Marilyn Parrish’s sweet “Menu for Love” shows that we may be lucky if we don’t get what we think we want. Jasmine was left at the altar and gained a lot of weight. She vows to lose it all and capture the heart of dreamboat Brent. Old buddy Tony becomes her diet partner and coach, and Jasmine learns what real love is all about. This is a cute take on friendship, jealousy, and real values.

“Echoes of Love,” Parrish’s other entry in this anthology, also deals with a plus-size heroine. This story is a little too predictable and has limited action outside of widowed Laura’s conscious thoughts. Her early perfect marriage is cut short by her husband’s death. She is determined to preserve Marty’s memory for herself and her child. Then Laura and son Nathan meet the owner of the new candy and ice cream shop. Nathan is immediately smitten. It takes longer for Laura to figure out her priorities.

I appreciate this author’s use of chubby main characters, but these girls sure seem to drop the weight easily.

“Racer,” by J.R. Mitchell is the most erotic and least romantic tale in the anthology. Twenty-two year old Rayne leaves the Montana race car circuit to care for her grandfather. He fixes her up with Jaden, the son of his best friend. Jaden also races cars, and has the audacity to beat her in an improvised race in the middle of nowhere. Dislike turns to almost immediate passion, involving their bodies, but not their minds, hopes or dreams.

Jordana Ryan’s “Summer Fling” features Cammie Gallagher, a rich girl with a poor track record in the romance department. Handsome hockey player Jamie Ambrose just might be different: he seems sensitive and is in town to help his sister Devon recover from the devastation of losing a spouse. Devon turns out to be the true friend Cammie sorely needed, but Jamie may be commitment phobic. He breaks off the relationship, unaware of a new development.

“Color Blind” is Ryan’s other contribution. Marissa is a wealthy white girl, off to college to discover herself. Deshawn does not come from a rich family. And the stability of his parents’ marriage is being tested by the incarceration of his uncle. The two become involved after a shaky start. The issue is whether it will be forever. There is little conflict here; race is not an issue for the couples friends or families.

These are short and mainly sweet, if not overly compelling.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Mildly sensual

Reviewer: Lynn Bushey
July 25, 2007