Category: Anthology

Beguiled at the Wedding by Deb Marlowe, Jane Charles & Virginia Heath

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

Beguiled at the Wedding (A Summer Wedding at Castle Keyvnor Book 2)Beguiled at the Wedding by Deb Marlowe

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: A Summer Wedding at Castle Keyvnor, #2

Release Date: May 22, 2020

This anthology was another delightful addition to the fabulous Castle Keyvnor series!

Miss Penneck & the Pixie Poem by Deb Marlowe – 4 stars – A sweet romance between a bookshop owner and a progressive printer, aided by a book loving Pixie. This well written, fast-paced novella opens with Puff, a young Pixie who loves stories and who is still trying to figure out her magic, fifty years later she still hasn’t figured it out, but has attached herself to the local bookshop, owned by Miss Lowenna Penneck. Lowenna hasn’t been in Brocka Morrow long, she learned of the empty shop and leased it from the Earl at Keyvnor Castle. She has settled in with her widower father, who is still grieving the loss of his beloved wife. Lowenna hopes the shop will be the fresh start they both need. Ruan Trevellick arrives in Brocka Morrow looking to make a fresh start too. He is a printer and was invited to set up shop in the village by the Countess. Imagine his surprise when he finds a bookshop in his space! A trip to the castle confirms that they were both promised the space and the Earl and Countess promise to make things right. In the meantime, Lowenna offers to let him set up his press in her back room – an offer he gladly accepts. Things progress quickly between them and seem to be going well, until Ruan’s past catches up with him and he may have to give up the woman he loves to save her! It will take the help of a Pixie to give these two their HEA. A completely wonderful story with cameos from previous characters, Pixies, sweet kissing love scenes, a nasty villain and a wonderful HEA.

A Spirited Courtship by Jane Charles – 4 stars – A sweet second chance love story featuring Diana Vail and James Bryant, the Earl of Somerton. Diana has fallen in love with James and believes he loves her too, until she overhears his friends speculating about his relationship with Diana – they are sure he is just using her to keep his matchmaking momma at bay, they also hear that James slept with Diana’s widowed mother!! Diana is so distraught by this news that she finds James, slaps him and tells him she never wants to see him again! Months pass as they meet again at the wedding of Lady Gwyn at Castle Keyvnor. James hasn’t gotten over Diana and has no idea why she was so upset, he was going to let her go, but seeing her again stirs up his feelings and he wants answers!! Throw in a trio of ghosts that need to break a curse by helping a maiden find true love and you have a very fun story! This novella was well written, fun read with kissing only love scenes, a stubborn heroine, meddling ghosts, witches, gypsies, a pixie or ten and a nail biting ending.

Written in the Stars by Virginia Heath – 5 stars – Of the three, this second chance romance was my favorite. Five years ago Cecily Grimshaw and Spencer Tremayne were madly in love and on the brink of marriage when Chaos wreaked havoc on their HEA. Cecily sees a woman leaving Spencer’s house in a wanton display of dishabille and she imagines the worst – she writes a letter breaking with him and quits her job as governess to get away from him. He is stunned and heartbroken, he had planned to marry her and practice law, but in his despair he gives up his dreams and joins the military – keeping them apart for five long years. The Powers that Be need to set this couple back on track and only have two weeks to do it – Serendipity assures Destiny, Luck, Cupid and Reason that she has it well in hand – she has set her plan in motion to reunited the lovers, they are not convinced until they learn that she has them set to meet again in Brocka Morrow and Castle Keyvnor and with a little help from a fairy – Serendipity is sure she will prevail – after all, she hasn’t missed a deadline in 10,000 years!! This was such a sweet story, with wonderful characters, magic, witty banter, touching flashbacks and a sweet HEA.

This is an ongoing series of interconnected stories, but they can all be read as stand alone novellas and I promise if you read one, you will want to read them all!!

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

Kisses and Scandal by Shana Galen

On By BarbaraIn Anthology, Barb's Reviews, Regency Era (1811-1820)1 Comment

Kisses and Scandal: A Survivors Series AnthologyBarbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Anthology
Publication Date: 4/14/20

As always, this author’s writing is excellent. I think you’ll enjoy these novellas.

Kisses and Scandal – 3-Stars

This was, by far, my least favorite of the three novellas simply because the premise is so very unlikely. The characters are very likable, the writing, of course, is solid, but a footman (that is a real footman not a peer in disguise) and a Duke’s daughter just didn’t resonate with me.

Lady Philomena (Phil) is the sister to the scandalous Duke of Mayne. Phil’s mother absolutely doesn’t approve of her brother’s recent marriage to a scandalous widow who is much older than he is, so she has every intention of assuring Phil marries well and scandal-free. She’s given Phil a deadline to either choose her own groom or one will be chosen for her. Unfortunately for Phil, the man she loves and wants to marry would provide nothing but scandal. He is, after all, a footman.

James Finnegan comes from the slums of Dublin and along with two of his friends, they have a plan to acquire a fortune and leave for the Americas. When James wants out of their plans, his friends decide to move along without him. James will do whatever it takes to keep Phil safe, but can he also keep her love?

The ending stretched my imagination even further than the overall premise of the story and I just couldn’t buy into the whole thing. It just felt contrived to me.

Counterfeit Scandal – 4-Stars

Bridget was working for the Home Office as a counterfeiter when she fell in love with Caleb who was a spy. Caleb left on a mission, a long and very dangerous mission – and he didn’t tell her he was going. Just as she learned she was expecting Caleb’s child, she was told that Caleb had died. She resigned from the Home Office and soon met a man who cared for her even though she didn’t love him in return. He was fine with her having Caleb’s child. So, she married him because she thought it would give her child a better life. Well – that was a mistake. Her husband was good to her and her son, James, but he was naïve when it came to money, so Bridget and her husband ended up in debtor’s prison. Rather than subject her young son (about 3 years old) to life inside the prison, she took him to a foundling home and told them she’d be back for him.

Several years later, her husband is dead and she’s out of prison with all debts paid. She’s been working at Miss Brodie’s Academy for a year and has saved up enough money to rent a room and to retrieve James from the orphanage. Except, the orphanage isn’t there anymore. It burned and nobody can tell her what happened to the orphans who lived there.

She rents the room with the intention of spending every spare minute looking for James. However, as she is leaving the home where she has rented the room, Caleb is entering the same home. She is absolutely and totally shocked. She tells him that he must find a new place to live and otherwise expresses her anger. Later, she realizes that she needs Caleb’s help to find James, so she tells him the whole story. He has also explained why he hasn’t contacted her and why they faked his death. They decide to work together even though it will put Caleb’s life in danger.

Their search takes them to Spitalfields and Mayfair and into a lot of danger. Quite an exciting search.

How To Brew A Perfect Kiss – 5-stars

This was my favorite of the three novellas. I adored Thomas and Raeni and as a couple they were perfect. Both were – or had been – slaves – and now they are both in England to find their freedom. They had a wonderful tale to tell and I loved reading about them.

Thomas Gaines was a slave in America in the Carolinas, where he worked in the tobacco fields. Through courage and good luck, he managed to escape to England and has never looked back. He taught himself to read, found employment and saved his money. Now, he is the very prosperous owner of several businesses including the just-opened business on Bond Street.

Raeni Sawyer is the daughter of an English landowner in Jamaica and his slave mistress. Raeni was raised well and was never in want for anything – but she was not free. When her circumstances changed, she fled Jamaica for England. Alone and penniless in London, she found work in Bond Street Coffee and Tobacco which was owned by Mr. Thomas Gaines.

Their meeting was tumultuous, but the attraction was instant and only developed over the coming days and weeks. Thomas turned out to be very considerate and caring and Raeni was capable and gentle. Each filled a need in the other, and it was delightful to see them come to care for each other.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.