Set of stories set in snowed-in locations, I liked all three, particularly "A Perfect Match" by Sabrina Jeffries, I enjoyed the characters and the situations they ended up in and how they eventually found love. ( )

A Christmas Abduction by Madeline Hunter

This was an unusual one....especially considering the outcome...but it was, well...I'd say FUN. How many times can you say that about an abduction? It's a case of mistaken identity, or rather misplaced blame, where a vendetta of sorts is set to be carried out on the wrong rake. Is Baron Thornhill worthy of that moniker? Surely...but not everything is always as it seems. I found it rather delightful as I watched things play out, and while I held my breath a time or two, not knowing if she'd be outed, what his decision would be, and hoping against hope for a particular pairing to come to pass, I was definitely not left disappointed.




A Perfect Match by Sabrina Jeffries

I loved the deception carried off by the sisters on their own brother, no less, and how it wasn't nearly as complete a ruse as they thought when it came to the Colonel. He could tell in a moment that the young beauty he thought he was smitten with wasn't actually the one for him, and while his desire to be a pigheaded man, I mean...his desire to rebuild his estate was great and he'd do right by the lady helping him do it, his heart would not be quieted. THANK GOODNESS! I mean, her sister was a lovely lady, but Cass was definitely my favorite and it was time for her to have her story...and one that while unexpected was much deserved!




One Wicked Night by Mary Jo Putney

If I had to pick a least favorite, this was it, but only because of the pet napping! (LOL!) Seriously though, it was nice to see a "mature" (for the time period, I suppose) woman taking on the ton in her own time and finding love once again on her on terms. Well, okay, more like deliriously falling into it after being caught in a bada** snowstorm and nearly dying, but hey...semantics!



**copy received for review; opinions are my own ( )

All three stories were sort of middle of the road for me. Nothing great, nothing awful.

A Christmas Abduction, Madeline Hunter- Generally these two characters were likable. This story was sort of simple, but it had a few things that kept it from being cookie cutter.

A Perfect Match, Sabrina Jeffries- I actually was enjoying this one a bit more, but then the hero temporarily became a huge ass near the end, and though he recovered, he didn't really grovel or anything to make up for it either, so it ended up losing some of my satisfaction. He's determined to marry for money, but he eventually determines that she's worth forfeiting that plan. Which is nice. He proposes, she agrees. Then she tells him that actually he can have both because she *does* have money! Is he elated? No. He throws a hissy fit. ?! Somehow he felt entitled to her secret beforehand and resents that he had to deliberate for those few days, (compared to her maybe wondering for the rest of their marriage if he would have chosen her without it, had she told him??). It kind of felt like he was even maybe thinking of walking away over it, (despite having taken her to bed already), but then he learns some other insight about her past and she's threatened and he claims her as his again. =/ It was considerably lame and brought down the story.

One Wicked Winter's Night, Mary Jo Putney- This was the most simplistic of the three. Shallow feeling. The hurdle to their happiness is insurmountable!, until like a paragraph later when it's entirely resolved... =/ There's a lot of page time dedicated to different house cats, I don't know, there just wasn't much depth or anything to set it apart from all the others like this. Usually I enjoy this author more, so maybe short stories aren't her forte, or this could just be a dud. ( )

A Christmas Abduction by Madeline Hunter

Caroline Dunham has a bone to pick with notorious rake Baron Thornhill—and a creative plan to insure his undivided attention. Yet once in close quarters, she finds herself beholden to their smoldering connection . . .

Good story. Adam is on his way to his cousin's house for Christmas. He's not enthused about it as he is expected to announce his engagement to a woman he doesn't particularly like. However, it is an alliance thing, and he'll take one for the family. He doesn't expect to get kidnapped on his way there. As he is not wealthy, he has no idea what his captor wants. Caro is not interested in Adam's fortune or lack of it. She has far more personal plans for him.

I liked both Adam and Caro. He is a decent guy at heart. He's made mistakes, admits to them, and wants to change. He takes his abduction in stride and is more amused than angered by it. Once he figures out who she is, he believes he knows the why. He is impressed by Caro's efforts to keep things running and, drawn to her, finds himself wanting to help. For her part, Caro is determined to make the notorious rake do the right thing. But the more time she spends with him, the less rakish he appears to be.

There are sparks between Adam and Caro from the start. Besides the attraction, Adam finds himself feeling protective of Caro, especially after the incident at the pond. He's stunned when she finally tells him why he's there and vehemently denies the charge. Caro can't believe she's attracted to Adam after what he did, but she can't deny what is between them. I liked seeing them talk and get to know each other. The more I learned about Caro's reasons for having Adam there, the more I suspected that there was additional information that she was unaware of. I was not surprised by the truth when it came out. I loved Adam's actions to fix the situation. I loved the ending, as Adam finally found his purpose in life, and Caro found the support that she needed.

A Perfect Match by Sabrina Jeffries
Series: Duke Dynasty (Book 1.5)

Whisked away from a wintry ball by the officer she knew only through letters, Cassandra Isles struggles with her feelings for the commanding Colonel Lord Heywood. For he, secretly a fortune-hunter, must marry for money to save his estate—and Cass, secretly an heiress, will accept nothing less than love . . .

Good story. Cass and her cousin Kitty are at a winter ball where Cass does her best to keep Kitty out of the clutches of an unsuitable man. Though he presents well, there is something about him that Cass doesn't trust. Her suspicions are reinforced by the arrival of Colonel Heywood, who brings a message from Kitty's brother with news of the man's perfidy. Heywood arrives in time to overhear plans to abduct Kitty to Gretna Green, so he kidnaps Kitty and Cass first.

I liked both Cass and Heywood. Cass is independent, smart, and protective of her young cousin. She is also cynical about men, having been courted for her fortune in the past. Now she puts out that she is the poor relation, wanting to be courted for herself. Heywood is an honorable man who has spent many years as a soldier, but he longs for peace and a family of his own. His father left him some property, but it is in poor repair, which means Heywood must marry a woman who has money.

I liked the development of the relationship between Cass and Heywood. It begins with a bit of mistaken identity, as Cass has been writing letters to Kitty's brother in Kitty's name. Douglas shares those letters with Heywood, who has fallen in love with the writer, whom he believes is Kitty. This is convenient because Kitty is an heiress. It doesn't take long for him to realize that Kitty is not what he thought and that it is her poor cousin Cass who won his heart. Cass is equally drawn to him, but having been burned once she is wary. I loved seeing them spend time together, matching wits in some excellent banter. As their feelings for each other deepen, Heywood realizes that he'd rather give up his land than Cass. As Cass realizes her feelings for Heywood, she feels guilty about keeping the truth from him. Heywood disappointed me with his reaction when she confessed, his injured pride causing him to say some terrible things. Fortunately he sees the light in time to save her from near disaster and is properly contrite. Cass takes her share of the blame, too, which was nice to see. I liked the epilogue also.

Heywood's family was terrific, and I look forward to seeing more of them. His mother led an intriguing life, and it affected each of her children. I loved the closeness of the family and the lovingly done teasing among them all.

My only quibble in the story was the frequent insertion of lines from modern Christmas carols as parts of conversations. I found myself rolling my eyes each time it happened, as it would pull me out of the story.

One Wicked Winter Night by Mary Jo Putney
Series: Rogues Redeemed (Book 3.5)

Dressed as a veiled princess, Lady Diana Lawrence is shocked to discover that the mysterious corsair who tempts her away from the costume ball is the duke she once loved and lost. Now snowed in with Castleton at a remote lodge, will she surrender to the passion still burning hotly between them?

Good second chance love story. I loved that this was Diana's tale, who was part of Rory's story in Once a Scoundrel. Diana left England seven years earlier, fleeing the memories of a love gone wrong. She became an independent woman of means thanks to an import/export business she owns with a friend. The story opens as Diana receives a letter from Rory, inviting her back to England for a visit. Diana realizes that she is homesick and makes the decision to return home to stay. The only downside is the chance that she will run into the man she loved.

Anthony recently inherited the dukedom from his late, unlamented father. The previous duke had been a cruel man, and Anthony worked hard to be nothing like him. He is a quiet, kind man who loves his two sisters. He avoids social events whenever possible, as he has become the target of every eligible miss and her mother since becoming the duke. His sisters convince him that attending a costume ball will be fun as he can maintain anonymity while there.

I loved the meeting between Diana and Anthony. She and Rory dressed as Indian dancers and performed for the ball's attendees. Anthony was intrigued by the veiled dancer and requested a dance. The sparks between them led to an explosive kiss. To say they were shocked to discover who was behind the masks was putting it mildly. Though Anthony let Diana get away once, he is now determined not to let it happen again. Diana is still insistent that there is no chance of anything between them. I loved Anthony's spur-of-the-moment plan to get Diana to himself long enough to get to the bottom of her resistance, though Diana took a rather stupid risk to get there quickly. Once they were together, Anthony's patience and understanding broke through the guilt that had driven her away and kept her away. Those moments between them were emotional and heartwarming. Their happy ending was great. I loved their arrival at his sister's house and how Diana was embraced by them.

One of my favorite things in the story that had me in giggles was the creativity of the names they had for the cats' species. I also liked seeing Will and Athena again (loved their costumes for the masquerade ball) and Rory and Gabriel. I loved the fun that Rory and Diana had planning and doing their dance. ( )

As with all collections, you get a variety of writing, but this particular assemblage of three Regency novellas is pretty good. I happened to like Mary Jo Putney's best; it's a reunion of old lovers who find each other once more. It's a sweet story with likable characters and a lot of cats, perfect for the holidays.
The other two stories were fine also. Both dealt with abductions that turned out to be mistakes, though providing a happy holiday for those involved. They're all quick reads by distinguished romance authors, perfect for a wintry evening read. ( )