One Haunted Evening -- anthology

This was a really interesting conceit - instead of an anthology, three author's stories are intermixed as each is happening (at least, that's what I'm interpreting by the three names on the cover and the sheer number of characters). It was, unfortunately, not well executed but just the idea made me round up to three stars.
There is a LOT going on in this little book. There are three main heroes, three heroines, at least five secondary characters that I noticed set up for their own next books. Plus, the authors tend to flip between calling the men by their first names and last names/titles so it gets doubly confusing. Basically, a bunch of guys decide to have a Samhain party at a supposedly haunted castle that one of them has just inherited and they discover that it, indeed, haunted.

Three stars
This book came out
Borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Opinions are my own

How to Find a Duke in Ten Days -- anthology

Three men decide to help a retiring mentor, Professor Peebles, prove that his life's work isn't a myth.

The Will to Love by Grace Burrowes
Philomena Peebles, the professor's daughter, decides to go out for a job helping Seton Avery, Earl of Ramsdale, decipher his uncle's will. His uncle was the professor's archnemesis and left a fairly convoluted will in Latin. The two quickly realize that they are just as interested in each other as unraveling the mystery.

Not a lot of time for relationship development even though the two have known each other before.
Three stars

How to Steal a Duke by Shana Galen
In the group, there is one person-duke (as opposed to the four folios also know as "dukes" or the Duke) and he is the one who intercepts a cat burglar one night. Well, she jumps on the roof of his carriage to evade the clerk in the jewelry store she was robbing. He decides she will be the perfect way to steal the Duke from it's rumored place in a house on top of a hill. Or something. This story didn't hang together very well but it was short.

Two and a half stars.

The Viscount's First Kiss by Carolyn Jewel
The longest of the three novellas, Viscount Daunt works with his country neighbor and long-time friend, Magdalene Carter to go through the contents of several libraries he bought just to look for the Duke. At one time, Magdalene's now-deceased husband had been accused of stealing one of the manuscripts so she is anxious to help and clear her name
A nice story but muddled by the introduction of a villain that was completely unnecessary and added nothing to the story.

Three stars

Three stars
This book came out October 3, 2017
Opinions are my own

Marquesses at the Masquerade -- anthology

Once Upon a Ball by Emily Greenwood
Rosamund Shufflebottom has been relegated to being the seamstress for her aunt and cousins. The night before a big ball held by the Marquess of Boxham, they force her to stay up almost all night. But her uncle presents her with a ball gown and her own pearl necklace which her aunt demanded as payment for taking Rosamund in. And Rosamund gets to attend the ball where she meets the Marquess but also loses the pearl necklace. Her aunt finds out and casts her out of the house.

Two and a half stars - Rosamund was described as a firebrand but we never really see it or the reasons why the Marquess would fall in love with her. Yes, it's a Cinderella story but so short that there's not much built out from that bare bones beginning.

Only Unto Him by Susanna Ives
Lord Exmore knows that Miss Annalise Van Der Keer is not right for his cousin. And he tells her so in no uncertain terms, sending her from London. Three years later, she is back but the circumstances have changed. She is no longer so silly, having nursed her parents while they were dying and he is no longer held in regard, having gone off the rails after his wife died.
But then he sees Annalise in a print shop and realizes that she's changed. And with his own changes, maybe something they could work on.

The first part of the story, Annalise and Exmore moving from enemies to friends was captivating. It sort of fell apart when they got married and the Big Misunderstanding but the first three quarters was quite delightful.

Three and a half stars


The Governess and the Norse God by Grace Burrowes
Darien St. Ives,  Marquess of Tyne, loves his daughters and is grateful that his newest nanny, Lucy, has been able to help cheer them since the death of their mother. Lucy is forthright and humble, the perfect nanny. And when they both attend the same masquerade, it opens his eyes to the fact that she may just be his perfect woman.
There was a subplot of a love triangle that didn't need to be there in such a short story but overall an enjoyable read.

Three and a half stars


This book came out April 17th, 2018
Hard copy I didn't keep
Opinions are my own

A Cowboy for All Seasons by Caitlin Crews, Nicole Helm, Maisey Yates, Jackie Ashenden

Spring by Caitlin Crews
After the death of their grandmother, four women are tasked with staying at her house, each of them for one season. The first is Keira Long. Keira was raised by a con man father and a mother who thought that he was everything leaving no room for anyone else. The only place Keira felt loved was at her grandmother's. And then with Remy West. But his parents didn't approve and Keira felt like she needed to find out who she was on her own so she left when he proposed. That was five years ago. And now she's back, living in her grandmother's house on the same land the Remy lives on, helping with the cattle. Could it be that both of them of matured into people who can be together?

This was the best story of the four. We got to know both Keira and Remy. Was Keira a little bit more adult about them being together? Yes. But we got to see that both were human. Four stars

Summer by Nicole Helm
JJ is back for the summer and has promised to fill in for her grandmother, caring for Cade Mathewson's two girls. She remembers Cade from visiting her grandmother in the summer; he was the only boy that didn't get upset when she beat him at footraces. She is falling in love with the girls but can't deny that their situation (their mother decided to leave and hasn't seen them since) mirrors her own. It brings up a well of emotions that help her heal and maybe bring her to the life she wants to have.
I wish we had seen more of Cade realizing why JJ was so good for him. Of course, this is a short story so we don't get to see a lot but it was an okay story. Three stars.

Fall by Maisey Yates
Lila isn't sure why she's sticking around. It's not like she's organized enough to help run the Red Sled Holiday Bazaar but for some reason, that's what her grandmother asked her to do. And it's being run on Everett McCall's land. Yes, the same Everett that Lila confessed her love to when she was 17. At his engagement party. He's the whole reason she hesitated coming back to Jasper Creek, even ten years later. But working on this together might be a way to finally show the man that she's loved for so long that she is worth loving too.
I never did connect to Lila. She didn't get the closure with her mother that I was hoping for. An okay story but not one of Yates' best. Three stars

Winter by Jackie Ashenden
Bella is the last of the four cousins. She stopped coming back to Jasper Creek when her mother decided that it wasn't worth going. Now, after having all of her money stolen (and why wasn't there more follow-up on this? The bank can't just tell her that they won't replace her money), selling her grandmother's house is her last hope for opening up a cafe. But she has no money, no clothes, and little hope when she comes to the house. Luckily, her ex-stepbrother, Noah is keeping an eye on her. The same stepbrother she always loved. And he offers to help her get the house ready for sale while she... draws her cafe ideas? I guess that was supposed to show that he was helpful and dedicated but it would have been nice to see Bella make more of an effort. There are definitely going to be readers who want to read about a man taking care of a woman like that but I prefer more of a equal relationship. Two and a half stars'

Three stars
This book came out February 25th
ARC kindly provided by Harlequin and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

The Measure of Malice: Scientific Detection Stories -- anthology

Poisoned Pen Press has been rolling out new collections of old stories as part of their British Crime Classic Library and this one is no different. This one rolls together stories that use science to help solve the mystery. There are the big names of course, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but lesser known names as well.
Like any anthology, this one has some good stories and some that are just... odd. And there is always the fun of reading about things that used to be cutting edge and, in terms of today's scientific knowledge are just sort of funny.

Three stars
This book came out February 4th
ARC kindly provided by Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

The Arrangement -- Anthology

MISCHIEF AND THE MARQUESS by Sylvia Day
Justin, the Marquess of Fontaine, and Lady Sophie Milton-Riley are being brought together by their matchmaking mothers. Justin needs to get married and Sophie is eligible... well, not really. She's had a child out of wedlock. But Justin doesn't seem to mind; it's just Sophie. She would prefer to prove that they are incompatible. Except that they aren't...

I couldn't connect to either of these characters and it was even harder than the usual novella issues. Two and a half stars.

THE DUKE’S TREASURE by Minerva Spencer
Beaumont Halliwell, the Fifth Duke of Wroxton, needs a wealthy wife and fast. Josephine Loman's father is dying but he wants her to improve her station in life so he marries her off to Beau, telling Beau not to let her come back. Beau obeys but as he starts to get to know his wife, he realizes that he may have been hasty in assuming that a low-born woman would not be his perfect match and that he wants her to be happy in all things.

Better than the first story, this one still has a lot going on with back stories and current stories and it feels like the ending was a bit forced. Three stars.

THE INCONVENIENT COUNTESS by Kristin Vayden
Miss Diana Katherine Lambson is out of options. After her father's death, he left only debts. Her only choice is to marry Charles Brook, Earl of Barrington, who wants her family's land. While her father had strictly forbade it, Diana wants to take that chance in order to save her mother and sisters.

My favorite, this could have been a longer novel and I would have been perfectly content because it would have filled in the cracks. Three and a half stars.

Three stars
This book comes out January 28th
ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

A Mackenzie Clan Christmas by Jennifer Ashley

A Mackenzie Yuletide
The Mackenzies are once again gathering for Christmas. The younger generation is growing up (and starting to be prepped for their own stories) but the original generation of Ashley's books are still there. Mac, in particular, is featured as he is the first to see the Mackenzie ghost. This mystery overlaps with the one of Ian's gift for his Beth. He is set on a particular necklace that used to be in a museum but it was stolen and he is trying to get ahold of it. His children are offering to help as well, especially his oldest son who is now 17 and wanting to prove himself to his father.

Four stars

A Mackenzie Clan Gathering
Ian Mackenzie wakes up one night when an errant sound causes him to realize there's an intruder in his brother's house. By the time he gets downstairs, his brother's art collection has been looted. From there, we get to revisit almost all of the Mackenzies and see them deal with an old enemy.
I had read this a couple of years ago and still feel the same. A nice story but doesn't really explore more characters or add anything except a brief update to the Mackenzie family.

Three stars

This book comes out October 29th
ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Betrothed by Christmas by Jess Michaels, Elizabeth Essex

A Lady's Gift for Seduction by Jess Michaels

The daughter of a duke, Lady Evangeline could marry anyone. And her father really wants her to marry someone who can strengthen the family connections. But not more than Henry Killam's social-climbing father. So when Lady Evangeline sets her sights on Henry, the third son of a viscount, Henry's father is at first excited, but then super pissed because Henry has published an astrology paper and that smacks of.... working.

I didn't really connect to either Evangeline nor Henry in this story and I was annoyed by all of the machinations. It was fine but not great.

Three stars

A Lady’s Gift for Scandal by Elizabeth Essex

Tamsin Lesley doesn't want to get married.  She just wants to live as a bluestocking and to do that she has to be ruined. Or fake ruined. Because there's no reason to be really ruined. When she runs into Lady Evangeline at a ball, that august young woman suggests Simon Cathcart as the perfect man to be her "ruiner." 

Simon went to war and came back different. He just wants a simple life so he pretends to be stupid. No one in his family nor his superiors (he worked for Wellington, for goodness' sake) has told anyone any different so everyone assumes that he's incredibly stupid and ignores him. He's only in town to escort his aunt to various affairs. So when Tamsin suggests a fake ruination, it seems like a good plan to him.

This is a good premise but I wish there had been more to it. I think it would have been better in a longer form but felt unfinished here.

Three stars

This book came out October 15th

ARC kindly provided by The Passionate Pen and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Rituals to Observe: Stories about Holidays from the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction -- anthology

The title pretty much explains what you're going to be reading in this book, short stories that won the Flannery O'Connor Award. That means that you're going to be reading deep stories with deep themes. And, though the book is out in October, it doesn't mean that the books all center around the same holiday. Instead, it runs the gamut of the year.

I think people that don't mind some stories that make you really think, even if they are a bit depressing, will enjoy this book. For me, this was not a good time to read these stories so I don't think I connected to them well.'

Three and a half stars

This book came out September 1st

ARC kindly provided by University of Georgia Press and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories edited by Martin Edwards

With a series of stories from the Golden Age, all set at winter holidays, this set of stories is a lovely tome to read in front of a roaring fireplace. The story from which this anthology takes its title is a locked room mystery that takes place when a group of railway travelers is stranded at a hotel that they are warned not to stay at. But what else are they to do?
Also included are stories by well-known authors and names that have been lost to the past alike, this is a lovely story for when the snow starts to fly.

Four stars
This book came out October 1
ARC kindly provided by Poisoned Pen Press and Edelweiss
Opinions are my own

Seduction on a Snowy Night -- anthology

A Christmas Abduction by Madeline Hunter
Adam Prescott, Baron Thornhill, is expecting to spend his Christmas at his cousin's house avoiding marriage to an eligible heiress who is after his title. He's not expecting to be kidnapped off the coach and taken to a remote location. He's also surprised that one of the two kidnappers is a woman. A very attractive woman. Either way, he's pretty comfortable because he knows that they are going to be disappointed. No one will pay any sort of ransom for him. Even when he finds out that it's about more than money, he knows that he's innocent of the accusation being leveled at him. At least, he's pretty sure he is...
An okay story. Adam seemed like a decent hero but I wish we had gotten to know Caroline a little bit more.
Three stars


A Perfect Match by Sabrina Jeffries
I have been excited for this short story since I read a preview at the end of  Project Duchess. Cass is just trying to protect her young cousin from a rogue, Captain Malet. Several characters try to tell her that she is jealous of her cousin's youth (Cass isn't that old, just poised) and fortune (Cass is also an heiress but doesn't want anyone to know because she's been burned before. At a ball, she is startled to learn that she is not the only one suspicious of her cousin's suitor, Kitty's brother has sent an emissary in the form of Colonel Lord Heywood Wolfe to protect her. When Heywood believes that Malet is going to whisk Kitty away to Gretna Green, he decides to steal both ladies away first.
Like Project Duchess, this story was great for the first 3/4 and then falters. The last Big Misunderstanding didn't need to be there and seemed antithetic to Heywood's character.
Three and a half stars

 One Wicked Winter's Night by Mary Jo Putney
Years ago, Anthony fell in love with a woman who was a little bit older than he but when he proposed marriage, she told him he wasn't grown-up enough yet. It didn't quite break his heart but it definitely made him think twice about marriage. And now that he's a duke, women are knocking down doors to get to him. So, while he's sort of thinking about marriage, he is definitely thinking about it once he realizes that the veiled woman dancing an exotic dance at the home of his sister's friend is his long ago love, Diana.
A nice story that built characters nicely considering it was so short.
Four stars

Three and a half stars
This book comes out September 24th
ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

The Bakeshop at Pumpkin and Spice -- Anthology

Sweet Magic by Donna Kauffman
Bellaluna's bakery is run by Abriana "Bree" Bellaluna O'Neill and her grandmother, Sofia. Their family has owned the shop for generations and every year at Halloween, Sofia makes special cookies that can help people find true love. Bree is ready to be the one making the cookies but she just can't get the recipe right but you have to be in love. Sofia thinks that Caleb, who is in town to run his uncle's restaurant business, might be the one. But Bree isn't sure... Caleb is a short timer. Can he really be her true love?

A typical Kauffman book. Regular readers will be satisfied.

Love Spells Disaster by Allyson Charles
Cassandra Hie wants to get married but she wants to find the "right" kind of guy. Someone like her boss, Steve.  But then Chip, a local handyman, eats the cookies meant for Steve. Suddenly, blue collar's not looking so bad... plus, he loves Halloween as much as she does.

There was so much time spent on Cassandra changing her mind that not as much was spent on their relationship building.

Sweet on you by Kate Angell
Lara's rent has just gone up and she's in danger of losing her job. Plus her boyfriend recently dumped her. But, Mayor Jack needs help. So he creates a job for Lara, who he is attracted to. And she rocks it.

An okay story but I don't love boss/employee romances, especially if someone has created a job for someone else.

Appleby Talks Again by Michael Innes

I haven't read a lot of the Appleby books but I hear about Innes' work on the Classic Mysteries podcast quite often. That made me very excited to see this book on NetGalley and even more delighted to get the ARC. The stories are interesting but very short which makes it hard for a plot to really develop. They were interesting, to be sure but I also felt the lack of character development. I really suspect it would be different had I read more Appleby stories.

Three stars
This book came out November 19
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley

The Big Book of Female Detectives by Otto Penzler, Editor

Wow. This is a LOT of female detective stories all in one place. Divided mainly by date published, this book includes not only selected short stories but brief biographies of the authors as well. Not all of the authors are women but all of the main characters are. I say main characters advisedly because the last section is labeled "Bad Girls" (which, "girls", really? You couldn't call it Femme Fatales? or Wicked Women?) and includes characters who may not exactly be on the side of angels.
I rarely wish books were shorter but this would have been better served to be in a few volumes. It got long slogging through the stories. And it would have been more interesting with slightly longer biographies. Or biographies of the characters. These were all too brief.

This book was published October 16
Three stars
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley; Opinion is my own

Exclusive / A Touch of Heaven by Samantha Chase

Exclusive
Jonathan Wade is famous for his mysteries and famous for not allowing himself to be interviewed. So it's a shock that Taylor Scott is invited up to do an in-dept interview with man. When she gets up to his house, she's surprised to see her old classmate Mike Green. And she's surprised at their connection...
The story of two classmates reconnecting because one is an author and the other is a reporter has been done and been done better. Mike was a jerk and I could not connect with him.

Two Stars

A Touch of Heaven
Regan is upset that her mother is selling their family home. Especially when her mother wins a remodel at their local hardware store with a father/son TV duo.
Sawyer Bennet is getting a little tired of being on TV. He'd like to go back to just being  contractor. Maybe with the perfect woman he can make that a reality.

An okay story. Might have been nicer as a fleshed out story.

Three stars.

This book comes out November 6
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Santa's on His Way

What the Cowboy wants for Christmas by Maisey Yates
Meg has loved Charlie for years. That's why she's devastated when she flies to New York and finds him in bed with someone else. Which is why she finds herself back home. But not why she jumps into bed with their mutual friend Noah. Nope. It's because she's finally realized how much

Three stars


Snowed In by Stacy Finz
A short story set in Glory Junction. Rachel left a high-powered job to open her bakery. She's a little worried that the new restaurant that Boden is opening up will eat into her profits. When she and Bode get stuck at a wedding venue overnight, their fireworks explode.

Three stars

A Cowboy Wedding for Christmas by Nicole Helm
Lindsay Tyler is back in her hometown. But no one knows she's back to stay even her ex. The one who's family farm is the site of her big brother's wedding. Is it possible that the wedding of one family member could bring another's love.

Three stars

A Baby for Christmas by Lisa Jackson
Liam isn't having a great Christmas. Just out of jail, he's pretty sure that his ex's baby is his. So that means he's going to knock down the door of the ex's sister, Annie.
Annie doesn't quite understand why there's a baby on her doorstep or why there's a man yelling at her and trying to take the baby away, but she does know that her life is going to be different from this day forward.

Three stars

This book came out September 25
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Blood on the Tracks Martin Edwards (Edited by)

The collections put together by Mr. Edwards can sometimes be hit or miss for me. This one was more on the hit side. With a number of familiar names like Baroness Orczy, Lord Peter Wimsey, Doctor Thorndyke, this book hits the spot for a good collection of favorite reads.

This book came out July 3
Four stars
ARC kindly provided by Edelweiss

The Boss of Her -- anthology

Lead Counsel by Aurora Rey
My favorite of this anthology, Elisa Gonzalez is startled to learn that the lead attorney her firm is bringing in is the same woman she had a crush on in law school, Parker Jones. They had had one night of heavy making out but Parker burned her the next day. Now they're both powerful women who are better able to deal with their emotions as well as the pressures of life.

Four stars

For Your Eyes Only by Julie Cannon
Riley Stephenson is a powerful CFO but she's awkward. Like, super shy and awkward. So she's astonished to find herself making the first move and ordering a stripper for herself after meeting her at a friend's birthday party where Jessie, the stripper, performs. I liked this story because the two were able to meet outside of work and Cannon really worked to make Jessie have her own agency in the romance. I wish we had had a better/softer ending to the story.

Three stars

Opportunity of a Lifetime by M. Ullrich
Luca Garner is a stellar intern who is assigned to work under VP Stephanie Austin, known as the office ice queen. She works hard and eventually the two find that they appreciate each other both for their good working rapport and their mutual attraction.
This was the story that worked least for me. I'm not sure how we're supposed to connect to either character nor how we're supposed to believe they work as a couple. There was so much packed into this short story that I felt a little whiplashed from how fast emotions went from love to hate.

Two and a half stars

Four stars overall
This book comes out April 17
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

The Usual Santas: A Collection of Soho Crime Christmas Capers

Loving a holiday story and being a fan of anthologies, I requested this ARC from NetGalley. It is, as described, an eclectic mix of sixteen stories that span the subgenres of mystery from noir to cozy. There are stories with Santas but some without but all take place at the Christmas season. It is a nice collection with authors that were mostly new to me. There really are stories from around the world including England, France, Vietnam, China to name a few. There are also several time periods covered, early 1800s, early 1900s, 1970s, 1980s, present day.
An enjoyable collection.

Four stars
This book comes out October 24

Second Chances -- Anthology

One of my favorite tropes for romance short stories and novellas is the second chance. It makes it infinitely more believable for two people to find their HEA. It clears up the need for a first-meet and makes more room for a good story. This is a really nice mix of stories. I didn't love all of them but I didn't need to, this was more an introduction to the authors and I think that most of these stories probably nice captured the author's tone and writing style.
With sixteen stories, I'm not going to review them all but there were some authors that I'm going to explore further. I definitely liked Cassandra Dean's "Scandalous," a historical story of a woman who was  ruined but then traveled the continent and returned to the man who finally realized he might be good enough for her. If this were a longer book, I think I would have liked it quite a bit.
Another one I would have liked the full-length version of (but enjoyed the story) was Lizzie Shane's "Something Old, Something New," the story of a couple who had been lovers, but then the man ghosted. Now they've met again at his best friend's wedding that she is the planner for.
Overall, a nice sprinkling of romance authors. Every romance reader will find at least one story to enjoy.

Four stars
This book comes out September 12