"A TIMELESS ROMANCE ANTHOLOGY: Old West Collection," by Carla Kelly, Sarah M. Eden, Liz Adair, Annette Lyon, Heather B. Moore and Marsha Ward, Mirror Press, e-book $4.99, 302 pages (f)
The successful Utah-based authors of the series A Timeless Romance Anthology recently published their newest installment — the "Old West Collection.” Published by Mirror Press, the book contains an assortment of six romantic novellas set in the American Old West.
As with past Timeless volumes, authors Sarah Eden, Annette Lyon and Heather Moore contribute entertaining novellas that serve to anchor the collection. Carla Kelly, Liz Adair and Marsha Ward complete the anthology with well-crafted tales of their own. Each of the six stories is unique in voice, theme and characterization.
Kelly, a two-time Rita Award-winning author from Idaho Falls, Idaho, makes her first appearance in the series. Kelly is known for her historical romance novels, and her contribution raises the bar for writing quality in the series. Her charming story titled "Breaking a Leg" is about a hospital steward and a young mixed-race maid in the hospital of a frontier fort.
Although all six novellas take place in the American Old West, the settings are somewhat diverse. In addition to the frontier fort, characters interact in a mining town in Moore's "The Silver Mine Bachelor," on a Midwestern farm in Eden's "The Soldier's Heart," and on an Arizona cattle ranch in Wards' "Faith and the Foreman." In Lyon’s story, titled "The Sweetest Taste," the heroine journeys to historical Los Angeles from Idaho.
Each story brings together an engaging couple; some experience love at first sight, while others' love blossoms after years of interaction. The characters are vibrant, likeable and swoon-worthy. Each story is unique in its own right, but as a collection they are cohesive and engaging.
This new collection is the seventh in the A Timeless Romance Anthology series. The stories are short — each is approximately 50 pages long — making them quick, convenient reads. The Western theme is a first for the series, giving the collection a refreshing energy that stands apart. Readers of historical fiction, Westerns, romance, and novellas will likely find this an enjoyable volume.
As with previous A Timeless Romance Anthology books, the stories are clean in terms of language, sexual content and violence.
“A Timeless Romance Anthology: Old West Collection” is available as an e-book. The next volume, “Summer in New York Collection,” is scheduled to be released this summer.
Rebecca Irvine is the author of several books, including "MTC at Home" (Covenant 2014) and "Follow the Prophets" (Covenant 2013). She is an adjunct faculty member of Communication Studies at Mesa Community College.