Saturday Night

Click on the picture of Victoria to enlarge

Saturday Night: Jo Ferguson knows she has to make some changes in her life, but first she needs to help her cousin. . .and then there's the sexy man who's out of work and who thinks she's a master cook. . .

What are they saying about this book?

In Romance Reviews Today:
The theme is romance; the genres and subgenres are varied; the quality is high. Sit back and enjoy fifteen stories by fifteen authors, while knowing part of your purchase price is being used by the Oregon Humane Society
to shelter homeless pets. A collection such as this is a good way to sample new authors' works. Each story is accompanied by a picture, a thumbnail sketch and the writer's backlist. Here's a quick peek at the contents.

SATURDAY NIGHT - Patricia Crossley
Set in a mall shop called "Essential Kitchens," this tells the lighthearted tale of two people who are right for each other despite the wrong assumptions they make on first appearances.

Jane Bowers Read the complete review

Tantalizing/4 stars Reviewed by Avalon, Simply e books

Lovey Dovey features vignettes of some of the best authors that Wordbeams has to offer. The stories run the gamut and give us a glimpse of some of the enormous talent at this electronic publisher has to offer.

'Saturday Night' involves a double case of mistaken identity. In this case, assumptions prove to open up hearts to new love.

A solid collection of romantic tales reigns in Lovey Dovey. I found myself making note of the authors found within to add to my purchase list. With paranormal romance, romantic comedy, workplace romance, historical romance, and contemporary romance, there is a story for everyone found within its pages. Pamper yourself with this collection for Valentines Day. You won't be disappointed!

Read the complete review

####

Reviewer Sally G. Laturi, Ivy Quill Reviews

In Lovey-Dovey, Wordbeams writers bring us yet another delightful collection of stories. Centered around Valentine's day and romance, the theme of this book is carried through in each and every story - but each author brings his or her own twist and viewpoint to the universal topic of love.

. . . You also won't want to miss Patricia Crossley's "Saturday Night," in which food may truly be the way to a man's heart, . . . only a few of the various romantic glimpses to be found in Lovey-Dovey. Each story can be read in a single sitting - on your lunch break, while dinner is on the stove, or just before bedtime - and each will bring a little romance to your life or a smile to your face.

Read the complete review
Copyright © 2001 Sally G. Laturi

Think of "Lovey-Dovey" as a box of assorted chocolates: though not every single piece might delight you, you are sure to find at least one story in this collection to satisfy your romantic "sweet tooth." The fifteen stories in this anthology are a "sampler" across various romance sub-genres: contemporary, historical, romantic comedy and paranormal. The majority of stories are contemporary, with a light touch, with situations ranging from a case of mistaken identity at a gourmet kitchen supply store to a trip to the ophthalmologist that gains the heroine far more than a pair of new reading glasses. (One tale features a romance-reading bookstore employee who uses her favorite form of literature to teach a co-worker what it is that a woman *really* wants from a man.) A few "dark" chocolates are mixed in as well: the tale of a demonic spirit who is changed by the power of a woman's love and loyalty, and a heroine who finds her soulmate in a shape-shifting wolf when she dances in the moonlit woods at midnight. An added bonus to this delightful collection is that a portion of the proceeds from the anthology will be donated to the Oregon Humane Society in Portland, a private, non-profit organization that relies entirely on
private donations.

Reviewed by: Sharon Nelson http://www.scribesworld.com/reviews/

Read an extract from Saturday Night:

One Tuesday morning in the middle of July, Jo Ferguson moved the spatula half an inch to the right in the window of "Essential Kitchens" and stood back to admire the effect. Her cousin, Mary, had called the display "Summer in Tuscany," and Jo had to admit it looked good. The bright sunny blues, yellows and reds of the ceramics were enough to tempt anyone to try their hand at grilled meats and luscious salads. Anyone but Jo of course.

It was nine thirty in the morning. The early coffee drinkers had gone and the shoppers hadn't yet arrived. Jo perched on a stool at the coffee bar and pulled out her file. There had been ten people in this morning. Barely
enough to cover the cost of the coffee, let alone the electricity, maintenance and the thousand other things that drained money from the business.

She tucked her hair behind her ears, settled her glasses firmly on her nose, pulled out her calculator and began to make notes on a fresh sheet of paper. Unless she was much mistaken this place was just not viable. Mary had asked her to do a business assessment during her summer visit, and so far it didn't look good. She would never get another business loan unless the figures picked up.

Jo looked up at the sound of the musical chimes hung above the door. A tall man stood in the doorway looking around hesitantly. He looked to be somewhere in his thirties, just a few years older than Mary and Jo. Jo knew
only too well how intimidating the rows of utensils and pots and pans could be. She pushed her papers aside and slipped off the stool.

"Good morning," she said with a sympathetic smile.

"Good morning," he replied. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans and gave a funny kind of shrug. "I'm looking for a book about cooking."

This she could do. She called up the marketing strategies she'd studied in school but never really used, because she'd always worked behind the scenes. Mary had to have a hundred books in her racks. This guy hadn't ask for
anything specific, so probably didn't know exactly what he wanted. He wouldn't know Jo had no idea what she was talking about.

"I can certainly help you there," she said. "Anything in particular?" She made a couple of quick mental assumptions and moved to stand beside the "One pot meal" section. That's where Mary had told her to start if she ever wanted to learn to cook.

As he took a couple of steps towards her, Jo couldn't stop her eyes from doing a quick tour. He was tall, well built. His jeans were worn but clean and his blue shirt was rolled at the cuffs to show strong, tanned forearms.
A small gold stud glittered in one ear. His hair was dark, perhaps a little long, but well cut. He looked--good. There was no other word for it. She felt a little tick of interest.

"Actually, I wanted something for a child." He smiled at her and his dark eyes crinkled at the corners. He had the most amazing eyes. She swallowed the little nudge of disappointment and made herself smile back. . . .