regency

Lady Whistledown truly was a delight. I will not go into the details of each story. They have been described elsewhere. Suffice it to say, they all were a pleasure to read. After not finding many keepers lately, this was one. It was not a surprise. I am a fan of all the authors, with the exception of Mia Ryan. I loved her story in the 1st Lady W., but I didn't like her follow-up book. But, the other three authors are among my favorites and they didn't disappoint here. The characters were all likable, and I felt believable. So, if one was a giggler, I feel she can be forgiven. The stories are entertaining and worth your time.

I think I may the only person on the planet that's not completely over the moon with this anthology. The stories were nice, different, and rather well written. It's just that as a whole, I found them to be an average good read (3 stars), and I truly was expecting a lot more from this anthology.

All four stories have Lady Neely's dinner party in which Lady Neely's jeweled bracelet is stolen as the common denominator. In Julia Quinn's "The First Kiss," Tillie Howard, meets her dead brother's good friend, Peter Thompson, at the dinner party. Both Tillie and Peter form a bond over their shared grief, and fall in love with each other. But Tillie is an heiress, while Peter is quite penniless. And if that's not enough, Lady Whistledown has named Peter as one of the suspects in the theft. Will Peter be able to clear his name and win Tillie's hand in marriage? I found Ms Quinn's story to be charming and enjoyable. And if it wasn't one of the more stellar stories in the anthology, it wasn't an awful read either. Unlike Mia Ryan's "The Last Temptation" which started off fantastically only to degenerate into awfulness before my eyes. Miss Isabella Martin (Lady Neely's companion) is about to turn thirty, and she's never even been kissed properly yet! But who would have guessed that when Lady Neely sends her over to Lord Roxbury's town house so that Isabella can help him plan a party, that the rake would mistake her for his mistress and give her her first kiss! And what a kiss it is too! But can a paid companion afford to pin her heart and hopes on a rakish lord? I'm not sure if it was because of the language (far too many modern phrases) or the heroine (Isabella)'s tendency to giggle. Giggly heroines have always annoyed me, and Isabella certainly lived up to my expectations. The story wasn't a bad one even if it really wasn't really a story about the crossing of class lines since Isabella was a distant relative of Lady Neely. And perhaps if Isabella hadn't giggled her way from start to finish I might have been charmed too.

On the other hand I really enjoyed Suzanne Enoch's "The Best of Both Worlds." It is true that the ending was a bit abrupt, but this is one story that rather captured my fancy, and I was really pleased when the happily ever-after for this hero & heroine was achieved. Charlotte Birling's parents expect to marry the staid and respectable young man that they have chosen for her. Except that Charlotte has fallen in love with the rakish Lord Maxton, and wonder of wonders, he;s in love with her too! Can Charlotte persuade her parents to relent, or will she be doomed to marry where she doesn't love? "The Best of Both Worlds" had the poignancy and urgency necessary to make a story a good read. I only wished that the story could have been developed more so that the ending was not so abrupt.

The last story in the anthology is different from the previous three in that it features an estranged couple, Max and Sophia. In Karen Hawkins' "The Only One for ME" Max and Sophia had separated many years ago due a a big misunderstanding -- he had been accused of cheating at cards, and Sophia instead of believing in him, had believed the accusers. After years of separation, anger and bitterness, Sophia has finally decided to end her marriage by asking for an annulment. But does she truly want it? This is the question that confronts her when Max finally comes home to face her. And then Lady Neely's bracelet is stolen, and people being to look sideways at Max again. Except this time, Sophia is determined to prove her faith in her estranged husband by unmasking the real thief herself... The most developed character and emotion-wise, my only quibble with this story was that I was unable to understand Sophia's anger towards Max. So he left her; it would have been difficult to stay with a wife who thinks that you are a cheat. And why didn't the ninny go to her husband and ask his forgiveness once the truth was out, for goodness sake?! On the other hand Karen Hawkins' tale, along with Suzanne Enoch's, were the only really cathartic ones in this anthology. Both stories rated about 4 stars in my opinion, and were what made reading this anthology worthwhile.

On the whole, "Lady Whistledown Strikes Back" was a good 3 star read. The stories were nice and well written. They may not have been stellar examples of the four authours' usual efforts, but put together, this anthology would definitely yeild a few hours of pleasurable reading.

Of course that is why we read romance books... sappy is a good thing... But I only gave it 3 stars, because I only liked 2 stories.

Suzanne Enoch and Karen Hawkins were the best of the 4 stories. I usually Love Quinn, but feel the same way as the other reviewer felt...she has been writing different lately. I lost interest in her books, after the story about To Sir Philip, With Love. All her other books were soooooooooooooooooo 5 star good. She needs to rest and recharge her heart. I did enjoy the Lady Whistledown's comments..they are always enjoyable and fun to read...He bought a brown hat ...to match his brown suit yadda yadda yadda...too funny..Mya Ryan is not known to me..but the story was OK enough to look into her other work.

Not a keeper but worth reading. Wish you could read mine, would be free...anyone in SA Texas, I will happily let them read mine .