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Scandalous Highlanders #0.5 included
Christmas Brides
A collection of previously published Christmas e-novellas...
One Hot Scot by Suzanne Enoch
Duncan Lenox lives surrounded by enemies, a MacLawry in a land of Campbells. But when an English beauty has nowhere else to turn, he feels obligated to help. Now that they must spend a night together in an abandoned cottage while a storm rages on, will their mutual passion save—or doom—them both?
Once Upon a Christmas Scandal by Alexandra Hawkins
Lady Ellen is outraged when she learns her dowry’s been increased by her dad, eager to draw every bachelor in England to her front door. So when Lord Swainsbury comes knocking, Ellen assumes he’s another dreadful fortune hunter. Little does she know that Swainsbury has completely fallen for her—body, heart, and soul…
The Scandal Before Christmas by Elizabeth Essex
Lieutenant Ian Worth needs a wife by Christmas. He has to find her, woo her, and wed her before he goes back to sea. Anne Lesley is a shy spinster with no prospects, so she accepts Ian’s hasty offer only for the security it will bring. But when a midwinter storm rolls in, things start to heat up between them…and they might just find true, honest-to-goodness love…
It Happened Under the Mistletoe by Valerie Bowman
Oliver Townsende intends to avoid the hordes of marriage-minded misses at a friend’s holiday party. When he meets Miss Cerian Blake, who’s dodging her own unwanted set of admirers, the two decide to join forces and fake an infatuation to keep their suitors at bay. But when mistletoe becomes involved, will their Christmastime prank turn into a love to last all seasons?
One Hot Scot by Suzanne Enoch
Duncan Lenox lives surrounded by enemies, a MacLawry in a land of Campbells. But when an English beauty has nowhere else to turn, he feels obligated to help. Now that they must spend a night together in an abandoned cottage while a storm rages on, will their mutual passion save—or doom—them both?
Once Upon a Christmas Scandal by Alexandra Hawkins
Lady Ellen is outraged when she learns her dowry’s been increased by her dad, eager to draw every bachelor in England to her front door. So when Lord Swainsbury comes knocking, Ellen assumes he’s another dreadful fortune hunter. Little does she know that Swainsbury has completely fallen for her—body, heart, and soul…
The Scandal Before Christmas by Elizabeth Essex
Lieutenant Ian Worth needs a wife by Christmas. He has to find her, woo her, and wed her before he goes back to sea. Anne Lesley is a shy spinster with no prospects, so she accepts Ian’s hasty offer only for the security it will bring. But when a midwinter storm rolls in, things start to heat up between them…and they might just find true, honest-to-goodness love…
It Happened Under the Mistletoe by Valerie Bowman
Oliver Townsende intends to avoid the hordes of marriage-minded misses at a friend’s holiday party. When he meets Miss Cerian Blake, who’s dodging her own unwanted set of admirers, the two decide to join forces and fake an infatuation to keep their suitors at bay. But when mistletoe becomes involved, will their Christmastime prank turn into a love to last all seasons?
401 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 30, 2014
23 people are currently reading
1061 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Enoch
101 books2,615 followersSuzanne was born in Southern California sometime in the latter half of the 20th century. In the way that some people are born knowing they want to be astronauts or cellists, Suzanne always knew she wanted to be a writer. Early dreams of becoming a zoologist and writing true stories about her adventures in Africa were crushed, however, after she viewed a television special about the world’s most poisonous snakes; she did NOT want to write about how she’d been bitten and lost a limb to a cobra. Thankfully at the same time the movie “Star Wars” premiered, and she realized that she could make up adventures and write about them, and not be eaten by deadly predators while doing research.
She dabbled in romantic fantasy writing for a year or two after graduating with a degree in English from the University of California, Irvine, until her affection for traditional Regency romances led her to write one for fun. After several encouraging rejections from publishers, she snared the interest of the world’s best and most patient literary agent, who advised her to revise the manuscript. This ultimately led to the publication of her first book, The Black Duke’s Prize, from Avon Books in the Spring of 1995. A second Regency, Angel’s Devil, followed that Fall.
When Avon folded its traditional Regency line, Suzanne was encouraged to try her hand at historical romance. As she remained keenly interested in England’s Regency period, she decided to attempt another manuscript set in that time. Lady Rogue hit the shelves in March of 1997. She wrote a total of 29 books for Avon, including two anthologies and a five-part contemporary series which received a pair of starred reviews from Publishers Weekly. One of those books, Twice the Temptation, was named one of the five best romances of the year by PW in 2007.
In 2002 her well-known love of all things “Star Wars” led to an invitation to appear on the E! channel in the television special “Star Wars: The Force Is Back”, where she discussed the romance in the movie series and ended up with more air time than George Lucas.
In 2010 Suzanne left Avon Books for St. Martin’s Press, where she continues to pen historical romance novels. Her 31st book, Taming an Impossible Rogue, is set to arrive in March 2012.
Suzanne is known for her humorous characters, sexy bad boys, and whip-sharp, witty dialogue. She currently resides in Placentia, California with several hundred guppies and various other tropical fish, and handful of very loud, spinach-loving finches. And her collection of action figures and statues from “Star Wars”, “Lord of the Rings”, “X-Men”, and “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Everybody needs some inspiration, after all.
www.facebook.com/SuzanneEnoch
She dabbled in romantic fantasy writing for a year or two after graduating with a degree in English from the University of California, Irvine, until her affection for traditional Regency romances led her to write one for fun. After several encouraging rejections from publishers, she snared the interest of the world’s best and most patient literary agent, who advised her to revise the manuscript. This ultimately led to the publication of her first book, The Black Duke’s Prize, from Avon Books in the Spring of 1995. A second Regency, Angel’s Devil, followed that Fall.
When Avon folded its traditional Regency line, Suzanne was encouraged to try her hand at historical romance. As she remained keenly interested in England’s Regency period, she decided to attempt another manuscript set in that time. Lady Rogue hit the shelves in March of 1997. She wrote a total of 29 books for Avon, including two anthologies and a five-part contemporary series which received a pair of starred reviews from Publishers Weekly. One of those books, Twice the Temptation, was named one of the five best romances of the year by PW in 2007.
In 2002 her well-known love of all things “Star Wars” led to an invitation to appear on the E! channel in the television special “Star Wars: The Force Is Back”, where she discussed the romance in the movie series and ended up with more air time than George Lucas.
In 2010 Suzanne left Avon Books for St. Martin’s Press, where she continues to pen historical romance novels. Her 31st book, Taming an Impossible Rogue, is set to arrive in March 2012.
Suzanne is known for her humorous characters, sexy bad boys, and whip-sharp, witty dialogue. She currently resides in Placentia, California with several hundred guppies and various other tropical fish, and handful of very loud, spinach-loving finches. And her collection of action figures and statues from “Star Wars”, “Lord of the Rings”, “X-Men”, and “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Everybody needs some inspiration, after all.
www.facebook.com/SuzanneEnoch
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
April 29, 2015
One Hot Scot (Scandalous Highlanders #0.5) by Suzanne Enoch
This story has a funny title, but I wasn't only laughing at the title. This was such a sweet, fun, high-spirited romp through the Highlands. Julia (one of my favorite names of all time!) is escaping from a evil man who wants to marry her when she stumbles upon a naked Scot bathing in a lake.
I was like, “Uh-oh, I know where this is going,” but actually I didn't. Because it turns out that Duncan is the most polite, friendly, and civilized Highlander I've ever seen portrayed in historical romance. Usually they are a bit more... forceful and intimidating. Not Duncan, though.
Unfolding his muscular arms, he stuck out his right hand. "Well, now ye do. I'm Duncan Lenox. Come in, lass. I've hot water on for tea and rabbit stew on the fire. I'll nae harm thee. Ye have my word on that."
And, true to his word, he makes her tea and feeds her stew and plays chess with her. It's adorable, and I was charmed by this kind man with no temper. I love kind men with no temper! They are my favorites.
He also had a gift for making me laugh. Like when he talks to the bad guy:
"I... Well, I'm married. And the young lady is - "
"Ye're married? My congratulations, Bellamy. I'd no idea."
"Yes, well, it was arranged, and I'm afraid my bride is quite... sheltered. Shy. She fled Bellamy Park this afternoon, and I'm afraid something ill has befallen her."
Duncan lifted an eyebrow. "She ran away? Did ye show her yer cock and the massive thing frightened her?"
LOL And then later, when he's making Julia toast, he says,
"Do ye care to have yer toast black or still showing its colors?"
"Still showing its colors," she said with a grin.
Well, I am totally going to use that when talking about toast from now on. It's cute. He's cute. The whole story is full of cuteness. The heroine, Julia, is a little dumb, but that's pretty common in historical fiction.
There is much happiness to be found in this story! 5 ROMANCE STARS, 3 REAL STARS
...
Once Upon a Christmas Scandal by Alexandra Hawkins (Lords of Vice #8)
Lady Ellen's dying father has tripled her dowry. This has attracted every fortune hunter in the land to seek her hand. The only one she's attracted to is Derrick, Lord Swainsbury. Little does she know that he is here neither for her fortune, nor for her hand in marriage...
I liked the little bit of mystery in this story. It was good, but not as good as One Hot Scot.
4 ROMANCE STARS, 3 REAL STARS
The Scandal Before Christmas by Elizabeth Essex (Reckless Brides #3.5)
Lieutenant Ian Worth has six days to get married. His overbearing, emotionally and verbally abusive father is upset because his oldest son is crippled after a fall from a horse. That leaves Ian to give his father an heir. Ian gets drunk and tells his good friend and shipmate about his ideal wife:
Young enough to comfortably adapt to my ways, but not so young that she can't manage anything by herself. Because she'll be by herself when I'm at sea. A quiet, country girl who isn't forever craving society, and wanting to go to London, and give insufferably tedious balls and dinners. Appearance doesn't matter. Not really. I don't care if she is blond or brunette, long or short, so long as she can manage herself, and leave me in peace.
His shipmate says he knows the perfect woman for him – his own 22-year-old spinster daughter. Ian quickly agrees and the arrangements are made.
Anne is a thin, tall, plain girl. Brown hair, brown eyes, brown dress. She has a difficult time looking people in the eye and she barely says anything. Her overbearing mother runs roughshod all over her and neither parent pays her much attention. They are relieved to get her off their hands by marrying her off to the lieutenant, and she is relieved to be away from them. And she is also relieved that she will be married to a seafaring man who will be gone on his ship for months at at time.
Ian is disappointed and resentful that he's having to marry this little churchmouse. He says some pretty mean things about her to his butler, and she overhears them. Her heart is breaking, my heart is breaking. From then on it's a slow build-up to how this asshole and this sweet, shy woman slowly start to fall in love with each other.
I didn't really like the hero of the story so much, but the whole thing was fascinating and a very gripping read.
3 REAL STARS, 5 ROMANCE STARS
...
It Happened Under the Mistletoe by Valerie Bowman
Oliver Townsend and Cerian Blake meet in a silver closet. Each of them are trying to hide from their many persistent admirers. Each wants to marry for love, but can't trust the people pursuing them – knowing that they likely are after their money and titles.
Well, match made in heaven, end of story.
LOL Really, this story was very light and fluffy and the “obstacles” the hero and heroine had to face were pretty nonsensical and made-up. But that was okay, I like light stories sometimes.
3 REAL STARS, 3 ROMANCE STARS
...
Overall, a fun and enchanting collection of Christmas stories. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
This story has a funny title, but I wasn't only laughing at the title. This was such a sweet, fun, high-spirited romp through the Highlands. Julia (one of my favorite names of all time!) is escaping from a evil man who wants to marry her when she stumbles upon a naked Scot bathing in a lake.
I was like, “Uh-oh, I know where this is going,” but actually I didn't. Because it turns out that Duncan is the most polite, friendly, and civilized Highlander I've ever seen portrayed in historical romance. Usually they are a bit more... forceful and intimidating. Not Duncan, though.
Unfolding his muscular arms, he stuck out his right hand. "Well, now ye do. I'm Duncan Lenox. Come in, lass. I've hot water on for tea and rabbit stew on the fire. I'll nae harm thee. Ye have my word on that."
And, true to his word, he makes her tea and feeds her stew and plays chess with her. It's adorable, and I was charmed by this kind man with no temper. I love kind men with no temper! They are my favorites.
He also had a gift for making me laugh. Like when he talks to the bad guy:
"I... Well, I'm married. And the young lady is - "
"Ye're married? My congratulations, Bellamy. I'd no idea."
"Yes, well, it was arranged, and I'm afraid my bride is quite... sheltered. Shy. She fled Bellamy Park this afternoon, and I'm afraid something ill has befallen her."
Duncan lifted an eyebrow. "She ran away? Did ye show her yer cock and the massive thing frightened her?"
LOL And then later, when he's making Julia toast, he says,
"Do ye care to have yer toast black or still showing its colors?"
"Still showing its colors," she said with a grin.
Well, I am totally going to use that when talking about toast from now on. It's cute. He's cute. The whole story is full of cuteness. The heroine, Julia, is a little dumb, but that's pretty common in historical fiction.
There is much happiness to be found in this story! 5 ROMANCE STARS, 3 REAL STARS
...
Once Upon a Christmas Scandal by Alexandra Hawkins (Lords of Vice #8)
Lady Ellen's dying father has tripled her dowry. This has attracted every fortune hunter in the land to seek her hand. The only one she's attracted to is Derrick, Lord Swainsbury. Little does she know that he is here neither for her fortune, nor for her hand in marriage...
I liked the little bit of mystery in this story. It was good, but not as good as One Hot Scot.
4 ROMANCE STARS, 3 REAL STARS
The Scandal Before Christmas by Elizabeth Essex (Reckless Brides #3.5)
Lieutenant Ian Worth has six days to get married. His overbearing, emotionally and verbally abusive father is upset because his oldest son is crippled after a fall from a horse. That leaves Ian to give his father an heir. Ian gets drunk and tells his good friend and shipmate about his ideal wife:
Young enough to comfortably adapt to my ways, but not so young that she can't manage anything by herself. Because she'll be by herself when I'm at sea. A quiet, country girl who isn't forever craving society, and wanting to go to London, and give insufferably tedious balls and dinners. Appearance doesn't matter. Not really. I don't care if she is blond or brunette, long or short, so long as she can manage herself, and leave me in peace.
His shipmate says he knows the perfect woman for him – his own 22-year-old spinster daughter. Ian quickly agrees and the arrangements are made.
Anne is a thin, tall, plain girl. Brown hair, brown eyes, brown dress. She has a difficult time looking people in the eye and she barely says anything. Her overbearing mother runs roughshod all over her and neither parent pays her much attention. They are relieved to get her off their hands by marrying her off to the lieutenant, and she is relieved to be away from them. And she is also relieved that she will be married to a seafaring man who will be gone on his ship for months at at time.
Ian is disappointed and resentful that he's having to marry this little churchmouse. He says some pretty mean things about her to his butler, and she overhears them. Her heart is breaking, my heart is breaking. From then on it's a slow build-up to how this asshole and this sweet, shy woman slowly start to fall in love with each other.
I didn't really like the hero of the story so much, but the whole thing was fascinating and a very gripping read.
3 REAL STARS, 5 ROMANCE STARS
...
It Happened Under the Mistletoe by Valerie Bowman
Oliver Townsend and Cerian Blake meet in a silver closet. Each of them are trying to hide from their many persistent admirers. Each wants to marry for love, but can't trust the people pursuing them – knowing that they likely are after their money and titles.
Well, match made in heaven, end of story.
LOL Really, this story was very light and fluffy and the “obstacles” the hero and heroine had to face were pretty nonsensical and made-up. But that was okay, I like light stories sometimes.
3 REAL STARS, 3 ROMANCE STARS
...
Overall, a fun and enchanting collection of Christmas stories. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
January 10, 2015
I'm keeping this review short, sweet and to the point.
This books is fantastic! 4 novellas in one by 4 superb authors. Do not pass up the chance to read this one. Great read for Christmas. I read it in January and still thoroughly enjoyed it. All the characters are believable and the secondary ones are just as great. Give this one a read soon if you haven't already.
December 2, 2015
I finished reading this and let's just say, I was not in the holiday spirit.
For some reason, these fell really flat for me, mostly because the heroes were unappealing, which is a shame because the heroines were nice.
I didn't read One Hot Scot because I hate the accent that Enoch uses. I am not one for slogging through the dialogue like this because I have to slow down and get dragged out of the story in order to understand what is being said. Therefore, this story is not included in my rating.
This may be spoilerish so don't read on if you want to be surprised.
Overall, these were disappointing to me, mostly due to characterization. The writing wasn't bad, but I just had a hard time becoming emotionally invested in the characters, which is my favorite thing to do this time of year. This will not be an anthology I will be revisiting.
For some reason, these fell really flat for me, mostly because the heroes were unappealing, which is a shame because the heroines were nice.
I didn't read One Hot Scot because I hate the accent that Enoch uses. I am not one for slogging through the dialogue like this because I have to slow down and get dragged out of the story in order to understand what is being said. Therefore, this story is not included in my rating.
This may be spoilerish so don't read on if you want to be surprised.
Overall, these were disappointing to me, mostly due to characterization. The writing wasn't bad, but I just had a hard time becoming emotionally invested in the characters, which is my favorite thing to do this time of year. This will not be an anthology I will be revisiting.
November 17, 2014
Christmas Brides is a 2014 St. Martin's Publication. This Christmas anthology features authors: Suzanne Enoch, Alexandra Hawkins, Elizabeth Essex, and Valerie Bowman. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
A fine group of authors are featured in this collection of Christmas themed novellas. What could be more magical than falling in love at Christmas time?
To start things off the wonderful Suzanne Enoch has a story about a runaway bride who finds safety in the arms a brawny highlander in “One Hot Scot”. My only complaint here is this story seemed shorter than the others. I do understand these are novellas, but this one seemed to go by too fast. Still a great story though- 3.5 stars
The next story is “Once Upon a Christmas Scandal by Alexandra Hawkins. This yuletide story has a bit of danger to it as a young woman with a large dowry is now being pursued by many a fortune hunter. However, one of them may be more serious...and deadly than the others. Will Lady Ellen escape her fate and find true love instead?
I liked the edge this one had and felt so bad for Lady Ellen being fawned over by all those insincere men. But, that was not all.. her very life was at stake. Thankfully, Lord Swainsbury arrives and while it's Ellen's dowry that initially attracts him, it's Ellen, and only Ellen he wants for the rest of his life. This one gets 4 stars
The third story is “The Scandal Before Christmas” by Elizabeth Essex. Ian needs a bride...NOW! Someone who is a lady, but would be willing to marry him within a very short period of time. When he is introduced to Anne, a very shy woman past marriageable age, they agree to marriage for their own reasons, none of which is love. But, after a forced period of time in one another's company, they find love is not as impossible as they had originally believed. I really like this one a lot. The ending was so wonderful!! The sacrifice Ian made by arranging the hasty marriage, was repaid to him ten fold. 4.5 stars
Last but not least is “It Happened Under the Mistletoe” by Valerie Bowman. This story has a light tone and was a really fun read. Oliver is being sought out by a very persistent lady bent on marrying a duke. When he seeks refuge in the silver closet, he realizes he is not alone. A young woman is also hiding from suitors..and her name is Cerian Blake. The pair device a plan to thwart their matchmaking friends and halt their pursuers in the process. Naturally, you know where this is headed. Before all is said and done a few tears are shed and some soul searching must be done, but all is well that ends well. A cute story with a great ending and a cute cat. 4 stars.
The collection as a whole is one I would recommend adding to your holiday reading this year. The stories are short enough to fit into your reading schedule and are all very enjoyable reads.
4 stars for the collection.
A fine group of authors are featured in this collection of Christmas themed novellas. What could be more magical than falling in love at Christmas time?
To start things off the wonderful Suzanne Enoch has a story about a runaway bride who finds safety in the arms a brawny highlander in “One Hot Scot”. My only complaint here is this story seemed shorter than the others. I do understand these are novellas, but this one seemed to go by too fast. Still a great story though- 3.5 stars
The next story is “Once Upon a Christmas Scandal by Alexandra Hawkins. This yuletide story has a bit of danger to it as a young woman with a large dowry is now being pursued by many a fortune hunter. However, one of them may be more serious...and deadly than the others. Will Lady Ellen escape her fate and find true love instead?
I liked the edge this one had and felt so bad for Lady Ellen being fawned over by all those insincere men. But, that was not all.. her very life was at stake. Thankfully, Lord Swainsbury arrives and while it's Ellen's dowry that initially attracts him, it's Ellen, and only Ellen he wants for the rest of his life. This one gets 4 stars
The third story is “The Scandal Before Christmas” by Elizabeth Essex. Ian needs a bride...NOW! Someone who is a lady, but would be willing to marry him within a very short period of time. When he is introduced to Anne, a very shy woman past marriageable age, they agree to marriage for their own reasons, none of which is love. But, after a forced period of time in one another's company, they find love is not as impossible as they had originally believed. I really like this one a lot. The ending was so wonderful!! The sacrifice Ian made by arranging the hasty marriage, was repaid to him ten fold. 4.5 stars
Last but not least is “It Happened Under the Mistletoe” by Valerie Bowman. This story has a light tone and was a really fun read. Oliver is being sought out by a very persistent lady bent on marrying a duke. When he seeks refuge in the silver closet, he realizes he is not alone. A young woman is also hiding from suitors..and her name is Cerian Blake. The pair device a plan to thwart their matchmaking friends and halt their pursuers in the process. Naturally, you know where this is headed. Before all is said and done a few tears are shed and some soul searching must be done, but all is well that ends well. A cute story with a great ending and a cute cat. 4 stars.
The collection as a whole is one I would recommend adding to your holiday reading this year. The stories are short enough to fit into your reading schedule and are all very enjoyable reads.
4 stars for the collection.
January 28, 2019
One Hot Scot, Suzanne Enoch
Summary & Review here.
Once Upon a Christmas Scandal, Alexandra Hawkins
Lady Ellen is pissed when she discovers her dying father tripled her dowry. She is less pissed when the handsome Derrik, Lord Swainsbury, shows up at her family's house party for the holidays. She is at turns pissed again when she discovers he's been lying to her and then less pissed when they end up boning.
WOW, this was poorly written. And plotted. And paced. It's uneven and awkward and not romantic at all. 1.5 stars.
The Scandal Before Christmas, Elizabeth Essex
Summary & Review here.
It Happened Under the Mistletoe, Valerie Bowman
Oliver Townsende, Duke of Markingham, is a hot piece of Duke who ends up flirting with Miss Cerian Blake. She gives him ~~tingles. He gives her ~~tingles. They agree to discourage other suitors by making eyes at one another, proceed to HAND JOBS IN THE SILVER CLOSET, and live happily ever after.
Simplistic, but at least the development was on page. Needed some editing. Cerian was interesting; Oliver somewhat less so. Overall, a mediocre novella. 2 stars.
Summary & Review here.
Once Upon a Christmas Scandal, Alexandra Hawkins
Lady Ellen is pissed when she discovers her dying father tripled her dowry. She is less pissed when the handsome Derrik, Lord Swainsbury, shows up at her family's house party for the holidays. She is at turns pissed again when she discovers he's been lying to her and then less pissed when they end up boning.
WOW, this was poorly written. And plotted. And paced. It's uneven and awkward and not romantic at all. 1.5 stars.
The Scandal Before Christmas, Elizabeth Essex
Summary & Review here.
It Happened Under the Mistletoe, Valerie Bowman
Oliver Townsende, Duke of Markingham, is a hot piece of Duke who ends up flirting with Miss Cerian Blake. She gives him ~~tingles. He gives her ~~tingles. They agree to discourage other suitors by making eyes at one another, proceed to HAND JOBS IN THE SILVER CLOSET, and live happily ever after.
Simplistic, but at least the development was on page. Needed some editing. Cerian was interesting; Oliver somewhat less so. Overall, a mediocre novella. 2 stars.
September 1, 2015
One Hot Scot by Suzanne Enoch
An english woman alone in the Highlands running from an over zealous suitor who kidnapped her. A handsome Highlander rescues her and brings her back to his cabin.
A strorm traps them for the night alone together. He has to hide her from the man hunting her and gets caught in the middle of two clans. He has two younger sisters that he has to protect and doesn't want any trouble. She just wants to go home without causing a scandal. Julia and Duncan are both intelligent strong characters in a perilous situation. If you love adventure, romance you will enjoy this story. This short story is connected to her Scandalous Highlander Series. I have all of her books and really enjoy her writing.
Once Upon a Christmas Scandal by Alexandra Hawkins
This is a great short story that continues the Lords of Vice Series. Lord Vanewright from "Sunrise With A Notorious Lord" has a younger sister, Ellen who just wants to stay home and take care of her father who is dying. She finds out that her parents have tripeled her dowry and are having a house party for christmas and inviting eligible bachelors. One of the guests is Derrick Hunt, Earl of Swainsbury. He has a secret agenda for being at the house party. His sister was killed by a fortune hunter and he has been trying to find him ever since. He knows if the killer hears about Ellen's dowry she is in danger. She thinks he is a fortune hunter like the rest. This is a stand alone story, but I would urge you to read the whole Lords of Vice series. You will not be disappointed. Alexandra is an amazing historical romance author.
The Scandal Before Christmas by Elizabeth Essex
This is my first Elizabeth Essex book and I will definetely being reading more of her.
Take one shy spinster and a bold navy officer and trap them together at a country house party in a snowstorm and the fun begins. When they first meet Ian sees Ann as a plain, awkward, shy mouse who doesn't speak. Ann sees a ton gentleman who is handsome, charming and very confident. She agreed to marry him to escape her overbearing mother and he is marrying her to spite his aristocratic father. Can Ian bring her out of her shell? Will Ann open up to Ian and let him see the real person behind the dowdy spinster? This is a very sensual and lovely romance story that I enjoyed very much.
It Happened Under The Mistletoe by Valerie Bowman
Imagine yourself at a house party at christmas time with young and old gentlemen looking for an heiress and young women trying to snare a title. Oliver Townsende the new Duke of Markham is ruthlessly being pursued by a young lady and her mother and Cerian Blake is trying to avoid being trapped into marriage to any man. They both decide to hide in the same silver closet to outwit their pursuers. Oliver comes up with a plan to thwart their pursurers, pretend that he and Cerian are courting and when the house party ends they go their seperate ways. The only problem is that they are attracted to each other their scheme goes awry. This story has great twists and turns and will captivate you from beginning to end. Oh yeah, there is also a mysterious matchmaking feline. Great Story.
An english woman alone in the Highlands running from an over zealous suitor who kidnapped her. A handsome Highlander rescues her and brings her back to his cabin.
A strorm traps them for the night alone together. He has to hide her from the man hunting her and gets caught in the middle of two clans. He has two younger sisters that he has to protect and doesn't want any trouble. She just wants to go home without causing a scandal. Julia and Duncan are both intelligent strong characters in a perilous situation. If you love adventure, romance you will enjoy this story. This short story is connected to her Scandalous Highlander Series. I have all of her books and really enjoy her writing.
Once Upon a Christmas Scandal by Alexandra Hawkins
This is a great short story that continues the Lords of Vice Series. Lord Vanewright from "Sunrise With A Notorious Lord" has a younger sister, Ellen who just wants to stay home and take care of her father who is dying. She finds out that her parents have tripeled her dowry and are having a house party for christmas and inviting eligible bachelors. One of the guests is Derrick Hunt, Earl of Swainsbury. He has a secret agenda for being at the house party. His sister was killed by a fortune hunter and he has been trying to find him ever since. He knows if the killer hears about Ellen's dowry she is in danger. She thinks he is a fortune hunter like the rest. This is a stand alone story, but I would urge you to read the whole Lords of Vice series. You will not be disappointed. Alexandra is an amazing historical romance author.
The Scandal Before Christmas by Elizabeth Essex
This is my first Elizabeth Essex book and I will definetely being reading more of her.
Take one shy spinster and a bold navy officer and trap them together at a country house party in a snowstorm and the fun begins. When they first meet Ian sees Ann as a plain, awkward, shy mouse who doesn't speak. Ann sees a ton gentleman who is handsome, charming and very confident. She agreed to marry him to escape her overbearing mother and he is marrying her to spite his aristocratic father. Can Ian bring her out of her shell? Will Ann open up to Ian and let him see the real person behind the dowdy spinster? This is a very sensual and lovely romance story that I enjoyed very much.
It Happened Under The Mistletoe by Valerie Bowman
Imagine yourself at a house party at christmas time with young and old gentlemen looking for an heiress and young women trying to snare a title. Oliver Townsende the new Duke of Markham is ruthlessly being pursued by a young lady and her mother and Cerian Blake is trying to avoid being trapped into marriage to any man. They both decide to hide in the same silver closet to outwit their pursuers. Oliver comes up with a plan to thwart their pursurers, pretend that he and Cerian are courting and when the house party ends they go their seperate ways. The only problem is that they are attracted to each other their scheme goes awry. This story has great twists and turns and will captivate you from beginning to end. Oh yeah, there is also a mysterious matchmaking feline. Great Story.
October 10, 2014
Original Post 10/7/14: http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/201...
A VERY "Marry" Christmas
E-Galley provided by publisher for review. No remuneration was exchanged and all opinion presented herein is my own except as noted.
There’s nothing like a Christmas wedding — because we don’t hang enough expectations on the holiday already. But, historically, the holidays, celebrated with gatherings of friends and family at a time when travel could be difficult, were popular times for weddings. Everyone was already assembled after all, and the nights were long and cold….
I really enjoyed the last two stories in this anthology: The Scandal Before Christmas and It Happened Under the Mistletoe, but found the first two had a variety of issues. All the stories are pretty predictable — it is notoriously difficult to fit everything into a short story.
One Hot Scot felt more like a western except for the plaids and the use of the word Sassenach. But what really annoyed me was how fast the young lady jumped into bed. Aside from that I also felt it was capitalizing on the current “Outlander phemomenon.” But, there are plenty of stories featuring Highland Scots in kilts. I don’t really like it when the title for an historical story is contemporary in context. There’s no way you’d have an 18th or 19th century character described as “hot.”
Once Upon a Christmas Scandal had an element of suspense, but not really. Again they went all horizontal with alarming speed. And, Lady Ellen’s lack of interest in marriage is hard to understand. And, it’s hard to fathom why if she is pretty and well-off, intelligent and seems pleasant no one offered for her. It just felt off.
The Scandal before Christmas was enchanting and irresistible. The characters of Ian and Anne are charming; both cowed by their parents in different ways. It has a bit of the charm of a Cinderella story to it as well. The auxilliary characters are horrible or delightful but reasonably fleshed out. And I enjoyed the descriptive writing — especially the love scenes. I loved Ian’s major domo, Pinky — he brings in a slightly paranormal air like a male Mary Poppins. There are also nice literary references.
It Happened Under the Mistletoe was pleasant in many ways, not the least of which is a sort of mystical cat roaming the house and bringing the hopefully to become coupled characters together several times. I loved the magnetic attraction and sympathetic situations in which both Oliver and Cerian find themselves. Communication was a big problem between the two characters. usually that bothers me, but in this story it is justified by social custom and class, but sometimes they are able to honestly communicate. Then, once intimacies have occurred you may as well lay it on the line.
My verdict on the book is mixed. It’s about $7 in either format. I would have to decide whether the last two stories in the book were worth it for me. In this case I enjoyed the last two enough to buy it. But other might also enjoy the first two stories; I am not the arbiter of what everyone likes. If you liked the entirety it would then be a great value! On their site (link) below there’s an excerpt, and you can always read a bit at Amazon as well.
A VERY "Marry" Christmas
E-Galley provided by publisher for review. No remuneration was exchanged and all opinion presented herein is my own except as noted.
There’s nothing like a Christmas wedding — because we don’t hang enough expectations on the holiday already. But, historically, the holidays, celebrated with gatherings of friends and family at a time when travel could be difficult, were popular times for weddings. Everyone was already assembled after all, and the nights were long and cold….
I really enjoyed the last two stories in this anthology: The Scandal Before Christmas and It Happened Under the Mistletoe, but found the first two had a variety of issues. All the stories are pretty predictable — it is notoriously difficult to fit everything into a short story.
One Hot Scot felt more like a western except for the plaids and the use of the word Sassenach. But what really annoyed me was how fast the young lady jumped into bed. Aside from that I also felt it was capitalizing on the current “Outlander phemomenon.” But, there are plenty of stories featuring Highland Scots in kilts. I don’t really like it when the title for an historical story is contemporary in context. There’s no way you’d have an 18th or 19th century character described as “hot.”
Once Upon a Christmas Scandal had an element of suspense, but not really. Again they went all horizontal with alarming speed. And, Lady Ellen’s lack of interest in marriage is hard to understand. And, it’s hard to fathom why if she is pretty and well-off, intelligent and seems pleasant no one offered for her. It just felt off.
The Scandal before Christmas was enchanting and irresistible. The characters of Ian and Anne are charming; both cowed by their parents in different ways. It has a bit of the charm of a Cinderella story to it as well. The auxilliary characters are horrible or delightful but reasonably fleshed out. And I enjoyed the descriptive writing — especially the love scenes. I loved Ian’s major domo, Pinky — he brings in a slightly paranormal air like a male Mary Poppins. There are also nice literary references.
It Happened Under the Mistletoe was pleasant in many ways, not the least of which is a sort of mystical cat roaming the house and bringing the hopefully to become coupled characters together several times. I loved the magnetic attraction and sympathetic situations in which both Oliver and Cerian find themselves. Communication was a big problem between the two characters. usually that bothers me, but in this story it is justified by social custom and class, but sometimes they are able to honestly communicate. Then, once intimacies have occurred you may as well lay it on the line.
My verdict on the book is mixed. It’s about $7 in either format. I would have to decide whether the last two stories in the book were worth it for me. In this case I enjoyed the last two enough to buy it. But other might also enjoy the first two stories; I am not the arbiter of what everyone likes. If you liked the entirety it would then be a great value! On their site (link) below there’s an excerpt, and you can always read a bit at Amazon as well.
October 1, 2014
Christmas delights!
Old favourites and delicious new tales to lighten hearts at Christmas time! Common themes emerge: heiresses, damsels in distress, knights in shining armour (figuratively speaking), villains, men being pursued by title seeking harpies, damsels being pursued by fortune hunters; all of course at this holiday period.
One Hot Scot by Suzanne Enoch
Oh my! Thrown from a horse, fleeing from kidnappers and confronting a stunningly gorgeous naked brawny fellow emerging from a lake just as you've helped yourself to his plaid kilt to ease the chill you were feeling! Life for Duncan Lenox and Lady Julia Prentiss was taking unexpected turns.
Once Upon a Christmas Scandal by Alexandra Hawkins
1826 All her father's actions had done by increasing dowry was to ensure every fortune hunter in England would cross Lady Ellen path. One of these is Lord Derek Swainsbury.
A twist to the plot enhances what seemed to be a simple tale of an heiress pursued by fortune hunter.
The Scandal Before Christmas by Elizabeth Essex
I have reviewed this previously. On the re-reading it is still one of my fav. Xmas regency short stories.
1816 and it's six days before Christmas. Lieutenant Ian Worth's bully of a father the Viscount Rainsford declares that Ian must find a wife. Ian's brother, the heir, has had an accident, is in a coma and the succession is in doubt. Despite Ian wishing his father to purgatory and back Ian means to look for a wife. A chance meeting with Colonel Oliver Lesley an older naval friend, elicits the information that the Colonel has an unmarried daughter. Ian invites the family for Christmas with a view to wedding Anne Lesley, thus solving his problem. Anne unfortunately is shy and retiring and sad to say, remarkably plain. Ian wonders if he will spend more time at sea than he has first thought.
I love Anne and a Pinky, Ian's man, a batman cum butler.
I love the way Anne comes into her own. I love that she finds her 'voice.' A really lovely story.
It Happened Under the Mistletoe by Valerie Bowman
1817. Ah! Those dreaded house parties! Traps for unwary players. Oliver Townsende and Miss Cerian Blake are both fleeing unwanted suitors. Oliver, a newly minted Duke and Cerian, an heiress, meet in an unexpected place fleeing the eager hordes with mistletoe sprigs in their hands. I particularly enjoyed the cat that just might be Cupid in disguise.
Really, from the description of house parties I've read over the years the regency period seems to have been more the Ravishing Regency years. Still the setting provides us with an elegantly, witty Xmas story.
A NetGalley ARC
Old favourites and delicious new tales to lighten hearts at Christmas time! Common themes emerge: heiresses, damsels in distress, knights in shining armour (figuratively speaking), villains, men being pursued by title seeking harpies, damsels being pursued by fortune hunters; all of course at this holiday period.
One Hot Scot by Suzanne Enoch
Oh my! Thrown from a horse, fleeing from kidnappers and confronting a stunningly gorgeous naked brawny fellow emerging from a lake just as you've helped yourself to his plaid kilt to ease the chill you were feeling! Life for Duncan Lenox and Lady Julia Prentiss was taking unexpected turns.
Once Upon a Christmas Scandal by Alexandra Hawkins
1826 All her father's actions had done by increasing dowry was to ensure every fortune hunter in England would cross Lady Ellen path. One of these is Lord Derek Swainsbury.
A twist to the plot enhances what seemed to be a simple tale of an heiress pursued by fortune hunter.
The Scandal Before Christmas by Elizabeth Essex
I have reviewed this previously. On the re-reading it is still one of my fav. Xmas regency short stories.
1816 and it's six days before Christmas. Lieutenant Ian Worth's bully of a father the Viscount Rainsford declares that Ian must find a wife. Ian's brother, the heir, has had an accident, is in a coma and the succession is in doubt. Despite Ian wishing his father to purgatory and back Ian means to look for a wife. A chance meeting with Colonel Oliver Lesley an older naval friend, elicits the information that the Colonel has an unmarried daughter. Ian invites the family for Christmas with a view to wedding Anne Lesley, thus solving his problem. Anne unfortunately is shy and retiring and sad to say, remarkably plain. Ian wonders if he will spend more time at sea than he has first thought.
I love Anne and a Pinky, Ian's man, a batman cum butler.
I love the way Anne comes into her own. I love that she finds her 'voice.' A really lovely story.
It Happened Under the Mistletoe by Valerie Bowman
1817. Ah! Those dreaded house parties! Traps for unwary players. Oliver Townsende and Miss Cerian Blake are both fleeing unwanted suitors. Oliver, a newly minted Duke and Cerian, an heiress, meet in an unexpected place fleeing the eager hordes with mistletoe sprigs in their hands. I particularly enjoyed the cat that just might be Cupid in disguise.
Really, from the description of house parties I've read over the years the regency period seems to have been more the Ravishing Regency years. Still the setting provides us with an elegantly, witty Xmas story.
A NetGalley ARC
October 3, 2014
4 stars for four wonderful romance novella's set at the Christmas season.
First up is " One Hot Scott by Suzanne Enoch
Lady Julia Prentiss Has been kidnapped by someone she believed to be a freind who has turned out to just be another greedy man after her dowry, Lord Bellamy's aim is to put her in a position that to save her reputation she will have no choose bu to marry him, what he does not count on is Julia not caring about her reputation as long as she is not tied to him.
In her attempt to escape, the horse she has stolen throws her Nd leaves her stranded as night approaches in the highlands, pulling herself up and heading toward the nearby loch and pondering her good fortune at finding a plaid wrap and were to go ; the last thing she expects is to encounter a gorgeous naked Scotsman arriving out of the water and heading straight toward her. Duncan Lenox, emerges from the loch to find a Beutiful lass wrapped in his kilt , but what is she doing on his land alone..Little did Duncan realize his life was about to change!
Once Upon a Christmas Scandal by Alexandra Hawkins
This story revolves around Lady Ellen Courtland younger sister of Vane, Lord Vaneright of of the original Lords of Vice and if you are a lover of the series ,you will love having some of them back in this novella!
Poor Ellen however has just had a price put on her head and not by the crown or bow street but by her own aging and ill father who wishes to see her settled before he passes, he has tripled her dowry bringing out every fortune hunter to the families Yule festivities. Lord Derrick Swainsberry, the one man attending the functions without the intentions of trying to gain Ellen's favor but protect her from fortune hunters like the one who took advantage of his sister while he was gone . Derrick and Ellen unwittingly fall in love with each other while trying to protect her from all of her greedy suitors. Sweet story and one of my Favorites!
The Scandal before Christmas by Elixabeth Essex
Lord Ian Worth, a Lueteninant in The Royal Navy and second son of the Viscount Rainesworth is in need of a wife and only has Six days to find one. Ian's older brother Ross has had a bad accident and may not survive and his very bossy, obnoxious father is now demanding that Ian marry Ross's betrothed and immediately produce an heir!
Ian is not read to just write his brother Ross off and not wanting to marry because his father deems t tells the lie that he is already married . Distraught over the whole scene Derek finds himself in a bar drinking and pondering were he will find a wife n six days and as fate would have it an aquantance Colonel Lesley shows up, just so happens he has a daughter in need of a husband.
Anne Lesley is quiet, not a all what Ian is wanting, yes he wants someone biddable , but first impressions are not always whatnrheynseem because Anne is hiding her true self, which once you meet her mother you realize why she is a women of few words. Will Anne be what Ian needs , will his father ruin everything ! You find yourself rooting for these two as you read along!
It Happened under the Mistletoe by Valerie Bowman
This is my second favorite story in the anthology, next to Once Upon A Scandal.
A holiday house party. Many young eligible ladies and all of them and their mothers looking for them to make the best match make for a dangerous house party for a newly minted single Duke .
Olover Townsende, the New Duke of Markham finds himself literally running from one such young lad and seeking a hiding place , he finds himself in the silverware closet, but he is not alone, ms Cerien Blake happens to be there too, could she too be laying in what for him! Not possible, that would be assuming too much, no Cerien is hiding herself from all the potential suitors wh are really just intrested in her Dowry.
These two concoct a plan t pretend to. Be courting to hold the wolves at Bea during the party , but time spent together , leads t kisses , embraces and hearts becoming involved! Cerien Blake is a witty character who makes this novella!
Overall this anthology s a wonderful read!
First up is " One Hot Scott by Suzanne Enoch
Lady Julia Prentiss Has been kidnapped by someone she believed to be a freind who has turned out to just be another greedy man after her dowry, Lord Bellamy's aim is to put her in a position that to save her reputation she will have no choose bu to marry him, what he does not count on is Julia not caring about her reputation as long as she is not tied to him.
In her attempt to escape, the horse she has stolen throws her Nd leaves her stranded as night approaches in the highlands, pulling herself up and heading toward the nearby loch and pondering her good fortune at finding a plaid wrap and were to go ; the last thing she expects is to encounter a gorgeous naked Scotsman arriving out of the water and heading straight toward her. Duncan Lenox, emerges from the loch to find a Beutiful lass wrapped in his kilt , but what is she doing on his land alone..Little did Duncan realize his life was about to change!
Once Upon a Christmas Scandal by Alexandra Hawkins
This story revolves around Lady Ellen Courtland younger sister of Vane, Lord Vaneright of of the original Lords of Vice and if you are a lover of the series ,you will love having some of them back in this novella!
Poor Ellen however has just had a price put on her head and not by the crown or bow street but by her own aging and ill father who wishes to see her settled before he passes, he has tripled her dowry bringing out every fortune hunter to the families Yule festivities. Lord Derrick Swainsberry, the one man attending the functions without the intentions of trying to gain Ellen's favor but protect her from fortune hunters like the one who took advantage of his sister while he was gone . Derrick and Ellen unwittingly fall in love with each other while trying to protect her from all of her greedy suitors. Sweet story and one of my Favorites!
The Scandal before Christmas by Elixabeth Essex
Lord Ian Worth, a Lueteninant in The Royal Navy and second son of the Viscount Rainesworth is in need of a wife and only has Six days to find one. Ian's older brother Ross has had a bad accident and may not survive and his very bossy, obnoxious father is now demanding that Ian marry Ross's betrothed and immediately produce an heir!
Ian is not read to just write his brother Ross off and not wanting to marry because his father deems t tells the lie that he is already married . Distraught over the whole scene Derek finds himself in a bar drinking and pondering were he will find a wife n six days and as fate would have it an aquantance Colonel Lesley shows up, just so happens he has a daughter in need of a husband.
Anne Lesley is quiet, not a all what Ian is wanting, yes he wants someone biddable , but first impressions are not always whatnrheynseem because Anne is hiding her true self, which once you meet her mother you realize why she is a women of few words. Will Anne be what Ian needs , will his father ruin everything ! You find yourself rooting for these two as you read along!
It Happened under the Mistletoe by Valerie Bowman
This is my second favorite story in the anthology, next to Once Upon A Scandal.
A holiday house party. Many young eligible ladies and all of them and their mothers looking for them to make the best match make for a dangerous house party for a newly minted single Duke .
Olover Townsende, the New Duke of Markham finds himself literally running from one such young lad and seeking a hiding place , he finds himself in the silverware closet, but he is not alone, ms Cerien Blake happens to be there too, could she too be laying in what for him! Not possible, that would be assuming too much, no Cerien is hiding herself from all the potential suitors wh are really just intrested in her Dowry.
These two concoct a plan t pretend to. Be courting to hold the wolves at Bea during the party , but time spent together , leads t kisses , embraces and hearts becoming involved! Cerien Blake is a witty character who makes this novella!
Overall this anthology s a wonderful read!
October 20, 2014
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advance copy in return for an honest review.
This was a very nice collection of Regency holiday romances by some well-known authors. All of them had appealing main characters, all of the characters were intelligent and pleasant. Each story had a bit of a twist to keep things interesting, but basically they were fairly predictable, charmingly romantic, and somewhat loosely based around the Christmas theme. Enoch's One Hot Scot was short and sweet and was set in the Scottish countryside, a setting I don't usually read. Hawkins' Once Upon a Christmas Scandal was obviously a continuation of a previous series, reintroducing the reader to characters that sound very intriguing, a series I will definitely look for. Essex's The Scandal Before Christmas may also be part of series, but it stood on its own better than the previous story. Since it was quite a bit longer that the others, we got to know the characters better. Ian's Navy connection was a bit different and showed a different type of hero. Bowman's It Happened Under the Mistletoe was typical English ton house party in the country, with matchmaking mamas and an elusive duke.
All good, all easy and enjoyable reads. Very nice.
This was a very nice collection of Regency holiday romances by some well-known authors. All of them had appealing main characters, all of the characters were intelligent and pleasant. Each story had a bit of a twist to keep things interesting, but basically they were fairly predictable, charmingly romantic, and somewhat loosely based around the Christmas theme. Enoch's One Hot Scot was short and sweet and was set in the Scottish countryside, a setting I don't usually read. Hawkins' Once Upon a Christmas Scandal was obviously a continuation of a previous series, reintroducing the reader to characters that sound very intriguing, a series I will definitely look for. Essex's The Scandal Before Christmas may also be part of series, but it stood on its own better than the previous story. Since it was quite a bit longer that the others, we got to know the characters better. Ian's Navy connection was a bit different and showed a different type of hero. Bowman's It Happened Under the Mistletoe was typical English ton house party in the country, with matchmaking mamas and an elusive duke.
All good, all easy and enjoyable reads. Very nice.
April 13, 2015
ONE HOT SCOT by Suzanne Enoch
Series: Scandalous Highlanders (Book .5)
Duncan Lenox lives surrounded by enemies, a MacLawry in a land of Campbells. But when an English beauty has nowhere else to turn, he feels obligated to help. Now that they must spend a night together in an abandoned cottage while a storm rages on, will their mutual passion save -- or doom -- them both?
Very short, but very fun story. Julia was visiting Aberdeen with her family when an overzealous suitor kidnapped her in an attempt to force a marriage between them. Though somewhat naive, she isn't stupid and bides her time. When they arrive at his home she takes the first opportunity to steal a horse and attempt to escape. This attempt doesn't go as planned and she stumbles on Duncan Lenox, who is bathing naked in the lake. This could have been a case of going from bad to worse, but Duncan turns out to be the rescuer she needs.
I really loved these two characters. Even though the story is short, I felt like their characters were well developed. Julia is somewhat impulsive, which is what got her into trouble, but smart enough to know she needs to get away. Once she does, even when she ends up on foot, she knows she needs to make it hard for her kidnapper to find her. I loved her first encounter with Duncan and the impression he made on her. She wasn't going to be too trusting to begin with, having learned her lesson, but was willing to be convinced.
When Duncan spies a bedraggled English lass wrapped in his kilt as he finishes his swim, he has no idea what to make of her. Once he hears her story, he knows she needs his help and feels compelled to give it. I loved the way he tries so hard to put her at ease, but lets her know that he needs the truth of what happened to her. The scene in the cabin as he's trying to get to that truth was pretty funny. When he finds out what happened to her, his protective instincts kick in. There's something about her that really calls to him. I really enjoyed his confrontation with the kidnapper that night.
I was a bit surprised at what Julia did, but she seemed to know just what she wanted and was willing to go after it. Duncan also seemed to be willing to take the risk, knowing that it could end badly. Once they arrived at his home, I really enjoyed seeing what transpired. I loved the solution he came up with to save Julia when the bad guy returned with reinforcements. I loved the way the story ended and hope to see them again in a later book.
ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS SCANDAL by Alexandra Hawkins
Series: Lords of Vice (Book 8)
Lady Ellen is outraged when she learns her dowry's been increased by her dad, eager to draw every bachelor in England to her front door. So when Lord Swainsbury comes knocking, Ellen assumes he's another dreadful fortune hunter. Little does she know that Swainsbury has completely fallen for her -- body, heart, and soul....
Lady Ellen is furious with her parents, who have tripled the size of her dowry. Her father is very ill and wants her settled before he dies. Unfortunately, all Ellen sees are men who are more interested in the money than in her. She would much rather continue to stay at home and help care for her father. Her mother has planned a large house party for over the holidays, and many of those same bachelors have been invited. Ellen is determined to avoid being caught by any of them.
Derrick has wangled an invitation to the party through an acquaintance of his. That man thinks Derrick is another who is interested in Ellen's dowry, but Derrick actually has a far different agenda. Several years earlier his sister had married a man while he was out of the country. By the time he returned, his sister was dead, her husband and all her money had disappeared. Derrick wants to find that man and see him punished, and thinks that Ellen is a prime target for a repeat performance. He is determined to protect Ellen from the danger he sees.
I liked the relationship that grew between Derrick and Ellen. I enjoyed their first meeting in the conservatory. Their conversation was proper but seemed to have some undertones to it, especially from Derrick. He found her far more attractive than he expected. His plan is to give the impression that he is one of those courting her for her dowry, but he finds himself truly attracted to her. Ellen did not expect to find herself attracted to one of the men she sees as fortune hunters. She's not one to just sit back and take what others intend for her, and when she goes to Derrick's room to see what she can find out about him, she discovers he's not what she expected. This intrigues her even more as he tells her why he is really there.
I really liked the way that Derrick's protectiveness turned to more. When her father had an attack, I loved seeing Derrick take care of Ellen, trying to relieve some of her distress. The passion that followed brought them closer as they wait to see if his suspicions are correct. I enjoyed the scene between Derrick and her brother and his friends just before the villain made his move. I loved what he said about the dowry. One of the best parts about the confrontation with the bad guy was Ellen's ingenuity and how she didn't wait to be rescued.
THE SCANDAL BEFORE CHRISTMAS by Elizabeth Essex
Series: Reckless Brides (Book 3.5)
Lieutenant Ian Worth needs a wife by Christmas. He has to find her, woo her, and wed her before he goes back to sea. Anne Lesley is a shy spinster with no prospects, so she accepts Ian's hasty offer only for the security it will bring. But when a midwinter storm rolls in, things start to heat up between them... and they might just find true, honest-to-goodness love....
I really liked this story a lot, though I wasn't too sure I would at the beginning. Ian is a young naval officer, second son to a viscount. One day near Christmas his father shows up at Ian's home in Portsmouth, demanding that Ian leave the navy and get married. It seems that Ian's older brother has been badly injured, and if he lives at all, may never walk again, leaving it up to Ian to secure the family line. Dear old dad is really obnoxious, and before he knows it, Ian is telling him that he's already married, even though he isn't. This means that he has to find a marry a woman asap. As he's sitting in a local tavern wondering what he's going to do, he encounters a former colleague who is leaving the service and going home to his family. It just so happens that he has a daughter who is the quiet type who would be happy with solitude when Ian isn't around. Ian makes arrangements for the colonel to bring his daughter to his home for the marriage to take place.
When the colonel, his wife and his daughter arrive, Ian is dismayed. Anne is so quiet and plain that she all but disappears when anyone else is around. Quiet he wouldn't mind so much, he feels, but how can he possibly consider being with someone he can't even look at? When Anne accompanies her parents to their rooms, Ian begins to complain and make disparaging comments to his friend and servant, Pinky, not knowing that Anne had started back down the stairs and heard everything he said. Anne then exited the house, furious and hurt and wondering how she could possibly marry such a man. At this point I was totally disgusted with Ian and his selfish attitude and wondered if there was any hope for him at all.
Fortunately, Ian redeemed himself rather quickly. I liked the fact that he immediately followed her and apologized for his rudeness. He admitted to her that he considers himself to be rather shallow, but will do his best to be worthy of her if she will just give him a chance.
I liked Anne very much. She is a young woman who is happiest when she is being quiet and still, reading or thinking or just entertaining herself. She likes being outdoors rather than spending too much time inside. Her appearance of fading into the background is a self-defense mechanism, as her mother is one who couldn't be still or quiet to save her life. Anne looks at marriage to Ian as her only hope for a life of her own. She is somewhat overcome by Ian's good looks and obvious charm as she has never been around anyone like him. She starts out barely able to look at him or talk above a whisper and a few words at a time. But Ian puts some real effort into trying to make amends and by the time they go back in the house he feels that he's making some progress. He also thinks that maybe there is more to Anne than he first thought.
I really enjoyed seeing Ian exert himself to bring Anne out of her shell. In doing so he discovered that they had more in common than he had originally thought. He also finds that he is, quite surprisingly, attracted to her, which he considers a bonus. He realizes that she is quite innocent and sets out to flirt with her and try to make her more comfortable with him. The scene in the library when Ian shows her his books was fantastic. Things are going quite well in that regard, until Ian's father shows up, making rude comments about her looks, and whether or not she's pregnant yet. Ian confesses to Anne about his lies, and she agrees to uphold the deception if they can just keep his father and her parents apart. Unfortunately a storm strands his father there, making keeping the secret difficult at best.
I really enjoyed seeing Anne gain confidence in herself and the relationship between her and Ian. There were some really fun parts as they tried to keep their secret, and were aided and abetted by Ian's servant. I loved seeing the two of them grow closer and happier with the prospects for a good marriage. There comes a point when Ian's father goes too far and I absolutely loved seeing Ian face him down calmly and firmly, leaving no question about what was going to happen. The ending was fantastic.
I also liked the way the secondary characters were portrayed. Anne's mother was silly and thoughtless and seeing the type of person she was made it clear why Anne is the person she is. I loved Ian's friend and servant Pinky. He's quite a character, being a retired seaman, but he is also really sweet. He goes to a lot of trouble to make Anne feel comfortable. He also is terrific at anticipating Ian's needs, and always seems to be one step ahead of Ian. I loved his part in the activities of Christmas morning. Ian's father is the character that I detested the most. His callous attitude about his older son's injuries was disgusting. His attempts to force Ian to give up the life he loved were incredibly selfish, and his rudeness to Anne and her father was awful. The best thing he had ever done was send Ian off to the navy when he was a boy, though that comes back to bite him in the butt.
IT HAPPENED UNDER THE MISTLETOE by Valerie Bowman
Series: Secret Brides (Book 3.5)
Oliver Townsende intends to avoid the hordes of marriage-minded misses at a friend's holiday party. When he meets Miss Cerian Blake, who's dodging her own unwanted set of admirers, the two decide to join forces and fake an infatuation to keep their suitors at bay. But when mistletoe becomes involved, will their Christmastime prank turn into a love to last all seasons?
Very fun story of two people who come to each other's rescue and find love at the same time. Both Oliver and Cerian are guests at a Christmastime house party who find themselves under siege by members of the opposite sex. Oliver has recently inherited his title of duke and has found himself the target of a particularly aggressive young lady. As he is literally running from her, he takes refuge in a silver closet, hoping to hide from her, only to discover that the closet is already occupied. Cerian is a young lady with an impressive dowry who is being pursued by several gentlemen who seem more interested in her money than herself. She wants the chance to fall in love with someone who doesn't care about the money, but her mother is set on Cerian marrying a title. After discovering their common problem, Oliver suggests that they pretend an interest in each other for their mutual protection.
I really liked both Cerian and Oliver. He knows he needs to marry, but he would really like to find someone who doesn't care about the title. Unfortunately, since inheriting, it's impossible for him to tell the difference. Finding Cerian seems like the answer to a prayer because she really doesn't want to marry a man with a title. He also discovers that pretending to be interested in her isn't hard at all. In fact, he finds he doesn't have to pretend at all. I loved watching him get closer to her as the week went on, while trying to convince himself that he is still pretending. He tries to do what he thinks is right when threats are made against her, but that only makes him more miserable. I loved the conversation between him and Medford in the barn, when he finally faces his feelings and realizes what he has to do.
Cerian is quite at odds with her mother. Mom wants her to marry a man with a title, but the idea of it terrifies Cerian. She is used to her simple life in Wales and the prospect of having to deal with the complexities of a society life in unthinkable. Though Oliver is a duke, as they are only pretending, she feels quite comfortable with him - at least until the first time he kisses her. Suddenly she's feeling things she's never felt before, and has to keep reminding herself they are only pretending. By the end of the week she has quite fallen for him, but can't believe he would really be interested in her. I loved the ending and how Oliver made his feelings clear in front of everyone.
I really enjoyed seeing Oliver and Cerian thwart Lady Selina and her attempts to capture Oliver. I detested her mother and the threats she made and thought they both got what they deserved at the end. I loved the gray cat and its matchmaking efforts.
Series: Scandalous Highlanders (Book .5)
Duncan Lenox lives surrounded by enemies, a MacLawry in a land of Campbells. But when an English beauty has nowhere else to turn, he feels obligated to help. Now that they must spend a night together in an abandoned cottage while a storm rages on, will their mutual passion save -- or doom -- them both?
Very short, but very fun story. Julia was visiting Aberdeen with her family when an overzealous suitor kidnapped her in an attempt to force a marriage between them. Though somewhat naive, she isn't stupid and bides her time. When they arrive at his home she takes the first opportunity to steal a horse and attempt to escape. This attempt doesn't go as planned and she stumbles on Duncan Lenox, who is bathing naked in the lake. This could have been a case of going from bad to worse, but Duncan turns out to be the rescuer she needs.
I really loved these two characters. Even though the story is short, I felt like their characters were well developed. Julia is somewhat impulsive, which is what got her into trouble, but smart enough to know she needs to get away. Once she does, even when she ends up on foot, she knows she needs to make it hard for her kidnapper to find her. I loved her first encounter with Duncan and the impression he made on her. She wasn't going to be too trusting to begin with, having learned her lesson, but was willing to be convinced.
When Duncan spies a bedraggled English lass wrapped in his kilt as he finishes his swim, he has no idea what to make of her. Once he hears her story, he knows she needs his help and feels compelled to give it. I loved the way he tries so hard to put her at ease, but lets her know that he needs the truth of what happened to her. The scene in the cabin as he's trying to get to that truth was pretty funny. When he finds out what happened to her, his protective instincts kick in. There's something about her that really calls to him. I really enjoyed his confrontation with the kidnapper that night.
I was a bit surprised at what Julia did, but she seemed to know just what she wanted and was willing to go after it. Duncan also seemed to be willing to take the risk, knowing that it could end badly. Once they arrived at his home, I really enjoyed seeing what transpired. I loved the solution he came up with to save Julia when the bad guy returned with reinforcements. I loved the way the story ended and hope to see them again in a later book.
ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS SCANDAL by Alexandra Hawkins
Series: Lords of Vice (Book 8)
Lady Ellen is outraged when she learns her dowry's been increased by her dad, eager to draw every bachelor in England to her front door. So when Lord Swainsbury comes knocking, Ellen assumes he's another dreadful fortune hunter. Little does she know that Swainsbury has completely fallen for her -- body, heart, and soul....
Lady Ellen is furious with her parents, who have tripled the size of her dowry. Her father is very ill and wants her settled before he dies. Unfortunately, all Ellen sees are men who are more interested in the money than in her. She would much rather continue to stay at home and help care for her father. Her mother has planned a large house party for over the holidays, and many of those same bachelors have been invited. Ellen is determined to avoid being caught by any of them.
Derrick has wangled an invitation to the party through an acquaintance of his. That man thinks Derrick is another who is interested in Ellen's dowry, but Derrick actually has a far different agenda. Several years earlier his sister had married a man while he was out of the country. By the time he returned, his sister was dead, her husband and all her money had disappeared. Derrick wants to find that man and see him punished, and thinks that Ellen is a prime target for a repeat performance. He is determined to protect Ellen from the danger he sees.
I liked the relationship that grew between Derrick and Ellen. I enjoyed their first meeting in the conservatory. Their conversation was proper but seemed to have some undertones to it, especially from Derrick. He found her far more attractive than he expected. His plan is to give the impression that he is one of those courting her for her dowry, but he finds himself truly attracted to her. Ellen did not expect to find herself attracted to one of the men she sees as fortune hunters. She's not one to just sit back and take what others intend for her, and when she goes to Derrick's room to see what she can find out about him, she discovers he's not what she expected. This intrigues her even more as he tells her why he is really there.
I really liked the way that Derrick's protectiveness turned to more. When her father had an attack, I loved seeing Derrick take care of Ellen, trying to relieve some of her distress. The passion that followed brought them closer as they wait to see if his suspicions are correct. I enjoyed the scene between Derrick and her brother and his friends just before the villain made his move. I loved what he said about the dowry. One of the best parts about the confrontation with the bad guy was Ellen's ingenuity and how she didn't wait to be rescued.
THE SCANDAL BEFORE CHRISTMAS by Elizabeth Essex
Series: Reckless Brides (Book 3.5)
Lieutenant Ian Worth needs a wife by Christmas. He has to find her, woo her, and wed her before he goes back to sea. Anne Lesley is a shy spinster with no prospects, so she accepts Ian's hasty offer only for the security it will bring. But when a midwinter storm rolls in, things start to heat up between them... and they might just find true, honest-to-goodness love....
I really liked this story a lot, though I wasn't too sure I would at the beginning. Ian is a young naval officer, second son to a viscount. One day near Christmas his father shows up at Ian's home in Portsmouth, demanding that Ian leave the navy and get married. It seems that Ian's older brother has been badly injured, and if he lives at all, may never walk again, leaving it up to Ian to secure the family line. Dear old dad is really obnoxious, and before he knows it, Ian is telling him that he's already married, even though he isn't. This means that he has to find a marry a woman asap. As he's sitting in a local tavern wondering what he's going to do, he encounters a former colleague who is leaving the service and going home to his family. It just so happens that he has a daughter who is the quiet type who would be happy with solitude when Ian isn't around. Ian makes arrangements for the colonel to bring his daughter to his home for the marriage to take place.
When the colonel, his wife and his daughter arrive, Ian is dismayed. Anne is so quiet and plain that she all but disappears when anyone else is around. Quiet he wouldn't mind so much, he feels, but how can he possibly consider being with someone he can't even look at? When Anne accompanies her parents to their rooms, Ian begins to complain and make disparaging comments to his friend and servant, Pinky, not knowing that Anne had started back down the stairs and heard everything he said. Anne then exited the house, furious and hurt and wondering how she could possibly marry such a man. At this point I was totally disgusted with Ian and his selfish attitude and wondered if there was any hope for him at all.
Fortunately, Ian redeemed himself rather quickly. I liked the fact that he immediately followed her and apologized for his rudeness. He admitted to her that he considers himself to be rather shallow, but will do his best to be worthy of her if she will just give him a chance.
I liked Anne very much. She is a young woman who is happiest when she is being quiet and still, reading or thinking or just entertaining herself. She likes being outdoors rather than spending too much time inside. Her appearance of fading into the background is a self-defense mechanism, as her mother is one who couldn't be still or quiet to save her life. Anne looks at marriage to Ian as her only hope for a life of her own. She is somewhat overcome by Ian's good looks and obvious charm as she has never been around anyone like him. She starts out barely able to look at him or talk above a whisper and a few words at a time. But Ian puts some real effort into trying to make amends and by the time they go back in the house he feels that he's making some progress. He also thinks that maybe there is more to Anne than he first thought.
I really enjoyed seeing Ian exert himself to bring Anne out of her shell. In doing so he discovered that they had more in common than he had originally thought. He also finds that he is, quite surprisingly, attracted to her, which he considers a bonus. He realizes that she is quite innocent and sets out to flirt with her and try to make her more comfortable with him. The scene in the library when Ian shows her his books was fantastic. Things are going quite well in that regard, until Ian's father shows up, making rude comments about her looks, and whether or not she's pregnant yet. Ian confesses to Anne about his lies, and she agrees to uphold the deception if they can just keep his father and her parents apart. Unfortunately a storm strands his father there, making keeping the secret difficult at best.
I really enjoyed seeing Anne gain confidence in herself and the relationship between her and Ian. There were some really fun parts as they tried to keep their secret, and were aided and abetted by Ian's servant. I loved seeing the two of them grow closer and happier with the prospects for a good marriage. There comes a point when Ian's father goes too far and I absolutely loved seeing Ian face him down calmly and firmly, leaving no question about what was going to happen. The ending was fantastic.
I also liked the way the secondary characters were portrayed. Anne's mother was silly and thoughtless and seeing the type of person she was made it clear why Anne is the person she is. I loved Ian's friend and servant Pinky. He's quite a character, being a retired seaman, but he is also really sweet. He goes to a lot of trouble to make Anne feel comfortable. He also is terrific at anticipating Ian's needs, and always seems to be one step ahead of Ian. I loved his part in the activities of Christmas morning. Ian's father is the character that I detested the most. His callous attitude about his older son's injuries was disgusting. His attempts to force Ian to give up the life he loved were incredibly selfish, and his rudeness to Anne and her father was awful. The best thing he had ever done was send Ian off to the navy when he was a boy, though that comes back to bite him in the butt.
IT HAPPENED UNDER THE MISTLETOE by Valerie Bowman
Series: Secret Brides (Book 3.5)
Oliver Townsende intends to avoid the hordes of marriage-minded misses at a friend's holiday party. When he meets Miss Cerian Blake, who's dodging her own unwanted set of admirers, the two decide to join forces and fake an infatuation to keep their suitors at bay. But when mistletoe becomes involved, will their Christmastime prank turn into a love to last all seasons?
Very fun story of two people who come to each other's rescue and find love at the same time. Both Oliver and Cerian are guests at a Christmastime house party who find themselves under siege by members of the opposite sex. Oliver has recently inherited his title of duke and has found himself the target of a particularly aggressive young lady. As he is literally running from her, he takes refuge in a silver closet, hoping to hide from her, only to discover that the closet is already occupied. Cerian is a young lady with an impressive dowry who is being pursued by several gentlemen who seem more interested in her money than herself. She wants the chance to fall in love with someone who doesn't care about the money, but her mother is set on Cerian marrying a title. After discovering their common problem, Oliver suggests that they pretend an interest in each other for their mutual protection.
I really liked both Cerian and Oliver. He knows he needs to marry, but he would really like to find someone who doesn't care about the title. Unfortunately, since inheriting, it's impossible for him to tell the difference. Finding Cerian seems like the answer to a prayer because she really doesn't want to marry a man with a title. He also discovers that pretending to be interested in her isn't hard at all. In fact, he finds he doesn't have to pretend at all. I loved watching him get closer to her as the week went on, while trying to convince himself that he is still pretending. He tries to do what he thinks is right when threats are made against her, but that only makes him more miserable. I loved the conversation between him and Medford in the barn, when he finally faces his feelings and realizes what he has to do.
Cerian is quite at odds with her mother. Mom wants her to marry a man with a title, but the idea of it terrifies Cerian. She is used to her simple life in Wales and the prospect of having to deal with the complexities of a society life in unthinkable. Though Oliver is a duke, as they are only pretending, she feels quite comfortable with him - at least until the first time he kisses her. Suddenly she's feeling things she's never felt before, and has to keep reminding herself they are only pretending. By the end of the week she has quite fallen for him, but can't believe he would really be interested in her. I loved the ending and how Oliver made his feelings clear in front of everyone.
I really enjoyed seeing Oliver and Cerian thwart Lady Selina and her attempts to capture Oliver. I detested her mother and the threats she made and thought they both got what they deserved at the end. I loved the gray cat and its matchmaking efforts.
September 17, 2014
Three of these four books, or novellas, have already been published. I am adding a review of all four.
Christmas Brides Anthology - “It Happened Under the Mistletoe” - Valerie Bowman
Oxfordshire, December 1817. Oliver Townsende, the new Duke of Markingham, has been invited to attend Lord Medford’s Christmastide House Party. It is with a bit of trepidation that he agrees to attend. Now that the word is out that he has become a Duke and is single, the young women are around him like bees to honey. For instance, one young woman, Lady Selina Kinsey, is quite brazen in her pursuit of him, trying to grab him at every turn and kiss him under the mistletoe. It is while hiding from her that he meets a young woman who is also hiding from several gentlemen who are pursuing her.
Miss Cerian Blake, age 22, is a cousin to a Viscountess and is in possession of a large dowry. Although her father made his fortune in the copper trade, Lords Easterbrooke, Dashford, Meriwether and Sir Giliam are all looking to get their hands on her dowry.
As Oliver and Cerian are attracted to one another they are both trying not to give into this as they are each concerned that someone would want them only for their money. However, they soon find that the attraction they have is true.
I enjoyed reading about Oliver and Cerian and found that they were perfectly matched for one another. They both possess a good sense of humor which is so necessary to having a good relationship.
Once again, Valerie Bowman has written a total winner. I look forward to reading even more of her novels.
Complementary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Christmas Brides Anthology - “The Scandal Before Christmas” - Elizabeth Essex
It is December 1816 where we find Lieutenant Ian Worth, second son to Viscount Rainsford who is demanding that Ian marry right away. After spending 12 years as an officer in His Royal Majesty’s Navy, Ian is not open to demands from his bully of a father. As it happens, his brother, Ross, and heir to the family’s fortune, has fallen from his horse and being paralyzed he will not be able to father children. As Ross was engaged to Honoria, daughter of Sir Joseph Lewis, Ian is now instructed to marry her. In order to stall for time, Ian tells his father that he is already married when he in truth is not.
When Ian meets up with his old friend, Colonel Lesley, in a bar who tells him that he has decided to sell his commission and stay home to marry off his daughters, Ian responds that he is looking for a bride. They agree that Colonel and Mrs. Lesley will travel to Ian’s home, Gull Cottage on the Isle of Wight. They will bring their 22-year-old daughter for Ian to meet. He is told that she is a sensible girl with a good head on her shoulders.
When the family arrives, Ian is somewhat taken aback that Anne Lesley is a rather plain and painfully shy young woman constantly at the beck and call of her mother who treats her as a servant. In truth, Anne would like nothing more than to marry and get away from her jabbering mother.
As Ian and Anne get to know one another, he is pleased to find that she is quite agreeable to live at Gull Cottage while he is away at sea. She loves the peace and quiet of the place.
However, Ian’s father makes an unexpected appearance at his home demanding to meet his bride. When Ian tells Anne that he has lied to his father, she goes along with his deception and pretends to be his bride. Ian always received cruel treatment from his father and was forced to go to sea at age 12.
Will Ian and Anne truly fall in love? Will they be able to live their lives as they wish without interference by their parents?
I found this to be a very sweet story. Ian and Anne are perfectly matched for each other.
Complementary copy received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Christmas Brides Anthology - “One Hot Scot” - Suzanne Enoch
Julia Prentiss is a lovely young woman with a large dowry. What visiting family, she is kidnapped by Lord Bellamy and taken to his home in Scotland. His plan is to make her marry him so he can gain access to her dowry. But Julia is a wily one and manages to escape and take off on a horse. When the horse throws her, she lands on the ground by a river. When she sees a naked man bathing in the river, she asks for his help. His name is Duncan Lenox and offers for Julia to stay in his small cottage a few miles from Lenox House. A huge rainstorm necessitate that they stay there overnight. They are immediately attracted to one another and he tells her about himself and his family.
When Lord Bellamy discovers them in the cottage, he tries to take Julia back but they escape to Lenox House which turns out to be a huge mansion. There, his grandmother and three sisters welcome her.
Duncan is a very wealthy man and Julia is an heiress. Wonder what will happen next?
This is short but sweet novella with just the right amount of romance and angst.
Complementary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Christmas Brides Anthology - “Once Upon a Christmas Scandal” - Alexandra Hawkins
It is 1826 in London where we find Lady Ellen Courtland, age 30, living with her parents, Lord and Lady Netherley. Ellen’s father is ill and has been diagnosed with angina pectoris. His doctor tries to keep him in bed but his love for his plants in his conservatory keep him escaping from his bed. Lord Courtland is frustrated that Ellen has not married, but she simply does not care for any of her suitors. When she discovers that her father has decided to triple the amount of her dowry to ensure she finds the right man, she is furious. However, she tries to cover her anger and go along with her father to keep him calm. Her family has invited a great number of people for Christmas and, hopefully, one of them will be someone Ellen will choose to marry.
When Derrick Martin Hunt, Earl of Swainsbury, appears as part of the Christmas invitees, Ellen just figures that he is another man looking to marry her and gain her dowry. However, as they get to know one another better over the days, she discovers he is not the man she thought he was. In fact, he is handsome, kind and truly cares for her. When he confides a sad story about his murdered sister, she is shocked to find that Derrick has reason to believe that the killer is now after her.
As the attraction between Derrick and Ellen increases, so does the tension of what might happen. When near tragedy strikes, they ban together to save her and her family.
This is a cleverly written novel with solid characters that make the story one that the reader will not want to put down.
I have strived to include teasers by not spoilers in this review as I do not think the book/novella has been published before.
Complementary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Christmas Brides Anthology - “It Happened Under the Mistletoe” - Valerie Bowman
Oxfordshire, December 1817. Oliver Townsende, the new Duke of Markingham, has been invited to attend Lord Medford’s Christmastide House Party. It is with a bit of trepidation that he agrees to attend. Now that the word is out that he has become a Duke and is single, the young women are around him like bees to honey. For instance, one young woman, Lady Selina Kinsey, is quite brazen in her pursuit of him, trying to grab him at every turn and kiss him under the mistletoe. It is while hiding from her that he meets a young woman who is also hiding from several gentlemen who are pursuing her.
Miss Cerian Blake, age 22, is a cousin to a Viscountess and is in possession of a large dowry. Although her father made his fortune in the copper trade, Lords Easterbrooke, Dashford, Meriwether and Sir Giliam are all looking to get their hands on her dowry.
As Oliver and Cerian are attracted to one another they are both trying not to give into this as they are each concerned that someone would want them only for their money. However, they soon find that the attraction they have is true.
I enjoyed reading about Oliver and Cerian and found that they were perfectly matched for one another. They both possess a good sense of humor which is so necessary to having a good relationship.
Once again, Valerie Bowman has written a total winner. I look forward to reading even more of her novels.
Complementary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Christmas Brides Anthology - “The Scandal Before Christmas” - Elizabeth Essex
It is December 1816 where we find Lieutenant Ian Worth, second son to Viscount Rainsford who is demanding that Ian marry right away. After spending 12 years as an officer in His Royal Majesty’s Navy, Ian is not open to demands from his bully of a father. As it happens, his brother, Ross, and heir to the family’s fortune, has fallen from his horse and being paralyzed he will not be able to father children. As Ross was engaged to Honoria, daughter of Sir Joseph Lewis, Ian is now instructed to marry her. In order to stall for time, Ian tells his father that he is already married when he in truth is not.
When Ian meets up with his old friend, Colonel Lesley, in a bar who tells him that he has decided to sell his commission and stay home to marry off his daughters, Ian responds that he is looking for a bride. They agree that Colonel and Mrs. Lesley will travel to Ian’s home, Gull Cottage on the Isle of Wight. They will bring their 22-year-old daughter for Ian to meet. He is told that she is a sensible girl with a good head on her shoulders.
When the family arrives, Ian is somewhat taken aback that Anne Lesley is a rather plain and painfully shy young woman constantly at the beck and call of her mother who treats her as a servant. In truth, Anne would like nothing more than to marry and get away from her jabbering mother.
As Ian and Anne get to know one another, he is pleased to find that she is quite agreeable to live at Gull Cottage while he is away at sea. She loves the peace and quiet of the place.
However, Ian’s father makes an unexpected appearance at his home demanding to meet his bride. When Ian tells Anne that he has lied to his father, she goes along with his deception and pretends to be his bride. Ian always received cruel treatment from his father and was forced to go to sea at age 12.
Will Ian and Anne truly fall in love? Will they be able to live their lives as they wish without interference by their parents?
I found this to be a very sweet story. Ian and Anne are perfectly matched for each other.
Complementary copy received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Christmas Brides Anthology - “One Hot Scot” - Suzanne Enoch
Julia Prentiss is a lovely young woman with a large dowry. What visiting family, she is kidnapped by Lord Bellamy and taken to his home in Scotland. His plan is to make her marry him so he can gain access to her dowry. But Julia is a wily one and manages to escape and take off on a horse. When the horse throws her, she lands on the ground by a river. When she sees a naked man bathing in the river, she asks for his help. His name is Duncan Lenox and offers for Julia to stay in his small cottage a few miles from Lenox House. A huge rainstorm necessitate that they stay there overnight. They are immediately attracted to one another and he tells her about himself and his family.
When Lord Bellamy discovers them in the cottage, he tries to take Julia back but they escape to Lenox House which turns out to be a huge mansion. There, his grandmother and three sisters welcome her.
Duncan is a very wealthy man and Julia is an heiress. Wonder what will happen next?
This is short but sweet novella with just the right amount of romance and angst.
Complementary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Christmas Brides Anthology - “Once Upon a Christmas Scandal” - Alexandra Hawkins
It is 1826 in London where we find Lady Ellen Courtland, age 30, living with her parents, Lord and Lady Netherley. Ellen’s father is ill and has been diagnosed with angina pectoris. His doctor tries to keep him in bed but his love for his plants in his conservatory keep him escaping from his bed. Lord Courtland is frustrated that Ellen has not married, but she simply does not care for any of her suitors. When she discovers that her father has decided to triple the amount of her dowry to ensure she finds the right man, she is furious. However, she tries to cover her anger and go along with her father to keep him calm. Her family has invited a great number of people for Christmas and, hopefully, one of them will be someone Ellen will choose to marry.
When Derrick Martin Hunt, Earl of Swainsbury, appears as part of the Christmas invitees, Ellen just figures that he is another man looking to marry her and gain her dowry. However, as they get to know one another better over the days, she discovers he is not the man she thought he was. In fact, he is handsome, kind and truly cares for her. When he confides a sad story about his murdered sister, she is shocked to find that Derrick has reason to believe that the killer is now after her.
As the attraction between Derrick and Ellen increases, so does the tension of what might happen. When near tragedy strikes, they ban together to save her and her family.
This is a cleverly written novel with solid characters that make the story one that the reader will not want to put down.
I have strived to include teasers by not spoilers in this review as I do not think the book/novella has been published before.
Complementary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 13, 2020
"One Hot Scot" by Suzanne Enoch
Instalove but make it cute. The heroine was kidnapped by a fortune hunter, but she managed to escape into the Highlands. She happens across a sexy naked guy in a lake, and he helps her outsmart the evildoer. This story is cute, but obviously it would have been better with more length (size does matter in this case). They had some cute light banter going, but then it goes from like 5 to 60, and they're doing it out of nowhere and then BAM they're in love. There's also some stuff about how important it is that she get along with his sisters, which feels like it's setting something up, which it probably does in the series, but does not in the story. But hey, it's a fun romp and fulfills the brief adequately.
"Once Upon a Christmas Scandal" by Alexandra Hawkins
To me, this story is one of those examples of why it's generally a terrible idea to make a romance novel unpredictable. The way the hero is introduced, as a skeezy fortune hunter, made me loathe him. In the end, you learn that this isn't actually true, but it was way too late, and it doesn't help that the explanation for why he's actually there makes no sense. Also, why are his little flashback scenes just random paragraphs in italics? I also hated that the heroine's dying father used his state to force his daughter into matrimony; I didn't want to see her get married before he passed tbqh. I didn't like anything about this story.
"The Scandal Before Christmas" by Elizabeth Essex
Despite being easily the longest story, I do think this concept could have been amazing with more time for development. As it is, I liked it, and I appreciated how weirdly understated it was. A marriage of convenience is being planned in a week to spite an evil father. Initially, he thinks she's plain and boring, but they bond over shared habits. It could have been super duper sweet if there had been time to really develop the feelings, but, given the circumstances, it's instalove. I'm not mad at it, but I definitely liked the ideas more than the execution. Also, the hero says "God's balls" wayyyy too many times.
"It Happened Under the Mistletoe" by Valerie Bowman
This was my favorite of the collection, the one that has the most banter and comes closest to setting up a believable ship in a brief period of time. I love the house party hijinks and the use of the fake dating trope. All the plot points are a bit too rote (the mean girl rival, the miscommunication), but it was solidly cute from start to finish, and I shipped it, so not bad in about a hundred pages.
Instalove but make it cute. The heroine was kidnapped by a fortune hunter, but she managed to escape into the Highlands. She happens across a sexy naked guy in a lake, and he helps her outsmart the evildoer. This story is cute, but obviously it would have been better with more length (size does matter in this case). They had some cute light banter going, but then it goes from like 5 to 60, and they're doing it out of nowhere and then BAM they're in love. There's also some stuff about how important it is that she get along with his sisters, which feels like it's setting something up, which it probably does in the series, but does not in the story. But hey, it's a fun romp and fulfills the brief adequately.
"Once Upon a Christmas Scandal" by Alexandra Hawkins
To me, this story is one of those examples of why it's generally a terrible idea to make a romance novel unpredictable. The way the hero is introduced, as a skeezy fortune hunter, made me loathe him. In the end, you learn that this isn't actually true, but it was way too late, and it doesn't help that the explanation for why he's actually there makes no sense. Also, why are his little flashback scenes just random paragraphs in italics? I also hated that the heroine's dying father used his state to force his daughter into matrimony; I didn't want to see her get married before he passed tbqh. I didn't like anything about this story.
"The Scandal Before Christmas" by Elizabeth Essex
Despite being easily the longest story, I do think this concept could have been amazing with more time for development. As it is, I liked it, and I appreciated how weirdly understated it was. A marriage of convenience is being planned in a week to spite an evil father. Initially, he thinks she's plain and boring, but they bond over shared habits. It could have been super duper sweet if there had been time to really develop the feelings, but, given the circumstances, it's instalove. I'm not mad at it, but I definitely liked the ideas more than the execution. Also, the hero says "God's balls" wayyyy too many times.
"It Happened Under the Mistletoe" by Valerie Bowman
This was my favorite of the collection, the one that has the most banter and comes closest to setting up a believable ship in a brief period of time. I love the house party hijinks and the use of the fake dating trope. All the plot points are a bit too rote (the mean girl rival, the miscommunication), but it was solidly cute from start to finish, and I shipped it, so not bad in about a hundred pages.
December 19, 2014
“Christmas Brides” By Suzanne Enoch, Alexandra Hawkins, Elizabeth Essex & Valerie Bowman
"One Hot Scot" by Suzanne Enoch
I was disappointed in Suzanne Enoch's "One Hot Scot" story, I have read her books in the past and really quite enjoyed them. I found that the plot did not revolve around "Christmas," which I had expected. The story also seemed to drag on, and lack any Christmas feel.
2 Cups of Coffee Out of 5
"Once Upon a Christmas Scandal" by Alexandra Hawkins
Lady Ellen has the desire to marry, that is, until her father, who is dying, has gone ahead without Lady Ellen's permission and upped her dowry in hopes getting Lady Ellen married by Christmas. Lady Ellen is furious by her father's decision to force her to get married to a man who only wants to marry her for the large dowry.
With everyone arriving for Christmas and staying at Lady Ellen's families home, Lady Ellen must figure out how she is to avoid marriage. Marriage is going to be the least of Lady Ellen's worries once a dashing stranger arrives at her families home and immediately sets Lady Ellen's heart a race. This dashing stranger will also inform her that she is in danger by a man who just happened to murder her sister, and could possibly be trying to do it again.
Lady Ellen is going to cause quite the scandal this Christmas, but first she must try and stay out of harms way. Will Lady Ellen be married by Christmas, or will harm come to the Netherley's home just in time for Christmas?
Once again Alexandra Hawkins delivers up a novel full of suspense and romance wrapped into the perfect gift for Christmas.
4 Cups of Coffee Out of 5
"The Scandal Before Christmas" by Elizabeth Essex
Lieutenant Ian Worth has just been told that his brother, who is the current Duke of the family, has been severely injured and may not make it through to Christmas. Ian immediately realizes that he might have to step up and become the next Duke. Ian does not want to take on this responsibly. Ian's father is a demanding man, and he always gets what he wants. Ian's father has told him that he is to find a wife, and marry her by Christmas or there will be consequences.
Ian is in one heck of a predicament, he has to try and find a wife soon as possible so he does not have to deal with his controlling father. Ian also hopes that his brother will get better so he can resume being Duke. Ian comes up with an idea and asks one of the sailors on his boat, Mr. Lesley, if he would introduce him to one of his daughters. Mr. Lesley agrees, and introduces Ian to his eldest daughter, Anne. When Ian meets Anne, Lesley is quite shocked with what he sees standing in front of him. She is one of the plainest looking women, wearing the ugliest brown dress he has ever seen! Ian also soon learns that Anne Lesley barely says anything at all, and starts to wonder if this was a big mistake.
Anne Lesley may be plain on the outside, by she is far from plain on the inside. Anne Lesley will show Ian Worth what its like to live and enjoy life, and learn to stand up to his father. Christmas is going to get very hot under the mistletoe this year for Ian Worth and Anne Lesley!
3 Cups of Coffee out of 5
"It Happened Under the Mistletoe" by Valerie Bowman
O liver Townsende, the Duke Of Markingham, is trying to avoid every single debutant at his close friends Christmas party, especially Lady Selina, who will stop at nothing to make Oliver her man. Oliver has had enough of this "cat and mouse game" and makes a run for it in an attempt to hide from all the unwanted attention and stalkers. Oliver decides to hide out in the silver polish closet, but soon realizes that he is not the only one running from stalkers like himself.
Miss Cerian Blake has been invited to her cousins Christmas Party along with her mother, who hears that there is going to be a dashing duke at the party. Cerian' mom is hoping the the Duke picks her daughter so she can tell all her friends that her daughter now has a title. Cerian Blake has no interest in marrying a man with a title or money, she would rather marry for true love. Little does Cerian know that this dashing Duke is far from snobbish like all the other Dukes. This Duke is smart, charming and not to mention drop dead gorgeous, and who just happens to be trying to rid himself of stalkers and unwanted attention like poor Cerian. Cerian too is tired of all these single bachelors trying to vie for her attention.
Cerian Blake and Oliver Townsende both do want to be chased by the single people of the ton, and really want nothing to do with the upper ton. Cerian and Oliver will unite and come up with a plan to act like they are an item to stop all the attention on themselves, but attention is just what they will get when a scandalous rumor will spread that these two are more then just an item. Sparks and mistletoe is in store for Miss Cerian Blake and O liver Townsende, the Duke Of Markingham, in "It Happened Under the Mistletoe" by Valerie Bowman.
4 Cups of Coffee Out of 5
If you are looking for a great Christmas time romance novel to read by the fire then "Christmas Brides" is the book to read.
Reviewed by BookReviewDiva.com
Visit my Website at http://www.bookreviewdiva.com
"One Hot Scot" by Suzanne Enoch
I was disappointed in Suzanne Enoch's "One Hot Scot" story, I have read her books in the past and really quite enjoyed them. I found that the plot did not revolve around "Christmas," which I had expected. The story also seemed to drag on, and lack any Christmas feel.
2 Cups of Coffee Out of 5
"Once Upon a Christmas Scandal" by Alexandra Hawkins
Lady Ellen has the desire to marry, that is, until her father, who is dying, has gone ahead without Lady Ellen's permission and upped her dowry in hopes getting Lady Ellen married by Christmas. Lady Ellen is furious by her father's decision to force her to get married to a man who only wants to marry her for the large dowry.
With everyone arriving for Christmas and staying at Lady Ellen's families home, Lady Ellen must figure out how she is to avoid marriage. Marriage is going to be the least of Lady Ellen's worries once a dashing stranger arrives at her families home and immediately sets Lady Ellen's heart a race. This dashing stranger will also inform her that she is in danger by a man who just happened to murder her sister, and could possibly be trying to do it again.
Lady Ellen is going to cause quite the scandal this Christmas, but first she must try and stay out of harms way. Will Lady Ellen be married by Christmas, or will harm come to the Netherley's home just in time for Christmas?
Once again Alexandra Hawkins delivers up a novel full of suspense and romance wrapped into the perfect gift for Christmas.
4 Cups of Coffee Out of 5
"The Scandal Before Christmas" by Elizabeth Essex
Lieutenant Ian Worth has just been told that his brother, who is the current Duke of the family, has been severely injured and may not make it through to Christmas. Ian immediately realizes that he might have to step up and become the next Duke. Ian does not want to take on this responsibly. Ian's father is a demanding man, and he always gets what he wants. Ian's father has told him that he is to find a wife, and marry her by Christmas or there will be consequences.
Ian is in one heck of a predicament, he has to try and find a wife soon as possible so he does not have to deal with his controlling father. Ian also hopes that his brother will get better so he can resume being Duke. Ian comes up with an idea and asks one of the sailors on his boat, Mr. Lesley, if he would introduce him to one of his daughters. Mr. Lesley agrees, and introduces Ian to his eldest daughter, Anne. When Ian meets Anne, Lesley is quite shocked with what he sees standing in front of him. She is one of the plainest looking women, wearing the ugliest brown dress he has ever seen! Ian also soon learns that Anne Lesley barely says anything at all, and starts to wonder if this was a big mistake.
Anne Lesley may be plain on the outside, by she is far from plain on the inside. Anne Lesley will show Ian Worth what its like to live and enjoy life, and learn to stand up to his father. Christmas is going to get very hot under the mistletoe this year for Ian Worth and Anne Lesley!
3 Cups of Coffee out of 5
"It Happened Under the Mistletoe" by Valerie Bowman
O liver Townsende, the Duke Of Markingham, is trying to avoid every single debutant at his close friends Christmas party, especially Lady Selina, who will stop at nothing to make Oliver her man. Oliver has had enough of this "cat and mouse game" and makes a run for it in an attempt to hide from all the unwanted attention and stalkers. Oliver decides to hide out in the silver polish closet, but soon realizes that he is not the only one running from stalkers like himself.
Miss Cerian Blake has been invited to her cousins Christmas Party along with her mother, who hears that there is going to be a dashing duke at the party. Cerian' mom is hoping the the Duke picks her daughter so she can tell all her friends that her daughter now has a title. Cerian Blake has no interest in marrying a man with a title or money, she would rather marry for true love. Little does Cerian know that this dashing Duke is far from snobbish like all the other Dukes. This Duke is smart, charming and not to mention drop dead gorgeous, and who just happens to be trying to rid himself of stalkers and unwanted attention like poor Cerian. Cerian too is tired of all these single bachelors trying to vie for her attention.
Cerian Blake and Oliver Townsende both do want to be chased by the single people of the ton, and really want nothing to do with the upper ton. Cerian and Oliver will unite and come up with a plan to act like they are an item to stop all the attention on themselves, but attention is just what they will get when a scandalous rumor will spread that these two are more then just an item. Sparks and mistletoe is in store for Miss Cerian Blake and O liver Townsende, the Duke Of Markingham, in "It Happened Under the Mistletoe" by Valerie Bowman.
4 Cups of Coffee Out of 5
If you are looking for a great Christmas time romance novel to read by the fire then "Christmas Brides" is the book to read.
Reviewed by BookReviewDiva.com
Visit my Website at http://www.bookreviewdiva.com
April 6, 2018
I loved all four of the stories. Sometimes novellas seem rushed and incomplete, and while I wish they'd been longer, these left me with a good feeling. I'd still like to read more about the characters.
October 5, 2014
One Hot Scot by Suzanne Enoch
This is book 0.5 in her Scandalous Highlanders series.
Julia Prentiss is wandering the woods trying to get away from the man that kidnapped her from her aunt's wedding. She comes across a man emerging from a lake and he is NAKED! She can't believe what she is seeing. She doesn't know whether to hide and ask the man for help.
Duncan Lenox feels obligated to help when he comes across the stranded lady. He has been out trying to find when is killing his animals and staying at his cabin. Duncan takes Julia back to the cabin where they proceed to get to know each other.
The kidnapper shows up at Duncan's cabin, but he puts them off. He later takes her to his home and proceeds to marry her.
I am a HUGE Suzanne Enoch fan and have read almost all her books, but I really couldn't get into this book. I know that with a novella the action needs to go quickly, but to meet the man, jump into bed with him and then marry him within 24 hours is just a bit unbelievable.
After writing this review last November, I did read the books that came after this (The Devil Wears Kilts and Rogue with a Brogue) and thoroughly enjoyed them.
Once Upon a Christmas Scandal by Alexandra Hawkins
Lady Ellen can't believe that her father has increased her dowry so that there will be more men for her to choose from when she finally decides to take a husband. Her father is dying and he wants to see her settled before he does. Knowing that every fortune hunter that hears about it will be at her door, Ellen is not looking forward to the holiday parties her mother is throwing.
Lord Derek Swainsbury wants to catch the killer of his sister. What better way than to act like he is courting the newest heiress as he knows the killer will go after her next? But what happens when he falls under her spell? Will she believe that he doesn't want her money?
This is a very quick read. Hawkins did a good job of telling the story in such a short amount of words. I didn't feel like the love story was rushed or unbelievable. The connection between Ellen and Derek was almost instantaneous and fairly leapt off the page.
This novella is a part of the Lords of Vice series featuring the sister of Lord Vanwright. I've not read any of those stories, but after reading this novella I will definitely be getting them to read in the future.
The Scandal Before Christmas by Elizabeth Essex
This was book 3.5 in her Reckless Brides series.
Lieutenant Ian Worth needs a bride and he will take just about anyone. In a rash moment, he told his father he was already married and now he needs to make it true. Ian runs into a shipmate and tells him what he is looking for in a wife - shy, undemanding and someone who will not mind his going off to sea. This shipmate just happens to have an unmarried daughter that fits Ian's needs. They arrange for Ian's perspective bride to come for a visit.
When Anne Lesley arrives, Ian hardly even notices her. Later in the day, Anne overhears Ian talking about her (let's just say it wasn't nice) and decides to go for a walk. Ian joins her and they begin to get to know each other. Anne quickly gets over her shyness and Ian sees the potential that she has as a bride.
Ian's father arrives and they must hide the fact that they are not married yet. They quickly fall in love and rush to get married with a special license.
This is the first book I have read by Elizabeth Essex. I did like her style of writing and found myself laughing at some of the antics in the story (which is always good), but I really didn't care for the story itself. Anne was way too forgiving of Ian and the things she overheard him say. It would have taken a lot longer for him to worm his way into my heart! I've looked at the other books in the series and they look like they have promise.
I will probably see if my library has copies of them to give this author a second chance. I probably would have given this book 2 stars, but I really enjoyed the character of Pinky! He saved the book in my opinion.
Since reviewing this novella in July, I have read another book in the series. A Scandal to Remember was thoroughly enjoyable and I definitely want to go back and read the rest of the series. I think Essex is definitely better at writing full length novels rather than short stories.
It Happened Under the Mistletoe by Valerie Bowman.
Running from a marriage minded miss, Oliver Townsende dashes into the silver closet only to find another person hiding. Miss Cerian Blake is hiding from men seeking her hand only for the dowry she brings. The two of them concoct a plan to thwart their admirers, they act like they are interested in each other. What happens when their acting becomes all too real?
I thoroughly enjoyed Bowman's short story. She got me to believe that these two could have fallen in love in such a short amount of time.
This story is book 3.5 of the Secret Brides series and after reading this novella, I want to go read the rest of the series!!
Thanks go to St. Martin's Press for a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.
This is book 0.5 in her Scandalous Highlanders series.
Julia Prentiss is wandering the woods trying to get away from the man that kidnapped her from her aunt's wedding. She comes across a man emerging from a lake and he is NAKED! She can't believe what she is seeing. She doesn't know whether to hide and ask the man for help.
Duncan Lenox feels obligated to help when he comes across the stranded lady. He has been out trying to find when is killing his animals and staying at his cabin. Duncan takes Julia back to the cabin where they proceed to get to know each other.
The kidnapper shows up at Duncan's cabin, but he puts them off. He later takes her to his home and proceeds to marry her.
I am a HUGE Suzanne Enoch fan and have read almost all her books, but I really couldn't get into this book. I know that with a novella the action needs to go quickly, but to meet the man, jump into bed with him and then marry him within 24 hours is just a bit unbelievable.
After writing this review last November, I did read the books that came after this (The Devil Wears Kilts and Rogue with a Brogue) and thoroughly enjoyed them.
Once Upon a Christmas Scandal by Alexandra Hawkins
Lady Ellen can't believe that her father has increased her dowry so that there will be more men for her to choose from when she finally decides to take a husband. Her father is dying and he wants to see her settled before he does. Knowing that every fortune hunter that hears about it will be at her door, Ellen is not looking forward to the holiday parties her mother is throwing.
Lord Derek Swainsbury wants to catch the killer of his sister. What better way than to act like he is courting the newest heiress as he knows the killer will go after her next? But what happens when he falls under her spell? Will she believe that he doesn't want her money?
This is a very quick read. Hawkins did a good job of telling the story in such a short amount of words. I didn't feel like the love story was rushed or unbelievable. The connection between Ellen and Derek was almost instantaneous and fairly leapt off the page.
This novella is a part of the Lords of Vice series featuring the sister of Lord Vanwright. I've not read any of those stories, but after reading this novella I will definitely be getting them to read in the future.
The Scandal Before Christmas by Elizabeth Essex
This was book 3.5 in her Reckless Brides series.
Lieutenant Ian Worth needs a bride and he will take just about anyone. In a rash moment, he told his father he was already married and now he needs to make it true. Ian runs into a shipmate and tells him what he is looking for in a wife - shy, undemanding and someone who will not mind his going off to sea. This shipmate just happens to have an unmarried daughter that fits Ian's needs. They arrange for Ian's perspective bride to come for a visit.
When Anne Lesley arrives, Ian hardly even notices her. Later in the day, Anne overhears Ian talking about her (let's just say it wasn't nice) and decides to go for a walk. Ian joins her and they begin to get to know each other. Anne quickly gets over her shyness and Ian sees the potential that she has as a bride.
Ian's father arrives and they must hide the fact that they are not married yet. They quickly fall in love and rush to get married with a special license.
This is the first book I have read by Elizabeth Essex. I did like her style of writing and found myself laughing at some of the antics in the story (which is always good), but I really didn't care for the story itself. Anne was way too forgiving of Ian and the things she overheard him say. It would have taken a lot longer for him to worm his way into my heart! I've looked at the other books in the series and they look like they have promise.
I will probably see if my library has copies of them to give this author a second chance. I probably would have given this book 2 stars, but I really enjoyed the character of Pinky! He saved the book in my opinion.
Since reviewing this novella in July, I have read another book in the series. A Scandal to Remember was thoroughly enjoyable and I definitely want to go back and read the rest of the series. I think Essex is definitely better at writing full length novels rather than short stories.
It Happened Under the Mistletoe by Valerie Bowman.
Running from a marriage minded miss, Oliver Townsende dashes into the silver closet only to find another person hiding. Miss Cerian Blake is hiding from men seeking her hand only for the dowry she brings. The two of them concoct a plan to thwart their admirers, they act like they are interested in each other. What happens when their acting becomes all too real?
I thoroughly enjoyed Bowman's short story. She got me to believe that these two could have fallen in love in such a short amount of time.
This story is book 3.5 of the Secret Brides series and after reading this novella, I want to go read the rest of the series!!
Thanks go to St. Martin's Press for a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.
April 10, 2020
Great group of stories!
August 31, 2016
Rating 4 1/2 Stars
Posted on What I'm Reading
Here we go with todays selection Christmas Brides anthology from the talented authors Suzanne Enoch, Alexandra Hawkins, Elizabeth Essex, and Valerie Bowman. Each of them brings a story that has a bride looking for love and marriage, or not really, but it just happens during the Christmas season. So, here we go. First up:
One Hot Scot
Suzanne Enoch
All right in this story we meet Julia Prentiss and she happens to stumble upon Duncan Lennox. Now Julia is trying to escape Lord Bellamy who wants to entrap her in marriage for her money. Man that just sucks. Anyway, Julia feels safe with Duncan. Seriously, this is a quick read. Basically, Duncan is trying to decide if it's worth saving her cause she brings all sorts of trouble. Who knew going to Scotland for Christmas could be such a bad idea, but work out.
Once Upon A Christmas Scandal
Alexandra Hawkins
I adore the Lords of Vice series, and excited to see them again in Once Upon A Christmas Scandal. However, this particular story doesn't focus on the Lords per se, but on Vane's little sister Ellen. Now Ellen has been resisting marriage, but her father wants to make sure she's safe before he leaves this world. However he has technically
"You have placed a bounty on my head. Every fortune hunter in England will insist on an introduction."
So, she has this problem. Then she meets Derek Martin Hunt, Earl of Swainsbury. Who is there to protect her from the ultimate fortune hunter. However, he doesn't know who it is. At the same time, he falls for Ellen. She's not an easy person to get along with, she's not a biddable woman. I liked the story and slight danger. We get see those wicked lords again, especially Frost and his ever charming self.
The Scandal Before Christmas
Elizabeth Essex
I LOVE THIS STORY! This one had me all over the place. We have Ian Worth who is trying to avoid his father's machinations. He talks to a friend who happens to have a daughter who is marrying age. Deciding to go with the bride unseen, than what his father might come up with. Yeah, that sounds like a great idea. Poor girl Anne Lesley. When Ian meets her, he's disappointed, but still thinking she's a better option. He says some stinging words:
"All time in the world couldn't turn that girl into something more attractive. And I don't think there is anything on this earth that will convince her to like me. I saw the look on her face. She'll never have me. Not in a hundred years."..."And it's just as well. Save us both a world of hurt. I can't abide plain, Pinky, you that. I like to be entertained, and to all appearances. Miss Anne Lesley is as dull and unentertaining as a house wren, it's clear that she already hates me."
Seriously, if I heard that I would run far away. However, she was stuck with little choice marry the Ian or go home. Her mother... no words could describe the woman.
Anyway, the The Scandal Before Christmas just had me choking back the tears, because I felt bad for Anne. Fortunately Ian was able to see the gem he received when he got to see the real her. Which she had been holding back for years. So, yes I loved this story.
It Happened Under the Mistletoe
Valerie Bowman
It Happened Under the Mistletoe is probably the last story in Secret Brides series, and it's Kate's decease husband's cousin (talk about a mouthful). Well, Oliver Townsende inherits the dukedom after the murder of his cousin. Lucky him. Now he's the newly minted Duke of Markingham, and the most sought after eligible gentleman. Again, lucky him. Now he's trying to ward off the advances of Lady Selina who can't take no for an answer, when he stumbles upon Miss Cerian Blake. Now Cerian is at the house party cause her cousin Kate invited her, and Cerian's mother would love for her to make a most advantageous match. Now Cerian would love nothing else but marry for love instead of her dowery. So, we see these to work together warding off the unwanted suitors. Nothing like team work.
I adored this story. I mean this story could have been made into a longer story, but it just right with the way it was. It has the perfect balance you can find in a story. You have the I don't know if I'm going to find love at this house party, but something magical happens they do. There is hope, and laughter filled in this story. Plus, you do get a feeling oh my Oliver might do something stupid like let love get away moment. Good thing he has a good friend to help him out in the end. Overall, a very good story.
If you are still looking for that holiday read you might consider giving Christmas Brides a shot. Plus, it has a little bit of everything in the book.
Copy provided by St. Martin via NetGalley
Posted on What I'm Reading
Here we go with todays selection Christmas Brides anthology from the talented authors Suzanne Enoch, Alexandra Hawkins, Elizabeth Essex, and Valerie Bowman. Each of them brings a story that has a bride looking for love and marriage, or not really, but it just happens during the Christmas season. So, here we go. First up:
One Hot Scot
Suzanne Enoch
All right in this story we meet Julia Prentiss and she happens to stumble upon Duncan Lennox. Now Julia is trying to escape Lord Bellamy who wants to entrap her in marriage for her money. Man that just sucks. Anyway, Julia feels safe with Duncan. Seriously, this is a quick read. Basically, Duncan is trying to decide if it's worth saving her cause she brings all sorts of trouble. Who knew going to Scotland for Christmas could be such a bad idea, but work out.
Once Upon A Christmas Scandal
Alexandra Hawkins
I adore the Lords of Vice series, and excited to see them again in Once Upon A Christmas Scandal. However, this particular story doesn't focus on the Lords per se, but on Vane's little sister Ellen. Now Ellen has been resisting marriage, but her father wants to make sure she's safe before he leaves this world. However he has technically
"You have placed a bounty on my head. Every fortune hunter in England will insist on an introduction."
So, she has this problem. Then she meets Derek Martin Hunt, Earl of Swainsbury. Who is there to protect her from the ultimate fortune hunter. However, he doesn't know who it is. At the same time, he falls for Ellen. She's not an easy person to get along with, she's not a biddable woman. I liked the story and slight danger. We get see those wicked lords again, especially Frost and his ever charming self.
The Scandal Before Christmas
Elizabeth Essex
I LOVE THIS STORY! This one had me all over the place. We have Ian Worth who is trying to avoid his father's machinations. He talks to a friend who happens to have a daughter who is marrying age. Deciding to go with the bride unseen, than what his father might come up with. Yeah, that sounds like a great idea. Poor girl Anne Lesley. When Ian meets her, he's disappointed, but still thinking she's a better option. He says some stinging words:
"All time in the world couldn't turn that girl into something more attractive. And I don't think there is anything on this earth that will convince her to like me. I saw the look on her face. She'll never have me. Not in a hundred years."..."And it's just as well. Save us both a world of hurt. I can't abide plain, Pinky, you that. I like to be entertained, and to all appearances. Miss Anne Lesley is as dull and unentertaining as a house wren, it's clear that she already hates me."
Seriously, if I heard that I would run far away. However, she was stuck with little choice marry the Ian or go home. Her mother... no words could describe the woman.
Anyway, the The Scandal Before Christmas just had me choking back the tears, because I felt bad for Anne. Fortunately Ian was able to see the gem he received when he got to see the real her. Which she had been holding back for years. So, yes I loved this story.
It Happened Under the Mistletoe
Valerie Bowman
It Happened Under the Mistletoe is probably the last story in Secret Brides series, and it's Kate's decease husband's cousin (talk about a mouthful). Well, Oliver Townsende inherits the dukedom after the murder of his cousin. Lucky him. Now he's the newly minted Duke of Markingham, and the most sought after eligible gentleman. Again, lucky him. Now he's trying to ward off the advances of Lady Selina who can't take no for an answer, when he stumbles upon Miss Cerian Blake. Now Cerian is at the house party cause her cousin Kate invited her, and Cerian's mother would love for her to make a most advantageous match. Now Cerian would love nothing else but marry for love instead of her dowery. So, we see these to work together warding off the unwanted suitors. Nothing like team work.
I adored this story. I mean this story could have been made into a longer story, but it just right with the way it was. It has the perfect balance you can find in a story. You have the I don't know if I'm going to find love at this house party, but something magical happens they do. There is hope, and laughter filled in this story. Plus, you do get a feeling oh my Oliver might do something stupid like let love get away moment. Good thing he has a good friend to help him out in the end. Overall, a very good story.
If you are still looking for that holiday read you might consider giving Christmas Brides a shot. Plus, it has a little bit of everything in the book.
Copy provided by St. Martin via NetGalley
September 30, 2014
Christmas Brides is a compilation of four short stories written by four different authors. Overall, I'd say the book is not bad. I enjoyed the first two stories a lot, eventually began to enjoy the third, but didn't really like the fourth.
One Hot Scot by Suzanne Enoch
A young English woman is on the run from a man who cares far more for her dowry than for her. In her attempt to get away from him, she comes across Duncan Lenox, a hot Scottish man taking care of his younger sisters. Alone in his shack during a thunderstorm, things get heated and everything changes.
I loved this story. There was enough Scottish dialect to make it believable without being too much, and the characters seemed well developed and likeable, even for the short length of the story. The sex was hot, and though the ending wasn't entirely unexpected, the way it came about was interesting and a bit different than usual. I actually kind of wished for more, to find out what happened between the two after the ending.
Once Upon a Christmas Scandal by Alexandra Hawkins
Lady Ellen's father is determined to marry off his youngest daughter, even if that means tripling her dowry to make a man take her. Lady Ellen, on the other hand, is determined that she will marry, if and when she finds love. Enter Lord Swainsbury, convinced that Lady Ellen and her dowry need protecting, and ultimately, proving that he just might be the man she's been looking for.
This story was both entertaining and intriguing. There was enough suspense and mystery to spice up the romance, along with sweetness and some passionate sex. The reasons that Swainsbury wants to protect Lady Ellen are compelling and believable and make you keep reading to find out what happens next.
The Scandal Before Christmas by Elizabeth Essex
Ian Worth, the second son of a viscount, was sent off to the Royal Navy at the age of 12. Now, with his older brother injured badly, his father suddenly takes an interest in him and insists that he must marry. The catch? Because his father is convinced that his brother will not survive, he wants Ian to marry his brother's intended bride. Ian, however, refuses to do so, out of loyalty to his brother and a fierce desire to not do what his father wants. In an attempt to get rid of his father, Ian claims to already be married. This, of course, means he now must quickly come up with a bride. A former colleague from the Navy happens to have a daughter of marriageable age, one who likes her solitude and quiet - a perfect match for Ian, since he's out on the water so much. But once they meet, first impressions indicate they are not a match at all, and when his father arrives, things could take a disastrous turn.
This story was a little less enjoyable to me. The first part of it was a bit on the boring side, and though the characters seemed as though they were supposed to be connecting, it didn't feel to me as though they were. I didn't really get into the story until Anne's hair came down in the glasshouse. After that, the story became very interesting to me and I enjoyed the rest.
It Happened Under the Mistletoe by Valerie Bowman
Oliver Townsende, a duke, and Cerian Blake, a common young woman with a nice dowry, are both determined to avoid the young women and men chasing after them. That's how they meet in a closet. Both are determined that marriage will be on their own terms, although both wonder how they could possibly know for sure that the person is marrying them for them and not their title or dowry. In an attempt to fend off the unwanted suitors, the two agree to pretend to be courting for the duration of the house party they're attending. But fantasy soon becomes all too real and their little game leads to the potential for something real.
This story was the least enjoyable for me. There were things that I would have liked to know more about (such as Kate's history, but they were just glossed over. Oliver and Cerian didn't feel real to me, and I really kind of felt like they wouldn't have been the type to get together. It felt like there was too much to the story, and it was too short to address all the details. It wasn't an awful story, but it just didn't engage me the way the others did.
**I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
One Hot Scot by Suzanne Enoch
A young English woman is on the run from a man who cares far more for her dowry than for her. In her attempt to get away from him, she comes across Duncan Lenox, a hot Scottish man taking care of his younger sisters. Alone in his shack during a thunderstorm, things get heated and everything changes.
I loved this story. There was enough Scottish dialect to make it believable without being too much, and the characters seemed well developed and likeable, even for the short length of the story. The sex was hot, and though the ending wasn't entirely unexpected, the way it came about was interesting and a bit different than usual. I actually kind of wished for more, to find out what happened between the two after the ending.
Once Upon a Christmas Scandal by Alexandra Hawkins
Lady Ellen's father is determined to marry off his youngest daughter, even if that means tripling her dowry to make a man take her. Lady Ellen, on the other hand, is determined that she will marry, if and when she finds love. Enter Lord Swainsbury, convinced that Lady Ellen and her dowry need protecting, and ultimately, proving that he just might be the man she's been looking for.
This story was both entertaining and intriguing. There was enough suspense and mystery to spice up the romance, along with sweetness and some passionate sex. The reasons that Swainsbury wants to protect Lady Ellen are compelling and believable and make you keep reading to find out what happens next.
The Scandal Before Christmas by Elizabeth Essex
Ian Worth, the second son of a viscount, was sent off to the Royal Navy at the age of 12. Now, with his older brother injured badly, his father suddenly takes an interest in him and insists that he must marry. The catch? Because his father is convinced that his brother will not survive, he wants Ian to marry his brother's intended bride. Ian, however, refuses to do so, out of loyalty to his brother and a fierce desire to not do what his father wants. In an attempt to get rid of his father, Ian claims to already be married. This, of course, means he now must quickly come up with a bride. A former colleague from the Navy happens to have a daughter of marriageable age, one who likes her solitude and quiet - a perfect match for Ian, since he's out on the water so much. But once they meet, first impressions indicate they are not a match at all, and when his father arrives, things could take a disastrous turn.
This story was a little less enjoyable to me. The first part of it was a bit on the boring side, and though the characters seemed as though they were supposed to be connecting, it didn't feel to me as though they were. I didn't really get into the story until Anne's hair came down in the glasshouse. After that, the story became very interesting to me and I enjoyed the rest.
It Happened Under the Mistletoe by Valerie Bowman
Oliver Townsende, a duke, and Cerian Blake, a common young woman with a nice dowry, are both determined to avoid the young women and men chasing after them. That's how they meet in a closet. Both are determined that marriage will be on their own terms, although both wonder how they could possibly know for sure that the person is marrying them for them and not their title or dowry. In an attempt to fend off the unwanted suitors, the two agree to pretend to be courting for the duration of the house party they're attending. But fantasy soon becomes all too real and their little game leads to the potential for something real.
This story was the least enjoyable for me. There were things that I would have liked to know more about (such as Kate's history, but they were just glossed over. Oliver and Cerian didn't feel real to me, and I really kind of felt like they wouldn't have been the type to get together. It felt like there was too much to the story, and it was too short to address all the details. It wasn't an awful story, but it just didn't engage me the way the others did.
**I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
September 25, 2015
3 out of 4 ain't bad..
One Hot Scot by Suzanne Enoch
What a sweet and sensuous story. A wonderful hero, Duncan, and a terrific heroine, Julia. I enjoyed every single page of the story, and I could just picture Duncan coming up out of the water as naked as the day he was born and not a bit embarrassed.
It’s stories like this that makes one believe in love at first sight. From their meal together to their game of chess to how badly he felt for having to leave her in the priests hole so long, while he dealt with Bellemy and his creepy brother, Orville.
For it being a novella I didn’t feel like I missed a thing. I certainly didn’t miss all the angst that comes with full length novels.
The sex scene was beautifully written. 5 stars
Once Upon a Christmas Scandal by Alexandra Hawkins
Another great story. Not just a love story but one of murder, too. I love this kind of novella. If the rest of the stories in the book are as good as the first two it’ll be a 5 star book, easy. Both Derrick and Ellen were terrific characters and I’m soooo glad Lord Netherly did die. He was such a sweet and gruff father.
Because there were quite a few men I had a little bit of trouble figuring out who the killer was but since it was near the end when it was revealed it wasn’t as though I knew from the beginning and it ruined the book for me.
I have never read anything by Ms. Hawkins but I certainly will now. She writes a great story and some wonderful love scenes. 5 stars
The Scandal Before Christmas by Elizabeth Essex
I read all of this but I sure didn’t like it. I can’t stand when an author describes a heroine, Anne, as being sooo plain. Plain, plain, plain! Plain as a brown wren! She wore a brown dress and brown hat, and had brown hair and probably had brown eyes, too. And a brown wren again right after she used the word “handsome” 4 times in one paragraph when describing Ian. And then she was described as “dull as dirty dishwater.” Seriously? Is it really that necessary to try to make a reader believe someone THAT handsome is going to fall for someone THAT plain? THAT is NOT. Going. To. Happen. AND, OMG, she was sooo shy. That kind of shyness is alright in a novel but in a novella it makes it hard to ever like her. By the time you think she might come up with a backbone, and get over some of that shyness, the story is over, which is what happened. By the time she stopped describing Anne as a plain brown wren and dull as dirty dishwater, it was too late to picture her as anything otherwise. The sex scene didn’t help either. 2 stars
It Happened Under the Mistletoe by Valerie Bowman
Let’s start with our heroine’s name first! Love, love, love it! It is so different and so unusual. I have found that one book after another is using the same names: Abigail, Madeline, Minerva (yuck), and awful names like that. I never thought they were that bad until I kept finding the same names is every book I read. So, I do love Cerian. We are reading FICTION but authors want to use old names like the characters are real. Why? I mean, not names like Taffy, that’s just silly and I’ve read a book or two with that ridiculous name. And not Becky, but Rebecca is wonderful. Not Prudence, but Pru is nice. Just something NOT that old fashioned and ugly for a heroine. I used to hate the name Oliver but not anymore, though I hate Ollie. I guess I’m just a little nutty about names in books. And some books I just CAN’T read simply because of the name of the hero or heroine.
However, I loved this little story. Loved Oliver and Cerian. Liked Kate and Medford. And disliked Lady Kinsey and her b*tch-of-daughter, Selina.
And even though Oliver and Cerian didn’t have “total” sex, what they did have was nice.
I loved every word of this novella and I’m giving it 7 stars.
One Hot Scot by Suzanne Enoch
What a sweet and sensuous story. A wonderful hero, Duncan, and a terrific heroine, Julia. I enjoyed every single page of the story, and I could just picture Duncan coming up out of the water as naked as the day he was born and not a bit embarrassed.
It’s stories like this that makes one believe in love at first sight. From their meal together to their game of chess to how badly he felt for having to leave her in the priests hole so long, while he dealt with Bellemy and his creepy brother, Orville.
For it being a novella I didn’t feel like I missed a thing. I certainly didn’t miss all the angst that comes with full length novels.
The sex scene was beautifully written. 5 stars
Once Upon a Christmas Scandal by Alexandra Hawkins
Another great story. Not just a love story but one of murder, too. I love this kind of novella. If the rest of the stories in the book are as good as the first two it’ll be a 5 star book, easy. Both Derrick and Ellen were terrific characters and I’m soooo glad Lord Netherly did die. He was such a sweet and gruff father.
Because there were quite a few men I had a little bit of trouble figuring out who the killer was but since it was near the end when it was revealed it wasn’t as though I knew from the beginning and it ruined the book for me.
I have never read anything by Ms. Hawkins but I certainly will now. She writes a great story and some wonderful love scenes. 5 stars
The Scandal Before Christmas by Elizabeth Essex
I read all of this but I sure didn’t like it. I can’t stand when an author describes a heroine, Anne, as being sooo plain. Plain, plain, plain! Plain as a brown wren! She wore a brown dress and brown hat, and had brown hair and probably had brown eyes, too. And a brown wren again right after she used the word “handsome” 4 times in one paragraph when describing Ian. And then she was described as “dull as dirty dishwater.” Seriously? Is it really that necessary to try to make a reader believe someone THAT handsome is going to fall for someone THAT plain? THAT is NOT. Going. To. Happen. AND, OMG, she was sooo shy. That kind of shyness is alright in a novel but in a novella it makes it hard to ever like her. By the time you think she might come up with a backbone, and get over some of that shyness, the story is over, which is what happened. By the time she stopped describing Anne as a plain brown wren and dull as dirty dishwater, it was too late to picture her as anything otherwise. The sex scene didn’t help either. 2 stars
It Happened Under the Mistletoe by Valerie Bowman
Let’s start with our heroine’s name first! Love, love, love it! It is so different and so unusual. I have found that one book after another is using the same names: Abigail, Madeline, Minerva (yuck), and awful names like that. I never thought they were that bad until I kept finding the same names is every book I read. So, I do love Cerian. We are reading FICTION but authors want to use old names like the characters are real. Why? I mean, not names like Taffy, that’s just silly and I’ve read a book or two with that ridiculous name. And not Becky, but Rebecca is wonderful. Not Prudence, but Pru is nice. Just something NOT that old fashioned and ugly for a heroine. I used to hate the name Oliver but not anymore, though I hate Ollie. I guess I’m just a little nutty about names in books. And some books I just CAN’T read simply because of the name of the hero or heroine.
However, I loved this little story. Loved Oliver and Cerian. Liked Kate and Medford. And disliked Lady Kinsey and her b*tch-of-daughter, Selina.
And even though Oliver and Cerian didn’t have “total” sex, what they did have was nice.
I loved every word of this novella and I’m giving it 7 stars.
October 1, 2014
What do you want for Christmas? How about a yummy KILT wearing Scot, a noble Lieutenant who can see inner beauty, an Earl in protection mode & a STALKED Duke in hiding as they save a damsel-in-distress, not 1 but 2 heroines from fortune hunters sniffing around them & uncovered a beautiful wallflower butterfly? This is the romance for you to gobble up, hoard, crawl up with & totally NOT SHARE!
One Hot Scot by Suzanne Enoch: Julia Prentiss just wanted a Christmas vaca in Scotland, but she is kidnapped by the evil, money hungry Lord Bellamy. She gets looses via a stolen horse, loses said horse & come face-to-face with a NEKKID Scotsman. Duncan Lenox just had a refreshing drip, when a gorgeous lass steals his KILT, but he knows she is in trouble, so he decides to help her. Some Scottish PIXIE DUST is sprinkled & turns Julia & Duncan's world into a combustible sexual mayhem. Ms. Enoch gets my score of 4 fingers up & 8 toes for yummy KILT wearing romance!
Once Upon a Christmas by Alexandra Hawkins: Lady Ellen Courtland has been on the dusty shelf at 30, so her dying meddling dad triples her dowry. Derrick Hunt, the Earl of Sainsbury, comes to London to meet Lady Ellen, not for her dowry, but to protect. During her family's Christmas House (who doesn't love a bed hopping house party) Party, a totally pissed off Ellen meets yummy Derek, who makes her girlie parts moan with pleasure & Derek craves the delicious Ellen & wants to lick all of her dips & valleys. So we have a masquerade ball, undies dropping galore, evil afoot & the Lords of Vice meddling & creating mayhem! Ms. Hawkins sucked me into her Lords of Vice world since the 1st book & I am so glad she is having a new generation of Naughty Lords! Ms. Hawkins get my top score of 5 fingers up & 10 toes for this LordsRus romance!
The Scandal Before Christmas by Elizabeth Essex: Lt. Ian Worth needs a wife by Christmas, before his Viscount father marries him off to his injured brother's betrothed. Who better to help him than an old Marine buddy, Col. Lesley, who has lots daughters. Anne Lesley is plain brown everything, hair, eyes & even clothes & she makes herself seem small & blend into the walls. So at Christmastime at Ian's cottage, there is a yummy Lieutenant slowly releasing a wallflower's inner BAD GIRL, a mom who needs a muzzle, a meddling PITA of a father, a colored challenged Pinky, a massive snowstorm & great seasonal MISBEHAVING! Ms. Essex gets my score of 4 fingers up & 7 toes for this romance of naughtiness!
It Happened One Christmas by Valerie Bowman: At the Medford's Christmas House Party, Poor Oliver, the new Duke Of Markingham, is being STALKED by all the married minded mamas & their daughters. Miss Cerian (love this name) Blake is the cousin of Lady Kate Medford & her mama wants her to marry up, so her dowry is gigantic & the fortune hunters are STALKING her. In the silver closet, these 2 meet while hiding like prey, & she doesn't know he is a Duke & he is smitten with her smile & honest laugh. After their are officially introduced, they make a bargain to pretend to court, but what do they say about PLANS? They NEVER work! Ms. Bowman writes another hilarious, fast paced & witty romances, so she gets my top score 5 fingers up & 10 toes for this House Party of naughtiness!
NetGaley ARC given for my honest review.
One Hot Scot by Suzanne Enoch: Julia Prentiss just wanted a Christmas vaca in Scotland, but she is kidnapped by the evil, money hungry Lord Bellamy. She gets looses via a stolen horse, loses said horse & come face-to-face with a NEKKID Scotsman. Duncan Lenox just had a refreshing drip, when a gorgeous lass steals his KILT, but he knows she is in trouble, so he decides to help her. Some Scottish PIXIE DUST is sprinkled & turns Julia & Duncan's world into a combustible sexual mayhem. Ms. Enoch gets my score of 4 fingers up & 8 toes for yummy KILT wearing romance!
Once Upon a Christmas by Alexandra Hawkins: Lady Ellen Courtland has been on the dusty shelf at 30, so her dying meddling dad triples her dowry. Derrick Hunt, the Earl of Sainsbury, comes to London to meet Lady Ellen, not for her dowry, but to protect. During her family's Christmas House (who doesn't love a bed hopping house party) Party, a totally pissed off Ellen meets yummy Derek, who makes her girlie parts moan with pleasure & Derek craves the delicious Ellen & wants to lick all of her dips & valleys. So we have a masquerade ball, undies dropping galore, evil afoot & the Lords of Vice meddling & creating mayhem! Ms. Hawkins sucked me into her Lords of Vice world since the 1st book & I am so glad she is having a new generation of Naughty Lords! Ms. Hawkins get my top score of 5 fingers up & 10 toes for this LordsRus romance!
The Scandal Before Christmas by Elizabeth Essex: Lt. Ian Worth needs a wife by Christmas, before his Viscount father marries him off to his injured brother's betrothed. Who better to help him than an old Marine buddy, Col. Lesley, who has lots daughters. Anne Lesley is plain brown everything, hair, eyes & even clothes & she makes herself seem small & blend into the walls. So at Christmastime at Ian's cottage, there is a yummy Lieutenant slowly releasing a wallflower's inner BAD GIRL, a mom who needs a muzzle, a meddling PITA of a father, a colored challenged Pinky, a massive snowstorm & great seasonal MISBEHAVING! Ms. Essex gets my score of 4 fingers up & 7 toes for this romance of naughtiness!
It Happened One Christmas by Valerie Bowman: At the Medford's Christmas House Party, Poor Oliver, the new Duke Of Markingham, is being STALKED by all the married minded mamas & their daughters. Miss Cerian (love this name) Blake is the cousin of Lady Kate Medford & her mama wants her to marry up, so her dowry is gigantic & the fortune hunters are STALKING her. In the silver closet, these 2 meet while hiding like prey, & she doesn't know he is a Duke & he is smitten with her smile & honest laugh. After their are officially introduced, they make a bargain to pretend to court, but what do they say about PLANS? They NEVER work! Ms. Bowman writes another hilarious, fast paced & witty romances, so she gets my top score 5 fingers up & 10 toes for this House Party of naughtiness!
NetGaley ARC given for my honest review.
October 31, 2014
Ah, the yearly Christmas compilation. This one made me grateful for a library copy. In many ways, the novellas are like a bookend: the first and last ones are the decent ones propping the weaker ones up in the middle.
Suzanne Enoch--One Hot Scot
Continuing in her Scots series (which I highly recommend) we meet Duncan and Julia. It's a nice enough story (English Julia's on the run from the creeper who kidnapper her). It does, however, read very much like a first draft. There are editing issues (p.5 literally had dash marks crossing out lake for water--wise choice btw), and it was very repetitive. Other than a reference to the season, it's not even Christmassy! All is a shame, but it's not a bad read.
Alexandra Hawkins' "Once Upon a Christmas Scandal" is, on the other hand, a bad read. Ellen is supposed to be this loyal daughter caring for her dying father, but you get absolutely zero sense of any kind of bond the two might have. The writing is TERRIBLE. Here's a pearl: "What was wrong with the bachelors in this town? Why hadn't some lucky gentleman slipped her from the watchful eyes of her governess and married her before her family deduced he was unworthy of her? Her slender waist should have thickened over the years because of the sons and daughters her husband had planted in her belly." (p.95) Blergh. That last line in particular had me reaching for a trash can. By the time I got to p.135, I was convinced there was some sort of sordid blackmail that occurred to get this story published.
Elizabeth Essex's "The Scandal Before Christmas" was an improvement over the previous story, but then, the bar was set quite low. It's repetitive, but overall okay. We don't get a sense of precisely why Anne is so shy and self-editing (other than having a mother with verbal diarrhea), so you don't get the sense of character development of and between the two characters. It's more like they spend some time together, and suddenly Ian is this upstanding, non-ramshackle dude and Ann goes from wren to falcon. Alrighty then.
Valerie Bowman's "It Happened Under the Mistletoe" was the best of the bunch. While you got the sense that you might have benefited from seeing the book it's an offshoot on, it's does well enough on its own. Oliver and Cerian's motivations are quite clear, and this has a very clear Christmassy aspect. There's a mystery cat, and a funny (if ridiculous towards the end) villain for them to contend with.
This was a definite save your money and get the library copy read. It did however, make me interested in seeing what else Bowman has written, so there is that.
Suzanne Enoch--One Hot Scot
Continuing in her Scots series (which I highly recommend) we meet Duncan and Julia. It's a nice enough story (English Julia's on the run from the creeper who kidnapper her). It does, however, read very much like a first draft. There are editing issues (p.5 literally had dash marks crossing out lake for water--wise choice btw), and it was very repetitive. Other than a reference to the season, it's not even Christmassy! All is a shame, but it's not a bad read.
Alexandra Hawkins' "Once Upon a Christmas Scandal" is, on the other hand, a bad read. Ellen is supposed to be this loyal daughter caring for her dying father, but you get absolutely zero sense of any kind of bond the two might have. The writing is TERRIBLE. Here's a pearl: "What was wrong with the bachelors in this town? Why hadn't some lucky gentleman slipped her from the watchful eyes of her governess and married her before her family deduced he was unworthy of her? Her slender waist should have thickened over the years because of the sons and daughters her husband had planted in her belly." (p.95) Blergh. That last line in particular had me reaching for a trash can. By the time I got to p.135, I was convinced there was some sort of sordid blackmail that occurred to get this story published.
Elizabeth Essex's "The Scandal Before Christmas" was an improvement over the previous story, but then, the bar was set quite low. It's repetitive, but overall okay. We don't get a sense of precisely why Anne is so shy and self-editing (other than having a mother with verbal diarrhea), so you don't get the sense of character development of and between the two characters. It's more like they spend some time together, and suddenly Ian is this upstanding, non-ramshackle dude and Ann goes from wren to falcon. Alrighty then.
Valerie Bowman's "It Happened Under the Mistletoe" was the best of the bunch. While you got the sense that you might have benefited from seeing the book it's an offshoot on, it's does well enough on its own. Oliver and Cerian's motivations are quite clear, and this has a very clear Christmassy aspect. There's a mystery cat, and a funny (if ridiculous towards the end) villain for them to contend with.
This was a definite save your money and get the library copy read. It did however, make me interested in seeing what else Bowman has written, so there is that.
November 6, 2014
One Hot Scot by Suzanne Enoch 4.5 stars
Great story about an English woman escaping the Highlander that kidnapped her only to run into the arms of another Highlander who steals her heart.
Fairy magic indeed! Wonderful short! Duncan Lennox is one sexy Highlander.
~~~~~
Once upon a Christmas Scandal by Alexandra Hawkins 4.5 stars
Derrick, Lord Swainsbury, was searching for his sisters killer. When he found out that Lord Netherley was tripling his daughters dowry he knew all kinds of fortune hunters will be after Lady Ellen. His sister's killer is sure to show up. After meeting Lady Ellen, he wants her dowry or not.
Great story! A lot of story packed into a small amount of pages. I enjoyed reading this historical Christmas romance.
~~~~~
The Scandal Before Christmas by Elizabeth Essex 5-stars
Ian Worth needed a wife. His father's heir, his brother Ross, was in an accident and thought not to recover and his cold hearted father wants to line up the next heir. When an old friend from the Navy said he's got a daughter that he could marry, Ian jumped at the chance. At first glance Anne Lesley seemed plain but Ian would soon learn there are many layers to his future wife.
Fantastic! Great characters with a smooth flowing story. I only wish it were longer.
~~~~~
It Happened Under the Mistletoe by Valerie Bowman 5 stars
They both need to marry. Oliver needs a dutchess and wants someone to marry him because she loves him and not his money. Cerian has no title, doesn't care about having one and wants to marry for love. They're perfect for each other, right? They don't realize it but the cat wandering the halls of the Medford's Christmastide house party certainly does.
Loved this one! The matchmaking cat was brilliant!
~~~~~
I love Christmas and what's better than romance during the Christmas season. This is a wonderful set of stories from four fantastic authors!
Received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Great story about an English woman escaping the Highlander that kidnapped her only to run into the arms of another Highlander who steals her heart.
Fairy magic indeed! Wonderful short! Duncan Lennox is one sexy Highlander.
~~~~~
Once upon a Christmas Scandal by Alexandra Hawkins 4.5 stars
Derrick, Lord Swainsbury, was searching for his sisters killer. When he found out that Lord Netherley was tripling his daughters dowry he knew all kinds of fortune hunters will be after Lady Ellen. His sister's killer is sure to show up. After meeting Lady Ellen, he wants her dowry or not.
Great story! A lot of story packed into a small amount of pages. I enjoyed reading this historical Christmas romance.
~~~~~
The Scandal Before Christmas by Elizabeth Essex 5-stars
Ian Worth needed a wife. His father's heir, his brother Ross, was in an accident and thought not to recover and his cold hearted father wants to line up the next heir. When an old friend from the Navy said he's got a daughter that he could marry, Ian jumped at the chance. At first glance Anne Lesley seemed plain but Ian would soon learn there are many layers to his future wife.
Fantastic! Great characters with a smooth flowing story. I only wish it were longer.
~~~~~
It Happened Under the Mistletoe by Valerie Bowman 5 stars
They both need to marry. Oliver needs a dutchess and wants someone to marry him because she loves him and not his money. Cerian has no title, doesn't care about having one and wants to marry for love. They're perfect for each other, right? They don't realize it but the cat wandering the halls of the Medford's Christmastide house party certainly does.
Loved this one! The matchmaking cat was brilliant!
~~~~~
I love Christmas and what's better than romance during the Christmas season. This is a wonderful set of stories from four fantastic authors!
Received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 24, 2016
4 romantic novellas set around Christmas in the early 19th century.
Suzanne Enochs' story is about Julia, an English girl kidnapped by a dastardly Scotsman in order to force her into marriage (for her dowry). Julia manages to escape on horseback, but loses the horse and finds herself in the hills, miles from anywhere, with nothing but the clothes on her back. She's rescued by Duncan Lenox, a relative of Clan MacLawry, who finds her as she's staring at him stepping out of the local loch after a swim (in the middle of winter in the Scottish highlands??). When the dastardly neighbour who kidnapped Julia comes sniffing around, Duncan decides to rescue her by marrying her the very next day. A bit hard to suspend disbelief in spots but a nice read regardless. 3 stars.
Unfortunately I could not get through Alexandra Hawkins' story - just could not develop any interest in the main characters.
Elizabeth Essex' story is the best in this collection. Naval lieutenant Ian Worth is ordered by his father, an arrogant SOB, to marry and get an heir because his elder brother has fallen off a horse and broken his back, and is therefore less than useless to the father. To evade his father's plan Ian lies to his father that he is already married, which of course leads to all sorts of trouble for Ian, but in the end everything works out and Ian ends up married to a wonderful woman he loves. Very nice read, 4 stars.
Valerie Bowman's story is OK, but nothing special. Two people who want to marry for love but are pursued because they're rich (and in the case of the hero, because of his ducal rank) realize they can evade their pursuers by pretending an interest in each other and end up falling in love. 2 stars.
Of these 4 stories, the only one that had anything approaching a real Christmas feeling to it is Elizabeth Essex'. In the others, besides some mention of mistletoe, there is not much feeling of Christmas or winter at all.
Suzanne Enochs' story is about Julia, an English girl kidnapped by a dastardly Scotsman in order to force her into marriage (for her dowry). Julia manages to escape on horseback, but loses the horse and finds herself in the hills, miles from anywhere, with nothing but the clothes on her back. She's rescued by Duncan Lenox, a relative of Clan MacLawry, who finds her as she's staring at him stepping out of the local loch after a swim (in the middle of winter in the Scottish highlands??). When the dastardly neighbour who kidnapped Julia comes sniffing around, Duncan decides to rescue her by marrying her the very next day. A bit hard to suspend disbelief in spots but a nice read regardless. 3 stars.
Unfortunately I could not get through Alexandra Hawkins' story - just could not develop any interest in the main characters.
Elizabeth Essex' story is the best in this collection. Naval lieutenant Ian Worth is ordered by his father, an arrogant SOB, to marry and get an heir because his elder brother has fallen off a horse and broken his back, and is therefore less than useless to the father. To evade his father's plan Ian lies to his father that he is already married, which of course leads to all sorts of trouble for Ian, but in the end everything works out and Ian ends up married to a wonderful woman he loves. Very nice read, 4 stars.
Valerie Bowman's story is OK, but nothing special. Two people who want to marry for love but are pursued because they're rich (and in the case of the hero, because of his ducal rank) realize they can evade their pursuers by pretending an interest in each other and end up falling in love. 2 stars.
Of these 4 stories, the only one that had anything approaching a real Christmas feeling to it is Elizabeth Essex'. In the others, besides some mention of mistletoe, there is not much feeling of Christmas or winter at all.
September 22, 2014
3.75*
One Hot Scot by Suzanne Enoch
4*
This is a fun, romantic and fast paced short story that I very much enjoyed. It's the second book that I've read of Suzanne Enoch's the first being book one of the series "The Devil Wares Kilts" a 5* read that I highly recommend.
The title is very true and Duncan is really one hot scot. He and Julia had great chemistry and even though their relationship move incredible fast it was also believable with how they felt for each other even with just meeting. I can not wait to read the next book.
Once Upon a Christmas Scandal by Alexandra Hawkins
3*
I enjoyed the short story but felt very lost in the beginning. This is the end I think of a series and to truly enjoy you need to read the series. That way you have a understanding and knowledge of the secondary characters. Ellen and Derrick had a very fast and quick relationship over the Christmas Holliday to quick for me but still enjoyable. I may just go back and start at the beginning of the series.
The Scandal Before Christmas by Elizabeth Essex
2.75/3*
I'm really not sure if I enjoyed this story or not. I finished it and if I've done that I usually give it a 3* rating because it kept my attention enough to finish it. But I did not enjoy the way it was written. The language/wording was a bit hard to understand for me, at times I had to reread the sentence. There were times in the story that I felt the chemistry between Ian and Anne but then it would be gone.
It Happened Under the Mistletoe by Valerie Bowman
4*
This is the first story I've read by Valerie Bowman and it will not be my last. I laughed and cried throughout the book and I loved the hero and heroine along with the secondary characters. Oliver and Cerian had great chemistry and it was a pleasure to read how they found their HEA.
One Hot Scot by Suzanne Enoch
4*
This is a fun, romantic and fast paced short story that I very much enjoyed. It's the second book that I've read of Suzanne Enoch's the first being book one of the series "The Devil Wares Kilts" a 5* read that I highly recommend.
The title is very true and Duncan is really one hot scot. He and Julia had great chemistry and even though their relationship move incredible fast it was also believable with how they felt for each other even with just meeting. I can not wait to read the next book.
Once Upon a Christmas Scandal by Alexandra Hawkins
3*
I enjoyed the short story but felt very lost in the beginning. This is the end I think of a series and to truly enjoy you need to read the series. That way you have a understanding and knowledge of the secondary characters. Ellen and Derrick had a very fast and quick relationship over the Christmas Holliday to quick for me but still enjoyable. I may just go back and start at the beginning of the series.
The Scandal Before Christmas by Elizabeth Essex
2.75/3*
I'm really not sure if I enjoyed this story or not. I finished it and if I've done that I usually give it a 3* rating because it kept my attention enough to finish it. But I did not enjoy the way it was written. The language/wording was a bit hard to understand for me, at times I had to reread the sentence. There were times in the story that I felt the chemistry between Ian and Anne but then it would be gone.
It Happened Under the Mistletoe by Valerie Bowman
4*
This is the first story I've read by Valerie Bowman and it will not be my last. I laughed and cried throughout the book and I loved the hero and heroine along with the secondary characters. Oliver and Cerian had great chemistry and it was a pleasure to read how they found their HEA.
January 20, 2015
I happen to need a fantastic Historical Romance in my life from time to time~
Now throw (4) together in one book, sign me up!!!
These four installments that made up Christmas Brides (I know I’m a tiny bit late) were down right fantastic! They had the completeness of a book all the way around~
The common part for each short was the Christmas setting and the fact that I found each author to be STUPENDOUS! I read a lot I might add and I don’t think I have even tasted the magic each has had to offer in Historical Romance! FOR SHAME I tell you! I am dumbfounded that these treasures are just there waiting for me to open them up and devour them… Very soon my pretties.
Sigh, I adored this anthology, I am quite sad that it has ended. Each part was wonderful and saturated with historical grandness and romance. One moment I am sure that the book could not get any better, but it does! It really does.. Thumbing from page to page I was laughing and giggling then fanning myself accordingly!
If by any chance you love I mean love Historical Romance or let’s say to are looking to fall in love with a good book or (4) authors this is the Book for you! I swear it.
If you are looking at this book or review stop what you are doing and just read it.
I received this ARC for an Honest review, I am honestly sad I read it so quickly~
Now throw (4) together in one book, sign me up!!!
These four installments that made up Christmas Brides (I know I’m a tiny bit late) were down right fantastic! They had the completeness of a book all the way around~
The common part for each short was the Christmas setting and the fact that I found each author to be STUPENDOUS! I read a lot I might add and I don’t think I have even tasted the magic each has had to offer in Historical Romance! FOR SHAME I tell you! I am dumbfounded that these treasures are just there waiting for me to open them up and devour them… Very soon my pretties.
Sigh, I adored this anthology, I am quite sad that it has ended. Each part was wonderful and saturated with historical grandness and romance. One moment I am sure that the book could not get any better, but it does! It really does.. Thumbing from page to page I was laughing and giggling then fanning myself accordingly!
If by any chance you love I mean love Historical Romance or let’s say to are looking to fall in love with a good book or (4) authors this is the Book for you! I swear it.
If you are looking at this book or review stop what you are doing and just read it.
I received this ARC for an Honest review, I am honestly sad I read it so quickly~
September 18, 2014
A lovely little collection of holiday novellas, Christmas Brides was a sweet and enjoyable read. All four of the novellas were great and I liked each one.
All the novellas in this book have been previously published, so I'd already read (and loved) 3 of them. Once Upon a Christmas Scandal was the only one that I hadn't read and I really liked it as well. With its engaging character, hint of a murder mystery, and delightful romance, it was definitely an enjoyable read, just like the others. This book is definitely a perfect read for getting into the holiday mood. Each book added its own take on the holidays and I liked them all.
Christmas Brides was a wonderful holiday romance anthology that I really liked. All of the novellas were great and I enjoyed them all. Romance lovers, if you want something to get you into the holiday mood, then this is a book you won't want to miss.
*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
All the novellas in this book have been previously published, so I'd already read (and loved) 3 of them. Once Upon a Christmas Scandal was the only one that I hadn't read and I really liked it as well. With its engaging character, hint of a murder mystery, and delightful romance, it was definitely an enjoyable read, just like the others. This book is definitely a perfect read for getting into the holiday mood. Each book added its own take on the holidays and I liked them all.
Christmas Brides was a wonderful holiday romance anthology that I really liked. All of the novellas were great and I enjoyed them all. Romance lovers, if you want something to get you into the holiday mood, then this is a book you won't want to miss.
*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
January 27, 2015
Mixed bag of novellas. Two I quite enjoyed and then... two other ones.
"One Hot Scot" by Suzanne Enoch - Short and immediately forgettable.
"Once Upon a Christmas Scandal" by Alexandra Hawkins - Fun set up, but seemed to skip over some plot points that would have made the mystery a little more intriguing. They talked about solving a mystery, but we didn't actually get to see any of it.
"The Scandal Before Christmas" by Elizabeth Essex - My favorite of the lot. I really enjoyed how this was written and will be checking out other things written by her.
"It Happened Under the Mistletoe" by Valerie Bowman - Weak writing and weaker characters. I didn't care about any one or anything.
"One Hot Scot" by Suzanne Enoch - Short and immediately forgettable.
"Once Upon a Christmas Scandal" by Alexandra Hawkins - Fun set up, but seemed to skip over some plot points that would have made the mystery a little more intriguing. They talked about solving a mystery, but we didn't actually get to see any of it.
"The Scandal Before Christmas" by Elizabeth Essex - My favorite of the lot. I really enjoyed how this was written and will be checking out other things written by her.
"It Happened Under the Mistletoe" by Valerie Bowman - Weak writing and weaker characters. I didn't care about any one or anything.
October 23, 2014
I really enjoyed this one. All the stories were cute, although for some reason historical romance novellas seem so much shorter than contemporary/paranormal. But enjoyable reads!
B
Full review posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2014/10/20/...
B
Full review posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2014/10/20/...
January 24, 2016
These were sweet Christmas stories that I enjoyed for the most part but nothing original or extraordinary. One Hot Scot moved too fast and was not believable so I would give it 2 stars. The other stories were all 3 stars with my favorite being It Happened Under the Mistletoe by Valerie Bowman.
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