“I could tell by the whiff of desperation in the air.”
Cerian Blake
I picked up this anthology for the Suzanne Enoch story. Sadly, it was the only one that I truly enjoyed.
Suzanne Enoch – One Hot Scot
One Hot Scot is a fun, fluffy frolic through the highlands. There isn’t a great deal of substance, but it’s an entertaining read nonetheless. Julia is a strong-willed woman, and Duncan is a kind, protective man. Whether bantering over a Chessboard or facing down an enemy, these two make a cute pair.
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Alexandra Hawkins – Once Upon a Christmas Scandal
This novella is obviously part of a series. A number of the characters are written as if I should already know them. The expected large number of suitors never really materialized. Sure there were some introductions, but the other suitors disappeared into the background. This is a pity since Ellen and Derrick never worked as a couple for me.
Elizabeth Essex – The Scandal Before Christmas
What irked me the most was how much the character, especially Anne, changed in a couple of days. Anne blossoms from a nondescript “wren” into a “falcon” and changes from essentially a selective mute to a vivacious minx who freely speaks up. Ian goes from reminiscing about the previous sexual liaisons that he has had in the house to being single-mindedly infatuated with Anne.
Valerie Bowman – It Happened Under the Mistletoe
This one started well but slid downhill rather quickly. Fun and fluff turned into angst and drama. Oliver and Cerian began as a fun couple, but the angst between the two soured my enjoyment of them. Even the ending wasn’t able to save this novella from being mediocre.
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