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Upon A Midnight Clear entertains the reader with a story of unrequited love. Drea Michaels has loved Carter James from afar for the last two years. As best friends, Drea has kept her silence and followed Carter’s rule of not dating friends. Now thirty years old, Drea must finally make a decision to either convince him otherwise or move on with her life.
Anisa Damien has a talent for writing seduction, making the tension rise as the pages turned. The conflict between the two started to become a little overdone, but Anisa Damien saved the novel with how well she captured and portrayed her characters.
Mistletoe Magic starts with the sad tail of how Noelle Fugate became widowed, refusing to accept the loss of her husband. But when Chase Winters moved home to take care of his mother, Noelle has to accept him in her life. For if she doesn’t, she will need to face the fact she will loose her farm. Yet, accepting Chase in her life means she has to ‘literally’ give up the ghost of her husband.
Alyssa Brooks has set up a great story of a widow finding love again. I loved her masculine character, the way his longing came across for the heroine. She on the other hand, came across as more of the author’s voice. Overall, both characters complemented the other, creating a nice balance in the story.
The Christmas Dagger leads off with immediate adventure and a tale of suspense. Caryn’s old lover Rex St. James messed up his chance with Caryn six months ago when he walked out on her. The only way to get her back into his life now, is to insist he can’t do the job without her. But when he finds out there is more danger involved than he thought, Rex will do everything he can to protect her. Even with his life if needed.
Mackenzie Reed spices up her book with strong characters, only to have clichés pull the readers out of the characters' world. The ending made up for any of the shortcomings and the concept of finding the lost dagger to reveal the future gave the story an interesting twist.
Cleopatra’s Legacy spins off the last story, years in the future, where the dagger becomes the only hope for freedom. And Jordan Fare will use any means, legal or otherwise to save her people. But when she finds out her lover for a few months, Rick Masters is with the intergalactic police, she feels betrayed and runs. Rick tracks her down, ready to insist she give them a chance. Time runs out for them and Masters has to convince her that their love can overcome any obstacles if only she would give them a chance.
Rae Monet continued off from the last novella, instantly pulling me into the novel. Action, romance, drama… The only thing that distracted me was the unrealistic amount of sex portrayed. I liked the characters, loved the setting but felt the story ended a little too soon. I wanted more.
Four incredible authors have put a collection of short stories that entertain readers of all tastes. Congratulations ladies, you each showcased your talent well in this short anthology.
Reviewed by Stacey Brutger
for The Road to Romance
January 10, 2006
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