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Reviews
Four Weddings and a Sixpence by Laura Lee Guhrke, Stefanie Sloane, Julia Quinn, Elizabeth Boyle
shelbyday's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 Great anthology. I have always been a Julia Quinn fan, and she didn't disappoint with this collection. I also especially liked Stefanie Sloan's story and plan to take a peek at other stories she has written. Great read. It would be the perfect choice to read on the way to an out-of-town wedding!
gothmomlite's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed almost all the stories, though Cordie and Kipp's (Something Borrowed - 5 stars) and Bea and Frederick's (...and a Sixpence in Her Shoe - 4 stars, would've been 5 if a bit more in the way of plot) were my faves.
"Something Blue," however, I loathed. Lawrence, the so-called hero of the piece, was an absolute jerk to the heroine. He taunted, manipulated, even blackmailed her, for pity's sake. A gentleman would've behaved better, would've found less ass-hatty ways to achieve his aims with the heroine. As well, I'd have respected the heroine more if, when she did have the upper hand over the "hero," she'd taken the blighter down a peg. As it stands, it's she who was under pressure, she who had to face a difficult truth, she who had to grow past a problem, and all while the "hero" tormented her. Ugh.
"Something Blue," however, I loathed. Lawrence, the so-called hero of the piece, was an absolute jerk to the heroine. He taunted, manipulated, even blackmailed her, for pity's sake. A gentleman would've behaved better, would've found less ass-hatty ways to achieve his aims with the heroine. As well, I'd have respected the heroine more if, when she did have the upper hand over the "hero," she'd taken the blighter down a peg. As it stands, it's she who was under pressure, she who had to face a difficult truth, she who had to grow past a problem, and all while the "hero" tormented her. Ugh.
kdunlop13's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
nellesnightstand1's review against another edition
4.0
Great stories! Reminded me of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Historical style!
laurazdavidson's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyable, but not special. Julia Quinn's story is the best of the four (it's last, so be patient). And Laura Lee Guhrke's contribution, while better than Sloane's and Boyle's, felt incomplete; it would have benefited from a longer treatment.
alexware's review against another edition
3.0
Julia Quinn is great as always, and of course I'm going to love a character who's passionate about astronomy. But one of the other stories had a character saying "I'm okay," which is a dreadful anachronism in a Regency romance.
tessisreading2's review against another edition
3.0
I generally dislike romance short stories - you just don't have enough time to get to know the characters before they're tumbling into their happily ever after. I liked the premise of this anthology, though, and several of the authors, so I gave it a shot. It was interesting - I liked the beginning of the first story ("Something New") but it rapidly reminded me of why I don't like romance short stories - everything sped along far too quickly. "Something Borrowed" just had too many romance tropes, and again it didn't really fit in a story of that length. Then we got to "Something Blue," which actually had a plot and a storyline rather than an accumulation of romance cliches, and "Sixpence" reminded me of why Julia Quinn is so successful - because that one was an actual romance and I didn't find myself wondering why it wasn't longer: it was just the right length.
blodeuedd's review against another edition
3.0
“Something Old”
Julia Quinn’s prolog introduces her heroine Beatrice Heywood and the premise for Four Weddings and a Sixpence.
My thoughts:
Just an introduction to the women and the coin.
“Something New”
In Stefanie Sloane’s unforgettable story, an ever-vigilant guardian decrees that Anne Brabourne must marry by her twenty-first birthday. But love finds her in the most unexpected of ways.
Thoughts:
Anne needs to marry. She meets a Duke. They form a friendship while she hunts for a man.
Nice little story
“Something Borrowed”
Elizabeth Boyle tells the tale of Cordelia Padley, who has invented a betrothed to keep her family from pestering her to wed. Now she’ll need to borrow one to convince them she’s found her true love.
Thoughts:
I liked Cordelia. What an idiotic idea of hers, but it paid off. I liked that how much he really did love her.
“Something Blue”
In Laura Lee Guhrke’s story, unlucky Lady Elinor Daventry has her sixpence stolen from her and must convince the rake who pilfered the coin to return it in time for her own wedding.
Thoughts:
I was not sure about this hero, and even at the end. Hmm, I just do not know. But then her father was evil. Dilemma! Still a good story.
“... and a Sixpence in Her Shoe”
Julia Quinn finishes with the story of Beatrice Heywood, who never believed that the sixpence was anything but a tarnished old coin—until it led all of her friends to true love. But her faith in the coin is tested when it keeps sending her to the wrong man!
Thoughts:
I do believe this to be my favorite. Bea lived a quiet life. Her hero wanted a quiet life after all the looks his eye gave him. People can be so cruel! A lovely story how they fell in love.
This was an anthology that worked and all stories were strong. Cute, romantic and short.
Julia Quinn’s prolog introduces her heroine Beatrice Heywood and the premise for Four Weddings and a Sixpence.
My thoughts:
Just an introduction to the women and the coin.
“Something New”
In Stefanie Sloane’s unforgettable story, an ever-vigilant guardian decrees that Anne Brabourne must marry by her twenty-first birthday. But love finds her in the most unexpected of ways.
Thoughts:
Anne needs to marry. She meets a Duke. They form a friendship while she hunts for a man.
Nice little story
“Something Borrowed”
Elizabeth Boyle tells the tale of Cordelia Padley, who has invented a betrothed to keep her family from pestering her to wed. Now she’ll need to borrow one to convince them she’s found her true love.
Thoughts:
I liked Cordelia. What an idiotic idea of hers, but it paid off. I liked that how much he really did love her.
“Something Blue”
In Laura Lee Guhrke’s story, unlucky Lady Elinor Daventry has her sixpence stolen from her and must convince the rake who pilfered the coin to return it in time for her own wedding.
Thoughts:
I was not sure about this hero, and even at the end. Hmm, I just do not know. But then her father was evil. Dilemma! Still a good story.
“... and a Sixpence in Her Shoe”
Julia Quinn finishes with the story of Beatrice Heywood, who never believed that the sixpence was anything but a tarnished old coin—until it led all of her friends to true love. But her faith in the coin is tested when it keeps sending her to the wrong man!
Thoughts:
I do believe this to be my favorite. Bea lived a quiet life. Her hero wanted a quiet life after all the looks his eye gave him. People can be so cruel! A lovely story how they fell in love.
This was an anthology that worked and all stories were strong. Cute, romantic and short.
nellesnightstand's review against another edition
4.0
Great stories! Reminded me of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Historical style!
sammishgirl's review against another edition
2.0
I'm really glad I found this book at the library, and didn't pay actual money for it. Because if I had, I would be mad! Julia Quinn's name (and the reason I picked this up) is in huge letters at the top, but her writing accounts for less than 20% of the book. The book is 407 pages long, and she wrote 79 of them (14 of which are the end caps to the collection, and so aren't even really part of her story).
Julia's story was, predictably, sweet and funny (although too short). The other three were... not good. Okay, honestly, I only read the first two. The second one, in particular, with its constant trying-too-hard metaphors and similes, drove me crazy. I started the third, but by that time I was so frustrated with the crummy writing of the other two that I just gave up and skipped ahead to Julia's story.
Needless to say, I will not be seeking out more books by the other authors in this anthology.
Julia's story was, predictably, sweet and funny (although too short). The other three were... not good. Okay, honestly, I only read the first two. The second one, in particular, with its constant trying-too-hard metaphors and similes, drove me crazy. I started the third, but by that time I was so frustrated with the crummy writing of the other two that I just gave up and skipped ahead to Julia's story.
Needless to say, I will not be seeking out more books by the other authors in this anthology.