Showing posts with label Heidi Ashworth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heidi Ashworth. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Review: A Midwinter Ball (Timeless Regency Collection) by Heidi Ashworth, Annette Lyon, Michele Paige Holmes


Heidi Reads... A Midwinter Ball by Heidi Ashworth, Annette Lyon, Michele Paige Holmes

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

http://www.amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.comhttp://www.barnesandnoble.comhttp://www.goodreads.com

Synopsis

MUCH ADO ABOUT DANCING by Heidi Ashworth. Two years have passed since Lord Northrup declared his intentions for Miss Analisa Lloyd-Jones and forbade any other man to court her. Angry at the neglect, Analisa stopped reading his letters, never even breaking the seals. Tired of waiting, Analisa joins the house party at Mrs. Smith’s famous country home, determined to find a beau. When Lord Northrup unexpectedly joins the party, Analisa discovers she is no longer repulsed by the man who first laid claim to her hand.

SWEETER THAN ANY DREAM by Annette Lyon. Olivia Wallington is firmly established as a spinster, but that doesn’t stop her from dreaming about the perfect man. Ever since her father’s death, Olivia has been forced into seclusion by her mother. When her brother and his wife come for a visit, they discover the extent to which she lives under their mother’s thumb. With their help, Olivia sneaks out to attend a local ball, where she meets Edward Blakemoore. For a few divine moments, all of her dreams seem possible. But even someone like Mr. Blakemoore would be hard pressed to get past Mrs. Wallington’s fortress of protection—or past Olivia’s pride.

AN INVITATION TO DANCE by Michele Paige Holmes. Lady Ella has been isolated on her father’s estate since her mother’s death as her father travels the world. When Alex Darling arrives with a letter from her long-dead fiancé, and a demand that she travel to London for a series of engagements, Ella thinks her father instigated the strange demands and agrees. In London, she discovers the truth behind her fiancé’s death, and that new love might be possible in the arms of the most unexpected man.


My Review

This is a wonderful compilation of novellas that involve a winter ball in the setting. In each story the event propels the plot forward and serves as a catalyst for change in the relationship between the main characters. There's something special and almost magical about the energy of a dance that is so looked forward to, especially in those times. I enjoyed all the stories and felt drawn into the conflict and resolution each presented. The first story was a bit choppy, but I really liked the premise of the long absent fiancè making a sudden reappearance in Analisa's life. Daydreaming Olivia from the second story was easy to relate to with her imagination, but I could never have the patience she did with her abusive relatives! I loved the adventurous spirit of Ella in the last story and the hesitant relationship with her former fiancé’s grumpy friend. This is a collection I will be re-reading for sure!

(Thank you to Ebooks For Review for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Review: Power of the Matchmaker by Karey White, Rachael Anderson, Sheralyn Pratt, Jaima Fixsen, Kelly Oram, Heather B. Moore, Julie Wright, Heidi Ashworth, Taylor Dean, Michele Paige Holmes, Janette Rallison, Regina Sirois


Heidi Reads... The Power of the Matchmaker

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

http://www.amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.comhttp://www.barnesandnoble.comhttp://www.goodreads.com

Synopsis

A prequel novella to the POWER OF THE MATCHMAKER Series
Mystical . . . Beautiful . . . Romantic . . .
12 novels by 12 bestselling authors
Released once a month in 2016
Read the matchmaker’s story to find out where it all starts . . .

Mae Li has been in love with Chen Zhu for years, and he with her. But when the matchmaker arrives at the Zhu family home, she recommends another village girl for Chen.

Heartbroken, Mae Li watches as Chen does his duty by marrying another. Mae flees her village with the clothes on her back and her only possession—a pearl embedded comb, given to her as a goodbye gift from Chen Zhu.

Upon Mae’s arrival in Shanghai, she quickly learns that she’ll starve within days unless she sells her prized comb or joins a courtesan house. She goes to the Huangpu River and promises the River God that she’ll always be selfless if he will save her from becoming a prostitute . . . Her wish is granted when Ms. Tan, the matchmaker of Shanghai, finds Mae. But Mae must completely change her future and her name if she is to become the next matchmaker.


My Review

What a sad situation. It's hard to imagine giving a matchmaker the power to choose who you will marry. What I loved about this short story is that Mae wasn't about to stay and watch her love live his life with someone else. Her perseverance and self-preservation were strengths that helped her push forward. I thought the ending was fitting since this is the introduction to a series of stories where Mae will influence couple so their path to true love, written by many of my favorite authors. I'm looking forward to reading more!

(Thank you to Ebooks for Review for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)