Meara Platt

The Moonstone Governess by Meara Platt
Moonstone Landing #4

Daire is drawn to Moonstone Landing and has returned over the years not really knowing what the pull is until he realizes it just might be a young lady who lives there, Brenna Angel. The tricky bit will be whether he can overcome his past, open his heart to another, realize true love, and embrace happiness. This was a nice addition to the series though it felt a bit repetitive with Daire going over and over his thoughts, feelings, and worries without really dealing with them much till near the end. This wasn’t my favorite book in the series. I had trouble seeing Daire and Brenna together for the first half of the book, was eagerly awaiting the nephew’s arrival, wondered when Albert would arrive and he had a cameo appearance only, and felt that Jax and Felicity’s romance deserved more than it received though if this is the end of the series then it is well that Felicity has found her match. My favorite part of the story was the part where the moonstones lit up and what they indicated. This was an easy read without angst or drama.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars… (mehr)

Lord Matthew Lyon, a mathematical genius and brother to the Duke of Mar, often takes on assignments for the Crown. His current assignment is to ferret out a treasonous plot and bring the culprits to justice. In pursuit of that goal, he went to the Lyons Den to become acquainted with the suspected traitor’s son. Little did he know what was about to transpire and that he would leave betrothed to a suspected traitor’s daughter.

Lady Daniella Haverfield, daughter of the Earl of Haverfield, lives with a monster who just happens to be her father – and perhaps a traitor. The only thing that makes it remotely bearable is that her brother Simon was there as well. She adored him and would go to the ends of the earth to protect him. Unfortunately, that is exactly what she does. In trying to protect Simon she ends up disgraced, ruined, and betrothed all in the space of a few hours.

I really liked both Matthew and Daniella because they were both caring, giving, honorable, and loving people. I wasn’t a fan of Simon even though the author tried to redeem him – I guess there just weren’t enough pages for that. The story was exciting with betrayal, murder, and treachery as well as a heartwarming love story complete with an Epilogue.

I hope you’ll give this quick, fast-paced story a try. If you want to try out new-to-you authors, this series has some good ones. The stories are all quick reads with lovely HEAs and plenty of excitement – and each book is by a different author. So – give the series a try and try out a new author.… (mehr)

Once Upon a Haunted Romance
An Historical Romance Collection

Ten haunted historical romance novellas collected in one volume are a perfect way to get to know new authors or spend time with the writings of already favorite authors. Whether you sit down to read the book straight through or read them spaced out over time you will be in for a treat as you find a haunting of one sort or another in this collection.

The stories include ghosts ranging from angry to helpful with some from the distant past and others more recently departed. I have listed the stories with the authors who wrote them below and have included a short note with the stories I completed reading.

Once Upon a Haunted Cave by Meara Platt – A house party that sees a Duke and his odious elderly aunt’s paid companion falling in love as they solved the mystery of the young female ghost in nearby caves.
Once Upon a Haunted Gardy by Chasity Bowlin
Once Upon an Enchanted Well by Mary Wine
Once Upon a Haunted Haven by Lexi Post: A widow ousted from her home with nothing but a haunted house she inherited will find true love with the assistance of her ghostly relative.
Once Upon a Haunted Romance by Mary Lancaster: Iwo people that have had difficult pasts find one another as a traveler is given shelter, provides protection, they fall in love with the blessing of the widow’s son and the ghost of her husband
Once Upon a Highland Mist by Maeve Greyson
Once Upon a Haunted Scottish Cottage: To inherit a Scottish cottage a set of terms must be fulfilled and in so doing a ghost assists a couple to find their happily ever after.
Once Upon a Haunted Hillfort by Mia Pride
Once Upon a Haunted Knight by Elisa Braden
Once Upon a Haunted Horn and Hoof by Elizabeth Rose: A secret recipe for whiskey, a ghost who cannot rest, and a sudden betrothal might or might not be enough to align to clans and see a ghost finally rest.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars… (mehr)

Several stories in this year’s collection were so sweet and moving that they made me teary-eyed. That's not a complaint. I thought they were beautifully done. My favorites were:

Once Upon a Haunted Romance, by Mary Lancaster

Once Upon a Haunted Knight, by Elisa Braden

Once Upon a Highland Mist, by Maeve Grayson

Once Upon a Haunted Horn and Hoof, by Elizabeth Rose

Once Upon a Haunted Scottish Cottage, by Sofie Darling

Once Upon a Haunted Garden, by Chasity Bowlin

I thought Elizabeth Rose’s lighthearted tale was a perfect choice to cap off the collection. After so many emotional stories, it was nice to finish on a humorous note, and Rose does that so well. But as always, the entire anthology was enjoyable. Already looking forward to next year’s!… (mehr)