Scarlett Scott- (Duchess) intriguing and an ohh so close call. Wonderful read.
Alexa Aston - (Dilemma) Waiting can be so hard, and it can be also worth it. As was this book another wonderful book by Aston
Annabelle Anders - (Day off)I really enjoyed the teasing words exchanged by these two.
Meara Platt - (Mermaid) A wonderful continuation of learning about Moonstone Landing. PS not a real mermaid.
Kathleen Ayers - (Say) Armed with a violin and clumsiness she just wants to survive. Enjoyable read.
Chastity Bowlin - (Know) - Drawing a conclusion on a drawing was very risky but he must know.
Sara Adrien- (Love) This is similar to ‘Pretty Woman’ only in 1800s. Very entertaining.
Jude Knight - (Worth) Aladdin all over again but with out the genie…. Sort of.
I enjoyed all of the stories and it was well worth the time to read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with guidelines.

𝙏𝒉𝙚 𝘿𝒖𝙘𝒉𝙚𝒔𝙨 𝘽𝒓𝙞𝒅𝙚 𝙗𝒚 𝑺𝙘𝒂𝙧𝒍𝙚𝒕𝙩 𝙎𝒄𝙤𝒕𝙩 - Following the demise of her beloved Duke of Westley, Lady Celandine Raynell faces the dire necessity to wed the detestable Earl of Humberton to save her family from destitution. On the day of her nuptials, she is whisked away by a gallant, masked stranger with eyes eerily reminiscent of her Westley. Drawn to her abductor, Celandine grows increasingly certain that he is her Westley. And indeed, it must be him, for a happy ending is essential. Despite the brevity of their story, the passion, romance, and love between them is vividly apparent. Great couple and story!

𝘿𝒊𝙡𝒆𝙢𝒎𝙖 O𝒗𝙚𝒓 𝒂 𝑫𝙪𝒌𝙚 𝙗𝒚 𝑨𝙡𝒆𝙭𝒂 𝑨𝙨𝒕𝙤𝒏 - Lady Evangeline "Evie" Eastfield is nearing the end of her third season, each one diminishing her regard for the Ton and high society—she longs for the countryside. Edgar "Hatch" Davenport, once the Earl of Hatchley and now the Duke of Wentworth, has come back from years at war to fulfill his responsibilities following his father's demise. The way this couple ultimately declared and recognized their love was delightful; it's a truly enjoyable tale that navigates them through a tumultuous path to their HEA.

𝙏𝒉𝙚 𝘿𝒖𝙠𝒆’𝒔 𝑫𝙖𝒚 𝑶𝙛𝒇 𝒃𝙮 𝘼𝒏𝙣𝒂𝙗𝒆𝙡𝒍𝙚 𝘼𝒏𝙙𝒆𝙧𝒔- Evalina Sparrow, a companion to a demanding dowager duchess, lives by the Latin phrase 'memento mori'—remember you must die—finding joy in life's simplicity. When she convinces Victor, the Duke, to abandon his duties for one day, they do not foresee the significant impact it will have on their lives. Evalina's passion for life inspires Victor to embrace living, and their impromptu day off leads to a journey filled with joy and self-discovery. This uplifting tale conveys that everyone is entitled to relish life, even if it requires taking a day to savor the present.

𝙏𝒉𝙚 𝙈𝒐𝙤𝒏𝙨𝒕𝙤𝒏𝙚 𝙈𝒆𝙧𝒎𝙖𝒊𝙙 𝙗𝒚 𝑴𝙚𝒂𝙧𝒂 𝑷𝙡𝒂𝙩𝒕 - A tale where love makes a splash in the quaintest of seaside towns. Our hero, James Pennington, the Duke of Ashford, isn't just a title and a pretty face; he's a duke with a heart shinier than his family silver, finding love while on the mend from a carriage mishap. Then there's Verity Angel, not your average constable's daughter, but a heroine with a heart so warm it could defrost a snowman. Meara Platt spins a yarn that's a perfect blend of giggles and heartfelt sighs. Get ready to chuckle, get those heart-eyes, and fall head over heels with the folks of Moonstone Landing. It's all about love, the kind of healing that only comes from a good chuckle, and Moonstone's own brand of enchantment.

𝙎𝒂𝙮 𝘼𝒏𝙮𝒕𝙝𝒊𝙣𝒈, 𝘿𝒖𝙠𝒆 𝒃𝙮 𝙆𝒂𝙩𝒉𝙡𝒆𝙚𝒏 𝑨𝙮𝒆𝙧𝒔 - Atticus Gosling, the Duke of Wexham, and Miss Parthena Holm are struck by love at first sight, and not even the most comically unfortunate events can derail their destined romance. They're an utterly charming pair; Parthena's endearing clumsiness is something I find personally relatable. The author has crafted a novella that draws you in, making you feel like you're mingling with the characters. It's a delightful tale of romance where a duke and a lady of questionable suitability discover love in the most unexpected ways.

I enjoyed this anthology a lot!!! Some of this stories were written by authors I love, so I was excited to read this book. Some of them were really engaging and others a bit less. They were short and cute, mostly instalove. My favorite was The duchess bride by Scarlett Scott. She never disappoints.
I think this anthology is perfect from someone who enjoys great authors and needs a light and easy reading. It´s also an amazing way to know new authors.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Such a gorgeous anthology! The novellas are written by a bunch of my favorite authors and I can’t wait to read them all. For now I read two, one from a new-to-me author and one from an author I adore.

Jude Knight
So cute! An Aladdin-inspired novella, but with a female Aladdin. Very intriguing. I loved the heroine, Jen, very much and the little mystery surrounding her was very interesting. Pity it wasn’t a full-length novel. Knight is a new-to-me author and I’ll certainly look her other books up!

Kathleen Ayers
One of the very rare stories that made me laugh out loud! Parthena is so sweet and so clumsy. The writing was very graphic and I was able to picture all her “incidents” so clearly in my mind that I couldn’t stop laughing. I loved the connection between the main characters and I especially loved Parthena’s boldness in claiming “her” duke. I’d love to read a novella about the sister and the ornithologist!

In the About section we were promised scorching tales. The authors gave us eight of those — some were steamier than others. My two favorites were I Know This Much Is True by Chasity Bowling and The Duke’s Day Off by Annabelle Anders.

Wow! This collection from my very favorite authors blows me away. All new short stories that can each be read in one sitting. I’m so happy that they got together for this wonderful compilation! A must have for every library at a great price!

Thank you to NetGalley, Dragonblade Publishing, Inc, and all the authors involved for this advance reader copy of the book. Below is my honest review.

Publisher: ‎ Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Publication date: ‎ August 24, 2024
Print length: ‎ 406 pages
Rated a 3 out of 5 stars

An anthology of never-before published novellas. What a cute Summer read; it didn't take long to finish each story which is perfect for Summer when I seem to always be on the go. Taking a bit of time for myself was easier to do with each being a short story. I'm always up for a historical romance involving a hot duke. While each story is a standalone some fit into a series if you're interested in reading more of a particular author.

A few of the stories weren't up to par for me. Vering off the historically correct path a bit is ok, but I prefer not to go so far that it's unbelievable. A couple weren't interesting. I don't want to spoil anyone's enjoyment or bias you unkindly to a story you might think is grand. I'm going to pick my favorite to give you a taste of the material.

Love is the Duke's Best Remedy by Sara Adrien.
A play on Pretty Woman and a bit of Cinderella. I've never read any of this authors work and was pleasantly surprised by how well the plot moved along, the dialog was enjoyable, the characters likeable. Edmund and Lola are our couple with Brewster as the bad guy lawyer. For me using the plot of the movie as the basis for the story worked, with a few changes it fit into Regency England without too much fuss. Edmund can't sleep, Lola grows flowers and herbs to sell at an apothecary, Brewster is a mover-and-shaker lawyer using Edmund as his pawn in deals to make himself rich. One of the tweaks is Lola's job. The Cinderella aspect has a bit of a twist but it also works. There're mean shopkeepers, rubies, opera, and a brown polka-dot dress. I loved it.

#HotDukeSummer #NetGalley #DragonbladePublishing #Scarlett Scott #Alexa Aston #Annabelle Anders #Meara Platt #Kathleen Ayers #Chasity Bowlin #Sara Adrien #Jude Knight #historicalromance #romance #anthology

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this anthology and this is my freely given opinion...

This is a recently released anthology by many popular historical romance authors, many of whom I quite enjoy myself. These appear to all be never before published short stories, and several of them are related to other series written by the authors, for example, the story written by Meara Platt is related to her Moonstone Landing series, Jude Knight's contribution is related to her A Twist Upon a Regency Tale series, etc.

All the stories are short, and vary between sweet and spicy, but I enjoyed all of them, especially the ones that have a little nod to some modern cultural references, such as Pretty Woman and Say Anything.

This was an anthology that was fun to read, short, and sweet. A nice light-hearted mental pick me up, especially considering I have had a very emotionally trying couple of weeks at work.

4 stars out of 5

It’s a quick read anthology that’s a lot of fun. I am a big fan of anthologies because many times you get follow up stories from other series but you also get an introduction to writers you might not know about. I was familiar with four of the authors in this anthology. The other four I didn’t know very well, but I’m definitely going to look into some of the other offerings by at least one of them.

I am a spice lover and this was very low spice. No spice in several of them and then the tiniest bit in two of them. However, I still enjoyed myself.

Romance anthology readers must understand that because these are very short, you really can’t get a sustained story going. The hero and hero meet, either dislike each other or immediately like each other, there’s a conflict, they somehow overcome that conflict, and that’s it. You’re not going to get the happily ever after ending that you’re used to in a novel so don’t expect that. A lot of them feel like cliffhangers but it’s just because there’s no more room to extend the story. And that’s fine. As long that’s what you know is going to happen.

But the good part about anthologies, and this one in particular, is that they are quick and you can read them on the train or on a plane (without fear of someone reading over your shoulders and getting an eyeful of hot spice) and the entire story is encapsulated there so you’re not worried about having to put it down for an extended period of time. Plus we all love Dukes. And the stories were all about Dukes. It’s definitely a strong four, and though you had to suspend some disbelief, you have to do that in most fiction. I would definitely suggest it to friends who don’t have a lot of romance background because this is a good teaser for them without spicy situations that might turn off a new reader.

A fabulous collection of fun short stories by some of my favorite authors. I am slowly making my way through and greatly enjoying the fun little romps. If you enjoy lighthearted, romantic escapades this is right up your alley. Here are my bite-sized reviews for each tale, I will update as I continue along.

The Duchess Bride -Scarlett Scott (Princess Bride)
Scarlett Scott reimagines the Princess Bride in this short yet satisfying tale of unstoppable love. Celandine lost her true love Westley and now must marry another to save her family, but true love never dies. The fire in her belly refuses to allow her to go gently when taken, and there is something niggling recognition of her highwayman. The quick story that follows is one of true love, passion and excitement. I love an inspired story that brings forth all the love of one of my favourite movies.
Dilemma over the Duke- Alexa Aston (Moonstruck)
I loved the romance of Evie & Hatch. From the beginning you could tell there was more than simple affection between them. It made sense the way Hatch chose to handle things and in doing so they both had time to grow and learn themselves. His experience in the war gave him a greater appreciation for what he left behind, and she had time to learn how to listen to her own heart. Their story is sweet and utterly romantic.
Annabelle Anders (Ferris Buellers Day Off)

Meara Platt (Little Mermaid/Splash)

Kathleen Ayers (Say Anything)

Chasity Bowlin (16 candles)

Sara Adrien (Pretty Woman)

Jude Knight (The Price of Love/Aladdin)

This is a fabulous historical romance anthology from some of my favourite authors. Some of the stories have a slight link to one of that author's series. The others re-imagined fairytales. Each one is filled with great characters and a lot of fun. You would think dukes would know better than to get caught in summer rain. L.o.l. Obviously, as an anthology, there are a lot of pages, but as each story is totally different, you can pick it up and put it down as you like. If any of the authors are unknown to you, this is a good way to discover them. It will tempt you to buy more. I know all of them, as a reader and I think they are all well worth discovering.

Great fun.

This was a great anthology of short books. They were all a good read but Annabelle Anders story “The Dukes Day off “ was probably my favorite. These shorter books are great when you are busy and don’t have the ability to focus on a longer book. 5 stars.

What a wonderful collection of short and sweet tales from my favourite authors. A book of love and laughter, with tears of sorrow turning to joy and lovely happily ever afters! My kind of endings!

I received an ARC of this excellent book from Netgalley and leaving my review voluntarily.

Moonstone Mermaid
Meara Platt
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I adore this series, and this is a beautiful, cheeky and fun story to add to it.
It’s a short novella, that has all the aspects of others in the series, it has just as much character, depth and passion, and will leave you with that feeling of being satisfied, the way all of Meara’s books do.
An injured Duke, a constables daughter, a pond and two mischievous brothers all contribute to a great amount of fun and angst.
Moonstones at the ready.

I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review

Lovely Historical Romance Boxed Set

There are eight delightful novellas in this fabulous anthology. I loved them all. I recommend this boxed set to those who enjoy Regency romances. With seven dukes and an earl, how can you go wrong? If you like historical romance, these stories will delight and entertain you.

If Regency Romance* is your thing, or if it is something you’ve considered dabbling in, grab this anthology. I personally feel that romance is a genre that works really well with short stories.

I loved that each story was distinct and different, with different tropes and situations. I especially enjoyed the magical realism present in The Moonstone Mermaid, and the reimagining of Aladdin in The Worth of an Earl.

I found that each of the protagonists were well written and fleshed out, which is quite the feat considering that not only were these short stories where the author had less space in which to develop the characters, but also because there were so many authors, each with distinct writing style and voice.

*If we want to get pedantic, the stories are all from the Georgian Era but not all technically Regency.

I would like to thank netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was enjoyable, and better than most anthologies. I enjoyed most of the stories and loved the movie theme.

I really enjoyed this anthology by Dragonblade. It’s a perfect summer read, and I particularly enjoyed the stories by Annabelle Anders, Kathleen Ayers, and Scarlett Scott. Highly recommend!

Eight great novellas that show love between a duke and his future duchess. It was wonderful to see so many great authors together into book.
The Duchess Bride by Scarlett Scott - Lady Celandine Raynell believes that her duke has perished at sea, only to find love after being kidnapped. A romance that is quickly rekindled between Westley and Celandine.
Dilemma over a Duke by Alexa Aston – Lady Evangeline is determined to have the life of her choosing. Yet she doesn’t realise that her friend Hatch who had gone to war, is her true love.
The Duke's Day Off by Annabelle Anders -Evalina, a companion to a dowager duchess, enchants Victor, the duke, to abandon his daily life, for a day filled with fun and joy. Soon, Victor realises what he is missing in life.
The Moonstone Mermaid by Meara Platt – James, the Duke of Ashford finds love when he falls in love with the beautiful heroine, Verity. The people of Moonstone Landing also become part of this sweet romance.
Say Anything, Duke by Kathleen Ayers – Accident prone Parthena draws the attention of Atticus with her honesty and ability to make him smile. She manages to win him over, by being true to herself.
I Know This Much is True by Chasity Bowlin – This is love at first sight between Antony and Caroline, a companion to a lady. This is one story that I would have like to have understood the reason for the attraction.
Love is the Duke's Best Remedy by Sara Adrien – Reminiscent of My Fair lady, the romance between Edmund and Lola begins as a bargain and then blossoms into love.
The Worth of an Earl by Jude Knight – The kidnapping of a duke’s grandmother, leads to romance between Worth and Jen.

The Duchess Bride - Scarlett Scott
It’s Lady Celandine’s wedding day & she takes a ride to think of what might have been if her true love The Duke of Wesley hadn’t died. Then she’s kidnapped.
An absolute delight of a short novella, strong characters, sizzling chemistry, intrigue & kidnapping. An action packed story which I loved

Dilemma over a Duke - Alexa Aston
Lady Evangeline Eastfield & Lieutenant Edgar Davenport aka Hatch live on neighbouring estates in Devon. When she is fifteen he goes off to fight in the Napoleonic Wars, returning six years later on the death of his father. But Evie has just become betrothed to his younger brother.
Another delightful quick read, a very touching romance & the epilogue is beautiful

The Duke’s Day off - Annabelle Anders
Evalina is the companion to a demanding grumpy Duchess but tries to be positive & find joy in all she does. She persuades Victor, the Duke to play hooky for an afternoon especially as his mother has invited a potential bride for Victor to visit.
Tree climbing, a picnic, a thunderstorm & an empty chapel all lead Victor to realise what he wants. I also loved him, finally standing up to his mother

The Moonstone Mermaid - Meara Platt

Say Anything, Duke - Kathleen Ayers

I know this much is true - Chasity Bowlin

Love is the Duke’s best remedy - Sara Adrien

The Worth of an Earl - Jude Knight
I just love anthologies & this one is no exception it features some of my must read authors. The stories are short, almost lunchtime reads but that doesn’t detract from how good they are
I'll be reviewing the other novellas as I read them
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own