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Short Stories from Hell
Weddings from Hell
Some marriages are made in heaven . . . Some are not.
What happens when "the happiest day of your life" turns into a nightmare? Forget the drunken best man or the bridesmaid dresses from the '80s . . . none of these wedding day disasters can compare to a cursed bride determined to make it down the aisle, or a vampire who is about to disrupt your wedding.
What happens when "the happiest day of your life" turns into a nightmare? Forget the drunken best man or the bridesmaid dresses from the '80s . . . none of these wedding day disasters can compare to a cursed bride determined to make it down the aisle, or a vampire who is about to disrupt your wedding.
375 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 27, 2008
91 people are currently reading
3945 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Shayne
257 books2,574 followersI live in the teeny, tiny town of Taylor, NY, (Alliteration Alert!) though my mailing address is Cincinnatus, my telephone exchange is Truxton and I pay taxes and vote in Cuyler. All of these are at least in the same rural county in the southern hills of New York State; Cortland County. There are more cattle than people here. The nearest “big” cities are Syracuse and Binghamton and they are an hour away, in different directions, and not really all that big by most standards, though they both seem humongous to me. I look out my window to see rolling, green, thickly forested hills, wildflower laden meadows and wide open blue, blue skies. My road is barely paved. The nearest neighboring place is a 700 acre dairy farm.
My house is a big, century old farmhouse. I moved in here after my divorce in 2006. Just a little over a year later, the house, which I had named, SERENITY, burned. It was 99% gutted, and I lost my two dogs, Sally, an 11-year-old great Dane, and Wrinkles, my 14-year-old, blind bulldog. This was the culmination of my Dark Night of the soul, which had seemed to hit me all at once in 2006-2007. My mother died that year, after a 14 month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was only 60. The youngest of my five daughters had left home that same year, and while that’s not a tragedy at all, it felt like one to me. Then came the divorce. And finally there was the fire--it seemed my darkest night wasn’t quite finished with me after all. I had lost almost everything before that point, and as I poked through the wet ashes and soot the next day, I realized that I had now been stripped all the way to the bone.
No better time to start over. (And no, I didn’t come to that realization that day--there were a few days of wallowing in pity first, particularly the day after the fire, when I hit a deer and smashed up my car, which I was practically living in!)
That’s when I started to laugh. Just sat on the side of the road as the deer bounded, uninjured and carefree, out of sight, and laughed. It was just too ridiculous at that point, to do anything else!
And from there, I picked myself up, and brushed myself off, and said, okay, there’s only one way to go from here. Forward. And that’s what I did. There I was at the age of harrurmphemmph, living in my one, mostly undamaged remaining room, with a dorm-sized mini-fridge, a futon, a TV, my cat (nine lives!) and a laptop. And not much else. (Though thank goodness the room that survived the fire, was a room that had its own attached bathroom!)
Since then I have rebuilt my beloved home, which really has become my haven, my “Serenity.” I share it now with my fiancé, Lance, and we have accumulated quite the little family together. “Little” being a relative term. We have a pair of English Mastiffs, Dozer and Daisy, who weigh 203 pounds and 208 pounds respectively, and a little pudgy English Bulldog named Niblet, who is bigger than both of them, inside her mind. We also have the aforementioned cat, Glorificus (“Glory” for short,) who adores her canine pups and keeps them firmly in line. And we've acquired a pair of stray cats as well, a mother and son, Luna (Lulu for short) and Butters aka Buddy. Lulu showed up pregnant during a lunar eclipse, had a litter, and vanished again. We found homes for all the kittens except one. Butters. We got him fixed and kept him. A few months later, Lulu returned, again expecting. This litter was born on the "Monster Moon." Again, all the kittens were spayed and neutered and placed in homes, and this time we got Lulu to the vet in time to spay her before the cycle could repeat.
Glory is not amused.
She has a story of her own, my old Glory cat, having been with me before the Dark Times descended, she went through it all with me, moved with me, survived the fire, and remains with me still. She's tolerating the newcomers. Barely.
My partner is an artist, a mechanic, a welder and an inventor, and the rumors are true, he is much younger than I
My house is a big, century old farmhouse. I moved in here after my divorce in 2006. Just a little over a year later, the house, which I had named, SERENITY, burned. It was 99% gutted, and I lost my two dogs, Sally, an 11-year-old great Dane, and Wrinkles, my 14-year-old, blind bulldog. This was the culmination of my Dark Night of the soul, which had seemed to hit me all at once in 2006-2007. My mother died that year, after a 14 month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was only 60. The youngest of my five daughters had left home that same year, and while that’s not a tragedy at all, it felt like one to me. Then came the divorce. And finally there was the fire--it seemed my darkest night wasn’t quite finished with me after all. I had lost almost everything before that point, and as I poked through the wet ashes and soot the next day, I realized that I had now been stripped all the way to the bone.
No better time to start over. (And no, I didn’t come to that realization that day--there were a few days of wallowing in pity first, particularly the day after the fire, when I hit a deer and smashed up my car, which I was practically living in!)
That’s when I started to laugh. Just sat on the side of the road as the deer bounded, uninjured and carefree, out of sight, and laughed. It was just too ridiculous at that point, to do anything else!
And from there, I picked myself up, and brushed myself off, and said, okay, there’s only one way to go from here. Forward. And that’s what I did. There I was at the age of harrurmphemmph, living in my one, mostly undamaged remaining room, with a dorm-sized mini-fridge, a futon, a TV, my cat (nine lives!) and a laptop. And not much else. (Though thank goodness the room that survived the fire, was a room that had its own attached bathroom!)
Since then I have rebuilt my beloved home, which really has become my haven, my “Serenity.” I share it now with my fiancé, Lance, and we have accumulated quite the little family together. “Little” being a relative term. We have a pair of English Mastiffs, Dozer and Daisy, who weigh 203 pounds and 208 pounds respectively, and a little pudgy English Bulldog named Niblet, who is bigger than both of them, inside her mind. We also have the aforementioned cat, Glorificus (“Glory” for short,) who adores her canine pups and keeps them firmly in line. And we've acquired a pair of stray cats as well, a mother and son, Luna (Lulu for short) and Butters aka Buddy. Lulu showed up pregnant during a lunar eclipse, had a litter, and vanished again. We found homes for all the kittens except one. Butters. We got him fixed and kept him. A few months later, Lulu returned, again expecting. This litter was born on the "Monster Moon." Again, all the kittens were spayed and neutered and placed in homes, and this time we got Lulu to the vet in time to spay her before the cycle could repeat.
Glory is not amused.
She has a story of her own, my old Glory cat, having been with me before the Dark Times descended, she went through it all with me, moved with me, survived the fire, and remains with me still. She's tolerating the newcomers. Barely.
My partner is an artist, a mechanic, a welder and an inventor, and the rumors are true, he is much younger than I
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
June 25, 2010
My favorites in this collection were the Maggie Shayne and Kathryn Smith stories. The Jeaniene Frost story wasn't bad, and the Terri Garey story was decent.
"Till Death" by Maggie Shayne
I didn't expect to like this story with the family curse due to a female witch ancestor embittered because her husband had cheated on her. She killed him and the woman he betrayed her with, cursed all her female ancestors to die by their husbands' hands if the husbands are unfaithful, because it was better to die than to know that their husbands had cheated on them. It just sounded...not to my taste. Well, it turned out to be a good story. I admit I really liked Ian (well he's a big, sexy Scot--so that's practically a given), and he was a sweetie. I liked Kira too. Although she was a bit skeptical at first, she showed real resourcefulness and bravery, confronting her ancestress to end the curse. I thought the accents were a little hokey. I'm thinking modern Scots don't talk like that. But, I guess that's a small thing. Four stars.
"Happily Never After" by Jeaniene Frost
This is my first story by Ms. Frost, and I'm not sure what I think about her. The humor was a bit on the cheesy and hokey side. Don't get me wrong, I like cheesy humor, but the tone of this story didn't always work for me. I thought Isabelle was a little hard for my tastes. She didn't trust, and didn't believe in much. I didn't really get to know her or come to like her. I hope that she learns to open up a little more in the future. I liked Chance, and I did get some good laughs. I mostly like Ms. Frost's concepts of vampires. I was offended at one comment about what modern women should have done regarding the lie that Isabelle told her unwanted fiance. It makes it seem as though a woman of a certain age who is chaste can't possibly be modern. It was a throwaway comment, but rather presumptuous. I guess I shouldn't take it personally, but I did. All in all, pretty decent. 3 stars.
"Ghouls Night Out" by Terri Garey
Overall, not a bad story. I liked the mystery and the unfolding of the dead bridesmaid haunting Nicki to solve her murder. I did not like the liberal throwing around of the offensive term 'redneck' and the low-brow offensive humor directed towards 'backwoods" people. Some of the jokes were funny, but some were mean spirited, making Nicki seem like a mean snob. Overall, she was likeable, but the judgmental attitude she had towards her country cousins made it hard to warm up to her at first. Her boyfriend, Joe, was scrumptious. It was an entertaining read, other than the offensive parts. Not enough to get me to read this series though. 3 stars.
"The Wedding Knight" by Kathryn Smith
This is part of the Brotherhood of the Blood series, about Payen, one of the knights who drinks from the Blood Grail chalice, becoming a vampire in the process. He seduced and left Violet five years later, but returns when he finds out she's marrying a member of The Silver Palm, a dastardly organization behind the betrayal and extermination of the Knights Templar, and worse. He refuses to let her marry such a dishonorable man, so he barges in on the engagement party, leading to Violet breaking the engagement. In truth, he never got over Violet, although he told himself he couldn't have her because she was human and he was a vampire. Violet realizes that she never stopped loving Payen, and is determined to make him realize their future belongs together. Ms. Smith managed to get three love scenes in this very short story. I liked that Violet was a larger-sized woman, and Payen liked her just fine that way. It was a passionate, well-written story for all its shortness. If a reader doesn't like her love stories earthy and sensual, she probably won't like it. I liked it a lot. Four stars.
This story collection does indeed touch on weddings with a supernatural edge to their distaster quotient. Thankfully weddings do occur in two out of four (with a botched wedding scene in another), so it qualified for my challenge read! So to recap: I received a pleasant surprise with Ms. Shayne's story (although she has proven herself to be a good writer when I've read her). As for Frost, I will one day start the Night Huntress series, and I hope that the humorous tone is more to my liking in those. I'm not stricken with a burning desire to read Nicki Styx's series, since my tbr pile is already massively large and I don't tend to like the more chick-lit-oriented urban fantasy. Of course, I appreciated the Brotherhood of the Blood Offering and look forward to reading the rest in the series. So, I'd say two out of four isn't bad.
"Till Death" by Maggie Shayne
I didn't expect to like this story with the family curse due to a female witch ancestor embittered because her husband had cheated on her. She killed him and the woman he betrayed her with, cursed all her female ancestors to die by their husbands' hands if the husbands are unfaithful, because it was better to die than to know that their husbands had cheated on them. It just sounded...not to my taste. Well, it turned out to be a good story. I admit I really liked Ian (well he's a big, sexy Scot--so that's practically a given), and he was a sweetie. I liked Kira too. Although she was a bit skeptical at first, she showed real resourcefulness and bravery, confronting her ancestress to end the curse. I thought the accents were a little hokey. I'm thinking modern Scots don't talk like that. But, I guess that's a small thing. Four stars.
"Happily Never After" by Jeaniene Frost
This is my first story by Ms. Frost, and I'm not sure what I think about her. The humor was a bit on the cheesy and hokey side. Don't get me wrong, I like cheesy humor, but the tone of this story didn't always work for me. I thought Isabelle was a little hard for my tastes. She didn't trust, and didn't believe in much. I didn't really get to know her or come to like her. I hope that she learns to open up a little more in the future. I liked Chance, and I did get some good laughs. I mostly like Ms. Frost's concepts of vampires. I was offended at one comment about what modern women should have done regarding the lie that Isabelle told her unwanted fiance. It makes it seem as though a woman of a certain age who is chaste can't possibly be modern. It was a throwaway comment, but rather presumptuous. I guess I shouldn't take it personally, but I did. All in all, pretty decent. 3 stars.
"Ghouls Night Out" by Terri Garey
Overall, not a bad story. I liked the mystery and the unfolding of the dead bridesmaid haunting Nicki to solve her murder. I did not like the liberal throwing around of the offensive term 'redneck' and the low-brow offensive humor directed towards 'backwoods" people. Some of the jokes were funny, but some were mean spirited, making Nicki seem like a mean snob. Overall, she was likeable, but the judgmental attitude she had towards her country cousins made it hard to warm up to her at first. Her boyfriend, Joe, was scrumptious. It was an entertaining read, other than the offensive parts. Not enough to get me to read this series though. 3 stars.
"The Wedding Knight" by Kathryn Smith
This is part of the Brotherhood of the Blood series, about Payen, one of the knights who drinks from the Blood Grail chalice, becoming a vampire in the process. He seduced and left Violet five years later, but returns when he finds out she's marrying a member of The Silver Palm, a dastardly organization behind the betrayal and extermination of the Knights Templar, and worse. He refuses to let her marry such a dishonorable man, so he barges in on the engagement party, leading to Violet breaking the engagement. In truth, he never got over Violet, although he told himself he couldn't have her because she was human and he was a vampire. Violet realizes that she never stopped loving Payen, and is determined to make him realize their future belongs together. Ms. Smith managed to get three love scenes in this very short story. I liked that Violet was a larger-sized woman, and Payen liked her just fine that way. It was a passionate, well-written story for all its shortness. If a reader doesn't like her love stories earthy and sensual, she probably won't like it. I liked it a lot. Four stars.
This story collection does indeed touch on weddings with a supernatural edge to their distaster quotient. Thankfully weddings do occur in two out of four (with a botched wedding scene in another), so it qualified for my challenge read! So to recap: I received a pleasant surprise with Ms. Shayne's story (although she has proven herself to be a good writer when I've read her). As for Frost, I will one day start the Night Huntress series, and I hope that the humorous tone is more to my liking in those. I'm not stricken with a burning desire to read Nicki Styx's series, since my tbr pile is already massively large and I don't tend to like the more chick-lit-oriented urban fantasy. Of course, I appreciated the Brotherhood of the Blood Offering and look forward to reading the rest in the series. So, I'd say two out of four isn't bad.
October 1, 2021
I've read only Happily Never After by Jeaniene Frost.
5 stars!
Greta, an old friend of Bones, is asking for a favor: her grandchildren are in trouble. Frazier is kidnapped by the local mob, and Isabella is forced to marry the mob leader to keep her brother alive.
Bones assigns Chance to solve the situation. Chance is charming and hilarious. The second time he was priceless.
Isa is witty and brave.
Insta-love but the vampiric kind – vampires just know it’s the real thing. It’s one of their superpowers.
Bones appears only at the beginning and at the end of the story, but Chance makes up for his absence.
Amusing story, highly recommended.
5 stars!
Greta, an old friend of Bones, is asking for a favor: her grandchildren are in trouble. Frazier is kidnapped by the local mob, and Isabella is forced to marry the mob leader to keep her brother alive.
Bones assigns Chance to solve the situation. Chance is charming and hilarious. The second time he was priceless.
Isa is witty and brave.
“You’d make a great chef,” she said once she’d swallowed. “Ever think of leaving the honor-bound, criminal-interrogating hypnotist society to try your hand at that?”
Insta-love but the vampiric kind – vampires just know it’s the real thing. It’s one of their superpowers.
Bones appears only at the beginning and at the end of the story, but Chance makes up for his absence.
Amusing story, highly recommended.
May 23, 2008
Cool anthology with stories from Maggie Shayne, Jeaniene Frost, Terri Garey, and Kathryn Smith. Each tale provides a quick glimpse at characters from the authors' series about paranormal creatures.
"Till Death" from Maggie Shayne tells the story of a curse and the brave woman who's willing to place her life in the hands of a near-stranger. HOT!
"Happily Never After" by Jeaniene Frost is a hilarious and sexy romp pitting a wannabe mobster against a woman with a delicious vamp on her side!!
"Ghouls Night Out" by Terri Garey. You'll laugh as the heroine solves the mystery of a ghost who's all wet with the help of her hot boyfriend.
"The Wedding Knight" by Kathryn Smith revisits the story of Payen (a Templar vampire) and Violet, the woman who still loves him...even after he took her virginity and ran five years ago. He's here to stop her from making a disastrous marriage, but they'll have to save each other in order to be happy together.
Nothing dark about this anthology. Most of the stories have more humor than suspense. I enjoyed all the stories.
"Till Death" from Maggie Shayne tells the story of a curse and the brave woman who's willing to place her life in the hands of a near-stranger. HOT!
"Happily Never After" by Jeaniene Frost is a hilarious and sexy romp pitting a wannabe mobster against a woman with a delicious vamp on her side!!
"Ghouls Night Out" by Terri Garey. You'll laugh as the heroine solves the mystery of a ghost who's all wet with the help of her hot boyfriend.
"The Wedding Knight" by Kathryn Smith revisits the story of Payen (a Templar vampire) and Violet, the woman who still loves him...even after he took her virginity and ran five years ago. He's here to stop her from making a disastrous marriage, but they'll have to save each other in order to be happy together.
Nothing dark about this anthology. Most of the stories have more humor than suspense. I enjoyed all the stories.
September 12, 2009
Til Death by Maggie Shayne. My first book by Maggie Shayne and I really liked it. It was sexy, very interesting and very well written. I forgot I was reading a 'short story'. Normally I hate scary stories and while this wasn't 'scary' it still gave me a few tingles and jingles up and down my spine. Loved it! 5 stars!
Happily Never After by Jeaniene Frost. I liked it. Maybe I was let down by it because of the three stories I read in the Weddings From Hell anthology, I thought J. Frost's was the weakest. Chance was a hot vampire and Isa wasn't bad. She wasn't great, but she wasn't bad and the mobster cliches were funny. 3.5 stars
Ghoul's Night Out by Terri Garey. This was my first story by Terri Garey although I've heard of her and put her books down on my wish list before. Now I need to hurry up and actually start reading her because Nicki Styx was a great character and her boyfriend Joe is really sexy. Plus the story was really good. Kind of like The Ghost Whisperer. 4.5 stars
I didn't read Kathryn Smith's story.
Happily Never After by Jeaniene Frost. I liked it. Maybe I was let down by it because of the three stories I read in the Weddings From Hell anthology, I thought J. Frost's was the weakest. Chance was a hot vampire and Isa wasn't bad. She wasn't great, but she wasn't bad and the mobster cliches were funny. 3.5 stars
Ghoul's Night Out by Terri Garey. This was my first story by Terri Garey although I've heard of her and put her books down on my wish list before. Now I need to hurry up and actually start reading her because Nicki Styx was a great character and her boyfriend Joe is really sexy. Plus the story was really good. Kind of like The Ghost Whisperer. 4.5 stars
I didn't read Kathryn Smith's story.
February 7, 2009
Weddings From Hell is another paranormal anthology in the vein of Dates From Hell and Holidays Are Hell. Pick a theme and throw some popular paranormal romance or urban fantasy authors at it. And just in time for wedding season we've got this collection of tales sure to make your horrific bridesmaid dress woes and cold-feet fly right out the window.
[Till Death by Maggie Shayne:] is the first offering in the anthology. When a heartbroken witch of the McLellan clan lays a curse on the women of her family they are cursed to either die at the hands of their cheating husbands or never know love. When Aunt Iris passes away and Kira heads to Scotland for the will reading the last thing she expects is to encounter ghosts or start falling for handsome family friend Ian Stewart. Can she break the curse and find her happily-ever-after?
I've never actually read anything by Shayne, though I have several of her books waiting to be read. This story was short, cute and felt only slightly rushed by the limited time frame. But what really impressed me was her well written dialog, her Scottish brogue was near flawless and read so well! Can't wait to get caught up enough with other books so I can start reading hers!
[Happily Never After by Jeaniene Frost:] is the second tale, when grandma Greta's grandson and grandaughter get into trouble with a local mob-wannabe she calls in a favor from her vampire buddy Bones. Happy to serve, Bones sends in Chance to look after Isabella and hopefully find her missing brother Frazier. Unfortunately Frazier is likely in the hands of Robert Bertini, who has strong armed Isa into marrying him. But Chance isn't about to let the strong and independant woman marry the murderous lout, especially not since he himself is falling for her. Will he be able to save her brother and prevent her from this forced marriage?
Another author I've not read, but she's on my wishlist. This story was amusing with its intentional mobster cliches and the banter between Isa and Chance. If the writing here is any indication of Frost's writing for her series I doubt I'll be dissappointed when I get my hands on it.
[Ghouls Night Out by Terri Garey:] is the third story, introducing us to Nicki Styx (who has her own series--2nd book comes out later this month). When Nicki's cousin needs a bridesmaid who is she to deny the family, even if it means dressing up in a pineapple yellow dress meant for the bride's best friend Michelle who just so happens to be dead! Of course, no one knows about Michelle's death yet so when she appears to Nicki, she can't help but feel compelled to help find out what happened. Will Nicki find out what happened to Michelle before it's time to kiss the bride?
This story ended up being my favorite in the anthology. I've never read Garey's first novel as it never hit my radar, but now I'm thinking I should hurry up and get it going! The redneck comments got a little judgemental at times but the stereotypes were nicely handled. Anyone who has some redneck relatives will likely find the entire wedding planning to be realistic and amusing, bachelorette party at a country bar complete with Shania Twain karaoke and round after round of beer anyone?
[The Wedding Knight by Kathryn Smith:] was the final story, rounding out the anthology with a historically set scene. When Payen Carr returns to London the last thing he anticipates is that he's arrived on the eve of Violet Wynston-Jones' wedding. When he realizes that her groom-to-be is a member of the Order of the Silver Palm--a group of former Templars seeking the Blood Grail and the destruction of the vampires who protect it--he can't let the wedding happen. But he has other reasons for wanting to stop the wedding as five years ago he and Violet shared one blissful night in which she proclaimed her love. If Payen stops the wedding will he be doing it to protect her from the Order or because of his own unspoken love for Violet?
Another author I haven't read, but have her series sitting on my shelves waiting--this short storty turned out to be my least favorite. I'm not sure if it was because of the historical setting or because I felt like I didn't get enough back story. Maybe a little of both. The dialog was a little dull and very little descriptive scene setting took place to frame out the world in my mind. I believe this story ties directly into her series though so fans of it might enjoy the side trip.
Overall this was a really enjoyable anthology. Three authors I was interested in and hadn't read gave me a good taste for what they write and an author I hadn't even noticed yet smacked me between the eyes and made me take notice. From what I do know of the authors and their series Frost's ties into hers as does Garey's and Smith's. I can't say about Shayne's but I get the impression this is just its own story but well worth reading to feel out her style.
[Till Death by Maggie Shayne:] is the first offering in the anthology. When a heartbroken witch of the McLellan clan lays a curse on the women of her family they are cursed to either die at the hands of their cheating husbands or never know love. When Aunt Iris passes away and Kira heads to Scotland for the will reading the last thing she expects is to encounter ghosts or start falling for handsome family friend Ian Stewart. Can she break the curse and find her happily-ever-after?
I've never actually read anything by Shayne, though I have several of her books waiting to be read. This story was short, cute and felt only slightly rushed by the limited time frame. But what really impressed me was her well written dialog, her Scottish brogue was near flawless and read so well! Can't wait to get caught up enough with other books so I can start reading hers!
[Happily Never After by Jeaniene Frost:] is the second tale, when grandma Greta's grandson and grandaughter get into trouble with a local mob-wannabe she calls in a favor from her vampire buddy Bones. Happy to serve, Bones sends in Chance to look after Isabella and hopefully find her missing brother Frazier. Unfortunately Frazier is likely in the hands of Robert Bertini, who has strong armed Isa into marrying him. But Chance isn't about to let the strong and independant woman marry the murderous lout, especially not since he himself is falling for her. Will he be able to save her brother and prevent her from this forced marriage?
Another author I've not read, but she's on my wishlist. This story was amusing with its intentional mobster cliches and the banter between Isa and Chance. If the writing here is any indication of Frost's writing for her series I doubt I'll be dissappointed when I get my hands on it.
[Ghouls Night Out by Terri Garey:] is the third story, introducing us to Nicki Styx (who has her own series--2nd book comes out later this month). When Nicki's cousin needs a bridesmaid who is she to deny the family, even if it means dressing up in a pineapple yellow dress meant for the bride's best friend Michelle who just so happens to be dead! Of course, no one knows about Michelle's death yet so when she appears to Nicki, she can't help but feel compelled to help find out what happened. Will Nicki find out what happened to Michelle before it's time to kiss the bride?
This story ended up being my favorite in the anthology. I've never read Garey's first novel as it never hit my radar, but now I'm thinking I should hurry up and get it going! The redneck comments got a little judgemental at times but the stereotypes were nicely handled. Anyone who has some redneck relatives will likely find the entire wedding planning to be realistic and amusing, bachelorette party at a country bar complete with Shania Twain karaoke and round after round of beer anyone?
[The Wedding Knight by Kathryn Smith:] was the final story, rounding out the anthology with a historically set scene. When Payen Carr returns to London the last thing he anticipates is that he's arrived on the eve of Violet Wynston-Jones' wedding. When he realizes that her groom-to-be is a member of the Order of the Silver Palm--a group of former Templars seeking the Blood Grail and the destruction of the vampires who protect it--he can't let the wedding happen. But he has other reasons for wanting to stop the wedding as five years ago he and Violet shared one blissful night in which she proclaimed her love. If Payen stops the wedding will he be doing it to protect her from the Order or because of his own unspoken love for Violet?
Another author I haven't read, but have her series sitting on my shelves waiting--this short storty turned out to be my least favorite. I'm not sure if it was because of the historical setting or because I felt like I didn't get enough back story. Maybe a little of both. The dialog was a little dull and very little descriptive scene setting took place to frame out the world in my mind. I believe this story ties directly into her series though so fans of it might enjoy the side trip.
Overall this was a really enjoyable anthology. Three authors I was interested in and hadn't read gave me a good taste for what they write and an author I hadn't even noticed yet smacked me between the eyes and made me take notice. From what I do know of the authors and their series Frost's ties into hers as does Garey's and Smith's. I can't say about Shayne's but I get the impression this is just its own story but well worth reading to feel out her style.
March 7, 2010
Till Death by Maggie Shayne
3/7/10- Ok this is the 3rd Maggie Shayne story I've read. Her stories seem to deal with humans that are either psychics or witches. The H/H couple are pretty much strangers and then they have sex and no one even pauses to consider a condom. They aren't sexy but in this day & age, they are a reality unless you are having sex with a vampire or were wolf or something otherwise paranormal. Ok, that rant is over.
Kira MacLellan is a young girl when her she watches her mother, a woman who fled Scotland to marry, die. Her dying words seem to accuse her father of doing something to cause it. She also speaks of a family curse. Her father kills himself shortly thereafter, without explaining the curse. Years later she gets a call from a Scottish lawyer, Ian Stewart, saying her aunt has died and that she needs to come to Scotland for the reading of the will. She meets her spinster aunts, and Ian Stewart. (Ok, I went to college with a guy named Ian Stewart and while he was a lovely person, he was the romance hero of my dreams, so it was difficult to read this story and try to picture the hottie the described and then read his name- but that was my own problem.) Turns out that an ancestor has cursed all the woman to die by their husbands hands if he cheats. And now it becomes Kira & Ian's problem to deal either break the curse or continue it.
Ok, the problem with this story is the premise was really weak. Add to that there seemed to imply that there was something more to the curse, but it didn't really turn out to be anything. And the ending was very anticlimactic not to mention, lame. 2 stars.
Happily Never After by Jeaniene Frost
3/5/10- A Jeaniene Frost story is always welcomed. In this short story a former member of Bones' family calls to ask a favor and I believe he is trying to find Cat at the moment, so he sends in Chance. Chance is a vampire and was sired by Bones. Isabella is a restaurant owner in Philly. The local wanna be mob boss has decided that she will make the perfect Italian wife, so he kidnaps her brother so ensure her compliance. Enter Chance. He is there to help stop the wedding and find her brother. It's a cute story. The grandmother is feisty and the love scene is hot. 3 stars
Ghouls Night Out by Terri Garey
3/6/10- Here's the thing about Terri Garey. When all is said and done I like the story, I just always feel like her stories go on a little too long. And they always feel a little weird. I guess she's more UF than pnr, but they don't really feel uf either. It's like they are paranormal chick-lit mysteries. Is that a thing? ANYWAY, This is another story in the Nicki Styx universe. We see her hot doctor boyfriend and her bff Evan and even Evan's boyfriend Butch. But this time the story centers on Nicki's cousin. She's getting married and her best friend, Michelle, drops out of the wedding at the last minute and Nicki is called to replace her. Unfortunately Michelle is actually dead and no one knows it yet. And since only Nicki Styx can see dead people... well, you guessed it she has to help Michelle walk into the light. I think there was an odd sort of story line questioning her cousin's decision to marry her fiance, Dale, that was left dangling. I'm not sure if it was meant to make Dale a suspect or to cast questionable aspersions on Michelle character but it ended up feeling like the an abandoned plot-line. 2.5 stars
The Wedding Knight by Kathryn Smith
I've never read anything by Kathryn Smith before. The actual premise for the story was a little underused. It seemed like it was too big of a premise for a short story so when it got truncated the conflict seemed silly. But other than that it was an okay story and for an 86 page story, there was a lot of steamy sex in it. It also helped that the characters had a previous relationship. Violet Wynston-Jones fell in love with Payen Carr, a templar vampire chosen to protect the blood grail, when she was 16. When she was 19 she gave her body and heart to him which he accepted and then he left, so save his heart and his vows. Now it's 1879 and she is 24 and about to get married. Payen is passing through a nearby town and hears of her engagement and sees who she marrying and knows he has to stop her for her own safety. But by stopping the wedding it is revealed that Violet is "unpure", now she is a ruined woman. Not to mention her fiance has now figured out what Payen is, besides the man that stole his fiance. It's up to Payen to save Violets reputation, keep his vows to the templar and save his own heart.
Like I said there was a lot going on in such a short story. It seems that it was a rush to get all the information necessary out there and then there was a lot left unused. I wonder if there is a full length book about these folks. I may have to check it out. I know, me who doesn't like historical type books. I think that's why I liked this story though. Even though it was set in 1879, it feels very contemporary which might make her unpopular for historical purists, but it suits me just fine! 3.5 stars
PS- I just checked, this is the prequel to a series, and I'm absolutely going to check out the series!
3/7/10- Ok this is the 3rd Maggie Shayne story I've read. Her stories seem to deal with humans that are either psychics or witches. The H/H couple are pretty much strangers and then they have sex and no one even pauses to consider a condom. They aren't sexy but in this day & age, they are a reality unless you are having sex with a vampire or were wolf or something otherwise paranormal. Ok, that rant is over.
Kira MacLellan is a young girl when her she watches her mother, a woman who fled Scotland to marry, die. Her dying words seem to accuse her father of doing something to cause it. She also speaks of a family curse. Her father kills himself shortly thereafter, without explaining the curse. Years later she gets a call from a Scottish lawyer, Ian Stewart, saying her aunt has died and that she needs to come to Scotland for the reading of the will. She meets her spinster aunts, and Ian Stewart. (Ok, I went to college with a guy named Ian Stewart and while he was a lovely person, he was the romance hero of my dreams, so it was difficult to read this story and try to picture the hottie the described and then read his name- but that was my own problem.) Turns out that an ancestor has cursed all the woman to die by their husbands hands if he cheats. And now it becomes Kira & Ian's problem to deal either break the curse or continue it.
Ok, the problem with this story is the premise was really weak. Add to that there seemed to imply that there was something more to the curse, but it didn't really turn out to be anything. And the ending was very anticlimactic not to mention, lame. 2 stars.
Happily Never After by Jeaniene Frost
3/5/10- A Jeaniene Frost story is always welcomed. In this short story a former member of Bones' family calls to ask a favor and I believe he is trying to find Cat at the moment, so he sends in Chance. Chance is a vampire and was sired by Bones. Isabella is a restaurant owner in Philly. The local wanna be mob boss has decided that she will make the perfect Italian wife, so he kidnaps her brother so ensure her compliance. Enter Chance. He is there to help stop the wedding and find her brother. It's a cute story. The grandmother is feisty and the love scene is hot. 3 stars
Ghouls Night Out by Terri Garey
3/6/10- Here's the thing about Terri Garey. When all is said and done I like the story, I just always feel like her stories go on a little too long. And they always feel a little weird. I guess she's more UF than pnr, but they don't really feel uf either. It's like they are paranormal chick-lit mysteries. Is that a thing? ANYWAY, This is another story in the Nicki Styx universe. We see her hot doctor boyfriend and her bff Evan and even Evan's boyfriend Butch. But this time the story centers on Nicki's cousin. She's getting married and her best friend, Michelle, drops out of the wedding at the last minute and Nicki is called to replace her. Unfortunately Michelle is actually dead and no one knows it yet. And since only Nicki Styx can see dead people... well, you guessed it she has to help Michelle walk into the light. I think there was an odd sort of story line questioning her cousin's decision to marry her fiance, Dale, that was left dangling. I'm not sure if it was meant to make Dale a suspect or to cast questionable aspersions on Michelle character but it ended up feeling like the an abandoned plot-line. 2.5 stars
The Wedding Knight by Kathryn Smith
I've never read anything by Kathryn Smith before. The actual premise for the story was a little underused. It seemed like it was too big of a premise for a short story so when it got truncated the conflict seemed silly. But other than that it was an okay story and for an 86 page story, there was a lot of steamy sex in it. It also helped that the characters had a previous relationship. Violet Wynston-Jones fell in love with Payen Carr, a templar vampire chosen to protect the blood grail, when she was 16. When she was 19 she gave her body and heart to him which he accepted and then he left, so save his heart and his vows. Now it's 1879 and she is 24 and about to get married. Payen is passing through a nearby town and hears of her engagement and sees who she marrying and knows he has to stop her for her own safety. But by stopping the wedding it is revealed that Violet is "unpure", now she is a ruined woman. Not to mention her fiance has now figured out what Payen is, besides the man that stole his fiance. It's up to Payen to save Violets reputation, keep his vows to the templar and save his own heart.
Like I said there was a lot going on in such a short story. It seems that it was a rush to get all the information necessary out there and then there was a lot left unused. I wonder if there is a full length book about these folks. I may have to check it out. I know, me who doesn't like historical type books. I think that's why I liked this story though. Even though it was set in 1879, it feels very contemporary which might make her unpopular for historical purists, but it suits me just fine! 3.5 stars
PS- I just checked, this is the prequel to a series, and I'm absolutely going to check out the series!
May 20, 2010
The Maggie Shayne story was good although a lot rushed. But that's probably because it's a short story. Kira confronted Ian about a curse within minutes of meeting him and they fell in love in a day.
The Jeaniene Frost story was good. I loved grandmother Greta and the romance between Chance and Isa was done well. There's a couple of scenes with Bones too. Greta and Bones used to have a thing a long time before.
The Terri Garey story was different. She's able to see dead people after having a near death experience herself. A few sexy talk between Nicki and Joe. A murder mystery that needs to be solved. This is the first time I've read her stuff and it was pretty good.
Kathyrn Smith's another one of those super fast short stories. At least Violet and Payen had known each other before. Throw in a little Masonic-ish anti vampire group out to kill/kidnap Payen, and there was some added excitement.
3 of the stories are 3 stars, 1 is a 3.5 so I'll give the book a 3.5 overall, throwing off the average.
The Jeaniene Frost story was good. I loved grandmother Greta and the romance between Chance and Isa was done well. There's a couple of scenes with Bones too. Greta and Bones used to have a thing a long time before.
The Terri Garey story was different. She's able to see dead people after having a near death experience herself. A few sexy talk between Nicki and Joe. A murder mystery that needs to be solved. This is the first time I've read her stuff and it was pretty good.
Kathyrn Smith's another one of those super fast short stories. At least Violet and Payen had known each other before. Throw in a little Masonic-ish anti vampire group out to kill/kidnap Payen, and there was some added excitement.
3 of the stories are 3 stars, 1 is a 3.5 so I'll give the book a 3.5 overall, throwing off the average.
October 26, 2017
Review is for Happily Never After by Jeaniene Frost
July 9, 2019
Four quick reads.
May 17, 2024
Such a good book! I loved all the short stories and I almost wish I could read the full stories that are in here...more so hoped that they were the little tastes of the full books. 10/10 would recommend
Read
November 23, 2009I read part Maggie Shayne's Till Death [about a witch's curse:] and Jeaniene Frost's Happily Never After.
Again, I won't rate the entire book because I only read a couple of the stories. I liked the writing style of Maggie Shayne and I am considering reading a full novel to get a better idea of her world creation and characters. I did not care for the secondary characters and they played a big part in this novella.
Jeaniene Frost's story was more to my liking. Wasn't quite as captivating as Cat and Bones but was about a vampire and his target of affection. Isa is being forced to marry a mobster wanna-be. She is Italian and runs her own restaurant. Even she knows all the cliques that are running through her life. But she's doing it for her brother, she keeps reminding herself. When Chance comes into her resturant one night and doesn't eat a bite she knows something is up. When he boldly stares her down with her mobster boyfriend staring him down, she thinks he's lost his mind.
This would be an enjoyable story for any Frost fan. I give it 3.75 of 4 stars. But I'll go ahead and round it to an even 4 stars
Again, I won't rate the entire book because I only read a couple of the stories. I liked the writing style of Maggie Shayne and I am considering reading a full novel to get a better idea of her world creation and characters. I did not care for the secondary characters and they played a big part in this novella.
Jeaniene Frost's story was more to my liking. Wasn't quite as captivating as Cat and Bones but was about a vampire and his target of affection. Isa is being forced to marry a mobster wanna-be. She is Italian and runs her own restaurant. Even she knows all the cliques that are running through her life. But she's doing it for her brother, she keeps reminding herself. When Chance comes into her resturant one night and doesn't eat a bite she knows something is up. When he boldly stares her down with her mobster boyfriend staring him down, she thinks he's lost his mind.
This would be an enjoyable story for any Frost fan. I give it 3.75 of 4 stars. But I'll go ahead and round it to an even 4 stars
June 23, 2008
Jeaniene's story was hands down the best, and that isn't just because of the cameo by Bones. (uh, how long do we have to wait for At Grave's End again? Crap. Too long.)
All the stories were entertaining, though, and I find myself wanting to hunt up some other works by TG.
Generally speaking, I prefer novels to short stories, since I really like to dig in deep with the characters, but these were well worth a read!
All the stories were entertaining, though, and I find myself wanting to hunt up some other works by TG.
Generally speaking, I prefer novels to short stories, since I really like to dig in deep with the characters, but these were well worth a read!
July 28, 2011
"Happily Never After" by Jeaniene Frost: In this short, Elise is a vampire who lives in seclusion in NYC. She comes across Blake, a man who is possessed by a demon. She is able to stop him from killing and although he asks her to kill him so he stops hurting people, she decides to help him instead. Mencheres, her sire, Cat & Bones make appearances in this short. It was an interesting story and I liked Blake and Elise. 3.5 stars.
February 13, 2009
I swore I wouldn't read any more anthologies since I am usually disappointed with a couple of the stories in each one, but this one had strong, stand-alone novellas. I don't think anyone will be disappointed with anything here. I especially enjoyed Terri Garey's story about Nicki.
November 16, 2012
Enjoyable paranormal romance short stories. I skipped the last story, a historical. Jeaniene Frost's story is only loosely connected to her series and can stand alone. I haven't read any of the other "Nicki Styx" books and it stood alone okay too.
October 22, 2016
I am giving this collection of stories four stars. I wanted to give it five but the last story wasn't the best and was a bit of a mood spoiler. Aside from that, the other three stories were very well written and very entertaining.
February 7, 2017
TILL DEATH, by Maggie Shayne
This is my first time reading Maggie Shayne, though a quick count shows I have around 12 other books in my TBR by her, although half of those seem to be omnibuses with other authors.
When Kira was seven her mother died in a freak accident, and her father took his own life not long after. Now, eighteen years later, Kira receives a call from Scotland, advising her that a relative has died and she needs to come to Scotland for the reading of the will. There she meets her mother's family for the first time – several assorted, unmarried aunts – and learns of a curse placed on the family line – that MacLellan women are always killed at the hands of their husband. She also meets Ian, one of her family's solicitors, who she is instantly attracted to. A short novella but with so much packed into those 91 pages. I really enjoyed it and obviously need to read more of Ms. Shayne.
HAPPILY NEVER AFTER, by Jeaniene Frost
This story is the reason I bought the book. I love Ms. Frost's Night Huntress series, so I was looking forward to this story set in that universe. It's been awhile since I finished the Cat and Bones books, but I think Chance and Isabella, the hero and heroine of HAPPILY NEVER AFTER, had made an appearance in one of the books. I vaguely remember their names.
Isa is engaged to the local mob boss, Robert Bertini. Or at least Robert thinks she is. Isa's brother, Frazier, has disappeared, after begging Isa to go along with the engagement for the time being. So while she can't stand Robert, she's pretending to be love struck. Meanwhile, Isa's grandmother, Greta, knows something's up, but doesn't know what. So she contacts her old friend, Bones, a vampire, and ask him for help finding Frazier. Bones passes the assignment on to another vampire, Chance. I liked Isa, and I liked Chance. He's no Bones, but then who is? I enjoyed the story, and for readers who've not yet been introduced to the Night Huntress series, it's a good peek at what kind of vampires inhabit that universe. But it didn't quite grab me the way the Cat and Bones books did.
GHOUL'S NIGHT OUT, by Terri Garey
This story just blew the others right out of my head. I'm very anal about reading series books in order, and I had looked up each story ahead of time, but somehow I missed the fact that this story was part of a series. Otherwise, I would not have read it until I found the rest of the Nicki Styx books and had read them in order up to where this one comes in (number 2.5 per Goodreads). But I am really glad I read it because I loved it. I loved Nicki. I loved the idea of her seeing spirits and reluctantly helping them with whatever they need help with before they can go into the light, ala Jennifer Love Hewett in “Ghost Whisperer”, which I just happen to be streaming on Netflix.
In this story, Nicki's cousin Debbie has asked her to be a last minute bridesmaid in her wedding. Nicki doesn't want to, especially after seeing the hideous dress she must wear, but she knows her late mother would expect her to. While at a fitting for the dress, Michelle walks in and demands to know why Nicki is wearing her dress. Turns out Michelle was supposed to be the bridesmaid, but after a fight with Debbie she stormed off and was never heard or seen from again. Nobody realizes that she's dead, including herself.
I loved Nicki, and her interactions with Michelle. I loved the way Michelle's appearance changed depending on her mood or what she remembered. We also meet Nicki's boyfriend Joe, and while he didn't actually appear until halfway into the story, I loved him.
I started drifting away from paranormal romance because I got burned out on vampires, but ghosts still fascinate me,and I am very eager now to find the rest of the Nicki Styx books.
I did not read the fourth story in the book, THE WEDDING KNIGHT, by Kathryn Smith, because I know it's part of her Brotherhood of the Blood series, and I have the first three books already, so I plan to come back to this book and read THE WEDDING KNIGHT when I reach that point in the series. I know, I know, when these stories appear in these omnibuses like this they're supposed to work as standalones, but still.
Review first posted on my blog.
This is my first time reading Maggie Shayne, though a quick count shows I have around 12 other books in my TBR by her, although half of those seem to be omnibuses with other authors.
When Kira was seven her mother died in a freak accident, and her father took his own life not long after. Now, eighteen years later, Kira receives a call from Scotland, advising her that a relative has died and she needs to come to Scotland for the reading of the will. There she meets her mother's family for the first time – several assorted, unmarried aunts – and learns of a curse placed on the family line – that MacLellan women are always killed at the hands of their husband. She also meets Ian, one of her family's solicitors, who she is instantly attracted to. A short novella but with so much packed into those 91 pages. I really enjoyed it and obviously need to read more of Ms. Shayne.
HAPPILY NEVER AFTER, by Jeaniene Frost
This story is the reason I bought the book. I love Ms. Frost's Night Huntress series, so I was looking forward to this story set in that universe. It's been awhile since I finished the Cat and Bones books, but I think Chance and Isabella, the hero and heroine of HAPPILY NEVER AFTER, had made an appearance in one of the books. I vaguely remember their names.
Isa is engaged to the local mob boss, Robert Bertini. Or at least Robert thinks she is. Isa's brother, Frazier, has disappeared, after begging Isa to go along with the engagement for the time being. So while she can't stand Robert, she's pretending to be love struck. Meanwhile, Isa's grandmother, Greta, knows something's up, but doesn't know what. So she contacts her old friend, Bones, a vampire, and ask him for help finding Frazier. Bones passes the assignment on to another vampire, Chance. I liked Isa, and I liked Chance. He's no Bones, but then who is? I enjoyed the story, and for readers who've not yet been introduced to the Night Huntress series, it's a good peek at what kind of vampires inhabit that universe. But it didn't quite grab me the way the Cat and Bones books did.
GHOUL'S NIGHT OUT, by Terri Garey
This story just blew the others right out of my head. I'm very anal about reading series books in order, and I had looked up each story ahead of time, but somehow I missed the fact that this story was part of a series. Otherwise, I would not have read it until I found the rest of the Nicki Styx books and had read them in order up to where this one comes in (number 2.5 per Goodreads). But I am really glad I read it because I loved it. I loved Nicki. I loved the idea of her seeing spirits and reluctantly helping them with whatever they need help with before they can go into the light, ala Jennifer Love Hewett in “Ghost Whisperer”, which I just happen to be streaming on Netflix.
In this story, Nicki's cousin Debbie has asked her to be a last minute bridesmaid in her wedding. Nicki doesn't want to, especially after seeing the hideous dress she must wear, but she knows her late mother would expect her to. While at a fitting for the dress, Michelle walks in and demands to know why Nicki is wearing her dress. Turns out Michelle was supposed to be the bridesmaid, but after a fight with Debbie she stormed off and was never heard or seen from again. Nobody realizes that she's dead, including herself.
I loved Nicki, and her interactions with Michelle. I loved the way Michelle's appearance changed depending on her mood or what she remembered. We also meet Nicki's boyfriend Joe, and while he didn't actually appear until halfway into the story, I loved him.
I started drifting away from paranormal romance because I got burned out on vampires, but ghosts still fascinate me,and I am very eager now to find the rest of the Nicki Styx books.
I did not read the fourth story in the book, THE WEDDING KNIGHT, by Kathryn Smith, because I know it's part of her Brotherhood of the Blood series, and I have the first three books already, so I plan to come back to this book and read THE WEDDING KNIGHT when I reach that point in the series. I know, I know, when these stories appear in these omnibuses like this they're supposed to work as standalones, but still.
Review first posted on my blog.
September 7, 2022
Till Death by Maggie Shayne: (4.5 stars)
This is my first Maggie Shayne story. I've never heard of her or any of her books, but this story made me curious to look into her writing more. She has a really great writing style that flows very easily and captures you from page one.
In this story Kira is brought to Scotland because she is told that she will be inheriting a wealth of money from an aunt she's never met. Curious as to why, she heads off to Scotland where she learns more about a deadly and frightening curse placed on the women of her family. She also meets Ian, a friend of the family and also the lawyer heading up the reading of the will. Ian might just be the only person who can help her break the curse that's taken the lives of many of the women in her family.
I thought this was a fantastic short story. Although short, it was very entertaining and Ian is a hottie-hot-hot. Who couldn't love a hot Scot with an even hotter Scottish accent? Mmm-hmm, I'll take some of that! Anyways, I thought the story was very well written and interesting for a short story. The one thing that made me give it a 4.5 instead of a 5 was that the ending was a little abrupt. I thought the rest of the story flowed well, but I would have liked a little more from the ending. Perhaps a small epilogue that shows us how things are years later. Overall though, it certainly gave me motivation to check out other works by Maggie Shayne.
Happily Never After by Jeaniene Frost: (4 stars)
(Night Huntress, #1.5)
This story was the reason I picked up this anthology. I love the Night Huntress series and Jeaniene's writing so I was really looking forward to this short story.
In this story a friend of Bones' (and a vampire he sired/made), named Chance, is enlisted to help out one of Bones' old lovers named Greta. Her granddaughter, Isabella, is being forced to marry a mob boss and Greta wants help getting her out of it still alive. When Chance and Isabella meet, and instant attraction is formed. So Chance must help Isabella get out of her engagement, and win her heart along the way.
I thought this was a good story. It was pretty entertaining and I enjoyed the romance. Isabella was annoying sometimes, but I loved Chance's character. I cannot remember for the life of me, but I'm pretty sure his character is one of the vampires that Bones has help him in At Graves End or some other book in the series. It was a small part and I'm not even sure if I'm right about that, but his name sounds so familiar! Also, Greta is, I believe, mentioned in at least one of the books. But, again, I can't remember -- wish I did! It was nice to get a few glimpses of Bones (no Cat in this one), but it wasn't a lot. Despite that though, I thought Chance and Isabella had a good little story and I really enjoyed it.
P.S. Although it appears that this book was published AFTER One Foot in the Grave (book #2), it looks like this story is a novella that takes place in between book #1 and book #2. The reason being that Bones makes an appearance and mentions he's "focusing all his energy on finding someone". One can only assume that, given what's going on in the main books, Cat is the person he is looking for at this point. Just wanted to note that for die-hard read-in-order Night Huntress fans.
Ghouls Night Out by Terri Garey: (4 stars)
(Nicki Styx, #1.5)
This story takes place in the Nicki Styx world. I've never read any books from the series or from Terri Garey, so this was a first in both aspects for me.
In this story Nicki is about to be a bridesmaid in her cousin Debbie's "redneck" wedding. Nicki is dreading the entire ordeal, right down to the bridesmaid dress resembling a banana. While getting fitted, a rather angry girl yells at her for wearing "her dress". The seamstress doesn't seem to notice the angry girl and goes on pinning and fitting. So, Nicki comes to the conclusion that it's another dead girl. You see, Nicki has a problem where she sees dead people all the time. However, this one turns out to be her cousin Debbie's best friend and the girl who was supposed to be in the wedding Nicki is now in. Now Nicki must found out what happened to the girl and why no one seems to know she's died.
I thought this was a pretty good story. It was pretty entertaining and when I first sat down to read just a few pages from it, I didn't get up until I finished the story. So, it was pretty good as far as that goes. What I didn't like was that, unlike the first two stories in this anthology, this one didn't have any blooming romances. She already has her boyfriend so they have a few moments, but I would've liked more. I also didn't really like the continual bashing and stereotyping of "rednecks". I don't know, some of it just seemed a little over the top and too judgmental. Overall though, I liked Terri Garey's writing style, the characters, and the world she's created. I'm not sure if I'll move onto the series though because it's not really the kind of book I usually read (ghost-whiperer-esk). So, although I enjoyed this, I don't think I'll be moving on to more from this series anytime soon.
The Wedding Knight by Kathryn Smith: (5 stars)
(Brotherhood of Blood, #3.5)
Despite that I didn't pick up this anthology for this story, it was by far my favorite of them all. I've never read anything by Kathryn Smith, although I do have the first in this series on my to-read shelf.
In this story Payen, a vampire, hears word that the "one that got away", Violet, is due to be married. He is upset, but doesn't want to admit it. However, he is ready to let her be happy and move on from their long lost night of love. That is, until he finds out that the man she's engaged to marry is a member of the Order of the Silver Palm -- an arch rival society to all vampires. Payen now must stop the wedding, but what he's not prepared for is Violet seducing him back into her arms and making her way back into his heart.
I thought this story was fantastic. Although being a short story, it still managed to pack romance, action, sex, and vampires all into one little story. Go figure, my favorite combination! Payen was a sexy, delicious vampire and I loved him from the first page. Violet was a little spitfire and I admired her courage and going after what she wants the most. I truly enjoyed the characters, the story, and the world. It has certainly given me a thirst for this series that I must quench. I will be moving this up on my to-read list priority for sure!
This is my first Maggie Shayne story. I've never heard of her or any of her books, but this story made me curious to look into her writing more. She has a really great writing style that flows very easily and captures you from page one.
In this story Kira is brought to Scotland because she is told that she will be inheriting a wealth of money from an aunt she's never met. Curious as to why, she heads off to Scotland where she learns more about a deadly and frightening curse placed on the women of her family. She also meets Ian, a friend of the family and also the lawyer heading up the reading of the will. Ian might just be the only person who can help her break the curse that's taken the lives of many of the women in her family.
I thought this was a fantastic short story. Although short, it was very entertaining and Ian is a hottie-hot-hot. Who couldn't love a hot Scot with an even hotter Scottish accent? Mmm-hmm, I'll take some of that! Anyways, I thought the story was very well written and interesting for a short story. The one thing that made me give it a 4.5 instead of a 5 was that the ending was a little abrupt. I thought the rest of the story flowed well, but I would have liked a little more from the ending. Perhaps a small epilogue that shows us how things are years later. Overall though, it certainly gave me motivation to check out other works by Maggie Shayne.
Happily Never After by Jeaniene Frost: (4 stars)
(Night Huntress, #1.5)
This story was the reason I picked up this anthology. I love the Night Huntress series and Jeaniene's writing so I was really looking forward to this short story.
In this story a friend of Bones' (and a vampire he sired/made), named Chance, is enlisted to help out one of Bones' old lovers named Greta. Her granddaughter, Isabella, is being forced to marry a mob boss and Greta wants help getting her out of it still alive. When Chance and Isabella meet, and instant attraction is formed. So Chance must help Isabella get out of her engagement, and win her heart along the way.
I thought this was a good story. It was pretty entertaining and I enjoyed the romance. Isabella was annoying sometimes, but I loved Chance's character. I cannot remember for the life of me, but I'm pretty sure his character is one of the vampires that Bones has help him in At Graves End or some other book in the series. It was a small part and I'm not even sure if I'm right about that, but his name sounds so familiar! Also, Greta is, I believe, mentioned in at least one of the books. But, again, I can't remember -- wish I did! It was nice to get a few glimpses of Bones (no Cat in this one), but it wasn't a lot. Despite that though, I thought Chance and Isabella had a good little story and I really enjoyed it.
P.S. Although it appears that this book was published AFTER One Foot in the Grave (book #2), it looks like this story is a novella that takes place in between book #1 and book #2. The reason being that Bones makes an appearance and mentions he's "focusing all his energy on finding someone". One can only assume that, given what's going on in the main books, Cat is the person he is looking for at this point. Just wanted to note that for die-hard read-in-order Night Huntress fans.
Ghouls Night Out by Terri Garey: (4 stars)
(Nicki Styx, #1.5)
This story takes place in the Nicki Styx world. I've never read any books from the series or from Terri Garey, so this was a first in both aspects for me.
In this story Nicki is about to be a bridesmaid in her cousin Debbie's "redneck" wedding. Nicki is dreading the entire ordeal, right down to the bridesmaid dress resembling a banana. While getting fitted, a rather angry girl yells at her for wearing "her dress". The seamstress doesn't seem to notice the angry girl and goes on pinning and fitting. So, Nicki comes to the conclusion that it's another dead girl. You see, Nicki has a problem where she sees dead people all the time. However, this one turns out to be her cousin Debbie's best friend and the girl who was supposed to be in the wedding Nicki is now in. Now Nicki must found out what happened to the girl and why no one seems to know she's died.
I thought this was a pretty good story. It was pretty entertaining and when I first sat down to read just a few pages from it, I didn't get up until I finished the story. So, it was pretty good as far as that goes. What I didn't like was that, unlike the first two stories in this anthology, this one didn't have any blooming romances. She already has her boyfriend so they have a few moments, but I would've liked more. I also didn't really like the continual bashing and stereotyping of "rednecks". I don't know, some of it just seemed a little over the top and too judgmental. Overall though, I liked Terri Garey's writing style, the characters, and the world she's created. I'm not sure if I'll move onto the series though because it's not really the kind of book I usually read (ghost-whiperer-esk). So, although I enjoyed this, I don't think I'll be moving on to more from this series anytime soon.
The Wedding Knight by Kathryn Smith: (5 stars)
(Brotherhood of Blood, #3.5)
Despite that I didn't pick up this anthology for this story, it was by far my favorite of them all. I've never read anything by Kathryn Smith, although I do have the first in this series on my to-read shelf.
In this story Payen, a vampire, hears word that the "one that got away", Violet, is due to be married. He is upset, but doesn't want to admit it. However, he is ready to let her be happy and move on from their long lost night of love. That is, until he finds out that the man she's engaged to marry is a member of the Order of the Silver Palm -- an arch rival society to all vampires. Payen now must stop the wedding, but what he's not prepared for is Violet seducing him back into her arms and making her way back into his heart.
I thought this story was fantastic. Although being a short story, it still managed to pack romance, action, sex, and vampires all into one little story. Go figure, my favorite combination! Payen was a sexy, delicious vampire and I loved him from the first page. Violet was a little spitfire and I admired her courage and going after what she wants the most. I truly enjoyed the characters, the story, and the world. It has certainly given me a thirst for this series that I must quench. I will be moving this up on my to-read list priority for sure!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2023
1st story - Till Death by Maggie Shayne. The beginning of this story was good. Very interesting premise with the curse and all. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy Kira or Ian, so I stopped reading at chapter 5.
2nd story - Happily Never After by Jeaniene Frost. This was a very enjoyable offshoot in the Night Huntress world. Chance, Isa, and Greta were fun characters, and the plot was very entertaining.
3rd story - Ghouls Night Out by Terri Garey. Very interesting story. I really like stories about characters who can communicate with ghosts. The ending was a bit overdone, and some of the characters were kind of silly, but all in all, it was a nice entertaining story.
4th story - The Wedding Knight by Kathryn Smith. This one felt more like historical fiction than fantasy. I bailed during chapter 5. The story and the characters were fine but not really my cup of tea.
2nd story - Happily Never After by Jeaniene Frost. This was a very enjoyable offshoot in the Night Huntress world. Chance, Isa, and Greta were fun characters, and the plot was very entertaining.
3rd story - Ghouls Night Out by Terri Garey. Very interesting story. I really like stories about characters who can communicate with ghosts. The ending was a bit overdone, and some of the characters were kind of silly, but all in all, it was a nice entertaining story.
4th story - The Wedding Knight by Kathryn Smith. This one felt more like historical fiction than fantasy. I bailed during chapter 5. The story and the characters were fine but not really my cup of tea.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2019
My best friend is getting married this year. Which made it feel like kind of a fun time to read this collection of four wedding themed novellas. After all, I get to be a bridesmaid, and this collection will definitely put into light the ways in which things can go seriously and drastically wrong. Especially since none of these things are going to happen at her wedding.
I was honestly expecting these to be four novellas about a couple getting married and things going drastically wrong for them. Instead, it was four tales of mayhem and magic where the weddings just happened to be the backdrop event, or, in some cases, the instigating event. It made the storylines so much less predictable and just that much more fun…
For individual reviews, head to: https://earthandskye.org/weddings-fro...
I was honestly expecting these to be four novellas about a couple getting married and things going drastically wrong for them. Instead, it was four tales of mayhem and magic where the weddings just happened to be the backdrop event, or, in some cases, the instigating event. It made the storylines so much less predictable and just that much more fun…
For individual reviews, head to: https://earthandskye.org/weddings-fro...
January 31, 2023
Normally I detest short stories and novellas. I have been forced over the years to get books with multiple authors in order to get the novella or short story of a series because I have missed valuable insights or information that helps with the series. Normally this pisses me off as I rarely find any of the other stories worth the wasted money, so I started hunting those through the library to save my money if not my time. Shockingly this book is one I would have happily spent money on. I enjoyed every story in it which is a rare happening.
January 22, 2017
Three decent stories and one terrible one to finish it up. I had to stop reading the Kathryn Smith story because the writing was atrocious. The story is set in 1897 but her heroine talks like a teenage boy from a 90's film. Seriously - just a few paragraphs into chapter 2 she says both "shagging" and "knocking boots." The dialogue was so awkward and inappropriate to the period that it was actually painful to read. So I stopped.
September 15, 2018
Some marriages are made in heaven . . . Some are not.
What happens when "the happiest day of your life" turns into a nightmare? Forget the drunken best man or the bridesmaid dresses from the '80s . . . none of these wedding day disasters can compare to a cursed bride determined to make it down the aisle, or a vampire who is about to disrupt your wedding.
I really thought I had read this anthology before, but I guess I just read the JF story. The rest were ok but not really memoble.
What happens when "the happiest day of your life" turns into a nightmare? Forget the drunken best man or the bridesmaid dresses from the '80s . . . none of these wedding day disasters can compare to a cursed bride determined to make it down the aisle, or a vampire who is about to disrupt your wedding.
I really thought I had read this anthology before, but I guess I just read the JF story. The rest were ok but not really memoble.
December 10, 2023
I only read the short story, "Happily Never After" by Jeaniene Frost. It is a good short story set in the Cat and Bones world. You do get a small part from Bones, but mostly it is about a vampire named Chance who is recruited by Bones to help a former mistress/blood donor's granddaughter out of some trouble. There are several scenes that made me laugh out loud.
March 23, 2019
Big Bad Shhlut 2019 Reading Challenge, Prompt #14
Engaging and well written stories in the paranormal genre. Maggie Shayne and Jeaniene Frost I am familiar with, but Terri Garey and Kathryn Smith are new ones - who I'll be adding to my list of authors to follow. The characters were enchanting and believable, and the back stories were fleshy.
Engaging and well written stories in the paranormal genre. Maggie Shayne and Jeaniene Frost I am familiar with, but Terri Garey and Kathryn Smith are new ones - who I'll be adding to my list of authors to follow. The characters were enchanting and believable, and the back stories were fleshy.
January 17, 2022
Til Death: 3/5
Happily Never After: 2/5
Ghouls Night Out: 1.3/5 (almost DNF’d the whole book at this one - we get it, you hate rednecks and fat people)
The Wedding Knight: 1/5 (I was originally planning to give it 2 stars until the author described a clit as “her little hooded friend,” that knocked a star clean off)
Happily Never After: 2/5
Ghouls Night Out: 1.3/5 (almost DNF’d the whole book at this one - we get it, you hate rednecks and fat people)
The Wedding Knight: 1/5 (I was originally planning to give it 2 stars until the author described a clit as “her little hooded friend,” that knocked a star clean off)
June 25, 2018
I loved all four short stories in this book! Usually when I read a book with multiple authors there is at least one story I hate. So not the case with Weddings from Hell. All 4 authors did an excellent job and I will be looking forward to reading more from them.
July 26, 2018
Till Death
This story was so tragically beautiful.
Happily Never After
This was such a fascinating story!
Ghouls Night Out
I loved this story! I look forward to reading more about some of these characters.
The Wedding Knight
This was a very well written story!
This story was so tragically beautiful.
Happily Never After
This was such a fascinating story!
Ghouls Night Out
I loved this story! I look forward to reading more about some of these characters.
The Wedding Knight
This was a very well written story!
January 25, 2020
Read only Jeaniene Frost's Happily Never After. It is a wonderful little short set in the same universe as the Night Huntress series. While Bones makes an appearance the original cast does not play a part in this story.
July 2, 2020
Til Death 3/5*
Happily Never After 4/5*
Ghouls Night Out 3/5*
The Wedding Knight 3/5*
Happily Never After 4/5*
Ghouls Night Out 3/5*
The Wedding Knight 3/5*
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