I can gobble up these types of books like big bags of M&Ms, especially around the holidays. Even though they all pretty much taste the same, you finisI can gobble up these types of books like big bags of M&Ms, especially around the holidays. Even though they all pretty much taste the same, you finish them off one right after another - and you’re a bit embarrassed to be devouring them so avidly - and it’s nothing you want anyone to watch you gorging on. They are one of my guilty little pleasures!
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Here is a description of what you will be reading, taken directly from the book:
A Letter From the Authors
Dear Reader, We had so much fun writing the novellas in It Happened One Night (2008) that we decided to do it again—with a difference. In that book, each story used the same plot elements—hero and heroine meet at an inn, they have not met for ten years, and their story encompasses twenty-four hours. We decided upon those common plot points, and the result was four quite distinct novellas. This time we decided to let a reader dream up a story line. Avon Books’ resulting competition drew more than a thousand entries, from which we had the unenviable task of selecting twelve semi-finalists. We looked for a plotline that would challenge us yet not make it virtually impossible for our stories to be different from one another. We narrowed the field to four, then readers voted on-line for their favorite plot. The winner was Phyllis Post. This was her submission:
1. The hero, younger brother of a titled lord, had a career in the army, but has lived as a recluse since returning from the war with France.
2. The heroine is shy or unattractive and after many Seasons has never had a suitor.
3. The hero’s brother has only daughters and asks his brother to marry to try to ensure the succession.
This is the story each of us has written. Our conviction again is that our individual voices and imaginations will have created very different stories. We hope you agree.
Enjoy, Stephanie Laurens Mary Balogh Jacquie D’Alessandro Candice Hern...more
I read about half of this, and it sounded very familiar to me. Or maybe I've just read too many books in this genre apart of The Regency Rakes Trilogy
I read about half of this, and it sounded very familiar to me. Or maybe I've just read too many books in this genre and they are all starting to blur. Anyway, there was nothing special about this. It would have a 2 1/2 - 3 star rating....more
I've started my Christmas reading a day early this year... but since I've been hearing Christmas carols in all the stores since Halloween, 1 1/2 stars
I've started my Christmas reading a day early this year... but since I've been hearing Christmas carols in all the stores since Halloween, I feel I can be forgiven.
What can't be forgiven is this novella. It's just bad....more
The main reason that I did not rate this book any higher was simply because it did not capture me. I did not pick it up with any degree of eagerness. The main reason that I did not rate this book any higher was simply because it did not capture me. I did not pick it up with any degree of eagerness. It was more of a feeling, “Oh, I really should finish reading that book… or maybe take a nap instead”!
I liked the fact that the author was true to the Regency period for the most part, but I did have some quibbling issues with the book.
I thought there was WAY too much discussion of personal matters (sometimes between comparative strangers) to be believable. For example, young women should not discuss details of proposals that they had declined. It simply was not done at the time.
A couple of the characters were written more as caricatures to the nth degree. They were a bit too ‘over the top’ for my taste.
I could have done without the sexual innuendos. That did not feel appropriate to me, nor necessary. I thought they were sadly out of place.
And lastly, who were these characters by the end of the book? They were all but unrecognizable, as their characters had been so completely altered, one supposes to fit the story that the author wanted to write. ...more
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