Cranky Ladies of History is an anthology of short fiction about real historical women who were angry and did things with that anger. Some of these things were spectacular, and some were just spectacularly appalling (looking at you, Erszebet Báthory) (but not looking too closely, because I really don’t want to provoke you), but it makes for a fascinating anthology theme, tailor-made for fans of Carrie’s ‘Kickass Women in History’ series. In the introduction, Tansy … Continue reading Cranky Ladies of History edited by Tansy Rayner Roberts and Tehani Croft Wessely →
NB: Lightning Reviews is a little different this time as Aarya wrote a review for each of the three holiday historical romance novellas in Seduction on a Snowy Night by Mary Jo Putney, Madeline Hunter, and Sabrina Jeffries. We figured we’d group them all together in one post for easy reading. It’s only September, but holiday romances are already out for the season. First up is a historical romance anthology with stories by Madeline Hunter, … Continue reading Lightning Reviews: Seduction on a Snowy Night Anthology →
Madeline Hunter is a talented writer, but this novella did not work for me at all. Adam Prescott, the Baron of Thornhill, is kidnapped by a mysterious lady and gentleman after he briefly exits a mail coach on his way to his cousin’s home for Christmas. He’s held at gunpoint and carried off to a mysterious estate. Caroline’s animosity and kidnapping bewilders Adam, but he is nonetheless attracted to her. Because falling in love with … Continue reading A Christmas Abduction by Madeline Hunter →
A Perfect Match starts out with so much promise but it fizzles out into an uninspiring finish. Unlike the preceding novella, the “kidnapping” in this one is relatively benign. Lord Heywood has traveled away from his military regiment in order to protect his friend Douglas’s sister Kitty from a dastardly villain. When he spots the villain Malet making plans to elope with Kitty at a ball, he takes desperate measures and “kidnaps” Kitty and her … Continue reading A Perfect Match by Sabrina Jeffries →
This review was very, very difficult for me to write. I’ve spent most of the past day wondering if I overreacted or was being too sensitive. Hours later, I’ve come to three conclusions: My feelings are 100% valid. The content is harmful enough that I feel obligated to rant and warn readers about it. One Wicked Winter Night contains racist drivel that should’ve never been cleared for publication. The premise is… you know what, the … Continue reading One Wicked Winter Night by Mary Jo Putney →
Hamilton’s Battalion is a wonderful trio of romance novellas set in America during or immediately following the Revolutionary War. I don’t think I’ve ever before found a romance anthology in which all the stories were equally well written. I had high expectations for Courtney Milan and Alyssa Cole, because I’m a fan of their other work, and they did not disappoint. I’ve never read anything by Rose Lerner before, but her novella was also wonderful. … Continue reading Hamilton’s Battalion by Rose Lerner, Courtney Milan, and Alyssa Cole →
I really, really wanted to like this anthology. Jewel heists? Oh, yes, please. Any kind of heist, really, but jewel heists have additional romance-friendly elements like wealth and potential world travel built in, coupled with a rather low risk for entrails, sexual assault, or crime elements that would preclude me from reading them. Alas, while one of the three stories was fun and another was sort of meh, there was the one that gave me … Continue reading Caught in the Act: A Jewel Heist Anthology by Ainslie Paton, Emma Sinclair, and Michelle Dayton →
Anthologies are always tough to grade. Do I grade the entire thing and how cohesive it is? Do I just grade each story individually and average it out? Halp! Normally, I wind up doing the latter because sometimes the stories inside an anthology don’t have a common thread aside from the genre. Such is the case with Too Taboo. It’s an erotic romance anthology, with an emphasis on taboo situations. It seemed right up my … Continue reading Too Taboo: An Erotic Anthology →
Binge on Books, along with Open Ink Press, has announced a new experimental anthology, Sight Unseen. Sight Unseen will feature romance writers Sherry Thomas, Meredith Duran, Emma Barry, Erin Satie, and JA Rock all writing anonymously. These stories take you far into the future, out of this world, and into the hot lights of center stage. They include compelling characters, steamy romances, and surprising plots. But that’s what you’d expect from these authors. The twist? The stories … Continue reading Cool Project Alert: Sight Unseen Anthology →
NB: Welcome to Flashback Friday! Because of Carrie’s Four Weddings and a Sixpence anthology review, we wanted to run another anthology with a similar grade that we enjoyed. The Brightest Day has one of Sarah’s favorite novellas of 2015! This review was originally published June 17, 2015. Reviewing anthologies is always difficult for me. I’m never sure if I should give a grade for the collection as a whole, even if some of the stories didn’t grab … Continue reading The Brightest Day: A Juneteenth Anthology by Kianna Alexander, Lena Hart, Piper Huguley and Alyssa Cole →
