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Coulters Historical #1.5
The True Love Wedding Dress
Long ago, a poor servant girl created an exquisite wedding gown for her haughty mistress, who was to marry the man that the girl loved with all her heart. Though tempted to stop the marriage using her secret magical skills, she instead ensured the groom's happiness by enchanting the dress so that whoever possessed it would be blessed with true love.
But the spell went delightfully awry, working its magic for the servant girl instead of her mistress—and then the dress mysteriously vanished.
Who knows where or when it may turn up next, for some blushing bride to claim as her very own?
But the spell went delightfully awry, working its magic for the servant girl instead of her mistress—and then the dress mysteriously vanished.
Who knows where or when it may turn up next, for some blushing bride to claim as her very own?
359 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
10 people are currently reading
623 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Anderson
102 books2,959 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
(1)romance author:
Adeline Catherine was born and raised in Grants Pass, Oregon, USA. She always yearned to be a writer like her mother. The morning that one of her professors asked if she could use samples of Catherine’s creative writing on an overhead projector to teach was a dream come true. In 1988, she sold her first book to Harlequin Intrigue and went on to write three more before she tried her hand at a single-title historical romance. Nine books later, she did her first single-title contemporary.
Catherine married Sidney D. Anderson, an industrial electrician and entrepreneur. They had two sons, Sidney D. Jr. and John G. In 2001 she and her husband purchased a central Oregon home located on a ridge with incredible mountain views and surrounded by forestland honeycombed with trails. It was her dream home, a wonderland in the winter and beyond beautiful in the summer. She named it Cinnamon Ridge after the huge ponderosa pines on the property, which sport bark the color of cinnamon.
Sadly, Catherine lost her husband to a long-term illness in 2014. She has kept Cinnamon Ridge as her primary residence but divides her time between there and her son John's farm, where she has the support of her loved ones and can enjoy his horses, cows, and raise her own chickens.
Catherine loves animals and birds, both wild and domestic. She presently has two Australian shepherds, six cats, and a very old canary. She is very family oriented as well. Her older son has lived in Japan, Australia, and now resides in New Zealand. Catherine and her stateside family will celebrate Christmas on the north island with Sidney, his wife Mary, and their two sons, Liam and Jonas.
(1)romance author:
Adeline Catherine was born and raised in Grants Pass, Oregon, USA. She always yearned to be a writer like her mother. The morning that one of her professors asked if she could use samples of Catherine’s creative writing on an overhead projector to teach was a dream come true. In 1988, she sold her first book to Harlequin Intrigue and went on to write three more before she tried her hand at a single-title historical romance. Nine books later, she did her first single-title contemporary.
Catherine married Sidney D. Anderson, an industrial electrician and entrepreneur. They had two sons, Sidney D. Jr. and John G. In 2001 she and her husband purchased a central Oregon home located on a ridge with incredible mountain views and surrounded by forestland honeycombed with trails. It was her dream home, a wonderland in the winter and beyond beautiful in the summer. She named it Cinnamon Ridge after the huge ponderosa pines on the property, which sport bark the color of cinnamon.
Sadly, Catherine lost her husband to a long-term illness in 2014. She has kept Cinnamon Ridge as her primary residence but divides her time between there and her son John's farm, where she has the support of her loved ones and can enjoy his horses, cows, and raise her own chickens.
Catherine loves animals and birds, both wild and domestic. She presently has two Australian shepherds, six cats, and a very old canary. She is very family oriented as well. Her older son has lived in Japan, Australia, and now resides in New Zealand. Catherine and her stateside family will celebrate Christmas on the north island with Sidney, his wife Mary, and their two sons, Liam and Jonas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
January 9, 2016
I enjoyed all the stories in this volume. The Casey Claybourne story was 4 stars, but the rest were 5 star stories. This collection reminded me that I've been negligent in reading two of my favorite authors, Connie Brockway and Catherine Anderson.
I'm feeling a little lazy, so this won't be a long review. This is what I thought of each story:
The concept of this story collection was nice, a lovestruck Highland Scottish seamstress (who had been disrupted from her lands by the Highland Clearances) forced to make the bridal dress for her beloved's wedding to an Englishwoman, who decides to use her hereditary sorcery to help women in the future have a happy wedding and marriage, since it's clear she'll be denied that future. This is the prologue written by Catherine Anderson. It's very short, but I liked that she got her happy ending with her true love.
Barbara Metzger story was a traditional regency, with a marriage-shy Viscount (his first wife cheated on him after giving birth to their son, dying in the arms of her lover) tasked with investigating the family of his nephew's intended. He ends up meeting the mother of the bride and falling in love with her. Poor Katie was betrayed many years ago, and never got a wedding, although she did have a child to raise. She's made lemonade out of lemons and raised her daughter very well. Now, she wants to see her daughter happily wed in a lovely wedding gown--the one she would have worn to her own wedding, had her fiance not been killed running off from the wedding. The gown chose her and wouldn't settle with being worn by the daughter. I enjoyed the humor in this story. The hero, Viscount Forde is a pompous lordly character, who is about to find true love for the first time in his life, and in an unlikely place, with a country-dwelling 'widow.' This was a fun story with good humor.
Connie Brockway's writing is like enjoying a decadent dessert, full of rich flavor that engages the senses. She is wonderfully descriptive, and has a deft, refined ease to her storytelling. I fell in love with her couple, rooting for Alex and Lucy to get back together after their mutual pride and fears drove them apart two years ago, when Alex went off to war. I was sent into an advanced state of drooling adoration by the deliciousness of Alex, battle-scarred, yet resolute to reclaim Lucy's heart, even to the point of parading around the street of Pall Mall in the wedding dress, which magically fit his 6'4" tall, muscular, broad body. I asked myself why have I stayed away so long from this lovely woman's writing. I am so glad I have several of her books in my collection to indulge myself in. Definitely my favorite in this volume.
Casey Claybourne's story was good. I didn't get emotionally engaged though. That's crucial for me, and it's the dividing line between a 4 star and a 5 star read. It was a nice read, and I did like the fact that the daughter of the hero brought this couple together, and the wedding dress was there for this heroine to aid her in getting her wedding to the man of her dreams.
Catherine Anderson struck gold again with her story. It's about Patrick, who is the brother of Kaitlin, from Keegan's Lady. He's simply irresistible, as most of Catherine Anderson's heroes are. He takes in Faith and her daughter Caitlin, who are on the run from Faith's nasty father, who's trying to barter her into yet another marriage, when Faith gets the wedding dress from a peddler, and sees an announcement in a window for a housekeeper. Patrick is actually a better housekeeper than Faith (she was trained in being a lady, but little else), but he's not about to let her end up working in a bawdy house, because there aren't many other options in No Name. Instead, he gives her some on the job training, and they both take lessons in love together. Ms. Anderson managed to pack quite a punch with this short story, and it reminded me to get back into her books, since I'm way behind on her.
The epilogue is also written by Catherine Anderson, and it's very sweet. There's hope for a poor mother who has the weight of the world on her shoulders. The wedding dress is there, yet again, to bring luck and love into her life.
The True Love Wedding Dress turned out to be a pleasant read, full of hope and the magic of true love coming to fruition, with the help of an enchanted wedding dress. It's nice to read books that make smile, and this book did that for me.
I'm feeling a little lazy, so this won't be a long review. This is what I thought of each story:
The concept of this story collection was nice, a lovestruck Highland Scottish seamstress (who had been disrupted from her lands by the Highland Clearances) forced to make the bridal dress for her beloved's wedding to an Englishwoman, who decides to use her hereditary sorcery to help women in the future have a happy wedding and marriage, since it's clear she'll be denied that future. This is the prologue written by Catherine Anderson. It's very short, but I liked that she got her happy ending with her true love.
Barbara Metzger story was a traditional regency, with a marriage-shy Viscount (his first wife cheated on him after giving birth to their son, dying in the arms of her lover) tasked with investigating the family of his nephew's intended. He ends up meeting the mother of the bride and falling in love with her. Poor Katie was betrayed many years ago, and never got a wedding, although she did have a child to raise. She's made lemonade out of lemons and raised her daughter very well. Now, she wants to see her daughter happily wed in a lovely wedding gown--the one she would have worn to her own wedding, had her fiance not been killed running off from the wedding. The gown chose her and wouldn't settle with being worn by the daughter. I enjoyed the humor in this story. The hero, Viscount Forde is a pompous lordly character, who is about to find true love for the first time in his life, and in an unlikely place, with a country-dwelling 'widow.' This was a fun story with good humor.
Connie Brockway's writing is like enjoying a decadent dessert, full of rich flavor that engages the senses. She is wonderfully descriptive, and has a deft, refined ease to her storytelling. I fell in love with her couple, rooting for Alex and Lucy to get back together after their mutual pride and fears drove them apart two years ago, when Alex went off to war. I was sent into an advanced state of drooling adoration by the deliciousness of Alex, battle-scarred, yet resolute to reclaim Lucy's heart, even to the point of parading around the street of Pall Mall in the wedding dress, which magically fit his 6'4" tall, muscular, broad body. I asked myself why have I stayed away so long from this lovely woman's writing. I am so glad I have several of her books in my collection to indulge myself in. Definitely my favorite in this volume.
Casey Claybourne's story was good. I didn't get emotionally engaged though. That's crucial for me, and it's the dividing line between a 4 star and a 5 star read. It was a nice read, and I did like the fact that the daughter of the hero brought this couple together, and the wedding dress was there for this heroine to aid her in getting her wedding to the man of her dreams.
Catherine Anderson struck gold again with her story. It's about Patrick, who is the brother of Kaitlin, from Keegan's Lady. He's simply irresistible, as most of Catherine Anderson's heroes are. He takes in Faith and her daughter Caitlin, who are on the run from Faith's nasty father, who's trying to barter her into yet another marriage, when Faith gets the wedding dress from a peddler, and sees an announcement in a window for a housekeeper. Patrick is actually a better housekeeper than Faith (she was trained in being a lady, but little else), but he's not about to let her end up working in a bawdy house, because there aren't many other options in No Name. Instead, he gives her some on the job training, and they both take lessons in love together. Ms. Anderson managed to pack quite a punch with this short story, and it reminded me to get back into her books, since I'm way behind on her.
The epilogue is also written by Catherine Anderson, and it's very sweet. There's hope for a poor mother who has the weight of the world on her shoulders. The wedding dress is there, yet again, to bring luck and love into her life.
The True Love Wedding Dress turned out to be a pleasant read, full of hope and the magic of true love coming to fruition, with the help of an enchanted wedding dress. It's nice to read books that make smile, and this book did that for me.
March 29, 2010
This review is only for Catherine Anderson's "Beautiful Gifts"
Having just read all the available full length books in Anderson's Coulter's Historicals series, I decided to finish up the series by reading the lone short story in the bunch. Beautiful Gifts is Colorado rancher Patrick O'Shannessy's story. Patrick is the brother of Caitlin, who married former gunslinger/gambler Ace Keegan in her story, Keegan's Lady. In that book Patrick was a troublemaking, troubled, hard drinking pain in the butt who caused a lot of problems between Caitlin and her future husband Ace. But when Patrick wasn't drinking he was an okay guy, and a wonderfully protective brother. This book picks up two years later and I'm happy to say that the 22 year-old Patrick has straightened himself out, quit his drinking, and is a stand up guy, though still a bit troubled and ashamed of his late father's criminal, drunken past.
Patrick's living alone on his small ranch now, and is in need of a housekeeper. He's thinking along the lines of a sturdy, older woman, but what shows up on his doorstep is a bedraggled, though beautiful, refined young woman from Brooklyn, NY, with a six year old daughter. Faith Randolph's on the run from her manipulative, overbearing father who wants to set her up in another (her first husband died) arranged marriage to a man she doesn't love, solely to enhance his business dealings. Faith wants no part of another loveless marriage and takes off with young daughter Charity in tow, only to have her money stolen before she can get to her destination of San Francisco. Now she's stranded in No Name, Colorado, with not a penny to her name, eating scraps out of garbage cans, and faced with the prospect of getting a job as a 'saloon girl'. Until she meets a peddler who gives her a magical wedding dress, and she notices a previously unseen 'help wanted' sign in a store window...She sets out on foot for the O'Shannessey ranch, hoping to land the advertised housekeeper job. So what if she's never really done any 'housekeeping' in her life (she's always had servants)--how hard could it be?
The story progresses from there with the super refined Faith being attracted to the rugged, masculine Patrick, even though his language and manners are far from polished. They are complete opposites in upbringing, but each are attracted to the other. Patrick teaches Faith all she needs to know about milking cows, slopping pigs, churning butter and keeping house, and after a few days Faith takes to ranching life like a duck to water. Finally, she feels free of her formerly restricted life that was based on appearances and doing and saying the right thing. She also feels a sense of accomplishment for actually knowing how to do things. Along the way Patrick and Faith lose their hearts to each other (PG love scenes), but you know trouble is right around the bend as Faith's father is sure to track her down and drag her back to NY.
Not a bad little story. I wasn't that thrilled with Patrick in Keegan's Lady and wasn't that gung-ho on reading his story but I'm glad I did. CA turned him around and made him into a rather desirable hero who was patient, kind and loving, and not afraid to stand up to Faith's father. There's a nice little HEA, and appearances by Caitlin and Ace, and the rest of the Paxton brothers.
Although I haven't read the rest of the stories in this book (hopefully, one day!) they all center around this sort of magical wedding dress that a young Scottish girl created in the 18th century. I don't know how the other stories played out, but in this story the dress definitely played a part in Faith's future happiness. Fan's of the Coulter Historicals, you'll want to read this one not only to complete the series (which isn't over just yet), but to find out if Patrick really quit drinking and got his life together. 4 stars
Having just read all the available full length books in Anderson's Coulter's Historicals series, I decided to finish up the series by reading the lone short story in the bunch. Beautiful Gifts is Colorado rancher Patrick O'Shannessy's story. Patrick is the brother of Caitlin, who married former gunslinger/gambler Ace Keegan in her story, Keegan's Lady. In that book Patrick was a troublemaking, troubled, hard drinking pain in the butt who caused a lot of problems between Caitlin and her future husband Ace. But when Patrick wasn't drinking he was an okay guy, and a wonderfully protective brother. This book picks up two years later and I'm happy to say that the 22 year-old Patrick has straightened himself out, quit his drinking, and is a stand up guy, though still a bit troubled and ashamed of his late father's criminal, drunken past.
Patrick's living alone on his small ranch now, and is in need of a housekeeper. He's thinking along the lines of a sturdy, older woman, but what shows up on his doorstep is a bedraggled, though beautiful, refined young woman from Brooklyn, NY, with a six year old daughter. Faith Randolph's on the run from her manipulative, overbearing father who wants to set her up in another (her first husband died) arranged marriage to a man she doesn't love, solely to enhance his business dealings. Faith wants no part of another loveless marriage and takes off with young daughter Charity in tow, only to have her money stolen before she can get to her destination of San Francisco. Now she's stranded in No Name, Colorado, with not a penny to her name, eating scraps out of garbage cans, and faced with the prospect of getting a job as a 'saloon girl'. Until she meets a peddler who gives her a magical wedding dress, and she notices a previously unseen 'help wanted' sign in a store window...She sets out on foot for the O'Shannessey ranch, hoping to land the advertised housekeeper job. So what if she's never really done any 'housekeeping' in her life (she's always had servants)--how hard could it be?
The story progresses from there with the super refined Faith being attracted to the rugged, masculine Patrick, even though his language and manners are far from polished. They are complete opposites in upbringing, but each are attracted to the other. Patrick teaches Faith all she needs to know about milking cows, slopping pigs, churning butter and keeping house, and after a few days Faith takes to ranching life like a duck to water. Finally, she feels free of her formerly restricted life that was based on appearances and doing and saying the right thing. She also feels a sense of accomplishment for actually knowing how to do things. Along the way Patrick and Faith lose their hearts to each other (PG love scenes), but you know trouble is right around the bend as Faith's father is sure to track her down and drag her back to NY.
Not a bad little story. I wasn't that thrilled with Patrick in Keegan's Lady and wasn't that gung-ho on reading his story but I'm glad I did. CA turned him around and made him into a rather desirable hero who was patient, kind and loving, and not afraid to stand up to Faith's father. There's a nice little HEA, and appearances by Caitlin and Ace, and the rest of the Paxton brothers.
Although I haven't read the rest of the stories in this book (hopefully, one day!) they all center around this sort of magical wedding dress that a young Scottish girl created in the 18th century. I don't know how the other stories played out, but in this story the dress definitely played a part in Faith's future happiness. Fan's of the Coulter Historicals, you'll want to read this one not only to complete the series (which isn't over just yet), but to find out if Patrick really quit drinking and got his life together. 4 stars
October 13, 2008
Reviewed for www.thcreviews.com
I really like the premise of this quartet of romantic novellas. The book's prologue written by Catherine Anderson was an intriguing beginning to the story, but it left me with many questions about the gown's creator and her one true love. I had hoped that those questions would be answered as the stories progressed, but that was not to be the case.
A Perfect Fit by Barbara Metzger – A Perfect Fit was very much a traditional Regency romance, probably in a similar vein as Georgette Heyer (though I admit that I have yet to read any of her books). The story had classic Regency plotting and lots of authentic words and phrases which gives the reader the feel of actually being in the Regency period. In addition, although it had some mild sexual tension, it was completely non-explicit, making it suitable for both younger and more sensitive romance readers. For a short story, I thought the characters were nicely developed. My only complaint would be that there were a few too many of them, and I found myself occasionally loosing track of who was who. Forde and Katie were both very likable, as were nearly all of the characters in the story, although I can't say that I found myself connecting on a deep emotional level with anyone. In my opinion, there were only a couple of exceptions in this otherwise “nice” cast, with one being Katie's daughter, Susannah, who I thought acted rather spoiled and ungracious, but she did mature a bit by the end. The other was Susannah's future mother-in-law who was a rather prim and snobbish member of the ton, but I believe was meant to be an extreme caricature, who added some mild comic relief. The romance was very sweet, but I felt that the ending was a bit rushed. Throughout most of the story, Forde and Katie were sizing each other up and dealing with wedding woes and eccentric relatives. I didn't really feel that it left enough time for them to believably fall in love. All of that happened in a few paragraphs at the end. Overall though, I found A Perfect Fit to be a pleasant, if predictable, read that was not a bad way to spend a few hours of my time. This novella was my first story by Barbara Metzger, but I found it enjoyable enough to leave me open to trying more of her works in the future. Rating: ***1/2
Glad Rags by Connie Brockway – Glad Rags was a combination romantic comedy and reunion romance, both of which I usually enjoy, but this tale fell flat for me on both counts. I consider myself to have a pretty good sense of humor, but I thought this story was just rather silly. The author tries to build a case that Alex is a very attractive man and an honorable war hero, but I just couldn't get past the ridiculous notion of him being dressed in drag for more than half the narrative. Granted he had a decent reason, that of a lost bet, but it still came off as rather juvenile humor to me. I smiled in amusement maybe a couple of times, but the rest of the time, I was, for the most part, doing a lot of eye rolling. Since Alex and Lucy had been separated for two years, in part due to Alex's service in the Crimean War, I thought there might at least be something for me grasp with their reunion, but I was sadly mistaken. I found the reasons for their separation to be mainly selfish and prideful and brought about by rather absurd miscommunications that could have been easily resolved with a simple heart-to-heart conversation. Once they do reunite, things move far too quickly, for the most part fueled by physical desire. In spite of their declaration of undying love, I never really felt any emotional connection between the two characters. I ended the story never feeling like their old issues were ever truly resolved. They just continued to argue and vie for control in the relationship for the whole novella, which did not leave me with the feeling that these two could have a lasting happily-ever-after. Considering that the anthology is about a wedding dress, I have to admit that I was also disappointed that this story did not even contain a wedding. Admittedly, having the guy wear the wedding dress was an interesting twist, but it just didn't work for me. In the end, I simply felt that the beautiful wedding gown that is supposed to be the centerpiece of these novellas deserved a much better story. This was my first read by Connie Brockway, and as I've heard some positive things about her writing, I will try to reserve judgment on her talents until I've read something else that will hopefully be better than this, in my opinion, woefully underdeveloped farce. Rating: **1/2
Something Special by Casey Claybourne – I do hope readers will forgive my triteness, but I have to say that I found Something Special to truly be “something special.” It was a sweet romance that was very enjoyable to read. Unlike the first two novellas in this anthology, I actually found myself looking forward to picking it up again each time I had to put it down. I thought that the plot was very tight and the characters were very likable. I am not usually drawn to not-so-bright heroines, but Penny was a real sweetheart. It didn't take me long to realize that she was really a product of a lack of education rather than a lack of intelligence. Penny was very street-smart, and when anyone took the time to help her out, she was actually a quick study academically. I initially had a few misgivings about Josh leaving his daughter, Eliza, for such long stretches of time without parental involvement and with minimal female guidance, but he proved to be a very loving and caring father who had just been trying to build a successful business. Eliza was an adorable and precocious child who was simply too smart for her own good, and Seamus Macgorrie, their reluctant nanny, cook and housekeeper was good for some amusement with his dry wit and wisdom. I also liked the rather unique setting of historical Seattle, Washington. As I have said in some of my other reviews, love at first sight romances are not really my favorites, but lately I have a found a few authors who have made me rethink my position. Casey Claybourne has become one of them. She infused the narrative with just enough tender emotions to make the short time frame of the relationship development actually seem believable to me. It is a very rare novella on which I am able to bestow keeper status, but I am going to do exactly that with Something Special. This was my first read by Ms. Claybourne, and in fact, I had not even heard of her until reading this story. After such an enjoyable reading experience though, I will definitely be checking out her other works. Rating: ****1/2
Beautiful Gifts by Catherine Anderson – Beautiful Gifts is yet another winning story from Catherine Anderson. It is the first novella I have read by her, but I thought it had enough substance to rival her full-length novels. I loved this story of two wounded people finding the healing and love they so richly deserved in each other's arms. Faith was a very admirable heroine. She was a city girl, born and bred, who I thought exhibited strength of character to leave her cold, cruel father in an attempt to make a new life for herself and her young daughter away from his influence. She was also a loving, caring mother who was willing to do anything to keep her daughter fed and protected. Patrick had not always been a very nice character in Keegan's Lady, the previous book in this series, where he first appeared, but his part in that story had ended on a high note, giving me the feeling that a happy ending was in the works for him. I thought that Ms. Anderson redeemed him very nicely by having him show a great deal of remorse for his past actions and in the process, demonstrated the true power of forgiveness. By the time this novella commences, he has returned to being the kind, caring person that he was in his youth, and that I suspected still lurked beneath the surface even in his darker moments. The one and only thing that I thought might have made the story better would have been a slightly more detailed love scene for them. Normally, the subtle nature of the love scene would have been just fine with me, and it certainly was mild enough to be appropriate for younger and more sensitive readers. However, much had been made of Faith's first husband having insulted her skills as a lover, and she was greatly lacking confidence in that area. I think that a little more details in that scene, not just physically but emotionally as well, would have made it more believable to me that her confidence was being restored. Otherwise, this was a near-perfect sweet romance that definitely left me with a very satisfied feeling, another surprising short-story keeper. Beautiful Gifts is the second story in Catherine Anderson's Keegan/Paxton Families series (or Coulter Historical series as it is sometimes called). The first book is Keegan's Lady and all of the main characters in that story make an appearance in Beautiful Gifts, including Ace and Caitlin, the hero and heroine, as well as Joseph, Esa, and David Paxton. Joseph Paxton becomes the hero of book #3, Summer Breeze, and Ms. Anderson is hard at work on another book in the series which will possibly be released sometime next year. I am very much looking forward to continuing this heart-warming family western series. Rating: ****1/2
Catherine Anderson wrapped up this quartet of novellas with a very tender epilogue of a modern lady who finds the magical wedding gown and in the process finds what one assumes will become the man of her dreams. It was such a lovely little mini-tale that I found myself wishing that there was more to their story, but it was still a nice ending to this anthology.
I really like the premise of this quartet of romantic novellas. The book's prologue written by Catherine Anderson was an intriguing beginning to the story, but it left me with many questions about the gown's creator and her one true love. I had hoped that those questions would be answered as the stories progressed, but that was not to be the case.
A Perfect Fit by Barbara Metzger – A Perfect Fit was very much a traditional Regency romance, probably in a similar vein as Georgette Heyer (though I admit that I have yet to read any of her books). The story had classic Regency plotting and lots of authentic words and phrases which gives the reader the feel of actually being in the Regency period. In addition, although it had some mild sexual tension, it was completely non-explicit, making it suitable for both younger and more sensitive romance readers. For a short story, I thought the characters were nicely developed. My only complaint would be that there were a few too many of them, and I found myself occasionally loosing track of who was who. Forde and Katie were both very likable, as were nearly all of the characters in the story, although I can't say that I found myself connecting on a deep emotional level with anyone. In my opinion, there were only a couple of exceptions in this otherwise “nice” cast, with one being Katie's daughter, Susannah, who I thought acted rather spoiled and ungracious, but she did mature a bit by the end. The other was Susannah's future mother-in-law who was a rather prim and snobbish member of the ton, but I believe was meant to be an extreme caricature, who added some mild comic relief. The romance was very sweet, but I felt that the ending was a bit rushed. Throughout most of the story, Forde and Katie were sizing each other up and dealing with wedding woes and eccentric relatives. I didn't really feel that it left enough time for them to believably fall in love. All of that happened in a few paragraphs at the end. Overall though, I found A Perfect Fit to be a pleasant, if predictable, read that was not a bad way to spend a few hours of my time. This novella was my first story by Barbara Metzger, but I found it enjoyable enough to leave me open to trying more of her works in the future. Rating: ***1/2
Glad Rags by Connie Brockway – Glad Rags was a combination romantic comedy and reunion romance, both of which I usually enjoy, but this tale fell flat for me on both counts. I consider myself to have a pretty good sense of humor, but I thought this story was just rather silly. The author tries to build a case that Alex is a very attractive man and an honorable war hero, but I just couldn't get past the ridiculous notion of him being dressed in drag for more than half the narrative. Granted he had a decent reason, that of a lost bet, but it still came off as rather juvenile humor to me. I smiled in amusement maybe a couple of times, but the rest of the time, I was, for the most part, doing a lot of eye rolling. Since Alex and Lucy had been separated for two years, in part due to Alex's service in the Crimean War, I thought there might at least be something for me grasp with their reunion, but I was sadly mistaken. I found the reasons for their separation to be mainly selfish and prideful and brought about by rather absurd miscommunications that could have been easily resolved with a simple heart-to-heart conversation. Once they do reunite, things move far too quickly, for the most part fueled by physical desire. In spite of their declaration of undying love, I never really felt any emotional connection between the two characters. I ended the story never feeling like their old issues were ever truly resolved. They just continued to argue and vie for control in the relationship for the whole novella, which did not leave me with the feeling that these two could have a lasting happily-ever-after. Considering that the anthology is about a wedding dress, I have to admit that I was also disappointed that this story did not even contain a wedding. Admittedly, having the guy wear the wedding dress was an interesting twist, but it just didn't work for me. In the end, I simply felt that the beautiful wedding gown that is supposed to be the centerpiece of these novellas deserved a much better story. This was my first read by Connie Brockway, and as I've heard some positive things about her writing, I will try to reserve judgment on her talents until I've read something else that will hopefully be better than this, in my opinion, woefully underdeveloped farce. Rating: **1/2
Something Special by Casey Claybourne – I do hope readers will forgive my triteness, but I have to say that I found Something Special to truly be “something special.” It was a sweet romance that was very enjoyable to read. Unlike the first two novellas in this anthology, I actually found myself looking forward to picking it up again each time I had to put it down. I thought that the plot was very tight and the characters were very likable. I am not usually drawn to not-so-bright heroines, but Penny was a real sweetheart. It didn't take me long to realize that she was really a product of a lack of education rather than a lack of intelligence. Penny was very street-smart, and when anyone took the time to help her out, she was actually a quick study academically. I initially had a few misgivings about Josh leaving his daughter, Eliza, for such long stretches of time without parental involvement and with minimal female guidance, but he proved to be a very loving and caring father who had just been trying to build a successful business. Eliza was an adorable and precocious child who was simply too smart for her own good, and Seamus Macgorrie, their reluctant nanny, cook and housekeeper was good for some amusement with his dry wit and wisdom. I also liked the rather unique setting of historical Seattle, Washington. As I have said in some of my other reviews, love at first sight romances are not really my favorites, but lately I have a found a few authors who have made me rethink my position. Casey Claybourne has become one of them. She infused the narrative with just enough tender emotions to make the short time frame of the relationship development actually seem believable to me. It is a very rare novella on which I am able to bestow keeper status, but I am going to do exactly that with Something Special. This was my first read by Ms. Claybourne, and in fact, I had not even heard of her until reading this story. After such an enjoyable reading experience though, I will definitely be checking out her other works. Rating: ****1/2
Beautiful Gifts by Catherine Anderson – Beautiful Gifts is yet another winning story from Catherine Anderson. It is the first novella I have read by her, but I thought it had enough substance to rival her full-length novels. I loved this story of two wounded people finding the healing and love they so richly deserved in each other's arms. Faith was a very admirable heroine. She was a city girl, born and bred, who I thought exhibited strength of character to leave her cold, cruel father in an attempt to make a new life for herself and her young daughter away from his influence. She was also a loving, caring mother who was willing to do anything to keep her daughter fed and protected. Patrick had not always been a very nice character in Keegan's Lady, the previous book in this series, where he first appeared, but his part in that story had ended on a high note, giving me the feeling that a happy ending was in the works for him. I thought that Ms. Anderson redeemed him very nicely by having him show a great deal of remorse for his past actions and in the process, demonstrated the true power of forgiveness. By the time this novella commences, he has returned to being the kind, caring person that he was in his youth, and that I suspected still lurked beneath the surface even in his darker moments. The one and only thing that I thought might have made the story better would have been a slightly more detailed love scene for them. Normally, the subtle nature of the love scene would have been just fine with me, and it certainly was mild enough to be appropriate for younger and more sensitive readers. However, much had been made of Faith's first husband having insulted her skills as a lover, and she was greatly lacking confidence in that area. I think that a little more details in that scene, not just physically but emotionally as well, would have made it more believable to me that her confidence was being restored. Otherwise, this was a near-perfect sweet romance that definitely left me with a very satisfied feeling, another surprising short-story keeper. Beautiful Gifts is the second story in Catherine Anderson's Keegan/Paxton Families series (or Coulter Historical series as it is sometimes called). The first book is Keegan's Lady and all of the main characters in that story make an appearance in Beautiful Gifts, including Ace and Caitlin, the hero and heroine, as well as Joseph, Esa, and David Paxton. Joseph Paxton becomes the hero of book #3, Summer Breeze, and Ms. Anderson is hard at work on another book in the series which will possibly be released sometime next year. I am very much looking forward to continuing this heart-warming family western series. Rating: ****1/2
Catherine Anderson wrapped up this quartet of novellas with a very tender epilogue of a modern lady who finds the magical wedding gown and in the process finds what one assumes will become the man of her dreams. It was such a lovely little mini-tale that I found myself wishing that there was more to their story, but it was still a nice ending to this anthology.
April 28, 2019
This book has four short stories revolving around a magical wedding dress. The stories start with a prelude by Catherine Anderson, telling about the beginning of the magical dress. Then ....
A PERFECT FIT, Barbara Metzger. This story takes place in Devon, England in 1813. Katie was proud of the wedding gown that she was to wear but fate intervened and her intended was killed mere days before the wedding. Because Katie was already expecting, she retired to a small hamlet and raised her daughter by teaching music lessons and selling foods from her garden and milk cows.
Now, Suzannah, Katie's daughter is getting ready to marry an aristocrat and the young man's guardian uncle has come to evaluate the worthiness of Suzannah for himself. Katie's carefully planned life starts to unravel.
GLAD RAGS, Connie Brockway. The wedding dress reappears at a party outside of London in 1856. Hugh St. James wants revenge for his sister, Lucy, and poses an impossible wager. Alexander Thorpe and Lucy had been an item two years before and then Alexander dropped Lucy and went off to war.
The wager causes Alex and Lucy to be in each other's company again and sparks start to sizzle.
SOMETHING SPECIAL, Casey Claybourne. Eleven-year-old Eliza Cooper orders her own governess from Boston to Seattle. This story is too outlandish to ring true.
BEAUTIFUL GIFTS, Catherine Anderson. This novella belongs with the Keegan-Paxton series. It is the story of Patrick O' Shannessey and Faith Maxwell. After seeing Patrick's problems with a whiskey bottle in the first book (of the Keegan-Paxton series), it is nice to see that he has straightened up and created a life for himself.
Since Caitlin has not had her first child yet (at the time of this story), I would place this novella after the first book (see series below).
Keegan-Paxton Family
1. Keegan's Lady (1996)
1.5 Beautiful Gifts (in THE TRUE LOVE WEDDING DRESS anthology)
2. Summer Breeze (2006)
3. Early Dawn (2009)
4. Lucky Penny (2012)
Faith Maxwell has run away from New York (with her small daughter), rather than marry an old man of her father's choosing. They end up in No Name, Colorado with only a penny to spare. Faith looks for work and finds an old notice for a housekeeper on the O'Shannessey ranch.
Overall, I'm sorry I wasted the money on the book. It was barely average. The only bright spot was seeing what happened to Patrick O'Shannessey from the series mentioned above.
A PERFECT FIT, Barbara Metzger. This story takes place in Devon, England in 1813. Katie was proud of the wedding gown that she was to wear but fate intervened and her intended was killed mere days before the wedding. Because Katie was already expecting, she retired to a small hamlet and raised her daughter by teaching music lessons and selling foods from her garden and milk cows.
Now, Suzannah, Katie's daughter is getting ready to marry an aristocrat and the young man's guardian uncle has come to evaluate the worthiness of Suzannah for himself. Katie's carefully planned life starts to unravel.
GLAD RAGS, Connie Brockway. The wedding dress reappears at a party outside of London in 1856. Hugh St. James wants revenge for his sister, Lucy, and poses an impossible wager. Alexander Thorpe and Lucy had been an item two years before and then Alexander dropped Lucy and went off to war.
The wager causes Alex and Lucy to be in each other's company again and sparks start to sizzle.
SOMETHING SPECIAL, Casey Claybourne. Eleven-year-old Eliza Cooper orders her own governess from Boston to Seattle. This story is too outlandish to ring true.
BEAUTIFUL GIFTS, Catherine Anderson. This novella belongs with the Keegan-Paxton series. It is the story of Patrick O' Shannessey and Faith Maxwell. After seeing Patrick's problems with a whiskey bottle in the first book (of the Keegan-Paxton series), it is nice to see that he has straightened up and created a life for himself.
Since Caitlin has not had her first child yet (at the time of this story), I would place this novella after the first book (see series below).
Keegan-Paxton Family
1. Keegan's Lady (1996)
1.5 Beautiful Gifts (in THE TRUE LOVE WEDDING DRESS anthology)
2. Summer Breeze (2006)
3. Early Dawn (2009)
4. Lucky Penny (2012)
Faith Maxwell has run away from New York (with her small daughter), rather than marry an old man of her father's choosing. They end up in No Name, Colorado with only a penny to spare. Faith looks for work and finds an old notice for a housekeeper on the O'Shannessey ranch.
Overall, I'm sorry I wasted the money on the book. It was barely average. The only bright spot was seeing what happened to Patrick O'Shannessey from the series mentioned above.
October 31, 2011
This is a collection of lighthearted love stories about a charmed wedding dress, written by four well known authors—Catherine Anderson, Connie Brockway, Casey Claybourne and Barbara Metzger.
The dress goes through adventures and always comes out clean and just the right size for the next intended wearer. It falls off the back of a carriage in a trunk, is found in an attic, a wandering shopkeeper gives it away; a boutique sells it for practically nothing and even a man wears it. The dress is styled as, “I can feel it- it’s just made for you”. It has been charmed, “… let no maid who possesses it come to harm”.
The dress goes through adventures and always comes out clean and just the right size for the next intended wearer. It falls off the back of a carriage in a trunk, is found in an attic, a wandering shopkeeper gives it away; a boutique sells it for practically nothing and even a man wears it. The dress is styled as, “I can feel it- it’s just made for you”. It has been charmed, “… let no maid who possesses it come to harm”.
December 20, 2024
I enjoyed all four stories.
March 11, 2011
I liked the first and the last story of the 4 short stories. I think the others had more sexual description than I wanted.
July 13, 2012
On peut se passer de le lire.
Si une robe permettait de trouver l'âme soeur, ca se saurait depuis longtemps....
Si une robe permettait de trouver l'âme soeur, ca se saurait depuis longtemps....
August 3, 2018
Long ago, a poor servant girl created an exquisite wedding gown for her haughty mistress, who was to marry the man that the girl loved with all her heart. Though tempted to stop the marriage using her secret magical skills, she instead ensured the groom's happiness by enchanting the dress so that whoever possessed it would be blessed with true love.But the spell went delightfully awry, working its magic for the servant girl instead of her mistress—and then the dress mysteriously vanished.
Who knows where or when it may turn up next, for some blushing bride to claim as her very own
Who knows where or when it may turn up next, for some blushing bride to claim as her very own
November 18, 2019
I read the first and fourth stories, the Barbara Metzger and the Catherine Anderson. Both were high quality novellas. Fun read! Good choice for a guest room bookshelf.
I’ve read many Metzger books but this is the first Catherine Anderson (that I recall). Good to find a new-to-me author.
I’ve read many Metzger books but this is the first Catherine Anderson (that I recall). Good to find a new-to-me author.
January 26, 2021
Oh wait.. I can't take sides. All short stories were beautifully written and is just gets better. Wedding dresses 👗are magical if the journey after wearing them last longer, beautiful and creating resplendent memories.
May 31, 2017
Waste of time. Not a great fan of short stories. No time to get invested in the character.
September 13, 2018
I found the book to be kind of boring. It has 4 stories by various authors. The only story I really enjoyed was Catherine Anderson's Beautiful Gifts. It was a very heartwarming story.
April 13, 2020
Enjoyable fantasy.
April 11, 2021
Meh. A fun plot idea but the stories were pretty lame
November 3, 2021
read prologue and first story. PASS. no romance, lead up, chemistry, banter, flirting. just words words words and now they're together.
March 25, 2023
Not as good as a straight Connie Brockway, but sweet and nice. Liked the throughline of the dress, a cute idea
March 3, 2024
Cute, but nothing special.
November 21, 2011
A very fun and quick read about a wedding dress that magically transforms to fit the heroine of each story, the one who is getting ready to marry her true love and then disappearing without a trace.
Barbara Metzger kicks off the book with "A Perfect Fit," a story where Katherine Cole is sent away from her father's house when it's learned that she's pregnant. For eighteen years she supported herself and her daughter with a little help of an annuity from her father and the mask of being the widow of a war hero. But now her daughter is getting married and the prospective groom's uncle has come to check them out. Viscount Forde is sure his nephew is making a mistake but has already granted permission for the boy to marry. Now he's come to check out the family, and finds himself falling more and more in love with the mother.
Connie Brockway's "Glad Rags" has a cross-dressing hero. Okay, he lost a bet with the heroine's brother and ends up wearing the fabled wedding dress. Two years ago everyone had assumed that Viscount Thorpe would marry Lucy St. James. But a night where she flirted with another man, even dancing with him three times, caused Thorpe to leave for the Crimean War in a huff of disgust. Of course, it was a Big Misunderstanding (he didn't want her to marry a man who might not come back whole, she thought that he really didn't love her) but it's all straightened out with a little magical help and a lot of maturity.
"Something Special" by Casey Claybourne introduces not only the wedding dress but a little girl looking for a mother. Her father is frequently gone so Eliza decides to write a letter asking for a woman to come from Boston and be her nanny. Penny isn't exactly nanny-material but she loves Eliza, and when she finally meets Josh, the father, she seems ready-made to fit into the family.
The last story, "Beautiful Gifts" by Catherine Anderson gives us the story of Faith and her little girl Charity. Faith is running away from a father who wants to set up another arranged marriage (the first being a lackluster match with Charity's father) to a disgusting old man so Faith ran away. But all of her money was stolen and she's been looking for work and digging through garbage to feed her and her daughter. When a peddler gives her a beautiful dress, her luck seems to change when she sees a sign for a housekeeper. Surely she can do that job! So she and Charity walk out to the man's farm, he doesn't want her (she's too young) and she faints. So Paddy O'Shannessy takes her in, and begins to teach her not only about the art of housekeeping, but also of love.
Barbara Metzger kicks off the book with "A Perfect Fit," a story where Katherine Cole is sent away from her father's house when it's learned that she's pregnant. For eighteen years she supported herself and her daughter with a little help of an annuity from her father and the mask of being the widow of a war hero. But now her daughter is getting married and the prospective groom's uncle has come to check them out. Viscount Forde is sure his nephew is making a mistake but has already granted permission for the boy to marry. Now he's come to check out the family, and finds himself falling more and more in love with the mother.
Connie Brockway's "Glad Rags" has a cross-dressing hero. Okay, he lost a bet with the heroine's brother and ends up wearing the fabled wedding dress. Two years ago everyone had assumed that Viscount Thorpe would marry Lucy St. James. But a night where she flirted with another man, even dancing with him three times, caused Thorpe to leave for the Crimean War in a huff of disgust. Of course, it was a Big Misunderstanding (he didn't want her to marry a man who might not come back whole, she thought that he really didn't love her) but it's all straightened out with a little magical help and a lot of maturity.
"Something Special" by Casey Claybourne introduces not only the wedding dress but a little girl looking for a mother. Her father is frequently gone so Eliza decides to write a letter asking for a woman to come from Boston and be her nanny. Penny isn't exactly nanny-material but she loves Eliza, and when she finally meets Josh, the father, she seems ready-made to fit into the family.
The last story, "Beautiful Gifts" by Catherine Anderson gives us the story of Faith and her little girl Charity. Faith is running away from a father who wants to set up another arranged marriage (the first being a lackluster match with Charity's father) to a disgusting old man so Faith ran away. But all of her money was stolen and she's been looking for work and digging through garbage to feed her and her daughter. When a peddler gives her a beautiful dress, her luck seems to change when she sees a sign for a housekeeper. Surely she can do that job! So she and Charity walk out to the man's farm, he doesn't want her (she's too young) and she faints. So Paddy O'Shannessy takes her in, and begins to teach her not only about the art of housekeeping, but also of love.
June 26, 2018
This novella was released as part of an anthology entitled The True Love Wedding Dress, in which Catherine Anderson wrote the prologue, the epilogue, and the final story. Other authors included Connie Brockway, Casey Claybourne, and Barbara Metzger.
Overall Response
Anthologies are really one of my least favorite types of books to buy. Best case scenario, you love all the stories in the books and you might even find a new author to follow. My usual experience has been one or two of the stories are fine, and then there are two more you'd be happy to never read again. This anthology is one of the better ones, somewhere in the middle of those two scenarios.
Spoilers Ahead
With respects to Catherine Anderson's entry, Beautiful Gifts, I've always liked this particular novella. Patrick is Caitlyn's brother and featured heavily in Keegan's Lady. There was also a tragic air about him, and I couldn't help but want better for him. He was so young and had had so little opportunity to be a better person -- I was glad that he got his own book. Faith is typical of Anderson's Western heroines: uptight, prissy. She's a forerunner of Lucky Penny's Brianna though not nearly as insufferable.
The story is sweet, and the romance is fine. If you like Catherine Anderson's brand of romance (and I usually do), then the usual tropes here will work, only for once the hero has nearly as much emotional baggage as the heroine. There's the requisite dog, a cute kid, and dastardly parents, all the good hallmarks. There's nothing outstanding about this romance, but it's lovely low-key read that doesn't demand a lot from you.
I didn't review the other entries because one, they're fine, and two, I'm working on a series review for the Keegan-Paxton series.
Overall Response
Anthologies are really one of my least favorite types of books to buy. Best case scenario, you love all the stories in the books and you might even find a new author to follow. My usual experience has been one or two of the stories are fine, and then there are two more you'd be happy to never read again. This anthology is one of the better ones, somewhere in the middle of those two scenarios.
Spoilers Ahead
With respects to Catherine Anderson's entry, Beautiful Gifts, I've always liked this particular novella. Patrick is Caitlyn's brother and featured heavily in Keegan's Lady. There was also a tragic air about him, and I couldn't help but want better for him. He was so young and had had so little opportunity to be a better person -- I was glad that he got his own book. Faith is typical of Anderson's Western heroines: uptight, prissy. She's a forerunner of Lucky Penny's Brianna though not nearly as insufferable.
The story is sweet, and the romance is fine. If you like Catherine Anderson's brand of romance (and I usually do), then the usual tropes here will work, only for once the hero has nearly as much emotional baggage as the heroine. There's the requisite dog, a cute kid, and dastardly parents, all the good hallmarks. There's nothing outstanding about this romance, but it's lovely low-key read that doesn't demand a lot from you.
I didn't review the other entries because one, they're fine, and two, I'm working on a series review for the Keegan-Paxton series.
Read
August 13, 2015Sorceress born Scot Aileanna MacEwan sews a beautiful wedding dress in 1790 for another she dislikes, so she blesses the dress to help women be happy in their marriages.
In 1813 in Devon it appears again in Barbara Metzger's "A Perfect Fit". When Katie Cole's fiance dies leaving her pregnant, her family forces her to become a "widow" in Devon. She does fine until her daughter becomes engaged to Gerald Wellforde - nephew of Viscout Forde, who decides to stop the wedding. Instead he falls for Katie thanks to the dress.
"Glad Rags" by Connie Brockway has it n London in 1856. Alexander, Viscount Thorpe is changed by the Russian war. When he jilted his long time love Lucy, rather than marry before going to war, both are hurt. A dare from her brother has him wearing the dress at a ball which brings them back together.
"Something Special" by Casey Claybourne has it appearing in an attic in Seattle in 1864 to bring together the "governess" Penny with lumber baron and widower Josh.
"Beautiful Gifts" by Catherine Anderson has it in CO in 1887 when a pampered Eastern runaway and her daughter acquire it from a peddler and then she becomes "housekeeper" to Patrick O'Shannessey.
The final postscript has it in current day going to a mom of a boy with leukemia - prelude of another story? Fun stories - well done - reasonably clean.
In 1813 in Devon it appears again in Barbara Metzger's "A Perfect Fit". When Katie Cole's fiance dies leaving her pregnant, her family forces her to become a "widow" in Devon. She does fine until her daughter becomes engaged to Gerald Wellforde - nephew of Viscout Forde, who decides to stop the wedding. Instead he falls for Katie thanks to the dress.
"Glad Rags" by Connie Brockway has it n London in 1856. Alexander, Viscount Thorpe is changed by the Russian war. When he jilted his long time love Lucy, rather than marry before going to war, both are hurt. A dare from her brother has him wearing the dress at a ball which brings them back together.
"Something Special" by Casey Claybourne has it appearing in an attic in Seattle in 1864 to bring together the "governess" Penny with lumber baron and widower Josh.
"Beautiful Gifts" by Catherine Anderson has it in CO in 1887 when a pampered Eastern runaway and her daughter acquire it from a peddler and then she becomes "housekeeper" to Patrick O'Shannessey.
The final postscript has it in current day going to a mom of a boy with leukemia - prelude of another story? Fun stories - well done - reasonably clean.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2011
Anthology of 4 stories. There is a short prologue that gives the history to the wedding dress and how it was enchanted.
A Perfect Fit by Barbara Metzger
It has a rather unique, probably historical vocabulary, which includes: cawking, gudgens, and nodcock among other things. This is a regency romance. It was actually rather interesting. I liked it.
Gald Rags by Connie Brockway
Something Special by Casey Mickie
Beautiful Gifts by Adeline Catherine
Time ran out on my library ebook before I could finish this. :(
A Perfect Fit by Barbara Metzger
It has a rather unique, probably historical vocabulary, which includes: cawking, gudgens, and nodcock among other things. This is a regency romance. It was actually rather interesting. I liked it.
Gald Rags by Connie Brockway
Something Special by Casey Mickie
Beautiful Gifts by Adeline Catherine
Time ran out on my library ebook before I could finish this. :(
October 27, 2015
Have you ever stumbled upon just the kind of book you needed at just the right time? That's what happened to me with The True Love Wedding Dress. I'm going through a stressful time, and these four short historical stories provided me with a wonderful escape. it was like sinking into a nice, hot bubble bath at the end of a long day, or like sampling a tray of small, decadent desserts. A feel-good indulgence. If you enjoy historical romance, I thoroughly recommend this anthology.
August 24, 2015
From a stack of books someone gave me. It's hard to rate this one because there's a collection of stories. I really liked one, a couple were okay, and then a couple were just dumb. The biggest issue I have is when people try to sound old fashioned, a lot of authors instead come across as pretentious. And why is it the majority of the stories had to do with a poor single parent raising a child on their own?
October 21, 2009
This short story is the 2nd in the series of the Coulters Historical romanace. This is the story of Patrick O'Shannessy, who is Caitlin's brother. Caitlin married Ace Keegan in the 1st of the series, "Keegan's Lady".
Nice easy read.
Nice easy read.
June 19, 2011
Cute stories -- My favorites were Connie Brockway and Catherine Anderson's stories: 5* each. BM's story was 4* for me, as was CC's..
Not a big fan of anthologies as a general rule though:-D I like more build-up:-D
Not a big fan of anthologies as a general rule though:-D I like more build-up:-D
April 16, 2009
For those who want to believe in magic.
November 6, 2010
I read "Beautiful Gifts" by Catherine Anderson and it was lovely short story in the Coulters Historical series.
July 11, 2011
This was very good....all the authors wrote interesting stories about this wedding dress.....
September 4, 2011
Four stories all centered around a magical wedding dress. A book fun to read.
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