Can a single note change a life, start a romance, or drive two people apart?Waiting for the Post by Esther HatchNow that Harrison Chase has finally made his fortune as a working man, he will risk it all to save his factory workers from starvation. In the middle of his charge to reverse the Corn Laws, his housekeeper helpfully mails a letter she finds languishing amongst his things. A six-year-old … amongst his things. A six-year-old love letter. With no other choice, he rushes back to his childhood home on Christine Stone’s estate. If he can’t get his hands on that letter before she does, Christine will discover what a pitiful and pretentious fool he had been. The one thing he hadn’t counted on was the mail being delayed. Now Harrison must decide which is worse—waiting with Christine as he not-so-slowly falls back in love with her, or leaving, knowing once she reads his letter he can never return.
A Ring of Gold by Nichole Van
Viola Brodure longs for something more from her life. So when that something more arrives in the form of a letter from the renowned Highland Poet, Ethan Penn-Leith, she seizes her chance. After all, Mr. Penn-Leith merits every swoon-worthy adjective Viola can muster. What woman wouldn’t want to be in her shoes? But after journeying to Scotland and meeting the poet himself, Viola faces a difficult question: What happens if you don’t want the thing you thought you did?
A Rose by Any Other Name by Annette Lyon
As an orphan whose only home has been the Foundling Hospital, Rose is tasked to work in the fine houses of Bloomsbury. She knows her duty—take care of the family upstairs and never forget her place. But her traitorous heart won’t follow the rules, and she falls in love with Oliver Withey, a man far above her station. Though she feels like she’s found a home in Oliver’s arms, his mother has other plans for her oldest son—and marrying a servant isn’t one of them. She’ll do anything to keep Rose and Oliver apart, including making a devil’s bargain that ensures they’ll never see each other again. When a mysterious old woman appears, she seems to have answers to Rose’s past. Could those long-held secrets hold the key to the future with Oliver that Rose longs for?
Timeless Victorian Collections:
SUMMER HOLIDAY
A GRAND TOUR
THE ORIENT EXPRESS
THE QUEEN’S BALL
A NOTE OF CHANGE
Timeless Regency Collections:
AUTUMN MASQUERADE
A MIDWINTER BALL
SPRING IN HYDE PARK
SUMMER HOUSE PARTY
A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS
A SEASON IN LONDON
FALLING FOR A DUKE
A NIGHT IN GROSVENOR SQUARE
ROAD TO GRETNA GREEN
WEDDING WAGERS
AN EVENING AT ALMACK’S
TO LOVE A GOVERNESS
WIDOWS OF SOMERSET
A Note of Change is a Timeless Romance Anthology® book
Timeless Romance Anthology® is a registered trademark of Mirror Press, LLC
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You honestly can’t find a better collection of authors anywhere. Three different stories, one glorious era (VICTORIAN!), and three incredibly talented authors. Timeless collections always fill my hours with wonderful romantic reads.
Note of change
Waiting for the post By Esther Hatch
What a sweet book this was. The fun characters of Charlotte and Harry worked really well together. Waiting for their letters could have been pure drudgery. But their fun banter and playfulness, made it enjoyable and endearing.
A ring of gold by Nicole Van
What are lovely story this is. Viola is a literary novelist from England who wants to meet the highland poet, Ethan Penn-Leiths. Little does she know what a wonderful catch his brother Malcolm would be. Just because everyone else thinks a match would be perfect. Doesn’t account for the chemistry between to people. One thing I did notice, for good or bad, is the sister Amelia kind of dropped off about the middle of the book.
A Rose By Any Other Name by Annette Lyon
Another wonderful story. I thought the story was very engaging. That made me think a little bit about the story of Little Orphan Annie. I love the characters of Rose and Oliver and their true love for one another. I also thought it would be fun to hear more or the story of Penelope and Jon.
The whole anthology was well written and well worth reading. Each story is short so you are able to read one in a quite afternoon!
Five stars for the first two stories and two stars for the last story.
Note of change
Waiting for the post By Esther Hatch
What a sweet book this was. The fun characters of Charlotte and Harry worked really well together. Waiting for their letters could have been pure drudgery. But their fun banter and playfulness, made it enjoyable and endearing.
A ring of gold by Nicole Van
What are lovely story this is. Viola is a literary novelist from England who wants to meet the highland poet, Ethan Penn-Leiths. Little does she know what a wonderful catch his brother Malcolm would be. Just because everyone else thinks a match would be perfect. Doesn’t account for the chemistry between to people. One thing I did notice, for good or bad, is the sister Amelia kind of dropped off about the middle of the book.
A Rose By Any Other Name by Annette Lyon
Another wonderful story. I thought the story was very engaging. That made me think a little bit about the story of Little Orphan Annie. I love the characters of Rose and Oliver and their true love for one another. I also thought it would be fun to hear more or the story of Penelope and Jon.
The whole anthology was well written and well worth reading. Each story is short so you are able to read one in a quite afternoon!
Enjoyable collection
Waiting for the Post by Esther Hatch
Sweet second chance romance. Likable main characters with fun banter. Probably my favorite of the three stories.
A Ring of Gold by Nichole Van
A story with a feminist vein. I love stories that allow women of the time period to step beyond their prescribed roles in society. Malcolm really did understand Viola and was an advocate for her beyond what her father did. Her father did assist her in being an author but didn’t really go as far as Viola needed to really be herself. Malcolm wanted her to be her true self. I really liked him.
A Rose by Any Other Name by Annette Lyon
You could sum this up by calling it a Cinderella story. It really felt like a fairy tale by the end. Getting to their happily ever after required some pretty fantastical events that you’d likely only find in a fairy tale.
No sex, language or violence
I loved these three sweet novellas. Each one opened the door to my heart and moved in. Three different premises make a delightful collection of stories that will endear themselves to you from the first page.
I loved these novellas! I don’t always love reading novellas- sometimes the shortness distracts from the story- the characters not being developed well enough, or the story moving too awkwardly- not so with these! My favorite stories are those that reflect my own love story and the first two here did wonderfully, I love that. 🙂 the third was more of a fairy tale story, but fun in its own right.
Though not labeled as “proper romance” books, they definitely fit that level. Sweet wonderful romance without any “questionable content”.
Waiting for the Post- it’s always nice to have a character breathe fresh air into a rather stuffy society- which Christine does wonderfully in this novella!
A Ring of Gold- the characters are so quickly understood and felt that I thought I was reading a true story (or at least a historical fiction, though there is no mention that this is one). I was amazed at how well I could know the characters in only a few pages.
A Rose by Any Other Name- a fun and romantic fairy tale ending with twists and turns along the way.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This was a very sweet anthology. I thought that all the authors did a wonderful job. The first story by Esther Hatch was so cute with the friends to lover trope. I loved how the main characters fell for each other while waiting for different pieces of mail that could change their lives forever. I loved Nicole Van’s story with the Highland setting and how the main character’s found a kindred soul in each other and overcame everyone else’s expectations in order to be together. Annette Lyon’s story was very inspiring with showing how love can overcome anything. I thought this was a great anthology and I was glad that I got to read it.
I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.
I loved every one of these short and sweet stories!
The first one, Waiting for the Post by Esther Hatch, was a lovely tale of childhood friends and a seemingly unattainable love.
The second, A Ring of Gold by Nichole Van, made me want to go find a strong, Scottish, kilt-wearing, capable, manly man. In Scotland. Seriously. I loved the story. Things aren’t always what we think they’ll be, and I loved that about this story.
The third, A Rose by Any Other Name by Annette Lyon, was a wonderful story of fighting for love and finding family.
All of them are truly fantastic stories with very happy endings!
Wow! This anthology is what clean, sweet romance is all about! I loved each of the stories – all so unique yet centered around the theme of letters or notes that change the outcome of the story. The first two stories were especially swoon worthy; the third was great, just centered more on the heroine’s back story than the relationship. This was a fantastic combination of authors and a great addition to the Timeless anthology collection.
I really enjoy short stories and this is a fabulous collection. Each one is unique and a great escape from reality!
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Another lovely collection of Victorian-era romances from some of my favorite authors! When these Timeless collections have three stories instead of six, they are each longer and I feel like they have the time to really develop the characters and the story within the novella format.
Waiting for the Post by Esther Hatch is one of my favorites of this collection- 5 stars! I loved Christine’s friendly personality and it’s easy to see why Harrison fell in love with her as a youth and did so again so quickly when they are reunited. He doesn’t feel worthy of her as a self-made successful tradesman when she is of a higher class in society. Her family’s estate is at risk so some complicated dynamics come into play. Her brother who is also Harrison’s friend brings some humor to the dialogue and it was a pleasure to read as this meant-for-each-other match overcame the miscommunications and hesitations to find their happily ever after.
A Ring of Gold by Nichole Van is another 5 star story! The setting in Scotland was amazing and I loved the way the author was able to portray the accents and customs. Viola is a spinster author so she seems to have a measure of independence, but it only extends as far as she follows her father’s advice. Their adventure to Scotland to meet a poet she admires- and gives a public “shout out” to in her latest book- quickly spirals out of control when he and everyone decide that they would make an excellent match. It was funny how the author portrayed him with his success but also revealed how his process worked. His brother is the epitome of a manly Highlander and Viola can’t help but form an unlikely friendship with the unassuming man who has poetry in his soul.
A Rose by Any Other Name by Annette Lyon was different than the other stories in that there wasn’t as much character development and the focus was more on the plot. The villain of Oliver’s mother was the driving force behind the conflict and while I liked the interesting setting, the story fell flat for me when it became rather melodramatic. I think that other readers will still enjoy the story, but it wasn’t my cup of tea, especially as a follow up to the first two stories. I would rate this one 3 stars.
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
A Note of Change (5 stars)
Waiting for the Post by Esther Hatch (5 stars)
A sweet story about man who has given up on the dreams of his younger self, only to have them reawakened when his housekeeper mails an old love letter his and he must chase after it.
Ring of Gold by Nicole Van (5.5 stars)
This story is amazing! A true meeting of the minds, attraction, yes, but also long walks while sharing deep thoughts along with droll humor.
The author gives us a real view into what life must have been like for a woman in the Victorian era. If she had any independence of spirit, how frustrating not to be heard, or to be deliberately misunderstood!
Luckily, our heroine finds a man who has more forward thinking notions of women and he appreciates her mind, not just her looks.
I can’t say enough good about this novella! I’ve listened to one other novel by Nicole Van and loved it—I waited and waited for the next one in the series, to no avail. I think it may be time to read her books and not wait for the audio version to be published because she’s an incredible author!!
A Rose by Any Other Name by Annette Lyon (3.5)
A sweet love story, but I found I had to suspend disbelieve too often. I suppose I struggled with how conveniently everything worked out and just in the nick of time.
Everything felt very melodramatic: the wicked mother scheming with the wicked headmistress and head master, the old lady turning up on the very night/morning that said wicked scheme was being enacted, a friendly female helper for the male lead. Another reviewer mentioned that it didn’t resonate with her and that kind of sums it up for me, as well.
Another reviewer mentioned that the story picks up after they are already in love. I would have liked to have experienced that part with them.
*poor, **ok, ***good, ****very good, *****something special
Waiting for the Post by Esther Hatch – A fun and lighthearted second chance romance with just the right amount of angst.
A Ring of Gold by Nichole Van – I love her writing. Sometimes while reading you connect with a character, or the plot. On rare occasions you find a writer whose writing, her words, her characters, her humor, her descriptions; the whole story speaks to your soul. Nichole Van’s writing is like that for me every single time. This one was no different.
A Rose by Any Other Name by Annette Lyon – A cute cinderella story with sweet tender moments. I felt like the descriptions were a little wordy for me, but the romance was really well developed for a novella.
Ooh, notes are such a intriguing premise! Although I obviously didn’t live in the Victorian age, handwritten messages take me back to my younger years, when friends would pass notes in class or secret love notes were discovered in random places, causing all kinds of elation. I love how each one of these stories is tied by a time period and a note of some kind, although each book is completely different, yet equally beloved and entertaining.
The collection starts out with a bang with a tale of a note mistakenly posted to a childhood crush and a mad rush to intercept it. My heart melted with the tenderness and sweet love found within these pages.
The reader is then treated to a delightfully charming story set in Scotland, where hearts are changed after notes are exchanged and true love is found.
The wrap-up book is a forbidden love full of secrets, desire, and an undiscovered past, which played upon my emotions.
This set proves true to the Timeless Romance Collection in that it delivers reliably sweet and wholesome entertainment that is well worth the reading time.
Content: mild romance in each one
*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*
Three great authors have contributed stories to this fun collection. They were all great but I think I loved Waiting for the Post best followed by A Ring of Gold. Each story is romantic and so very sweet. The characters were vivid and so easy to root for. I enjoyed every single minute in this book. It made my heart happy.
This book is on Kindle Unlimited.
– I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
I love it when another Timeless Collection comes out and this was a Timeless Victorian, and made my heart get all fluttery and go pitter-patter. Three novellas by three different authors (all ones I’ve read before) with a common thread–the story has to do with a note/letter than can change everything.
Waiting for the Post by Esther Hatch–When Harrison Chase finds that his housekeeper mailed a letter found in a desk rushes to try and intercept it before Christine receives it. It was a letter he wrote to her six years ago and never mailed–it wasn’t supposed to be mailed. While waiting each day for the post to arrive Harrison spends time with Christine where he finds again the love he thought he’d lost.
What a wonderful story to begin this collection. Not only is Harrison waiting for a letter, Christine is waiting for one too. Letters that can change not only their futures, but those of the people they care about. I love how the author always has her female characters get in unladylike predicaments like falling in streams. It makes for wonderful scenes in the readers’ mind.
A Ring of Gold by Nichole Van–Viola Brodure is a writer who’s tired of writing the stories she’s known for. She wants to write stories that matter. When she receives a letter from poet Ethan Penn-Leith, her father decides to spend the summer in the small village of Edzell so they can meet the poet. Carriage trouble nearby the village lead to Viola meeting Malcolm Penn-Leith, Ethan’s older brother.
I LOVED this story and knew who Viola was going to choose from the beginning but that didn’t affect my enjoyment while reading. Ethan is the younger, coddled brother who is used to getting everything he wants. Malcolm is the mature one who really gets to know Viola, not just what she appears to be. Poor Viola was way past the age of having her father dictate her life and I loved when she finally spoke her mind. Viola’s asthma seemed to be triggered by stress, but those around her, including her father, failed to see or understand that, except for Malcolm. Another wonderful story set in Scotland by Nichole Van.
A Rose by Any Other Name by Annette Lyon–Rose doesn’t remember having a family. The Foundling Hospital is the only home she’s ever known. Now she’s almost 20 years old and will be leaving to take a position as a maid or cook in a fine household. She hopes it’s at a local home so she can still see Oliver Withey, the son of a wealthy family she’s worked for. He’s far above her station in life as a maid but they love each other and want to be together. Oliver’s parents are dead set against it and his mother will stop at nothing to keep them apart, until a mysterious woman from Rose’s past visits the Foundling Hospital.
Love doesn’t care about people’s jobs or stations in life. Oliver was a much better person than his mother was. I’ve never read a story that mentioned a Foundling Hospital but knew what it was because of the BBC show Hetty Feather. It’s a shame what people with money will do to get what they want. I loved that the young lady Oliver’s mother set him up with kind of had a hand in Oliver and Rose being able to be together. I thought it was kind of ironic and wished the scene when Oliver told his mother about Rose’s heritage would’ve been included. I love to see cruel people get what’s coming to them.
I loved all of these novellas. Each one is set in the same era, but they’re all so different, which is one of the reasons I adore these collections.
Waiting for the Post 5*
Esther Hatch’s contribution to this anthology is full of romantic tension, in a hopeful and positive light! The backstory to these childhood sweethearts is woven carefully throughout and the resolution is sweet.
A Ring of Gold 5*
A rich narrative sweeps you into Victorian Scotland with Nichole Van’s vivid characters. Her descriptive writing, sprinkled throughout with insightful poetry, is the most tasteful piece featuring authors as characters that I have recently read. The underlying message of seeing and accepting someone for who they are was beautiful and profound.
A Rose By Any Other Name 4*
This story has layers of mystery that are gradually uncovered. Annette Lyon is able to resolve the most difficult circumstances for a happily ever after for the characters, albeit in a most unsuspected manner.
Everything in this story was very well-thought and very well-written!
Waiting for the Post
4.5 stars! The tension, the longing, and the connection between Harry and Christine can be so much felt through Esther Hatch’s talented writing. I am now curious about all her other works as well.
Although there was a misunderstanding between the characters which nearly turned me off, it was redeemed by the scene in Gerald’s study *swoon* 🙂 Also, I appreciate the sort-of epilogue in the story.
A Ring of Gold
Nichole Van still never ceases to amaze me with her wonderful writing talent as this story made me feel so many things again (all good ones)! I was mildly surprised that this romance was not between those who thought you would end up with (and I rarely get to read this kind of stuff and work it out beautifully). I especially liked that some feminist elements were inserted in the story. I’d give this book 10 stars, if possible! Please write more, Nichole Van!
A Rose by Any Other Name
4 stars. The story’s synopsis showed great potential. The forbidden love between the characters was really heart-rending and the twist at the end was also pleasantly surprising, albeit unbelievable. However, I would have liked to see how their romance bloomed, not just the hardships. Also, the note of change (which was the main theme), was not very much emphasized in this story. Still a very good read, though.
Three novellas. While all three had a similar theme of love developing between different ‘classes’, they all resolved in their own unique ways.
In Waiting For the Post, Harrison returns home when his housekeeper mails a letter than was never supposed to be mailed. As he waits to intercept it, he and Christine get to know each other as adults. Harrison has made something of himself in London, but will it be enough? Will Christine see him as more than just the steward’s son and her childhood best friend?
A Ring of Gold has a cute twist. When author Viola Brodure meets poet Ethan Penn-Leith, will it be a literary match in heaven? Who is Ethan’s muse? Viola wants more than just surface conversation and the substantive discussions she craves comes from an unexpected source.
A Rose By Any Other Name is the tale of an orphan foundling who falls in love with the son of a household where she finds occasional work. The feelings are mutual, but his parents and the director of the home throw obstacles in the way. But when an old woman appears at the foundling home, Rose’s life will change forever.
All three storylines moved well and didn’t drag. Each novella was an easy nightly read before bed.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.