June 14, 2021
All together now - Shakespeare - AAAAAkkkkkk
Why do I keep reading books that refer to Shakespeare? I don’t know! Someone stop me…puleese! What an overrated playwright! I'm in a mood - especially when it comes to classical "male" writers.
There are 15 short stories in A Midsummer Night’s Romance, and as you might guess from the title, they are all tied to Midsummer Night’s Dream. Actually, it’s a masquerade ball that the stories are tied to, but you have to come as your favorite Midsummer Night’s Dream character. Tapping my chin…do I have a favorite character from Dream? Maybe, Puck. He seems to be the only one in the whole play in control of anything. Since there are 15 short stories, I will attempt to make short comments on each story.
1. Season of Scandal, by Alyssa Alexander. http://www.alyssa-alexander.com/
This is about a couple who were in love when they were teenagers, promised each other stuff that teenagers wouldn’t be able to do. Then he went his way to the military, and she was left behind, and could never forgive him. They meet at the ball, in disguise, don’t recognize each other, quote Shakespeare, play finger puppets, unmask, get mad at each other, and quote more Shakespeare. Warm – C
2. A Kiss for Luck, by Jennifer Ashley. https://jenniferashley.com/
Another meeting at the ball, which extends beyond that initial meeting. Not too many misunderstandings, charming hero, and delightful heroine – B+
3. Love Disguised, by Grace Burrowes. https://graceburrowes.com/
Why does one go to a party if one wants to avoid society? Rupert and Marie are disguised as servants, not sure why. They are actually engaged to each other, but don’t know each other. This was a fast, clean romance. B-
4. Until You, by Gina Conkle. https://ginaconkle.com/
The beginning of this story reminded me a little of the beginning of Lord of the Scoundrels. Emma is fascinated with Intaglios, and Rufus has one he wants investigated. At the party, she thinks he is disguised as a servant, but actually he is a working man. He is also the illegitimate son of a duke. However, at the end of the story, he doesn’t magically change into a Duke. Much to my surprise, Emma and Rufus find their happily ever after in Italy, as part of the working class. Clean – C+
5. Ill Met by Moonlight, by Eileen Dreyer. https://eileendreyer.com/
Well, it had to happen, an engaged couple who don’t know each other at a masquerade party. Should be interesting since they don’t know each other, and they are in disguise. This is the first appearance of someone dressed as Nick Bottom (say donkey head). We have Anastasia and Hugh. She’s short, there are a lot of short women in these stories. I don’t have a problem with it, unless it’s used to diminish the character, and I think we have a little bit of that going on in this story.
Light bulb moment! A light bulb went off while I was reading. There seemed to be something familiar. Something just out of reach. Then it dawned on me. Bridgerton! I started to wonder if some of these authors were watching Bridgerton while they were writing. This one has the heroine slugging a bonehead male before the hero can save her. Just pondering.
Anyway, nice hero in this story. He gives the heroine some space to decide whether she wants him. Oh, by the way, there is a rather charming end to the book, when the hero appears at the wharf in a donkey head. Clean – B-
6. She Walks in Scandal, by Elizabeth Essex. https://www.elizabethessex.com/
Another small woman, and a really horrible father. Violet’s father is forcing her to marry, of course she doesn’t want to. She’s got plans! Don’t all Romanceland heroines have plans? Her plan involves her fencing teacher. There was an awful lot going on in this story. Horrible families galore! She has a horrible father! He has a horrible father! He’s also has bonehead step-brothers and a downtrodden mother. He wants to marry Violet, but he has no money, and he’s not of her class. There was way too much going on in this story, especially when one considers the word count. There is a silly let’s-solve-our-problem-with-a-sword-fight moment. There is also a mighty convenient “save” the heroine and hero ending. There was too much going on for this story to succeed. Clean – C-.
7. The Awakening of Lady Flora, by Bronwen Evans. https://www.bronwenevans.com/
This one has a woman who will never luv another man because her husband was just soooooo wonderful. But she will take on a paramour. Which is why she’s at the masquerade. Our hero, James, has loved Flora forever, and ever. He has a lot of guilt because her husband was his bestest friend. Now, he must fight the ghost of his friend and win the woman he has luved forever. There is a dumb Romanceland plan in this story. There is another woman who wants James, but when she can’t have him, she tricks James and Flora into a compromising position…and James and Flora marry. According to her, that was her plan alllll along. If she can’t have James, Flora can. This story reminded me of some of the over-dramatic old novels…jealousy, conniving, lying…over the top drama. And, the epilogue…we get to hear the other woman’s Romanceland plan recap. This was a real groan story (and, not in a good way). Warm – D-
8. One Enchanted Evening, by Anna Harrington. https://www.annaharringtonbooks.com/
At last it happened! A story in which I said to myself, “this really needed to be longer.” Great couple, a wonderful child, and a scene stealing dog – Rufus. The hero is the neighbor to Lord and Lady Whitwell. The Whitwell’s are the one throwing the masquerade party. Evidently, they are the neighbors from hell, cause our hero is not happy. Anyway, I wanted more from this couple: Mason and Nora. They were delightful, and their story of their romance was wonderful. Warm – A-
9. Her Wildest Dreams, by Jade Lee aka Kathy Lyons. https://kathylyons.com/
This one is about a half-Chinese woman, who also happens to be illegitimate, and is trying to fit into English aristocracy. This one has a blackmailing bonehead character who tells his family he is going to marry the heroine…unless they give him some money. Our hero, Lord Turrock, the cousin of the bonehead is sent to chase the heroine away. The good thing about this book, is that the heroine realizes that she needs a man to survive the world she lives in. The bad thing, there was a lot of heavy-handed prejudice scenes. The romance was relegated to the back seat, and the epilogue was non-existent. I’m sure there are short stories which can address the injustice perpetrated on a race of people, but this one didn’t succeed. The romance was lost amongst verbiage. I also think there should be a law that requires allllll authors of short stories to include an epilogue. Clean – C-
10. Unmasking the Earl, by Madeline Martin. https://www.madelinemartin.com/
Another Bridgerton moment! Remember the “call me by my name” dance scene? Remember Simon’s hand between Daphne’s shoulder blades? Guess what’s in this story? Yep, you guessed right. Those manly man fingers gliding up the back while our couple dances. Which reminds me, I have a question about rakes. Do innocent women really know what a rake is, and what rakes do? How can they accuse the guy of being a rake, if they don’t know anything about the mechanics of a Timothy Toad, and his finger puppet friends? I digress.
This story has Lord Chambrook and Cecelia, and many characters who will have their own books. There’s a silly misunderstanding with another woman. Unmasking the Earl should not have been in a short story. Warm/hot B-
11. A Prince in the Pantry, by May McGoldrick. https://www.maymcgoldrick.com/
This one was almost a wallbanger. Can a book full of short stories be a wallbanger? I guess one could always skip a story one doesn’t care for. Pondering. Anyway, this one has a woman who has a father in debtor’s prison. She was once part of the aristocracy, but now she is a servant. Pearl Smith is her name. All of her ex-friends belittle her, bully her, degrade her, because they are all better. She just hates English society. Coming to her rescue is Prince Timour Mirza from Persia. He is pretending to be a servant. There is another Bridgerton moment: she cleans his brow after he gets into a fist fight. He is soooo understanding. They talk of culture, art, books…they have so much in common. Through some shifty maneuvering, he proposes. I guess they marry. I guess, because we don’t really know. Why is that, you may ask. Because, my little Petunias, there is no epilogue. We are left to assume that she will move with him to Persia, where she won’t have any problem with bullying, and prejudice. This story really needed an epilogue. Clean D-
12. A Moonlight Kiss, by Ella Quinn. https://www.ellaquinnauthor.com/
Not much to say about this one. The writing was rather choppy. We have a sea captain/commander/whatever. There is a captain and young boy/sailor who drown in the first chapters. Commander Octavius Trevor doesn’t like to write condolence letters…but let’s jump ahead and forget about the drowned people, and go to a party. Hey, all the guys need shore leave. Then we have Marcella Calder, who is descended from slaves. There is George, the villain, who threatens Marcella, then just sort of disappears onto the Island of Misplaced Villains. We have a bunch of lieutenants (can you say future heroes). Marcella and Octavius eat food and fall in love. Then he gives her a ring. Then he leaves and goes to England. Three years later. Marcella goes to England to be with her sister. Evidently her sister has married into Octavius’ family. He is there ready to return to Marcella, but he can’t because his father is horrible. But then Marcella shows up, his family conspires, they eat a bunch of food, plan to marry. The end. No epilogue. Clean D-
13. A Match Unmasked, by Erica Ridley. https://ericaridley.com/
This one has Kitty Stanley and her childhood sweetheart Nathaniel Baxter in it. They were in luv forever. He became scared, and ran off. Kitty became angry with him. She could never, ever forgive him. Then they meet again at the ball. The beginning was a slow start, and Kitty was a little irritating in her anger. But then they get locked in a room together by her conniving Godmother, and they finally talk. She is wearing a spoon mask and he is wearing a fork mask, and there is a wonderful tie in to the fork ran away with the spoon nursery rhyme. This story made me smile. Warm A-
14. Lovers and Madmen, by Heather Snow. https://www.heathersnowbooks.com/
Another separation, this time for 11 years. Lord Edward Phillip Thomas George Walpole and Calliope have a past with a big misunderstanding. Then they go to the masquerade, and yearn for each other. We also have more Bridgerton moments, in this case it’s all about pretending. There isn’t too much excitement in this story. Of interest is the couple who threw the party. There is a chapter of them being a loving couple at the end of the story. I thought that scene was rather fun. I was puzzled as to why the scene wasn’t saved for the very end of the entire anthology. It would have made a charming wrap-up. Warm C-
15. One Simple Kiss, by Sabrina York. http://sabrinayork.com/category/books/
There are a bunch of women named after flowers in this story. It was hard to keep track of which flower was our heroine. There was Violet, Lily, and Rose. Evidently Violet was in another story, and Lily has one to come…that left Rose. So, Rose was rewarded a short story, and her hero was Liam Mackinnon. This one was a standard tale of young people who grow up loving each other, a misunderstanding, and then getting over the misunderstanding. Warm/Hot - C
Overall. It took me a long time to get through this entire book of 986 pages. 15 authors contributed to the stories, and maintained the connecting thread of a masquerade party. As with all short story compilations, some are better than others. But, I did enjoy reading some of the stories, and there were some authors that are now on my radar.
Bridgerton: all of these stories have a copyright of 2021, so I don’t know if some of these stories were written before or after Bridgerton hit Netflix. I say that because either there was some borrowing of scenes from the show, or Romanceland has some mighty standard set-ups.
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