A Timeless Romance Anthology: All Regency Collection

 Posted by  Book Reviews
Jan 122015
 

22881031A Timeless Romance Anthology: All Regency Collection

Authors: Anna Elliot, Sarah M. Eden, Carla Kelly, Josi S. Kilpack, Annette Lyon, Heather B. Moore

Publisher: Mirror Press

Published: January 5th, 2015

ASIN: B00RR8AJ72

ebook: 320 pages

FTC FYI: Received a Kindle copy in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by Mindy

Summary

Six Award-Winning Authors have contributed new stories to A Timeless Romance Anthology: All Regency Collection. Readers will love this collection of six regency romance novellas.

In THE WEDDING GIFT: A PRIDE AND PREJUDICE STORY, an enchanting novella by Anna Elliott, the story opens two weeks before Elizabeth Bennet’s wedding to Mr. Darcy. He has given her the perfect wedding gift, and now she must come up with one for him. But what do you give a man who has everything? Elizabeth soon discovers that the gift of love is more important than any one thing.

DREAM OF A GLORIOUS SEASON, a sweet novella by Sarah M. Eden, we meet Elizabeth Gillerford who envies her sister only one thing—that she’s been intended for Julian Broadwood since they were children. The trouble is that Elizabeth is hopelessly in love with Julian too. When Julian discovers that Elizabeth has been denied a Season because her older sister is yet unwed, he undertakes his own stealthy measures to introduce her to society, only to find himself falling in love with her himself.

In THE MENDER, a captivating story by Carla Kelly, Thankful Winnings takes a sea voyage with her cousin on the Ann Alexander, in a last adventure before she settles down to marry one of her beaus. Unexpectedly they come upon the aftermath of a fierce ship battle, and Thankful is commissioned to help in the place of an injured surgeon on one of the Royal Navy ships. Adam Farnsworth, surgeon, has been at sea for years. Tired of war, but devoted to his post, it takes a resourceful lady such as Thankful to give him the hope of love and help heal his own wounds, the ones that show and the ones that don’t.

In BEGIN AGAIN, a charming novella by Josi S. Kilpack, Regina Weathers gives up on marrying for love the day that Ross Martin walks out of her life. Now, fifteen years later, Ross shows up at a ball and thinks he can woo Regina. But she is set on her lonely path and stitched-up heart, no matter the excuse Ross gives for his years of silence and neglect. When Ross insists he wrote many letters during his military years, Regina discovers a secret long-since buried by her father, and the revelation might be enough to thaw the coldness of her heart.

In Annette Lyon’s endearing story, THE AFFAIR AT WILDEMOORE, Mrs. Ellen Stanhope escorts her three daughters to a ball. As her oldest flirts with a beau, Ellen is reminded of her courtship and early years of marriage with Anthony, before tragedy struck with the death of their infant son. The marriage has faded and dulled. Not until she sees Anthony dancing with a woman he courted years before does Ellen realize how much she misses him, still loves him, and yearns for him to yet feel the same way for her.

In the delightful novella, THE DUKE’S BROTHER, by Heather B. Moore, Mr. Gregory Clark is having an awful day, and it only gets worse when he’s ran over by … a woman. Mabel Russell reluctantly visits her sister in London for the Season, even though she’d rather stay in the country cataloging insects and aphids. When she runs into Gregory Clark, quite literally, she’s afraid to show any interest, especially since he’s a member of the dreaded ton. But getting to know Gregory becomes an unexpected delight.

My Review

Another perfect offering for the Timeless Romance Anthologies.  Each story was unique and very enjoyable.  I loved the romance, the language, the settings, and especially the characters in each novella, immensely.  I am finding more often that novellas are here to stay, especially with this series.  I am a huge TRA fan!  I loved knowing I will read a quick, enjoyable book from authors whose books I love.  I hadn’t read anything from Ms. Elliot before and I am excited to read more from her.  It was hard to pick a favorite in this series.  Each story had just the right amount of all things wonderful.  What I like most is the promise of a happy ending and the journey to it.

5 out of 5 stars.  Use the links on the author names up top for their websites.

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Carla Kelly’s Christmas Collection

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
Nov 072013
 

CarlaKellyChristmasCollectionCarla Kelly’s Christmas Collection

Author: Carla Kelly

Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.

Published Date: October 2013

Paperback/Kindle: 240 pages

Genre: Holiday Regency Romance

ISBN# 978-1462112272

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: received a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review

Summary (Goodreads)

Come explore Regency London with Carla Kelly! This collection features four stories that will warm your heart with Christmas cheer: “The Christmas Ornament,” “Make a Joyful Noise,” “An Object of Charity,” and “The Three Kings.” Filled with romance and a touch of humor, these stories are sure to find a place in your heart and remind you that Christmas is a time for love.

Review

This past year I have been delighted to discover many enjoyable short-story romance collections. I really liked Carla Kelly’s Borrowed Light series, and am happy to be able to review this Christmas Collection.

The stories in this collection are conveniently arranged in order of my favorites, starting with “The Christmas Ornament.” I got a kick out of two fathers playing matchmaker with their children, as well as the two main characters, James and Olivia, who were both too intellectual to fit in with the ton. I related to their love of learning and education, and found James’s occasional bumbling to be kind of charming. Suffice it to say, apologizing is something he quickly became skilled at doing.

Peter Chard in “Make a Joyful Noise” is a character I really liked. He is a good father, a hard worker, and even takes over his mother’s duty to find singers for the annual choir competition when she is called away to help care for sick grandchildren. When the woman he has seen walking across his property from time to time sits in front of them at church one Sunday, he hears her voice and knows she must be a part of their choir. Rosie finds herself in unfortunate circumstances when her father, whom she travels with in the army, is killed. She has no protection and no choice but to marry a selfish cad of a man, the son of Peter’s neighbors who nobody cares for much at all. When he falls out of a window while drinking with friends and dies, she appears at his family’s home, a surprise to everyone. They consider Rosie a burden and treat her as such. Peter, however, is soon smitten by more than her lovely voice.

In “An Object of Charity,” Captain Michael Lynch finds himself on shore while his ship is in dry dock for repairs after a harrowing skirmish in the blockade. He is unhappy about the situation, much preferring to remain at sea. While staying in his favorite boarding house, he is approached by a young woman, Sally, and her little brother, Thomas, who are looking for their uncle, the man who had served as Captain Lynch’s first mate until his recent death in battle. He is the one to break this unfortunate news to them. When he discovers the two siblings later, shivering in the dark by the docks, he realizes their situation is much worse than he suspected. He takes them into his care, deciding to go home for Christmas for the first time since a falling out with his father and older brother 22 years earlier. Things at home are both better and worse than he expected, yet Sally brings a long-absent peace back into his life.

I learned something new about the Christmas traditions of Regency era Spain in “The Three Kings.” Sarah and her brother James are caught in a predicament while doing research in France and James is shot and killed. Sarah is determined to get their research back to England, but there are French troops everywhere and she is basically on her own to find refuge across the front lines of the English army. She is placed in the charge of a Spanish colonel who will escort her to Ciudad Rodrigo so she can continue on to England. Before they can depart, the encampment is attacked and she is swept to safety by Colonel Luis Sotomayor. They make their way across the countryside, managing to stay ahead of the French troops, until events escalate near a village where Sarah learns more about the colonel than she or her heart could have expected.

All in all I enjoyed all of the stories, though the first two were my favorites. If you are in the mood for a little romance as the Christmas holiday approaches, this collection from Carla Kelly may be just the thing for you.

Find Carla Kelly’s Christmas Collection:

DESERET BOOK | AMAZON | KINDLE | GOODREADS

 

Marian’s Christmas Wish by Clara Kelly–Blog Tour

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Mindy's Reviews
Nov 162011
 

Marian’s Christmas Wish

Author: Carla Kelly

Publisher: Cedar Fort

Published: September 2011

Paperback: 304 pages

ISBN13: 9781599559537

Genre: Regency Romance

FTC FYI: I received my copy from NetGalley with approval from publisher

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads summary:  “Miss Marian Wynswich is a rather unconventional young lady. She plays chess, reads Greek, and is as educated as any young man. And she’s certain falling in love is a ridiculous endeavor and vows never to do such a thing. But everything changes when she receives a Christmas visit from someone unexpected— a young and handsome English lord.”

Marian’s brother Percy is coming home for Christmas.  He surprises everyone by bringing two suitors.  The pompous Sir William who is the intended one for Ariadne, Marian’s older sister.  Although she has eyes for the town vicar, who is as poor as a church mouse.  The second is Gilbert Collinwood, Lord Ingraham.  Marian (or Mare, as her family calls her) swears that romance is not for her.  This is the first Christmas since her father’s death, which has left the family deeply in debt with his precarious ways.  There is even talk of the Wynswich family having to sell their estate to pay off the debt.

The Wynswich family has a Christmas tradition making a Christmas pudding, and while stirring it, a wish is made in your heart.  One that you can not repeat. In her mind Marian’s wish is that Gilbert Collinwood will have the best Christmas.  Gil also makes a wish of his own.

Marian’s mother, Lady Wynswich is overly dramatic and judgmental.  It is these actions, one day, that send Marian to check on her newly born kittens, Lord Ingraham goes with her.  They talk and Marian finds herself in easy conversation.  He keeps telling her to stop calling him “Lord Ingraham”, so she settles on Gil. Gilbert has a scar on his face, and Marian in her animal loving ways has made a healing salve, which she applies to his face.  Right away, I think, Gil starts to think well of Marian.

Marian is such an enjoyable character.  I really liked her.  Many times she had me smiling.  She is smart, well-read, witty, and has a lot of spunk (even for the time period that it is set).  This story takes place in the Napolean era.  Eventually goes in a direction I wasn’t expecting, but really enjoyed. There are many surprises that were exciting and kept me wondering.  It’s a well written book, with a very sweet ending.  I loved the changes in some characters too.

4 out of 5 stars.  Read more about Carla Kelly and her many books here. Follow Cedar Fort on Twitter and Facebook.