Seduction on a Snowy Night

August 26, 2019
Kidnapping is the theme of this fun trilogy of holiday Regency romances. In Hunter’s “A Christmas Abduction,” Caroline Dunham kidnaps Adam Prescott, Baron Thornhill, planning to force him to marry her sister, whom she believes he seduced and impregnated. But when he saves her life, vows not to try to escape, and gains the respect of her employees, she falls for him herself. In Jeffries’s “A Perfect Match,” Col. Lord Heywood Wolfe abducts Cassandra Isles and her cousin Katherine “Kitty” Nickman in order to protect Kitty from a fortune hunter. Heywood thinks he’s in love with Kitty, thanks to the witty letters her brother shared with him, but he soon learns that Cassandra was the author of the words that touched his heart. Putney’s “Wicked Winter Night” features an unusual victim. When Anthony Raines is finally reunited with Lady Diana Lawrence, who broke his heart years earlier, he demands to know why she fled after he proposed; when she refuses to tell him, he kidnaps her cat. Desperate to regain her beloved feline companion, Diana yields to Anthony’s demands, and the two reignite their romantic fire. Christmas touches appear throughout, and the passion is hot enough to melt a snowbank. This fanciful Regency anthology will keep readers warm all winter.

September 15, 2019
Three beloved Regency romance authors join forces in this heartwarming holiday anthology. In this collection of novellas, the Christmas season brings the gift of love. A Christmas Abduction by Hunter (Never Deny a Duke, 2019, etc.) finds Adam Prescott, Baron Thornhill, abducted by a mysterious but familiar woman. Caroline Dunham is out for revenge, and kidnapping Adam seems the easiest way to expedite her plans. Fleeting touches and forced proximity add a wonderful tension to this slow-burn romance. Heiress Cassandra Isles becomes taken with the charming Col. Lord Heywood Wolfe in Jeffries' (Project Duchess, 2019, etc.) A Perfect Match. Too bad he's a notorious fortune hunter. The most dramatic of the three novellas, A Perfect Match is overwhelmed by too many characters and a thwarted kidnapping. One Wicked Winter Night by Putney (Once a Spy, 2019, etc.) is, by far, the standout of this trio, with a lovely second-chance romance as lovers reunite at a magical costume ball. Lady Diana Lawrence committed herself to a life of travel and adventure to mask her heartache over a whirlwind love affair that ended poorly. Now, seven years later, she never expected to reunite with the dashing Anthony Raines. The only common thread between the three novellas is the wintry setting; a stronger connection might have made the collection feel less stilted. However, it's clear that these historical romance dynamos know their craft and can make any dubious reader believe in a happily-ever-after despite the shorter format. A solid and varied collection for readers who adore a holiday setting.

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Starred review from October 1, 2019

A snowstorm can provide the perfect setting for romance, as evidenced in this trio of stunning Regency novellas. In Hunter's "A Christmas Abduction," Caroline Dunham is determined to make Adam Prescott, Baron Thornhill, pay for his past misdeeds, yet her half-baked plans suddenly go awry when she comes face to face with the notorious rake. In Sabrina Jeffries's "A Perfect Match," heiress Cassandra Isles is set on marrying for love and steering clear of fortune hunters. But trapped in close quarters with the alluring Col. Lord Heywood Wolfe, who is looking for funds to repair his estate, Cassandra finds her feelings quickly changing. Finally, Mary Jo Putney's "One Wicked Winter Night" sees Lady Diana Lawrence return to England, where she discovers that the man with whom she shares a memorable dance at the costume ball is her former paramour, Anthony Raines, Duke of Castleton. Stranded together in the duke's lodge during a blizzard, the two attempt to resolve past hurts and begin the slow process of starting anew. VERDICT These steamy short stories from three masters of the genre are perfect to recommend to readers even beyond the holiday season.--Kellie Tilton, Univ. of Cincinnati Blue Ash

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