I understand this book was just nominated for the Frankfort E-Book award. Certainly that says something about it.

A single audio tape tells this story, read by Linda Dano in a wonderfully animated way.

Not all love stories are about young women. This story is about a second chance. This wonderful tale reminds us to be open to the possibilities that pop up in unexpected places. Laura Parsons, a college professor, teaches composition to students who need some extra help, and she finds among her new students for the semester a retired intellignece officer who enrolls in her class to solicit her help with a book he has been commissioned to write.

The story is about the decision to court once both characters decide they share a mutual attraction, along with other common interests. They settle on the goal of marriage first and the short story ends as they leave for their first date, already having determined their goal of marriage, and now wanting to learn everything there is to learn about each other.

An interesting perspective, a pleasant story. Enjoy!

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As a young boy, Michael Curlew finds himself in Una Teague's backyard, a world of vibrant colors in Roberta Gellis' "The Colored World." His first visit is all too brief, and soon he finds himself once again in his own world where everyone and everything are shades of gray. Each time he visits Una's world, however, problems arise. As the century draws to a close, Michael yearns to stay with Una, but his very presence in her world may well destroy her.

One kiss at a New Year's celebration and Luke Carver falls in love in "Black Satin at Midnight" by Robin Bayne. That memorable kiss, though, is all Luke has for the woman's date whisks her away before he learns her name. Nine months later, he takes his daughter to her first day of middle school and finds the woman of his dreams, his daughter's teacher. Cara Janson remembers him, too, but the millennium will soon be upon them and she knows there is no future for them or for her.

When her friend sends Sydney Parker a puzzle box for Christmas, she is ill prepared to face the secret she unravels in Jackie Kramer's "The Bride-Seeker." Sydney finds herself kidnapped and taken to the future by Sergeant Drake Fremont. He knows nothing about love and romance. He's just looking for a woman to claim as his own. He may be handsome, but Sydney is not and never will be any man's possession.

Doreen Madison is proud of her daughter's and son-in-law's success in Jane Bierce's "The First of Someday." When she meets their business partner, Lance Hoffman, at Cyber Horizon's New Year's Eve party, Doreen knows that it's time to return to her own life. Lance, however, disagrees.

It's New Year's Eve and Katie O'Keefe is supposed to be meeting her blind date in Diane Kirkle's "The Love Bug." Instead, she waits for the computer technician to arrive because a bug has infected the company's computer system. She's not expecting the hunk who shows up or the crime he uncovers. By the time she reports to her boss and finishes with the police, the hunk is gone and she has fifteen minutes left before the New Year to join her date. After meeting the hunk, though, she's not sure she wants to.

Great-Aunt Lili is a ghost, or in this case, Jane Toombs' "Ghost of Love." Lili's determined that Beth Spencer not make the same mistake she did. Beth, however, isn't listening. She's come home to put the past behind her, in particular one Ross Collins. Although Lili hints of a disaster to come, she is forbidden to explain further. Beth must uncover the truth herself before it's too late.

Gellis' distinction between a world of color and one of gray painted a stark contrast in my mind's eye and made me feel Michael's yearning for the vibrant beauty. Read after the Y2K scare ended, I felt Cara's fear of coming doom silly, yet Bayne's tale is a good old-fashioned love story that captured my heart. Kramer's delightful mix of chivalry of old with gallantry of tomorrow while capturing the essence of romance and love stirred my heart. Those who wish for dreams that seem impossible will enjoy Bierce's tale, but I found it the least satisfying of the six stories because too much of the story involves setting the scene and meeting the characters, leaving little time for the romance to bloom.

Kirk's story gets my vote as the best in the collection. Even though I figured out the ending early on, she compelled me to keep reading. Reading Toombs' story, I didn't have to close my eyes to imagine the house or the characters. Each was so memorable that they combined to make a wonderful story that I will remember for a long time to come.

The dawn of a new century ties all these stories together, but each author interprets this theme in unique ways to create very different and memorable stories of love. No matter whether you're a fan of contemporary romance, time travel, the paranormal, science fiction, or mystery, Millennium Magic will satisfy your craving.

Each story is centered around the change of the millennium. Each author takes a different approach to the theme, and the result is an intriguing variety of looks at the possibilities. All six are highly engaging, enjoyable reads. We're now well past the start of the millenium, whether you believe that event happened in 2000 or 2001, but that didn't dim my enjoyment of these stories in the slightest. The group as a whole is so strong, they can be read at any time and still be as charming and delightful as if you'd read them on New Year's Eve.----

Karen McCullogh, Scribesworld Reviews

Marti Lundstrum was badly injured in a car accident that killed both of her parents. Life as she knew it is over, but she is determined to start a new life for herself. After extensive therapy, Marti is able to walk with a cane and to work at the managed care facility where she lives. The facility runs an answering service and she answers the phones at night, takes messages, makes wake up calls, does light filing, etc. Marti is happy where she is, but she knows that there are many others waiting to take her place at the facility and that it is time to move on - no matter how scary that prospect is.

Burke Hildebrand has been on the move for most of his adult life. He is a construction manager and moves from job to job to finish projects. Burke's last job was in Australia and he is happy to move to Florida to take on a challenging new job building a new type of office park including offices, conference rooms, and industrial space. The only person he knows is the beautiful, alto voice on the end of his phone line whom he knows as Marti-with-an-i. He is determined to get to know her better, but Marti is pretty skittish and doesn't think she is ready for a relationship.

However, things change when Marti begins to prepare to leave the managed care facility. No one wants to give her a job because she walks with a cane and it is hard to find an apartment with easy access for her. Burke keeps trying to persuade her to work with him at the Tanglewood Office Complex, where he has been desperately looking for an office manager. Finally, Marti allows Burke to hire her and she finds she loves her challenging new job. Housing and transportation are still a problem, however and Marti isn't sure she can continue working there. Burke has the perfect solution when he suggests Marti move into his huge new Spanish-style villa so they can drive to and from work together. Marti is hesitant at first, but she is so comfortable with Burke that she goes along with the plan. Burke tries to be a gentleman and give Marti her space, but she doesn't seem to understand how much he loves her - her cane doesn't matter to him! Marti loves Burke, too, but all she can think of are the problems her physical handicaps would cause, can she have a baby or sex with Burke? Marti fears that she cannot give Burke what he needs so she continues to push him away. Will Burke ever be able to convince Marti that she is everything he ever wanted?

I was excited to read the story at first because it had such an unusual premise and I really liked the characters. Bierce did a lovely job with her characterization and I really grew to like Marti and to admire her strengths and Burke for wanting to be with her, despite what society may say. I was disappointed with the lack of romantic development between the two as things stayed pretty much the same from start to finish. It was like the plot just kept going along without anything really happening. Still, the book is well written and I can tell that the author has potential, maybe I will give her another chance on something else she has written...

Marti may use a cane, but there is no limit on the love Marti and Burke share. The challenges this couple face are handled realistically but the romance is paramount. Half-brother Carl intrigued me--he deserves a romance of his own.