Six of today’s Best-selling Christian Authors weave six brand-new, unique, interconnected stories where nothing comes between the love betwixt two hearts.Betwixt Two Hearts by Amanda TruWith control of their dating website the prize, Bailey and Camden embark on a matchmaking competition that snags on unexpected results. All is fair in a contest of love. May the best matchmaker win.The Swedehearts … win.
The Swedehearts Glory Quilt by Cathe Swanson
Eleanor ran away to find herself. David knew exactly where to go in life and Eleanor didn’t fit into that journey. Could a matchmaking agency put them on the same map?
Whole Latte Love by Kari Trumbo
Misguided Drew thinks all quiet women hide harmful secrets. While pretty, new best friend Addi’s soft-spoken nature reminds him too much of past hurts to move their relationship forward. Can a matchmaking agency change his heart?
Seoul Refuge by Alana Terry
Caroline is a new believer, excited and passionate about her faith. Calvin is a Boston police detective, an atheist who can hardly believe Christians have brainwashed his wife. Caroline just wants to follow God. Calvin just wants his wife back.
Guardian of Her Heart by Carol Moncado
Signed up for a dating service by friends and brought together by a stowaway cat, Mark and Casey must decide if they want to overcome their apparent incompatibilities or go their separate ways.
Random Acts of Shyness by Chautona Havig
Heath’s sister, Selby, has laid down the law. It’s time to let her take over his love life. After a series of first and only dates, Heath embarks on her new scheme to help him overcome the debilitating nervous habit that has plagued him all his life. However, between dates, each worse than the last, he tries one more time to do things his way… sort of.
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What I think you should know:
Betwixt Two Hearts is a Crossroads collection, It contains the following contemporary Christian fiction novellas:
Bewtixt Two Hearts by Amanda Tru
The Swedehearts Glory Quilt by Cathe Swanson
Whole Latte Love by Kari Trumbo
Seoul Refuge by Alana Terry
Guardian of Her Heart by Carol Moncado
Random Acts of Shyness by Chautona Havig
What I think about this collection:
If you have yet to read a Crossroads collection stop what you are doing and get this book NOW! I think I am enjoying these collections more with each new one. This contains six stories all tied together by Betwixt Two Hearts, the book and the dating service
Betwixt Two Hearts was unexpected, I love the twists that Tru put in. I also LOVED how she didn’t hold any punches when it came to Faith. “ What you think of God doesn’t change who He is” the story was not only a pleasure to read it also made to think harder about my faith
The Swedehearts Glory Quilt was an interesting story, I love how Eleanor grew during the story, I also loved her Aunt Violet, she would be someone I would want to spend time with!
Whole Latte Love was such a hard story, I wanted to fuss at Drew so many times. Addie was such a great character. I enjoyed how the story came together.
Seoul Refuge was not your typical romance, however it was OHHH so good. A perfect Terry story with Mystery, Danger, and Romance.
Guardian of Her Heart, Oh my goodness! Mark needs his happy ever after and this story was so much to watch play out!
Random Acts of Shyness is set in Havig’s Rockland, with friends that I am always happy to pop in on! Heath is such a loveable goof! I love how he just spouts random facts ( and his story may have inspired me to get my son to tone down on the his random factoids)
If you have read any of these authors you know what a treat you are in for, if you have not had the pleasure I highly recommend that you start right here!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit, this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.
From the first book in the Crossroads collection series I read, I have been thrilled to see another book come out. These collections of standalone books with multiple stories in each by different authors capture my imagination. I love how the only requirement for these collections is to read the stories contained within each book in order. Otherwise, you can read just one, or read them in all in whatever order suits your fancy.
I love how some authors are in every collection, while some come and some go from collection to collection. Maybe because growing up I was relatively shy and found it hard to connect on a romantic level with men, Chautona Havig’s story entitled “Random Acts of Shyness” was my favorite story in the collection. I also was intrigued by the fact that the thread that tied this collection together centered around a Christian dating service we are introduced to in the first story.
However, I also have to say I love how the first story in this collection provides the thread that weaves the rest of the stories together. Alana Terry’s story entitled the Seoul Connection” illustrates perfectly the tensions and issues that can result from a believer and a nonbeliever being joined in marriage. She does an excellent job of weaving the story and the characters together into a beautiful and compelling tapestry.
So if you love Christian romance collections that beautifully come together, check out this book for yourself.
When six authors collaborate, the result is bound to be delightful. These novellas center around the Betwixt Two Hearts matchmaking business. The adventures cover coast to coast and even overseas to Korea and Europe. Three of the authors were new to me. I enjoyed getting to know their work in this way. Although all stories could be standalone novels, I found reading them as a whole gave credibility to the concept of the online business. Follow the characters through many trials including murder, divorce, royalty, missions, humor, quirks, family, and love, lots of true love at last. I look forward to following these authors on future writing endeavors. I had some favorite characters, but I’ll let the reader pick without my bias. Thank you for a unique journey around the world with the Betwixt Two Hearts concept and app.
Betwixt Two Hearts by Amanda Tru
Bailey and her firecracker personally according to Camden. I really loved how Camden’s relationship with God flowed natural into his conversations and even the online Christian matchmaking website he co-founder with Elsie and Bailey. It came so naturally to him to talk about God despite the person or circumstances. Bailey had lived life on her own terms before she met Camden. I loved how Camden and his family in words and actions mirrored the way a child of God is supposed to live.
Living our lives on God’s terms, that’s the conclusion of this novella for me.
The Swedehearts Glory Quilt by Cathe Swanson.
Eleanor and David! It was daunting for Eleanor when she could measure up to her family but I was glad that she held her head high up and followed her heart despite the pressure from them.
I love big families and this story had it!
Beautiful story. I liked how this story was connected with the first!
Whole Latte Love by Kari Trumbo
Awww poor Addi! Always the sidekick but never the girlfriend! But I loved how that got to change with Drew even though he was slow to getting there.
I liked how this story evovled, how Addi realized who she was in God and how Drew got to know who he wanted to be with.
Seoul Refuge by Alana Terry
Tear-jerking story of forgiveness and love undeserved.
Guardian Of Her Heart by Carol Moncado
I love, love Royal stories. Mark and Casey’s was so enjoyable to read. Meeting each other through the Betwixt Two Hearts app and forging a beautiful relationship despite their difference.
Swoony story.
Random Acts Of Shyness by Chautona Havig
This was a perfect conclusion to this collection. Jordan and Heath first day couldn’t have gone any bad but I liked how they found themselves again in very funny circumstances.
I liked how all the stories tied together.
I received a copy of this book and this is my honest opinion.
These are some great authors and I love reading the collections that they write together. One book ties the set of six novellas together. This Crossroad Collection, Betwixt Two Hearts, starts with the first novella by that title which tells the story that ties all the ones coming together.
I’m not sure how the ideas for all of the books pop up into the authors’ brains but I’m glad they do! I loved reading these collections and always look forward to the next one. You can check them out on Amazon and read for free if you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Chautona Havig is one of my favorite authors so I knew this would be a great collection if she was in it. Plus I have not met an Alana Terry book that I haven’t liked.
I think I like these collections more than the full novels because you get more stories for your book and you get to experience different styles of writing so you don’t get bored halfway through. Sometimes collections can get boring. That is never how I would describe this one.
You are going to want to read this collection. It’s one of those that I was so sad each time I had to put my phone down and stop reading because I didn’t want to! But alas the kids needed to be fed and the chores had to be done. Grab your copy today and then go back and read some of the other collections as well. You won’t regret it!
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
I couldn’t wait to start this book. I was intrigue how the stories were going to flow together at the end and make a connection. It is a big job these authors have undertaken. I am ready t9 begin my journey into a bit of romance, intrigue and God’s plan.
Betwixt Two Hearts by Amanda Tru
Two strangers agreeing to work together on a making a dating/matching sight for men and women ; what could possible go wrong? Bailey has her heart set on doing the website one way and Camden has already finished the website the way he wants it. Oh I could feel the tension in the air as these two stubborn people think they know who makes the perfect couple. The game is on to see who can make the best matches and take control of the website.
Bailey is pretty outspoken and lets Camden get under her skin a bit too much. I loved how they each considered themselves Christians but had different ideas on what a Christian is. The moments in the story where the author gives us details about computer programming was incredible to read. I certainly didn’t see the intrigue coming but it really enhanced the story. There are so many surprises in the story that I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I loved how the author explained how important it was to be saved and to follow God. He should be the one we look to for answers. Bailey has a moment in the story that made me want to hug her. It is a turning point for her and I believe she realized who her mate should be. It is a fun story filled with intrigue, romance and finding God.
The Swedehearts Glory Quilt by Cathe Swanson
Oh what a wonderful story about dreams, family and God’s plan for your life. Eleanor is a delightful character. She is smart, determined and in need of a date. Her family is so competitive about their professions that I wanted to scream. Eleanor is a teacher but her heart isn’t in it. I loved when she started working for her uncle. You could feel her enthusiasm and how confident she was. If only her family would accept her desire to change professions everything would be easier. There is a lot of pressure on her to bring a date to a very important family gathering. Where will she find someone willing to go to a stuffy party with her?
David is a very educated man with a great job, but he feels God calling him to ministry. It’s funny how Eleanor and David were both dealing with friends and family over what they should be doing with their lives. I loved the brief encounter David and Eleanor have in a coffee shop. When they both sign up for Beatrix matchmaking service I was thrilled to learn they had been matched to each other. I enjoyed the talks they had and how easy they seemed to get along.
I think my favorite part of the story is when Eleanor spends time with her Aunt Violet. We get to learn about family history and Aunt Violet’s love for God. I loved their deep discussions about being a Christian and it was no accident that Eleanor lived with her aunt for awhile. The woman is full of wisdom and her compassion for Elenor to have a real relationship with God was priceless.
Eleanor and David start a great relationship but something gets in the way. Perhaps it is pride, or doubt or just not knowing what she wants that will cause Eleanor to have second thoughts. The story is a wonderful look at being happy, finding love and allowing yourself to follow God’s direction.
Whole Latte Love by Kari Trumbo
Addi won my heart instantly. She is shy, unsure of herself and has a heart of gold. She has always been “the friend” but never “the girlfriend.” I wanted to tell her how special she was to God and give her a hug. I admired her work ethics and how she is putting herself through college. I can’t say much about her boss at the coffee shop because I didn’t like her at all. She is shallow, mean and downright hard to be around. Each time she spoke to Addi in a condescending way, I wanted to tell Addi to speak up for herself.
Drew is a good character but he sure does have a hard time seeing his perfect mate who is right in front of him. Going to the coffee shop everyday, he sees Addi but he is more focused on the owner of the shop. I really liked how the author shows us through Addi that it’s not what’s on the outside that counts. I liked the way the matchmaking company was used in the story. Drew really has a good heart and I liked how his friendship with Addi was important to him.
Liberty was probably my favorite character in the story. Once she arrives to work at the shop, Addi seems to come out of her shell. Liberty is a real friend and tells her in grace the things she needs to work on. She needs to speak up for herself and go after what she wants. Having Liberty as a real friend has helped Addi find her way back to God. The story is filled with believing in yourself, waiting on God and discovering what real love is.
Seoul Refuge by Alana Terry
This story is a little different than the others in this collection. It is a bit more serious but shows the excellent way this author tackles hard subjects. Caroline is a woman on the verge of giving up on her marriage. Her husband is a non believer which puts a strain on their marriage. In typical marriages it is always easy to find fault with your spouse. That way you blame your spouse for the marriage falling apart.
I loved reading about Seoul and Mrs. Cho. Caroline goes there to help at the orphanage but God had a different plan for her. Mrs. Cho is passionate about marriages and God. I believe Mrs. Cho was the perfect person to speak in love to Caroline. Her faith is shared in a story about her own marriage, and you can feel Caroline’s heart soften. Sometimes God will get our attention in the most unexpected ways.I loved how Caroline and Mrs. Cho pray for the orphanage as well as for their husbands.
Calvin just seems angry at the world. He hates that his wife is a Christian and pushes her away. I liked how we see Calvin struggle with hearing about God. Calvin is focused on the murder of a young girl and stays up many nights trying to solve it. He ignores the fact that his marriage is falling apart. I thought the way the author incorporated the match making web site was genius. She developed a great mystery while showing two people facing the failure of their marriage. It’s a great lesson in how we need to examine our own hearts and ket God take care of the rest. What looks impossible to some is not impossible to God. He can change the heart of a person even when it looks hopeless.
Guardian of Her Heart by Carol Moncado
This is the kind of story girls dream about. Casey is about to find the man of her dreams but is she ready for it? The story is sweet and I loved how a matchmaking app brought these two together. Mark is a knight in shining armor. I can’t believe how much of a gentleman he is.
Casey finds herself in an unpredictable situation and all she can think to do is call Mark who she just got matched up with. I can tell you there are sone funny moments in the story as Casey seems to get herself into situations that call for rescue. Mark is a wonderful dream of a character. He is very nice and I love how he treats Casey. The man is a saint I say. He will do anything to help Casey out. His life is quite different from hers but he is definitely smitten with her.
This is a great story of love at first sight. It examines how a relationship should be with no pressure and honor given to each other. Casey will find herself questioning Mark as he is always willing to help her out. The ending is a storybook fairy tale and I loved getting a glimpse into the world of royalty.
Random Acts of Shyness by Chautona Havig
Oh be still my heart. Heath you are one adorable character. Your social awkwardness is endearing. I loved reading about his disaster of a date with Jordan. I laughed so loud while reading this story my husband asked if I was okay. The author delivers a story that is unique and filled with adoring characters.
I loved how Heath became a bit more confidant over time and how his sister encouraged him. It’s a great story of never giving up and trusting God. I loved how all the stories tied together in a nice bow at the end. Each author gives readers questions at the end of their story that helps us dig deeper into the meaning of their story. I loved how each author gave us a unique story that flowed easily to the next. This is a wonderful collection of stories that bring laughter, hope and God’s love to each of us.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
This is a collection of books about Betwixt Two Hearts,an online Christian dating site.
The stories are interesting and exciting,by known authors and new ones.
Th e following is a review of one of the enclosed stories.
Guardian of Her Heart
Carol Moncado gives us a cute romance on the fringes of the royals,involving Casey,a yarn knitter and Mark,a security official.
She is from Texas and he is from Montevaro and they meet in Serenity Landing.
This was a fun romance involving a n online dating site,a grumpy cat,and a craft show.
The characters were interesting and if you have read all Carol Monca d books,you will see familiar faces.
This book is recommended for those who love romance with a semi royal worldview
What a collection!! There are so many book troupes to enjoy in it–ie: Friends-to-love, Enemy-to-love, etc, that I think readers will find some of their favorite ones among this set. These authors are all new-to-me and that was an extra bonus, I’ll be looking for books written by each one for future reading! The stories themselves are full of Christian faith playing out in imperfect people, so you’ll meet characters like people you may already know living out everyday life. I felt like they could become friends in real life & I’m a huge fan of character lead stories. Some secondary ones I liked over others, but it just made for a well-rounded cast of characters.
Lastly, I’ve never read books based around a Christian online match-making service (not a dating site), so it was extra fun to meet the couples who were matched through it and see their love story being played out! There’s so much to adore about each story and I’m sure readers will find this a refreshing faith-filled set of romantic fiction that satisfies both heart & soul.
Betwixt Two Hearts is a collection of interconnected stories, each one written by a talented author who brings her own style & flavor to the mix. In this case, all the stories are tied together by an online matchmaking/dating service, which you can imagine brings all manner of humor, romance, and touching moments – even a dash of suspense. They may not all be related to the dating service in the way you might expect, though, which keeps the collection from being too predictable and lets each story stay fresh and intriguing for readers to start the next one.
Bottom Line: A variety of settings, characters, voices, and themes frames Betwixt Two Hearts with something for nearly every reader. Brought to life by six unique authors, each story allows readers a taste of that writer’s style and talent, allowing the collection to be its own sort of matchmaking service – that of matching the right readers to the right authors and hopefully establishing a lifelong reading relationship. At the core of it all is the important reminder (reflected in varying degrees & in beautiful ways in each story) that no love on earth satisfies like the greatest Love found only in Jesus.
(I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I purchased for my own collection.)
My review is for the first three books in this collection. The first two books were a little too preachy. Yes, Bailey didn’t lead a very fulfilling life and her boyfriend was selfish, but Camden didn’t have to beat her over the head with his beliefs and how she should change throughout the book. He wasn’t exemplary himself with his super secret spy activities that almost got her killed. In the second book, Eleanor using Betwixt Two Hearts just so she would have a date to her parents’ anniversary when the dating site is for the purpose of forming long term relationships was wrong. But David was kind of judgmental especially about how Eleanor was finding herself after not enjoying being a teacher when he was going back to school to change careers too. Kari’s book was the best of the three. I know how barista Addi feels being over looked by the opposite sex and having to settle for being friends. Drew was originally interested in her high maintenance boss because she was the opposite of his ex until he spent time with her. I was glad he opened his eyes to what was right in front of him all along. I liked these Christian romances that had funny and intense moments and nice but flawed characters.
I really enjoyed this new Crossroads Collection set. I will admit though my favorite books were the last two (by Carol Moncado and Chautona Havig.)
This collection has several authors I have read and enjoyed in it. I think this has to have been the best written of the Crossroads Collections. I like the fact that the first story pulls them all together, before venturing out into the individual lives of the various characters. I laughed, I had trouble putting it down – thank goodness a story would end so I had a good stopping place – or my household might not have been fed until it was finished!
A matchmaking contest?
My rating is 4.5 stars
As with the other Crossroads collections, Amanda Tru has written the story that ties them all together. I have to say that I love the way that the authors work together to tie the stories together, not only with the main storyline of the collection but also having them fit into their own series and still making it so each one can stand alone. Whew! I’m guessing that is a lot of work!
Betwixt Two Hearts by Amanda Tru
This story is the one that ties them all together and introduces the matchmaking agency, Betwixt2Hearts.com. I started out not liking Bailey a whole lot. She was a tad selfish and not very nice to Camden at all. At one point, I was going to just skip through the rest of the story and move on to the next. I’m glad I decided to finish it. The funny thing is, when I read the author’s notes at the end of that story I found that she didn’t really like Bailey at first either. Yet Bailey’s story was one of a woman who thought she was a Christian only to find that she didn’t really know Jesus. The author did a great job of making the Gospel message clear. And taking a character who is not all that likable and through the redemptive power of the Holy Spirit showed the kind of change that can take place when we give our lives to the Lord.
The Swedehearts Glory Quilt by Cathe Swanson
It is hinted in the introductory story that there is something “off” about Eleanor living in the small town of Minnesota. I enjoyed this story.
Seoul Refuge by Alana Terry
This is my favorite of the Alana Terry books I’ve read. It doesn’t fit into the romance category as well as the others and is far more mystery and Christian fiction. The message is powerful and the story very interesting. The tie-in of Betwixt2Hearts.com to this story is not what you would expect (until you read the intro story, of course!)
Whole Latte Love by Kari Trumbo
I mostly think of this author as writing historical fiction. Yet in this contemporary romance, she does a fantastic job. I really liked Drew and Addi. Both are a little shy and insecure. It was fun the way they already knew each other before getting matched and I loved watching Addi’s transformation as she was able to grow past her fears.
Guardian of Her Heart by Carol Moncado
Read with a Preview at AmongTheReads.net
I was given a copy of this book for free. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.
I read A Whole Latte Love by Kari Trumbo. I like her writing style and her sense of humor. “Kaylie dug a huge spoonful of rocky road from the carton and closed her eyes with a groan as she sucked on the spoon. Its sweetness obviously more enjoyable to someone who never ate it than for Addi, who almost felt like she should leave the room to give Kaylie her private moment with her spoon.” Kari Trumbo makes it so easy to picture the scene. She’s concise, not wordy. I liked the main characters, Addi and Drew. I highly recommend Kari Trumbo’s story. I received an ARC. I chose to write a review and share my opinion.