Scan barcode
Reviews
Four Weddings and a Sixpence: An Anthology by Laura Lee Guhrke, Julia Quinn, Elizabeth Boyle
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.
caitcoy's review against another edition
3.0
Haven't read any romances in awhile so I decided to pick up this anthology when I saw it at the library the other day (I'm a big fan of Julia Quinn so that was the main draw for me). The anthology is built around the premise that four women found a lucky sixpence as schoolgirls and decided that the sixpence would bring them luck in love a la the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and as the sixpence goes to each woman in turn, romance ensues.
Something New - ☆☆ 1/2
In Stefanie Sloane’s story, Anne Brabourne's guardian has decided that she must marry by her twenty-first birthday or retire to the country as a spinster. Having grown up within a tumultuous marriage that made her more of an adult than either parent, Anne wants no part of a lovematch and has set her goal as finding a malleable husband who will allow her to conduct her own affairs. As you might expect, things don't exactly go as planned.
This was a somewhat cute but unfortunately predictable and boring story. It was brutally obvious that the only thing in the way of the romance was the ability of the hero and heroine to recognize what was good for them and none of the obstacles were convincing enough to make the wait to the end sensible. I enjoyed the characters and their interactions but it just seemed too contrived and silly.
Something Borrowed - ☆☆☆
In Elizabeth Boyle's story, Cordelia Padley, has invented a betrothed to keep her family from pestering her to wed. Cordelia has a love of adventure and no desire to settle down and be restrained by a spouse so she decides to borrow a fiance long enough to convince her family and then give herself some time to "grieve" about being tossed aside. When she asks a childhood friend to help her out, the sixpence guarantees it won't go as planned.
Aside from Quinn's story, probably the second most enjoyable story in the collection. Cordelia and Kipp have changed a fair amount from when they were adventurous kids and life got in the way so watching them re-adjust to their new positions and selves was interesting and entertaining. The romance was cute and enjoyable, for as short as it was.
Something Blue - No rating
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.
To be completely honest, I made it a few pages through this story before getting bored and skimming to the last one. I didn't particularly care for the characters and I'm not a huge fan of the antagonistic way that it set up things between them. Since I didn't read it terribly carefully, I'll leave off reviewing this story.
... and a Sixpence in Her Shoe - ☆☆☆☆
Julia Quinn finishes with the story of Beatrice Heywood, a logical and practical young woman who has doubts about the lucky nature of the sixpence despite it working for three friends. After she literally runs into a rather cranky man with his own issues, the sixpence ends up guiding her to a new and intriguing set of circumstances.
Apparently Quinn can do no wrong in my eyes. I love the way she writes flawed but interesting characters and having a hero with a disability was treated with empathy and made both characters easy to admire and be interested in. It was a shame to have this be a short story as I very much would have enjoyed Quinn having more time to explore the romance between Bea and Frederick. It has the expected silly Quinn humor that so appeals to me and honestly made me enjoy the anthology more than I would have otherwise.
Overall I enjoyed enough of the anthology to give this one three stars. It's not the best romance anthology I've read but if you enjoy Victorian romances, it's worth your time just for the Boyle and Quinn stories.
Something New - ☆☆ 1/2
In Stefanie Sloane’s story, Anne Brabourne's guardian has decided that she must marry by her twenty-first birthday or retire to the country as a spinster. Having grown up within a tumultuous marriage that made her more of an adult than either parent, Anne wants no part of a lovematch and has set her goal as finding a malleable husband who will allow her to conduct her own affairs. As you might expect, things don't exactly go as planned.
This was a somewhat cute but unfortunately predictable and boring story. It was brutally obvious that the only thing in the way of the romance was the ability of the hero and heroine to recognize what was good for them and none of the obstacles were convincing enough to make the wait to the end sensible. I enjoyed the characters and their interactions but it just seemed too contrived and silly.
Something Borrowed - ☆☆☆
In Elizabeth Boyle's story, Cordelia Padley, has invented a betrothed to keep her family from pestering her to wed. Cordelia has a love of adventure and no desire to settle down and be restrained by a spouse so she decides to borrow a fiance long enough to convince her family and then give herself some time to "grieve" about being tossed aside. When she asks a childhood friend to help her out, the sixpence guarantees it won't go as planned.
Aside from Quinn's story, probably the second most enjoyable story in the collection. Cordelia and Kipp have changed a fair amount from when they were adventurous kids and life got in the way so watching them re-adjust to their new positions and selves was interesting and entertaining. The romance was cute and enjoyable, for as short as it was.
Something Blue - No rating
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.
To be completely honest, I made it a few pages through this story before getting bored and skimming to the last one. I didn't particularly care for the characters and I'm not a huge fan of the antagonistic way that it set up things between them. Since I didn't read it terribly carefully, I'll leave off reviewing this story.
... and a Sixpence in Her Shoe - ☆☆☆☆
Julia Quinn finishes with the story of Beatrice Heywood, a logical and practical young woman who has doubts about the lucky nature of the sixpence despite it working for three friends. After she literally runs into a rather cranky man with his own issues, the sixpence ends up guiding her to a new and intriguing set of circumstances.
Apparently Quinn can do no wrong in my eyes. I love the way she writes flawed but interesting characters and having a hero with a disability was treated with empathy and made both characters easy to admire and be interested in. It was a shame to have this be a short story as I very much would have enjoyed Quinn having more time to explore the romance between Bea and Frederick. It has the expected silly Quinn humor that so appeals to me and honestly made me enjoy the anthology more than I would have otherwise.
Overall I enjoyed enough of the anthology to give this one three stars. It's not the best romance anthology I've read but if you enjoy Victorian romances, it's worth your time just for the Boyle and Quinn stories.
seeinghowitgoes's review against another edition
2.0
I should know better by now, anthropologies are always ultimately a bit disappointing and I veered from mildly interested, to infuriated to mildly charmed.
The Something Blue story nearly had me blowing off the top of my head due to the hero (negative stars for that story!!) and the Sixpence in her Shoe story was so saccharine sweet that part of me naturally feel on love while being mildly appalled.
It was a strange reading experience.
The Something Blue story nearly had me blowing off the top of my head due to the hero (negative stars for that story!!) and the Sixpence in her Shoe story was so saccharine sweet that part of me naturally feel on love while being mildly appalled.
It was a strange reading experience.
cammmiam's review against another edition
3.0
Something New by Stefanie Sloane - 3 out of 5 stars.
It's a nice story, but I never felt any chemistry between the characters.
Something Borrowed by Elizabeth Boyle - 5 out of 5 stars.
I loved this one. By having the characters be childhood best friends with memories to reflect back on their personalities and chemistry were set. There is also a theme about dreams, and how they are not given up but rather change over time; this theme allowed you to see the character growth. Incrediblely well done; I wanted more.
Something Blue by Laura Lee Guhrke - 1 out of 5 stars
Both hero and heroine annoyed me. The plot was also pointless. Definitely the most disappointing thing I have ever read by this author.
...and a Sixpence in her Shoe by Julia Quinn - 5 out 5 stars
This is masterful. I'm pretty sure she had the shortest story, yet she managed to get so much character, vulnerability, hope and joy into a walk to a village bakery. I wanted to read more about these two as well.
It's a nice story, but I never felt any chemistry between the characters.
Something Borrowed by Elizabeth Boyle - 5 out of 5 stars.
I loved this one. By having the characters be childhood best friends with memories to reflect back on their personalities and chemistry were set. There is also a theme about dreams, and how they are not given up but rather change over time; this theme allowed you to see the character growth. Incrediblely well done; I wanted more.
Something Blue by Laura Lee Guhrke - 1 out of 5 stars
Both hero and heroine annoyed me. The plot was also pointless. Definitely the most disappointing thing I have ever read by this author.
...and a Sixpence in her Shoe by Julia Quinn - 5 out 5 stars
This is masterful. I'm pretty sure she had the shortest story, yet she managed to get so much character, vulnerability, hope and joy into a walk to a village bakery. I wanted to read more about these two as well.
scoutmomskf's review against another edition
4.0
Beloved authors Julia Quinn, Elizabeth Boyle, Laura Lee Guhrke, and Stefanie Sloane deliver the stories of four friends from Madame Rochambeaux's Gentle School for Girls who find an old sixpence in their bedchamber and decide that it will be the lucky coin for each of their weddings.
SOMETHING OLD by Julia Quinn
This prologue introduces heroine Beatrice Heywood and the premise for FOUR WEDDINGS AND A SIXPENCE.
A brief prologue where we meet the four heroines as young girls and get a bit of their backgrounds. They imbue the found sixpence with some romantic magic and vow to save it for their weddings.
SOMETHING NEW by Stefanie Sloane
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.
The first of the friends to find love. Anne is in London for another Season of looking for a husband. Her uncle has insisted she find a husband before her twenty-first birthday, only a few weeks away. Looking for some peace during yet another ball, she sneaks away to the library, confiding her troubles to the dog laying before the fire. She doesn't realize the library is occupied until Rhys, Duke of Dorset, makes his presence known.
I loved their meeting. Rhys is amused by what he heard and intrigued by Anne's pragmatic attitude toward marriage. She's quite blunt about what she is looking for, and he isn't it. Having witnessed her parents' volatile relationship, Anne isn't interested in love or passion. She wants a biddable husband who will let her control her own money and live her life as she wants. Rhys enjoys his bachelor ways and has no intention of marrying any time soon. He offers to help her find a suitable man. Over the next few weeks they spend a lot of time together and form quite a friendship.
Rhys soon realizes that he isn't having any luck finding a man he feels is good enough for Anne. I loved the museum scene and his friend, Lord Penbroke's, statement of what is going on with Rhys. An unexpected kiss between Rhys and Anne throws them both into turmoil, as Rhys faces the changes in his feelings. Anne is equally shaken, and thanks to a misunderstanding, believes that Rhys has regrets. There's a wonderful scene between Rhys and Anne's uncle that had me laughing out loud, and another between Anne and Lady Marguerite that opens Anne's eyes to her fears. A fright over Rhys's safety sends Anne running to his side. I loved the ending, with Rhys showing Anne just how well he understands and loves her just as she is. The only downside was a rushed intimacy that didn't really seem to fit in the rest of the scene.
The lucky sixpence is encased in a locket that Anne wears. She's not sure she really believes in its magic, but wears it to make her friends happy. She begins to wonder and questions its effectiveness as her husband hunt is unsuccessful. By the end, she discovers the charm had it right all along.
SOMETHING BORROWED by 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.
Cordelia has received the sixpence from Anne, along with an invitation to her wedding, to include Cordelia's mysterious fiancé. The problem is, Cordelia doesn't really have a fiancé. She made him up to get her aunts to stop trying to set her up with eligible men. Cordelia doesn't want to marry, she wants to fulfill her dream of exploring the world. Now she has to find someone to play the part or admit she's been lying all along.
Kipp, Earl of Thornton, has the unenviable task of having to find a wealthy bride. When he unexpectedly inherited the title it was to discover that the estate was flat broke. If he wants to protect the people he's responsible for and save the estate, he needs money and lots of it. He's not really looking forward to proposing to Miss Holt, daughter of a cit, who is more interested in his title than in him. Before he can go through with it, he receives an unexpected visit.
I loved seeing Cordelia's attempts to appeal to Kipp's sense of honor and adventure that she remembers from when they were children. Kipp has given up his childhood dreams of mapping his way around the world, beaten down by his responsibilities. But Cordelia's appeal brings back the memories of happier days and he decides to help her out.
I loved seeing the two of them get to know each other again. It was fun seeing Cordelia bring the light back into Kipp's eyes as they make their way to Anne's wedding. At the same time, Cordelia begins to understand Kipp's devotion to his land and his people. I ached for both of them as they realized that their time together was only temporary, or as Cordelia said "He's only borrowed and I will have to give him back". It doesn't take long before they both realize what they feel, but have no hope of making it work. Then an unexpected and not very welcome visitor arrives throwing everything into confusion. I loved how Kipp dealt with the issue, and then followed up with Cordelia. There was some confusion the next day, and an unexpected twist that made their happy ending that much sweeter.
SOMETHING BLUE by Laura Lee Guhrke
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.
Not my favorite of the stories. Ellie and Lawrence had been in love and engaged up until six months earlier. Then Lawrence began an investigation into Ellie's father, accusing him of purposely using inferior materials to make guns in order to reap more profits. Ellie finds out about the investigation and believes that Lawrence is putting his ambition to advance ahead of their love. At the same time, Lawrence feels that she should trust him and his love above her father, even though he refuses to provide any evidence to her.
At Cordelia and Kipp's wedding, the sixpence is given to Ellie. She is in expectation of a proposal from a man who's family can stop the investigation into her father's alleged wrongdoings. But Lawrence overhears the exchange and manages to steal the sixpence. From there, all Ellie's plans seem to go awry and she is determined to get the sixpence back. There are some fun scenes of her attempts, which always backfire on her.
In spite of their split, the attraction between them is just as strong as ever. The sparks fly with every encounter, and not just with temper. Ellie can't understand why she still wants a man who is so determined to ruin her father. Lawrence is also fighting his feelings because he can't see Ellie ever forgiving him for what he is doing.
I could see things from both their points of view. Ellie loves her father and can't believe he'd do something as heinous as what Lawrence is accusing him of. Lawrence simply can't put his personal feelings ahead of what he sees as his duty. He tries his best to make Ellie see things his way, but she's adamant in her support of her father.
I'm still not sure I liked the ending. Yes, they are together, but Lawrence's "proposal" was less than romantic. I rather liked what Ellie did for her father, and Lawrence's attitude is harsh. His determination to continue the pursuit seems to me to be asking for a buildup of resentment further down the line.
...AND A SIXPENCE IN HER SHOE by Julia Quinn
Finishing up 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!
The blurb isn't right on this one. Yes, Bea is skeptical about the magic of the sixpence, but there's only one man in this story. Bea is given the sixpence at Ellie's wedding. She doesn't want it - she has no intention of marrying, but plans to take care of her elderly aunts. But her friends give her no peace until she agrees.
Bea is loyal and caring to her family, independent in her thinking, and fascinated by astronomy. As she's walking down the street one day (griping about the sixpence in her shoe) and watching the clouds, she collides with a gentleman. Though she notices his eyepatch and scar, she's more intrigued by the color of the eye she can see and is caught staring.
Frederick was injured in a carriage accident and took a long time to recover from his injuries. Tired of the looks of revulsion and pity he gets from people, he has purchased a small estate and continues his study of theoretical physics away from contact with most people. When he runs into Bea he sees her staring as the same he always gets, which makes him rather grumpy with her. They part ways, then see each other again at the stationer's shop. Here they actually take the time to talk a little and learn that both are into the sciences. Frederick is intrigued by her, and when the opportunity comes to aid her, he takes it. Their following conversations create a definite connection between them.
I enjoyed the quick and sweet development of their romance. Bea brings Frederick's senses back to life after his accident. He's fascinated by her mind and warmed by her lack of pity and matter-of-fact attitude about his injuries. I loved his desire to do something special for her, and his offer to take her to the observatory was perfect. Though she had been so determined that she'd never marry, Bea is stunned by how quickly she loses her heart to Frederick.
Their trip to the observatory was adorable. Bea's excitement is contagious and Frederick's happiness at her enjoyment is obvious. Even Bea's Aunt Callie gets into the spirit. Aunt Callie is also a bit of a rogue, and plays matchmaker with the two. My favorite line, as Bea goes tearing up the stairs to the telescope and Frederick is grinning, is when Aunt Callie says "You'd better follow. I won't be out of breath for long." Frederick is surprised, but not stupid, and takes her advice. I loved his big moment up there and how he opened himself up to her.
I loved the epilogue and how they brought the sixpence full circle. I also enjoyed the conversation before Bea arrived, and have a suspicion that she is more like her friends than the think she is.
SOMETHING OLD by Julia Quinn
This prologue introduces heroine Beatrice Heywood and the premise for FOUR WEDDINGS AND A SIXPENCE.
A brief prologue where we meet the four heroines as young girls and get a bit of their backgrounds. They imbue the found sixpence with some romantic magic and vow to save it for their weddings.
SOMETHING NEW by Stefanie Sloane
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.
The first of the friends to find love. Anne is in London for another Season of looking for a husband. Her uncle has insisted she find a husband before her twenty-first birthday, only a few weeks away. Looking for some peace during yet another ball, she sneaks away to the library, confiding her troubles to the dog laying before the fire. She doesn't realize the library is occupied until Rhys, Duke of Dorset, makes his presence known.
I loved their meeting. Rhys is amused by what he heard and intrigued by Anne's pragmatic attitude toward marriage. She's quite blunt about what she is looking for, and he isn't it. Having witnessed her parents' volatile relationship, Anne isn't interested in love or passion. She wants a biddable husband who will let her control her own money and live her life as she wants. Rhys enjoys his bachelor ways and has no intention of marrying any time soon. He offers to help her find a suitable man. Over the next few weeks they spend a lot of time together and form quite a friendship.
Rhys soon realizes that he isn't having any luck finding a man he feels is good enough for Anne. I loved the museum scene and his friend, Lord Penbroke's, statement of what is going on with Rhys. An unexpected kiss between Rhys and Anne throws them both into turmoil, as Rhys faces the changes in his feelings. Anne is equally shaken, and thanks to a misunderstanding, believes that Rhys has regrets. There's a wonderful scene between Rhys and Anne's uncle that had me laughing out loud, and another between Anne and Lady Marguerite that opens Anne's eyes to her fears. A fright over Rhys's safety sends Anne running to his side. I loved the ending, with Rhys showing Anne just how well he understands and loves her just as she is. The only downside was a rushed intimacy that didn't really seem to fit in the rest of the scene.
The lucky sixpence is encased in a locket that Anne wears. She's not sure she really believes in its magic, but wears it to make her friends happy. She begins to wonder and questions its effectiveness as her husband hunt is unsuccessful. By the end, she discovers the charm had it right all along.
SOMETHING BORROWED by 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.
Cordelia has received the sixpence from Anne, along with an invitation to her wedding, to include Cordelia's mysterious fiancé. The problem is, Cordelia doesn't really have a fiancé. She made him up to get her aunts to stop trying to set her up with eligible men. Cordelia doesn't want to marry, she wants to fulfill her dream of exploring the world. Now she has to find someone to play the part or admit she's been lying all along.
Kipp, Earl of Thornton, has the unenviable task of having to find a wealthy bride. When he unexpectedly inherited the title it was to discover that the estate was flat broke. If he wants to protect the people he's responsible for and save the estate, he needs money and lots of it. He's not really looking forward to proposing to Miss Holt, daughter of a cit, who is more interested in his title than in him. Before he can go through with it, he receives an unexpected visit.
I loved seeing Cordelia's attempts to appeal to Kipp's sense of honor and adventure that she remembers from when they were children. Kipp has given up his childhood dreams of mapping his way around the world, beaten down by his responsibilities. But Cordelia's appeal brings back the memories of happier days and he decides to help her out.
I loved seeing the two of them get to know each other again. It was fun seeing Cordelia bring the light back into Kipp's eyes as they make their way to Anne's wedding. At the same time, Cordelia begins to understand Kipp's devotion to his land and his people. I ached for both of them as they realized that their time together was only temporary, or as Cordelia said "He's only borrowed and I will have to give him back". It doesn't take long before they both realize what they feel, but have no hope of making it work. Then an unexpected and not very welcome visitor arrives throwing everything into confusion. I loved how Kipp dealt with the issue, and then followed up with Cordelia. There was some confusion the next day, and an unexpected twist that made their happy ending that much sweeter.
SOMETHING BLUE by Laura Lee Guhrke
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.
Not my favorite of the stories. Ellie and Lawrence had been in love and engaged up until six months earlier. Then Lawrence began an investigation into Ellie's father, accusing him of purposely using inferior materials to make guns in order to reap more profits. Ellie finds out about the investigation and believes that Lawrence is putting his ambition to advance ahead of their love. At the same time, Lawrence feels that she should trust him and his love above her father, even though he refuses to provide any evidence to her.
At Cordelia and Kipp's wedding, the sixpence is given to Ellie. She is in expectation of a proposal from a man who's family can stop the investigation into her father's alleged wrongdoings. But Lawrence overhears the exchange and manages to steal the sixpence. From there, all Ellie's plans seem to go awry and she is determined to get the sixpence back. There are some fun scenes of her attempts, which always backfire on her.
In spite of their split, the attraction between them is just as strong as ever. The sparks fly with every encounter, and not just with temper. Ellie can't understand why she still wants a man who is so determined to ruin her father. Lawrence is also fighting his feelings because he can't see Ellie ever forgiving him for what he is doing.
I could see things from both their points of view. Ellie loves her father and can't believe he'd do something as heinous as what Lawrence is accusing him of. Lawrence simply can't put his personal feelings ahead of what he sees as his duty. He tries his best to make Ellie see things his way, but she's adamant in her support of her father.
I'm still not sure I liked the ending. Yes, they are together, but Lawrence's "proposal" was less than romantic. I rather liked what Ellie did for her father, and Lawrence's attitude is harsh. His determination to continue the pursuit seems to me to be asking for a buildup of resentment further down the line.
...AND A SIXPENCE IN HER SHOE by Julia Quinn
Finishing up 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!
The blurb isn't right on this one. Yes, Bea is skeptical about the magic of the sixpence, but there's only one man in this story. Bea is given the sixpence at Ellie's wedding. She doesn't want it - she has no intention of marrying, but plans to take care of her elderly aunts. But her friends give her no peace until she agrees.
Bea is loyal and caring to her family, independent in her thinking, and fascinated by astronomy. As she's walking down the street one day (griping about the sixpence in her shoe) and watching the clouds, she collides with a gentleman. Though she notices his eyepatch and scar, she's more intrigued by the color of the eye she can see and is caught staring.
Frederick was injured in a carriage accident and took a long time to recover from his injuries. Tired of the looks of revulsion and pity he gets from people, he has purchased a small estate and continues his study of theoretical physics away from contact with most people. When he runs into Bea he sees her staring as the same he always gets, which makes him rather grumpy with her. They part ways, then see each other again at the stationer's shop. Here they actually take the time to talk a little and learn that both are into the sciences. Frederick is intrigued by her, and when the opportunity comes to aid her, he takes it. Their following conversations create a definite connection between them.
I enjoyed the quick and sweet development of their romance. Bea brings Frederick's senses back to life after his accident. He's fascinated by her mind and warmed by her lack of pity and matter-of-fact attitude about his injuries. I loved his desire to do something special for her, and his offer to take her to the observatory was perfect. Though she had been so determined that she'd never marry, Bea is stunned by how quickly she loses her heart to Frederick.
Their trip to the observatory was adorable. Bea's excitement is contagious and Frederick's happiness at her enjoyment is obvious. Even Bea's Aunt Callie gets into the spirit. Aunt Callie is also a bit of a rogue, and plays matchmaker with the two. My favorite line, as Bea goes tearing up the stairs to the telescope and Frederick is grinning, is when Aunt Callie says "You'd better follow. I won't be out of breath for long." Frederick is surprised, but not stupid, and takes her advice. I loved his big moment up there and how he opened himself up to her.
I loved the epilogue and how they brought the sixpence full circle. I also enjoyed the conversation before Bea arrived, and have a suspicion that she is more like her friends than the think she is.