Title: Carolina Carpenter Brides

Authors: Janet Benrey, Ron Benrey, Lena Nelson Dooley,

     Yvonne Lehman

Publisher: Barbour Books

ISBN: 978-1-59789-581-1

Genre: Inspirational/Contemporary /Romance 

A Carolina superstore is the hot spot for making love connections—but will love find a firm foundation? 

"How to Refurbish an Old Romance" by Janet Benrey—Brianna Griffith hates the wallpaper in her new office, and unable to hire help, she signs up for a class at her local hardware store.  She is surprised and upset to discover that one of her classmates is her former fiancé, Zach Wilson. Will learning how to replace wallpaper replace her old flame? 

"Once Upon a Shopping Cart" by Ron Benrey—Kaitlyn Ferrer is upset when she’s sent to report about the dating scene at the hardware store. However, she does make a connection with a man who turns her world upside down. Chris Taylor is assigned an article about the same dating scene, but his takes a decidedly different angle. When Chris’s negative report reaches Kaitlyn, she’s offended, especially when she realizes that her dream date and his bad one were with each other. Will these two get past this negative impression? 

"Can You Help Me?" by Lena Nelson Dooley—Valerie Bradford believes she is asking the hardware store employee for help when she approaches Austin Hodges. Austin doesn’t realize her impression until after they settled into a relationship—and now she’s pushing him to get a better job and he doesn’t know how to tell her about the misunderstanding. Will Austin be able to admit to his real profession without destroying the fragile relationship with Valerie? 

"Caught Red-Handed" by Yvonne Lehman—Marc Goodson has been the subject of Laurel Jones’ crush ever since she first met him, but she doesn’t expect to become reacquainted in downpour after dark at the hardware store. Marc is now head of security and he has been tracking some suspicious behavior by employees. When he discovers Laurel’s suspicious behavior, he doesn’t know whether to arrest her or try to save her from a life of crime. Laurel resents Marc’s attention. Will personal feelings weigh in when someone is caught red-handed? 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading all four of these novellas in Carolina Carpenter Brides. My favorite story was "Once Upon a Shopping Cart" because it was fun, but all of them were excellent. I did find the hero a bit weak in the last story, but he improved as the story progressed.  

If you like to read contemporary novellas about true love, you won’t want to miss Carolina Carpenter Brides. It’s a winner. “Love connection, aisle 8. . . .” $6.97. 347 pages.