Month: December 2019

A Kiss for Christmas: Holiday Short Stories by Caroline Linden

On By TracyIn Christmas, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Novella, Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

A Kiss for Christmas: Holiday Short StoriesA Kiss for Christmas: Holiday Short Stories by Caroline Linden

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: None – but has holiday epilogues for 2 different series.

Release Date: November 18, 2019

This was an absolutely delightful collection of short stories! In addition to five unconnected short stories, there are also two holiday themed extended epilogues (one for What a Woman Wants and one for A Rake’s Guide to Seduction) and if that wasn’t enough – there is also a short novella that is a prequel of sorts to the Scandalous Series!!!

Bel Astre que j’adore: 4 stars – A French Courtesan and an English Solider make an unlikely pair in this very short, very sweet story.

My True Love Gave to Me: 4 stars – A newly married innkeeper and his wife are snowed in alone at their inn for the first time and finally have time to share what is in their hearts.

Adeste Fideles: 4 stars – A returning solider and a widowed lady find they have more in common than they expected when their dogs become friends.

What a Woman Needs for Christmas: 4 stars – Charlotte gets a very welcomed visitor in this sweet holiday epilogue from the novel What a Woman Needs.

A Scot of Her Own: 5 stars – Celica’s mother, Rosalind, the Duchess of Exeter believed that her son-in-law Anthony’s uncle has serious intentions towards her, but after months with barely any word, Rosalind has decided she was mistaken and tells herself to forget him. Patrick Murray, the Earl of Wakefield, has loved Rosalind almost since the moment he met her, but things beyond his control have kept them apart and he hopes his Christmas wish will come true and restore his love to him in this holiday epilogue for the novel A Rake’s Guide to Seduction.

Grace’s Christmas Hero: 4 stars – This story follows Grace and Oliver for 18 years and lets the read share in their sweet love story.

A Kiss for Christmas: 5 stars – Clara Hampton believes her fate is set, she will marry the local baronet’s son Johnathan Mortimer and they will live happily ever after, it seems like everything is going according to expectations, until Johnathan leaves their small town and goes to London. When he returns, he is not the same young man and seems to have no interest in Clara. Bewildered, yet still willing to marry him, Clara sets out to recapture his interest, but finds herself instead attracting the attention of the very handsome, very eligible Thomas Weston. Thomas is a solicitor who has been hired by Johnathan’s father to clean up mess Johnathan made and to keep him on the straight and narrow. But one look at Clara and Thomas is captivated. Will Clara pine after Johnathan or will she realize that Thomas is the only hero for her? Very cute, very sweet story.

All the stories were awesome, none of them have any love scenes (beyond a kiss), but they are all well written, enjoyable little tidbits that only take a few minutes to read. I really enjoyed this collection and am happy to recommend the book!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eBook that was provided to me.*

A Shot In The Dark by Matthew Costello and Neil Richards

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Historical Mystery, Interwar Period (Nov 1918 - Sep 1939)Leave a comment

A Shot in the Dark (Mydworth Mysteries #1)A Shot in the Dark by Matthew Costello

Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Mydworth Mysteries #1
Publication Date: 7/31/19

What a delightful introduction to a new series this book was! I love historical mysteries and this will be a new favorite series for me. I love that it features an American and a Brit and that the writers are also – one American and one Brit. That means that we get the correct lingo, etc. from both sides. Love it!

Kat Reilly and Sir Harry Mortimer are, on the surface, an unlikely match. He is an English aristocrat and she is the daughter of an American pub owner. Yet, each has served in the war and then served their countries in other capacities. Now, they have found each other and love.

Kat and Sir Harry are on their way to Mydworth Manor to begin their new life together. As their car and baggage are being unloaded from the steamer ship, a messenger shows up with an urgent summons for Harry to make an appearance at the Home Office. So, Kat heads to Mydworth on her own – driving Harry’s prized Alvis motorcar. She had a lovely adventure with learning the rules of the English road.

When she arrives at the dower house they plan to live in, it is dark and boarded up. Didn’t their housekeeper get the cable advising of their arrival? Kat heads off, on foot, across the field to the manor house where Harry’s aunt lives hoping for a place to spend the night and await Harry’s arrival. She arrives to find a man climbing out a window – only to be shot – and then more bullets are flying all around – several flying very close to Kat. What a welcome to her new home!

Since Mydworth is a very small community, Harry’s aunt asks him and Kat to investigate. When the dead man is identified, they worry that the murderer might be close to home. With the house full of guests and servants galore, there are plenty of suspects to go around. Time is of the essence since the guests are all planning to leave.

With suspects aplenty, Kit and Harry have to work quickly to identify the guilty party. Who murdered the man who just happened to be a jewel thief? The solution is hard-won, the villain unexpected and the punishment sad.

I loved the romance and the mystery was interesting – but I never did understand why the dower house was unprepared for their arrival. Just something that was left undone and unexplained, yet it was an integral part of the plot

I am really looking forward to the next books in the series.