This winter, steal away with the reigning queens of Regency Romance . . . to a surprise snowstorm, the comfort of a blazing fire, and the heat of a lover’s kisses . . . A CHRISTMAS ABDUCTION by Madeline Hunter Caroline Dunham has a bone to pick with notorious rake Baron Thornhill—and a creative plan to insure his undivided attention. Yet once in close quarters, she finds herself beholden to … quarters, she finds herself beholden to their smoldering connection . . .
A PERFECT MATCH by Sabrina Jeffries
Whisked away from a wintry ball by the officer she knew only through letters, Cassandra Isles struggles with her feelings for the commanding Colonel Lord Heywood. For he, secretly a fortune-hunter, must marry for money to save his estate—and Cass, secretly an heiress, will accept nothing less than
love . . .
ONE WICKED WINTER NIGHT by Mary Jo Putney
Dressed as a veiled princess, Lady Diana Lawrence is shocked to discover that the mysterious corsair who tempts her away from the costume ball is the duke she once loved and lost. Now snowed in with Castleton at a remote lodge, will she surrender to the passion still burning hotly between them?
“Hunter’s effortlessly elegant writing exudes a wicked sense of wit.”
—Booklist
“Anyone who loves romance must read Sabrina Jeffries!”
—Lisa Kleypas, New York Times bestselling author
“Putney’s books are the literary equivalent of catnip to historical romance fans.”
—Booklist
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Three mistresses of Regency Romance, have combined their skills to create this anthology. The common thread is they happen around Christmas. Some of the characters sounded familiar, and have appeared in on of the authors’ series and some will appear in future books. The heroes of the first 2 stories, are forced to wed for money instead of love, because the relative who was supposed to be taking care of the family properties and fortune were unethical. However, love does win out in the end. The third story is a second chance for two, who were separated by a hare filled man. If you are a fan of Regency Romances, especially from these authors, then this is a must read.
I read an ARC from NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.
I liked all the stories in this book, but my favorite was A Perfect Match by Sabrina Jeffries.
The stories were entertaining and had great couples. The heros and heroines were well matched
These stories and their authors are a wonderful way to start your Holiday Season. Three best selling authors offer up the opportunity to indulge in cozy evenings by the fire in your favorite chair with a hot cup of cocoa.
A Christmas Abduction, by Madeline Hunter, is the tale of an older sister trying to put right the seduction of her younger sister by a scoundrel. Her plan to kidnap the Gentleman on his way to his cousins for the Christmas Holidays goes awry when they find that they are attracted to each other. An enjoyable adventure with great characters, witty dialogue, with a love story that will warm your spirit and touch your heart.
A Perfect Match by Sabrina Jeffries, a hero appears at a ball to rescue a young lady who is in danger of being abducted by a fortune hunter. He is under the impression that the young lady is the author of a plethora of amusing letters sent to her brother who is in the military with this gentleman. He needs an heiress to restore his estate, only he discovers that the lady who actually wrote the letters is the poor cousin. Will he do the right thing or follow his heart and marry the poor lady who has won his heart. I also loved the way the author inserted lines from Christmas Carols into the witty dialogue
One Wicked Winter Night by Mary Jo Putney, an independent intelligent woman who has traveled the world has decided to go home to England. Seven years earlier she was separated from the man she loved and now here he is again, pursuing her. She will not succumb to his seduction and have her heartbroken again. He decides that they deserve a second chance and kidnaps her beloved cat to get her alone and convince her that they belong together. This is classic Mary Jo Putney, I have always loved her writing and this novella is no different. A beautiful story with wit, passion, and love.
All there of these stories are must-reads. Do not miss them
A Christmas Abduction by Madeline Hunter
Caroline Dunham has a bone to pick with notorious rake Baron Thornhill—and a creative plan to insure his undivided attention. Yet once in close quarters, she finds herself beholden to their smoldering connection . . .
Good story. Adam is on his way to his cousin’s house for Christmas. He’s not enthused about it as he is expected to announce his engagement to a woman he doesn’t particularly like. However, it is an alliance thing, and he’ll take one for the family. He doesn’t expect to get kidnapped on his way there. As he is not wealthy, he has no idea what his captor wants. Caro is not interested in Adam’s fortune or lack of it. She has far more personal plans for him.
I liked both Adam and Caro. He is a decent guy at heart. He’s made mistakes, admits to them, and wants to change. He takes his abduction in stride and is more amused than angered by it. Once he figures out who she is, he believes he knows the why. He is impressed by Caro’s efforts to keep things running and, drawn to her, finds himself wanting to help. For her part, Caro is determined to make the notorious rake do the right thing. But the more time she spends with him, the less rakish he appears to be.
There are sparks between Adam and Caro from the start. Besides the attraction, Adam finds himself feeling protective of Caro, especially after the incident at the pond. He’s stunned when she finally tells him why he’s there and vehemently denies the charge. Caro can’t believe she’s attracted to Adam after what he did, but she can’t deny what is between them. I liked seeing them talk and get to know each other. The more I learned about Caro’s reasons for having Adam there, the more I suspected that there was additional information that she was unaware of. I was not surprised by the truth when it came out. I loved Adam’s actions to fix the situation. I loved the ending, as Adam finally found his purpose in life, and Caro found the support that she needed.
A Perfect Match by Sabrina Jeffries
Series: Duke Dynasty (Book 1.5)
Whisked away from a wintry ball by the officer she knew only through letters, Cassandra Isles struggles with her feelings for the commanding Colonel Lord Heywood. For he, secretly a fortune-hunter, must marry for money to save his estate—and Cass, secretly an heiress, will accept nothing less than love . . .
Good story. Cass and her cousin Kitty are at a winter ball where Cass does her best to keep Kitty out of the clutches of an unsuitable man. Though he presents well, there is something about him that Cass doesn’t trust. Her suspicions are reinforced by the arrival of Colonel Heywood, who brings a message from Kitty’s brother with news of the man’s perfidy. Heywood arrives in time to overhear plans to abduct Kitty to Gretna Green, so he kidnaps Kitty and Cass first.
I liked both Cass and Heywood. Cass is independent, smart, and protective of her young cousin. She is also cynical about men, having been courted for her fortune in the past. Now she puts out that she is the poor relation, wanting to be courted for herself. Heywood is an honorable man who has spent many years as a soldier, but he longs for peace and a family of his own. His father left him some property, but it is in poor repair, which means Heywood must marry a woman who has money.
I liked the development of the relationship between Cass and Heywood. It begins with a bit of mistaken identity, as Cass has been writing letters to Kitty’s brother in Kitty’s name. Douglas shares those letters with Heywood, who has fallen in love with the writer, whom he believes is Kitty. This is convenient because Kitty is an heiress. It doesn’t take long for him to realize that Kitty is not what he thought and that it is her poor cousin Cass who won his heart. Cass is equally drawn to him, but having been burned once she is wary. I loved seeing them spend time together, matching wits in some excellent banter. As their feelings for each other deepen, Heywood realizes that he’d rather give up his land than Cass. As Cass realizes her feelings for Heywood, she feels guilty about keeping the truth from him. Heywood disappointed me with his reaction when she confessed, his injured pride causing him to say some terrible things. Fortunately he sees the light in time to save her from near disaster and is properly contrite. Cass takes her share of the blame, too, which was nice to see. I liked the epilogue also.
Heywood’s family was terrific, and I look forward to seeing more of them. His mother led an intriguing life, and it affected each of her children. I loved the closeness of the family and the lovingly done teasing among them all.
My only quibble in the story was the frequent insertion of lines from modern Christmas carols as parts of conversations. I found myself rolling my eyes each time it happened, as it would pull me out of the story.
One Wicked Winter Night by Mary Jo Putney
Series: Rogues Redeemed (Book 3.5)
Dressed as a veiled princess, Lady Diana Lawrence is shocked to discover that the mysterious corsair who tempts her away from the costume ball is the duke she once loved and lost. Now snowed in with Castleton at a remote lodge, will she surrender to the passion still burning hotly between them?
Good second chance love story. I loved that this was Diana’s tale, who was part of Rory’s story in Once a Scoundrel. Diana left England seven years earlier, fleeing the memories of a love gone wrong. She became an independent woman of means thanks to an import/export business she owns with a friend. The story opens as Diana receives a letter from Rory, inviting her back to England for a visit. Diana realizes that she is homesick and makes the decision to return home to stay. The only downside is the chance that she will run into the man she loved.
Anthony recently inherited the dukedom from his late, unlamented father. The previous duke had been a cruel man, and Anthony worked hard to be nothing like him. He is a quiet, kind man who loves his two sisters. He avoids social events whenever possible, as he has become the target of every eligible miss and her mother since becoming the duke. His sisters convince him that attending a costume ball will be fun as he can maintain anonymity while there.
I loved the meeting between Diana and Anthony. She and Rory dressed as Indian dancers and performed for the ball’s attendees. Anthony was intrigued by the veiled dancer and requested a dance. The sparks between them led to an explosive kiss. To say they were shocked to discover who was behind the masks was putting it mildly. Though Anthony let Diana get away once, he is now determined not to let it happen again. Diana is still insistent that there is no chance of anything between them. I loved Anthony’s spur-of-the-moment plan to get Diana to himself long enough to get to the bottom of her resistance, though Diana took a rather stupid risk to get there quickly. Once they were together, Anthony’s patience and understanding broke through the guilt that had driven her away and kept her away. Those moments between them were emotional and heartwarming. Their happy ending was great. I loved their arrival at his sister’s house and how Diana was embraced by them.
One of my favorite things in the story that had me in giggles was the creativity of the names they had for the cats’ species. I also liked seeing Will and Athena again (loved their costumes for the masquerade ball) and Rory and Gabriel. I loved the fun that Rory and Diana had planning and doing their dance.
A Christmas Abduction- Caroline Dunham has a score to settle with Adam Prescott, Baron Thornhill, a notorious rake. Her plan to abduct him, thus ensuring she has his full attention, goes well until the time she spends with him begins to make Caroline see Adam in a new light.
I really didn’t care much for this one. The heroine was just rude and grossly unfair to the hero for much of the story, not to mention rather illogical, and her apology wasn’t enough for me. But of course this was a novella, so there wasn’t time for much more and I can let it slide since at least the ending was satisfying.
A Perfect Match- When she and her cousin Kitty are swept away from a ball by her cousin Douglas’ friend, Colonel Lord Heywood Wolfe, Cassandra Isles is sufficiently shocked to meet the man she knows so well from her cousin’s letters. But Heywood must marry for money in order to save his tenants and he keeps berating himself for his attraction to Cass when it is heiress Kitty whose letters so intrigued him and whom he must woo. Cass finds it difficult not taking credit for the letters she herself wrote, but she’s determined to keep her status as an heiress secret and will marry only for love. Without a reckoning, these two will be kept apart by their misconceptions of one another.
I really enjoyed this story. It was fun and the hero was believably flawed, though he thankfully got it together in the end.
One Wicked Winter’s Night- Recently returned from India, Lady Diana Lawrence is shocked to be almost immediately reuninted with the man she left England for seven years previously, Anthony, now the Duke of Castleton. The reasons that kept them apart don’t seem to matter anymore, but are their feelings still the same? And will that be enough?
This was a quick, sweet second chance story once Diana started being sensible and listening to her own feelings and I enjoyed it.
Overall this was a set of cute and enjoyable stories from top-notch authors and it was a great read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Seduction on a Snowy Night by Mary Jo Putney; Madeline Hunter; Sabrina Jeffries is a three book box set totaling 320 pages. Each story was a great quick holiday story fix that warmed your heart. I love box sets like this that give you a chance to meet a new author or if like me gives me another story by a favorite author. Enjoyed each story. These are the books that you get in this set.
A CHRISTMAS ABDUCTION by Madeline Hunter
A PERFECT MATCH by Sabrina Jeffries
ONE WICKED WINTER NIGHT by Mary Jo Putney
Three wonderfully warm stories from three magnificent authors. All three stories showcase a love found at Christmas time. The first comes about through a kidnapping gone wrong. The second involves an abduction for safety. The third involves kidnapping a cat to rekindle an old flame. All three are delightful as the men use their considerable charm and talents to snare their lady loves.
Three exciting holiday adventures filled with intriguing charters, witty banter, thrilling passion and exciting emotional twists and turns….. a engaging read from beginning to end. Really enjoyed this set of romantic journeys filled with longing..
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Seduction On A Snowy Night is a trio of holiday stories by Madeline Hunter, Sabrina Jeffries, and Mary Jo Putney. Available on 9-24-19, it’s my start on Christmas love story reading. A snow storm that strands our 3 couples is the tie-in, all the stories can work as stand alone with no problem.
A Christmas Abduction by Madeline Hunter presents our first couple, Caroline “Caro” Dunham and Adam Prescott, Baron Thornhill. Caro wants revenge and she’s figured out a way to have it. Adam’s no good cousin killed their breeding stock & ruined their horse business. A female member of her family is in “a delicate condition” & Adam is the baby daddy, so she thinks. Caro wants revenge but also justice for Amelia, she needs a husband fast. Adam doesn’t know a thing about any of this but begins to see the light soon enough. He’s an affable guy & wants to help. He and Caro are made for each other, they realize this & now have to find a way to have a HEA. I liked these 2 characters a lot.
A perfect Match by Sabrina Jeffries is our next story. A nasty fortune hunter is after Kitty, her cousin Cass is determined that the snake will not get his way. She’s fierce & the guy is crazy to let her in on his plan, he’s bragging. Enter Colonel Lord Heywood Wolfe. He’s a friend Kitty’s brother. He abducts they girls from a ball, just in time, & takes them home to his family. He intends to court Kitty, he loved her letters & thinks she’s peachy keen. Lots of misunderstandings happen. Turns out Kitty didn’t write the letters, Cass did. He’s been infatuated with the wrong girl for years. He’s torn, needs money, but love wins out. HEA.
One Wicked Winter Night by Mary Jo Putney involves second chance lovers Lady Diana Lawrence and Anthony Raines, Duke of Castleton. I had a hard time with this story, these two weren’t very emotionally mature for people of 30-ish. A little conversation goes a long way. Theirs was 7 years in the making. There are some terrific cats in the story. Everyone gets an HEA, even the cats.
#Netgalley #KensingtonBooks #SeductionOnASnowyNight #MadelineHunter #SabrinaJeffries #MaryJoPutney #Romance
This anthology has three spirited ladies who are destined to find their true love amidst the snowy nights. I enjoyed all of the stories. Each author added her own stamp to their story. I fell in love with the handsome heroes and the feisty ladies made me smile. They knew how to keep the men on their toes. The dialogue is sweet and sassy. A Christmas Abduction by Madeline Hunter is a romantic turnaround when Caroline Dunham kidnaps Baron Thornhill,but her plan goes awry when desire takes over. Sabrina Jeffries pulled me when Cassandra and her cousin are transported to Lord Heywood’s family home to keep them safe from a fortune hunter. What happened next was pure romance with an unexpected twist. One Wicked Night was special. I loved the masked ball where Mary Jo Putney set the stage for a second chance for a HEA. This is where Lady Diana Lawrence encounter Anthony Raines, her first love. I loved how he engineers a belated do over. I enjoyed Panda. He was definitely the king of the castle. The snowy weather added a special charm to all three romances. I loved it.
I received a copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. My comments are my honest opinion.
A CHRISTMAS ABDUCTION by Madeline Hunter
Adam Prescott Baron Thornhill thought to spend Christmas with his cousin Nigel & then enter a marriage of convenience but being held at gun point then locked in an attic by Caroline Dunham who is looking out for her younger sister, make for an interesting festive time
A PERFECT MATCH by Sabrina Jeffries
Cassandra Isles struggles is an heiress who hides that fact as she doesn’t want to be prsued by fortune hunters. Colonel Lord Heywood hides the fact he must marry for money to save his estate. Misunderstandings & an attraction that can’t be denied make for a delicious read.
ONE WICKED WINTER NIGHT by Mary Jo Putney
Lady Diana Lawrence is shocked to discover that the mysterious corsair who tempts her away from the costume ball is Anthony Rainer, Duke of Castleton whom she once loved and lost. Now snowed in at a remote lodge, will they get their second chance?
I’m an avid reader of all three authors & love their books so was delighted to received a copy of this trilogy of novellas we do meet some characters from other books. All three stories are well written, with particularly strong heroines & each is ideal for whiling away a few hours & each author also writes a mean short story.
An anthology of novellas by three of my favorite authors! The common theme was abductions and winter storms. Even though these were novellas, you were still able to get a good feel for the characters. Though hard to choose, I did enjoy A Perfect Match the best. This novella is a great connection between Sabrina Jeffries’ first and second book in the Duke Dynasty series. The next book is entitled The Bachelor and comes out in February of 2020. I received an ARC for my honest review.
Outstanding anthology with novellas by three talented, bestselling historical romance authors
There are three Regency-romance novellas by bestselling historical romance authors contained in this Christmas-themed anthology. A description of the setup of each novella follows with my opinion of each story below that.
A CHRISTMAS ABDUCTION by Madeline Hunter
Twenty-five-year-old Caroline Dunham belongs to a famous, race-horse-breeding family which has experienced crippling emotional and financial damage at the hands of the powerful Marquess of Haverdale. But what concerns Caroline far more at the moment is the harm caused to a near-and-dear relative of hers by the Marquess’s 27-year-old reprobate cousin, the notorious rake, Adam Prescott, a military officer with the title, Baron Thornhill. Caroline abducts Adam at the point of a gun and holds him captive at her family’s horse farm, baldly informing him that he must right the wrong he has done before she will permit him to regain his freedom. Unfortunately for the success of Caroline’s daring scheme, handsome, charismatic Adam refuses to admit that he is guilty of the cruel act he is accused of, and the more time he spends beneath her roof, the more Caroline begins to suspect he is not at all the unprincipled rogue she has been led to believe.
A PERFECT MATCH by Sabrina Jeffries
Twenty-two-year-old Cassandra Isles and her eighteen-year-old cousin, Kitty Nickman, are both heiresses, but Cassandra has sworn her family to secrecy about her wealth because she is determined to marry for love. No fortune hunters need apply. Then one snowy night, twenty-seven-year-old Colonel Lord Heywood Wolfe, lately of the Twenty-Fifth Hussars during the Napoleonic Wars and best friend of Kitty’s older brother, Douglas, a fellow soldier, appears at a winter ball the two women are attending. He informs Cass and Kitty that Kitty is on the verge of being kidnapped by a villainous, fortune-hunting suitor of hers, and they must leave the ball with him immediately in order to keep her out of harm’s way. Thus begins an adventure that throws Cass constantly into Heywood’s company. Her heart is drawn to him, and he seems equally drawn to her, until Cass learns to her dismay that Heywood must marry for money in order to afford to restore a dilapidated estate he has inherited, and she refuses to admit to Heywood that she could be the answer to his impoverished prayers.
ONE WICKED WINTER’S NIGHT by Mary Jo Putney
Seven years ago, when he was barely 19 and she was 23, Lady Diana Lawrence, daughter and sister of earls, and Anthony Raines, heir to a dukedom, fell madly in love. But soon after Anthony proposed, Diana ran from him, with no explanation. She broke his heart, and he has not seen or heard from her since. Anthony is now the fifth Duke of Castleton, and Diana has returned from a life of adventure, traveling around the world, in order to settle down again in England. When Anthony unexpectedly encounters her at a masked, costume ball, he realizes he is as attracted to Diana as he ever was, but she refuses to have anything to do with him and will not tell him why. Until Anthony conceives of an outrageous scheme to draw Diana to his side at a remote lodge on his country estate and, once there, a blizzard makes it impossible for Diana to escape from his side.
OPINION
I am a big fan of Mary Jo Putney, and I very much looked forward to reading this Regency-romance collection for the main purpose of experiencing her reunion-romance novella. I was not disappointed—I greatly enjoyed this story. It is an unusual departure for MJP to create a hero who is only in his mid-20s and, for an additional twist, who is almost five years younger than his lady love. Anthony and Diana are both honorable, compassionate, and very intelligent people, which makes them exceptionally sympathetic characters. There are many sensual, emotionally compelling, and also humorous moments in this extremely well written story. Animal lovers, and cat lovers in particular, will especially appreciate the three different cats who are important parts of the plot. They are also major contributors to the humorous moments within this fun read.
I had never previously read anything by either Madeline Hunter or Sabrina Jeffries, but I was satisfyingly entertained by both stories. The heroine in each is strong and dynamic, and both heroes in these two stories are a sympathetic mix of Alpha and Beta traits. One of reasons I personally only very selectively read historical romances is that it is difficult for me to discover authors who avoid larding their novels with gratuitous, anachronistic sex scenes. That approach never occurs in MJP’s novels, but I was a bit leery trying out these two, unknown-to-me authors out of concern that, in spite of the shortness of the novella format, they would not resist cluttering up the romance plot with a lot of cringe-worthy, ahistorical sex. I was delighted to find that the emphasis in these two stories is not, in fact, on heaving and humping, but rather on the growing feelings of respect, friendship and desire between the romantic protagonists. I will definitely look for other novels by both of these two authors.
All in all, this is an excellent historical-romance collection and a terrific opportunity for fans of each of these talented authors individually to introduce themselves to the work of the other two authors, whom they may not have read before.
I rate this collection as follows:
A CHRISTMAS ABDUCTION by Madeline Hunter: 4 stars
A PERFECT MATCH by Sabrina Jeffries: 4 stars
ONE WICKED WINTER’S NIGHT by Mary Jo Putney: 5+ stars
Overall Rating: 5 stars
A Christmas Abduction
Very good, my favorite of the three. Adam falls for a trick and finds himself abducted. He closely observes his surroundings and bit by bit realizes where he is, but cannot guess the reason for his abduction. Caroline is desperately trying to hold on to her horse farm. Most annoying character: her spoiled younger sister, who is also dishonest.
The Perfect Match
OK. An often used trope: H needs to marry for money; h is an heiress, but no one in society knows. My least favorite of the three.
One Wicked Winter Night
Very good. A 2nd chance story with the h being older than the H. Some quick-witted signs of imagination of the characters regarding cat breeds.
I read an advance copy; the thoughts expressed are my own.
A CHRISTMAS ABDUCTION by Madeline Hunter
I love it when the rake is not the rake she is looking for…Adam has no qualms in seducing Caroline, but another? I loved his nonchalance about the whole kidnapping and he is not so haughty after all. A very cute story.
A PERFECT MATCH by Sabrina Jeffries
A lovely morsel in the Duke Dynasty world. A little Cyrano (kind of) and a bit of intrigue make this story fun and flirtatious. Loved Heywood – don’t we all love rapscallion son who just says screw it but is really quite honorable. This story had a little different take in that Heywood was mad about something he was not told from the beginning. A little twist and a fun read.
Like most novellas, I wish they could be converted into full novels but alas they cannot. A great anthology to start the Christmas season.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley.