In A MADNESS IN SPRING by Kate Noble, Belinda Leonard plans everything in her life down to the minute. She is getting ready to entertain brother and sister Bertram and Georgie Gage in her sister-in-law Francesca's home, when the bane of her existence comes through the door: Adam Sturridge who, as she expected, disrupts everything. Adam and Belinda have been at odds since childhood, and they have stubbornly never gotten over their tiff. Almost upon seeing them together, Georgie proclaims that Belinda and Adam are in love! And a little seed of doubt grows into an oak tree of questioning in both Adam and Belinda's minds. There are chuckles galore as Belinda and Adam desperately try not to see what's in front of their noses. The banter is delicious, the characters very well drawn and enticing, and the romance most satisfying. It's an utterly delightful story!

In THE SUMMER OF WINE AND SCANDAL, Shana Galen crafts one of her best stories ever. Caroline Martin's bloom has been crushed by a youthful mistake, and she has given up on ever finding love until foppish dandy Peregrine Lochley, who has been exiled by his father to the spa town, pops in to visit the Gages. When Caroline's secret becomes publicly known, the people from Hemshawe show their true colours, and none more so than Lochley. The romance is touching, and it was such a joy to witness Caro and Lochley's growth. This story is absolutely enchanting!

THOSE AUTUMN NIGHTS features Theresa Romain at the very top of her lyrical form. Bertram Gage and Eliza Greenleaf were separated when her father stopped her from eloping, and ten years later she comes back to Hemshawe to help Bertram manage the accounts of her former home, which he's now leasing. Although they never thought it could happen, being brought closer together makes Bertie and Eliza realize that sometimes you have to fight for what is meant to be. Few people know how to write love in such subtle nuances: the joy of the present dissipating the shadows of the past. Bertie and Eliza are endearing characters, so human. This is a glorious story that made me sigh with happiness.

THE SEASON FOR LOVING by Vanessa Kelly has "dour Scotsman" Fergus Haddon come unwillingly to Hemshawe to rest. Georgie Gage has been recuperating for so long, she is getting restless and in Fergus, she quickly discovers a new friend and ally. They have much in common as his relatives also forever meddling in his affairs. Fergus is sort of a male wallflower, but the fetching Georgie slowly grows on him, and the man who didn't want to marry soon reconsiders his outlook. Ms. Kelly's writing is, as always, effortless, elegant and witty, and the dialogues superb. It is such a playful, light, and youthful romance. The characters are charmingly unforgettable, and a special mention must be made as to the formidable Lady Reese, whom I simply adored.

In A GENTLEMAN FOR ALL SEASONS, the four authors are at their absolute best. There is no weak link in this anthology, which is extremely rare. It is such a wonderful book. I wish the authors would revisit Hemshawe periodically as there are still so many stories that beg to be told. A GENTLEMAN FOR ALL SEASONS has brilliant storytelling, impeccable writing, and wonderfully appealing characters. This anthology is not to be missed at any cost!