Welcome to Redemption is an anthology of four interwoven, heart grabbing, love at first sight stories written by Donna Marie Rogers and Stacey Joy Netzel. The book opens with Ms. Rogers' utterly enchanting A Fair of the Heart followed by Ms. Netzel’s totally charming A Fair to Remember, then continues with Ms. Rogers' witty battle of opposites in The Perfect Blend and ends with Ms. Netzel’s heart warming Grounds for Change.

A FAIR OF THE HEART by Donna Marie Rogers

From the moment Caleb Hunter hands Lauren Frazier the doorknob to the front door of her house and beauty shop, I was in love with this couple.  In spite of being a divorced mother of an angry pre-teen son and trying to hold together a crumbling house, Lauren faces life with witty-tongued optimism.  Her sense of humor is a perfect match to Caleb’s.

Immediately charmed by the short-on-funds Lauren and her adorable toddler daughter, the at-loose-ends handyman Caleb offers to fix her doorknob among other things in exchange for a home cooked meal.  Enter Lauren’s angry son and she figures Mr. Perfect Handyman will be gone in a heartbeat.  But Caleb understands the boy better than anyone realizes.  It seems Caleb had returned to Redemption for his mother’s funeral and too late to ask her forgiveness for his past digressions. 

Behind the witty dialogue and crackling attraction, a real family works out real problems.  The very talented Donna Marie Rogers not only gives the reader an endearing romance in this compact format in A Fair of the Heart, but a heartfelt story worthy of healing wounded souls.

A FAIR TO REMEMBER by Stacey Joy Netzel

Tara Russell doesn’t believe in love at first sight, but the Great Dane puppy dragging her through the fair crowd toward the hunky guy in a suit was wearing on her strength and her will.  Wes Carter didn’t know what hit him.  One minute he’s standing eating a hamburger and the next he’s face down on the ground being puked on by a lactose intolerant Great Dane. Whether this constitutes a “cute” meet or not is best left to the reader. But our hero has a sense of humor about the dog…eventually and that’s all the reader and Tara Russell needs to know.

Of course Tara, who lives only a few blocks from the fair, takes Wes home to clean up. Tara has already decided she wants to get to know Mr. Sexy with a sense of humor by the time Wes strips off his suit jacket and shirt. His athletic build just adds to his mystique, as does the bullet wound scar in his back and the dazzling tattoo on his shoulder. At least the tattoo should soften the blow with her biker family when she brings home a ‘suit’ to meet them.

Wes’ first impression of Tara is crazy beautiful. He wants to relocate his business in Redemption and find some quiet normalcy in his life. A biker chick isn’t in the plan. He doesn’t know Money-Manager Tara’s tats are airbrushed on and her biker babe Daisy Dukes and skimpy tank top a costume. Still he can’t resist her and ends up back at the fair watching fireworks with Tara.

Enter Tara’s over-protective brother who recognizes Wes’ tattoo as a gang tat. Now Wes is up against Tara’s alpha brother and father. But he’s no slouch in the alpha department, himself. Still, in the end, the only thing that matters is whether or not Tara believes in him. And if Tara doesn’t want him, I’ll take him…please.

Ms. Netzel’s characters don’t leap off the page and into your heart, they invite you into theirs. Tara doesn’t react to Wes’ mixed messages with the usual romance heroine’s foot-stomping fits but real, adult straight talk. Wes responds to her with honesty. His alpha protectiveness, though feral quick, isn’t controlling. Nor is he the usual angst-suffering hero as he figures out, whatever the outside package is telling him, it’s the woman inside he loves.  A Fair to Remember, though played out in a very short time period, is a love story that is completely and satisfyingly believable.

THE PERFECT BLEND by Donna Marie Rogers

Carrie Lowell is up to her eyebrows in mortgage payments all because she had to pay off her ex-husband to get him out of her life.  Men were scum.  Though, some were still yummy looking, like the librarian across the street from her shop, Matt Jacobs.  The man gave glasses a whole new sexy appeal. 

But he is full of business plans for her place and no man is ever going to get his hands on her Coffee to Chai For. Unfortunately, money flow problems force her to take on a partner and the only man up for the job is Matt Jacobs.

Promising her she can trust him, she hesitantly lets down her guard as they work together, very hesitantly.  After all, he’s gorgeous and she has unfashionable curves, not to mention a temper that scares away most men…but not Matt. Things are going so well, she even opens her heart to him a wee bit and then a bit more until she’s confessing the horrible history of her former marriage.

Just when Carrie is ready to cast caution to the wind, Matt’s sister arrives in a Ferrari, followed by the paparazzi, and Matt’s mother and father in a stretch limo. Matt Jacobs true identity is about to be revealed. So much for honesty, and forgiveness is in the hands of the wounded by lies Carrie.

Once again, Ms. Rogers tantalizes the reader with witty dialogue and layered characters.  The Perfect Blend is just that. A blend of two characters meant for each other.

GROUND FOR CHANGE by Stacey Joy Netzel

Opposites may attract, but not without a few shared likenesses.  In Charlie Russell’s and Dana McClain’s cases that would be a fondness for coffee from Coffee to Chai For and a love of an unruly, nine month old Great Dane.  Liking long morning jogs, fishing, and football…even if for rival teams proves helpful at pulling these two reluctant lovers together.  Now if only psychologist turn animal behaviorist Dana will accept the job offer from the local vet and turn Charlie’s life into happily ever after.  Or as happy as he can be considering he’s spent the last fourteen years secretly harboring the belief he’s responsible for his sister’s death.  At least it’s a secret until he bares his soul to Dana.

But Dana gave up psychoanalyzing people because she was too empathetic with her clients.  She even had two relationships that ended when the men no longer needed her to fix them.  She’s not falling into that trap again, no matter how much Charlie turns her on.

Stacey Joy Netzel’s writing shines in this wonderful story of redemption.  She makes me want to know what Charlie Russell’s kisses are like.  My toes tingle at the mere thought.  I’m also a sucker for any story that includes a dog as secondary character.

Stacey Joy Netzel’s and Donna Marie Rogers’ Welcome to Redemption has turned me into a fan of these two new writers.  I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.