review)
Readers who appreciate a powerful character study that digs deep into cause and effect will want to read Barbara Brettons fine, convincing tale. The Best Reviews
CHANCES ARE
Alternately poignant and humorous, this contemporary romance gracefully illuminates lifes highs and lows.
Publishers Weekly
Ms. Bretton provides a fine return to the Jersey Shore with this warm family drama. Midwest Book Review
GIRLS OF SUMMER
Barbara Bretton is a master at touching readers hearts. Grab this one when it hits the shelves! A perfect ten!
Romance Reviews Today
A moving romance... Barbara Bretton provides a deep tale of individuals struggling with caring connections of the heart. Midwest Book Review
A book readers will want to savor. Publishers Weekly
Insightful... Bretton excels at womens fiction that engages the emotions without manipulating them... I highly recommend that discriminating readers pay a visit to these Girls of Summer. The Romance Reader
SHORE LIGHTS
An engrossing tale of hope, promise, heartache, and misplaced dreams... Its uplifting message and smooth story-telling make it a pleasant read any time of year.
Publishers Weekly
[A] warm, wonderful book. Booklist
Her womens fiction is well written and insightful with just the right blend of realism and romance... Powerful.
The Romance Reader
A lovely book... Its an uplifting story, warm and cozy, and easily recommended. All About Romance
An absolute wonder of creative writing that comes right from Barbara Brettons heart. A perfect ten.
Romance Reviews Today
And acclaim for the other novels of
Barbara Bretton...
The region of the heart is her territory.
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Soul warming... A powerful relationship drama [for] anyone who enjoys a passionate look inside the hearts and souls of the prime players. Midwest Book Review
Brettons characters are always real and their conflicts believable. Chicago Sun-Times
[Bretton] excels in her portrayal of the sometimes sweet, sometimes stifling ties of a small community. The towns tight network of loving, eccentric friends and family infuses the tale with a gently comic note that perfectly balances the darker dramas of the romance. Publishers Weekly
Honest, witty... absolutely unforgettable. Rendezvous
A classic adult fairy tale. Affaire de Cur
Dialogue flows easily and characters spring quickly to life.
Rocky Mountain News
Titles by Barbara Bretton
LACED WITH MAGIC
CASTING SPELLS
JUST DESSERTS
JUST LIKE HEAVEN
SOMEONE LIKE YOU
CHANCES ARE
GIRLS OF SUMMER
SHORE LIGHTS
A SOFT PLACE TO FALL
AT LAST
THE DAY WE MET
ONCE AROUND
SLEEPING ALONE
MAYBE THIS TIME
ONE AND ONLY
Anthologies
THE CHRISTMAS CAT
(with Julie Beard, Jo Beverly, and Lynn Kurland)
For Bertrice Small, who was right
CHLOE
Did you ever have the feeling that you were exactly where you were meant to be, that the fates had finally got it right and the rest of your life was going to be clear sailing? That was how I felt the first time Luke MacKenzie and I kissed: like I was seeing the world through new eyes.
The first time our hands touched over a basket of alpaca roving, sparks flew. Bright silver-white sparks that shot from our fingertips and lit up the night. It was every love story I had ever read, every romantic movie I had ever wept over, all my hopes and dreams wrapped up into one tall, dark, and handsome package. It didnt even matter that he was one hundred percent human and I was the daughter of a sorceress. I believed that now that I had finally found love, the rest would fall into place like magick.
Crazy? I wouldnt bet against it. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, I still believed I was on my way to the story-book happy ending none of the women in my family had ever managed to achieve.
I mean, I even made a sweater for him, and every knitter on the planet knows you never knit a sweater for the one you love until you have the ring on your finger.
What was I thinking?
I guess the truth is I wasnt thinking at all. All those romantic movies and novels I had devoured over the years hadnt prepared me for the real thing. Luke and I had gone from zero to sixty in a nanosecond, from strangers to lovers to living together in less time than it took most people to shake hands.
But then, this wasnt the real world. It just looked like it.
By the way, Im Chloe Hobbs, knit shop owner and de facto mayor of Sugar Maple, a tiny little town tucked between two mountains in the northwest corner of Vermont. Were a classic New England hamlet, famous for scenic views and great shopping, but trust me, theres more going on in Sugar Maple than meets the eye.
Up until Luke, a former police detective from Boston, showed up in early December to investigate the drowning death of his friend Suzanne Marsden, I had been the only resident human. Well, half human, to be precise, but without magick, the sorceress side of my lineage hardly mattered.
