I found these stories disappointing. Most seemed very farfetched. The characters were kind of blah. ( )

I'm not gong to summarize the stories here, just give an overall review.

I like the premise: give 4 authors a basic plot and see what they come up with. These stories all do share a plot- and they're each very different from the others. I particularly liked that one of the couples was older, and had known each other for 25 years, not the minimum 10 that the basic plot required.

None of the stories really blew me away, but they were all enjoyable. ( )

This book was an interesting experiment. I enjoyed seeing the different variations each author took up from the basic storyline, but the quality of the stories was poor. The first by Stephanie Laurens was the most entertaining, but the characters and their past behavior was cliche and ridiculous. The next two stories were worse, but the last one by Candice Hern was really painful to read. The emotional sincerity of the characters in these stories, especially the last one, had a very false tone. ( )

Four fabulous writers: too little space. I feel the story of two lovers separated for a decade is extremely complicated, what with all the regret. The novella is too short a format to accompany that baggage. The stories all seemed rushed to me. I wanted an epilogue so the stories didn't end so abruptly. ( )

Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Oct08

I defy any historical romance reader to pass up an anthology with a writer lineup of Stephanie Laurens, Mary Balogh, Jacquie D’Alessandro, & Candice Hern. I certainly couldn’t…and didn’t. When I asked Quentin to let me review this one, I figured I’d have to fight, bribe, or play dirty to get it. But apparently, my stars are in proper alignment or something because when I opened my latest box, there it was.

In this anthology, each writer was given the same plot to use—“A man and a woman, who have neither seen nor heard from each other in ten years, meet again when they find themselves staying at the same inn for a twenty-four hour period.” In addition, each author was given one season of the year and they didn’t talk to each other until their stories were done. In a letter to the readers, the instigator of this anthology, Mary Balogh, asks the readers if this is just the same story told four times or four different stories…

Since you already know the plot, I’ll just give a quick view of how I liked each author’s story!

Stephanie Laurens provided “The Fall of Rogue Gerrard” which has the feel of her earlier novels. The hero’s wicked reputation and the heroine’s independence and headstrong nature are very reminiscent of her first few Cynster novels and I LOVED it. The delicious sexual tension, the strong sexy hero unable to resist his desire, the heroine determined to ‘save’ the hero…just a darn good story.

“Spellbound” by Mary Balogh had a very different feel. Our hero and heroine have the ultimate in misunderstandings and even though her explanation made sense, it was still a bit harder for me to swallow.

I fell in love with “Only You” by Jacquie D’Alessandro. This story was, for me, the most moving of all. Suffering and sacrifice resulting in the understanding that riches and social standing can’t replace the real rewards of true love.

And finally, Candice Hern’s “From This Moment On” wraps up the anthology with a tale of love postponed by circumstance and rekindled later in life. It’s not often you get to read a historical romance with ‘mature’ characters!

All in all, quite a pleasurable read. Laurens and D’Alessandro were my top two and Balogh and Herns came in right behind them. Each of the contributors took the plot in totally different directions that until I started this review, I’d forgotten they were all using the same outline! Just goes to show that these four talented historical authors can certainly provide a blissful break from reality. “It Happened One Night” is a must for any fan of Stephanie Laurens, Jacquie D’Alessandro, Mary Balogh, and Candice Herns. ( )