Midsummer Night

by Charlie N. Holmberg, Julie Wright, Annette Lyon

Six Fantasy Romance Novellas in one collection:

Featuring Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg, with Julie Wright, Annette Lyon, Jane Redd, Amber Argyle, and Luisa Perkins.

ILLUSIONS OF LOVE by Charlie N. Holmberg:
Aster has worked as the great magician Celtin's assistant for two years and has been in love with him nearly as long. After hearing he'll be looking for a wife at the house ball, Aster disguises herself as a high-class woman so she can woo him away from other bachelorettes. But not everything goes according to plan...

DANCING WITH THE MOON by Julie Wright:
A girl may love a ghost, but where would they live? When a ghost who insists he isn't dead shows up in Grace's shed, he begs for her help. If they cannot reunite his spirit and body before the full moon rises, Arell will die in actuality and so will the royal family. The race against the moon becomes more frantic when Grace realizes she loves him and will die alongside him if she loses him. But can a ghost with no heart return her love?

THE TRUEST TREASURE by Annette Lyon:
(summary coming soon)

THE ISLE OF ROSE by Jane Redd:
Cornelia's greatest secret is that she can read minds. When her sister elopes with another man, Cornelia must stand in her sister's stead to marry Lord Moss, a man with the same gift, who has the power to expose her.

FIRE AND FOUNTAIN by Luisa Perkins:
Historian Lucie Tremblay loves studying Québec’s past, but when she accidentally travels back in time through a magical St. John’s Eve bonfire, she finds that life in 17th-century New France is far more complicated than it seems in books. As colonist Nicolas Beaubien tries to help her find a way back to 2019, Lucie finds herself falling for him—and must choose between her old life and new love.

LADY OF SHADOWS by Amber Argyle:
Every year, girls go missing in the night—taken by the beast of the Forbidden Forest. A beast that has haunted the town of Hamel for centuries. A beast that is now coming for Caelia.

Midsummer Night is a Timeless Romance Anthology® book

More TIMELESS ROMANCE ANTHOLOGIES:
#1: Winter Collection
#2: Spring Vacation Collection
#3: Summer Wedding Collection
#4: Autumn Collection
#5: European Collection
#6: Love Letter Collection
#7: Old West Collection
#8: Summer in New York Collection

Timeless Romance Anthology® is a registered trademark of Mirror Press, LLC

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Anthologies, Clean Romance, Short Stories, Historical Fiction, Fairy Tales

349 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 31, 2019

About the author

Charlie N. Holmberg is a Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author of fantasy and romance fiction, including the Paper Magician series, the Spellbreaker series, and the Whimbrel House series, and writes contemporary romance under C. N. Holmberg. She is published in over twenty languages and is a Goodreads Choice Award, ALA, and RITA finalist. Born in Salt Lake City, Charlie was raised a Trekkie alongside three sisters who also have boy names. A BYU alumna, she discovered in her thirties that she’s actually a cat person. She lives with her family in Utah. Visit her at www.charlienholmberg.com.

Amazon: amzn.to/2BXoQNZ
Instagram: Instagram.com/cnholmberg
Facebook: Facebook.com/cnholmberg
Twitter: Twitter.com/cnholmberg

Reviews

[Julie Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

I know I say it every review, but I love the Timeless Romance collections. Usually the authors who are writing in the collections are all ones I've read previous books by them. This one had a couple authors whom I'd never heard of or read books by them. I enjoyed their stories and want to check out more of their works.

It was fun to see how each author had their own twist for a fantasy novella around the theme "Midsummer Night." I always love seeing that we all have our own interpretations for something. Definitely shows how unique we all are.

I would have to say that my favorite story in the collection was Isle de Rose by Heather B. Moore. Followed closely by Charlie N. Holmberg's novella, Illusions of Love.

This collection has a great combination of suspense, magic, fantasy, time periods, time travel, love, friendship, hidden identities, hidden love, surprises, balls, ghost, trickery, treasures, fires, flowers, beasts, hearts, chemistry and sweet clean romance.

I hope you enjoy if you pick this one up! Fantasy is not everyone's go to genre but I thought it was well done and one I'd recommend to Fantasy/Clean Romance readers alike!

Content: Clean. Some moments of mild suspense. Nothing more than kisses.

I received a copy from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of fantasy stories that includes magicians, ghosts, faeries, enchanted forests, magic and time travel. I've read some fantasy books but it's not one I read very often and it really depends on the type of fantasy.

1) ILLUSIONS OF LOVE by Charlie N. Holmberg—Aster is an assistant to master magician Celtin Dereng, and she’s hopelessly in love with him. Of course, she hasn’t told Master Dereng how she feels about him, but her friend and Celtin’s apprentice, Drummond, knows all about it. She feels she can’t declare how she feels for Celtin because not only is he above her station, he’s also her employer, so Aster pleads with Drummond to cast a masking (or illusion) spell in order for her to attend that night’s ball.
I don’t want to give out any spoilers but will say this is a sweet story, and the events in it turned out exactly as I thought they would. I liked how descriptive the author is about the magician’s story that’s performed as entertainment at the ball. I wish this one had been a little longer, it seemed to be over very quickly.

2) DANCING WITH THE MOON by Julie Wright—Arell is the ghost of a king’s guard who doesn’t know how he got to Grace’s family’s farm or that he’s dead, but he knows he needs help. He finds himself back to the palace, not understanding how he got there because it’s several days journey from the farm, where he discovers under a spell and if it’s not broken within the next few days he’ll truly be dead along with the all of the royal family. Grace agrees to travel to the palace to help him warn the king and restore his spirit to his body before it’s too late.
This is an interesting story and I couldn’t wait to find out if Arell and Grace would be able to make it back to the palace in time to restore him. Grace is far braver than I would ever be in this situation. I loved how Arell took notice that Grace was unlike other young women her age—as she was still home taking care of her mother and younger sister. No spoilers, but I LOVED the ending to this story.

3) THE TRUEST TREASURE by Annette Lyon--Saara's sister Fia is stricken with an illness that requires Saara to go on a quest for a magical treasure she can use to pay a shaman to save her sister. She's told that Midsummer's Night is the best time to look for such a treasure. While on her way she meets Timo, who's been looking for such a treasure for 3 years so he can pay to be trained by a wizard. Timo is injured and they decide to work together to find the treasure. If they find the treasure only one of them can have it, how will they decide?
I knew this was an Annette Lyon story because it reminded me of another one (Song Breaker). I liked that this story had quite a bit suspense to it. I liked that Saara and Timo worked together to find the treasure they both needed and couldn't wait to find out how they would solve the dilemma of who would get the treasure since both of them had righteous desires and reasons for needing it.

THE ISLE OF ROSE by Jane Redd (aka Heather B. Moore)--Cornelia can read minds, but it's a secret. Her older sister elopes with the stable hand and Cornelia's parents make her take her sister's place in marriage to Lord Moss, who can also read minds.
This was an interesting marriage of convenience or arranged marriage story. I don't know how Cornelia's parents thought she would be able to fool Lord Moss because Cornelia and her sister didn't even look like siblings from the descriptions. I loved that Lord Moss couldn't read Cornelia's mind--that would make marriage much too easy. This story had some suspense and mystery too in the form of death threats on Lord Moss' life which which Cornelia helped solve. I'd like to have a longer story about Cornelia and Lord Moss.

LADY OF THE SHADOWS by Amber Argyle--There's a beast that lives in the Forbidden Forest in the town of Hamel. Girls go missing in the night never to be seen again. Caelia has kept herself locked up in the house for several months trying to avoid the town's gossip, until her only friend Atara is taken by the beast. On her way home from the village's ritual remembrance of Atara, Caelia witnesses a murder and has to run into the Forbidden Forest to get away.
I had a hard time getting into this story and when I finally did, it ended. It's a prequel for a series and I don't like the fantasy genre enough to read the rest of the series to find out what happens. I liked Caelia--she lives in a small village where she'll be shunned if they discover her secret. That's no way to live so I understood the choice she made while in the Forbidden Forest. I want to know what happened to her friend Atara, and wish this story would've included at least a little of that information.

FIRE AND FOUNTAIN by Luisa Perkins--Lucie Tremblay is a historian who accidently travels back to 1640 through a magical St. John's Eve bonfire. She finds herself in New France where she meets a few colonists, one of which--Nicolas Beaubien, helps her find a way to return to Quebec in 2019. The more time she spends in 1640 the more Lucie finds herself attracted to Nicolas. If they find a way for her to return, will she? Or will she choose to stay in 1640 with Nicolas?
I've read several time travel books and enjoy reading how the person adjusts to their new surroundings and customs of the times. I liked Lucie and how she adapted to her new circumstances. Of course she fell in love with Nicolas--he sounds sweet and was very helpful and kind to her. I really enjoyed this story and wasn't at all surprised by Lucie's decision

These are all novellas so they’re quick reads. The only drawback to novellas is when the story is so good you want it to be longer. I love these collections because it’s also a great way to try a new author and see if you like their writing style.

I received a complimentary copy and chose to leave a review. All thoughts expressed are my own.

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantasy is not my go-to genre and I sometimes have a hard time getting into all the magical elements and creatures, but this collection was fun. I always know I can count on a sweet, clean, and entertaining book with a Timeless Romance Anthology.

Each story delivered a unique fantasy, with some elements more extreme than others--magic, fairies, mind readers, time travelers, beasts, etc. I loved that a couple of the stories had suspense in them, as I was not expecting that, and a well-written suspense is always a great complement to any story. I'm a sucker for a marriage of convenience and Heather Moore's story had a super fun twist on that trope.

I love to discover new authors and had fun with this set, but was a little disappointed that Amber Argyle's novella was a backstory for a series, which I haven't read, and left me a little confused because I wasn't sure what was going on and who the characters were.

Overall, this was a great set to get those imagination gears turning and giving the reader an entertaining jaunt into the world of fantasy.

Content: mild romance; mild violence

*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the characters are well written, personable, and unique. A remarkable introduction to each of the authors!

Read full review in the 2019 October issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Midsummer Night" is a magical book full of stories of magic, fairies, and folklore.

Each of the stories is unique but focus on one general theme, the magic, and mayhem that happen on a "Midsummer Night".

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually love these anthologies that are put together. But this one I did not love. Normally I can't put the book down till I finish each story. In this selection there was only one story that really sucked me in. It was The Isle of Rose by Jane Redd (aka Heather B Moore). I couldn't figure out if it was the stories or the authors. The only other author from this collection that I have red before is Annette Lyon. But this was by far my least favorite collection
I was given a free copy of this book for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anthologies by talented authors gladden my heart! I always imagine all the authors are friends.
I read Amber Argyle's Lady of Shadows and Illusions of Love by Charlie N. Holmberg. I am already a huge fan of Amber Argyle's Forbidden Forest series, and this short backstory for Caelia was perfection! You cannot go wrong with this anthology for that story alone.
I hadn't read anything by Charlie N. Holmberg, but now that I have read this short story, you can bet your magical posterior I will be reading more. Which perfectly illustrates why I love anthologies for adding to my TBR. I can't wait to read the rest of them.
Do yourself a favor and get this gem. If you like fantasy with some romance, you won't be disappointed.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illusion - Charlie Holmberg
This was such a sweet little story, and I just loved it. I would absolutely love to see more of Aster and Celtic, and learn more about the magic in this world.

Dancing with the Moon - Julie Wright
This was such an interesting story. I was enthralled with it and didn’t want to put it down. I loved how strong and compassionate Grace was, and the chemistry between Grace and Arell grew perfectly as the story progressed.

The Truest Treasure - Annette Lyon
This was a great little story with much more suspense than I expected. I loved the world it was built inside of.

The Isle of Rose - Jane Redd
I really loved the suspense in this story, a unique twist on a marriage of convenience. I’d love to read more about Moss and Cornelia!

Lady of Shadows - Amber Argyle
This story was absolutely fantastic. Such an incredibly interesting world, and one I need to know so much more about.

Fire and Fountain - Luisa Perkins
This was quite the an interesting story. I really loved the traveling back in time and how Lucie had to learn to fit in.

[Adrienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't read very much fantasy, so take my review with a grain of salt. I didn't enjoy this collection as much as other Timeless anthologies, but again, that could be largely because I don't read a ton of fantasy, especially fantasy novellas.
I thought the first story was sweet but too short, even for a novella. I really liked the second story, while I wished the third had a little more romance. I enjoyed the fourth, but I was really, really bugged that the fifth is a prequel to a series and not a standalone story. I felt like it left a ton unanswered, but I'm not interested enough to go read the series. The sixth story was pretty good.
All in all, not my favorite but there were some sweet romances and they're all clean reads.
I read a review copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

[Mandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable collection of stories! It was actually a quick read. You won’t be disappointed!

[Frida]

Midsummer Night is a Timeless Romance Anthology with six fantasy romance novellas and I will update the review as I read the stories.

Lady of Shadows - Amber Argyle

Lady of Shadows is a prequel novella in the Forbidden Forest-series and follows lady Caelia, who is one of the supporting characters in the series.

It is always fun to get a glimpse into the life of a supporting characters and to get to know them a little bit better. Cealia has an interesting and captivating backstory, and I was drawn in from page one. It is definitely a page-turner and I read it in one sitting. Though short, the story still captures many of the things that I love with the main series. There’s magic, intrigue, a sweet love story and the characteristic fairy-tale feel. I was a bit sad when it was over, because I’d love to read more about Caelia’s life. Still, Lady of Shadows is a really good novella that can truly stand on its own. It is jam-packed with adventure, suspense and emotions. I highly recommend it! If you love Stolen Enchantress and Piper Prince, this is a must read. But it is also a great place start if you have yet to pick up the series.

[Amber Argyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a novella coming out in this anthology!
Lady of Shadows is a prequel to Stolen Enchantress and features Caelia and Gendrin.

Every year, girls go missing in the night—taken by the beast of the Forbidden Forest. A beast that has haunted the town of Hamel for centuries. A beast that is now coming for Caelia.

Lady Caelia has shut herself in her manor house for months, hiding from her town’s stinging gossip and her father’s bitter disappointment. But no amount of hiding will let her escape the aching hollow in her chest. An ache that threatens to consume her when her only remaining friend is lured into the Forbidden Forest to be devoured by the beast.

But when Caelia stumbles upon a murder, her only escape is the Forbidden Forest. Within minutes, she is beset by the beast. But to her astonishment, she does not die. Instead, she is rescued by a man with an impossible magic and an offer she can’t refuse: the chance to start a new life far away from the destruction of the old. But before Caelia can ever reach her happily ever after, she must face the dark magic of the forest and its beast, as well as her own inner demons.

[Amber Argyle]

My novella, Lady of Shadows, is included in this anthology. Here's a bit more about it:

Every year, girls go missing in the night—taken by the beast of the Forbidden Forest. A beast that has haunted the town of Hamel for centuries. A beast that is now coming for Caelia.

Lady Caelia has shut herself in her manor house for months, hiding from her town’s stinging gossip and her father’s bitter disappointment. But no amount of hiding will let her escape the aching hollow in her chest. An ache that threatens to consume her when her only remaining friend is lured into the Forbidden Forest to be devoured by the beast.

But when Caelia stumbles upon a murder, her only escape is the Forbidden Forest. Within minutes, she is beset by the beast. But to her astonishment, she does not die. Instead, she is rescued by a man with an impossible magic and an offer she can’t refuse: the chance to start a new life far away from the destruction of the old. But before Caelia can ever reach her happily ever after, she must face the dark magic of the forest and its beast, as well as her own inner demons.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illusions of Love by Charlie N. Holmberg

5 Stars
This was a cute story about an illusionist and his assistant who has had a crush on him forever. I loved the magic and world building in this story. It made me wonder if Charlie Holmberg had more books set in this world, because I would gladly visit it again!

Dancing with the Moon by Julie Wright

5 Stars
This was a story about a country girl named Grace who is startled to find a ghost in her room one night. He claims not to be dead and together they embark on a mission to save the king. I loved the political intrigue, the light bickering between Grace and Arell over Arell's ghostliness, and the friendship that formed between them despite their barriers.

The Truest Treasure by Annette Lyon

3 Stars
This story had an interesting flavor. It seemed to have nods to Native American culture and legends (medicine men, sickness based on evil spirits) but also included fairy relics and helpful and spiteful deities. Saara's little sister is sick and she needs money to pay a medicine man to heal her. While searching for a fairy relic, Saara meets Timo who is also searching for a relic to pay for Magician training. It was interesting to see the internal struggle between each of them wanting their desires, but knowing they should sacrifice and help one another.

The Isle of Rose by Jane Redd

5 Stars
Cornelia Tea Rose is thrown into a terrible situation when her sister, Felicia, elopes with another man on her wedding day. Her parents decide that the only way to save face is for Cornelia to fill in as the bride. I loved the intrigue of someone trying to kill the groom, and the way that Cornelia and Moss were able to trust and rely on each other so quickly. A good romance, intrigue, and a few magical gifts.

Lady of Shadows by Amber Argyle

2 Stars
I had a hard time connecting to this story. The premise was intriguing: a village bordered by a forest where a mysterious beast steals young women at night. I didn't like the main character Caelia much, and felt like the story had a lot of unanswered questions (why she didn't marry the father of her child, how a certain character was alive, what is the problem with the paradise?). I felt like this story was a prequel for a series, but not a stand alone novella.

Fire and Fountain by Luisa Perkins

4 Stars
This was an interesting time travel story in which Lucie ends up back 400 years when Quebec was a fort, not a city. She is befriended by some fur trappers. This isn't a time period or location that I've read about before. I enjoyed it, the magic that sent her through time, and the sweet romance that she finds.

Overall, I enjoyed the collection a lot. Lady of Shadows kept me up fuming though.

Content: some kissing, one pregnancy outside of marriage

[Irene S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love anthologies because I am introduced to new authors. Midsummer Night is a collection of six fantasy mixed with romance stories. I received a free copy of this book from one of the authors. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I enjoyed reading all the stories, but my favorites were Lady of Shadows by Argyle,Amber and Illusions of Love by Holmberg,Charlie N. I will definitely be looking for more works of all these authors.
Here are descriptions of the stories:
Illusions of Love by Holmberg,Charlie N. – This is the first story that I have read by this author. Aster, a magician’s assistant, has been in love with her boss Celtin for a year and a half. When Aster hears that Celtin should look for a bride at the ball, Aster uses illusions to try to be the woman for Celtin. I loved this short story.
Dancing with the Moon by Wright,Julie – This is another wonderful story. Grace finds Arell unexpectedly in her woodshed. Grace helping Arell find out what happened to him will change their life and others
The Truest Treasure by Lyon,Annette – Both of them want to find the fairies treasure. One wants to save her sister’s life. It is another one’s last opportunity to become a magician and have a better life. There is unexpected danger and a choice to be made when treasure is discovered. This story was sweet,
The Isle of Rose by Redd, Jane – Cornelia’s sister has eloped and now her parents want Cornelia to take her place at her sister’s wedding without the groom and his family knowing. Good story.
Lady of Shadows by Argyle,Amber – A novella from the Forbidden Forest Series about Bane’s sister Caelia and her escape into the forbidden forest. I loved this imaginative story.
Fire and Fountain by Perkins,Luisa – Lucie travels back in time to 1640 Quebec and meets a handsome trapper and his son. I enjoyed reading this story.

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Timeless Romance collection is taking a jump into the magical with this new collection. These novella length stories are written by different authors but have one common element- Midsummer Night and a touch of the mystical and magical.

Honestly, fantasy/magic isn't my go-to genre so this book overall wasn't my favorite but I still enjoyed the stories here. I think my overall feeling with most of these novellas was that I wanted more. More time to develop feelings for the characters, more meat to the stories themselves. I think I felt that the most with The Isle of Rose. I really wanted more of that story! All the elements of attraction, mystery, light suspense were there and because I know this author, I know an extended version of this book would be incredible.

Amber Argyle's story is set as a backstory for a character in her Forbidden Forest series which I have read (and really enjoyed!) so it was a treat for me to delve back into that world for a bit. I know others have said that this novella was harder to understand having not read the other books in the series and I can see that but for me it was awesome.

The great thing about these Timeless Anthologies is that you get a taste of many authors. Sometimes new authors pop up- in this collection for me it was Luisa Perkins- which is fun! I love variety.

Content: mild violence, kissing

- I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Janene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an anthology full of short stories filled with imagination and romance. They are a great read when you want a diversion and you do not want to take anything seriously. How I wish the stories were longer. The stories are clean reads that are well edited.

Illusions of Love
Charlie M. Holmberg
A fun magician's tale; sweet and novel. This is the first story I have read by this author. I plan to read more by her. I would like to read a full length novella.
4.5 stars

Dancing with the Moon
Julie Wright
A sweet 'almost' ghost story. 4.5 stars

The Truest Treasure
Annette Lyon
The rewards of sacrifice snd selflessness. 4.5 stars

The Isle of Rose
Jane Redd
Cornelia and Moss were both mind readers. Will they find out who wants Lord Moss dead? 4.5 stars

Lady of Shadows
Amber Argyle
The story was great up until the end. The ending left me completely confused. Everything was left unexplained. This could have been my favorite story. I am very disappointed. Is there a sequel to come that finishes this story? 2 stars

Fire and Fountain
Luisa Perkins
This is a time travel story taking place in Quebec in the year 1640. 5 stars

Overall anthology rating: 4.5 stars

I recommend this anthology to readers who would enjoy clean fantasy/romances. I received an ARC from the author. My review was voluntary and my opinions were my own.

[Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked 5/6 of these stories quite a bit (surprisingly, the one I didn’t like as much is by an author I’ve read quite a bit from and nearly always like). I’ve previously read and enjoyed half of the authors and the three new ones were pleasant surprises. I’ll definitely be reading other books by two of them and possibly the third one as well.
As always, these are clean reads.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this collection. I like the Timeless anthologies because they are clean and easy and quick to read. But they have gotten a bit same old same old. But This fantasy collection is standout and made me scramble to look up the authors to read more. I would happily take more of this set!

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited for this anthology and it exceeded my expectations in many ways. Stories were varied and well written with engaging characters. My only complaint is that "The Lady of Shadows" ended too abruptly and left me with several questions. Definitely peaked my interest and encouraged me to find the books this story is related so I can get my answers.

[Heidi Robbins (Heidi Reads...) · Rating 4 out of 5]

ILLUSIONS OF LOVE by Charlie N. Holmberg - 5 stars
There are Cinderella elements to this story but it was still different enough to be interesting. Loved the sweet romance!

DANCING WITH THE MOON by Julie Wright - 5 stars
Great suspense as Grace and Arell solve the mystery of his death and hurry to save the royal family. Loved how the ending worked out.

THE TRUEST TREASURE by Annette Lyon - 4 stars
Interesting world building with a culture and mystic elements so different from ours. I had to really concentrate to get into the story.

THE ISLE OF ROSE by Jane Redd - 5 stars
Enjoyed the way they used their gifts to work together and took the risk to trust each other which led to love.

LADY OF SHADOWS by Amber Argyle - 4 stars
Such a great beginning to what seems to be an epic story... but the novella felt like reading the first few chapters of a much longer book and it ended right when the adventure was about to really begin!

FIRE AND FOUNTAIN by Luisa Perkins - 3 stars
I’m not a fan of time travel stories, so this one wasn’t my cup of tea, although it was well written.

[Lene Blackthorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Illusions of love (Ch. Holmberg)
Aster is a very capable assistant to a renowned magician, Celtin, and his apprentice Drummond.She loves her job, and not only that. But the differences in social status makes it impossible for her to reveal her feelings - desperate, she goes on a fool's quest, casting an illusion to test the waters.
Lovely short romance full of colors and emotions, twinkling illusions, and the manners of the old world full of gentlemen, morals, and proper behavior. Innocence and passion shine from the words, and the story flew very fast over. Quick and very enjoyable read.

Dancing with the moon (J. Wright)
How would it feel like to be enchanted by a ghost and fall in love with him? Respond to the attraction to the point of leaving a family and go on the road, travel to the opposite side of the country to save the royal family, and see the world meanwhile? Grace could tell you all, from the moment a handsome guard called Arell suddenly appeared on her, ehm, doorstep?
Fearless, intelligent, and compassionate heroine gently wormed her way into my heart, and every piece of hope an happiness reflecting on the pages made me smile. She was adorable in the way she was able to put men into their places, and Arell was quite funny denying his ghostly nature. Their journey is nice little adventure with a happy end, and the reader will certainly relax while following their steps.

Lady of Shadows (A. Argyle)
A story of a partially disabled yet fierce and fearless woman who entered the Forbidden Forest aware of the death lurking inside... and found love instead. Learning the secrets of Alamant, Caelia has found a new life, one she has to build from scratch and find her place in, though not alone, supported by a great man and old friend.
This story has the edge of darkness and shadows in it, with the wraiths being ever-present threat and the curse tying the tongues of those who know the secrets. Learning the hard way is the only way, and if you want the knowledge you must risk everything... Caelia risked, as with her pain and grief she had nothing to lose, and gained something valuable and beautiful. Let everyone find her own Gendrin, a kindred spirit with the soul of protector and skills of a proficient warrior. They found the safe haven, full of hope; but many adventures are waiting, and the darkness is just beyond the gates..

[Taffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illusions of Love - Charlie Holmberg

Opening line:
"Even if Celtin Dereng were a magicless, talentless pauper, Aster would still be in love with him."
This was almost a Cinderella story, complete with magic and a beautiful dress. But the people who love us, love the real us, no illusions needed.


Dancing with the Moon - Julie Wright
Opening line:
""I found a ghost!""
A brave young woman and a lost ghost. Arell is the lost, confused ghost. Grace is the woman who can help him solve his mystery.

The Truest Treasure - Annette Lyon
Opening line:
"Ritva, the village healer, finished her examination and turned from the bed, Where Saara's sister lay sick and weak, getting worse all the time."
Will Saara be able to find the help she needs to heal her sister from the grief that's plaguing her soul?
Will Timo find the treasure he's hunting?

The Isle of Rose - Jane Redd
Opening line:
"Cornelia Tea Rose read the note a second time, then a third time."
When Cornelia's older sister decides to elope instead of marrying the man chosen for her, Cornelia is forced into a disguise to marry. What she didn't realize is that she would be thrust into the middle of a mystery, and that Lord Moss might be worth marrying.

Lady of Shadows - Amber Argyle
Opening line:
"Caelia stood before her family table in the back of the manor house."

Fire and Fountain - Luisa Perkins
Opening line:
"It was going to rain any moment."

[Kimterest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favorites : Charlie N. Holmberg and Jane Redd

[Khari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anthologies are such a hit and miss category.

Occasionally you will stumble across gold, I mean, if an author is published in an anthology along with one of your favorite authors, they should at least be at a similar level or a similar genre right? That's how I discovered Rob Thurman and Patricia Briggs. On the other hand...you will often have to work your way through torturous prose, transparent plots, and terrible character development.

Take this anthology for example. There are six novellas, all united by the theme of Romance and Midsummer's Eve. Those are fairly tenuous things to link things together, so you get a vast array of writing talent and subject material. Of the six novellas, two were good, two were bearable and two were just...awful. I mean, truly awful.

Let's take them in order, shall we?

Illusions of love by Charlie Holmberg

Not her best work, but entertaining. She at least had living characters and had them fall in love over a long period of time. That period of time isn't covered in the novella, but it at least existed in theory, so the growth of romance made sense and the event in the novella was just the climactic scene of a longer narrative.

Dancing with the Moon

Makes no sense at all. None whatsoever. It's basically about a woman falling in love with a ghost. Who isn't a ghost. Anyway. He's a ghost at first, and she freaks out because there is a ghost in her room, and then she starts to have a regular old conversation with the ghost, commiserating with him on the strangeness of his ghostly life...She goes from freaking out to 'oh yeah, that is strange' in the space of a single paragraph!! Nobody comes down off of a terror high that quickly. Nope. Then she goes from wanting nothing to do with said ghost, to wanting to keep the ghost to herself, because nothing is ever her own. ....? How does that make sense? None of it made sense, it was all stupid and an utter waste of time.

The Truest Treasure

The world was at least interesting if a bit odd. How do you have the aurora borealis, and a sun that never sets, in a swampy jungle land? I'm trying to wrap my head around that. This land must be near a pole in order to have two of those things, but I'm not sure the third is also possible? I can see how the sun never setting would be possible, but wouldn't that also imply the sun never rising on the opposite season? And if that is the case, how can you have a swampy jungle land? Oh well, astronomy and geology are not my thing, so who knows, maybe it is possible. What is not possible is falling in love within the space of six hours. Nope, you are pushing my credulity too far.

The Isle of Rose

I really don't know how to react to this one. Having a younger sister take care of the older sister makes no sense. She was born afterwards, she's younger. How precisely are you going to have a two year old take care of a four year old? Parents who put their daughter in a wig and a veil and tell her to pretend to be her older sister...but still sign her real name on the wedding contract...that she signs before her husband. Did they not think of all the ways this could go wrong? And again, falling in love within a day? And this dude, who can hear women's thoughts, never notices that his mother is trying to kill him? You know...the woman he spends every day with? ....
I can't keep going with this one, there are more plot holes than plot.

Lady of Shadows

I found to be pretty interesting, there was, again, plot development, character development, pacing and depth. It was good enough that I looked up the author so as to try out the rest of the series, because the novella is a prequel. It had just enough foreshadowing and teasing that I think that the next one would be interesting. I go to the author's webpage, and do you know what? She gives out free books. Instant loyal fan for life. I got the first one on my kindle already, free and legal. Fantastic. Unfortunately it was Lady of Shadows, so I didn't get anything I hadn't read out of the deal yet, but I will get one new book a week for the next three weeks so who cares?!

Fire and Fountain

I called it within the first chapter. Time travel. Utterly predictable. Boring. Woke.
I hate that. You have someone from the 21st century, who sounds like a very lapsed catholic, with a nun, talking to a First Nations guy about religion and everyone is totally okay with fusing these different belief systems together. Only someone who cares not in the slightest for their belief system could even think this is possible. Why do you think there are civil wars fought between Sunni and Shiite Muslims? Why do you think Pakistan and India were divided? Why do you think the Incas and the Spaniards slaughtered each other? Anyone ever heard of Israel and the Palestinian authority? No, no, no, don't you see? Of course it's possible to take two completely disparate belief systems and fuse them together in the space of one night. Anyone can do it. Look, I just did it in my lovely utopian piece of fiction...

Gah, the sheer lack of thought is galling.

[Ballet in AK · Rating 3 out of 5]

Midsummer Night (3 stars)

A varied collection of fantasy and fairy tales. As with any collection, some will resonate with the reader and some won’t. Not as good as some of the Timeless Romance collections, but all the stories have built interesting worlds.

Illusions of Love by Charlie M. Holmberg (2.5 stars)

An interesting world she has built; I wonder if it already exists in any of her other books? It was a bit difficult to follow (information overload at first-I read the beginning twice before moving on) and I felt hardly any connection with the characters.

However, it was a sweet read and interesting. (I’ve read another book of hers. It was very good and built a solid world with intricate, relatable characters.)

Dancing with the Moon by Julie Wright (3.5 stars)

A delightful and well-crafted story. The heroine is less one-dimensional than the Hero, who is the King’s guard and acts like it. He falls for her, but she is the one who has more depth of character. Still, a lovely fairy-tale-esque story with a happy ending.

The Truest Treasure by Annette Lyon (2.5 stars)

Another interesting exercise in world-building. I struggled, yet again, to connect with the characters and their world. I liked the story and if it had been a normal length, I might have felt more and cared more. The insta-love was one of the draw-backs...I’m sorry, they’ve literally known each other for hours, and he’s ready to change all his life plans?

That said, Annette Lyon is a favorite author of mine. I normally love her stories; novellas and regular length novels alike. This one just didn’t happen to do it for me.

The Isle of Rose by Jane Redd (3.5 stars)

This story didn’t require too much world-building. It was basically the fairy tale world we all know and love (with the addition of mind reading). A well written story and I really liked the plot! It was insta-attraction, but luckily it was easy to believe that it would turn into love, given the personalities of the main characters.

Lady of Shadows by Amber Argyle (4.5 stars)

This story was amazing! The world it built was solid and the story didn’t feel rushed. I totally connected with the main character, the heroine, (but would have liked to get the POV of the hero).

Two issues: 1. There was a curse mentioned and it was confusing because I didn’t really know what the characters were talking about. They mention it a number of times and I felt like I had missed something important. 2. The ending was barely an an ending; it felt like an introduction to a second installment (I want to find out if there’s another book after this one).

However, even with those caveats, this was an excellent story! The romance was wonderful! This author is new to me and I can’t wait to read more by her!

Fire and Fountain by Louisa Perkins (3 stars)

A well-written and relatively believable time travel story. (Writing time travel stories is so tricky!) I loved that she didn’t gloss over many of the day to day issues (smells, primitive medical care, different food, language, etc.) that would be problems for someone from the future.

I would argue, however, that women worked HARD back then and I doubt our heroine would be sitting around spinning once her wounds were healed. She’d have to clean, scrub, make soap, make candles, cook over a fire, clean feathers, fur, and scales from game before cooking it, etc. Not to mention that her family and friends in the present time would have been devastated thinking their daughter/friend had been kidnapped, killed or worse.

The author included a lot of French phrases, which I loved! (They were all understandable, even if the reader doesn’t know any French.)

I didn’t feel much romantic tension between the characters. There wasn’t enough
dialogue between them to warrant a relationship. There were some intense looks and he defends her against another man’s advances, but I just didn’t get the vibe from him that he was interested. That said, there is a satisfying happily ever after!

I will definitely read more by this author!

*poor, **ok, ***good, ****very good, *****something special

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

An anthology of 6 fantasy romances. Short but very complete and each with a solid storyline. I wish all of them were longer.

Charlie N Holmberg: Illusions or Love - 4 stars
A lovely sweet story of the magician’s assistant who falls in love with him & persuades his apprentice (also her good friend) to cast an illusion over her to make her look like a sophisticated lady hoping to charm him during a ball.
All’s well that ends well of course and she remains true to her own origins while finding her love is not as unrequited as she thought.

Dancing with the Moon: Julie Wright - 4 stars
A soldier finds himself bespelled into a ghost when he stumbles unto the scene of a plot against the royal family. His incorporeal being is transported to a small village to the home of a lovely young woman struggling to keep her family afloat after her reckless father dies in an accident.
After hearing his story, an initially disbelieving Grace who is the only person to be able to hear Arell agrees to help him to unmask the plot and save the royal family. Or course during the journey to the palace, a firm friendship and mutual admiration springs up.
A spirited heroine who saves the day!

#3 The truest treasure – Annette Lyon 3 stars
A story with a moral lesson – When Saara’s younger sister ails in sickness she is desperate to find a way to procure the services of a shaman; enough to hunt for fairy treasure. In the woods she literally bumps into Timo, a young man also looking for fairy treasure for his own reasons. Well pass the age of apprenticeship, Timo hopes that in finding a famed treasure – one that he has researched for years for – will be enough to convince a skilled magician to take him on.

#4 The Isle of Rose: Jane Redd - 5 stars. My favourite of the stories.
The most romantic story of the 6 (I thought). A little bit of a Cinderella story: Cordelia is the younger of 2 sisters and is the tradition, her life consists of serving the favoured elder child. When her sister elopes, Cordelia is forced by her parents to take her place in an arranged marriage to the lord of the isle (no less) impersonating her sister – the couple have never met other than a miniature of Cordelia’s sister being sent. Cordelia has the gift of reading minds, a gift that lends to only the reading of minds of the opposite site. She decides to go ahead after she learns that there have been assassination attempts on the lord and hopes to use her skill to find the culprit.

#5 Lady of shadows: Amber Argyle - 2 stars
I didn’t get this story at all. There was no ending & ends abruptly. It felt like a part had been truncated or missed. Grrrr

#6 Fire & Fountain: Luisa Perkins – 3 stars
An interesting time travel romance set in Canada.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two of these stories put me to sleep. Most likely that's on me, but...I don't count that as a good thing. This being an anthology also kind of doomed this book to a low rating, since I've never found an anthology I completely loved due to varying quality.

ILLUSIONS OF LOVE - 2.5/5
It was fine. I didn't hate it. I would have loved more of an explanation about how the color magic worked. I think it might have been a little stronger if there were more interactions with Aster and...the magician. (I can't remember his name for the life of me); as is, it felt very one-sided until the end.

DANCING WITH THE MOON - 1.5/5
The writing style just didn't click with me. I almost DNF'd the entire thing due to struggling through this story. I really liked the death-like magic that hindered Arell and I liked that Grace wasn't scared of him, but the romance was much too rushed and the climax was very blink-and-you'll-miss-it. (Story 1/2 to put me to sleep.)

THE TRUEST TREASURE - 1.5/5
The exposition was way too heavy-handed. (Story 2/2 to put me to sleep.) There was no follow-up with the sister's health. The goddesses were interesting but I would have liked them to be integrated a little less heavy-handedly, if that makes sense.

THE ISLE OF ROSE - 3/5
This was actually the first time I was invested. The parents were so laughably stupid, but I thought the pacing was fine and it pulled me in right away with the conflict. I think it could have benefited from one or two additional chapters.

LADY OF SHADOWS - 3.5/5
Easily the best story of the lot. Pacing was good, romance was believable (or as believable as it could be for a short story), and it got me interested enough to check out the author's other works in this universe. So good job, Amber Argyle.

FIRE AND FOUNTAIN - 2/5
I think I need to stay away from time travel romance. Emotionally I wanted Lucie to stay in 1640, but I also hated that she just up and left 2019 with no explanation for her loved ones. And she kind of brushed off the awful conditions that were the norm back then, especially the way women were treated. It wasn't as irritating as other time travel stories I've read *cough Once Upon a Time Travel cough*, but definitely didn't wow me.

[Luci Jamison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very pleasantly surprised with this book! It is a genre I am not normally drawn to (although I have read some in the past and liked them). I also discovered a few new authors... an added bonus! All the stories are clean, and have various forms of magic and mystery mixed with romance. Here are a brief view of each story:

Illusions of Love - Aster the assistant to the magician Celtin find love with a little "magical" help from her friend Drummond. I loved the descriptions of the magic and light. It is a little like Cinderella and I found it quite "delightful" (sorry for the pun). I really enjoyed this story very much.

Dancing with the Moon - I liked this story due to the unexpected twist to it. Annabelle and Arell are drawn into an adventure with mystery and drama. I liked the way it was written and loved how they were able to overcome the obstacles. I really enjoyed this story and would love to see a sequel...

Truest Treasure - Saara and Timo stumble into each other as they are each seeking a treasure for different reasons. But what they discover is so much more than what they sought. It has a folklore feel to it, but the ending to me was a bit flat. Still I enjoyed the story.

Isle of Rose - Cornelia finds herself in a situation due to her sister's actions. This involves Moss as well. I enjoyed the storyline, the way the characters used special gifts to solve the mystery. And I really liked how they are able to discover each other without those gifts. I can see this story leading to others with these characters... really liked this one!

Lady of Shadows - Caelia and Kenjin both have secrets that are hard to share. During the adventure together they find strength they did not know they had. I found this story very good, but I felt like I was left hanging... upon researching the author I found out there are other books that may be more answers to the questions left at the end of this story.

Fire and Fountain - Lucie and Nicolas are two people who should not have had a chance to meet, but do. I loved the twist this story took and found it well written and enjoyable.

Would recommend this book!

[Maria Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this four stars because I think if you enjoy fantasy then you'd probably say it was at least that. For my own personal enjoyment it was probably a bit less because I'm not really into fantasy. I do read some on occasion but not often. However, I like the Timeless series of books so I thought I'd give it a go.

The most fun element of the book for me is the idea of celebrating the summer solstice. My mother was Swedish so I grew up with some Midsommar (Swedish spelling) traditions or at least was aware of them. And while I believe the origins of the celebrations were probably pagan rituals etc and may have been more closely aligned with some of the stuff in this book I found any mention of Midsommar in the book lit up my eyes in memory of my mother. For my mother it was more dancing and singing around the May pole rather than there being some belief in magic etc... I don't recall ever doing it but I do remember the idea of collecting wild flowers to put under my pillow to dream of my true love. Okay, so maybe I did it once.

There was generally some element of magic involved in each of the stories. One had mind reading, one had a ghost and another had time travel. I liked most of the main characters. If I had to pick a favorite of the stories I'd have to say Dancing with the Moon by Julie Wright. And the thing I liked best about it is that whenever the ghost needed to do something he ended up where he needed to be without really trying. And when he knew he needed to get help he ended up on the other side of the kingdom with Grace because she was the one who would be willing to help him. I think it said a lot about her character.

Sex: No. A character had previously miscarried a baby conceived out of wedlock.
Language: I think just once?
Violence: Some.