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thepinkestshark's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jillmlong's review against another edition
3.0
This anthology will get you in the Christmas spirit. You will want to cozy up by a nice fire, with a blanket and a warm cup of tea to read these stories. All three stories were quick and easy to read. Just what I was looking for!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and authors for this ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and authors for this ARC.
clynnc95's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
books_and_more_books_byt's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great collection of Christmas novellas by some of my favorite authors. I love reading Christmas books and this collection had all the festive feel-goods I would expect from these authors. They were the perfect stories for a cold winter day and a cup of hot chocolate. They certainly put me into the holiday spirit.
laurazdavidson's review against another edition
3.0
Seduction? This should have called "Abduction on a Snowy Night." Is that a trope we're still using? Regardless, Hunter's entry was mildly entertaining and Jeffries did not disappoint (this was more a rescue than an abduction), but Putney's story was atrocious.
jeannethinks's review against another edition
3.0
A Christmas Abduction by Madeline Hunter
Lord Thornhill is on his way to celebrate Christmas with his cousin when he's kidnapped. But he's not being held for ransom, he's being held responsible. A gentlemen does the right thing.
Caroline Dunham wants nothing more than to right a wrong. Yet the more time she spends with Adam the more she wishes things could be different. He doesn't seem like the rake she was expecting.
A Perfect Match by Sabrina Jeffries
I'm not sure why this isn't listed under the series for Project Duchess, since it's one of the five siblings from the main storyline. But it's definitely part of the series since several of the characters are obviously included here.
Lord Heywood is the second son of the Duke of Armitage. His bother has recently taken over the title after his father's death. He comes from a very interesting family. His mother is a widow three times over and has five children, all grown now, three of which are Dukes. Heywood had returned from the way with important news for his best friends sister, Kitty. He is charged with protecting her from a despicable fortune hunter. Best laid plans don't go entirely the way they should as he comes to find out the Kitty is not as she appears. And he's drawn instead to her cousin Cass. She is not what he needs, but she's precisely want he wants. And shouldn't you get what you want, especially at Christmas.
One Wicked Winter's Night by Mary Jo Putney
Anthony Raines, the fifth Duke of Castleton, knows he will need to take a bride soon. He simply can't get onboard with the marriage minded mamas and the uninspired options of the debutantes. He rarely comes out to society events. So when encouraged to attend a masquerade before the Christmas holidays takes everyone from London he is ill prepared to come face to face with his past.
Lady Diana Lawrence has returned from her travels. It was time after seven years to come back to the fold of her family. When she returned she knew she'd eventually come across her first love, Anthony. However, circumstances developed quite outside the social norms. And she is forced to take action. Then they have to be quick determine where they stand once they are stranded in a snowed in lodge.
Lord Thornhill is on his way to celebrate Christmas with his cousin when he's kidnapped. But he's not being held for ransom, he's being held responsible. A gentlemen does the right thing.
Caroline Dunham wants nothing more than to right a wrong. Yet the more time she spends with Adam the more she wishes things could be different. He doesn't seem like the rake she was expecting.
A Perfect Match by Sabrina Jeffries
I'm not sure why this isn't listed under the series for Project Duchess, since it's one of the five siblings from the main storyline. But it's definitely part of the series since several of the characters are obviously included here.
Lord Heywood is the second son of the Duke of Armitage. His bother has recently taken over the title after his father's death. He comes from a very interesting family. His mother is a widow three times over and has five children, all grown now, three of which are Dukes. Heywood had returned from the way with important news for his best friends sister, Kitty. He is charged with protecting her from a despicable fortune hunter. Best laid plans don't go entirely the way they should as he comes to find out the Kitty is not as she appears. And he's drawn instead to her cousin Cass. She is not what he needs, but she's precisely want he wants. And shouldn't you get what you want, especially at Christmas.
One Wicked Winter's Night by Mary Jo Putney
Anthony Raines, the fifth Duke of Castleton, knows he will need to take a bride soon. He simply can't get onboard with the marriage minded mamas and the uninspired options of the debutantes. He rarely comes out to society events. So when encouraged to attend a masquerade before the Christmas holidays takes everyone from London he is ill prepared to come face to face with his past.
Lady Diana Lawrence has returned from her travels. It was time after seven years to come back to the fold of her family. When she returned she knew she'd eventually come across her first love, Anthony. However, circumstances developed quite outside the social norms. And she is forced to take action. Then they have to be quick determine where they stand once they are stranded in a snowed in lodge.
hookedbythatbook's review against another edition
3.0
Three separate novellas by three authors I regularly read and like. I really enjoyed being able to read all three together. Usually I’m not a huge fan of novellas and these ones all had that element of a too-fast romance out of necessity. The last book, One Wicked Night, featured two people who had known and loved each other years before, but couldn’t be together for various reasons, and now they have the chance to find love again. This one is more believable regarding the romance part of the story.
Other than that, I really enjoyed the characters and all three stories. It was a quick, easy, and fun read. Quite entertaining, and I recommend it to any historic romance reader.
I received an advanced copy of the book from Netgalley to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Other than that, I really enjoyed the characters and all three stories. It was a quick, easy, and fun read. Quite entertaining, and I recommend it to any historic romance reader.
I received an advanced copy of the book from Netgalley to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
scoutmomskf's review against another edition
4.0
A Christmas Abduction by Madeline Hunter
Caroline Dunham has a bone to pick with notorious rake Baron Thornhill—and a creative plan to insure his undivided attention. Yet once in close quarters, she finds herself beholden to their smoldering connection . . .
Good story. Adam is on his way to his cousin's house for Christmas. He's not enthused about it as he is expected to announce his engagement to a woman he doesn't particularly like. However, it is an alliance thing, and he'll take one for the family. He doesn't expect to get kidnapped on his way there. As he is not wealthy, he has no idea what his captor wants. Caro is not interested in Adam's fortune or lack of it. She has far more personal plans for him.
I liked both Adam and Caro. He is a decent guy at heart. He's made mistakes, admits to them, and wants to change. He takes his abduction in stride and is more amused than angered by it. Once he figures out who she is, he believes he knows the why. He is impressed by Caro's efforts to keep things running and, drawn to her, finds himself wanting to help. For her part, Caro is determined to make the notorious rake do the right thing. But the more time she spends with him, the less rakish he appears to be.
There are sparks between Adam and Caro from the start. Besides the attraction, Adam finds himself feeling protective of Caro, especially after the incident at the pond. He's stunned when she finally tells him why he's there and vehemently denies the charge. Caro can't believe she's attracted to Adam after what he did, but she can't deny what is between them. I liked seeing them talk and get to know each other. The more I learned about Caro's reasons for having Adam there, the more I suspected that there was additional information that she was unaware of. I was not surprised by the truth when it came out. I loved Adam's actions to fix the situation. I loved the ending, as Adam finally found his purpose in life, and Caro found the support that she needed.
A Perfect Match by Sabrina Jeffries
Series: Duke Dynasty (Book 1.5)
Whisked away from a wintry ball by the officer she knew only through letters, Cassandra Isles struggles with her feelings for the commanding Colonel Lord Heywood. For he, secretly a fortune-hunter, must marry for money to save his estate—and Cass, secretly an heiress, will accept nothing less than love . . .
Good story. Cass and her cousin Kitty are at a winter ball where Cass does her best to keep Kitty out of the clutches of an unsuitable man. Though he presents well, there is something about him that Cass doesn't trust. Her suspicions are reinforced by the arrival of Colonel Heywood, who brings a message from Kitty's brother with news of the man's perfidy. Heywood arrives in time to overhear plans to abduct Kitty to Gretna Green, so he kidnaps Kitty and Cass first.
I liked both Cass and Heywood. Cass is independent, smart, and protective of her young cousin. She is also cynical about men, having been courted for her fortune in the past. Now she puts out that she is the poor relation, wanting to be courted for herself. Heywood is an honorable man who has spent many years as a soldier, but he longs for peace and a family of his own. His father left him some property, but it is in poor repair, which means Heywood must marry a woman who has money.
I liked the development of the relationship between Cass and Heywood. It begins with a bit of mistaken identity, as Cass has been writing letters to Kitty's brother in Kitty's name. Douglas shares those letters with Heywood, who has fallen in love with the writer, whom he believes is Kitty. This is convenient because Kitty is an heiress. It doesn't take long for him to realize that Kitty is not what he thought and that it is her poor cousin Cass who won his heart. Cass is equally drawn to him, but having been burned once she is wary. I loved seeing them spend time together, matching wits in some excellent banter. As their feelings for each other deepen, Heywood realizes that he'd rather give up his land than Cass. As Cass realizes her feelings for Heywood, she feels guilty about keeping the truth from him. Heywood disappointed me with his reaction when she confessed, his injured pride causing him to say some terrible things. Fortunately he sees the light in time to save her from near disaster and is properly contrite. Cass takes her share of the blame, too, which was nice to see. I liked the epilogue also.
Heywood's family was terrific, and I look forward to seeing more of them. His mother led an intriguing life, and it affected each of her children. I loved the closeness of the family and the lovingly done teasing among them all.
My only quibble in the story was the frequent insertion of lines from modern Christmas carols as parts of conversations. I found myself rolling my eyes each time it happened, as it would pull me out of the story.
One Wicked Winter Night by Mary Jo Putney
Series: Rogues Redeemed (Book 3.5)
Dressed as a veiled princess, Lady Diana Lawrence is shocked to discover that the mysterious corsair who tempts her away from the costume ball is the duke she once loved and lost. Now snowed in with Castleton at a remote lodge, will she surrender to the passion still burning hotly between them?
Good second chance love story. I loved that this was Diana's tale, who was part of Rory's story in Once a Scoundrel. Diana left England seven years earlier, fleeing the memories of a love gone wrong. She became an independent woman of means thanks to an import/export business she owns with a friend. The story opens as Diana receives a letter from Rory, inviting her back to England for a visit. Diana realizes that she is homesick and makes the decision to return home to stay. The only downside is the chance that she will run into the man she loved.
Anthony recently inherited the dukedom from his late, unlamented father. The previous duke had been a cruel man, and Anthony worked hard to be nothing like him. He is a quiet, kind man who loves his two sisters. He avoids social events whenever possible, as he has become the target of every eligible miss and her mother since becoming the duke. His sisters convince him that attending a costume ball will be fun as he can maintain anonymity while there.
I loved the meeting between Diana and Anthony. She and Rory dressed as Indian dancers and performed for the ball's attendees. Anthony was intrigued by the veiled dancer and requested a dance. The sparks between them led to an explosive kiss. To say they were shocked to discover who was behind the masks was putting it mildly. Though Anthony let Diana get away once, he is now determined not to let it happen again. Diana is still insistent that there is no chance of anything between them. I loved Anthony's spur-of-the-moment plan to get Diana to himself long enough to get to the bottom of her resistance, though Diana took a rather stupid risk to get there quickly. Once they were together, Anthony's patience and understanding broke through the guilt that had driven her away and kept her away. Those moments between them were emotional and heartwarming. Their happy ending was great. I loved their arrival at his sister's house and how Diana was embraced by them.
One of my favorite things in the story that had me in giggles was the creativity of the names they had for the cats' species. I also liked seeing Will and Athena again (loved their costumes for the masquerade ball) and Rory and Gabriel. I loved the fun that Rory and Diana had planning and doing their dance.
Caroline Dunham has a bone to pick with notorious rake Baron Thornhill—and a creative plan to insure his undivided attention. Yet once in close quarters, she finds herself beholden to their smoldering connection . . .
Good story. Adam is on his way to his cousin's house for Christmas. He's not enthused about it as he is expected to announce his engagement to a woman he doesn't particularly like. However, it is an alliance thing, and he'll take one for the family. He doesn't expect to get kidnapped on his way there. As he is not wealthy, he has no idea what his captor wants. Caro is not interested in Adam's fortune or lack of it. She has far more personal plans for him.
I liked both Adam and Caro. He is a decent guy at heart. He's made mistakes, admits to them, and wants to change. He takes his abduction in stride and is more amused than angered by it. Once he figures out who she is, he believes he knows the why. He is impressed by Caro's efforts to keep things running and, drawn to her, finds himself wanting to help. For her part, Caro is determined to make the notorious rake do the right thing. But the more time she spends with him, the less rakish he appears to be.
There are sparks between Adam and Caro from the start. Besides the attraction, Adam finds himself feeling protective of Caro, especially after the incident at the pond. He's stunned when she finally tells him why he's there and vehemently denies the charge. Caro can't believe she's attracted to Adam after what he did, but she can't deny what is between them. I liked seeing them talk and get to know each other. The more I learned about Caro's reasons for having Adam there, the more I suspected that there was additional information that she was unaware of. I was not surprised by the truth when it came out. I loved Adam's actions to fix the situation. I loved the ending, as Adam finally found his purpose in life, and Caro found the support that she needed.
A Perfect Match by Sabrina Jeffries
Series: Duke Dynasty (Book 1.5)
Whisked away from a wintry ball by the officer she knew only through letters, Cassandra Isles struggles with her feelings for the commanding Colonel Lord Heywood. For he, secretly a fortune-hunter, must marry for money to save his estate—and Cass, secretly an heiress, will accept nothing less than love . . .
Good story. Cass and her cousin Kitty are at a winter ball where Cass does her best to keep Kitty out of the clutches of an unsuitable man. Though he presents well, there is something about him that Cass doesn't trust. Her suspicions are reinforced by the arrival of Colonel Heywood, who brings a message from Kitty's brother with news of the man's perfidy. Heywood arrives in time to overhear plans to abduct Kitty to Gretna Green, so he kidnaps Kitty and Cass first.
I liked both Cass and Heywood. Cass is independent, smart, and protective of her young cousin. She is also cynical about men, having been courted for her fortune in the past. Now she puts out that she is the poor relation, wanting to be courted for herself. Heywood is an honorable man who has spent many years as a soldier, but he longs for peace and a family of his own. His father left him some property, but it is in poor repair, which means Heywood must marry a woman who has money.
I liked the development of the relationship between Cass and Heywood. It begins with a bit of mistaken identity, as Cass has been writing letters to Kitty's brother in Kitty's name. Douglas shares those letters with Heywood, who has fallen in love with the writer, whom he believes is Kitty. This is convenient because Kitty is an heiress. It doesn't take long for him to realize that Kitty is not what he thought and that it is her poor cousin Cass who won his heart. Cass is equally drawn to him, but having been burned once she is wary. I loved seeing them spend time together, matching wits in some excellent banter. As their feelings for each other deepen, Heywood realizes that he'd rather give up his land than Cass. As Cass realizes her feelings for Heywood, she feels guilty about keeping the truth from him. Heywood disappointed me with his reaction when she confessed, his injured pride causing him to say some terrible things. Fortunately he sees the light in time to save her from near disaster and is properly contrite. Cass takes her share of the blame, too, which was nice to see. I liked the epilogue also.
Heywood's family was terrific, and I look forward to seeing more of them. His mother led an intriguing life, and it affected each of her children. I loved the closeness of the family and the lovingly done teasing among them all.
My only quibble in the story was the frequent insertion of lines from modern Christmas carols as parts of conversations. I found myself rolling my eyes each time it happened, as it would pull me out of the story.
One Wicked Winter Night by Mary Jo Putney
Series: Rogues Redeemed (Book 3.5)
Dressed as a veiled princess, Lady Diana Lawrence is shocked to discover that the mysterious corsair who tempts her away from the costume ball is the duke she once loved and lost. Now snowed in with Castleton at a remote lodge, will she surrender to the passion still burning hotly between them?
Good second chance love story. I loved that this was Diana's tale, who was part of Rory's story in Once a Scoundrel. Diana left England seven years earlier, fleeing the memories of a love gone wrong. She became an independent woman of means thanks to an import/export business she owns with a friend. The story opens as Diana receives a letter from Rory, inviting her back to England for a visit. Diana realizes that she is homesick and makes the decision to return home to stay. The only downside is the chance that she will run into the man she loved.
Anthony recently inherited the dukedom from his late, unlamented father. The previous duke had been a cruel man, and Anthony worked hard to be nothing like him. He is a quiet, kind man who loves his two sisters. He avoids social events whenever possible, as he has become the target of every eligible miss and her mother since becoming the duke. His sisters convince him that attending a costume ball will be fun as he can maintain anonymity while there.
I loved the meeting between Diana and Anthony. She and Rory dressed as Indian dancers and performed for the ball's attendees. Anthony was intrigued by the veiled dancer and requested a dance. The sparks between them led to an explosive kiss. To say they were shocked to discover who was behind the masks was putting it mildly. Though Anthony let Diana get away once, he is now determined not to let it happen again. Diana is still insistent that there is no chance of anything between them. I loved Anthony's spur-of-the-moment plan to get Diana to himself long enough to get to the bottom of her resistance, though Diana took a rather stupid risk to get there quickly. Once they were together, Anthony's patience and understanding broke through the guilt that had driven her away and kept her away. Those moments between them were emotional and heartwarming. Their happy ending was great. I loved their arrival at his sister's house and how Diana was embraced by them.
One of my favorite things in the story that had me in giggles was the creativity of the names they had for the cats' species. I also liked seeing Will and Athena again (loved their costumes for the masquerade ball) and Rory and Gabriel. I loved the fun that Rory and Diana had planning and doing their dance.
waywordxwitch's review against another edition
4.0
~ ARC provided by NetGalley ~
I used to read these kinds if romances all the time as a teenager. Every now and then I read one again and this definitely reminded me why I love them so much. They're just good easy reads - light hearted and put you in a good mood. ♡
I used to read these kinds if romances all the time as a teenager. Every now and then I read one again and this definitely reminded me why I love them so much. They're just good easy reads - light hearted and put you in a good mood. ♡