Author: Annette Lyon, Heather B. Moore, Sarah M. Eden
Series: Timeless Regency Collection #9
Genres: Historical Romance, Romance Anthology
Format: eBook
Pages: 248
Date: January 23, 2018
Publisher: Mirror Press
Three brand new Regency Romance novellas by Sarah M. Eden, Annette Lyon, and Heather B. Moore:
A MATCH FOR PRINCESS POMPOUS by Sarah M. Eden
Matchmaker Adelaide Northrop may be embarking on her greatest challenge yet. Miss Odette Armistead has been dubbed “Princess Pompous” by Society’s elite, and Odette’s parents are desperate to see her married off to a respectable gentleman. When Adelaide first meets Odette, she is expecting a young lady who fits the pompous description. Instead, Adelaide discovers that Odette is far from conceited, but has chosen to wear a mask in a desperate attempt to hide her love for a gentleman who has been chosen for someone else. It seems that Adelaide has far more than matchmaking to accomplish.
CONFECTIONS AND PRETENSE by Annette Lyon
Anne Preston dreams of opening her own dessert shop some day and saves every spare penny she earns working at Gunter’s Tea Shop. She makes ice cream molds to perfection, bakes and decorates cakes, and hopes to one day be an independent shop owner. When an American man orders an ice, Anne is immediately taken with Davis Whitledge, but he is far above her station in life, so she tries to forget about his cordiality. Soon, she finds herself in a dangerous situation when confronted by two troublemakers, and Davis happens to be nearby. He sends the scoundrels on their way, but this only makes Anne more of a target. He doesn’t understand London ways, and his generosity has the potential to steal Anne’s dreams, or to make them soar.
LITTLE LONDON by Heather B. Moore
Ellen Humphreys has never had a Season, has never danced the waltz, and will likely never do so while confined to watching over her ill mother at their country estate. Therefore, Ellen creates her own Little London, and imagines all the gentleman she’d dance with and all of the friendships she’d have with other young ladies, if only she were allowed to have a Season. When Quinn Edwards, Marquess of Kenworth, comes upon her quite by happenstance while Ellen is imagining herself in a London ballroom, she is mortified about her playacting. But a chain of events is set off from this one meeting that has Ellen questioning if her reputation would ever survive a Season or another encounter with the marquess.
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I had been looking forward to the release of this book so when I was presented with the opportunity to preview it for review I jumped at the chance.
I don’t often give 5 stars for a review but this was my favorite of all the Timeless Regency Collections I’ve read so it had to score higher than the rest. I like collection books because I can read a whole story even when I haven’t much time and I like the collections with just three stories the best because they have more time to develop than the collections that contain 5 or 6 novellas.
A MATCH FOR PRINCESS POMPOUS: Ms. Eden has done it again. I loved this story. Think Mary Poppins meets Hello Dolly though Ms. Northrop’s manipulations are less chaotic than Dolly’s. Ms. Northrop’s matchmaking personality is much like Mary Poppins in that she can see into a person to know their truth. She is full of tenderness but a little crisp to the observer. She comes when needed, makes everything right and then leaves as soon as the time is right. And she knows how to handle everything with calm efficiency. Ms. Northrop is only lacking in singing and hopping in and out of chalk pictures so to speak. I enjoyed her character and would love to see her in a series of stories. I also enjoyed the other characters in the story. Princess Pompous is an interesting persona. As soon as I saw the title of the story I was enthralled. This was a most enjoyable read.
CONFECTIONS AND PRETENSE: This story is more of an insta-love story but at the same time it isn’t. Anne has been dreaming of her own shop and America seems like the ideal place to achieve her dream so when Davis appears before her, she is instantly enthralled because he is an American. And then she can’t get him out of her mind and begins imagining all sorts of sagas that make him a hero to her. And for Davis, it isn’t exactly love at first sight but he is intrigued and then being put in a position to become her protector – twice- it is only natural that his feelings would be tender toward her. This story had a little more violence in it than one might expect for a sweet romance but that scene was a catalyst for the happy ever after ending. I did cringe a little at each blow though. I loved that money had not gone to Davis’ head so to him Anne was not beneath him in station. It was a sweet story.
LITTLE LONDON: I always love a Regency book where the female doesn’t strictly follow the rules of society, and Ellen doesn’t but it isn’t necessarily because she rejects the rules. Much of it is because she has spent no time in society to learn the rules, even if she has a general idea. She is forthright and completely herself. Quinn is a little slow on the draw in coming around but that made his brother all the more delightful for helping Quinn to truly see himself. If it had been a full length novel I would have enjoyed getting to know Ellen’s aunt better but there wasn’t time for that in this length novella. My only complaint is that I’m not sure that I fully bought the idea of both mothers coming round to accepting the marriage so quickly and even more so, to become friends with each other. I would have expected more one-up-manship between the two. Who can be the most ill, or abused or needy… Glad they can be friends though.
The book is clean. It has a few kisses, and some violence (against a woman) in the second story. No language problems. Thoroughly enjoyed the read.