Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve loved romance stories for as long as I can remember. When I was a child, we’d make the long drive to visit my grandma, and I would always sneak into her room, perusing the Harlequin romance books she was never without. As I grew older, I turned to novels with love stories to escape the hard times in my life. If I could rely on anything, it was that I would get a happy ending when I delved into those pages. When I began writing my own books, that feeling was what I became most passionate about giving to my readers. An escape from the everyday. The promise of a happy ending.


I wrote

Breaking Down

By L.E. Wagensveld,

Book cover of Breaking Down

What is my book about?

Determined to protect herself, Carmen Maclean heads to the small mountain town where her little brother lives, but her plans…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Dead Romantics

L.E. Wagensveld Why did I love this book?

I loved how this story combined paranormal elements with romance and family dynamics.

The snappy, quirky dialogue made me laugh out loud more than once, and Florence’s inner chaotic monologue felt all too relatable at times. A fresh, unique love story with much more to offer than simply being “fluff.”

By Ashley Poston,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Dead Romantics as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A New York Times Notable Book of 2022!

The New York Times Bestseller and Good Morning America Book Club Pick!

"I LOVED this book! ...Funny, breathtaking, hopeful, and dreamy.”—Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis

A disillusioned millennial ghostwriter who, quite literally, has some ghosts of her own, has to find her way back home in this sparkling adult debut from national bestselling author Ashley Poston.

Florence Day is the ghostwriter for one of the most prolific romance authors in the industry, and she has a problem—after a terrible breakup, she no longer believes in love.…


Book cover of One Night on the Island

L.E. Wagensveld Why did I love this book?

I loved this book. It wasn’t just a romance. It was a love story for a place.

An ode to an age when women begin to learn their power. It was a love story about friends who become family and the people who touch us along the way.

I closed this book feeling so many emotions and have recommended it repeatedly to anyone who needs to lose themselves in a book. 

By Josie Silver,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked One Night on the Island as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Day in December . . . When a double-booking at a remote one-room cabin accidentally throws two solace seekers together, it feels like a cruel twist of fate. But what if it’s fate of a different kind?

“A perfectly executed and quintessential romantic comedy.”—Christina Lauren, author of The Unhoneymooners

Spending her thirtieth birthday alone is not what dating columnist Cleo Wilder wanted, but she plans a solo retreat―at the insistence of her boss―in the name of re-energizing herself and adding a new perspective to her column. The remote Irish island…


Book cover of Just Haven't Met You Yet

L.E. Wagensveld Why did I love this book?

Maybe I need to travel? Again I have a book here that has you practically swooning over the setting.

The Channel Islands sound…wonderful, and I loved the charming descriptions. This book asks if you can fall for someone before you meet them. Is there such a thing as fate?

Or is love hiding where we least expect it? I really enjoyed that the love interest isn’t typical of a romance novel. Yay for realistic heroes!

By Sophie Cousens,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Just Haven't Met You Yet as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the New York Times bestselling author of This Time Next Year comes a heartwarming and hilarious tale that asks: What if you picked up the wrong suitcase and fell head over heels for its mystery owner?
 

Hopeless romantic and lifestyle reporter Laura’s business trip to the Channel Islands isn’t off to a great start. After an embarrassing encounter with the most attractive man she’s ever seen in real life, she arrives at her hotel and realizes she’s grabbed the wrong suitcase from the airport. Her only consolation is its irresistible contents, each of which intrigues her more and more.…


Book cover of How to Fail at Flirting

L.E. Wagensveld Why did I love this book?

This book packed a real punch. There’s a wonderful love story, but there's also grief and healing.

Our heroine is learning to put her life together after a terrible relationship that stripped her of her confidence and so much more.

There’s a wonderful man waiting to help heal her heart, of course, but also priceless friends who help put our girl back together and direct her toward her future.

By Denise Williams,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How to Fail at Flirting as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Put "Read How to Fail at Flirting" at the top of your to-do list!' Jen Deluca, author of Well Met

Let a guy buy her a drink: tick
Try something new: tick
Hook-up with someone: ... not quite

For one night only, Naya's friends convince her to shed her frumpy cardigan for an evening on the town. For once, she'll forget about her demanding job and, with the help of her new to-do list, practice flirting with a charming stranger . . .

Jake might be just what Naya never knew she was looking for. He's sexy, he makes her…


Book cover of Love and Other Words

L.E. Wagensveld Why did I love this book?

Ahh, the book that began my love affair with the best friend writing duo Christina Lauren.

A second chance love story with alternating timelines, this story unfolds with Elliot and Macy coming back to one another after a tragedy tears them apart as teens.

As usual, CL brings us lovable characters and a story full of wit, wisdom, and love.

By Christina Lauren,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Love and Other Words as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An uplifting and unforgettable read that will make you fall in love with life again . . .

'You can never go wrong with Christina Lauren!' Paige Toon

'A true joy from start to finish' Kristin Harmel

Macy is settling into an ambitious if emotionally tepid routine: work hard as a new paediatrics resident, plan her wedding to an older, financially secure man, keep her head down and heart tucked away.

But when she runs into Elliot - the first and only love of her life - the careful bubble she's constructed begins to dissolve. Once upon a time, Elliot…


Explore my book 😀

Breaking Down

By L.E. Wagensveld,

Book cover of Breaking Down

What is my book about?

Determined to protect herself, Carmen Maclean heads to the small mountain town where her little brother lives, but her plans take a turn for the worse when car trouble leaves her stranded on the side of a lonely mountain highway. Sawyer Stevenson is a divorced small-town mechanic, scared to fall in love again. When tasked with fixing a Beetle better left in the junkyard, Sawyer accepts the challenge. He didn’t count on meeting Carmen or the feelings she would stir in him.

Nothing matters to Sawyer but keeping Carmen safe when danger follows her to Willow Brook. For the first time in as long as either can remember, they are looking forward instead of back, but what exactly does the future hold?

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Henderson House

By Caren Simpson McVicker,

Book cover of Henderson House

Caren Simpson McVicker Author Of Henderson House

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Reader Optimist Community theater geek Sourdough baker Rescue dog mom

Caren's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

In May 1941, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, hums with talk of spring flowers, fishing derbies, and the growing war in Europe. And for the residents of a quiet neighborhood boarding house, the winds of change are blowing.

Self-proclaimed spinster, Bessie Blackwell, is the reluctant owner of a new pair of glasses. The landlady, Mrs. Henderson, senses that new tenant, Frank Davis, could throw Bessie's spinster status into question with his gentle eyes and ready smile. But the scar on his forehead and rumors of divorce speak of a troubled past. Bessie's sister, Florence, knows all about troubled pasts. In a desperate attempt…

Henderson House

By Caren Simpson McVicker,

What is this book about?

"Like a love song to my Oklahoma roots. Henderson House offers a sweet window into a past when lives and loves moved to the gentle rhythm of small-town cafes, front porch swings, and old two-lane highways." - Lisa Wingate, New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours

An enchanting boardinghouse tale of sisters, secrets, and later-in-life romance, Henderson House invites you to pull up a rocking chair and lose yourself in the heartaches and hopes of 1940s Oklahoma.

In May 1941, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, hums with talk of spring flowers, fishing derbies, and the growing war in Europe. And…


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