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Full Moon Magic
Five beloved, award-winning romance authors bewitch readers with tales of enchanted love--wherein ghosts roam castles, spirits travel through time, and the unlikeliest matchmakers bring lovers together. This magical collection features the talents of Charlotte Louise Dolan, Gayle Buck, Anita Mills, Patricia Rice, and Mary Balogh.
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1992
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228 people want to read
About the author
Mary Balogh
200 books6,337 followersMary Jenkins was born in 1944 in Swansea, Wales, UK. After graduating from university, moved to Saskatchewan, Canada, to teach high school English, on a two-year teaching contract in 1967. She married her Canadian husband, Robert Balogh, and had three children, Jacqueline, Christopher and Sian. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, music and knitting. She also enjoys watching tennis and curling.
Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling 'Slightly' sextet and 'Simply' quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling 'Slightly' sextet and 'Simply' quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 31, 2018
3'5 Estrellas. Al igual que ocurrió con mi anterior lectura, sólo he leído el relato de Mary Balogh, "The Dark Rider", por seguir practicando un poco con el inglés. No sé si se notará demasiado, pero éste relato me ha parecido más fácil de entender que el otro que me leí.
Y al igual que con "The North Tower" y no lo he hecho a posta, "The Dark Rider" también es un relato de Halloween, ocurre a finales de octubre, y aunque histórico tiene una subtrama paranormal con fantasmas incluidos.
La protagonista, Dinah, debe dejar durante una temporada su hogar, sus hermanos menores están pasando el sarampión, y ella que no lo ha pasado debe salir de casa, y la envían unos días a casa de la hermana de su padrastro, así es como conocerá el enigmático Lord Asquith, el sobrino de su padrastro, y dueño de la mansión.
La casa de Edgar, Lord Asquith oculta sus propios misterios, historias de fantasmas y un pasado sombrío relacionado con un antepasado de Edgar, el llamado Jinete Oscuro, cuyo retrato guarda el castillo. Pero no solo habrá una trama relacionado con el fantasma, también entrará en juego aunque brevemente, algo de espionaje, contrabando y asesinato.
El relato es un buen cóctel con un poco de todo, con un romance que deja un poquito que desear dado la longitud del mismo, pero que me ha convencido algo más que el relato que leí ayer.
Y al igual que con "The North Tower" y no lo he hecho a posta, "The Dark Rider" también es un relato de Halloween, ocurre a finales de octubre, y aunque histórico tiene una subtrama paranormal con fantasmas incluidos.
La protagonista, Dinah, debe dejar durante una temporada su hogar, sus hermanos menores están pasando el sarampión, y ella que no lo ha pasado debe salir de casa, y la envían unos días a casa de la hermana de su padrastro, así es como conocerá el enigmático Lord Asquith, el sobrino de su padrastro, y dueño de la mansión.
La casa de Edgar, Lord Asquith oculta sus propios misterios, historias de fantasmas y un pasado sombrío relacionado con un antepasado de Edgar, el llamado Jinete Oscuro, cuyo retrato guarda el castillo. Pero no solo habrá una trama relacionado con el fantasma, también entrará en juego aunque brevemente, algo de espionaje, contrabando y asesinato.
El relato es un buen cóctel con un poco de todo, con un romance que deja un poquito que desear dado la longitud del mismo, pero que me ha convencido algo más que el relato que leí ayer.
February 10, 2015
1 The Dark Rider - Mary Balogh page 9 - 76
Sweet story about a girl who can see and sense ghosts . She helps 2 lost souls to finally be together -but how she does that puzzles me because the ghosts gave no signs that they coult see or hear her . In the mean time she finds her own true love with a descendant from the male ghost . 4 stars
2 Black Magic - Anita Mills page 77 - 148
A "magical"black cat brings together a widow with 2 children ( talking and acting befitting their age ) and a widower . The author managed to give all the people their own character in this beautyfully written short story . Gave me the feeling of a full lenght novel . 5 stars
3 The Ghost of Castle Ravenswych - Charlotte Louise Dolan page 149 - 231
After the death of her uncle a girl sets her own death in scene to avoid marriage to an unwanted suitor . The new Lord Cheyne arrives and she falls in love with him but she can not show herself in the flesh till her 21 birthday . I liked this story very much till almost the end . The heated love scenes were a little to much for such a short story but the epilogue saved it from being just ok . 3 stars
4 The Holybrooke Curse - Gayle Buck page 233 - 294
A family gathering at the deathbed of the Earl of Holybrooke . Murder , Mayhem , romance ? and what were the ghosts exactly doing ? 2 stars
5 Deceiving Appearances - Patricia Rice page 295 - 365
Peter Denning is fascinated by a painting of a house and a fleeing figure in the forefront . At the back of the painting is written ; Lady Honora Chelmsby , Rosebud Cottage , near High Wycombe . He travels there to see if he can buy the house . Peter was a bit to occupied with the ghost and I did not sufficiently see/feel his falling in love with the living girl . 4 stars
Sweet story about a girl who can see and sense ghosts . She helps 2 lost souls to finally be together -but how she does that puzzles me because the ghosts gave no signs that they coult see or hear her . In the mean time she finds her own true love with a descendant from the male ghost . 4 stars
2 Black Magic - Anita Mills page 77 - 148
A "magical"black cat brings together a widow with 2 children ( talking and acting befitting their age ) and a widower . The author managed to give all the people their own character in this beautyfully written short story . Gave me the feeling of a full lenght novel . 5 stars
3 The Ghost of Castle Ravenswych - Charlotte Louise Dolan page 149 - 231
After the death of her uncle a girl sets her own death in scene to avoid marriage to an unwanted suitor . The new Lord Cheyne arrives and she falls in love with him but she can not show herself in the flesh till her 21 birthday . I liked this story very much till almost the end . The heated love scenes were a little to much for such a short story but the epilogue saved it from being just ok . 3 stars
4 The Holybrooke Curse - Gayle Buck page 233 - 294
A family gathering at the deathbed of the Earl of Holybrooke . Murder , Mayhem , romance ? and what were the ghosts exactly doing ? 2 stars
5 Deceiving Appearances - Patricia Rice page 295 - 365
Peter Denning is fascinated by a painting of a house and a fleeing figure in the forefront . At the back of the painting is written ; Lady Honora Chelmsby , Rosebud Cottage , near High Wycombe . He travels there to see if he can buy the house . Peter was a bit to occupied with the ghost and I did not sufficiently see/feel his falling in love with the living girl . 4 stars
June 2, 2025
Very nice anthology of ghosts and romance.
1. The Dark Rider by Mary Balogh
The young heroine is sent to stay with a step-aunt while her half brothers and sister recover from measles. She is not related by blood to this lady since her hostess is related to her step father. The heroine is a sensitive and can feel spirits in the house. She meets the son of this “aunt” and she is very attracted to him. He is also immediately attracted to the heroine, but it seems he is trying to scare her with ghosts stories. As it turns out, he is working as a spy for the government and wants to keep the heroine, out of certain places. So he tells her about their resident ghosts. He doesn’t realize that the heroine can actually feel the emotions of a sad lady in her room and can see the ghost of one of his ancestors, who is mounted on a dark horse and seems to be waiting for this lady to come to him.
It is all resolved in the end and even the ghosts get their HEA.
2. Black Magic by Anita Mills
This was cute. A young widow who is still grieving very much for her late husband, is staying in a cottage w her 2 daughters. Her younger daughter finds an injured kitten and absolutely refuses to give up on it. She brings her kitten to the town doctor to be healed. The doctor helps it as much as he can. He is also a widow who lost his wife and daughter in childbirth. Thr little girls want their mother to be happy again, and the younger one wishes that her mother marries the good doctor. She is convinced that her kitten is magical and can make all wishes come true, so she wishes that her mother marries the good and handsome doctor. 😉
3. The Ghost of castle Ravenswych
Not as good. The heroine is being pestered by her nasty guardian to marry him and he does try to assault her one night, so she runs away and pretends to drown in the lake. The guardian hurries away to avoid suspicion. The housekeeper knows the heroine did not drown and agrees to hide her in the castle until her 21st birthday in a year’s time where she will miraculously come to life again 🤦🏻♀️ The Hero is the new earl of the castle who has been off to war and comes home just a few weeks before her 21st birthday, so she needs to continue hiding. The earl gets sick and is secretly nursed by the heroine where she falls in love w him. He also falls in love w an imaginary woman who he thinks is a ghost.
Until of course all is revealed in the end.
4. The Holybrooke curse by Gayle Buck
This seemed a bit rushed and maybe should have been a longer novella as many aspects were not developed properly and i was very confused by the convoluted relationships of the characters in the start.
Anyway, the members of a noble family are all gathered in a drawing room, waiting for the death of the old earl. Who seems to have lived an evil life. The family seems to be at odds w each other and it comes to light that the viscount, although he is the eldest son, has been disowned by the earl, and is no longer his earl. Also in this room is a young lady, who turns out to be the betrothed of the Viscount, but it is an arranged betrothal so they dont know each other well at all and also seem to be at odds.
The earl dies, but it seems he was murdered. The heroine (betrothed young lady) is awoken by a scream which is why she runs to the master bedroom and encounters the Viscount and a few others frantically cutting down the earl fr the bedpost. Murderer made it seem he committed suicide, which is impossible given he was ina coma.
Family legend is that their resident ghost screams when a murder is about to happen. Apparently, only the heroine and one old lady heard the scream the night before. Her fiance finds out that she heard the scream, therefore she has been touched by the holybrook curse. But its a short story so the villain gets revealed and dispatched in the end, plus the betrothed couple fall in love.
5. Deceiving appearances by Patricia Rice
A weathly man buys a painting and gets obsessed by the lady and the cottage he sees in it. He goes looking for this cottage but gets into an accident and has to be nursed by the heroine. As it turns out, he is being nursed in the exact cottage he was looking for. He likes the heroine but he keeps seeing glimpses of the lady of the manor, who is exactly like the lady in the painting.
As you’ve probably guessed the man is seeing ghosts but falls in love w the heroine who turns out to be the descendant of the lady in the painting.
All in all a good little book. ❤️
1. The Dark Rider by Mary Balogh
The young heroine is sent to stay with a step-aunt while her half brothers and sister recover from measles. She is not related by blood to this lady since her hostess is related to her step father. The heroine is a sensitive and can feel spirits in the house. She meets the son of this “aunt” and she is very attracted to him. He is also immediately attracted to the heroine, but it seems he is trying to scare her with ghosts stories. As it turns out, he is working as a spy for the government and wants to keep the heroine, out of certain places. So he tells her about their resident ghosts. He doesn’t realize that the heroine can actually feel the emotions of a sad lady in her room and can see the ghost of one of his ancestors, who is mounted on a dark horse and seems to be waiting for this lady to come to him.
It is all resolved in the end and even the ghosts get their HEA.
2. Black Magic by Anita Mills
This was cute. A young widow who is still grieving very much for her late husband, is staying in a cottage w her 2 daughters. Her younger daughter finds an injured kitten and absolutely refuses to give up on it. She brings her kitten to the town doctor to be healed. The doctor helps it as much as he can. He is also a widow who lost his wife and daughter in childbirth. Thr little girls want their mother to be happy again, and the younger one wishes that her mother marries the good doctor. She is convinced that her kitten is magical and can make all wishes come true, so she wishes that her mother marries the good and handsome doctor. 😉
3. The Ghost of castle Ravenswych
Not as good. The heroine is being pestered by her nasty guardian to marry him and he does try to assault her one night, so she runs away and pretends to drown in the lake. The guardian hurries away to avoid suspicion. The housekeeper knows the heroine did not drown and agrees to hide her in the castle until her 21st birthday in a year’s time where she will miraculously come to life again 🤦🏻♀️ The Hero is the new earl of the castle who has been off to war and comes home just a few weeks before her 21st birthday, so she needs to continue hiding. The earl gets sick and is secretly nursed by the heroine where she falls in love w him. He also falls in love w an imaginary woman who he thinks is a ghost.
Until of course all is revealed in the end.
4. The Holybrooke curse by Gayle Buck
This seemed a bit rushed and maybe should have been a longer novella as many aspects were not developed properly and i was very confused by the convoluted relationships of the characters in the start.
Anyway, the members of a noble family are all gathered in a drawing room, waiting for the death of the old earl. Who seems to have lived an evil life. The family seems to be at odds w each other and it comes to light that the viscount, although he is the eldest son, has been disowned by the earl, and is no longer his earl. Also in this room is a young lady, who turns out to be the betrothed of the Viscount, but it is an arranged betrothal so they dont know each other well at all and also seem to be at odds.
The earl dies, but it seems he was murdered. The heroine (betrothed young lady) is awoken by a scream which is why she runs to the master bedroom and encounters the Viscount and a few others frantically cutting down the earl fr the bedpost. Murderer made it seem he committed suicide, which is impossible given he was ina coma.
Family legend is that their resident ghost screams when a murder is about to happen. Apparently, only the heroine and one old lady heard the scream the night before. Her fiance finds out that she heard the scream, therefore she has been touched by the holybrook curse. But its a short story so the villain gets revealed and dispatched in the end, plus the betrothed couple fall in love.
5. Deceiving appearances by Patricia Rice
A weathly man buys a painting and gets obsessed by the lady and the cottage he sees in it. He goes looking for this cottage but gets into an accident and has to be nursed by the heroine. As it turns out, he is being nursed in the exact cottage he was looking for. He likes the heroine but he keeps seeing glimpses of the lady of the manor, who is exactly like the lady in the painting.
As you’ve probably guessed the man is seeing ghosts but falls in love w the heroine who turns out to be the descendant of the lady in the painting.
All in all a good little book. ❤️
reprint
April 12, 2020Read/own Balogh The Dark Rider in rereleased ebook No Ordinary love
1 The Dark Rider - Mary Balogh page 9 - 76
2 Black Magic - Anita Mills page 77 - 148
3 The Ghost of Castle Ravenswych - Charlotte Louise Dolan page 149 - 231
4 The Holybrooke Curse - Gayle Buck page 233 - 294
5 Deceiving Appearances - Patricia Rice page 295 - 365
1 The Dark Rider - Mary Balogh page 9 - 76
2 Black Magic - Anita Mills page 77 - 148
3 The Ghost of Castle Ravenswych - Charlotte Louise Dolan page 149 - 231
4 The Holybrooke Curse - Gayle Buck page 233 - 294
5 Deceiving Appearances - Patricia Rice page 295 - 365
February 10, 2022
All of these authors are ones I follow and enjoy. This just isn’t my cup of tea. The stories were more than readable except for Dolan, hers was not good.
October 29, 2009
This is a book of 5 short stories. In particular I enjoyed Black Magic and The Ghost of Castle Ravenswych the best. All the stories were nicely done.
They are all historical romances with a paranormal or magical touch to them. I am not a big fan of historical romances, but I do enjoy the ones with paranormal, time travel or magical touches to them. I am not familiar with any of these authors prior to reading this book.
Book one, The Dark Rider read easily enough and was enjoyable but it didn't really stick with me. I liked how are heroine helped to free the spirit of the sad woman in the tower, but that was a small part of the story.
Book two is Black Magic which I found to be delightful and all based around a child and her beloved cat that she believes is magic. I thought this book was very good, very enjoyable and just really sweet. I would like to know what happened to the heroine and the Doctor beyond what this short story tells us.
Book 3 was another favorite of mine, The Ghost of Castle Ravenswych. I loved the plot of this story. Our heroine is not quite 21 and is fighting off the attentions of her guardian. One impulsive moment finds her dead, trapped in the castle and awaiting her 21st birthday. The Earl and true owner shows up to claim his castle and she is constantly hiding from him, though in his illness he believes her to be a true spirit. This story was just fun and I really enjoyed it!
Book four is The Holybrooke Curse. While I didn't enjoy this as much as the others, it was still good. It didn't start off with love right off, but rather the heroine didn't like her betrothed at all and believed she was fated to a very unhappy marriage. I enjoyed how the author spun this tale around to bring us to a happy ending and the surprise of who the murderer really was.
The final book is Deceiving Appearances. While I enjoyed this book, I didn't clue in on the plot until the end. It wasn't until the last two pages that I realized that the two main characters of the story were actually soul mates, and had already been through life together during another time. While I was slow on the uptake, I did enjoy that and its another one I would like to have read more of.
They are all historical romances with a paranormal or magical touch to them. I am not a big fan of historical romances, but I do enjoy the ones with paranormal, time travel or magical touches to them. I am not familiar with any of these authors prior to reading this book.
Book one, The Dark Rider read easily enough and was enjoyable but it didn't really stick with me. I liked how are heroine helped to free the spirit of the sad woman in the tower, but that was a small part of the story.
Book two is Black Magic which I found to be delightful and all based around a child and her beloved cat that she believes is magic. I thought this book was very good, very enjoyable and just really sweet. I would like to know what happened to the heroine and the Doctor beyond what this short story tells us.
Book 3 was another favorite of mine, The Ghost of Castle Ravenswych. I loved the plot of this story. Our heroine is not quite 21 and is fighting off the attentions of her guardian. One impulsive moment finds her dead, trapped in the castle and awaiting her 21st birthday. The Earl and true owner shows up to claim his castle and she is constantly hiding from him, though in his illness he believes her to be a true spirit. This story was just fun and I really enjoyed it!
Book four is The Holybrooke Curse. While I didn't enjoy this as much as the others, it was still good. It didn't start off with love right off, but rather the heroine didn't like her betrothed at all and believed she was fated to a very unhappy marriage. I enjoyed how the author spun this tale around to bring us to a happy ending and the surprise of who the murderer really was.
The final book is Deceiving Appearances. While I enjoyed this book, I didn't clue in on the plot until the end. It wasn't until the last two pages that I realized that the two main characters of the story were actually soul mates, and had already been through life together during another time. While I was slow on the uptake, I did enjoy that and its another one I would like to have read more of.
September 7, 2011
Doing it old school. Old school romance, that is. There's just nothing like the bodice-ripping-ghost-supernatural-mystery stories of the nineties.
Want to read
March 10, 2016The Dark Rider - Mary Balogh
Black Magic - Anita Mills
The Ghost of Castle Ravenswych - Charlotte Louise Dolan
The Holybrooke Curse - Gayle Buck
Deceiving Appearances - Patricia Rice
Black Magic - Anita Mills
The Ghost of Castle Ravenswych - Charlotte Louise Dolan
The Holybrooke Curse - Gayle Buck
Deceiving Appearances - Patricia Rice
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews