Beverley Oakley

In many ways I feel as if LADY SARAH’S REDEMPTION was two stories in one. Indeed, roughly halfway through the book, Sarah’s charade is up and the consequences of rash behavior are what drive the last half. Consequently, my enjoyment of my book took a blow.

The first half, when Lady Sarah Miles was acting as Miss Sarah Moreland, the governess, was delightful. Sarah was an odd combination of innocent and flirt that both annoyed and intrigued the cast of characters around her. Of the characters presented, Roland, Caro, and Sarah undergo the most development. Cecily really never alters from her initial bitter, petty self, and her two daughters, both under 12, remain sweet natured and fun loving.

Not to ruin what engineers the second half of the book, but the events twisted my stomach a little bit. The perpetrator of the heinous act was possibly one of the vilest men to ever grace the pages of a Regency set novel I’ve ever read. He gets his, at least, in an amusing and clever turnabout.

The problem is, though, that after the heinous event, things dragged out. Roland was pandering to his male ego and pride, Sarah was morose, and when the two do see each other once more, Roland is convinced she hates him! She’s practically begging him to marry her, and he’s convinced that she has no idea what she is saying, that she needs to let him step aside because he is clearly not manly enough for her. I wonder at Sarah for not smacking him with a heavy book!

When matters of the heart finally come to a head and words are had, the ending is sweet and wonderful. I just wish that it had occurred about seventy pages sooner.… (mehr)

I have only read Linda Rae Sande’s contribution to this anthology, so I cannot comment on the other contributions. If time permits, I will read other contributions and will amend my review if/when that occurs.

The Making of A Mistress by Linda Rae Sande – 4-Stars

This author’s stories are always excellently written, well-plotted, perfectly paced, and populated with characters you’ll love. If you haven’t tried her books, you should!

Daisy has been featured in several of this author’s works as has Alex and it is nice to see the two of them together. Both Daisy and Alex work for the British government – one for the Foreign Office and one for the Home Office. When Daisy is given a new assignment, she doesn’t have the required skills and has to acquire them quickly and who better to teach her what she needs to know than Alex Bradley? Will Alex also teach her to love as well? Or, will they go their separate ways after her ‘lessons’? You’ll just have to read this lovely story to see.… (mehr)

Aaaand, I finally finished! Before Christmas, even! :)
Lots of interesting stuff here (varying time periods, settings, writing styles, editing, and levels/types of steam), but these were my favorites:

Hell’s Wedding Bells - Annabelle Anders
Home for Christmas - Celeste Jones
Holly and the Beast - Annabel Joseph
Mistletoe Kisses - Elise Marion
The Holiday Hussy - Merry Farmer
Christmas Charity - Beverly Oakley
The Russian Betrothal - Elsa Holland
Marrying Miss Bright - Dayna Quince
The Russian Prince’s Bride - Mariah Stone
Holly and Old Lace - Vanessa Brooks
Wedded in Winter - Scarlett Scott
A Wicked Wedding - Laura Trentham
The Angel of an Astronomer - Linda Rae Sande

Thanks to all of the authors for putting together this enormous collection and making it free. It kept me entertained off and on almost all year long, and now I have a bunch of new writers to check out…:)… (mehr)