REVIEW: Royal Weddings, an anthology

Title: Royal Weddings
Author: Stephanie Laurens, Gaelen Foley, Loretta Chase
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Format: e-book
# of pages: 77
Source: bought from Amazon
Links: goodreads

Summary:
(from goodreads)

You are cordially invited
To help celebrate the Royal Wedding of
Prince William to Catherine Middleton
As we present a 77 page original anthology
Written by three utterly wonderful authors!

Stephanie Laurens' The Wedding Planner: Lady Margaret is proud plan the ton's most important nuptuals—including that of a prince. But it's Lady Margaret who falls in love . . . with dashing Gaston Devilliers!

Gaelen Foley's Ever After: How scandalous! Eleanor Monford, Countess of Archer, is in love with her own husband. And as Princess Charlotte of England weds Prince Leopold, Eleanor's "secret" is about to come out.

Loretta Chase's The Jilting of Lord Rothwick: On the eve of Queen Victoria's wedding to Prince Albert, the Marquess of Rothwick learns his fiancée, Barbara Findley, has broken their engagement! So he desperately rides out of London to seek her out . . . and to win her back.

Review:
Okay, this is an anthology, so the stories are going to lack a bit of depth.  But still.  The longest of the stories, which could have had so much more going on, was the one I liked least.  I'm going to have to rate these separately because I liked them on such different scales.

The Wedding Planner, which took up more than half of the 77 pages in this anthology, could not hold my attention.  This one is about Lady Margaret, aka Meg, and Gaston Devilliers, a man At the beginning of the short story, Meg seemed to strongly dislike Gaston, calling him a fiend and a pest.  She had also said that it was unfair her fiancé had perished at war, but Gaston had lived.  Then all of a sudden, she knows what he's thinking and is entertaining the idea of marriage to him.  Sure, there were many scenes with them in it, but really no interaction.  I didn't really sense any true romantic connection between and their romance was just not believable to me.  Also, just a side note, the name Gaston reminds me of Disney's Beauty and the Beast movie, lol.
Rating: ★★

Ever After was about Eleanor, who is in love with her husband, which is not done in the ton.  However, she keeps her feelings in and her husband doesn't know.  She thinks he's cheating, and tries to keep in her feelings about it because she knows that it a married man's prerogative to keep a mistress.  But she does snap and her husband, who had been wondering why she was upset with him, notices.  He puts her fears  to ease and reveals that he loves her too.  Even though this was really short, I really liked this one.  It had an "aww" factor for me, and I'm really happy there was a happily ever after, as the title suggests. :)
Rating: ★★★★

The Jilting of Lord Rothwick starts with Rothwick having already on the doorstep of his ex-fiancée.  It wasn't that hard to find her.  From the title and little summary, I thought she had fled somewhere, but no...she's at home.  He asks for an explanation and she just tells him she doesn't think they're suitable anymore.  Not knowing what more he can do, he leaves and their engagement is broken.  In reality, she loves him but doesn't want to be the only one in love.  In the end, she can't leave it be, because she can't live without him, so she goes after him.  This one was a bit too short as well, but I liked it and am glad they get their happy ever after too.
Rating: ★★★

I don't know, for some reason I was able to feel a connection between the couples in the last two stories, but not the couple in Laurens' story.  I haven't read anything by Gaelen Foley or Loretta Chase before, but I'm going to be looking into some of their novels now. :)

Overall: ★★★

REVIEW: Blazing Midsummer Nights

Title: Blazing Midsummer Nights
Author: Leslie Kelly
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Blaze
Format: e-book
# of pages: n/a
Source: Netgalley
Links: goodreads

Summary:
(from goodreads)

Anything can happen on a magical midsummer's eve
Marketing director/workaholic Mimi Burdette has The Plan-work for her father and date his right-hand man. Problem is, there's no heat in the relationship. Not even a spark. And worse still, Mimi is having some seriously sexy, panties-ablaze dreams-and the star looks a lot like Xander McKinley, the hunky firefighter next door. Mimi's dreams might be due to the strange tea she drank. Or the predictions from the fortune cookie she ate. Or they could be due to Xander's smokin' hotness. But whether it's magic or just old-fashioned fireworks, Mimi is about to break all of the rules-including her own!

Review:
The title made me think of Shakespeare, haha.  But this isn't Shakespeare.  It's a hot romance by Leslie Kelly, who is one of my favorite authors.

The main characters, Mimi and Xander, are attracted to each other at first sight.  But Mimi is not looking for a hot man, as she's looking to earn a promotion from her father.  Instead, she's trying to date the Dad-approved guy.  And Xander decides to not get involved after learning that Mimi's an heiress.  But it seems like the universe has other plans and wants to keep throwing Mimi and Xander together.  First, with him mistakenly walking in on her half-naked in her bedroom, and then with him racing to her rescue and catching her when she falls from trees.  And then of course, there was the fortune cookie, strange tea, and vivid dreams.  I think this was Leslie's way of trying to add a unique aspect to this plot, but  Mimi didn't even remember the dreams when she woke up, except for her last dream, so I don't think it added much.


No doubt that these two have chemistry, allowing Xander to help Mimi release the real her and leading this book to be sweet, romantic, and funny at times.   However, the side characters didn't add much for me.  They were just there.  We hardly heard from them, since most of the book was just Mimi and her thoughts or Xander and his thoughts or them talking to each other.  We didn't get much interaction between Mimi and Dmitri, so I thought having him there was pretty pointless.  There was no real love triangle there, no conflict.  Mimi pretty much dismissed Dmitri as a romantic option at the beginning, and so I never got the sense that she was truly considering seriously dating him. I guess they were there as plot movers, creating scenarios for Mimi and Xander together and moving the plot along quickly.  But I felt like there could have been more interaction...I hope I'm making sense, lol.

And then, I'm a little iffy with the ending, but not because of Mimi and Xander's ending.  Dmitri ended up getting engaged to Helen, who he apparently had a relationship with before moving to Athens, GA.  When they saw each other at her parents' home, where Mimi also lives, after Helen had moved back, they were both shocked and tense.  I already knew they were going to get together when it was revealed that they knew each other.  But I want to know what happened between them!  How did they end up engaged?  I felt like that could've been a whole other book.  Or at least, a little more in the epilogue, other than Dmitri holding is soon-to-be wife and stepson.


But overall, the main characters were likable and this was a cute, easy read.  I recommend this if you're looking for a quick romance to read.

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ARC REVIEW: The Summer My Life Began

Title: The Summer My Life Began
Author: Shannon Greenland
Release Date: May 10, 2012
Series: n/a
Genre: Young Adult, Romance
Publisher: Speak (Penguin group)
Format: e-book
# of pages: n/a
Source: Netgalley
Challenge: 24 Hour Readathon

Summary:
(from Netgalley)

This is what seventeen-year-old Em gets when she goes to spend a month at her aunt’s island resort. It’s a dream come true—and exactly the break Em needed from her strict family and their high expectations of her. But when Em uncovers a long-buried secret about her family, everything changes. And suddenly, Em finds herself making some big choices about her future—choices she never dreamed she’d have the chance to make . . .

Review:
The Summer My Life Began is a cute, fast read.  Perfect for the beach!  Really, there isn't too much depth in this one.  A lot of it is quite predictable, like the thing at the end with the paintings.  But I was a little caught off guard with the family secret.  I was thinking too much and thought of several of other possibilities...So that was a surprise!

This story was basically about our narrator, Em, finding herself, or at least realizing that she doesn't want to follow the plan that has been set out for her her whole life.  And also about her finding out the family secret, I guess.  I mean, I enjoyed reading about her time at The Pepper House and her enthusiasm for cooking, it just felt quite rushed.  And because of that, we didn't get to totally see the depths of our characters and their emotions.  Also, there were quite a few characters that were thrown in there that I thought would mean something,  but they didn't really add to the story.  Like Jeremy.  That little storyline was kinda pointless to me...I know he was supposed to be a part of the love triangle, but that didn't really work since she hardly showed any interest in him after that first meeting.  So, it didn't add anything to the story for me.

And that leads to my issue with the main relationship that we all see coming from the beginning.  I felt no chemistry between her and Cade at all.  They had a rocky start and hardly talked in the beginning.  After they started kind of having friendly conversations, she picked an argument with him really for no reason, and then mooned after him when he didn't speak to her for a week afterwards.  A few kisses and everything was better.  To me, their relationship was purely physical.  I have no idea where the emotional connection came from...since there was a lot of telling, but not much showing.  And this "telling, but not showing" thing was a major thing in the story that kept me from connecting with the characters, so I was just pretty whatevs towards them.

Anyway, the setting sounded absolutely gorgeous and like somewhere I'd love to vacation at.  I think B&B's are cute, even though I've never been to one, and The Pepper House sounded like a great place!  The only thing I found odd was that Tilly would leave her door open while she wasn't in her room, and was out and about working.  For some reason, I thought she would maybe lock it for privacy...?  But again, I've never been to a B&B, so maybe it's common.  And also, maybe it's different in the laid back Outer Banks, where they don't have to worry about that stuff?  I mean, that didn't affect the enjoyment in reading this.  I just found it curious.

So overall, this book was nice.  It's a great read for a lazy day, when you don't want to think too much.

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REVIEW: A Callahan Wedding

Title: A Callahan Wedding
Author: Tina Leonard
Series: Callahan Cowboys
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Harlequin American Romance
Format: ebook
# of pages: n/a
Source: Netgalley
Challenge: Read the Month (April)
Summary:
(from Harlequin.com)

Sabrina McKinley broke Jonas's heart when she left him for another man. Then the eldest Callahan brother gets the surprise of his life when he sees her again…holding his son. Even at six months, his bouncing baby boy was wearing the legendary Callahan smile!

Which means Sabrina has got to marry him, even if Jonas has to drag her to the altar.

Sabrina's been head over heels for the hunky cowboy doctor since the day she first came to Rancho Diablo; it's always been Jonas keeping her at arm's length. She won't settle for anything less than the real deal—the love and happiness that Jonas's five brothers have found.

But when a revelation about a family secret comes out, Sabrina can see Jonas is ready to look toward the future. He won't be the last bachelor on the ranch. After all, he's a Callahan!

Review:
This is the sixth book in Tina Leonard's Callahan Cowboys series.  I haven't read the previous books in the series, so it affected my reading and enjoyment a bit, since there are quite a few references to the other books.  I was left with some questions because of that, so I recommend reading the previous books before reading this one.

The main story is, of course, Jonas trying to win Sabrina back.  All of a sudden, he's accepted that Sabrina's son was his, so he had to marry her.  Unfortunately, I was not a big fan of Jonas from the start and that didn't change too much throughout the story.  I understand that he needs to be macho, but as Sabrina said, most of his proposals (if you could call them that) were chauvinistic.  He didn't ask her to marry him, he told her she needed to!  Also, I didn't get too much chemistry from Jonas and Sabrina together.  Maybe that's because I haven't read the previous books, since they got together before in a kind of "friends with benefits" type thing.  But there was a big lack of romance in their relationship in this book.  He didn't even tell her he loved her until the end!  He would tell himself, sure, but never mentioned that to her, so of course she wouldn't know how he felt!

There was also the added mystery of the family secret.  A man is hanging around the Callahan property trying to find out if any of the Callahans know the secret.  He was caught before, in one of the previous books, but was released and is on the prowl again.  The ending of this books makes it seem like it's probably not the last time you'll see him, so I imagine there'll be another book in this series.

Overall, the plot was okay and most of the characters were likable enough.  I would recommend this book if you're looking for an easy read about a cowboy romance in a small town.  But remember, read the previous books in the series first!  I think it'll help your enjoyment of this one...

Rating:

Plot:	★★★
Characters:	★★★
Ending:	★★★
Overall:

REVIEW: A Waltz at Midnight

Title: A Waltz at Midnight
Author: Crista McHugh
Series: n/a
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Format: e-book
# of pages: n/a - 19,000 words
Source: Netgalley
Summary:
(from Netgalley)

New York, 1866

When her mistress receives an utterly unromantic letter from a potential suitor, servant Susanna Parkwell is asked to craft an appropriate response. Though hesitant to take part in the deception, Susanna agrees, never dreaming the scorned suitor will write back.

Theodore Blakely abhors being pressured by his family to marry, but he's intrigued by the witty refusal he receives from "Charlotte". After exchanging more letters, Ted believes he's found a soul mate in his thoughtful and understanding correspondent, and asks permission to formally court her.

Though racked with guilt over her lies, Susanna can't resist the opportunity to meet Ted in person. So she poses as Charlotte at a holiday ball, where she vows to tell him the truth. But when the clock strikes midnight, will Susanna have the courage to reveal her identity and risk losing the man she loves?

Review:
A Waltz at Midnight was a sweet, romantic little novella set after the Civil War. Our main female character, Susanna, had to move from the South to New York to survive. She works at her aunt's boarding house, which houses Vassar students, to earn a living and to save up for her brother's Bar exam. While working there she is persuaded by one of the residents, Charlotte, to reply to a letter from an unwanted suitor. This turns into so much more, as Susanna continues to exchange letters with the suitor, Theodore Blakely, also known as Teddy. They form a connection to each other through these letters, but that's not at all what Charlotte wants. So she makes Susanna pose as her at a masquerade ball to tell Teddy the truth and end it once and for all. But Susanna kept waiting for the right time, which never came. Instead, midnight comes around, the deadline Charlotte had given her. Susanna has to leave, and she tells Teddy to never call on her. Teddy doesn't listen, and ends up calling on Charlotte, which lead him to finding out the truth.

The characters were likable, with both Susanna and Teddy experiencing hardships in their past. Through their letters, they are able to express these hardships, which have never been told to another person. Though they were able to connect like this and their love story was sweet, it was almost too easy. There wasn't really any conflict, other than Susanna lying to Teddy about who she was in her letters. But then, that was resolved really easily too. I thought it could've been a bit longer. Teddy went to confront Susanna, and after an apology, he pretty much forgave her. Susanna kind of seemed more upset than him. I don't know...if I was lied to by the supposed love of my life, I'd be a lot more upset than Teddy seemed to be. But that's just me. And the fact that he's not so upset and everything seems to go easily for the characters, especially him looking past their differences (him from the North, her from the South, etc.), makes this a sweet, but unrealistic love story. Add in the the Cinderella tendencies of this story: stroke of midnight and leaving clothing behind, and it's definitely got a fairytale feel.

But I like fairytales and happy endings and unrealistic love stories, because it makes me happy and helps me get away from the real world for a bit. So overall, I did like the story. It was a sweet and easy read. I recommend it if you're looking to relax and get away from the real world for a little while.

Rating:
Plot - ★★★★
Characters - ★★★
Ending - ★★★
Overall - ★★★

ROMANCE: Wait till Your Vampire Gets Home

Title: Wait till Your Vampire Gets Home
Subtitle: Undead fathers really know best.
Author: Michele Bardsley
Genre: Paranormal Romance
# of Pages: 283

Summary: Libby Monroe works as a paranormal investigator for Paranormal Research and Investigation Services (PRIS), which her parents founded. She winds up in Broken Heart, Oklahoma because rumor has it that Broken Heart is a breeding ground for the paranormal, so she's there to investigate. While there, she meets and falls in lust with a sexy vampire named Ralph Genessa, who also happens to be the father of two adorable boys. Unfortunately, she also runs into trouble, as the queen of the vamps won't let her leave Broken Heart. But soon, that's the least of her problems, as a dragon and an Ancient are out to get her, and they don't care who or what they destroy along the way...

Review: This is the fourth book in the series, but the first of the series that I've read. It can pretty much stand alone, though you won't know much background for the other characters if you don't read the other books first, I guess. Didn't really matter for me, though I do want to eventually get around to reading the others. The idea for the storyline was interesting, but it could be worked out better. Also, the romance was pretty lacking. I know I shouldn't expect romance novels to be realistic...but I can't help it. This was more than just unrealistic. There's an attraction between Libby and Ralph, sure. But there's no proof that the attraction is something real between them, and not just from the fact that they share a dragon's soul. Plus, they both fight the attraction until near the end. They don't really get to know each other at all. I mean, the characters are likable enough, except for "Uncle Archie." But the relationship between the two main ones leaves something to be desired. Oh yeah, Ash is pretty cool; probably my favorite character. Haha. I hope she has an upcoming story...

I've been putting off writing this review, because I just didn't know how I felt about this book. I probably could read it again, because it has a happy ending (and I love those), but I'm still unsure about if I'd consider it a good read. If I'm willing to read it again, that should mean it is...right? lol

Rating: ★★★