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Morrow Creek #3.5
Halloween Temptations
Sorcery and seduction...The only thing Rose Tillson ever wanted was a life of travel beneath the stars - and to marry secret sweetheart Will Gavigan! A small dose of Halloween magic might make Will realise she's the girl of his dreams. A dark and spooky night...When Brigit of Warehaven casts a simple spell to reveal her true love's identity, she never expects to wed him that same night! But until the mischievous trickeries of All Hallows' Eve are over, Randall FitzHenry cannot truly claim his bride's heart. Trick, treat...or a Halloween temptation? Arabella Scott cannot decide whether she's been saved or abducted when she is rescued from highwaymen by a darkly brooding stranger. In his eerily cold, dilapidated home, she has no choice but to trust her cavalry officer rescuer.
368 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2007
3 people are currently reading
168 people want to read
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If an editor is known, however, Various is not necessary. List the name of the editor as the primary author (with role "editor"). Contributing authors' names follow it.
Note: WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding author information and contents of anthologies.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 1, 2017
Enjoyable book to read around Halloween! I liked the third story, by Christine Merrill, the most.
November 2, 2009
This was a very nice short story collection, with a Halloween theme. By far, my favorite story was Master of Penlowen, which was the last in this book. It was a delightfully gothic romance with a mysterious and somewhat tortured hero, and a sensible, likeable heroine. I loved the ghostly twist in this story, and that Ms. Merrill allows the passion to be expressed in a manner that made sense for a short historical story with a young respectable lady and hero of principles. This story encouraged me to read more of Christine Merrill. Being a big fan of gothic horror, I loved the storyline very much. Ms. Merrill managed to pack a lot into this short story, and created characters I felt for and came to like very much. Despite the short length, they were well-drawn characters with depth that made the story that much more engaging for me.
Wedding at Warehaven was also a good story. I liked the incorporation of the Pagan Saxon rites in the story. There are people who are practicing dark rites at the keep of Warehaven, and FitzHenry is tasked with resolving the issue. He has a choice to marry the unwed witch or burn her at the stake. Fortunately he chooses the former. The heroine of this story was a bit frustrating at times, although I could understand that she was trying to protect her people.
Marriage at Morrow Creek was a good story as well. It had a young woman who's been in love with her father's employee, but gets the encouragement from a ghostly figure at the creek to help her to grab life by the horns and to go after the man she really wants.
The first and the third stories were 3 star reads, but the last story was so great, a five star, that I bumped this collection up to four stars. Reading this collection was a nice way to wrap up the Halloween holiday for this reader.
Wedding at Warehaven was also a good story. I liked the incorporation of the Pagan Saxon rites in the story. There are people who are practicing dark rites at the keep of Warehaven, and FitzHenry is tasked with resolving the issue. He has a choice to marry the unwed witch or burn her at the stake. Fortunately he chooses the former. The heroine of this story was a bit frustrating at times, although I could understand that she was trying to protect her people.
Marriage at Morrow Creek was a good story as well. It had a young woman who's been in love with her father's employee, but gets the encouragement from a ghostly figure at the creek to help her to grab life by the horns and to go after the man she really wants.
The first and the third stories were 3 star reads, but the last story was so great, a five star, that I bumped this collection up to four stars. Reading this collection was a nice way to wrap up the Halloween holiday for this reader.
September 21, 2018
I have plenty of Christmas anthologies, but Halloween anthologies are not nearly so common. This historical anthology features a pretty good variety of tones and settings. Some worked for me better than others, and overall I enjoyed reading.
Marriage at Morrow Creek - This Western by Lisa Plumley was probably my favorite. If you like your historicals sweet, light, and a touch humorous, you'll probably find this one endearing. Set in Arizona Territory, the heroine, Rose Tillson, is the daughter of a patent medicine salesman who has her sights sets on the medicine show's stagehand, Will Gavigan. Quietly practical Rose fears she will never be noticed, but with a little bit of otherworldly help, she and Will start to find a little magic.
This story is a tad corny, but there's something cute and endearing about it, too. I'd give it a B.
Wedding at Warehaven - Denise Lynn's medieval Halloween tale seriously did not do it for me. Set during the reign of King Henry I, this story features Randall FitzHenry, the King's man sent to supposedly restore order at Warehaven. It appears that word has gotten out of a Wild Hunt and other pagan rituals being held at Warehaven, so the lord of that holding is to be removed and Randall installed in his place.
Randall has also been instructed to subdue the alleged witch of Warehaven. Somehow Brigit, the remaining unmarried daughter of the house, has been tagged as the witch so when Randall shows up on All Hallows' Eve, he basically forces her into marriage. His heavyhanded tactics with Brigit did not even remotely endear him to me and neither did the sexually tinged threats and attempts at control. The story is decently written but I didn't find it especially romantic. Grade: D
Master of Penlowen - The final installment is a Regency historical from Christine Merrill. This tale had something of a gothic tone that made it very appealing. As the story opens, Arabella Scott is travelling by stagecoach to her new employment as a lady's companion. Her coach is set upon by highwaymen, and she is ultimately rescued by Richard Acherton, a retired officer. He takes Arabella to his home at Penlowen.
And so begins a creepy tale of a haunted estate and a hero both brave and terrified. As Richard and Arabella pass the night at Penlowen, they find themselves drawn into the history of the home and ultimately, a way to quiet the restless spirits there. The romance feels incredibly rushed, but I did like the storytelling overall. Grade: B-
Marriage at Morrow Creek - This Western by Lisa Plumley was probably my favorite. If you like your historicals sweet, light, and a touch humorous, you'll probably find this one endearing. Set in Arizona Territory, the heroine, Rose Tillson, is the daughter of a patent medicine salesman who has her sights sets on the medicine show's stagehand, Will Gavigan. Quietly practical Rose fears she will never be noticed, but with a little bit of otherworldly help, she and Will start to find a little magic.
This story is a tad corny, but there's something cute and endearing about it, too. I'd give it a B.
Wedding at Warehaven - Denise Lynn's medieval Halloween tale seriously did not do it for me. Set during the reign of King Henry I, this story features Randall FitzHenry, the King's man sent to supposedly restore order at Warehaven. It appears that word has gotten out of a Wild Hunt and other pagan rituals being held at Warehaven, so the lord of that holding is to be removed and Randall installed in his place.
Randall has also been instructed to subdue the alleged witch of Warehaven. Somehow Brigit, the remaining unmarried daughter of the house, has been tagged as the witch so when Randall shows up on All Hallows' Eve, he basically forces her into marriage. His heavyhanded tactics with Brigit did not even remotely endear him to me and neither did the sexually tinged threats and attempts at control. The story is decently written but I didn't find it especially romantic. Grade: D
Master of Penlowen - The final installment is a Regency historical from Christine Merrill. This tale had something of a gothic tone that made it very appealing. As the story opens, Arabella Scott is travelling by stagecoach to her new employment as a lady's companion. Her coach is set upon by highwaymen, and she is ultimately rescued by Richard Acherton, a retired officer. He takes Arabella to his home at Penlowen.
And so begins a creepy tale of a haunted estate and a hero both brave and terrified. As Richard and Arabella pass the night at Penlowen, they find themselves drawn into the history of the home and ultimately, a way to quiet the restless spirits there. The romance feels incredibly rushed, but I did like the storytelling overall. Grade: B-
October 19, 2013
I picked up this book primarily for the Christine Merrill short story. I read The Inconvenient Duchess and liked it. I had not read anything by the other two contributors, so this was an opportunity to discover new authors.
"Marriage at Morrow Creek" by Lisa Plumley (Western)
From the Back: The only thing Rose Tillson ever wanted was a life of travel beneath the Western stars - and to marry secret sweetheart Will Gavigan! All Rose needs is a small dose of Hallow'en magic to make Will realize she's the girl of his dreams.
I did not finish this story. Western-set historicals are not something I usually read, but I figured a short story would be something I could handle. I couldn't get into the story. If the author writes contemporaries or set in other historical subgenres (Regency, Medieval, etc.), I would be interested in trying something else from her.
To read the rest of my review, please visit Christina Babbles
Updated: 19 October 2013
"Marriage at Morrow Creek" by Lisa Plumley (Western)
From the Back: The only thing Rose Tillson ever wanted was a life of travel beneath the Western stars - and to marry secret sweetheart Will Gavigan! All Rose needs is a small dose of Hallow'en magic to make Will realize she's the girl of his dreams.
I did not finish this story. Western-set historicals are not something I usually read, but I figured a short story would be something I could handle. I couldn't get into the story. If the author writes contemporaries or set in other historical subgenres (Regency, Medieval, etc.), I would be interested in trying something else from her.
To read the rest of my review, please visit Christina Babbles
Updated: 19 October 2013
April 6, 2010
Three good historical romances, each from a different time period and in different settings, but all with at least a touch of fantasy. I enjoyed all three, but I think my favorite was the story by Christine Merrill. I love dark and frightening tales and hers was the darkest of the three.
Read
December 29, 2008Very fun read.
I hope HH has another Halloween anthology next year. I really enjoyed the glimpse into the holiday from the past. All three novellas held my interest and kept me turning the pages.
I hope HH has another Halloween anthology next year. I really enjoyed the glimpse into the holiday from the past. All three novellas held my interest and kept me turning the pages.
October 14, 2019
Three historical romance short stories centered on halloween. Not terrible but not all that great either.
Marriage at Morrow Manner by Lisa Plumley -- I like her romances, which are generally lighthearted, a bit quirky and humorous, relatively sweet. Rose has been in love forever with Will, the handsome young driver/man of work for her family's itinerant medicine show in the Old West. It's the week leading up to Halloween and Rose is determined to make a play for Will, who doesn't quite know what hits him. Misunderstandings and cuteness abounds. As do a ghost or two.
Wedding at Warehaven by Denise Lynn - Set in early 12th Century England, Brigit decides to try to determine who will be her true love by an old wives tale around the bonfire celebrating the end of harvest. Just as she casts the 'spell', Randall, the bastard son of the King, rides into the courtyard to suppress the pagan rites being practiced. And of course claim the castle and its daughter as his own. This one ended up spicy and rather fun as Brigit and Randall each appear to have met their match, but Randall's initial domineering and threats were a little off-putting.
Master of Penlowen by Christine Merrill. Arabella is not having a great Halloween. While enroute to Cornwall for a new job as a paid companion, the stage coach is waylaid by highwaymen. She is rescued from them by a mysterious stranger, Richard, who takes her to a very dark and haunted manor house on the cliffs. Let's just say this was a very spooky paranormal themed spicy hot romance. However, Richard was too aggressively moody to be a comfortable hero.
Marriage at Morrow Manner by Lisa Plumley -- I like her romances, which are generally lighthearted, a bit quirky and humorous, relatively sweet. Rose has been in love forever with Will, the handsome young driver/man of work for her family's itinerant medicine show in the Old West. It's the week leading up to Halloween and Rose is determined to make a play for Will, who doesn't quite know what hits him. Misunderstandings and cuteness abounds. As do a ghost or two.
Wedding at Warehaven by Denise Lynn - Set in early 12th Century England, Brigit decides to try to determine who will be her true love by an old wives tale around the bonfire celebrating the end of harvest. Just as she casts the 'spell', Randall, the bastard son of the King, rides into the courtyard to suppress the pagan rites being practiced. And of course claim the castle and its daughter as his own. This one ended up spicy and rather fun as Brigit and Randall each appear to have met their match, but Randall's initial domineering and threats were a little off-putting.
Master of Penlowen by Christine Merrill. Arabella is not having a great Halloween. While enroute to Cornwall for a new job as a paid companion, the stage coach is waylaid by highwaymen. She is rescued from them by a mysterious stranger, Richard, who takes her to a very dark and haunted manor house on the cliffs. Let's just say this was a very spooky paranormal themed spicy hot romance. However, Richard was too aggressively moody to be a comfortable hero.
May 30, 2017
I love the cover! I needed to look up the unusual spelling for Hallowe'en - and found that in the term "All Hallow's Eve" the apostrophe takes the place of "v." These 3 short stories are cute, "spirited," magical (and racy, which is not my cup of tea.)
October 30, 2025
Stories were on theme but too short and lacked depth. Enjoyable reading for this time of year though.
March 25, 2011
The book is an anthology of three stories. I'd give the first two stories a star and a half, if I could score them individually, and the last one 2-1/2.
Marriage at Morrow Creek:
Rose is a gypsey in love with her driver, Will. He falls for her but believes she wants to settle in Morrow Creek when all she wants is to travel - with him.
The summary sounded good, but the emotions weren't as well rounded as I hoped for. Will seems to find her annoying at first then it's said he has a thing for her, but it's a case of more telling than showing the emotion on his side. The story is sweet but predictable, both characters are a little flat.
Wedding at Warehaven:
Randall comes to attack a clam praticing human sacrifice. Brigit, daughter of the clan leader, has encouraged celebrations but hasn't realized how far they've gone until it's too late.
Randall was a case of Han Solo for me: very sexy and determined at first but weakens later on for no apparent reason. Brigit's sisters are annoying and the villian was obvious from his first appearance. Also, it's never really mentioned what happened with the human sacrifice - could Brigit really not have known what was going on?
Master of Penlowen:
Arabella is saved from highwaymen but the house she's taken to might even be worse.
Interesting twists on the paranormal aspect with intriguing characters. I was engaged by both Arabella and Richard, and I liked the story of poor Robert who haunts the house. The ending was predictable and disturbing with paranormal interaction during sex. Otherwise, a good and interesting story.
Marriage at Morrow Creek:
Rose is a gypsey in love with her driver, Will. He falls for her but believes she wants to settle in Morrow Creek when all she wants is to travel - with him.
The summary sounded good, but the emotions weren't as well rounded as I hoped for. Will seems to find her annoying at first then it's said he has a thing for her, but it's a case of more telling than showing the emotion on his side. The story is sweet but predictable, both characters are a little flat.
Wedding at Warehaven:
Randall comes to attack a clam praticing human sacrifice. Brigit, daughter of the clan leader, has encouraged celebrations but hasn't realized how far they've gone until it's too late.
Randall was a case of Han Solo for me: very sexy and determined at first but weakens later on for no apparent reason. Brigit's sisters are annoying and the villian was obvious from his first appearance. Also, it's never really mentioned what happened with the human sacrifice - could Brigit really not have known what was going on?
Master of Penlowen:
Arabella is saved from highwaymen but the house she's taken to might even be worse.
Interesting twists on the paranormal aspect with intriguing characters. I was engaged by both Arabella and Richard, and I liked the story of poor Robert who haunts the house. The ending was predictable and disturbing with paranormal interaction during sex. Otherwise, a good and interesting story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2014
Marriage at Morrow Creek: 2.5 stars. The characters are both kind of dense and didn't grab me at all. I didn't fall in love with the hero, and I couldn't see what he liked in the heroine. The author just told me that they loved each other instead of showing.
Wedding at Warehaven: 3 stars. This story suffered from a common complaint for short stories: the heroine suddenly forgiving the hero wasn't all that believable. It was handled better than some, but it wasn't extraordinary. I will say that aside from this, the characters were authentic and stayed true to themselves.
Master of Penlowen: 4 stars. This story is pretty creepy, which was a nice change from the others. The way the house is haunted is interesting, and the hero is atypical and complex. I found myself thoroughly interested in how the story would end, which is abnormal for me and romance. Definitely my favourite of the three. I think I'll look for more by this author.
Wedding at Warehaven: 3 stars. This story suffered from a common complaint for short stories: the heroine suddenly forgiving the hero wasn't all that believable. It was handled better than some, but it wasn't extraordinary. I will say that aside from this, the characters were authentic and stayed true to themselves.
Master of Penlowen: 4 stars. This story is pretty creepy, which was a nice change from the others. The way the house is haunted is interesting, and the hero is atypical and complex. I found myself thoroughly interested in how the story would end, which is abnormal for me and romance. Definitely my favourite of the three. I think I'll look for more by this author.
March 17, 2015
I'd probably give 5 stars to the first two stories, and maybe 4 or 4.5 to the third one, but it was pretty great too. Very creative, that's for sure! These three stories were very different from each other, but each was just a bit (or in the last one, a lot!) spooky, and very romantic. I very much enjoyed them!
April 6, 2010
Three good historical romances, each from a different time period and in different settings, but all with at least a touch of fantasy. I enjoyed all three, but I think my favorite was the story by Christine Merrill. I love dark and frightening tales and hers was the darkest of the three.
May 8, 2011
3 fun, cute stories about finding love and Halloween. I enjoyed all the stories. They are different enough from each other so if you read them back to back the stories don't blur together in your mind.
October 20, 2008
A set of three historical stories - Western, Medieval, and Regency, all set with Halloween, Magic, Ghosts, Spells and all other delicious activities of the season.
July 22, 2014
Lisa Plumley : Marriage At Morrow Creek +
Denise Lynn : Wedding at Warehaven ++-
Christine Merrill: Master of Penlowen ++++
Denise Lynn : Wedding at Warehaven ++-
Christine Merrill: Master of Penlowen ++++
November 22, 2014
in this 3 stories in one book, i only read the "wedding at warehaven by ms. denise lyn.
September 26, 2012
Cute halloween themed romance anthology, I really enjoyed the stories and it was a quick read.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews