Tessa is back! Miss Tessa Lancaster is back with Protection for Hire Book 2! The story continues about one year after the end of the first book by Camy Tang, Protection for Hire. Tessa is continuing to protect her charges while volunteering at the battered women’s shelter. She thinks about handsome lawyer Charles Britton a lot, but she can’t decide if she wants to kiss him or punch him. They are thrown together in order to investigate and protect the father and daughter involved in a rigged singing TV competition. Will Tessa be able to protect everyone she cares about? Is it possible her mafia-boss-uncle is involved with the gambling scheme? Can she learn to forgive Charles for hurting her? Can she and Charles discover who all is behind the mysterious email mistakenly sent to her client before it’s too late?

I’ve been looking forward to reading A Dangerous Stage ever since I finished reading the first book, Protection for Hire. I have read all of Camy Tang’s books. Her characters are so real and relevant. I loved getting sucked into Tessa’s fast-paced world filled with paranoia and Japanese yakuza. Tang writes with an authenticity that is contagious and leaves you wanting more. She is especially good at weaving in updated references to movie or television characters, which made me smile.

Tessa’s character must learn to forgive in order to move on in her life as a Christian. The reader can relate with the way that Tessa struggles with anger and bitterness. She feels betrayed and doesn’t want to forgive but in the end, she realizes what is more important. It was interesting reading about how her relationship with her father was influencing her relationship with Charles.

I highly recommend this book and series for anyone who enjoys a good mystery suspense with some Christian values and romance thrown in. You won’t regret this read – I read it in less than a day! Now, I can’t wait for the next book to come out!

I received this book free from the author (as a contest giveaway) but was not required to write a positive review.

Meet Charlotte (not like the spider!) – a college sophomore who is currently staying in the dorms and out of her current roommate’s love life. In order to pass the time, this gorgeous but weird introvert finds refuge in the 4th floor lounge of her building. She also finds a few good friends and that’s all she needs. No one else. Since she was young, her older brother’s friends would always flirt with her to get a rise out of her, so she can never trust the guys in her life. She is NOT a talker and she likes to blend into the background. She is constantly approached by guys but finds that they only want one thing and she’s not willing to go there. Her new friendships are jeopardized when she begins to have feelings for one of them.  Can she find a way to keep her feelings to herself and keep her friends?

I thoroughly enjoyed this lighthearted story about the inner thoughts and feelings of a young college girl. She is not perfect but she is real. She has real fears and feelings and dilemmas. She is not a social butterfly. She has her crises and turns to her parents and her church for help. Having been down the college road recently (and being somewhat an introvert), I can identify with her.

The writing is easy to follow and has good pacing. I loved all the characters with their real life reactions and feelings. Not your typical college story of romance, but one that is equally satisfying to read. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for an easy and fun romantic comedy novel!

9 different stories about arranged marriages set in the past. Will these couples be able to find love and hold on to their faith even in the most bizarre circumstances? One bride must marry a man who has suffered so much he does not know how to laugh. One bride must marry the man who mistakenly gives her the last button for her button string. One bride consents to marry a doctor headed for the Oregon Trail – a man she only really knows through letters and his sister’s recollections. Four young ladies find themselves out West answering a bridal order but must find a way to still marry for love – even unconventional matches will do. One pregnant widow travels west to work as a housekeeper for a man who sent for a wife. One young lady must fill in for her sister and marry the man she loves but who chose her sister instead. They all need love and their faith to get through some of the most difficult situations.

I have read 5 of the 9 stories before in other novellas. I enjoyed the stories then and enjoyed reading the stories a second time. The characters are full of flaws making them very realistic and very relatable. The stories are a little faster paced than I prefer but the authors do a great job at keeping the reader’s interest. Each bride’s feelings are well represented and understood by the reader.

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy a fun and easy read. I received this copy for free from NetGalley but was not required to give a positive review.