The Ripple Effect Series-clean romance fiction-Book Reviews

I received this set of 6 books in exchange for a blog book review. All opinions are my own.

You can read more about this series-The Ripple Effect on author Rachael Anderson’s blog here:
http://rachaelreneeanderson.blogspot.it/p/the-ripple-effect-series.html

The Ripple Effect Romance Novella Series

“Like a pebble tossed into calm water,

a simple act can ripple outward and have a far-reaching effect on those we meet,

perhaps setting a life on a different course—

one filled with excitement, adventure, and sometimes even love.”

This novella series was so much fun to read. Very fast reading, clean, funny and romantic. I loved how the books intertwined with each other by using a character mentioned in the previous book for the current book. They don’t have to be read in order, but the character development will make more sense if you do.

Here are my reviews for each book.

Then read on below to get the official book descriptions and links to buy if you’re interested.

Book 1: Home Matters
This story is about Olivia who is a designer on a home improvement show. It follows her thru her new job experiences and kept me guessing as to whether her love interest ends up being Pete or William. I especially loved how Pete and Olivia met at auditions-very funny! Towards the end of the book, character Drew is introduced who is in book 2.

Book 2: Silver Linings
The story starts off with Drew giving all his trust fund money to a charity (Pete’s charity from book 1) and moving to Colorado to get away from his family. He ends up staying with his friend Jace and getting to know Jace’s girlfriend Eden and the senior citizens at the local assisted living facility. This story is filled with love and meaningful relationships/friendships. Left me smiling.

Book 3: Righting a Wrong
This story is about Cambri who use to live in a small town of Colorado and was friends with Jace (from book 2). After 6 years she returns to her hometown and struggles facing her dad and Jace whom she had left behind all those years ago. We read about her emotional struggles towards her dad and her feelings of regret, guilt, questioning her life…I really love the last sentence of the book when Cambri tells Jace that in looking back she wouldn’t change anything because the hard stuff made her a stronger and wiser person. Emotional story!

Book 4: Lost and Found
This is the story about Lydia (Jace’s sister from book 3) who lives in the same small Colorado town and goes to visit North Carolina for “adventure”. On her return home, her flight is delayed and she meets a great guy named Blake, who is also from Colorado. They decide to “help” each other out while they wait for their return flight home. Blake helping Lydia to find adventure in her life; and Lydia helping Blake find his grandfathers missing box. Along the way they both learn alot about each other and rethink some life choices-filled with adventure, romance, and sadness-love how the story ends!

Book 5: Second Chances
This is the story about Francie (mentioned in book 4), a widowed woman who goes back to school while balancing two jobs as well. She lives in an old house alone while her son is in college and struggles to maintain the house, her jobs, and school. Along the way she meets Professor Alex and a girl named Rose at school and develops good relationships with them. I love how the story shows Francie’s simple life and her struggles, but that shes always so caring and loving to others regardless of how busy she is. True example of service to others!

Book 6: Immersed
Sam (daughter of Professor Alex in book 5) helps do a “make under” for Lisette who has her own business of teaching English to sightseers but has a problem with attracting the wrong kind of men because she’s so beautiful. Lisette transforms herself into a very frumpy, plain woman in order to keep her business afloat to pay off old debts. Her plan works for quite a while until along the way she meets Erik and then wishes she never did her make under. Funny story-love how it ends!!

Book descriptions:

Home Matters (book 1)
by Julie N. Ford

Description:
According to her mother, Olivia Pembroke was born to be a star. But how is she supposed to be famous when she can’t even get a decent acting gig? Her lucky break comes when she lands an audition for a wildly popular home improvement show. Even though she has no design training and has never held a power tool, she refuses to let that stop her. She’s confident that her destiny is finally within reach.

When her affections are torn between her heartthrob co-host and the irritating, yet somehow endearing lead contractor, does she continue to reach for the stars? Or does she design a new happily ever after? One that leads not to the fading lights of fame and fortune, but to a love that will burn forever.

Silver Linings (book 2)
by Kaylee Baldwin

Description:
Drew Westfall wants nothing more than to forget what he had to do in the name of “smart” business. Cutting off all ties with his parents—including handing over the entire contents of his trust fund to a charity—he takes off for Bridger, Colorado where his best friend has an extra room for him. It doesn’t take long for him to realize that his business degree won’t do him much good in a town as small as Bridger, but he’s broke and has nowhere else to go.

Eden Torresi has every reason to wallow. Not only did she have to sell her house to pay for her mother’s medical expenses, but she had to drop out of school and is in a relationship with a guy unwilling to commit. But Eden isn’t the wallowing type. Instead, she spends most of her time taking care of the seniors at Silver Linings Assisted Living. When she learns that her boyfriend’s new roommate is down on his luck, she reaches out to offer what help she can. But the more time they spend together, the more complicated things get, especially when the seniors of Silver Linings decide to play matchmaker.

Righting a Wrong (book 3)
by Rachael Anderson

Description:
Seven years ago, Cambri Blaine fled her small hometown of Bridger, Colorado after her senior year of high school ended in a fiasco. But now her father needs help, and Cambri has no choice but to return home. So with trepidation, she takes a leave of absence from the landscape architecture firm where she works and heads home, hoping against hope that Jace Sutton is no longer around and that the past can stay where it belongs—in the past.

If only life worked that way.

Jace never expected to see Cambri again. After she walked out of his life without a backward glance, he was left with no choice but to try to forget her and move on. But now that Cambri is back and looking more beautiful and sophisticated than ever, some of those old feelings resurface, and Jace instinctively knows, for the sake of his heart, that he needs to avoid her at all costs.

If only it were that easy.

Lost and Found (book 4)
by Karey White

Description:
Lydia was supposed to have an adventurous and exciting summer. Instead she’s done nothing more than read and eat takeout. Now it’s time to go home, and what does she have to show for it? A big fat nothing. Unless, of course, her trip to the airport somehow turns into something more than just a flight home.

Blake feels like he’s been sent on a wild goose chase. While work is piling up back in Denver, he’s on the other side of the country, hunting for some mysterious box that his grandfather left him. Well, no more. Nothing inside that box could possibly be more important than the opportunity to make it as the youngest partner at his firm. So he’s going home, and that’s that. But that’s before he discovers his flight has been cancelled.

When these two strangers meet at the airport, they make a split-second decision to search for the box together. Maybe with both of them on the hunt, Lydia can have her adventure and Blake can find the box. And maybe, if they’re lucky, they’ll even find some romance.

Second Chances 101 (book 5)
by Donna K. Weaver

Description:
Thirty-seven year old Francie Davis, a recent widow and empty nester, gets to attend college at last. She’s sure her luck has changed when she also lands a job on campus that will pay her tuition, as administrative assistant to a history professor. When her handsome new boss yells at her on the first day of work, Francie worries she will never be good enough.

For Professor Alex Diederik, life is going downhill fast. Not only is his bitter ex-wife trying to poison their only daughter against him, but now his one place of solace—his work environment—is being complicated by his attractive new administrative assistant. She drives home his feelings of failure as a husband and father, and Alex wonders if hiring her was the right thing to do.

Francie will have to put aside her hurt and insecurities or risk her dreams, while Alex must look outside himself if he’s to mend the breach with his daughter. And, perhaps, find someone who can help heal his pain.

Immersed (book 6)
by Jennifer Griffith

Description:
Lisette Pannebaker speaks five languages and has a brilliant business plan—personal language immersion. Clients can hire her to shadow them and speak all day in any language they need to learn for business or travel—whatever. But there’s a major hitch: she’s far too pretty. Clients with less than honorable intentions sign up just to have Lisette at their side. Solution? A make-under. Way under.

The bad wig, icky makeup and puffy sweaters work like a charm. None of her male clients show her the least bit of interest. Lisette’s totally relieved.

Until…Erik.

Erik Gunnarson is charming, kind, and smart—everything she’s ever looked for. Every day as his tutor is making her fall for him more. Even though he seems to have a secret, and she’s sworn she’d never date a client, Lisette is tempted to shed her disguise—although it could mean jeopardizing her career.