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Effingtons #8.5
The One That Got Away
Every woman remembers that one special man who slipped through her fingers, leaving her not only asking the question “What happened?” but also wondering about what could have been if she hadn’t let him go.
Now four of today’s bestselling historical romance writers—Victoria Alexander, Liz Carlyle, Eloisa James and Cathy Maxwell—show us what can happen when the man you thought was out of your life forever returns.
In this stirring quarter of original novellas, four sets of star-crossed lovers are given the golden opportunity to relive the passion . . . and set the past right. Fate has brought these couples back together, but only love can determine if each is just momentary madness or a reunion that will last for all time.
Included stories are:
"The Trouble With Charlotte" by Victoria Alexander
"Much Ado About Twelfth Night" by Liz Carlyle
"A Fool Again" by Eloisa James
"Nightingale" by Cathy Maxwell
Now four of today’s bestselling historical romance writers—Victoria Alexander, Liz Carlyle, Eloisa James and Cathy Maxwell—show us what can happen when the man you thought was out of your life forever returns.
In this stirring quarter of original novellas, four sets of star-crossed lovers are given the golden opportunity to relive the passion . . . and set the past right. Fate has brought these couples back together, but only love can determine if each is just momentary madness or a reunion that will last for all time.
Included stories are:
"The Trouble With Charlotte" by Victoria Alexander
"Much Ado About Twelfth Night" by Liz Carlyle
"A Fool Again" by Eloisa James
"Nightingale" by Cathy Maxwell
371 pages, Hardcover
First published October 26, 2004
About the author
Victoria Alexander
70 books1,340 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander was an award winning television reporter until she discovered fiction was much more fun than real life. She turned to writing full time and is still shocked it worked out.
Since the publication of her first book in 1995, she has written thirty-one full length novels and six novellas. The Perfect Wife—originally published in 1996 and reissued in March 2008—hit #1 on the New York Times list. Sixteen of her books are bestsellers hitting the New York Times, USA Today and/or Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. With books translated into more than a dozen different languages she has readers around the world and has twice been nominated for Romance's Writers of America prestigious RITA award. In 2009 she was given a Career Achievement Award from RT Bookclub and was named Historical Storyteller of the year in 2003. In 2008 she was the keynote speaker for the Romance Writers of American annual conference in San Francisco. Victoria credits much of her writing success to her experiences as a reporter.
Her years as a broadcast journalist were spent in two radically different areas of the country: Nebraska and West Virginia. In West Virginia, she covered both natural and manmade disasters. She was on the scene when a power plant construction accident in a small town left 52 men dead. She once spent the night on a mountain waiting to learn of the fate of coal miners trapped in a mine collapse. Victoria was producing a newscast when her husband (who worked at the same television station) and several other journalists were held hostage by a disturbed Vietnam veteran. In Nebraska, she reported on the farm crisis and watched people lose land that had been in their families for generations. She covered the story that was the basis of the movie BOYS DON’T CRY and once acted as the link between police and a gunman who had barricaded himself in his home. Her investigative work exposed the trucking of New York City garbage to a small town dump in rural Nebraska.
During her journalism career, Victoria covered every president from Ford to Clinton. She knows firsthand what it feels like to be surrounded by rising floodwaters and inside a burning building. She’s interviewed movie stars including Kevin Costner, ridden an elephant and flown in a governor’s helicopter. She’s covered a national political convention and Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to Denver as well as small town festivals celebrating everything from walnuts to Glen Miller. Her work was honored by numerous organizations including the Associated Press who called a feature about a firefighter’s school "story telling genius". It was the encouragement she needed to turn from news to fiction. She’s never looked back.
Victoria claims her love of romance and journalism is to due to the influence of her favorite comic book character: Lois Lane, a terrific reporter and a great heroine who pursued Superman with an unwavering determination. And why not? He was extremely well drawn.
Victoria grew up traveling the world as an Air Force brat. Today, she lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her husband and her dogs. Victoria had two bearded collies, Sam and Louie (named from characters in one of her books). Sam (on the left), the best dog in the world for 13 ½ years, passed away in September 2010. Louie took on the position of loyal companion and did a fine job even though he doesn't understand that kitchen counter surfing is not allowed!
Now he's been joined by Reggie, also a faithful companion.
They all live happily ever after in a house under constant renovation and the accompanying parade of men in tool belts. And never ending chaos. Victoria laughs a great deal—she has to.
New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander was an award winning television reporter until she discovered fiction was much more fun than real life. She turned to writing full time and is still shocked it worked out.
Since the publication of her first book in 1995, she has written thirty-one full length novels and six novellas. The Perfect Wife—originally published in 1996 and reissued in March 2008—hit #1 on the New York Times list. Sixteen of her books are bestsellers hitting the New York Times, USA Today and/or Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. With books translated into more than a dozen different languages she has readers around the world and has twice been nominated for Romance's Writers of America prestigious RITA award. In 2009 she was given a Career Achievement Award from RT Bookclub and was named Historical Storyteller of the year in 2003. In 2008 she was the keynote speaker for the Romance Writers of American annual conference in San Francisco. Victoria credits much of her writing success to her experiences as a reporter.
Her years as a broadcast journalist were spent in two radically different areas of the country: Nebraska and West Virginia. In West Virginia, she covered both natural and manmade disasters. She was on the scene when a power plant construction accident in a small town left 52 men dead. She once spent the night on a mountain waiting to learn of the fate of coal miners trapped in a mine collapse. Victoria was producing a newscast when her husband (who worked at the same television station) and several other journalists were held hostage by a disturbed Vietnam veteran. In Nebraska, she reported on the farm crisis and watched people lose land that had been in their families for generations. She covered the story that was the basis of the movie BOYS DON’T CRY and once acted as the link between police and a gunman who had barricaded himself in his home. Her investigative work exposed the trucking of New York City garbage to a small town dump in rural Nebraska.
During her journalism career, Victoria covered every president from Ford to Clinton. She knows firsthand what it feels like to be surrounded by rising floodwaters and inside a burning building. She’s interviewed movie stars including Kevin Costner, ridden an elephant and flown in a governor’s helicopter. She’s covered a national political convention and Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to Denver as well as small town festivals celebrating everything from walnuts to Glen Miller. Her work was honored by numerous organizations including the Associated Press who called a feature about a firefighter’s school "story telling genius". It was the encouragement she needed to turn from news to fiction. She’s never looked back.
Victoria claims her love of romance and journalism is to due to the influence of her favorite comic book character: Lois Lane, a terrific reporter and a great heroine who pursued Superman with an unwavering determination. And why not? He was extremely well drawn.
Victoria grew up traveling the world as an Air Force brat. Today, she lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her husband and her dogs. Victoria had two bearded collies, Sam and Louie (named from characters in one of her books). Sam (on the left), the best dog in the world for 13 ½ years, passed away in September 2010. Louie took on the position of loyal companion and did a fine job even though he doesn't understand that kitchen counter surfing is not allowed!
Now he's been joined by Reggie, also a faithful companion.
They all live happily ever after in a house under constant renovation and the accompanying parade of men in tool belts. And never ending chaos. Victoria laughs a great deal—she has to.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
May 27, 2017
Read this over two days. Should have cut my losses after the first story. This sounds delightful, in theory. But the novella length doesn't really work for any of them. Emotional shortcuts are taken, or rather, everyone seems to just feel ALL EMOTIONS ALL THE TIME, or emotional arcs are inconsistent. Or, actual narrative arcs are shorthanded via physical reactions. Which, I get it, can be powerful. But perhaps I am demanding, I want my romance to be more. I demand a sensible narrative arc.
The Eloisa James is by far the best of a bad lot. Basically (with the exception of the EJ, which could have been charming story of misunderstanding, had it not been for the physical circumventing any actual genuine building of regard in-story), this collection is way too much, YOU HAVE HURT ME IN THE PAST, THEREFORE JUSTIFYING ME BEING A COMPLETE JERK NOW. ESPECIALLY AS I GENERALLY HAVE ALL THE POWER. (And there is an element of the above in the EJ). Rise above, is all I'm saying guys, rise above.
And like, the convention flouting is just generally so much whatever. And it's all so much such desperate circumstances, and just, NO.
In other words, give me the story I want, or go away. Kind of annoyed with myself for reading this, in hindsight...
(I wanted to like the Liz Carlyle so much guys... the titles are all Shakespeare puns, there is an eccentric great aunt... instead, NO. Why can't I have nice things?)
The Eloisa James is by far the best of a bad lot. Basically (with the exception of the EJ, which could have been charming story of misunderstanding, had it not been for the physical circumventing any actual genuine building of regard in-story), this collection is way too much, YOU HAVE HURT ME IN THE PAST, THEREFORE JUSTIFYING ME BEING A COMPLETE JERK NOW. ESPECIALLY AS I GENERALLY HAVE ALL THE POWER. (And there is an element of the above in the EJ). Rise above, is all I'm saying guys, rise above.
And like, the convention flouting is just generally so much whatever. And it's all so much such desperate circumstances, and just, NO.
In other words, give me the story I want, or go away. Kind of annoyed with myself for reading this, in hindsight...
(I wanted to like the Liz Carlyle so much guys... the titles are all Shakespeare puns, there is an eccentric great aunt... instead, NO. Why can't I have nice things?)
September 7, 2008
Reviewed for THC Reviews
The Trouble with Charlotte by Victoria Alexander - “The Trouble with Charlotte” is a novella in Victoria Alexander’s Effington Family & Friends series. It’s listed by the author and other online book sites as falling between The Pursuit of Marriage and A Visit from Sir Nicholas in the series ordering, which as far as I can tell is based solely on publication date. However, based on the storyline, it has to take place chronologically sometime before Love With the Proper Husband. That’s because the story is basically being narrated by Marcus Holcroft, the Earl of Pennington and the hero of that book, who is relating the events to his good friend, Reginald Berkley. Marcus is telling Reggie about nearly falling in love with Charlotte, the heroine of this novella, but then her believed-dead husband, Hugh, suddenly returns, putting the kibosh on his plans to court her.
Charlotte and Hugh experienced a passionate, whirlwind, love affair in their youth that led to marriage. However, the entire first year of their life as a couple was little more than a series of heated arguments. To get away, Hugh purchased a military commission and went off to fight Napoleon, leaving Charlotte all alone. Then news came of Hugh’s demise in a major battle. During the ensuing six years, she has carefully cultivated the facade of a merry widow who enjoys indulging in casual affairs, but in reality she never got over Hugh, who was the love of her life. But when he suddenly turns up on her doorstep after all this time, she can scarcely believe it’s really him, and she isn’t sure how she feels about his resurrection. She loves him, but their time together was so contentious, she doesn’t want things to go back to the way they were again.
Hugh was badly wounded during the battle of Albuera, including a head injury that caused amnesia. Through a clerical error, he ended up being mistaken for a German soldier and sent to Bavaria, while Hugh’s name was listed as deceased. Because he bore a resemblance to that soldier and the man’s family hadn’t seen him in years, they accepted that Hugh was Johann, and he lived with them until several years later when his memory finally returned. Still, he didn’t go back home, because he also recalled what an unpleasant person he’d been and thought that Charlotte would be better off without him. But eventually he decided to go home after all. However, he has much to make up for to gain Charlotte’s forgiveness.
As I started reading “The Trouble with Charlotte,” I thought that I might enjoy it more than some of Victoria Alexander’s other books in the series, which have been hit and miss for me. It seemed a little more on the serious side at first, but by the end, it had switched to the author’s trademark light and breezy style. I felt like there were certain things that weren’t explained well and/or stretched the bounds of credibility. Eg. Hugh didn’t speak German, yet he accepted that he was German. Didn’t he think and speak in English and wonder why that might be? Also Hugh and Charlotte appeared to have had major marital problems before he left, but that all seems to be glossed over. Instead each of them tends to easily accept that the other has changed, and in fact, is reluctant to be together because they think of one another now as paragons of virtue that they can’t live up to. This was all a little too silly for me and I felt that the story would have been better if the rifts that had torn them apart in the first place had been examined more closely and healed rather than magically disappearing in the light of their love and newfound emotional growth. It just felt like they needed more time to reconnect and get to know each other again. Also, I felt like said growth was more told than shown, so I was having trouble feeling the connection between them and believing that it was going to work this time. I think my favorite part was Marcus giving both of them his unvarnished opinion along with some sage advice before telling them that they were both quite mad. That part was actually pretty funny because it was more or less how I was feeling. Overall, this novella was a mildly entertaining story, but after a string of so-so reads in the series, it unfortunately wasn’t one that reinvigorated my interest in this author’s work. Star Rating: ***
Much Ado about Twelfth Night by Liz Carlyle - Much Ado about Twelfth Night is a delightful reunion romance from one of my favorite authors, Liz Carlyle. As usual, she didn't disappoint. Because of the title, I thought this novella was about the celebration of Twelfth Night, but the Twelfth Night in question ended up being a champion racehorse that pretty much everyone in the story, except the hero, wanted. This made for a fun comedy-of-errors storyline, as the hero overhears a conversation between the heroine and her brother about the horse, and thinks they're talking about him. That part really made me giggle.:-)
Edward is a classic introvert who prefers to be alone, so when a gaggle of family and friends descends upon his newly inherited, but falling-down estate, he wishes he could go back to the continent, fighting Old Boney. It was positively endearing how Edward could command his troops with absolute precision, but he was tongue-tied around women, or perhaps one woman in particular. He just couldn't seem to make his mouth say the right words, which sometimes led to him babbling, but in the heat of love-making, he could be very sweetly seductive. On the outside though, Edward is the picture of the perfect soldier, stoic, coolly composed, and a bit brooding. It's funny that everyone around him sees that he's still in love with Sophie, but he doesn't initially recognize it. Edward is the responsible one in the family, always looking out for everyone else. It broke my heart that Sophie unintentionally broke his heart. It's easy to see through Edward's cool facade that he's hurt. He really thinks she doesn't care about him in a romantic way and never will.
In reality, Sophie has loved Edward since she was a teenager. He actually proposed to her when she was seventeen, but she turned him down flat, because she wanted his love and thought he was only doing it out of a sense of duty and pity. Little did she know that, by doing so, she completely shattered his heart. After Edward joined the army and went to France, Sophie never married. She and her younger brother were orphaned a couple of years before Edward proposed. During the last eight years, she poured all her time and effort into running the family estate and never really put herself on the market, mainly because she never wanted anyone but Edward. The family also owns a very lucrative horse-racing business, and now Edward is in possession of a prime racehorse that Sophie and her brother desperately want for their stables. This leaves her with no choice but to see Edward again if she wants to buy the horse, but when Edward mistakenly believes that she's coming back to persuade him to marry her after all, it leads to some amusing misunderstandings. Sophie was a sweet young woman with a bubbly personality, who cares very much about others. The thing I liked most about her is that she sees how much responsibility Edward takes on, and worries about there being no one to watch out for his well-being. Of course, she would love to be that person, but doesn't think he loves her in that way.
Much Ado about Twelfth Night was a funny, sweet, and endearing story. The only reason I chose to knock off half a star was that Edward and Sophie were both pretty stubborn and had some difficulty communicating effectively. If not for their matchmaking elderly grandmother, I'm not sure they ever would have gotten back together, but alls well that ends well. Overall, I had a really good time reading this novella. It was another winner for me from Ms. Carlyle. Star Rating: ****1/2
A Fool Again by Eloisa James - “A Fool Again” is a novella that I thought was a stand-alone story. I’d swear I checked multiple times to see if it was part of any of Eloisa James’s series and never found a connection, but after reading it, I noticed that Amazon and GoodReads now have it marked as part of her Duchess in Love series. It seems that Tobias, the hero of this novella, is a brother to Simon, the hero of Fool for Love, the second book of the series. In any case, I felt that “A Fool Again” stood pretty well on its own, and other than a mention of Simon, there doesn’t appear to be any other connection to the series.
This story is about Tobias, who was a bit of a hellion in his youth, and Genevieve, who walks a little on the wild side, too. The pair grew up as neighbors but didn’t really get to know each other until a party when she was eighteen. After spending a few hours together, they impulsively decided to elope and made a run for Gretna Green, only to be chased down by her father. However, along the way, they succumbed to passion, leaving Genevieve compromised. Her father quickly married her off to a much older man, while Tobias broke her heart by disappearing to India. Seven years later, Genevieve finds herself a young widow, but her miserly husband has only left her a small stipend to live on unless she marries one of his business partners after two years of enforced mourning. Lucius, one of the two partners is a younger man to whom she’s attracted, so over the next year, she starts getting to know him, and just as she’s convinced she’s fallen in love with him and intends to marry him, Tobias returns, pulling out all the stops to woo her back.
Tobias is a sweet, seductive man who’s just my type. He’ll do anything to get Genevieve back. He knows exactly what he wants and isn’t inclined to take no for an answer this time around. I love a man in pursuit who unapologetically wears his heart on his sleeve for the woman he loves and that’s precisely the type of man Tobias is. Genevieve is a passionate woman who deep down knows there’s something missing from her relationship with Lucius, but after the disaster of being branded a loose woman following her unsuccessful elopement with Tobias, she’s determined to be a more proper lady. However, it doesn’t take long for her to succumb to her feelings for Tobias once he’s in her life again. I thought these two were perfect for each other. They both have passionate natures and keep each other on their toes. It’s clear that their chemistry is off the charts hot and in their heart of hearts, neither one truly wants anyone else but the other. “A Fool Again” was a sweet, lighthearted, delightful tale that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but at the same time manages to be emotional and sexy. I thoroughly enjoyed this novella. It was my first read by Eloisa James, but most definitely won’t be my last. I very much look forward to reading the other books in the Duchess in Love series and checking out her other work as well. “A Fool Again” was originally published in this anthology but was later reprinted as a stand-alone ebook. Star Rating: *****
Nightingale by Cathy Maxwell - “Nightingale” is a stand-alone novella about two former loves who, after youthful mistakes, get a second chance to spend their lives together. Dane and Jemma had known each other since childhood and fell madly in love when they were young. Dane had plans to become a clergyman and devote his life to helping others, something that Jemma supported, and they were thinking of getting married, but then she went off and married a titled gentleman seemingly out of the blue, leaving Dane heartbroken. Years have gone by, during which Dane went to India, where he hardened his heart and made his fortune. Now he’s back in England, but his life seems rather empty. Then one night, he’s challenged to a duel by Jemma’s brother who is too drunk to know any better. Jemma, who is now a widow, comes to Dane to plead her brother’s case. She offers to let him bed her in exchange for sparing her brother’s life, but they both quickly discover that such close intimacy opens their hearts to one another again and that they can no longer live without each other.
I came very close to giving this novella more than four stars. It’s a very emotional story that tugged on my heartstrings, and it’s also deliciously steamy. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that four stars was the appropriate rating for me. The entire story takes place over a single night, during which Dane and Jemma reconnect, make confessions, offer forgiveness, and declare their undying love. Their prior connection made all of this more realistic, but it’s still pretty quick. Also the characterizations aren’t really deep. They’re good enough for this shorter format, but I wouldn’t have minded getting to know Dane and Jemma a bit better. Dane seemed like a good guy who’d had his heart smashed and reacted in a relatable manner, and despite everything, deep down, he has never stopped loving Jemma. I didn’t dislike Jemma, but the fact that she’d made promises to Dane, which she broke, didn’t entirely sit well with me either. It might have been the clichéd route to take, but I would have been more accepting if her family had unduly influenced her decision to marry the other man. Instead, it was chalked up to youthful naiveté, and was a decision she regretted almost immediately after saying her vows. She appeared to have grown since then, but I felt like she could have had more compelling reasons for what she did. Overall, though, in spite of a few weaknesses, I did very much enjoy “Nightingale,” and it makes me look forward to trying more of Cathy Maxwell's work in the future. “Nightingale” was originally published in this anthology but was later reprinted as a stand-alone ebook. Star Rating: ****
The Trouble with Charlotte by Victoria Alexander - “The Trouble with Charlotte” is a novella in Victoria Alexander’s Effington Family & Friends series. It’s listed by the author and other online book sites as falling between The Pursuit of Marriage and A Visit from Sir Nicholas in the series ordering, which as far as I can tell is based solely on publication date. However, based on the storyline, it has to take place chronologically sometime before Love With the Proper Husband. That’s because the story is basically being narrated by Marcus Holcroft, the Earl of Pennington and the hero of that book, who is relating the events to his good friend, Reginald Berkley. Marcus is telling Reggie about nearly falling in love with Charlotte, the heroine of this novella, but then her believed-dead husband, Hugh, suddenly returns, putting the kibosh on his plans to court her.
Charlotte and Hugh experienced a passionate, whirlwind, love affair in their youth that led to marriage. However, the entire first year of their life as a couple was little more than a series of heated arguments. To get away, Hugh purchased a military commission and went off to fight Napoleon, leaving Charlotte all alone. Then news came of Hugh’s demise in a major battle. During the ensuing six years, she has carefully cultivated the facade of a merry widow who enjoys indulging in casual affairs, but in reality she never got over Hugh, who was the love of her life. But when he suddenly turns up on her doorstep after all this time, she can scarcely believe it’s really him, and she isn’t sure how she feels about his resurrection. She loves him, but their time together was so contentious, she doesn’t want things to go back to the way they were again.
Hugh was badly wounded during the battle of Albuera, including a head injury that caused amnesia. Through a clerical error, he ended up being mistaken for a German soldier and sent to Bavaria, while Hugh’s name was listed as deceased. Because he bore a resemblance to that soldier and the man’s family hadn’t seen him in years, they accepted that Hugh was Johann, and he lived with them until several years later when his memory finally returned. Still, he didn’t go back home, because he also recalled what an unpleasant person he’d been and thought that Charlotte would be better off without him. But eventually he decided to go home after all. However, he has much to make up for to gain Charlotte’s forgiveness.
As I started reading “The Trouble with Charlotte,” I thought that I might enjoy it more than some of Victoria Alexander’s other books in the series, which have been hit and miss for me. It seemed a little more on the serious side at first, but by the end, it had switched to the author’s trademark light and breezy style. I felt like there were certain things that weren’t explained well and/or stretched the bounds of credibility. Eg. Hugh didn’t speak German, yet he accepted that he was German. Didn’t he think and speak in English and wonder why that might be? Also Hugh and Charlotte appeared to have had major marital problems before he left, but that all seems to be glossed over. Instead each of them tends to easily accept that the other has changed, and in fact, is reluctant to be together because they think of one another now as paragons of virtue that they can’t live up to. This was all a little too silly for me and I felt that the story would have been better if the rifts that had torn them apart in the first place had been examined more closely and healed rather than magically disappearing in the light of their love and newfound emotional growth. It just felt like they needed more time to reconnect and get to know each other again. Also, I felt like said growth was more told than shown, so I was having trouble feeling the connection between them and believing that it was going to work this time. I think my favorite part was Marcus giving both of them his unvarnished opinion along with some sage advice before telling them that they were both quite mad. That part was actually pretty funny because it was more or less how I was feeling. Overall, this novella was a mildly entertaining story, but after a string of so-so reads in the series, it unfortunately wasn’t one that reinvigorated my interest in this author’s work. Star Rating: ***
Much Ado about Twelfth Night by Liz Carlyle - Much Ado about Twelfth Night is a delightful reunion romance from one of my favorite authors, Liz Carlyle. As usual, she didn't disappoint. Because of the title, I thought this novella was about the celebration of Twelfth Night, but the Twelfth Night in question ended up being a champion racehorse that pretty much everyone in the story, except the hero, wanted. This made for a fun comedy-of-errors storyline, as the hero overhears a conversation between the heroine and her brother about the horse, and thinks they're talking about him. That part really made me giggle.:-)
Edward is a classic introvert who prefers to be alone, so when a gaggle of family and friends descends upon his newly inherited, but falling-down estate, he wishes he could go back to the continent, fighting Old Boney. It was positively endearing how Edward could command his troops with absolute precision, but he was tongue-tied around women, or perhaps one woman in particular. He just couldn't seem to make his mouth say the right words, which sometimes led to him babbling, but in the heat of love-making, he could be very sweetly seductive. On the outside though, Edward is the picture of the perfect soldier, stoic, coolly composed, and a bit brooding. It's funny that everyone around him sees that he's still in love with Sophie, but he doesn't initially recognize it. Edward is the responsible one in the family, always looking out for everyone else. It broke my heart that Sophie unintentionally broke his heart. It's easy to see through Edward's cool facade that he's hurt. He really thinks she doesn't care about him in a romantic way and never will.
In reality, Sophie has loved Edward since she was a teenager. He actually proposed to her when she was seventeen, but she turned him down flat, because she wanted his love and thought he was only doing it out of a sense of duty and pity. Little did she know that, by doing so, she completely shattered his heart. After Edward joined the army and went to France, Sophie never married. She and her younger brother were orphaned a couple of years before Edward proposed. During the last eight years, she poured all her time and effort into running the family estate and never really put herself on the market, mainly because she never wanted anyone but Edward. The family also owns a very lucrative horse-racing business, and now Edward is in possession of a prime racehorse that Sophie and her brother desperately want for their stables. This leaves her with no choice but to see Edward again if she wants to buy the horse, but when Edward mistakenly believes that she's coming back to persuade him to marry her after all, it leads to some amusing misunderstandings. Sophie was a sweet young woman with a bubbly personality, who cares very much about others. The thing I liked most about her is that she sees how much responsibility Edward takes on, and worries about there being no one to watch out for his well-being. Of course, she would love to be that person, but doesn't think he loves her in that way.
Much Ado about Twelfth Night was a funny, sweet, and endearing story. The only reason I chose to knock off half a star was that Edward and Sophie were both pretty stubborn and had some difficulty communicating effectively. If not for their matchmaking elderly grandmother, I'm not sure they ever would have gotten back together, but alls well that ends well. Overall, I had a really good time reading this novella. It was another winner for me from Ms. Carlyle. Star Rating: ****1/2
A Fool Again by Eloisa James - “A Fool Again” is a novella that I thought was a stand-alone story. I’d swear I checked multiple times to see if it was part of any of Eloisa James’s series and never found a connection, but after reading it, I noticed that Amazon and GoodReads now have it marked as part of her Duchess in Love series. It seems that Tobias, the hero of this novella, is a brother to Simon, the hero of Fool for Love, the second book of the series. In any case, I felt that “A Fool Again” stood pretty well on its own, and other than a mention of Simon, there doesn’t appear to be any other connection to the series.
This story is about Tobias, who was a bit of a hellion in his youth, and Genevieve, who walks a little on the wild side, too. The pair grew up as neighbors but didn’t really get to know each other until a party when she was eighteen. After spending a few hours together, they impulsively decided to elope and made a run for Gretna Green, only to be chased down by her father. However, along the way, they succumbed to passion, leaving Genevieve compromised. Her father quickly married her off to a much older man, while Tobias broke her heart by disappearing to India. Seven years later, Genevieve finds herself a young widow, but her miserly husband has only left her a small stipend to live on unless she marries one of his business partners after two years of enforced mourning. Lucius, one of the two partners is a younger man to whom she’s attracted, so over the next year, she starts getting to know him, and just as she’s convinced she’s fallen in love with him and intends to marry him, Tobias returns, pulling out all the stops to woo her back.
Tobias is a sweet, seductive man who’s just my type. He’ll do anything to get Genevieve back. He knows exactly what he wants and isn’t inclined to take no for an answer this time around. I love a man in pursuit who unapologetically wears his heart on his sleeve for the woman he loves and that’s precisely the type of man Tobias is. Genevieve is a passionate woman who deep down knows there’s something missing from her relationship with Lucius, but after the disaster of being branded a loose woman following her unsuccessful elopement with Tobias, she’s determined to be a more proper lady. However, it doesn’t take long for her to succumb to her feelings for Tobias once he’s in her life again. I thought these two were perfect for each other. They both have passionate natures and keep each other on their toes. It’s clear that their chemistry is off the charts hot and in their heart of hearts, neither one truly wants anyone else but the other. “A Fool Again” was a sweet, lighthearted, delightful tale that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but at the same time manages to be emotional and sexy. I thoroughly enjoyed this novella. It was my first read by Eloisa James, but most definitely won’t be my last. I very much look forward to reading the other books in the Duchess in Love series and checking out her other work as well. “A Fool Again” was originally published in this anthology but was later reprinted as a stand-alone ebook. Star Rating: *****
Nightingale by Cathy Maxwell - “Nightingale” is a stand-alone novella about two former loves who, after youthful mistakes, get a second chance to spend their lives together. Dane and Jemma had known each other since childhood and fell madly in love when they were young. Dane had plans to become a clergyman and devote his life to helping others, something that Jemma supported, and they were thinking of getting married, but then she went off and married a titled gentleman seemingly out of the blue, leaving Dane heartbroken. Years have gone by, during which Dane went to India, where he hardened his heart and made his fortune. Now he’s back in England, but his life seems rather empty. Then one night, he’s challenged to a duel by Jemma’s brother who is too drunk to know any better. Jemma, who is now a widow, comes to Dane to plead her brother’s case. She offers to let him bed her in exchange for sparing her brother’s life, but they both quickly discover that such close intimacy opens their hearts to one another again and that they can no longer live without each other.
I came very close to giving this novella more than four stars. It’s a very emotional story that tugged on my heartstrings, and it’s also deliciously steamy. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that four stars was the appropriate rating for me. The entire story takes place over a single night, during which Dane and Jemma reconnect, make confessions, offer forgiveness, and declare their undying love. Their prior connection made all of this more realistic, but it’s still pretty quick. Also the characterizations aren’t really deep. They’re good enough for this shorter format, but I wouldn’t have minded getting to know Dane and Jemma a bit better. Dane seemed like a good guy who’d had his heart smashed and reacted in a relatable manner, and despite everything, deep down, he has never stopped loving Jemma. I didn’t dislike Jemma, but the fact that she’d made promises to Dane, which she broke, didn’t entirely sit well with me either. It might have been the clichéd route to take, but I would have been more accepting if her family had unduly influenced her decision to marry the other man. Instead, it was chalked up to youthful naiveté, and was a decision she regretted almost immediately after saying her vows. She appeared to have grown since then, but I felt like she could have had more compelling reasons for what she did. Overall, though, in spite of a few weaknesses, I did very much enjoy “Nightingale,” and it makes me look forward to trying more of Cathy Maxwell's work in the future. “Nightingale” was originally published in this anthology but was later reprinted as a stand-alone ebook. Star Rating: ****
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October 19, 2026This book crystallised a critique about the spicy side of the romance genre which I've had for a while.
This was a collection of four novella length historical romances. In each of them, a boy and girl fall passionately in love, but they are parted for Reasons. He goes away to war or to India and returns years later with a glowup - and a cashup. The two of them dance around each other, fall into bed, confess their love and live happily ever after.
Two of the stories were really atrocious, although having been written more than 20 years ago they may not be a good representation of the current state of the genre.
In the first story, the couple marry young, fight, he goes off to war and is presumed dead, then comes back the very night she's considering a proposal from someone else. This was probably the best story, mostly because it was genuinely funny as the second male lead is a good sport with a dry wit who narrates some of the story and even ends up mending the rift between the two lovers. But also because as an already-married couple, the pair are not risking the fml's future by falling into bed together, however inadvisably.
In the second story, the mml proposes to the fml shortly after her parents die and in such a manner that she believes he's only proposing out of duty. He goes away to war, then returns when he inherits the family estate, and his irrepressible grandmother drags her along to a house party with the intention of shoving them together again. This one was also pleasantly farcical, but any enjoyment I might have felt disappeared when the mml deals with his complicated feelings by, initially, forcing a kiss on the heroine, and then getting her "consent" to sex by dint of barging into her room in the dead of night and then telling her he's incapable of controlling himself if she tells him to stop. Wow, romantic.
In the third story, the pair are arrested on their way to Gretna Green and she's forced to marry some old pantaloon in order to hush up the scandal. Years later he comes back from India where he has amassed a fortune (no mention of any ethical problems inherent in colonisation) and finds her a widow plotting her second marriage. He has as much trouble keeping his hands off her this time too. While this one lacked much of the sparkle of the previous two, I did appreciate one thing about this story - namely, the mml of this one realises that he's obligated the fml to marry him by having sex with her, and he realises that this is going to poison their whole future together because he's taken away any choice of her own. He "fixes" this, not by giving her a choice, but by getting the second male lead to back out of the contest so that she loses the illusion of having a choice at all - or as the narration puts it, so she won't have to spend the rest of her life wondering what might have been. Yay?
In the fourth story, she marries an old pantaloon because she fancies being a lady, he goes to India, when he gets back she's a widow desperately trying to keep her birth family solvent, he picks a fight with her rubbish brother, she comes to trade her honour for his, they spend the night working through each other and their past. I found this one atrocious too, particularly with the narration telling us several times that thanks to his time in India the mml is used to "taking what he wants" which is a frightful way to approach either someone else's country or someone else's body. Also, what is with the romance novel trope where the heroine needs to have the worst man who has ever lived as her brother?
These stories underlined the trouble with historical romance tropes, at least as the genre stood in 2004. First, toxic masculinity is very much celebrated in these stories. The heroines do stand up to their heroes in various ways, and some character growth is achieved, but when every last mml is a coloniser or army martinet whose desirability is measured by musculature, passion, power and wealth, we aren't getting a different paradigm, merely the justification of this one. Second, the point of all these stories is the sex, even when it's obviously the stupidest, most destructive thing to do in this situation. It's Eloisa James who actually calls this out, but not to the extent of letting her characters do the right and smart thing. Instead, the genre expectations of spicy romance are elevated above character and theme.
Reading these stories made me really appreciate Mimi Matthews, whose books celebrate a very different paradigm of masculinity. Her heroes are not paragons, but they are capable of self-restraint and are not obliged to be the most powerful man in the room. The fact that her books are closed-door also empowers her to include sex only where it would make sense for the characters and themes. Including explicit scenes in romance is a selling point; readers will be dissatisfied if it isn't there, and so you wind up in a place where market demands may be at odds with characterisation.
Again, I'm vaguely conscious the romance genre as a whole must be moving in a much healthier direction these days, but I feel that the worst tropes are still alive and well and filtering into other genres, too.
This was a collection of four novella length historical romances. In each of them, a boy and girl fall passionately in love, but they are parted for Reasons. He goes away to war or to India and returns years later with a glowup - and a cashup. The two of them dance around each other, fall into bed, confess their love and live happily ever after.
Two of the stories were really atrocious, although having been written more than 20 years ago they may not be a good representation of the current state of the genre.
In the first story, the couple marry young, fight, he goes off to war and is presumed dead, then comes back the very night she's considering a proposal from someone else. This was probably the best story, mostly because it was genuinely funny as the second male lead is a good sport with a dry wit who narrates some of the story and even ends up mending the rift between the two lovers. But also because as an already-married couple, the pair are not risking the fml's future by falling into bed together, however inadvisably.
In the second story, the mml proposes to the fml shortly after her parents die and in such a manner that she believes he's only proposing out of duty. He goes away to war, then returns when he inherits the family estate, and his irrepressible grandmother drags her along to a house party with the intention of shoving them together again. This one was also pleasantly farcical, but any enjoyment I might have felt disappeared when the mml deals with his complicated feelings by, initially, forcing a kiss on the heroine, and then getting her "consent" to sex by dint of barging into her room in the dead of night and then telling her he's incapable of controlling himself if she tells him to stop. Wow, romantic.
In the third story, the pair are arrested on their way to Gretna Green and she's forced to marry some old pantaloon in order to hush up the scandal. Years later he comes back from India where he has amassed a fortune (no mention of any ethical problems inherent in colonisation) and finds her a widow plotting her second marriage. He has as much trouble keeping his hands off her this time too. While this one lacked much of the sparkle of the previous two, I did appreciate one thing about this story - namely, the mml of this one realises that he's obligated the fml to marry him by having sex with her, and he realises that this is going to poison their whole future together because he's taken away any choice of her own. He "fixes" this, not by giving her a choice, but by getting the second male lead to back out of the contest so that she loses the illusion of having a choice at all - or as the narration puts it, so she won't have to spend the rest of her life wondering what might have been. Yay?
In the fourth story, she marries an old pantaloon because she fancies being a lady, he goes to India, when he gets back she's a widow desperately trying to keep her birth family solvent, he picks a fight with her rubbish brother, she comes to trade her honour for his, they spend the night working through each other and their past. I found this one atrocious too, particularly with the narration telling us several times that thanks to his time in India the mml is used to "taking what he wants" which is a frightful way to approach either someone else's country or someone else's body. Also, what is with the romance novel trope where the heroine needs to have the worst man who has ever lived as her brother?
These stories underlined the trouble with historical romance tropes, at least as the genre stood in 2004. First, toxic masculinity is very much celebrated in these stories. The heroines do stand up to their heroes in various ways, and some character growth is achieved, but when every last mml is a coloniser or army martinet whose desirability is measured by musculature, passion, power and wealth, we aren't getting a different paradigm, merely the justification of this one. Second, the point of all these stories is the sex, even when it's obviously the stupidest, most destructive thing to do in this situation. It's Eloisa James who actually calls this out, but not to the extent of letting her characters do the right and smart thing. Instead, the genre expectations of spicy romance are elevated above character and theme.
Reading these stories made me really appreciate Mimi Matthews, whose books celebrate a very different paradigm of masculinity. Her heroes are not paragons, but they are capable of self-restraint and are not obliged to be the most powerful man in the room. The fact that her books are closed-door also empowers her to include sex only where it would make sense for the characters and themes. Including explicit scenes in romance is a selling point; readers will be dissatisfied if it isn't there, and so you wind up in a place where market demands may be at odds with characterisation.
Again, I'm vaguely conscious the romance genre as a whole must be moving in a much healthier direction these days, but I feel that the worst tropes are still alive and well and filtering into other genres, too.
July 6, 2026
Disappointing collection
January 21, 2012
Giving this one 5 stars based on Cathy Maxwell's story.
Victoria Alexander's story - 2.5 stars. I liked Reggie and Marcus, but the story got quite boring the day after Charlotte's husband showed up - just talk, talk, talk.
Liz Carlyle's story - 2.5 stars - interesting premise, but could have been better handled.
3 stars for Eloisa James' story - again, a nice premise, but the heroine is really a blank slate and has nothing to make her interesting to the reader. Lucius is a lot more interesting and gets his due in the Essex sisters' series. Also, I have my doubts about these heroes who go to India with nothing and come back 5 or 6 years later fabulously rich - one can only conclude that a lot of local people in India got horribly exploited by these guys.
Cathy Maxwell's story gets 5 stars - intense, angsty, amazing.
Victoria Alexander's story - 2.5 stars. I liked Reggie and Marcus, but the story got quite boring the day after Charlotte's husband showed up - just talk, talk, talk.
Liz Carlyle's story - 2.5 stars - interesting premise, but could have been better handled.
3 stars for Eloisa James' story - again, a nice premise, but the heroine is really a blank slate and has nothing to make her interesting to the reader. Lucius is a lot more interesting and gets his due in the Essex sisters' series. Also, I have my doubts about these heroes who go to India with nothing and come back 5 or 6 years later fabulously rich - one can only conclude that a lot of local people in India got horribly exploited by these guys.
Cathy Maxwell's story gets 5 stars - intense, angsty, amazing.
October 31, 2012
As always, I do enjoy quick anthologies - if anything, just to get glimpses of other writers in the genre I like. They were fine - but of course, we run into the same problem all novellas of romances have: just the lack of time and space. Things take place in a matter of days. Story lines are even more unbelievable than the usual romance. Still, made me want to read more.
August 18, 2020
Mom and I manly picked up the One That Got Away to mainly read Much Ado About Twelfth Night by Liz Carlyle. Sense you can’t get the short anywhere else. We did end up reading Cathy Maxwell short to but that was all we read. Sense the goal of reading this book was to read Liz Carlyle book we are counting the book as complete, but understand we did not read the other two shorts, not because we do not like those authors, but because mom really wanted to read Liz Carlyle and there is no series this short was attached to.
We will start with Much Ado About Twelfth Night by Liz Carlyle. First of we started from the point of view one of the side character which was very interesting. Mom and I are so use to starting books with either one of the main characters POV or sometimes the villains, but never a side character; so mom was pleasantly surprised when we switched from one male to another, are main lead Edward. Secondly mom and I thought it was interesting that Edward’s mason that he had just taken ownership of was literally falling down around him. Edward also has a stable full of racing horses, so of which he does not realize are very valuable racing horses. We than introduced to Lady Sophie, who does understand the value of the horses and is hoping to get Edward to sell her one of the horses in particular because he is of an excellent bloodline. Sophie is a very capable heroine who definitely know her stuff when it comes to horses. Mom and I loved the amount of horse talk that did go on in this book. Anyway, Sophie and her bother go to Edward estate to attend their ‘Aunts’ (I believe she is only an aunt in name, not by blood) birthday celebration. Well there Sophie and Edward of course literally bump into each other and low a behold realize they still very much have feelings for each other but neither one of them wants to act because they are both under the assumption the that they don’t like each other. Later on, as the party is in full swing Edward fallows Sophie out into the garden one night and over hears a conversation he presumes it about him, but is really about the horse Sophie wishes to purchase. Those ensues the most delight misunderstanding. All the characters were wonderful, and for such a short story everything is really well fleshed out. Edward and Sophie are whole and complete characters and watching them unravel their misunderstandings is oh so sweet and delouse.
Mom and I did read a second short story Nightingale by Cathy Maxwell. This was a very interesting story. Dane and Jemma are loves who were separated. They meet up again when they are much older due to Jemma’s brother challenging Dane to a duel. Dane has not honorable way of backing out of the duel and so Jemma decides to offer herself for a night in exchange for Dane losing face and not dueling her brother, but as the night goes on Dane and Jemma come to unravel many things about their past and come to release that they might want a future together. This book had a very interesting character development especially for Jemma. Part of me liked Jemma reason for letting Dane go in that it was self-serving, and Mom really does like the idea of the character having grown up enough realize how much she wanted the Dane. I also do like how the author gave Jemma a chance to prove herself; but Mom also things that Jemma need a little bit more story to completely pull of this arc. Especially for how much it was shown Jemma was caring. Mom could understand if Dane found Jemma to be less caring, but for how much she cared and her reason for leaving Dane just didn’t seem to completely match. The author could have made Jemma be self-serving, but than Jemma need to show it in other aspects of her life, or she could be made self-sacrificing, which mom think would have fit the character with who she was. Over all it was a really great book and we applaud the author for not taking the usually character route.
Over all from the to shorts we read we would definitely tell people to give this book a try for there are definitely some rare jems.
We will start with Much Ado About Twelfth Night by Liz Carlyle. First of we started from the point of view one of the side character which was very interesting. Mom and I are so use to starting books with either one of the main characters POV or sometimes the villains, but never a side character; so mom was pleasantly surprised when we switched from one male to another, are main lead Edward. Secondly mom and I thought it was interesting that Edward’s mason that he had just taken ownership of was literally falling down around him. Edward also has a stable full of racing horses, so of which he does not realize are very valuable racing horses. We than introduced to Lady Sophie, who does understand the value of the horses and is hoping to get Edward to sell her one of the horses in particular because he is of an excellent bloodline. Sophie is a very capable heroine who definitely know her stuff when it comes to horses. Mom and I loved the amount of horse talk that did go on in this book. Anyway, Sophie and her bother go to Edward estate to attend their ‘Aunts’ (I believe she is only an aunt in name, not by blood) birthday celebration. Well there Sophie and Edward of course literally bump into each other and low a behold realize they still very much have feelings for each other but neither one of them wants to act because they are both under the assumption the that they don’t like each other. Later on, as the party is in full swing Edward fallows Sophie out into the garden one night and over hears a conversation he presumes it about him, but is really about the horse Sophie wishes to purchase. Those ensues the most delight misunderstanding. All the characters were wonderful, and for such a short story everything is really well fleshed out. Edward and Sophie are whole and complete characters and watching them unravel their misunderstandings is oh so sweet and delouse.
Mom and I did read a second short story Nightingale by Cathy Maxwell. This was a very interesting story. Dane and Jemma are loves who were separated. They meet up again when they are much older due to Jemma’s brother challenging Dane to a duel. Dane has not honorable way of backing out of the duel and so Jemma decides to offer herself for a night in exchange for Dane losing face and not dueling her brother, but as the night goes on Dane and Jemma come to unravel many things about their past and come to release that they might want a future together. This book had a very interesting character development especially for Jemma. Part of me liked Jemma reason for letting Dane go in that it was self-serving, and Mom really does like the idea of the character having grown up enough realize how much she wanted the Dane. I also do like how the author gave Jemma a chance to prove herself; but Mom also things that Jemma need a little bit more story to completely pull of this arc. Especially for how much it was shown Jemma was caring. Mom could understand if Dane found Jemma to be less caring, but for how much she cared and her reason for leaving Dane just didn’t seem to completely match. The author could have made Jemma be self-serving, but than Jemma need to show it in other aspects of her life, or she could be made self-sacrificing, which mom think would have fit the character with who she was. Over all it was a really great book and we applaud the author for not taking the usually character route.
Over all from the to shorts we read we would definitely tell people to give this book a try for there are definitely some rare jems.
October 15, 2022
I normally enjoy anthologies. This one was a disappointment.
OK – I liked two of the stories. And I was not a huge fan of two of the stories. All of them seemed to move slowly and be rather repetitive.
Every author here is an author I have enjoyed in the past. So, it was disappointing to find that two of these stories did not live up to my expectations. And the other two were just OK.
I am not going to name which is which. Because I respect these writers too much. And besides, I am sure that not every reader will feel the way that I did. If you are a fan of anthologies and these authors, then I suggest you read these stories and make your own decisions.
OK – I liked two of the stories. And I was not a huge fan of two of the stories. All of them seemed to move slowly and be rather repetitive.
Every author here is an author I have enjoyed in the past. So, it was disappointing to find that two of these stories did not live up to my expectations. And the other two were just OK.
I am not going to name which is which. Because I respect these writers too much. And besides, I am sure that not every reader will feel the way that I did. If you are a fan of anthologies and these authors, then I suggest you read these stories and make your own decisions.
December 16, 2017
First read in 2012. At first I marveled at how little I remembered from the stories about lost loves regained. Now I realize it was just a fortnight before I learned I had cancer. That does tend to push more trivial matters out of mind. I have yet to recover my reading stamina from those days, but a new year is coming.
March 28, 2018
I love Victoria Alexander's books. They always entertain me. This book is an anthology. Authors Victoria Alexander,Liz Carlyle, Eloisa James and Cathy Maxwell tell the stories of four people who loved and lost and then love returned again.
August 17, 2023
The last story really sorry of ruined the collection for me. I don't have allot of story for a grown ass man who's still so angry and hurt that his girlfriend broke up with him at 17. Like, my man, you're now fabulously wealthy and in your thirties, get over it.
March 16, 2018
A fun read.
October 24, 2018
Short stories always leave me wanting more.
May 10, 2023
The first two
August 5, 2023
A nice anthology of very well written regency love stories.
September 4, 2023
The Trouble With Charlotte by Victoria Alexander- 3
Much Ado About Twelfth Night by Liz Carlyle-3
A Fool Again by Eloisa James-4
Nightingale by Cathy Maxwell- 3
Much Ado About Twelfth Night by Liz Carlyle-3
A Fool Again by Eloisa James-4
Nightingale by Cathy Maxwell- 3
July 30, 2011
The One That Got Away Anthology
The Authors did an excellent job on these stories. You are not sure who the hero is at first or what direction the story will go. They have one suitor that you think is the main character but then a new one shows up. Or it will seem that their lives have such huge chasms between them that there can be no bridges, but with love there is always a way.
The Trouble With Charlotte by Victoria Alexander
Marcus Pennington is close to falling in love with Charlotte, a widow of six years. He is relaying his story to his friend, Reggie, a month after the incident. Both Reggie and Marcus are from the Effington Series. Just as Marcus shares a wondrous kiss with Charlotte her dead husband walks back into her life. Will she give Hugh Robb a second chance? Another great read from Victoria.
**Sexual situations.
Much Ado About Twelfth Night by Liz Carlyle
The war hardened Edward Addison is now burdened with bringing back Sheridan to it's former glory after his brother Reggie had run it down and put it in debt. As the new Earl it now fell on his shoulders.
Sophie has cared for Edward more then she even realized. He once asked her to marry him eight years ago but she knew like all things, he was doing it out of duty. Now they are heading to a house party at Sheridan and she is hoping to buy a prized racehorse from him that his brother had overpaid for just to have, Twelfth Night.
Between intercommunicating and eavesdropping that was misunderstood Edward and Sophie just don't seem to connect even though they really both want the same thing. Great story.
**Sexual situations.
A Fool Again by Eloisa James
Genevieve had fallen for her neighbor when she was eighteen. Where she was taught to be lady the Darby boys were mischievous and always having fun. So she went off to Gretna Green with Tobias only to be caught by her father before they get there, but not before she was ruined, Tobias never offered for her and she was married off to a stingy old man instead. Now she is a widow but must marry a man of his choosing to keep any inheritance. So she chooses Felton. And then Tobias returns. Can she give up being the sophisticated lady she striven so long for or will the passion between Tobias and her reunite?
**Sexual situations.
Nightingale by Cathy Maxwell
When the love of Sir Dane Pendleton marries another, it sets him on a course that hardened his heart and gained riches. Whereas Jemma ended up in poverty after the death of her husband who did not handle his money well. With all his wealth it seems he is still empty. Can Jemma and Dane find their way back to each other after ten years of choices that took them further apart?
**Sexual situations.
http://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/...
The Authors did an excellent job on these stories. You are not sure who the hero is at first or what direction the story will go. They have one suitor that you think is the main character but then a new one shows up. Or it will seem that their lives have such huge chasms between them that there can be no bridges, but with love there is always a way.
The Trouble With Charlotte by Victoria Alexander
Marcus Pennington is close to falling in love with Charlotte, a widow of six years. He is relaying his story to his friend, Reggie, a month after the incident. Both Reggie and Marcus are from the Effington Series. Just as Marcus shares a wondrous kiss with Charlotte her dead husband walks back into her life. Will she give Hugh Robb a second chance? Another great read from Victoria.
**Sexual situations.
Much Ado About Twelfth Night by Liz Carlyle
The war hardened Edward Addison is now burdened with bringing back Sheridan to it's former glory after his brother Reggie had run it down and put it in debt. As the new Earl it now fell on his shoulders.
Sophie has cared for Edward more then she even realized. He once asked her to marry him eight years ago but she knew like all things, he was doing it out of duty. Now they are heading to a house party at Sheridan and she is hoping to buy a prized racehorse from him that his brother had overpaid for just to have, Twelfth Night.
Between intercommunicating and eavesdropping that was misunderstood Edward and Sophie just don't seem to connect even though they really both want the same thing. Great story.
**Sexual situations.
A Fool Again by Eloisa James
Genevieve had fallen for her neighbor when she was eighteen. Where she was taught to be lady the Darby boys were mischievous and always having fun. So she went off to Gretna Green with Tobias only to be caught by her father before they get there, but not before she was ruined, Tobias never offered for her and she was married off to a stingy old man instead. Now she is a widow but must marry a man of his choosing to keep any inheritance. So she chooses Felton. And then Tobias returns. Can she give up being the sophisticated lady she striven so long for or will the passion between Tobias and her reunite?
**Sexual situations.
Nightingale by Cathy Maxwell
When the love of Sir Dane Pendleton marries another, it sets him on a course that hardened his heart and gained riches. Whereas Jemma ended up in poverty after the death of her husband who did not handle his money well. With all his wealth it seems he is still empty. Can Jemma and Dane find their way back to each other after ten years of choices that took them further apart?
**Sexual situations.
http://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/...
March 26, 2010
Usually I quite enjoy short stories. True, they aren't as well developed as longer romances but still enjoyable. This group (even including three authors I usually like to read) was "meh."
First up was "The Trouble with Charlotte" by Victoria Alexander. In this story, Charlotte Robb is a widow of seven years... except that, in this story, she finds out she isn't so widowed. Her long-presumed-dead husband has shown up just as Charlotte was thinking about finally taking a lover. The husband and Charlotte were like oil and water, they loved hard and fought hard. But he's a new man and she has changed as well. Wish his absence had been more developed and that she had not fallen back into his arms so quickly.
Second story: Much Ado about Twelfth Night by Liz Carlyle. It was okay. Sir Oliver Addison had once proposed to Lady Sophie St. John but she had refused him out of hand. Now, she's been invited to his home to celebrate his grandmother's birthday. She wants to buy a horse, he doesn't realize that and thinks that she is trying to trick him into marriage. It all works out in the end.
Next was "A Fool Again" by Eloisa James. At the beginning, Lady Genevieve Mulcaster is at her husband's funeral. She didn't love him, she had been forced to marry him after a failed elopement. And now, Genevieve has another reason to hate her late husband, he has left a codicil that she must marry one of his two business partners in order to keep the money. Just as she thinks she might be falling in love with one, her old flame shows up and reignites the passion.
Last up, "Nightingale" by Cathy Maxwell. Sir Dane Pendleton and Jemma Carson had enjoyed a youthful romance. But then she married somebody else. Now, Jemma's brother has challenged Dane to a duel and she needs to step in and save him. Passion, passion, passion... and it all works out in the end.
First up was "The Trouble with Charlotte" by Victoria Alexander. In this story, Charlotte Robb is a widow of seven years... except that, in this story, she finds out she isn't so widowed. Her long-presumed-dead husband has shown up just as Charlotte was thinking about finally taking a lover. The husband and Charlotte were like oil and water, they loved hard and fought hard. But he's a new man and she has changed as well. Wish his absence had been more developed and that she had not fallen back into his arms so quickly.
Second story: Much Ado about Twelfth Night by Liz Carlyle. It was okay. Sir Oliver Addison had once proposed to Lady Sophie St. John but she had refused him out of hand. Now, she's been invited to his home to celebrate his grandmother's birthday. She wants to buy a horse, he doesn't realize that and thinks that she is trying to trick him into marriage. It all works out in the end.
Next was "A Fool Again" by Eloisa James. At the beginning, Lady Genevieve Mulcaster is at her husband's funeral. She didn't love him, she had been forced to marry him after a failed elopement. And now, Genevieve has another reason to hate her late husband, he has left a codicil that she must marry one of his two business partners in order to keep the money. Just as she thinks she might be falling in love with one, her old flame shows up and reignites the passion.
Last up, "Nightingale" by Cathy Maxwell. Sir Dane Pendleton and Jemma Carson had enjoyed a youthful romance. But then she married somebody else. Now, Jemma's brother has challenged Dane to a duel and she needs to step in and save him. Passion, passion, passion... and it all works out in the end.
August 5, 2014
A good anthology of stories - most of them enjoyable (if not a bit uncomfortably angsty, because most of the time, if one gets away it's because of a rejection, betrayal or something equally uncomfortable.)
In The Trouble With Charlotte, the heroine nearly got away because the Hero was presumed dead. They'd parted on less than friendly terms and after several years of believing herself a widow, Charlotte decides to get herself a lover, just as her husband returns. In Much Ado About Twelfth Night, the heroine got away when she rejected the Hero's offer of marriage because she figured he was only asking out of duty. So there's some hard feelings there and it makes the heroine cry occasionally. And then there's an amusing little bit of confusion regarding the Hero and a horse. In A Fool Again, we have a sense of betrayal when the H and h elope but are caught before they can marry. Instead of sticking up for her, the Hero lets her father take her back and marry her off. There's some hard feelings between these two as they both remember it quite differently. Nightingale also involves betrayal and rejection. Jemma and Dane were in love, but Jemma, in her youthful stupidity, rejects Dane and CHOOSES to marry another. Dane of course cannot forgive. But in order to save her brother's life, she offers herself to Dane for a night.
As I said, unfcomfortably ansty, but really good.
In The Trouble With Charlotte, the heroine nearly got away because the Hero was presumed dead. They'd parted on less than friendly terms and after several years of believing herself a widow, Charlotte decides to get herself a lover, just as her husband returns. In Much Ado About Twelfth Night, the heroine got away when she rejected the Hero's offer of marriage because she figured he was only asking out of duty. So there's some hard feelings there and it makes the heroine cry occasionally. And then there's an amusing little bit of confusion regarding the Hero and a horse. In A Fool Again, we have a sense of betrayal when the H and h elope but are caught before they can marry. Instead of sticking up for her, the Hero lets her father take her back and marry her off. There's some hard feelings between these two as they both remember it quite differently. Nightingale also involves betrayal and rejection. Jemma and Dane were in love, but Jemma, in her youthful stupidity, rejects Dane and CHOOSES to marry another. Dane of course cannot forgive. But in order to save her brother's life, she offers herself to Dane for a night.
As I said, unfcomfortably ansty, but really good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2016
The Trouble with Charlotte by Victoria Alexander - 3 stars. I was confused where this one was going at the beginning, as the narrative framing device used seemed unnecessary, but I did like the actual story. Sometimes people need to grow up and mature before they can be good spouses.
Much Ado about Twelfth Night by Liz Carlyle - 3 stars. It was nice, but I guess I'm not a big fan of farce in my historical romance. Definitely a talented author, though.
A Fool Again by Eloisa James - 3 stars. A widow gets another chance at the man with whom she almost eloped, but it may mean giving up everything else she has.
Nightingale by Cathy Maxwell - 4 stars. The best story in the whole offering. This one also focuses on a couple who were in love while young that didn't end up together and now are thrown back together when her brother challenges the hero to a duel. The theme of young love not being sufficient for a relationship and the need for adult temperaments. This isn't a theme brought up a lot in Regency romances, typically because the heroines are so young. I find it refreshing, though.
Much Ado about Twelfth Night by Liz Carlyle - 3 stars. It was nice, but I guess I'm not a big fan of farce in my historical romance. Definitely a talented author, though.
A Fool Again by Eloisa James - 3 stars. A widow gets another chance at the man with whom she almost eloped, but it may mean giving up everything else she has.
Nightingale by Cathy Maxwell - 4 stars. The best story in the whole offering. This one also focuses on a couple who were in love while young that didn't end up together and now are thrown back together when her brother challenges the hero to a duel. The theme of young love not being sufficient for a relationship and the need for adult temperaments. This isn't a theme brought up a lot in Regency romances, typically because the heroines are so young. I find it refreshing, though.
August 12, 2011
Victoria Alexander's story is told mostly through the eyes of Marcus...who is not the hero! Why? I don't get it. There was so much of the novella spent building his character and his interaction with the heroine that I thought that he was the hero. I'm guessing he gets his own full-length book, and this novella was used to introduce him, maybe?
Liz Carlyle's was okay, but I didn't like how the hero basically lied to get her to agree to marry him.
Eliosa Jame's story again built up tension between the heroine and a man who was not the hero. The hero himself didn't show up until much later in the story. Since it's a novella, don't misdirect me so much, there isn't time for it!
Cathy Maxwell's turned me off. The characters spent most of the time having angsty "I hate you, come here" sex. Not my thing.
Liz Carlyle's was okay, but I didn't like how the hero basically lied to get her to agree to marry him.
Eliosa Jame's story again built up tension between the heroine and a man who was not the hero. The hero himself didn't show up until much later in the story. Since it's a novella, don't misdirect me so much, there isn't time for it!
Cathy Maxwell's turned me off. The characters spent most of the time having angsty "I hate you, come here" sex. Not my thing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2011
Fun, fun stories. I liked the concept of romances involving loves from the past.
Victoria Alexander's story is about a widow who finds out she is not a widow after all. Charlotte's memory of her marriage is not very favorable but when her husband returns, he is determined to make her change her mind.
Liz Carlyle's story is a comedy of manipulations by an elderly grandmother-type who makes everything work out just as she wants.
In Eloisa James' story a thwarted Gretna Green elopement turned into heartbreak for a young woman, but her suitor reappears and woos her all over again, now that she is a widow. Love Ms. James' wit and humor!
Have not read much of Cathy Maxwell but did like this story of a woman trying to bargain with her old love to save her brother's life.
Victoria Alexander's story is about a widow who finds out she is not a widow after all. Charlotte's memory of her marriage is not very favorable but when her husband returns, he is determined to make her change her mind.
Liz Carlyle's story is a comedy of manipulations by an elderly grandmother-type who makes everything work out just as she wants.
In Eloisa James' story a thwarted Gretna Green elopement turned into heartbreak for a young woman, but her suitor reappears and woos her all over again, now that she is a widow. Love Ms. James' wit and humor!
Have not read much of Cathy Maxwell but did like this story of a woman trying to bargain with her old love to save her brother's life.
Read
May 19, 20111.) The Trouble With Charlotte (Victoria Alexander) Dead Husband returns from war after many years. The least enjoyable of this set.
2.) Much Ado About Twelfth Night (Liz Carlyle) Edward, Sophie, and a Studhorse named Twelfth Night. (Blah on the horse sub-plot).
3.) A Fool Again (Eloisa James) Genevieve & Tobias; more enjoyable than most of EJ's feature-length novels.
4.) Nightingale (Cathy Maxwell) Jemma & Dane; Mercifully short and also enjoyable in comparison to the awful "Christmas" novel she published.
2.) Much Ado About Twelfth Night (Liz Carlyle) Edward, Sophie, and a Studhorse named Twelfth Night. (Blah on the horse sub-plot).
3.) A Fool Again (Eloisa James) Genevieve & Tobias; more enjoyable than most of EJ's feature-length novels.
4.) Nightingale (Cathy Maxwell) Jemma & Dane; Mercifully short and also enjoyable in comparison to the awful "Christmas" novel she published.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2011
A day or two after I read the kindle version of Eloisa James' A Fool Again, I found this book which includes that story. Since I enjoyed the James story, I thought it would be fun to try the other stories it was originally published with. It turns out I liked all of them. I would be hard pressed to tell you which story I liked the best.
Misunderstood intentions, a thwarted elopement, immaturity, parental manipulations, and the mis-identification of a severely wounded man, not to mention the resulting broken hearts are all here for the lovers to overcome.
Misunderstood intentions, a thwarted elopement, immaturity, parental manipulations, and the mis-identification of a severely wounded man, not to mention the resulting broken hearts are all here for the lovers to overcome.
July 24, 2014
I was on a trip recently and found this in the resort's library. I wanted something easy and cute. I thought that this would be a book where each authors' story wove into the next, but it did not. They were all completely separate stories, and since they were so short, kind of hard to really get in to. Not real deep stories, and just okay. Really, much more sex than was necessary, and one of the guys basically tried to rape the girl, which was just totally ridiculous...that was a real turn-off.
February 8, 2024
2024-I thought all 4 short stories interesting, passionate romances. Rating them individually I would give Victoria Alexander & Eloisa James' stories a 4.5. Would be hard to give such a short story a 5. All 4 are less than 100 pages. Liz Carlyle's story I rated a 4. Cathy Maxwell's story was the shortest and had an angry H. The other stories were entertaining, hers was an unhappy story so only got a 3 rating.
2026-update: I've read all 4 stories again, for the third time. I thought all four were good and would rate them 4 stars or higher.
2026-update: I've read all 4 stories again, for the third time. I thought all four were good and would rate them 4 stars or higher.
August 6, 2014
Fortunately, they get found again.
Fortunately, they get found again.
Four interesting takes on love gone astray. Each ends with things right-sign-up again with much drama and laughter in between. Good stories for a nice break.
Fortunately, they get found again.
Four interesting takes on love gone astray. Each ends with things right-sign-up again with much drama and laughter in between. Good stories for a nice break.
October 12, 2014
This is a collection of 3 novellas by different authors, all featuring a second chance at a lost love. They were fine escape reads, although the third book has an unnecessary and unpleasant rape scene.
December 9, 2015
Super fun, quick and easy. Novellas force condensed story lines, broad brush characters, and explain the heavy use of romance stereotypes but I really enjoyed it anyway. (I've also decided there's nothing wrong with a stereotype if it's fun
March 14, 2009
Also predictable romances, although it is nice to read about the back stories of characters who later star in their own book.
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