Three sensual, witty, and sigh-worthy happy-ever-afters featuring Wallflowers following a guide to seducing the heart of rakes and rogues of the ton...
A Wallflower’s Kiss by Eva Devon
Lady Ophelia is the last of her sisters to be unmarried! She knows she has to find a husband, but she's been on the shelf for three seasons. When she finds a mysterious guide in Hatchards she forms a plan!
It just so happens that her brother's best friend is happy to help her practice the instructions in the guide. Until they're caught of course! Can the guide lead to happy ever after, or will scandal ruin Lady Ophelia's chances?
A Brazen Agreement by Tamara Gill
Miss Sutton Howard needs to marry, and soon, there are only so many years a lady can endure the title of Wallflower. After a disappointing first season and the many that followed, her sixth will be her last and most successful. The Wallflowers Guide will ensure her season ends well. All she needs to do is find a gentleman suitable to be her husband.
Logan Carleton, Earl Jersey, knows it’s time to find a wife, if only the one woman he had lost through no fault of his own several years ago, wasn’t still on the market and complicating his life in London. Their bickering is no use, and before they cause another scandal, they must work together to gain what they both desire, spouses, just not with each other. But when two people are thrown together with an entwined history, complications arise, along with desires that may not be smothered a second time no matter how hard they try.
A Duke at Midnight by Stacy Reid
Miss Sarah Bellamy hopes to meet a gentleman at midnight, before she settles into the respectable and lonely life of a governess to two little girls. And her dreams come true. In the dark of the night, she is willingly seduced by a devastatingly handsome gentleman.
One night of bliss to discover he is not only a Duke but her future employer. A difficult adjustment to be so near and yet so far from the man of her dreams. She tries to suppress all hopes of more but finds herself inexorably drawn to the one man she knows she cannot have…
This short story (or novelette?) has HPlandia vibes so of course I liked it! 😍😍 There were minor flaws bothered me but I think it was still understandable since it was SO short so I couldn't expect more from this one. Just wished it had been longer 😕
Three quick, fast, easy reads. All well written for sure but my favorite is the Stacy Reid one, even though it has a rushed ending. But Anthology problems I guess?
I don't know why I torture myself with substandard anthologies, but apparently, I do, so here goes the review.
I read it for two reasons - 1. Wallflowers (Who doesn't love them?) 2. Stacy Reid (Because, Stacy Reid)
1. The Wallflower's Kiss by Eva Devon - Started out cute with a sibling's best friend trope, went to compromised - caught - ruined - wedded trope, all with the aid of this magical Wallflower's Guide to Becoming a Bride book. Languished enough for me to skim towards the end. Good premise, bad execution.
2. A Brazen Agreement by Tamara Gill - I hate second chancers born out of silly misunderstanding, and in this case, it was a useless misunderstanding. Predictable and repetitive, hence boring. For a ten chapter novella, the incident that happened six years ago was mentioned twenty-six times. Yes, I counted.
3. A Duke at Midnight by Stacy Reid - I had high hopes for this one, but the hero was a little bit of an asshole. But I do enjoy Ms Reid's writing. Predictable plot, nice heroine, great steam!
An entertaining anthology - I love anything wallflower related so it is no surprised I enjoyed each story. A Duke at Midnight by Stacy Reid was my favorite and I wish it was full book.
A Wallflower’s Kiss by Eva Devon This wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t what I look for in wallflower stories. There is almost a dash of insecurity, but it’s really just the heroine asking herself “he could never love me, could he?” a couple of times and saying that she’s not beautiful - no angst, which is what makes me read HRs. Really, Ophelia is quite confident in who she is and isn’t worried about marrying Peter; she takes an attitude of “I won’t settle for anything less than love.” There’s basically no conflict in the story, which some people might enjoy, but I like the drama. And it’s kinda instalove-y, which comes with the short story format, but it’s still not really my thing (though I did like the “unrequited” piece, even if it did fall by the wayside). There is some steam, but it’s not graphic, and the last chapter is mostly romantic declarations. It’s sweet, but that’s not really what I look for in wallflower/spinster books (2.5 stars)
A Brazen Agreement by Tamara Gill This has a delicious setup, but the delivery didn't make the most of it IMO. There are a bunch of inconsistencies, from continuity (she has a full dance card, but later is free to dance with the hero) to character attitudes and beliefs (the hero goes back and forth between insisting that the heroine learn the truth, to keeping the secret o protect her). If the story had been longer, the main characters' mood swings between wanting nothing to do with eachother (though why is he so mad at her exactly?) to coming up with flimsy excuses to spend time together might have come across as inner turmoil, but here it feels like whiplash and more inconsistency. A bit too much repeated inner monologue instead of showing - like, I loved how the hero had a moment of distress realizing how the heroine had been humiliated when he sees her be acosted by a guy at a ball, THAT is how I want my angst, not from internal wishy-washiness. (2 stars)
A Duke at Midnight by Stacy Reid I liked this one the best of the bunch. A nice dose of angst with the hero hurting the heroine and having to win her back. A brief mention of her being plain but it doesn’t play much of a role in the tale, though the heroine has a couple of dashes of insecurity. Good stuff! (3 stars)
Three of my favourite romance book authors have combined to write an appealing book that focuses on a mysterious book that purports to act as a guide for a wallflower to find a bride. Although some may find the discovery of the book and the subsequent tales unlikely, I loved the tales and wish that there was a sequel in the works. Books that focus on Wallflowers finding their happily ever after are some of my favourites and this met that criteria perfectly.
I love these 3 authors. I'm glad they had a collaboration but hate it too because each story was so short. Knowing these authors they would have gotten such great depth of characters. So Damn good. I think A Duke at Midnight was my favorite!!!
The first story was meh. Second one was okay. I liked the third best out of the bunch. I would say a 2.5, but rounded down because overall it was a meh.
Well this was a major disappointment. I was expecting more from this anthology as I’ve read from 2 of these authors before, but it just feel flat. I did really like the premise for the anthology, each novella is centered around a wallflower finding a book (A Wallflower’s Guide to Becoming a Bride) hidden away at a local bookshop (or hearing about it from another lady). They then use things they learn from the guide to find themselves husbands. So yeah, liked the premise but then each story had little character development, little plot, and just were sadly not interesting.
The Wallflower’s Kiss by Eva Devon is a brother’s best friend romance. The heroine is the daughter of an Earl who doesn’t like balls, dinners or anywhere really she has to put on a conversation as she doesn’t excel well with company. A confirmed wallflower after 3 years on the marriage mart. Hero is an Earl and her brother’s best friend who sees her in a new light.
A Brazen Agreement by Tamara Gill, the heroine in this one is on her 6th season when she finally gets herself an Earl.
A Duke at Midnight by Stacy Reid was the steamiest of the 3 with the couple getting together early on in the read. They later realize she’s hired to care for the widowed Duke’s daughters and things get complicated. This one had the most abrupt ending.
1. THE WALLFLOWER’S KISS by Eva Devon 3.5 Stars
The story started how good but I wanted this couple to have more to do with the book.
I didn’t feel any great connection to them. Both are likable character’s but they are thrown into marriage and everything seemed rushed. I did enjoy their honest and straight forward talks. I wanted to know how the younger sister felt having her party ruined.
Lovemaking within marriage - heat level 2.5 out of 5 stars if that. No cheating, no cliffhanger, HEA, little on romance and a tad of spice.
2. A BRAZEN AGREEMENT by Tamara Gill - 4 stars
A deception 6 years ago kept the H/h apart when they should have been together. The h didn’t believe the H when she was made a fool of by the Ton. He had no part in the nasty comments about her and she turned her love for him to hate. The H was so disappointed the h didn’t believe him.
He reappears after 6 years and they both begin a path to heal past hurts. The villain who was responsible for the remarks is known early but isn’t found out til over 2/3rds into the story. The book was more of a help to our h.
There is lovemaking and foreplay prior to marriage, heat level 4 out of 5.
No cheating, no cliffhanger, bumpy road to HEA, some romance and some steam. We get an epilogue 1 year in the future. I wanted to know if the h repaired her relationship with the villain. (ljb).
3. A DUKE AT MIDNIGHT by Stacy Reid - 5 Stars
Parts maybe somewhat far fetched but I enjoyed their journey to HEA no matter how it happened.
I loved the spunk of the h and the book came through for her too. She feels like she is part of the scenery and no-one sees her. She gets some gumption and goes to a masquerade where she meets the H. After spending hours together they go their separate ways.
Lovemaking outside of marriage heat level 4 out of 5.
I wished this had an epilogue because I wanted to see even a tad into their future. No cheating, no cliffhanger, romance, HEA and steam. (ljb)
I enjoyed the heck out of this book! I love anthologies, and each of these three unique stories stood on its own, but the whole was very cohesive. In a book hidden inside a bookstore, wallflowers like our heroines find the unorthodox advice they need to land a much needed husband back in London's restrictive Victorian era. Unless a woman without a huge dowry wants to be a governess or elderly lady's companion, there isn't much available to them.
It begins with a shy bookworm who never thought her childhood crush noticed her as anything other than his best friend's little sister--and she was right until she began reading the book and 'experimenting' on him. I won't review each story and author separately. Just know the stories all ALL well written, unique, and compliment each other well.
Three lovely stories about a secret book (A Wallflower’s Guide to Becoming a Bride) that leads to passion and HEA’s. 4 stars each.
1: The Wallflower’s Kiss by Eva Devon In search for a husband after her third year as a wallflower, Ophelia discovers this book, a guide, on how to seduce a man. She decides to practice on her brother’s best friend Peter. It will not go as planned ….
2: A Brazen Agreement by Tamara Gill Sutton feels betrayed by her brother’s best friend Logan. But was it really his fault that she become a wallflower because of all the gossip? When they meet again after six years, things become more clear.
3: A Duke at Midnight by Stacy Reid This one is about Sarah and Robert, having a night of passion at a midnight masquerade ball. They think they won’t see the other ever again. Until Sarah starts her new job as a governess of two little girls.
Generally steamy ; three short stories for quick reading, more like Ginger snaps for a quick snack and reading . The first couple are best friend of brother. They get caught together inadvertently so the brother and friend arrange a marriage. The new wife makes an effort to know her husband's interests. Such as music and her mutual interest in books. The second couple is 2nd chance where private letters get circulated. Eventually the truth comes out and they reconcile. Sarah and the Duke meet for one night but meet later and form a relationship suitable for marriage.
All three novellas of this book have a very intriguing premise, the existence of a mysterious book, The Wallflower’s Guide to Becoming a Bride, hidden in a back shelf in a London bookshop. The book helps our three heroines to find their happily ever afters with its unusual recommendations. I loved all three stories, which are very different from one another and each captivating in its own way. The authors made a good job at creating lively and interesting characters and stories that have an remarkable narrative arc in the span of relatively few pages. Novellas are certainly more difficult to write than full-length novels and these were exceptionally well written.
Three stories, three tropes- my brother's best friend suddenly noticed I'm a girl, miscommunication estranged us, and one stand becomes the employee. Out of the three stories I preferred the Brazen Bride the best. Despite my dislike of her brother's actions, the conversations between Logan and Sutton were full of chemistry and sarcasm. It made reading it enjoyable and I smiled often. Sarah and Roberts story was nice, if a little predictable in places. And the garden scene was delicious.
5 STARS for each of the 3 STORIES, REGENCY ROMANCE DRAMA
5 STARS to the genius of 3 authors who are beloved in the recency & other worlds of romance drama. 1 Novella from each based on a Lady finding a book to read & following it, a guide to wallflowers regardless of age etc. I loved each delicious Novella & felt the order they were in felt right.
Wallflowers, romance, & love awaits grab your copy now!
Rarely do I find novellas fulfilling as much as these did. Each story told of a different type of romance and had me completely enthralled. The first two stories were wonderful but the third one had me wishing there was a sequel. I really loved reading these stories. Satisfying and Fulfilling. I highly recommend them.
Reasons I enjoyed this book: Easy-to-read Entertaining Funny Happily Ever After Inspirational Page-turner Romantic Realistic Unpredictable Whimsical Wonderful characters
The romantic stories of three wallflowers who follow the advice of A WALLFLOWER'S GUIDE TO BECOMING A BRIDE. Three gentlemen are totally surprised when they discover their wallflower is more than what she seems. Enchanting, steamy and each story written by three of my favorite authors.
I was disappointed. Three stories. One worth 3.5 stars, one worth 3 stars and one worth one star. Sometimes these anthologies can be great fun with intricate and clever plots knitted into interesting short stories. Along with characters that leap from the page. Not so here.
Throughly enjoyed reading all three novellas, it is a shame that they were not even more interlinked by a friendship group of wallflowers where each story could have loosely intersected with each other as the book was passed from one wallflower to another. Otherwise each story was a delight and easy to read.
This was a great anthology of short stories by historical romance authors. My favorite was by Stacey Reid. I always love a wallflower that gets the guy in the end. What is even better is when the wallflower takes her happiness and sexuality into her own hands and gets the same guy in the end.
This was a quick and utterly perfect story. You won't be sorry you picked this up!
Sadly I found each of these to be in need of a good editor. They are either intensely overwritten and littered with repetitive emotional exposition. The device of the book is a clever one and deserves a more detailed book with character development and some depth. The last story is the best. Read for amusement, don’t expect much.
3.5. There's a hidden book in the local bookshop: A Wallflower's Guide to Becoming a Bride. If you stumble on it, or are pointed towards it, you will make a surprisingly good match. Overall charming--I liked the different ways the marriages unfolded. My favorite was the one by Stacy Reid, who managed to make her novella feel like a novel with excellent pacing and emotions.
Three fun stories that feature a wallflower looking for love. One is a story about a surprise attraction between a pair that has known each other for years and being caught in a compromising situation. The second story is a second chance romance. The last story was a chance meeting romance . All three were well written good romances.
The stories about wallflowers is usually my first pick when one comes. I really enjoyed these three novellas. Two were new authors to me. I’m so looking forward to the next round of wallflowers.
This is a delightfully crafted collection of three short stories, by three of my favorite authors. The plot have some steamy passages, and all the characters have a journey of mistrust to overcome before finding their happiness.
I enjoyed all three short stories about Wall flowers and their struggles with society. I enjoyed losing myself in old times and living life through someone else. I look forward to reading more stories from these authors.
I really enjoyed reading this book by multiple great authors and each story was a very HEA. They all were about a guide book about finding your mate. I highly recommend this book! 👍👍👍👍❤❤❤❤