First up in this book was Kathleen Brooks and All Hung Up. You meet Taylor Jefferies, a Hollywood starlet and Trey Everett, small town football star turned pro. Both choose a quiet life in Hung Island, Georgia instead of the bright lights of the big city. This incredibly sweet story of the world's hardest proposal had me in a non-stop fit of giggles. The grand gestures in the romance genre will never grow old with me. And this story is no exception. "You deserve so much more than a country boy like me, but I promise no one will love you as much as I do. I fell in love with you by the pond in Keeneston the night we first met, and I've spent these past years falling more and more in love with you. Not only do you make me a better man, we make each other stronger. We're a team, a family, and I would love nothing more than to be your husband." By the end of her contribution to this anthology, I added all her books to my TBR shelf on Goodreads and my Wish List on Amazon!
Our second trip to Hung Island, Georgia is Divorced, Desperate and Dangerous by Christie Craig. Reese Morris walks into Casey's Honkytonk Diner to run away from her problems back home. A broken heart, a breech of trust, a witnessed murder leads her to pouring coffee and serving up the best damn breakfast on all of Hung Island - to the locals first, of course. Reese hopes this help keep Trey Freedman - or Turner Calder, as she learned was his real name - off her mind.
In this diner, she finds her peace in a gun-toting lady by the name of Casey and a former FBI agent who she dropped eggs on and paid $20 to smile so she could get the job! In walks,
Turner has an amazing group of friends, Cops and PI's who are all content on never getting close to a woman again. They are a group of divorced men who called themselves the No Ball and Chain Gang. They watched out for each other if any were in danger of getting to close to getting in too deep with a woman. Nobody held a chance in stopping Turner from making things right between him and Reese. And as much as Reese wasn't having his apologies, it was hard not to loose yourself in Turner - after all, "Let me tell you, if he was gravy and I was a biscuit, I'd sop that plate clean." I cannot believe I have never read any books by Christie Craig - she is talented beyond belief. She also pens YA novels under the name C.C. Hunter! And my TBR lists grows...
To wrap up our vacation on Hung Island, Robyn Peterman fills us in on the stories we heard briefly during the treasure hunting about the paranormal activities on Hung with her deliciously witty story, Ready to Were. Robyn tosses you knee deep into the Council, a paranormal government that ran all things supernatural. WTF (Werewolf Treaty Federation) is who Agent Essie McGee worked for. Essie ran from Hung Island when she caught the love of her life, Alpha of her pack and the sexiest Were around cheating on her. Chicago is where she finally stopped. Dwayne is her 300+ year old Vampyre best friend she only answered to her Granny, and the WTF! When Essie gets an assignment that sends her back to Hung - she is not pleased to be working with the local pack alpha and sheriff.
"Name's Hank Wilson. You know him?"
"Yep." Biblically. I knew the son of a bitch biblically.
With Dwayne tagging along, she heads to Hung Island to be the professional she has worked so hard to become. Essie knew she could work with Hank, get the job done and be back to Chicago before she knew it. Turns out Hank doesn't want to work with Essie either! He makes her prove herself with her impeccable gun skills and than hand-to-hand combat. "Pinned underneath him on the floor, my inner wolf hooker was ecstatic." No time for nonsense, they had missing were's to find all while maintaining the cover that Essie was home to work out their "issues." Ester and Henry were on the job! Dragons, Fairies and Vampyres beware. This duo is dangerous.
Hank's older brother, Junior is who I am petitioning for to get their own story! (And Dwayne of course, but I am sure he needs no help getting Robyn's attention in his Prada wedges and Gaga drag!) Junior's secret is safe with him - but when he finally steps up and takes over the Pack, he is going to be a force of nature and the woman who finally tames him - I need to be her friend. That will be one fierce lady. The HEA was perfect in this one. Sand in inappropriate places, Grandma in a thong bikini and a gay Vampyre demanding to see the ring - what better way to end the fun and giggle filled vacation to Hung Island? "Weird was my new normal - accept and continue."
My favorite aspect of this anthology was that all the stories tied the location together. When I picked it up, I thought all would be beached themed stories, but to have them all with a central location made them all flow so well. Each showed the individual author's incredible talent to paint a beautiful story with their words.
Now to show these women some serious Hung Island Love!
Kathleen Brooks
Christie Craig
Robyn Peterman
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