Lords of Midwinter's Festival is a delightful historical romance anthology that extends the magic of the holiday season beyond Christmas. Set around an ancient legend tied to an Oathing Stone, each novella brings a unique twist on love, fate, and happily ever afters. I loved how the stories centered around Epiphany, offering a refreshing change from the usual holiday romances. The mix of tropes—second chances, time travel, enemies-to-lovers—kept things exciting, and it was a treat to read from favorite Dragonblade authors while discovering new ones. This anthology is a great way to savor a bit more winter romance before the season fades. If you love historical romance with a touch of legend, you will enjoy this collection.

Lords of the Midwinter Festival anthology
An ancient stone in Midrummill is said to predict when a couple is destined to be married as they hold hands over the stone. The town has an annual midwinter festival each year to celebrate.
Or a well with a stone and a promise of love.
Or….
1000 pages of historical romance, love and destiny. 16 stories to bring you cheer and heartwarming feelings of the season.

His Precious Elizabeth by Mauve Grayson. Connected to Seven Unsuitable Sisters series.
Elizabeth and William are destined according to the ancient stone. But that was when he was still a young vicar and before he inherited the Dukedom. She runs her family bookstore and according to his father, unsuitable. He left her behind in the small village. But he’s back, begging her forgiveness. She has a decision to make.

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas by Caroline Lee. Connected to Surprise! Dukes series.
Lady Amanda Kincade is an adventurer. She loves to travel and experience and learn new things. She travels with Hiroshi Fukuyo, her brother’s butler, who acts as her bodyguard.
They are also lovers. Their positions make their actual relationship a secret. They head to their respective homes which means hiding their feelings.
Can they find a way to be together?

Unexpected Vows by Hildie McQueen
Eloise Tanner finds arguments easier than conversation with Lord Ronan Craig. He hurt her feelings a few years back, calling her cantankerous but now she must travel alone with him to Midrummill. It’s two days of travel by carriage without any buffers. Spending so much time with him, Eloise fears he may not be as contrary as she’s believed.

Wishing for a Duke by Meara Platt
Ruairi Sinclair, Duke of Lamorgan, saves a shapely lass from falling in a well and ends up falling for her in the process.
A fun coincidence backstory and a chuckle-worthy reference to her accidentally reading books that are lurid and fascinating.

A Perfectly Planned Liaison by Mary Wine

Clement Basset, Lord Lumley, plans to wed Elizabeth Russel, the Earl of Bedford’s daughter. But the fortune hunter Jeffrey Fulke does as well and he’s willing to manipulate and murder to get his prize.
A few surprises in this story made the challenge suspenseful and heartwarming.

Lady Farnsworth’s Second Chance at Love by C.H. Admirand
The Earl’s Dilemma by Belle Ami
A Highlander’s Epiphany by Brenna Ash
Heart of Flint by Elizabeth Ellen Carter
A Whisper of You by Sherry Ewing
Falling for the Wrong Knight by Elizabeth Heights
For the Love of Mr. Grace by Alanna Lucas
Beast of the Ton by Emily Royal
An Epiphany of Love by Anna St. Claire
Fool Me Once, Fool Me Twice by Laura Strickland
The Knight and the Moon by Leslie Vollard

Overall a lovely grouping of romances. A few I really loved. A few that dragged. A few new-to-me authors I look forward to reading again.
All happy endings at an ancient stone I’d like to visit with the right person.
4,5

Sixteen amazing, fantastic, awesome stories from some of the best authors in the industry. Each story takes you back in time to when men were gentlemen and women were true ladies. Each story hasn't ever been published before and captures the essence of romance and history. The characters are fantastic, the plots engaging and each story will keep you wanting more. Magical in every story as they center around Midrummil at Epiphany a magical well that's guaranteed to draw you in and keep you enthralled.

I really enjoyed this heartwarming and romantic anthology of 16 previously unpublished novellas by well-known authors, that are partly connected to other series and are centred around the legend of star-crossed lovers Brigit and Angus, who were transformed by the goddess Anu into a magical stone and well in the idyllic village of Midrummill to be together forever, and prophesise to lovers during the Midwinter Festival at Epiphany whether a couple is truly in love and destined to be together. The anthology brings together men and women who lost their beloved ones and get a second chance at love, became estranged but reunite, strangers who fall instantly in love, lovers who come from different classes, cultures and times, enemies who turn into lovers, star-crossed lovers who finally find their happy ending, who unknowingly love each other without knowing that their feelings are reciprocated…
The stories are set in different centuries, from the Middle Ages to the present day, have different steam levels (from sweet and clean to medium steam), some with a touch of suspense and danger, a whole cast of different characters that I found very likable throughout the collection and many popular tropes, such as second chance, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, strangers to lovers, instalove, class disparity, time-travel romance, road trip, house party, boss-employee, friend‘s sister… to name a few.

All in all, a great anthology that has something for all historical romance lovers and offers readers the opportunity to discover new authors and writing styles.

I received a free ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and left voluntarily.


HIS PRECIOUS ELIZABETH
By Maeve Greyson

Elizabeth, the bookseller's daughter, and William Myer, the Vicar of Midrummil, were in love and were about to marry before William unexpectedly became the heir to the Duchy and abandoned her at his father's behest.
Now, three years later, William remorsefully returns as the Duke of Hethersby to convince Elizabeth, now the owner of the bookshop, to grant him a second chance at love…

ON THE TWELFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS
By Caroline Lee

For three years, the unconventional Lady Amanda Kincaid has been travelling the world with Hiroshi "Hiro" Fukuyo, her brother's friend and butler who also acts as her bodyguard, where they have had many adventures together and in that time they have become best friends and lovers. However, it hurts Amanda that Hiro always pulls away from her in public when they are back in civilisation and in England. Despite their feelings for each other, Hiro is unwilling to admit them publicly nor can he forget the class difference between them. The only thing that can help is a visit to the Midwinter Festival in Midrummill and its love stone...

UNEXPECTED VOWS
By Hildie McQueen

Eloise Tanner is very much looking forward to attending the Midwinter Festival in Midrummill with her family. Her parents have already travelled in advance and her brother was supposed to accompany her on the trip, but circumstances force him to stay at home and instead he asks his best friend Lord Ronan Craig to accompany Eloise. However, she is anything but enthusiastic because she can't stand Ronan, with whom she was once in love and who broke her heart without his knowledge…

WISHING FOR A DUKE
By Meara Platt

When Lady Allison Bancroft tries to look into the magical well, she is "rescued" by a stranger who grabs her by the hands and tries to stop her from falling into it. Unfortunately, Allison is already as good as engaged and the fulfilment of the legend is the last thing she needs right now.
Travelling to Scotland, Ruairi „Rory“ Sinclair, Duke of Lamorgan, stops off in Midrummill to deliver a letter to his friend's brother. When he sees a young woman leaning dangerously over the edge of the well, he stops her from tumbling in. He is immediately attracted to her, but she is the almost fiancée of his best friend's reserved, self-centered brother and definitely too good for this unfeeling man...

A PERFECTLY PLANNED LIAISON
By Mary Wine

Lady Elisabeth "Tibbet" does not want to become Queen Elisabeth's Maid of Honour, nor does she want to be forced to marry one of the Queen’s favourites. So she runs away to meet her reticent beloved Clement Basset, Lord Lumley, in Midrummill and marry him there in secret. But a scheming suitor from court takes up the chase...

LADY FARNSWORTH‘S SECOND CHANCE AT LOVE
By C.H. Admirand

Widowed Lady Amelia Farnsworth, mother-in-law of the Duke of Wyndmere, and widowed Lord Jeremy Yarmouth have been friends for some time and are travelling to Midrummill with Jeremy's matchmaking sons to see if their budding feelings for each other are genuine and reciprocated...

THE EARL‘S DILEMMA
By Belle Ami

A widowed earl rescues a young lady from the magic well, who turns out to be his daughters' governess and to whom he feels irresistibly attracted…

A HIGHLANDER‘S EPIPHANY
By Brenna Ash

Laird Arthur Hart accompanies his cousin to the Midwinter Festival in Midrummill. He doesn't believe in the legend, but still feels a magical attraction to the well and falls in love with Lillias of all people, a woman who hates Scots and whom his cousin has his eye on...

HEART OF FLINT
By Elizabeth Ellen Carter

When Lewis Montforte, the Earl of Runcorn and son of the Duke of Prescott, is dumped by his fiancée and accused of betrayal by his best friend, Lewis returns heartbroken, after ten years of absence, to his father's country estate in Midrummill, to live in seclusion. There, by chance, he meets his childhood friend and daughter of his father’s steward Julia Garnett, with whom he unwittingly held hands over the magical well a decade ago and suddenly finds himself attracted to her…

A WHISPER OF YOU
By Sherry Ewing

Lorelai Crawford, a young woman from the twenty-first century, and Constantine Warin, Earl of Charlbury, from the Middle Ages, fall in love with each other in their dreams and travel to Midrummill to meet beyond space and time...

FALLING FOR THE WRONG KNIGHT
By Elizabeth Heights

At her father's request, Lady Violetta Locksley is to marry an influential man, but in a vision she sees a young knight who captures her interest. When she comes face to face with Sir Tristan, a knight who will soon go into battle with her father, she recognises him from her vision and they fall in love at first sight. Lavinia's father does not consider Tristan to be an important enough potential husband for his daughter, but the young knight is not who he appears to be...

FOR THE LOVE OF MR. GRACE

Lavinia Summerford attends a house party in Midrummill with her mother, who tries to force her to accept a proposal from an unwanted suitor. Instead, she falls head over heels in love with Alexander Grace, whom her mother rejects...

BEAST OF THE TON
By Emily Royal

Society beauty Lady Irma Fairchild has been jilted by her fiancé and is travelling to Midrummill with her family to avoid the gossip. There, at the well, she meets the rumored recluse Duncan Berwick, who was severely disfigured in a fire years ago, and falls in love with the vulnerable man behind his scars…

AN EPIPHANY OF LOVE
By Anna St. Claire

Miss Anna Bawtry, the illegitimate daughter of an Earl and now lady’s maid, is no longer ready to love after losing everyone she loved when her father sent her away as a child because of her stepmother's hatred towards her. That's why she doesn't dare open her heart when Percival, Viscount Bowles, confesses his love for her at the Midrummill Midwinter Festival...

FOOL ME ONCE, FOOL ME TWICE
By Laura Strickland

Ethelind, Jarl Aldfrith's niece, has set her heart on Gifre, her uncle's favorite warrior. After he flirts with her, she assumes he'll meet her at the magic well, but instead she mistakenly pledges herself to the Scotsman Rath MacBeith, whom she thinks is a savage and loathes...

THE KNIGHT AND THE MOON
By Leslie Vollard

Years ago, Lord Crispin, Earl of Bamburgh, and Eilidh were lovers and swore eternal love over the well in Midrummill, but then his parents forced him to betray and abandon her. Eilidh married another man and Crispin could never forget her. When the widowed Eilidh, Lady of the Campell Clan, asks Crispin for help against an old mutual enemy who wants to force her into marriage and take over her clan's lands, he immediately rushes to her aid, even though he knows that Eilidh will probably never forgive him...

I was intrigued by the manner in which the authors in this anthology managed to incorporate the central theme of The Legend of the Well into their stories. Although each novella is short and can be read in one sitting, they are nevertheless romantic and entertaining. As the characters made their way to the village of Midrummil at Epiphany, whether by accident or design, they all found the answer to their hearts' desire. Thank you Dragonblade Publishing for this delightful seasonal collection. I received a copy of this book as a gift from NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

A plethora...

A collections of historical novellas. Some have some a PR twist (lore) and some a bit gothic.
Many authors you know are included in this collection.
Recommend.

I am a huge fan of anthologies such as this one because they give me the opportunity to enjoy short love stories by an assortment of authors (some new to me, others known to me) between longer, heavier reads. LORDS OF MIDWINTER’S FESTIVAL was a particularly enjoyable collection of historical romances centered around this festival. The underlying theme was woven throughout each story with each author's interpretation. I read one story at a time over the holiday period and enjoyed each one. I highly recommend this book to others that enjoy novella length reads. TBR & Enjoy!

A magical well that approves love matches and the couples who seek its confirmation is the basis for sixteen delightful new novellas. Though most are set during the Regency or Georgian period, there are others from much earlier plus a time travel story. All are of high quality and well worth reading.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sixteen stories from different periods surrounding one legend... How could a reader not enjoy that! The stories span a thousand years of the legend of Brigit and Angus' love for each other. Each story had such depth of emotion, characters that were rich, and a love story that tied to the legend. This is an enjoyable winter read!

Anthologies are so very often the best reading due to all the different stories that can be found and easily read.
These stories focus on Midrummill, a place where ill fated past lovers Angus and Brigit are forever entwined in the village.
New lovers come to town or strangers meet over the enchanted stone/well.
The stories all revolve around the village and love stories.
Each author has a different take on the legend which makes for interesting reading.
Some of my favorite authors can be found in this anthology.
Highly recommend.

A wonderful romance anthology with stories all centred around an ancient stone and legend of everlasting love set during a midwinter festival. An entertaining collection and many romances that are different and engaging to read.

This Historical Romance Anthology is the perfect read for those of us who adore love stories. Each story is different and interesting. I love how the numerous authors created such different short stories around a common love theme through different eras. Some of the stories I felt would of been better as a longer storyline because they were a delightful read but felt a little rushed.

My favorite stories in the book where by some of my favorite authors, His Precious Elizabeth by Maeve Greyson and Wishing for a Duke by Meara Platt. I also found a new author to me, A Whisper of You by Sherry Ewing, a time travel. I adore time travels and I really like hers.

The reader will not be disappointed by any story in this book. Each story is a quick read, interesting and romantic.

Far to the north in England, near the Scottish borders, lies a village full of promise and lore. In the centre of this village rests an ancient stone said to have ancient and powerful powers. It is said if a couple holds hands over the stone, they are destined to be married. Every year, a midwinter festival is held in celebration of the stone that draws lovers from far and wide.
Sixteen authors take us on a trip to Northumberland to weave their stories about a magical stone. Almost one thousand pages in total. The stories are short but are varied & cover not only a variety of tropes but also different eras. I’m still delighting in this book & my favourites so far are On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, when secondary characters at last admit their feelings & receive her family’s blessing, Wishing for a Duke, a retired soldier rushing to rescue a lady, who doesn’t need it only to find love & the actual rescue is saving her from a loveless marriage, Lady Farnsworth’s Second Chance at Love, an older couple & an eventful journey to the North, An Epiphany of Love, an unexpected Viscount & the natural daughter of an Earl find love but not without danger
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

His Precious Elizabeth by M Greyson

A sweet, second chance story of Elizabeth and William, a former vicar and the love of Elizabeth’s life. In his attempt to obey his father, William walks away from her, the love of his life. I adored Auntie, felt for Mr. Crumden and was glad to see the villain get his due. The author captivates you from the first and the characters were wonderful!

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas by Caroline Lee
A Duke’s sister, Amanda loves her brother’s butler, Hiro. I loved how they meshed together, even when society said they couldn’t. Hiro, from a merchant , Japanese family couldn’t see himself as she wants him to. I adored how the author uses the Japanese culture to shoe Hiro the way and mixing it with the English Oathing Stone. Cute story!

Unexpected Vows by H. McQueen
What a delightful twisty tale of Eloise and Ronan, in this enemies to lovers tale. I adored Eloise’s spitfire attitude and Ronan’s calm demeanor. Their adventures to the Oathing stone was realistic and swoony. Adored it!

Wishing for a Duke by M. Platt

A beautiful novella of Rory and Allison, meeting over the magic well. I adored Rory’s sense of protection over Allison and his desire to see her happy. I love Grandmama and her wily ways.The last scene at the well was so enchanting and his siblings , so fun!

A Perfectly Planned Liaison by M.Wine

What an adventure this story is! Action personified in 8 quick chapters! I adored Clement and his sweet and funny gifts. Tibbet is a woman willing to fight for what she wants. I LOVED the surprise waiting in the bridal bedroom! And I learned about court issues, too.( Glad I am not a royal!)

Lady Farnsworth’s Second chance at love by CH Admirand

Amelia and Jeremy both lost the loves of their lives. The twists and turns of this story keeps you guessing whether they will do so again! I adored his three boys, especially Thomas, so cute! The magic by the well was a beautiful touch!

The Earl’S Dilemma by Belle Ami

Fanny lost all of her family and maybe part of herself. Reed lost a wife and maybe his two
Daughters. This was a good story with a wonderful meet-cute, but I thought the ending was very rushed. The magic of the well was delicious though.

The Highlander’s Epiphany by B. Ash

Arthur doesn’t believe in magic wells…but he is about to find out the truth. Lillias believes, but not with Arthur! I adored Arthur’s nurturing nature and how Lillias melted. The twist in this story may seem minor, but it carries a big impact. Swoon worthy!

Heart of Flint by E. Carter

Ah, nothing more enjoyable than second chance stories. Lewis is running form rejection. Julia is contemplating a love less marriage. I adored how the author weaved the past and present together so seamlessly and how love healed wounds. Julia’s ability to read his issues was great!

A Whisper of You by S. Ewing

What a heart warming story of star crossed lovers each in their own time yet knitted together in dreams. My heart just melted reading this and the epilogue was so adorable! One of my favorites in this anthology.

Falling for the Wrong Knight by E. Heights

This is a new author to me and she weaves a beautiful tale of folklore, mysticism and heart felt love. I adored Tristan and his chivalrous ways, and how he protects Violetta from the villain. A warm, loving story meant to be read by a cozy fire.

For the Love of Mr. Grace by A. Lucas

A heart wrenching story of a woman trapped by her domineering mother who wants her to marry a man she despises. I loved the storyline and the characters were precious. What I thought was missing was why Mama was so bent on Cornelius . Throughout the story one got a sense of something going on there that was nefarious in nature, only to never know why. VERY disappointing and what else is missed is the scene where Alexander and Lavinia face Mama and Cornelius. It felt…..unfinished.

The Beast of the Ton by E. Royal
Such a touching and heartbreaking story of a scarred man, vilified for his bravery and the woman who frees his heart and soul. All of your emotions kick into play here. My only negative is the use of the F-bomb….so VERY unnecessary and takes away from the story.

An Epiphany of Love by A. St.Claire

Wow! Hatred spewing, love blooming, pain receding and justice served. What a roller coaster of emotions and a twist I didn’t see coming. Enjoyed it!

Fool me Once, Fool me Twice by L Strickland

Looks can be deceiving and this story proves it. A gentle giant in love with a fiery woman who wants another. Anu knows what’s best and though some painful moments, love wins out

The Knight and the Moon by L. Vollard

True love never dies, even if it is waylaid for awhile. This story shows that even the most scheming people lose in the end. I adored Finn as this little 6 Year old had the heart of a lion! A cute story.

I received this anthology through NetGalley and these are my own views

3.5 stars rounded up. This is a pretty eclectic collection of novellas that all center around the Epiphany and a Celtic myth involving a well and two lovers separated in life but reunited in death. The steam level varies from low to level 3 steam. Hildie McQueen's and Caroline Lee's novellas are probably my favorites overall, as I felt they did the best job of capturing the romantic "feels" between their MC's (with Lee's novella it really helps if you've read the previous books in her Surprise! Dukes series). Also a shout out to Elizabeth Ellen Carter's and Leslie Vollard's contributions.

I really liked that this was an anthology that took on a different part of the winter holidays other than Christmas. Having it take place around Epiphany offers readers something for the post-Christmas/New Year drop-off. After being surrounded by Christmas music and movies for the better part of 2 months I have always found the sudden end once January 1st rolled around to be a bit of a downer so extending that period for an extra week and having a collection of stories to keep reading offers more of a gentle end of the season. I also thought the idea of all of the authors spinning a tale around the same legend was a lot of fun - I loved seeing how each author put their own spin on how to connect to that legend. That being said, since each author had to retell the legend in their story it did get a little redundant after a while. I also really enjoyed getting to read stories from some of my favorite Dragonblade authors and also getting introduced to a few new ones. There is also a nice variety of romance tropes here including second chance, time travel, enemies-to-lovers, and "forbidden" love. All of the stories were enjoyable reads, but my favorites were 'A Highlander's Epiphany', 'Heart of Flint', 'For the Love of Mr. Grace', 'Beast of the Ton', 'An Epiphany of Love', 'Fool Me Once, Fool Me Twice', and 'The Knight and the Moon'.

Thus was a cute collection. Enough variety in the themes and characters to keep it an engaging read but connected by the magical romantic stone.

A great collection of novellas! I really liked that they all centered around Gradh gaoil. I thought it added a fun, magical element to each story and was a great way to connect them. Plus they are set in Scotland so what's not to love?

I think my favorites were from Maeve Greyson, Mary Wine and Caroline Lee.

A great historical collection with a gorgeous cover!