[Reader 1]—Canadian, Urban, Professional Woman—About Stop By. It's a nice, sweet story with some great action at the end. I believe you will find an audience[…] Your prose, I have to say, is far superior to most. […] You will attract exactly the type of women readers […] who like a sentimental love story rather than erotic or sappy romance—which yours is not. Good thing, otherwise I would not have been able to get through it. ### Author commented back with smiley: "Neither would I."

[Reader 2]—U.S., Urban, Professional Woman (industry reader)—The plot is solid and well structured[…] The reader follows the story of how Marian and Rick get together. The main conflict is Marian and Rick trying to connect, despite constant conflict and past emotional wounds. The overall theme of the story is everyone has a second chance at love. The moral of the story is one should always take a second chance at love. The main conflict, theme, and moral come together as a cohesive book for romance readers. As a reader, my reaction is that I like how the author presents in the beginning of the book that it ends happily ever after. The book is all about the protagonists striving to reach this happy place. They endure past emotional wounds from other relationships as well as constant conflict to finally be together. I feel the lyrical prose adds to the romantic feeling of the story, because the setting description reflects the protagonists’ emotional states. This is well done and romance readers will appreciate it. As a reader, I can feel the longing between Marian and Rick, and as the author wants, it’s a clean, more innocent version of a romance novel without all the sex, swearing, etc. Reader #2 continued (excerpted):

Marian and Rick undergo a sense of growth, since in the beginning, they are unhappy and don’t know how to change. As they discover each other, they deal with their unhappiness and learn how to love again. […] The beginning works for the book, since the author starts out with a compelling scene. This scene keeps the reader intrigued, since it’s a lyrical and nuanced start of a romance novel. The reader gets to know Marian up front and will continue reading to find out how she finally meets and connects with Rick.[…]There are also subplots of Marian’s workplace, Rick’s relationship with his family, and Marian’s past relationship with Tommy. These stories interweave seamlessly as the book moves forward; all the loose ends are tied up and no question is left unanswered. The resolution works for each character.[…] The ending works for the book, since Marian and Rick are together. Though it is predictable, the ending works well, because the protagonists have endured so much conflict already. Therefore, the reader receives enough closure and the book ends at the right time.[…] The dialogue keeps with the romance feel and aids the plot. Not a word is wasted, which is a sign of well-done dialogue. […]All the characters give variety yet do not confuse the reader. The balance between major and minor characters is well maintained. The minor characters are capitalized on. […]The characters speak consistently, and they have unique voices. Marian sounds sweet, Rick sounds straightforward, and Linda sounds mothering. The author has a gift for writing lyrical prose that fits well into the romance genre. […] The writing style helps moves the plot along, because the setting description often reflects how the characters feel.