I love a good anthology- and this collection is full of them!



The Big Duke Energy anthology was such fun- it definitely needs to be on your radar! I’m already a big fan of ALL these authors, so this book was a real treat for me!

Check out my mini synopsis:



🖤THE EARL ON THE TRAIN by Kerrigan Byrne 
After kidnapping the heroine in the past, a surprise run in on a train provides the villainous hero with a second chance… at love!



🖤LOVED AND FOUND by Christi Caldwell 
Class difference separated these friends to lovers before, but free from familial obligations now, can this heroine win back her first love?



🖤THE WOLF OF WESTMORE by Amalie Howard 
A lady being forced to marry for familial gain, decides to take her virginity into her own hands and in disguise purchases her childhood crush at a sex club auction!



🖤PUT UP YOUR DUKES by Janna MacGregor 
Gossip has made Martin "Duke" Richmond the man he is… and it has taken the most important thing from him. Can he win back his wife before another scandal takes her away from him forever?



🖤DUKE OF EVERY SIN by Stacy Reid
A secret baby is left on the doorstep of a derelict duke. Seeing it as the way to his redemption, he refuses to turn it over to his aunt… and instead offers her a different proposal…



This was a great read and I totally recommend it to anyone who has not read these authors to get a taste of their work, and to their fans!

Big Duke Energy is scheduled to be released March 29th, 2022.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Oliver Heber Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#BigDukeEnergy #KerriganBryne #StacyReid #ChristiCaldwell #AmalieHoward #JannaMacGregor #NetGalley #pinkcowlandreads

THE EARL ON THE TRAIN by Kerrigan Byrne
Review: Absolutely love this one! I mean, Byrne wrote it so it’s no surprise since she is one of my absolute favorite authors! They can’t stand each other but boy is it hot when they get together. Really steamy. 5 stars.

LOVED AND FOUND: Christi Caldwell
Review: This one kind of reminded me of Byrne’s novella. I didn’t like it as much. It was steamy but didn’t really convince me. 4 stars.

THE WOLF OF WESTMORE by Amalie Howard
Review: I loved this retelling of Romeo and Juliet mixed with a mascarade. I loved Jocelyn’s courage to step up and claim Wulfric as his own. Hilarious! The only thing that I do not understand quite was Jocelyn’s cousin. I still don’t know if he is a villain or just a very stupid side character. Steamy but mixed with a little action. 4.5 stars.

PUT UP YOUR DUKES by Janna MacGregor
Review: I didn’t hate this novella but I did not like it. Maybe because Martin is not really a duke, that’s just his nickname. He belongs to a working-class, owns a newspaper, and loves writing about society’s scandals and secrets. But while his newspaper thrived, his marriage did not and his wife moved out soon after they married after he published something about her friend. But they had an agreement to meet once a week on a Wednesday when they basically tear each other clothes off. The thing that bothered me a lot is that this was happening for 5 years. So when things are happening now and Amelia realizes she will never come first for him, I just couldn’t believe it. It took you 5 years for that??? You moved out of that house a month or so after you married him for this exact reason and now you decide to give up. This is literally the reason why you two basically divorced! I just didn’t understand why this would be the conflict of the novella when it’s basically what the whole story is based on since the very first page. What he did after he realized Amelia left him (again) is what he should do 5 years earlier. 1.5 stars.

DUKE OF EVERY SIN by Stacy Reid
Review: Another grumpy duke that needs salvation and redemption in the form of a heroine (my favorite kind tbh). Ethan finds a baby on his doorstep and takes him in. Soon he finds baby’s aunt in his rooms and decides that they should married because this is the only way she could see him. So it’s a marriage of convenience. I loved that Verity showed him a path to true love and redemption. She told him that he shouldn’t carry the guilt of the past. Ethan looks menacing but is really just a big softie and a duke who needs love. 4 stars.

All in all, all novellas were steamy and I liked them all except one.

Combined stars:

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.

This is an amazing anthology.
All five stories. are very good.
The Earl on the Train is my least favorite followed by Loved and Found.
My next favorite is The Wolf of Westmore and it is a toss up between Put Up Your Dukes and Duke of Every Sin.

THE EARL ON THE TRAIN by Kerrigan Byrne Sebastian Moncrieff is a villain, a traitor, and a pirate, who has recently inherited an Earldom he never wanted. As a man who’s committed every sin imaginable, he knows his only chance at redemption is the one woman who ever reached through to his soul of ice. He’s kidnapped Veronica Latimer once before, and was enchanted by everything about her... This time, when he takes her, he’ll have to admit that she’s kept his heart captive since the moment they met. But can he convince her to forgive his past in order to claim a future?

LOVED AND FOUND: Christi Caldwell Lieutenant Thaddeus Phippen has lived a lifetime away from the only love he ever knew, a powerful duke's daughter. He's now returned from fighting Boney's forces, ready to put aside tragic battlefield remembrances and the memory of past heartbreak of love lost. Or that was the plan...until Thaddeus finds himself face-to-face with the one woman he soon finds he can't ever forget... Is the divide between former lovers too great to forge a future together...or can they at last have a love to last a lifetime?

THE WOLF OF WESTMORE by Amalie Howard Lord Wulfric Bane, the Duke of Westmore knows that blood is thicker than water, that duty is more important than personal desire, and that some things, like falling in love, are never meant to be. Cossetted and coddled Lady Jocelyn Capehart has been bred to be the perfect lady. On the outside, she is demure, sweet, and biddable, but on the inside, a vixen longs to break free of her cage. A chance meeting at a sultry club leads to one sinfully explosive night that neither of them can forget.

PUT UP YOUR DUKES by Janna MacGregor Martin "Duke" Richmond bows to no one, including any duke who protests what he publishes in his sensational gossip rag, The Midnight Cryer. However, he is occasionally open to negotiation when it comes to special requests from his wife. Estranged from her husband for five years because of the incendiary gossip he prints, Amelia Richmond finds escape from her lonely existence by volunteering at a foundling home, helping society's most powerful people avoid her husband's rancor gossip, and sleeping with her husband every Wednesday. Not an entirely unwelcome chore. When Martin goes on a rampage against one of the most powerful dukes in the British Isles, Amelia must use her wit and best persuasive techniques to rein him in. When her chance for a happy marriage appears within reach, Amelia finds herself falling for him once again, which is bad...very bad.

DUKE OF EVERY SIN by Stacy Reid Ethan Benedict, Duke of Bainbridge, has been an object of fear, fascination, and salacious gossip for years. To many, his reputation would make him an unlikely savior of a baby left on his doorstep. But Ethan saw the child as perhaps a pathway to redemption. What he did not anticipate was for his jaded heart to soften toward the mysterious young woman who infiltrates his household and secretly cares for the child.
This anthology is authored by five my my favorite authors.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Absolutely fun selection of stories. I am onto the third in the collection. full review shortly.

All the authors are my favorite.

I wish I had liked this more.

Kerrigan Byrne is the standout for me. She set the bar high and the other stories couldn't meet it.
Maybe if I had read the books from which all these characters are from I would be invested in them, that's on me. Otherwise these stories were fine, besides Byrne I didn't find the writing spectacular.

The first story was definitely the worst, too dark and it took too long to figure out what the heck was going on. The male was too brooding the story line was too convoluted. The best was the 4th one, of the married couple where he owns a gossip rag. On the whole, the stories were fine, but I was not blown away.

Anthologies are usually a hit or miss for me, the uneveness mostly due to some of the tropes not being for me. I will say that this doesn't really cross any tropes that I dislike intensely, and they were all a pleasure to read throughout the day, with each author's contribution being just the right length for the story.

Of these authors, the only one I haven't read from is MacGregor, and I think this is a great introduction to their work. For the other four authors, their contributions play to their strengths and offer the reader a great introduction to how they create romances and worlds that are uniquely their own.

BIG DUKE ENERGY is a collection of historical romance short stories that feature secondary characters receiving their happily-ever-afters. Unfortunately, I am only familiar with three of the five authors presented in this anthology. And two of those authors, I have only read one of their series. So, I had hoped this anthology would broaden my horizons to new books to explore.

THE EARL ON THE TRAIN by Kerrigan Byrne
Sebastian Moncrieff is a former pirate, one who has indulged in nearly every sin available. Among his peers, he is known as The Erstwhile Earl. Veronica Latimer is a dowager countess, who now designs and makes garments for the wealthy. She has never really forgotten Sebastian, nor the erotic scene she witnessed on his ship. Neither expected their paths to cross again, especially on a luxury train heading to another country. Veronica makes Sebastian long for forbidden things. Will Sebastian give up his dastardly ways for Veronica? And can she trust him with her body and her heart?
The man practically oozes sex appeal and danger. What I adore the most about Sebastian is his rage against Veronica’s late husband. He wants nothing more than to erase the monster’s abusive ways from her mind permanently. Veronica is a remarkable woman. She has survived an abusive relationship. Instead of hiding away, Veronica tries to help other women in a similar position. I admire that about her!
THE EARL ON THE TRAIN is book eight in Kerrigan Byrne’s historical romance series, VICTORIAN REBELS. I have been wanting, and waiting, for this couple’s story since, THE DUKE WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, book six in the series. I highly suggest reading that story before delving into this one.
This novella alone, I would gladly give five stars! Kerrigan Byrne always blows me away with her stories. She is the main reason I picked up this anthology.

LOVED AND FOUND by Christi Caldwell
Former Lieutenant Thaddeus Phippen is the son of a bricklayer. Free from the war, he now works for his older brother. Lady Edith “Edie” Peregrine is the daughter of a duke and a widowed Marchioness. She has survived a cold and loveless marriage. Neither one has forgotten about their forbidden love when they were younger. A snowstorm forces Edie and Thaddeus to reconnect. However, the past continues to loom over them. Will Thaddeus and Edie reconcile their differences? Or will their shared past keep them separated forever?
It took me a while to warm up to Thaddeus. I understand why he felt so disillusioned and bitter towards Edie. However, I feel that Thaddeus should have anticipated some trouble from her parents because of their social differences. What I like the most about Thaddeus is despite his feelings towards Edie, he refused to leave her injured and susceptible to the elements.
I could not help but like Edie! Even at a young and impressionable age, she did not care about class distinction. Edie befriended a commoner despite her parents’ approval. What I admire the most about Edie is the sacrifice she made for Thaddeus’ family. She gave up her own happiness to make certain his family prospered.
I am only familiar with Christi Caldwell’s ALL THE DUKE’S SINS series. After some sleuthing, I discovered LOVED AND FOUND goes with HIS DUCHESS FOR A DAY, book four in the author’s HEART OF SCANDAL series. I could not shake this suspicion that Edie’s brother, Crispin, had a story.

THE WOLF OF WESTMORE by Amalie Howard
Wulfric Bane, the Duke of Westmore, co-owns a pleasure club that is open to all who will abide by their rules. His peers know him as the Wolf of Westmore. Lady Jocelyn Capehart is the youngest daughter of a cruel and heartless duke. She wants to experience one pleasurable night on her terms before being forced into a marriage to an old lecher. The Banes and the Capeharts have been age-long rivals. Can Jocelyn find a way to escape her dour future? Will Wulfric choose revenge over a future with Jocelyn?
I admire Jocelyn’s fortitude. She knew what her father had planned for her, so she risked severe reprimand by sneaking out for a small taste of adventure. I like Wulfric’s sense of honor. He may want revenge on the Capehart family, especially the patriarch; however, he refused to ruin an innocent girl to achieve it. What I like the most about Jocelyn and Wulfric is their common ground. They may have been born natural enemies, but they were both close to one particular person.
THE WOLF OF WESTMORE is book 2.5 in Amalie Howard’s EVERLEIGH SISTER series. I am new to this author’s works. However, I want to check out the previous two books in this series. Roth and Beswick entertained me. Plus, I would like to learn about the women that tamed them!

PUT UP YOUR DUKES by Janna MacGregor
Martin “Duke” Richmond is the editor and owner of a popular gossip pamphlet. He is not above embellishing a story to sell more papers. Amelia Richmond spends most of her time volunteering at a foundling house. She cannot abide the trash that her husband publishes. Martin and Amelia have been estranged for five years; however, the two meet every Wednesday for coital relations. Will Martin let The Midnight Cryer destroy his marriage? Can Amelia convince her husband to choose her over his job?
Martin annoyed me. I understand his resentment towards the nobility; however, he took his vengeance too far for my tastes. He did not seem to care that he alienated Amelia from her friends because of his paper. Amelia is a saint! She handled the trouble her husband generated with aplomb. What I adore the most about Amelia is her dedication to the foundling house. When people came to buy her help, she nudged them to donate there instead.
PUT UP YOUR DUKES is a part of Janna MacGregor’s historical romance series, CAVENSHAM HEIRESSES. The hero from book four, THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE DUKE, makes appearances in this story. Sadly, I am only familiar with Janna MacGregor’s WIDOW RULES series.

DUKE OF EVERY SIN by Stacy Reid
Ethan Benedict, the Duke of Bainbridge, has been riddled by guilt and regret over his friend’s death. He discovers an abandoned baby on his doorstep. Lady Verity Stanton is the disgraced daughter of an earl. She tries to steal her nephew from the Devil Duke, only to be caught. Ethan sees the baby and Verity as his chance for atonement. Verity agrees to marry the duke to stay in her nephew’s life. Can Verity help Ethan forgive himself for his part in his friend’s death? Or will his secrets destroy their marriage?
My heart went out to Ethan. He is a man consumed by grief, guilt, and remorse. What I adore the most about Ethan is how he helped Verity get retribution. He made sure all the shallow people who shunned her saw her rise in status. Verity is such an inspirational woman. I love how she did not abandon her sister. Instead, Verity willingly followed her into disgrace. She also refused to give up on her nephew.
I am new to Stacy Reid’s works, so I do not know what series/book DUKE OF EVERY SIN belongs to/connects with. The story could easily stand alone. The other novellas I could easily determine where they belonged, after some careful looking around.

BIG DUKE ENERGY is book one in the SEASONS OF SIN anthology collection. Each story can easily stand alone. I love how anthologies allow me to try out new authors. BIG DUKE ENERGY is no exception. I really enjoyed Amalie Howard and Stacy Reid’s writing style.

These are some of my favorite historical romance authors so to get stories by them all in one book, made me happy! All of these stories were well done and it was a nice surprise to see they were characters related to other books I've read by these authors.

If you're looking for an anthology that will give you solid stories and great characters with a shorter length, check this one out!

Every story in this collection packs a really strong emotional punch. They all deal in second changes - eitehr for the romances between the characters or in the character's personal life. They also deal with love and loss in some very serious ways. I would not characterize any of these stories as light! But they are all wonderful in their own way. My favorite story was Kerrigan Byrne's entry -but maybe that's because I have been waiting for this story for a long time!

I would definitely recommend this - especially f you are fans of these authors and the series they write in. The stories are all connected to the worlds that the characters write in.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

The Earl on the Train by Kerrigan Byrne

Sebastian Moncreiff is a pirate, betrayer of his best friend, as well as a wealthy earl. He’s done nearly every dastardly thing imaginable at least once, but he knows redemption when he sees it and his takes the form of the one woman who has ever made him wonder if he could be something more. He’s kidnapped Lady Veronica Weatherstoke before and hasn’t been able to stop thinking of her since. This chance meeting means he’ll need to be truly honest with her if he hopes to establish any sort of peaceful future together.

This has been such a highly anticipated story for me. I’ve been itching for the backstory on Sebastian and the elaboration on the immediate attraction between him and Veronica and my only complaint is that this was short, although with these volatile characters I’m afraid a longer book might’ve given them time to do or say something to make me dislike them. In short, I think this format really worked and I loved the setting; I’m not sure I’ve read anything that was set on a train like this before. Given the history between Sebastian and Veronica, it’s not at all hard to believe that they would fall in love quickly when they met again, and I loved that their relationship felt so solid because they each brought that stability to the other.

Loved and Found by Christi Caldwell

Lieutenant Thaddeus Phippen was separated from his childhood, and only love, many years ago thanks to their difference in station. He hoped his time in the military would help him prove worthy of marrying a duke’s daughter, but he returned to find her already married to another. Now Edie has been widowed and when Thaddeus finds her in need of help during a snowstorm, he realizes he can’t leave her behind and when the truth finally comes out, he realizes they never should’ve been parted in the first place.

This was a solid story, but I have to say it was not my favorite. I haven’t been enjoying the second chance trope much lately and this one was also paired with several other elements I’m not a fan of, mainly miscommunication and the heroine thinking she can’t have children and therefore making the hero’s decision for him as to whether or not they can or should be together. This to me just reinforces the idea that every woman must have children in order to be fulfilled and complete and I just can’t get behind that and lately I find that it infuriates me. Beyond that, I liked that as a couple Thaddeus and Edie fought for each other, even when they were separated by the machinations of others and neither had any idea of what the other was trying to do for them. I found that to be endearing and only Edie’s later reluctance put a damper on that sweetness since Thaddeus rapidly got over his bitterness after learning the truth behind their initial separation. I’m glad this was a novella, because any longer and I probably would’ve found the heroine at least to be too annoying, but I think this worked well in the shorter format and I liked that the hero realized his mistakes and didn’t shy away from owning them and setting about making things right.

The Wolf of Westmore by Amalie Howard

Wulfric Bane, the Duke of Westmore knows he’s not destined for love and has instead turned his attention toward doing everything in his power to ruin the Duke of Tyne, his family’s long time enemy. Tyne’s sheltered daughter, Lady Jocelyn Capehart is eager to shed the chains of her upbringing and make her own decisions, even if it is only for one night before she’s forced into marriage to a man older enough to be her grandfather. But her one anonymous night with Wulfric at his exclusive club soon turns into more than he bargained for and a connection neither can ignore.

This is probably my favorite thing I’ve ever read from Amalie Howard. There were a lot of tropes and elements employed here that I liked: the feuding families, the loose fairy tale retelling, the need to escape an arranged marriage. My only complaint was the naivete and gullibility of the heroine with regards to her family, but thankfully, with this being a short novella there really wasn’t time for that to become really annoying. The chemistry and connection between Jocelyn and Wulfric were palpable and I loved that she took her future and her desires into her own hands and did something about it. I enjoyed that Wulfric was able to set aside his pride and take hold of his own happiness after so many years of grief and tumult in his life. These elements made this a surprisingly hopeful, feel-good story in the end, and the high steam level was just another plus.

Put Up Your Dukes by Janna MacGregor

Martin Richmond publishes whatever will make his gossip pamphlet, The Midnight Cryer the most profit, regardless of the protests of high society. This sometimes-harmful writing has led to his five-year estrangement from his wife, Amelia, who devotes herself to her work with a children’s foundling home. But with a proposed new tax threatening Martin’s paper, he has to convince Amelia to move back in with him permanently, rather than just visiting him on Wednesday nights, and that will be no small feat when she abhors the writings that keep a roof over their heads.

I enjoyed the quick cameo of Paul and Daphne from a previous book in this series that I loved, but this story itself was a bit lackluster for me right up until the end. I enjoyed Martin’s groveling and efforts to make things right with Amelia, but it took him a long time, especially for a short novella, to come to his senses and do right by her. I did like the fact that Amelia stood up for herself and refused to play second fiddle to the newspaper that ate up so much of her husband’s time. Otherwise, I felt the sexual connection and tension between these two way more than deeper emotions, and I wanted to see more of the devotion Martin claimed to feel for Amelia actualized on the page, rather than mostly in his inner monologues. Otherwise, I liked their story and believed in their commitment to each other in the end.

Duke of Every Sin by Stacy Reid

Since a terrible accident injured him and killed his best friend, Ethan Benedict, the Duke of Bainbridge, has exiled himself from society. He’s long been the subject of salacious gossip so he’s somewhat surprised to find a baby left on his doorstep for him to care for indefinitely. He’s even more surprised when a young woman claiming to be the child’s aunt also arrives, but he takes advantage of a convenient situation, making her his wife so she can be near the child. Ethan is just unprepared for how Verity’s presence in his home will change his entire bleak outlook.

I remain rather puzzled by this novella. On the whole, it just felt rushed and like some of it went off in a distinctly different direction from its original plan. The whole marriage between Ethan and Verity didn’t make much sense just because I couldn’t really see his reason for doing it as he didn’t really gain anything he had professed to want. It didn’t help that I’ve read a Reid novel previously with a heroine called Verity, so I was really confused for a while here that this heroine was also Verity and I had to go back and make sure they weren’t somehow the same character. There was also a surprisingly large number of pages devoted to the minutiae of life and wedding preparations that was just odd for a novella and it felt like those pages could’ve been used to further the development of the relationship between Verity and Ethan instead. This just felt rushed with these two going from blatant animosity to loving sharing a bed almost immediately with no real bridge in between. I just didn’t buy that instant devotion without these two even having much of a meaningful conversation on page, so overall, it was possibly my least favorite of the collection.

I’m not quite sure what exactly ties these stories together, but I almost like that better in a collection, having stories that are not necessarily interrelated but are instead their own entities. Some of these I really loved, and some were more just okay, but regardless, this is a solid collection and definitely worth the read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book. I have mixed feelings about it. I really liked the last story. I skipped through the first one and the others weren't too bad. I don't mind having some sex in the story but there should be some story to it too. That was just my feeling about it but I would say give them a chance.

I have mixed feelings about anthologies, mainly because I always want each of the novellas to be novel-length! Anthologies are ways I have discovered new books/authors that I like, which I am always in search of. All but one of the authors were new to me. These anthologies are dark-- a little more than I like a for short story, but I really enjoyed each one. In this anthology, one of the main characters were side characters in another novel. That is such a great idea!

I had the hardest time with the Earl on the Train, but I do not like to read books with violence towards women. I still liked the two characters and minus the cruel men as side characters it was a good read. The Wolf of Westmore was good, I am not too into the nothing's-off-the-table club-theme but Jocelyn was a great character.

Of all the books, Janna MacGregor is the only author that I've previously read and had a little idea of the world that Put Up Your Dukes is set in. It was a great read to see who was behind the gossip page the Midnight Cryer but I did get a little confused with all the actions, emotions, conversations and thoughts between Amelia and Martin. I loved Amelia and her kind heart, though. It was nice to see her husband's journey, but I think like in most of these he was lucky to have her.

Christi Caldwell's Loved and Found and Stacy Reid's Duke of Every Sin were my favorites. In all five of the stories, I loved the couples together. Each of the authors created wonderful characters. Loved and Found was absolutely lovely-- I adored the whole story. Duke of Every Sin's little family I absolutely adored! The only complaint I have about Duke of Every Sin that it was not long enough-- I wanted to be with their sweet found family for more time!

This anthology was one of the easier ones for me to finish-- sometimes they are too hard to finish with how much they can cram into a novella, but Big Duke Energy was not one of these. Despite me wanting each story to be longer, the authors did a really good job the the pacing and each of these stories are great.

First of all: kudos for the name of the book. It made me laugh out loud and is what drew me to the book when I saw it offered on NetGalley. A+ there.

In addition, I absolutely adore the premise of this anthology: “beloved secondary characters are granted their second chances at long-awaited happily ever afters!” So we know it’s HEAs AND we know that these characters are in the background of the novels. I make note of this because I think it’s important to remember that when reading these—they’re short (novella length) and there’s a bit of a presumption that you know about the characters from the previous works. It’s not mandatory to know all about the characters before, or to have read the other books—I only knew one of these five authors well and thoroughly enjoyed the stories anyway. But I want to prepare folks for the fact that they’re not getting chapters of introduction and backstory about these characters. For instance, you can tell some of them have been fairly villainous in their previous renditions, but you’re not getting a lot of background on exactly what happened. That might bother some people. It didn’t with me—it made me go back and check out the other books in the series, and I promptly purchased two of the five authors’ works so I could catch up! In addition, a lot of these happily ever afters happen fairly quickly within a relatively short novella—but if you think on the fact that these folks have been introduced previously, it doesn’t seem rushed at all. Which is why I give the anthology a high 4, rounded up to 5. I will rate the specific components below, but overall, Big Duke Energy is great and you’ll enjoy it.

The Earl on the Train—Kerrigan Byrne
So I’m a longtime Kerrigan Byrne fan—she’s the author of my very favorite romance book, Seducing a Stranger. The Earl on the Train brings back two characters from that same universe—you meet Sebastien and Veronica in the 6th book in the Victorian Rebels series—the Duke with the Dragon Tattoo. (Note, Seducing a Stranger is considered the 7th Victorian Rebels book as well as the first in its own series.) I couldn’t stand either of the characters in the Duke with the Dragon Tattoo. I wished terrible things on them while reading that book. Here, however, Kerrigan Byrne had me rooting for them and praying for a HEA. That says a lot! The story added some background for both characters that explained a lot about why they were the way they were in the previous book, redeeming them in my eyes. I adored this story. I thoroughly enjoyed the read. This one gets a strong 4-1/2, and if you’re a Kerrigan Byrne fan, you will snatch this up ASAP.

Loved and Found—Christi Caldwell
Okay, man, this novella hit me hard. I loved both characters the second they were introduced. I wanted them together SO BADLY. Then I rushed to find the previous books, which are in separate series (It Happened One Winter introduces Thaddeus’ brother Martin, who we see in this novella; Crispin and Elizabeth are from His Duchess for a Day, and we get to see them in here as well). Thaddeus and Edie just need to be together, but fate (as well as some human machinations) has kept them apart.
This one also gets a 5 from me. And Christi Caldwell was added to my automatic-purchase list!

The Wolf of Westmore—Amalie Howard
So I haven’t read any Amalie Howard books, though I knew the name . . . but this one made me run to Amazon to see what else she’s written—boom, snatched up The Regency Rogues books that introduced the two friend of Wulfric Bane. This is a masked encounter book (if you know, you know), which are usually hot and this is no exception! This one also has a families-at-war component, which ensures there will be sparks flying. This one is a definite winner, and a strong 4 rating.

Put Up Your Dukes—Janna MacGregor
I’d never heard of Janna MacGregor so this was totally new. It’s about a wife and husband duo that are sort of estranged and sort of together. This “duke” is not actually titled, but he’s the master of the scandal sheet business. The book was well-written and interesting. The tie in to the previous is the Duke of Southart from The Good, the Bad, and the Duke (and possibly another book, though I am not sure). I am definitely going to read The Good, the Bad, and the Duke when I get the chance, because I think it might explain more about our H and h in this book. I caught myself drifting during this novella, so I think some more background about The Midnight Cryer (the scandal sheet) might ground me more and cause me to engage a little bit more. I am going to give this story a re-read once I’ve checked out the tie in book. Right now, it’s at a 3-1/2, but I will revise once I’ve read the other story.

Duke of Every Sin—Stacy Reid
Okay, I LOVED THIS. I didn’t know what to expect when I started this novella but I enjoyed it so much. I immediately loved the Devil Duke and Verity is just an amazing character. This is the only novella that I couldn’t find the previous novel for, but I ended up purchasing several of her other books anyway because I really like how the author writes. This was a can’t-put-down with a little mystery. This one gets a 4-1/2 as well.

There are some errors in a few of the novellas, but I chalk that up to being an ARC and expect they’ll be fixed.

Note: I use book, novella, and story interchangeably here to talk about what is in Big Duke Energy—hope that didn’t confuse you.

ARC Review: The Seasons of Sin Anthology Collection, Big Duke Energy, releases 3/29/22

The Earl on the Train by Kerrigan Byrne (3.5 stars)
This is the story of Sebastian And Veronica. Both are on a mission of their own before their worlds collide aboard the same train! I learned this novella takes place after the 6th book of the Victorian Rebels series. I wish I knew that going in because I felt like I was missing details. Overall, a good story!

Loved and Found by Christi Caldwell (5 stars)
This story was absolutely adorable! Edie and Thaddeus were childhood friends who grew into lovers. Due to class differences they were forced apart. Years later the run into each other and well… we get a happy ending.

The Wolf of Westmore by Amalie Howard (5 stars) Lady Jocelyn bid on supreme rake, Lord Wulfric Bane to take her virginity before she is to wed an unlikeable man. After their steamy night together, she devises a plan to escape her betrothal. The Wolf, however, has plans of vengeance against her family. The twists in the story and the spiciness is really what did it for me.

Put up Your Dukes by Janna Mac Gregor (4 stars) Martin and Amelia are in a strained marriage brought on by the side effects of Martin’s running a gossip rag. In the midst of the latest scandal, circumstances bring the two together as they both realize they want to fall in love with each other again. There was a scene on the desk of his office.. 🥵

Duke of Every Sun by Stacy Reid (3 stars)
I don’t have much to say about this story. I personally dislike when children are used as plot devices and that’s what happened. I couldn’t really get into it but I do acknowledge that Stacy Reid has a beautiful writing style.

Thank you to Oliver Herber Books for the advanced reader copy

**Received review copy.**
It is rare to read an anthology where I love every story.
These authors are all in my wheelhouse so I was excited to get some quick Duke hits.
Not all of the Dukes are what you expect and I love that all the stories are vastly different.
This book covers a wide range of tropes: marriage in trouble, marriage deal, enemies to lovers, sex club, class difference, childhood love, family feud and probably others that I missed.
They are all great stories. One tied into an existing world that I love and they are the perfect length.

NOTE: The 3rd novella in this collection, the Wolf of Westmore, contains elements of BDSM.

It's so hard to rate an anthology. I would say that a lot of your enjoyment of Big Duke Energy would depend on how much you like most of the writers, or if you're not familiar with any of them, how open you are to a wide range of sexual content in one romance novella compilation. There is very little tying these novellas together. As with all reviews, my opinions are based simply on my taste and how well the writing met my expectations. That said, I'm going to give this 3 1/2 stars overall, barely rounded up to 4, but I really wish I could give it 3 1/2 stars and leave it at that.

"The Earl on the Train"--I've read books before by Kerrigan Byrne, and have liked them, but I'm not familiar with the characters in this one, and I needed a little more context. Right away, I felt dropped into the tense, enemies-to-lovers vibe between H and h, and the scenes were rather over the top without engaging me emotionally. There is plenty of steam, though; the writer has a way with love scenes. In case you don't like rough language, there are some f-bomb here. I would say that those familiar with these MC's would like this novella more than I did. 3 1/2 stars.

"Loved and Found"--I'm a fan of Christi Caldwell, just finished Martin and Christina's novella ("It Happened One Winter"), and was looking forward to Thaddeus getting his happy ending. Unfortunately, one of my chief complaints of the previous novella was that it seemed sketchy; the writing was a bit rushed and almost sloppy in places. I had the same feeling with this one. There are some lovely emotional scenes, but everything ends very abruptly (no epilogue? Ugh! Don't do that to us, Christi!). This writer has some very good novellas under her belt, but some of her recent ones have fallen a bit short. Steam level is low. 3 1/2 stars.

"The Wolf of Westmore"--I really like Beast of Beswick, not so much the Rakehell of Roth, which is the 2nd book in the Regency Rogues series. This is the 3rd entry in the series; as in the 2nd, you have a virginal h who somehow knows way too much about sex based on dirty literature/pictures. I loved the premise of h winning the H in an auction, though, so I decided to suspend disbelief. Unfortunately, there are power exchange/dominance themes throughout the sex scenes, which I know some women like, but I'm not at all into. I wish that authors would consistently give a heads-up on BDSM, because it's a trigger for some women. The scenes were super spicy and enjoyable to me IF I could skip over the spanking/bondage, which was rather difficult to do. One other thing that soured me: the h becomes your stock TSTL character toward the end, too easily duped by her family. I swear I've run across a similar plotpoint in 2 Regencies recently. I get that this is supposed to be "Little Red Riding Hood" meets "Romeo and Juliet," but I like my heroines a little smarter. 3 stars.

"Put Up Your Dukes"--Janna MacGregor is new to me. This novella had a great premise, and I appreciated its originality, but the back and forth between the MC's dragged out a bit. The resolution wasn't all that realistic. I liked the steamy scenes in this one, though. 4 stars.

"Duke of Every Sin"--I haven't read a lot of Stacy Reid's books, but one thing I enjoy is the sense of optimism and lightness underlying them, and her HEA's are heartfelt. There's an earnestness that I appreciate in her writing, and you see that reflected here. Nothing groundbreaking, and the H is your typical guy who needs to learn how to love, but it's pleasant, escapist reading. Steam level is low. 4 stars.

I read an ARC of this book, thanks to NetGalley and the authors/publisher. This is my voluntary review.

I was only familiar with Kerrigan Byrne in the list of authors for this anthology, and had been looking forward to this story for years. I will be honest, it was a bit of a letdown. I'm not sure about the other stories because I hadn't previous read the other authors' books, but I had high hopes for Sebastian and Veronica's story and having such a considerably short novella as their HEA just felt a bit lacking. I thought it was a good read otherwise but would have just liked MORE. This is part of my concern with anthologies because although they contains a lot of stories, I feel like they aren't always fully hashed out.

This anthology of 4books are from some of my favorite authors and 1 I’ve not read before. I liked the story lines, but feel like I should have been warned that at least two of these were highly erotic in nature. One was even dominating and it made me uncomfortable. The stories were good, each different. I enjoyed the characters a lot, but found myself skipping over the very hot and heavy details of sex. The F-bomb is used liberally, especially in Ms Byrnes book. I don’t know why, but using just makes my skin crawl. The characters were all well developed, and the stories believable. My favorite was the last by Ms. Reid with the grumpy Duke and sunshine lady. Overall, enjoyable, but be warned…if very hot, steamy, dominating sex is not your thing…think twice. If you like it- you will enjoy it immensely.

One of the things I like about an anthology this size is that I'm guaranteed to get complete stories (I've been burned before). And each of the stories herein is complete and easy to read.

Byrne once again captures everything I love about her writing and distils it into a compact yet complete story. I loved learning about what became of Sebastian and Veronica, how they worked together to take down another baddie.

The other authors were all new to me. The stories were all well written and interesting enough, even without having read the previous stories in their respective series. Kudos to each other for being able to provide enjoyment for both their long time fans, and totally new readers.

I recommend this anthology to anyone who was curious about any or all of these authors!