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Midsummer Delights
Who Writes Cinderella Stories Better than Eloisa James?
No Eloisa James fan should miss these enchanting short stories!
A Midsummer Night's Disgrace
Eloisa revisits the scintillating world of the Essex Sisters with a story featuring a young lady, Cecilia Bellingworth, who has decided she would rather ruin her reputation than endure further speculation about whether her children will be "silly," like her brother, Billy. After two failed seasons, Cecilia decides she will dress as she likes (in a scandalous red dress!) and flirt outrageously (with a scandalous pianist!). Fortunately, a gorgeous musician at the Duchess of Ormond's house party presents the perfect candidate for scandal…
Previously published in the Essex Sisters Official Companion Guide (e only).
At Midnight
Elias Hempleworth-Gray has one thing and one thing only of value—his title, Earl of Leyton. Determined to leave England and the scandal of his gambler father behind, Elias hopes to turn his fortunes around and come back a respectable man to claim the only woman for him, Miss Penelope White. But Penny has other plans for the man she has loved all her life…plans that include a masquerade, a stolen kiss and a lost shoe.
Previously published in the Fairy Tale sampler (print only).
Ever After
When she was sixteen, Miss Violet Leighton spent one blissful month romping around her family estate with Rothwell Talcott…thirty days of shared kisses, culminating in a very illicit afternoon in a berry patch. As Rothwell leaves for his grand tour, he gives his word of honor that he will return for her. Four years and seven refused proposals later, Violet is about to give up and marry when he finally returns. Now the Duke of Cambridge, Rothwell wants to make her his duchess. But how can Violet trust the man who stole her virtue—and then broke her heart?
Previously published in The Ugly Duchess (print only).
No Eloisa James fan should miss these enchanting short stories!
A Midsummer Night's Disgrace
Eloisa revisits the scintillating world of the Essex Sisters with a story featuring a young lady, Cecilia Bellingworth, who has decided she would rather ruin her reputation than endure further speculation about whether her children will be "silly," like her brother, Billy. After two failed seasons, Cecilia decides she will dress as she likes (in a scandalous red dress!) and flirt outrageously (with a scandalous pianist!). Fortunately, a gorgeous musician at the Duchess of Ormond's house party presents the perfect candidate for scandal…
Previously published in the Essex Sisters Official Companion Guide (e only).
At Midnight
Elias Hempleworth-Gray has one thing and one thing only of value—his title, Earl of Leyton. Determined to leave England and the scandal of his gambler father behind, Elias hopes to turn his fortunes around and come back a respectable man to claim the only woman for him, Miss Penelope White. But Penny has other plans for the man she has loved all her life…plans that include a masquerade, a stolen kiss and a lost shoe.
Previously published in the Fairy Tale sampler (print only).
Ever After
When she was sixteen, Miss Violet Leighton spent one blissful month romping around her family estate with Rothwell Talcott…thirty days of shared kisses, culminating in a very illicit afternoon in a berry patch. As Rothwell leaves for his grand tour, he gives his word of honor that he will return for her. Four years and seven refused proposals later, Violet is about to give up and marry when he finally returns. Now the Duke of Cambridge, Rothwell wants to make her his duchess. But how can Violet trust the man who stole her virtue—and then broke her heart?
Previously published in The Ugly Duchess (print only).
96 pages, ebook
First published February 6, 2018
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811 people want to read
About the author
Eloisa James
123 books9,552 followersNew York Times bestselling author Eloisa James writes historical romances for HarperCollins Publishers. Her novels have been published to great acclaim. A reviewer from USA Today wrote of Eloisa's very first book that she "found herself devouring the book like a dieter with a Hershey bar"; later People Magazine raved that "romance writing does not get much better than this." Her novels have repeatedly received starred reviews from Publishers' Weekly and Library Journal and regularly appear on the best-seller lists.
After graduating from Harvard University, Eloisa got an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Ph.D. from Yale and eventually became a Shakespeare professor, publishing an academic book with Oxford University Press. Currently she is an associate professor and head of the Creative Writing program at Fordham University in New York City. Her "double life" is a source of fascination to the media and her readers. In her professorial guise, she's written a New York Times op-ed defending romance, as well as articles published everywhere from women's magazines such as More to writers' journals such as the Romance Writers' Report.
Eloisa...on her double life:
When I'm not writing novels, I'm a Shakespeare professor. It's rather like having two lives. The other day I bought a delicious pink suit to tape a television segment on romance; I'll never wear that suit to teach in, nor even to give a paper at the Shakespeare Association of America conference. It's like being Superman, with power suits for both lives. Yet the literature professor in me certainly plays into my romances. The Taming of the Duke (April 2006) has obvious Shakespearean resonances, as do many of my novels. I often weave early modern poetry into my work; the same novel might contain bits of Catullus, Shakespeare and anonymous bawdy ballads from the 16th century.
When I rip off my power suit, whether it's academic or romantic, underneath is the rather tired, chocolate-stained sweatshirt of a mom. Just as I use Shakespeare in my romances, I almost always employ my experiences as a mother. When I wrote about a miscarriage in Midnight Pleasures, I used my own fears of premature birth; when the little girl in Fool For Love threw up and threw up, I described my own daughter, who had that unsavory habit for well over her first year of life.
So I'm a writer, a professor, a mother - and a wife. My husband Alessandro is Italian, born in Florence. We spend the lazy summer months with his mother and sister in Italy. It always strikes me as a huge irony that as a romance writer I find myself married to a knight, a cavaliere, as you say in Italian.
One more thing...I'm a friend. I have girlfriends who are writers and girlfriends who are Shakespeare professors. And I have girlfriends who are romance readers. In fact, we have something of a community going on my website. Please stop by and join the conversation on my readers' pages.
After graduating from Harvard University, Eloisa got an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Ph.D. from Yale and eventually became a Shakespeare professor, publishing an academic book with Oxford University Press. Currently she is an associate professor and head of the Creative Writing program at Fordham University in New York City. Her "double life" is a source of fascination to the media and her readers. In her professorial guise, she's written a New York Times op-ed defending romance, as well as articles published everywhere from women's magazines such as More to writers' journals such as the Romance Writers' Report.
Eloisa...on her double life:
When I'm not writing novels, I'm a Shakespeare professor. It's rather like having two lives. The other day I bought a delicious pink suit to tape a television segment on romance; I'll never wear that suit to teach in, nor even to give a paper at the Shakespeare Association of America conference. It's like being Superman, with power suits for both lives. Yet the literature professor in me certainly plays into my romances. The Taming of the Duke (April 2006) has obvious Shakespearean resonances, as do many of my novels. I often weave early modern poetry into my work; the same novel might contain bits of Catullus, Shakespeare and anonymous bawdy ballads from the 16th century.
When I rip off my power suit, whether it's academic or romantic, underneath is the rather tired, chocolate-stained sweatshirt of a mom. Just as I use Shakespeare in my romances, I almost always employ my experiences as a mother. When I wrote about a miscarriage in Midnight Pleasures, I used my own fears of premature birth; when the little girl in Fool For Love threw up and threw up, I described my own daughter, who had that unsavory habit for well over her first year of life.
So I'm a writer, a professor, a mother - and a wife. My husband Alessandro is Italian, born in Florence. We spend the lazy summer months with his mother and sister in Italy. It always strikes me as a huge irony that as a romance writer I find myself married to a knight, a cavaliere, as you say in Italian.
One more thing...I'm a friend. I have girlfriends who are writers and girlfriends who are Shakespeare professors. And I have girlfriends who are romance readers. In fact, we have something of a community going on my website. Please stop by and join the conversation on my readers' pages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
February 6, 2018
Midsummer Delights by Eloisa James is three short/novellas that will bring a smile to your face.
Ms. James's books are always such a joy and these stories allow you to have a taste of her writing.
Ms. James's books are always such a joy and these stories allow you to have a taste of her writing.
April 26, 2018
A Midsummer Night's Disgrace
Cecilia Bellingworth has struck out after two seasons and decides to flirt with a hot pianist. Turns out that the hot pianist is actually Taddeus "Theo" Phinston, Duke of Ormond, who used to put bugs down Cecilia's dress and now really wants to put like his hands down her dress or something. THEY FLIRT.
This was not bad, per se, but it was SUPER FAST and also VERY BUSY. Cecilia is 1) disappointed about her failed seasons which 2) might have to do with her brother who has been nicknamed "Silly Billy" WTF so she 3) dresses in new clothes and 4) wants to be a musician and decides on the fly to create a scandal with a hot pianist so she can retire to her family estates and live with her brother. Meanwhile, Theo shows up and is immediately like "I used to torment you with bugs because I wanted your attention and LIKED TO WATCH YOU SHIVER" WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS NONSENSE and then things proceed to makeouts and proposals in the hallway at WARP SPEED.
In addition to all the gross shit I've listed above, the fact that he decides he's going to marry her before they have any meaningful conversation is really not that romantic to me. He wants her because she's got a hot bod and that's it. ??? 2.5 stars.
At Midnight
Elias Hempleworth-Gray is POOR and SAD. He loves Miss Penelope White who is RICH and GIGGLES. On the eve of Penny's betrothal, Eli goes undercover for some overclothing makeouts cause he is a gentleman even if he has the poors. Penny, not being a fool, realizes she's making out with her bff Eli and convinces him to get over himself by getting under him.
I liked this! It was also SUPER FAST but having the leads be well acquainted makes things more believable. It was a cute little speedbump of a story that I enjoyed. 4 stars.
Ever After
At 16, Violet Leighton made out with her brother's friend for a whole month before he left to ~find himself on the Continent. FOUR YEARS LATER, Rothwell Talcott is now a duke and back in England and FINALLY ready to marry Violet.
Again: FAST. Not great if only because Rothwell decides that actions > words and the lack of explicit consent when he drags her out of a ballroom to explain himself and propose and have sex in a carriage while they circle the block is kind of...unsettling. He even blithely explains that he thought she just knew that he loved her and that he was coming back to her. When she points out that he only wrote her TWO WHOLE GODDAMNED LETTERS, he defends himself by saying he actually wrote FOUR LETTERS and in one of them he decided he "wasn't good with words" and therefore excuses himself for the remaining FORTY-SEVEN MONTHS OF SILENCE. JUST: WHAT.
Other than that, it was fine Standard issue James. 2.5 stars.
Cecilia Bellingworth has struck out after two seasons and decides to flirt with a hot pianist. Turns out that the hot pianist is actually Taddeus "Theo" Phinston, Duke of Ormond, who used to put bugs down Cecilia's dress and now really wants to put like his hands down her dress or something. THEY FLIRT.
This was not bad, per se, but it was SUPER FAST and also VERY BUSY. Cecilia is 1) disappointed about her failed seasons which 2) might have to do with her brother who has been nicknamed "Silly Billy" WTF so she 3) dresses in new clothes and 4) wants to be a musician and decides on the fly to create a scandal with a hot pianist so she can retire to her family estates and live with her brother. Meanwhile, Theo shows up and is immediately like "I used to torment you with bugs because I wanted your attention and LIKED TO WATCH YOU SHIVER" WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS NONSENSE and then things proceed to makeouts and proposals in the hallway at WARP SPEED.
In addition to all the gross shit I've listed above, the fact that he decides he's going to marry her before they have any meaningful conversation is really not that romantic to me. He wants her because she's got a hot bod and that's it. ??? 2.5 stars.
At Midnight
Elias Hempleworth-Gray is POOR and SAD. He loves Miss Penelope White who is RICH and GIGGLES. On the eve of Penny's betrothal, Eli goes undercover for some overclothing makeouts cause he is a gentleman even if he has the poors. Penny, not being a fool, realizes she's making out with her bff Eli and convinces him to get over himself by getting under him.
I liked this! It was also SUPER FAST but having the leads be well acquainted makes things more believable. It was a cute little speedbump of a story that I enjoyed. 4 stars.
Ever After
At 16, Violet Leighton made out with her brother's friend for a whole month before he left to ~find himself on the Continent. FOUR YEARS LATER, Rothwell Talcott is now a duke and back in England and FINALLY ready to marry Violet.
Again: FAST. Not great if only because Rothwell decides that actions > words and the lack of explicit consent when he drags her out of a ballroom to explain himself and propose and have sex in a carriage while they circle the block is kind of...unsettling. He even blithely explains that he thought she just knew that he loved her and that he was coming back to her. When she points out that he only wrote her TWO WHOLE GODDAMNED LETTERS, he defends himself by saying he actually wrote FOUR LETTERS and in one of them he decided he "wasn't good with words" and therefore excuses himself for the remaining FORTY-SEVEN MONTHS OF SILENCE. JUST: WHAT.
Other than that, it was fine Standard issue James. 2.5 stars.
March 13, 2018
Enjoyable sweet little mini stories along with a quick teaser for ‘Too Wilde To Wed’.
Can’t wait until it downloads to my Kindle in May!
Can’t wait until it downloads to my Kindle in May!
February 14, 2018
This is a collection of three short stories by Ms. James, and I'm going to post a mini review for each of them.
A Midsummer Night's Disgrace
I adored this story, and wanted to badly for it to be a full length novel. However, doing that likely would have ruined it because the length it was ended up being perfect to tell the story. I love Cecilia and Theo's history together, and their shared love of music is wonderful. I especially liked the part about the guitar lessons - it made me swoon a little bit, I will admit. Theo is the only gentleman in this three story collection who made me completely melt, and I need to read more about him so I can sigh dreamily. Cecilia is another character who I want to know more about and watch (read about?) moving through society and her life. I loved her overhaul of her personal image and I definitely either want to be her or at least have her as a friend. 5 stars that are SO shiny and bright they carry the other two stories.
At Midnight
OK, the summary for At Midnight is totally wrong. It says "Elias hopes to turn his fortunes around and come back a respectable man to claim the only woman for him, Miss Penelope White." Well that's just blatantly untrue, since the story takes place over the course of one night at a masquerade ball, Where Elias' best friend is going to propose to Penny at midnight. Elias thinks he can't marry Penny because his father lost his family estate gambling, and then Penny's father bought it, so everyone would gossip and say he was just marrying her to get his fortune back, when really he's loved her since childhood but couldn't say anything because of just that reason. He takes advantage of the anonymity of the masquerade to finally tell her how he feels and steal a kiss, one last moment with her before he leaves the country forever because he can't bear to see her and his BFF get married. That being said, that was a really good story, and I felt kind of bad for dumb Elias. I really enjoyed the sort-of spin on Cinderella in this story. 4 stars.
Ever After
I know I've read this before somewhere! It must have been at the end of The Ugly Duchess, because that's where Goodreads is telling me it was previously printed. But I distinctly remember the bits about the strawberry patch, and him being grateful he was gone because if he'd been there she'd have likely been on the boat too. Rothwell is another dummy who almost ruins things because of his obtuse man-ness, much like Elias in the previous story. Still, this is a good story and I enjoyed the re-read. 4 stars.
*I received a free copy of this book from Edelweiss+ and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
A Midsummer Night's Disgrace
I adored this story, and wanted to badly for it to be a full length novel. However, doing that likely would have ruined it because the length it was ended up being perfect to tell the story. I love Cecilia and Theo's history together, and their shared love of music is wonderful. I especially liked the part about the guitar lessons - it made me swoon a little bit, I will admit. Theo is the only gentleman in this three story collection who made me completely melt, and I need to read more about him so I can sigh dreamily. Cecilia is another character who I want to know more about and watch (read about?) moving through society and her life. I loved her overhaul of her personal image and I definitely either want to be her or at least have her as a friend. 5 stars that are SO shiny and bright they carry the other two stories.
At Midnight
OK, the summary for At Midnight is totally wrong. It says "Elias hopes to turn his fortunes around and come back a respectable man to claim the only woman for him, Miss Penelope White." Well that's just blatantly untrue, since the story takes place over the course of one night at a masquerade ball, Where Elias' best friend is going to propose to Penny at midnight. Elias thinks he can't marry Penny because his father lost his family estate gambling, and then Penny's father bought it, so everyone would gossip and say he was just marrying her to get his fortune back, when really he's loved her since childhood but couldn't say anything because of just that reason. He takes advantage of the anonymity of the masquerade to finally tell her how he feels and steal a kiss, one last moment with her before he leaves the country forever because he can't bear to see her and his BFF get married. That being said, that was a really good story, and I felt kind of bad for dumb Elias. I really enjoyed the sort-of spin on Cinderella in this story. 4 stars.
Ever After
I know I've read this before somewhere! It must have been at the end of The Ugly Duchess, because that's where Goodreads is telling me it was previously printed. But I distinctly remember the bits about the strawberry patch, and him being grateful he was gone because if he'd been there she'd have likely been on the boat too. Rothwell is another dummy who almost ruins things because of his obtuse man-ness, much like Elias in the previous story. Still, this is a good story and I enjoyed the re-read. 4 stars.
*I received a free copy of this book from Edelweiss+ and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
May 13, 2018
This short anthology consists of just three stories, all by Eloisa James, followed by a teaser, so there’s only about 65 e-pages of content here. As a result, none of the offerings is really developed.
The first short is A Midsummer Night’s Disgrace. Here, Cecilia has suffered through two failed seasons and has decided to risk her reputation by wearing a shocking red dress to a musical performance at a duchess’ house party. Cecilia’s been ignored by the gentlemen because her brother had been dropped on his head as a baby and is now mentally disabled. The men fear the disability will run in the family. Anyway, Cecilia is taken with the pianists and deems to ruin herself with him. Only, there is more to the musician than meets the eye.
This is five chapters long and suffers from a ferocious case of insta-love. The hero and heroine haven’t seen each other since childhood and they end up engaged after a dance and a handful of words exchanged in a matter of hours.
At Midnight had no chapters at all, but it was a better story. Eli’s father died leaving his son penniless with only a title to his name. He grew up a ward of his uncle who lived next door to Penny, whose dad bought the property Eli’s father lost gambling. He loves Penny, but he is afraid to pursue her because everyone will think he’s doing it for the property or the money. But a masquerade ball gives him a unique opportunity to express his true feelings and the results are something out of a fairy tale.
The last story is called Ever After and I hated it with the fiery passion of a thousand suns. Rothwell was Violet’s brother’s friend who she fell in love with at age 16. They spent a summer together and she gave him her virginity, then he left for four years, sending her only two letters. Since then, she has turned down seven marriage proposals and is nearly on the shelf. But when he just shows up out of the blue, prepared to marry her, she forgives him and lets him under her skirts in the same night.
What Rothwell did was NOT OKAY. I do not forgive him. This is not romantic.
Hate should have more letters so I could make it more emphatic.
Usually, I enjoy anthologies, but the stories in this one were too short to be worth it. I’ll be sure to check the word/page count before I pick up another from this author.
*ARC provided by Avon
The first short is A Midsummer Night’s Disgrace. Here, Cecilia has suffered through two failed seasons and has decided to risk her reputation by wearing a shocking red dress to a musical performance at a duchess’ house party. Cecilia’s been ignored by the gentlemen because her brother had been dropped on his head as a baby and is now mentally disabled. The men fear the disability will run in the family. Anyway, Cecilia is taken with the pianists and deems to ruin herself with him. Only, there is more to the musician than meets the eye.
This is five chapters long and suffers from a ferocious case of insta-love. The hero and heroine haven’t seen each other since childhood and they end up engaged after a dance and a handful of words exchanged in a matter of hours.
At Midnight had no chapters at all, but it was a better story. Eli’s father died leaving his son penniless with only a title to his name. He grew up a ward of his uncle who lived next door to Penny, whose dad bought the property Eli’s father lost gambling. He loves Penny, but he is afraid to pursue her because everyone will think he’s doing it for the property or the money. But a masquerade ball gives him a unique opportunity to express his true feelings and the results are something out of a fairy tale.
The last story is called Ever After and I hated it with the fiery passion of a thousand suns. Rothwell was Violet’s brother’s friend who she fell in love with at age 16. They spent a summer together and she gave him her virginity, then he left for four years, sending her only two letters. Since then, she has turned down seven marriage proposals and is nearly on the shelf. But when he just shows up out of the blue, prepared to marry her, she forgives him and lets him under her skirts in the same night.
What Rothwell did was NOT OKAY. I do not forgive him. This is not romantic.
Hate should have more letters so I could make it more emphatic.
Usually, I enjoy anthologies, but the stories in this one were too short to be worth it. I’ll be sure to check the word/page count before I pick up another from this author.
*ARC provided by Avon
February 8, 2018
A fun little "snack" for your reading pleasure!
The first and longest story, A Midsummer Night's Disgrace was also found in The Official Essex Sisters Companion Guide , but it was definitely worth the re-read! It's a sweet former enemies to lovers story, told from the POV of Cece, Josie's ( Pleasure for Pleasure ) best friend, a wallflower who decides to take her future into her own hands. Things don't go exactly the way she'd planned, but IMHO even better than she could have imagined.
At Midnight is another story told from a single character POV, this time the hero, Eli. He's been in love with the same girl since childhood, but has convinced himself that they can never be--in fact, he's bracing himself for his best friend's midnight proposal to that same girl (spoiler alert--the best friend isn't thrilled either). Can these relationships be saved? (Of course they can. But wait until you see how Ms. James does it--there's a nod to Cinderella here that makes for a fun twist.)
Ever After was apparently published in the print version of The Ugly Duchess , but since I listened to the audio on that one, it was new to me. It's a sweet second chance romance story for a hero who's been gone a little too long and the heroine who might have given up on him...or has she?
All together, Midsummer Delights is a fun, quick read that's perfect for a cozy evening paired up with a cup or two of tea. Plus, there's a teaser chapter for the next Wildes of Lindow Castle book ( Too Wilde to Wed ) at the end that has me more anxious than ever for its release.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A-
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
The first and longest story, A Midsummer Night's Disgrace was also found in The Official Essex Sisters Companion Guide , but it was definitely worth the re-read! It's a sweet former enemies to lovers story, told from the POV of Cece, Josie's ( Pleasure for Pleasure ) best friend, a wallflower who decides to take her future into her own hands. Things don't go exactly the way she'd planned, but IMHO even better than she could have imagined.
At Midnight is another story told from a single character POV, this time the hero, Eli. He's been in love with the same girl since childhood, but has convinced himself that they can never be--in fact, he's bracing himself for his best friend's midnight proposal to that same girl (spoiler alert--the best friend isn't thrilled either). Can these relationships be saved? (Of course they can. But wait until you see how Ms. James does it--there's a nod to Cinderella here that makes for a fun twist.)
Ever After was apparently published in the print version of The Ugly Duchess , but since I listened to the audio on that one, it was new to me. It's a sweet second chance romance story for a hero who's been gone a little too long and the heroine who might have given up on him...or has she?
All together, Midsummer Delights is a fun, quick read that's perfect for a cozy evening paired up with a cup or two of tea. Plus, there's a teaser chapter for the next Wildes of Lindow Castle book ( Too Wilde to Wed ) at the end that has me more anxious than ever for its release.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A-
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
September 18, 2018
3 estrellas y medio. Tres novelas cortas. Ya había leído otras historias cortas de Eloisa James antes, pero las que aparecen aquí me han gustado bastante más. Mi favorita ha sido la segunda, seguida de la primera y la tercera. 7'5/10
April 30, 2018
I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I haven't read a lot of Eloisa James books before. To be honest, I picked this up because I thought it was part of the Wildes of Lindow Castle series. Yes, I need to read more blurbs because OBVIOUSLY that's not what this book is. Is actually a collection of really short stories. The book is already novella length and it has 3 stories in it. These are all about characters I know nothing about. If you've been reading Eloisa James for a while you'll know who they are or maybe they're completely unrelated. I can't answer that question.
What I can say is that as much as I struggle to connect with novellas about characters I don't know, I ultimately thought this collection was fun and enjoyable. It may not be the strongest historical romance read or even a must read, but it was a cute way to pass one after. They are all very quick reads and there's as the title suggests, there's something delightful about them.
I think this would be a good mood picker-upper type of book and now I'm ready to dive into the next book by this author.
*ARC provided by publisher
Reviewed by Francesca❤ ♡ Don't want to miss any of our posts? Subscribe to our blog by email! ♡ ❤
March 12, 2018
See the full review at HarlequinJunkie.com
In Midsummer Nights: A Short Story Collection by Eloisa James, we have three very brief but highly entertaining Regency romance novellas, previously published separately, but now all in one lovely collection. I had so much fun with each one that I think fans will likely breeze through these stories in one sitting just like I did. Read More
In Midsummer Nights: A Short Story Collection by Eloisa James, we have three very brief but highly entertaining Regency romance novellas, previously published separately, but now all in one lovely collection. I had so much fun with each one that I think fans will likely breeze through these stories in one sitting just like I did. Read More
March 21, 2018
Quick fun reads
This is a great little collection of short stories by Eloisa James. Each one was fun and uplifting, and just put me in a great mood. I'm not overly fond of short stories, but they do have their place. These are perfect to read on your lunch break or at a doctors office, or anywhere else you have a few minutes to kill.
This is a great little collection of short stories by Eloisa James. Each one was fun and uplifting, and just put me in a great mood. I'm not overly fond of short stories, but they do have their place. These are perfect to read on your lunch break or at a doctors office, or anywhere else you have a few minutes to kill.
February 8, 2018
This is a collection of three previously published short stories.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DISGRACE is connected with the Essex Sisters series and the story was previously published in the Official Essex Sisters Companion book. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DISGRACE tells the story of one of the women who was also branded with a notorious nickname like Josie in PLEASURE FOR PLEASURE. In A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DISGRACE, Cecilia who was tarred by her brother's nickname "Silly Billy" because men where afraid that her brother's mental disability might be hereditary. In this story, Cecilia gets her happy ending. She decides to court ruination in order to be able to avoid continuing in society. When she approaches the musician who caught her attention, she gets more than she expected. While the story is short, it is sweet and I enjoyed the interaction between the hero and heroine. While only tangentially connected with the series, Josie and Mayne make an appearance. Rating: 3.5 stars.
AT MIDNIGHT: Elias Hempleworth-Gray, Earl of Leyton is in love with his childhood friend, Miss Penelope White. Elias, however, is poor because his father gambled away almost everything. Elias knows that he has to leave England because Penny will be marrying Elias's friend after he proposes. Elias cannot propose to her himself because he cannot bear the idea that Penny would marry him for any reason other than love. A masquerade gives Elias one last chance to be with Penny before the leaves. A take on Cinderella (with the roles reversed) this is a short story, but cute. The story focuses on the meeting between the two and the revelation of their feelings. It was a nice story. Rating 3 stars.
EVER AFTER: Miss Violet Leighton doesn't believe in fairy tales and has refused seven proposals on her way to her desire never to marry. Now the man who broke her heart years ago has returned, Rothwell Talcott, Duke of Cambridge. This was a favorite in the book. Even though the story is short, there is drama over the parting of Violet and Rothwell and Violet's anger to deal with. With only a small glimpse of these characters I wished to read more about them. Rating: 4 stars.This review was originally posted on Top10RomanceBooks.com
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DISGRACE is connected with the Essex Sisters series and the story was previously published in the Official Essex Sisters Companion book. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DISGRACE tells the story of one of the women who was also branded with a notorious nickname like Josie in PLEASURE FOR PLEASURE. In A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DISGRACE, Cecilia who was tarred by her brother's nickname "Silly Billy" because men where afraid that her brother's mental disability might be hereditary. In this story, Cecilia gets her happy ending. She decides to court ruination in order to be able to avoid continuing in society. When she approaches the musician who caught her attention, she gets more than she expected. While the story is short, it is sweet and I enjoyed the interaction between the hero and heroine. While only tangentially connected with the series, Josie and Mayne make an appearance. Rating: 3.5 stars.
AT MIDNIGHT: Elias Hempleworth-Gray, Earl of Leyton is in love with his childhood friend, Miss Penelope White. Elias, however, is poor because his father gambled away almost everything. Elias knows that he has to leave England because Penny will be marrying Elias's friend after he proposes. Elias cannot propose to her himself because he cannot bear the idea that Penny would marry him for any reason other than love. A masquerade gives Elias one last chance to be with Penny before the leaves. A take on Cinderella (with the roles reversed) this is a short story, but cute. The story focuses on the meeting between the two and the revelation of their feelings. It was a nice story. Rating 3 stars.
EVER AFTER: Miss Violet Leighton doesn't believe in fairy tales and has refused seven proposals on her way to her desire never to marry. Now the man who broke her heart years ago has returned, Rothwell Talcott, Duke of Cambridge. This was a favorite in the book. Even though the story is short, there is drama over the parting of Violet and Rothwell and Violet's anger to deal with. With only a small glimpse of these characters I wished to read more about them. Rating: 4 stars.This review was originally posted on Top10RomanceBooks.com
February 7, 2018
Essa é coleção de histórias pequenas da Eloisa James com o tema "Cinderela". Quando se trata de contos de fada eu dificilmente não gosto de algo, e essa coleção aqui não foi excessão. :)
Gostei especialmente da segunda, "At Midnight", que inverte o papel de Cinderela e Principe, hehe. O único problema é que, sinto que alguns personagens que apareciam já tinha aparecido em alguma outra obra dela... então me senti mal, porque era como se eu estivesse "perdendo uma piada interna" (ODEIO QUANDO ISSO ACONTECE).
Enfim. As histórias são bem fofas, e tem uma preview do próximo livro dela, Too Wilde to Wed. (Aliás, eu tinha que ler o primeiro dessa série, Too Wilde to Love URGENTE!!! Eu comprei ele NA ESTREIA e até hoje ta la mofando na minha estante... XD)
Gostei especialmente da segunda, "At Midnight", que inverte o papel de Cinderela e Principe, hehe. O único problema é que, sinto que alguns personagens que apareciam já tinha aparecido em alguma outra obra dela... então me senti mal, porque era como se eu estivesse "perdendo uma piada interna" (ODEIO QUANDO ISSO ACONTECE).
Enfim. As histórias são bem fofas, e tem uma preview do próximo livro dela, Too Wilde to Wed. (Aliás, eu tinha que ler o primeiro dessa série, Too Wilde to Love URGENTE!!! Eu comprei ele NA ESTREIA e até hoje ta la mofando na minha estante... XD)
March 9, 2018
Bought it as a quick read between Eloisa's books and I was not disappointed at all! The three stories are all different in plot and character, the first story is my favourite! but all 3 are wonderful quick reads!
Highly recommend if you're in between reads and want something quick and refreshing!
Highly recommend if you're in between reads and want something quick and refreshing!
May 27, 2018
What clinched these short stories for me were that they were familiar in a sense. I found a little something in each of them that reminded me of a previous story from Eloisa James. I love reading her books and getting to enjoy these short stories were just a little something extra. The only thing that I would have changed would have been to make them longer.
February 17, 2018
This was a really sweet collection of short stories. You could definitely see how they could be turned into full length novels if EJ wanted, but the quick reunions and falling in love was really lovely.
February 10, 2018
Also a Winter Delight
Four delightful stars. Three funny and sweet shorts from a master storyteller. These are great reads to erase the doldrums. Will make you want to read more of Ms. James’s longer, complete novels.
Four delightful stars. Three funny and sweet shorts from a master storyteller. These are great reads to erase the doldrums. Will make you want to read more of Ms. James’s longer, complete novels.
January 25, 2018
Short stories can be tough for romances, since insta-love is so unbelievable most of the time. The 3 romance shorts included in this volume didn't avoid this entirely, though all of them hedged a little with varying degrees of familiarity between the hero and heroine. Quickly endearing the characters to the reader is Ms. James' gift, though, so despite the quickness of capitulation, you want to see them happy. Can't wait for the new novel to come out!
February 19, 2018
I've always loved historical romances, but I've only begun to explore Eloisa James' impressive canon in the last year. I recently read and loved
Too Wilde to Wed
, and it inspired me to pick up Midsummer Delights. I've read romance novellas in the past, but this is the first romantic short story collection I've read. Unfortunately, I don't feel as though the format suits my reading tastes. It's very hard to suspend your disbelief, even about the powers of true love, when the stories are only 40 pages long.
In the first story (A Midsummer Night's Disgrace), the heroine knew the hero as a child. Back then, he'd torment her by hiding bugs on her person to make her scream. They meet again after years apart, and love and marriage follow mere hours after their reuniting. The hero reveals that he's been longing to marry the heroine for years... and I found it hard to believe that these feelings of love were genuine when they had spent a grand total of three minutes together as adults.
The choice to have the hero narrate the second story (At Midnight) was interesting because it involves the hero taking the heroine from a party and into the woods while he's in disguise. It sounds like the beginning of an assault or murder (or at the very least the ruining of her reputation in this time period), and since we do not get the heroine's POV, we're just assuming that she's seen through his disguise and is genuinely consenting to what is happening.
In the third story (Ever After), the hero and heroine had a relationship before he left England to travel. This does help to establish their feelings. However, the hero leaves for four years and only writes four short letters to the heroine in that time. In both the first and the third story, the heroes admit to keeping tabs on their heroines from afar and confirm that they would have returned earlier if the heroine found herself engaged. Personally, I didn't like the repeated theme of the heroine waiting at home and becoming increasingly shunned by society for her age and unmarried status while the heroes are off traveling.
Personally, I don't think I'll be satisfied as a reader if a romance is shorter than 100 pages. There simply isn't enough time to develop the characters' personalities or to watch their feelings evolve.
I've gone back and forth over the rating of this book. The writing is up to James' usual wonderful standards, and I do think if any (or all) of these stories were expanded into a novel, I would enjoy them. This ultimately helped bump my rating to 3 stars.
I wouldn't recommend this to readers who like to slowly savor a love story, but readers who enjoy short romances will likely love this collection.
In the first story (A Midsummer Night's Disgrace), the heroine knew the hero as a child. Back then, he'd torment her by hiding bugs on her person to make her scream. They meet again after years apart, and love and marriage follow mere hours after their reuniting. The hero reveals that he's been longing to marry the heroine for years... and I found it hard to believe that these feelings of love were genuine when they had spent a grand total of three minutes together as adults.
The choice to have the hero narrate the second story (At Midnight) was interesting because it involves the hero taking the heroine from a party and into the woods while he's in disguise. It sounds like the beginning of an assault or murder (or at the very least the ruining of her reputation in this time period), and since we do not get the heroine's POV, we're just assuming that she's seen through his disguise and is genuinely consenting to what is happening.
In the third story (Ever After), the hero and heroine had a relationship before he left England to travel. This does help to establish their feelings. However, the hero leaves for four years and only writes four short letters to the heroine in that time. In both the first and the third story, the heroes admit to keeping tabs on their heroines from afar and confirm that they would have returned earlier if the heroine found herself engaged. Personally, I didn't like the repeated theme of the heroine waiting at home and becoming increasingly shunned by society for her age and unmarried status while the heroes are off traveling.
Personally, I don't think I'll be satisfied as a reader if a romance is shorter than 100 pages. There simply isn't enough time to develop the characters' personalities or to watch their feelings evolve.
I've gone back and forth over the rating of this book. The writing is up to James' usual wonderful standards, and I do think if any (or all) of these stories were expanded into a novel, I would enjoy them. This ultimately helped bump my rating to 3 stars.
I wouldn't recommend this to readers who like to slowly savor a love story, but readers who enjoy short romances will likely love this collection.
February 4, 2018
This book was a sweet little collection of three previously released short stories.
Midsummer Night's Disgrace, 4 stars: Cecilia Bellingworth is tired of being a wallflower and being overlooked because of her brother. She decides that enough is enough, armed with a new gown and a new attitude, she is ready to create a scandal, be declared ruined and retire to the country with her brother and her violin. What better way to do that than to flirt with the hired help? Cecilia has decided that the handsome pianist at the mucisale is the perfect man for her, not only is he talented, but he was watching her the entire performance. The pianist is none other than her childhood nemesis, Theo, the Duke of Ormond. Theo is nothing like the boy she remembers, but he has never forgotten her or loved another.
At Midnight, 4.5 stars: Elias Hempleworth-Gray is clever, handsome, an earl and poor as a church mouse. He has been in love with Penelope White for as long as he can remember, but tonight his best friend Reggie is going to propose to her - Elias would love nothing better than to marry Penny, but he is poor and she is a heiress and a man has his pride. When Reggie rips his only jacket and forces him to wear a costume to the masquerade ball, Elias figures he can at least dance with his love without causing gossip. A dance leads to a kiss and then just before midnight, Elias leaves the ball, unable to bear watching his friend propose to his love. This was a fun twist on Cinderella and of course has a HEA.
Ever After, 4 stars: Violet Leighton is in her fourth season and has turned down no less than seven marriage proposals. No man measures up to her true love, Rothwell Talcott, the new Duke of Cambridge, the problem is Rothwell left four years ago and other than two very short letters right after he left, she hasn't heard from him. But all that will change tonight, the duke is back and wants to pick up where they left off, he just has to get Violet to forgive him and understand that she is the only woman for him.
This book also has a teaser for the upcoming Too Wilde to Wed, the next book in the Wildes of Lindow Castle series, which looks fantastic!
I enjoyed this book, the stories were very short, but they were all well done and each couple has a history together, so their love stories seem believable. None of the stories are overly steamy, but they are warmer than I expected (yeah!).
I would be happy to recommend this book and am looking forward to reading Too Wilde to Wed when it comes out later this year.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by Edelweiss and the publisher*
Midsummer Night's Disgrace, 4 stars: Cecilia Bellingworth is tired of being a wallflower and being overlooked because of her brother. She decides that enough is enough, armed with a new gown and a new attitude, she is ready to create a scandal, be declared ruined and retire to the country with her brother and her violin. What better way to do that than to flirt with the hired help? Cecilia has decided that the handsome pianist at the mucisale is the perfect man for her, not only is he talented, but he was watching her the entire performance. The pianist is none other than her childhood nemesis, Theo, the Duke of Ormond. Theo is nothing like the boy she remembers, but he has never forgotten her or loved another.
At Midnight, 4.5 stars: Elias Hempleworth-Gray is clever, handsome, an earl and poor as a church mouse. He has been in love with Penelope White for as long as he can remember, but tonight his best friend Reggie is going to propose to her - Elias would love nothing better than to marry Penny, but he is poor and she is a heiress and a man has his pride. When Reggie rips his only jacket and forces him to wear a costume to the masquerade ball, Elias figures he can at least dance with his love without causing gossip. A dance leads to a kiss and then just before midnight, Elias leaves the ball, unable to bear watching his friend propose to his love. This was a fun twist on Cinderella and of course has a HEA.
Ever After, 4 stars: Violet Leighton is in her fourth season and has turned down no less than seven marriage proposals. No man measures up to her true love, Rothwell Talcott, the new Duke of Cambridge, the problem is Rothwell left four years ago and other than two very short letters right after he left, she hasn't heard from him. But all that will change tonight, the duke is back and wants to pick up where they left off, he just has to get Violet to forgive him and understand that she is the only woman for him.
This book also has a teaser for the upcoming Too Wilde to Wed, the next book in the Wildes of Lindow Castle series, which looks fantastic!
I enjoyed this book, the stories were very short, but they were all well done and each couple has a history together, so their love stories seem believable. None of the stories are overly steamy, but they are warmer than I expected (yeah!).
I would be happy to recommend this book and am looking forward to reading Too Wilde to Wed when it comes out later this year.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by Edelweiss and the publisher*
February 13, 2018
Three short stories joined by a vague connection to Cinderella/fairytale themes. I raced through each story & enjoyed them all. My favorite was At Midnight, but I'm SO WEAK when there's long-term pining and a well-done male POV, no surprises there. For stories that barely cracked 20 pages, almost every romantic protagonist was well-drawn & likable in surprisingly unique ways.
Only the hero of Ever After bothered me (neglectful and yet possessive, never a great combination), but Ever After was probably the weakest story overall, as it also suffered from wandering POVs. However, the major reason for the star loss here was the shortness of the stories overall, and the way James handled their conclusions: three pat, painless resolutions, which each come about in the space of a page. I'm a sucker for a clean HEA, so it worked for me emotionally, but mentally, I heard myself asking "is that it?" at the end of every single one.
Only the hero of Ever After bothered me (neglectful and yet possessive, never a great combination), but Ever After was probably the weakest story overall, as it also suffered from wandering POVs. However, the major reason for the star loss here was the shortness of the stories overall, and the way James handled their conclusions: three pat, painless resolutions, which each come about in the space of a page. I'm a sucker for a clean HEA, so it worked for me emotionally, but mentally, I heard myself asking "is that it?" at the end of every single one.
February 7, 2018
Eloisa James is just one of those authors that I trust, if she writes a book I read it. Midsummer Delights is the perfect little tidbit to tide you over until the release of Too Wilde to Wed in May.
If anything, the downfall of these short stories is that they're too short! I loved the story of Cecilia and her childhood tormentor, perfect short and sweet star crossed lovers.
Elias and his childhood love Penny are ridiculously cute, I loved Penny's wilfulness - the perfect James heroine.
I didn't care too much for the last story, I think it was too short to really build up the feeling between the two main characters, but other than that I've really no complaints.
If you're desperately waiting for James's next book and have a free morning to laze around with some coffee and a good short story I'd heartily recommend Midsummer Delights.
If anything, the downfall of these short stories is that they're too short! I loved the story of Cecilia and her childhood tormentor, perfect short and sweet star crossed lovers.
Elias and his childhood love Penny are ridiculously cute, I loved Penny's wilfulness - the perfect James heroine.
I didn't care too much for the last story, I think it was too short to really build up the feeling between the two main characters, but other than that I've really no complaints.
If you're desperately waiting for James's next book and have a free morning to laze around with some coffee and a good short story I'd heartily recommend Midsummer Delights.
February 7, 2018
While all three of these short stories are lovely, they are all just that: short. Too short. Especially the first one, previously published in The Official Essex Sisters Companion Guide. There simply isn't time to develop any of the characters into someone the reader truly cares about, or invest them in their romance.
Sometime soon, I'm going to resign myself to the fact that I simply don't care for romance shorts, but until then, I will keep hoping for something magical that 20-odd pages rarely delivers.
Sometime soon, I'm going to resign myself to the fact that I simply don't care for romance shorts, but until then, I will keep hoping for something magical that 20-odd pages rarely delivers.
May 20, 2018
Nothing worth recommending even at this price point...
Short form is just not for Ms James and though I am fond of her novels, there is truly nothing to recommend in these abysmal, terrible snippets. Except, perhaps, they can easily be consumed in under two hours. I paid $.99 and would recommend they never go a cent higher. If these are the types of “stories” authors are using to try and lure more subscribers to their email lists or to ways to bribe people into pre-order prices, than I feel perfectly justified in protecting my privacy and my wallet by waiting for the free version because nothing about these pieces makes sacrificing either remotely worth it.
Short form is just not for Ms James and though I am fond of her novels, there is truly nothing to recommend in these abysmal, terrible snippets. Except, perhaps, they can easily be consumed in under two hours. I paid $.99 and would recommend they never go a cent higher. If these are the types of “stories” authors are using to try and lure more subscribers to their email lists or to ways to bribe people into pre-order prices, than I feel perfectly justified in protecting my privacy and my wallet by waiting for the free version because nothing about these pieces makes sacrificing either remotely worth it.
March 11, 2018
These stories all felt like ideas rather than fleshed out stories. The first one was fine, if a bit sudden in the revelation of their love, especially hers for him. The second one was a bit cute. The third, however, really made me want her to smack him once or twice. Really hard. And then make him grovel. And I do not condone violence in interpersonal relationships, but really, that boy needed a smack or two.
March 21, 2018
A collection of short stories and not a novel these made me smile. There were full of the tropes the Ms James uses - especially the plethora of dukes - but the vignettes are told expertly. The characters are thin but the echos of faiths tales make this more engaging than it has any right to. The short story length is much more successful than her other fairy tale book where the conceit stretches to snapping point. Here is it short but sweet. Perfect dessert to devour on one sitting. Loved it!
April 25, 2018
I am often disappointed by novellas or short stories because they usually leave me wishing for more...more plot, more romance, just more story. I didn't feel that way at all about Midsummer Delights. This is a group of three completely charming, funny and satisfying short stories. There is humor and romance on every page. I don't think any fan of historical romance will be disappointed. This collection will also leave you wanting to read more books by Eloisa James.
January 19, 2018
I adored these short stories (with little Fairytale references... or at least I saw a few), but I especially enjoyed the excerpt of the next Wilde novel. Eloisa James is definitely one of my grab without looking authors! I enjoy every single story, and I cannot wait for the next one. Read them! I definitely recommend reading the series in order, but this is a good stand alone.
January 29, 2018
Eloisa James is one of my favorite romance authors, and this short story mini-collection is a lovely treat. Not only do we get our happily ever afters, we get them quickly. There's not a whole lot of character development in these stories as the characters have appeared in other books and not as much is needed. Even so, the stories stand alone well or as supplements to their series'.
February 12, 2018
I'm always here for Eloisa james' stories and to have three short romances bundled together was a treat. You also get an extended preview of the second Wilde book, so it's a lovely little collection to tide readers over in the meantime. However, if you're a James' completist, you may well already know these stories that have been published elsewhere. I hadn't read any of them, so it was fun for me to whip through the three in one day.
February 15, 2018
😍💑💗 happy sigh
These short stories leave you wanting more. It was like opening a bag of potato chips and only finding three inside. I have discovered that I cannot get enough of Eloisa James's writings, so if there had been 20 stories it still wouldn't have been sufficient. I am holding out my bowl and saying "More Please!"
These short stories leave you wanting more. It was like opening a bag of potato chips and only finding three inside. I have discovered that I cannot get enough of Eloisa James's writings, so if there had been 20 stories it still wouldn't have been sufficient. I am holding out my bowl and saying "More Please!"
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