Three of the most popular historical romance authors have joined forces to present us with BACHELORS OF BOND STREET, a collection of novellas where merchants and working-class people are the heroes, and I'm thrilled with the change of scenery!
Love by the Letters by Janna MacGregor
Miss Portia Bellingham suffered through three unsuccessful London Seasons without finding a husband. Her younger sister Beatrix will be eighteen the next day, and Portia wants Bea to have an easier time. Together they write a letter destined to Mr. Hugh Merritt, the object of Bea's affection, but things go awfully wrong when Portia instead delivers the letter to a Bond Street bookstore owner, the handsome Mr. Gabriel St. Aulyn.
"Love by the Letters" by Janna MacGregor is a cute and steamy piece of fluff where two bookworms find their happily-ever-after. The mistaken identity part was very cleverly done but I wish the author would have taken the same care with the romance. I still have no idea when or how Gabriel and Portia fell in love; it was literally love at first sight, and it did not work for me, even within the limited confines of a novella. I believe it is Janna MacGregor's first foray into this format, and it is a valiant effort. While it is lacking in structure, the writing is lovely, and the characters charming and engaging.
How to Brew a Perfect Kiss The Survivors: a Novella by Shana Galen
Thomas Gaines' shop, Bond Street Coffee and Tobacco, opened less than a week ago and he's anxious for his first delivery to arrive. While waiting, he notices a pretty woman who looks a bit lost. Raeni Sawyer is one step away from having to beg to survive, and she is eternally grateful to find a job as a greeter and server at the coffee shop. Alas, her former life in Jamaica did not prepare her for this sort of work, but it was her clumsiness that made it possible for Thomas to meet the lady in a turban.
"How to Brew a Perfect Kiss" is a dream come true for those of us who wanted Thomas Gaines' story, a secondary character in Ms. Galen's Survivors series. Thomas had been a slave in America and fled to England where he could live as a free man and prosper. Raeni, the daughter of a plantation owner and a slave, ran away from her father who had sold her, and she knows he'll try to find her. Shana Galen paints a vibrant picture of the merchants of Bond Street and the black population of Regency London. I loved how the romance progressed between Thomas and Raeni; it is built on trust and reciprocity, and it felt genuine. Shana Galen has written previously about the lower classes, but here we have the merchant class and characters of color, and again the author did her research and more than rose to the challenge. My heart ached at the plight of the destitute and the peril Raeni faced. It was, however, wonderful to experience a different side of the Regency, which the author makes so vivid and authentic. I hope Ms. Galen has plans for more stories set in this world; it's exceptionally well crafted and there is so much to be told. That's the problem with Shana Galen writing such outstanding secondary characters, we always want more. Madame Renauld completely captivated me and there are two brothers whose story I'd like to read. . .
A Second Chance for Love by Minerva Spencer
It had been ten years since Justin Taylor had seen Oona Parker, but he recognized her right away when he saw her carrying boxes from a modiste's shop. How could he forget the woman who had ruined his life? He's come a long way from when he was a mere groom, but how had the haughty governess fallen so low? He gets the perfect opportunity to have his questions answered, and maybe a little revenge, when Oona is fired and Justin offers her a lot of money to pretend to be his mistress at a house party.
I believe "A Second Chance for Love" is Minerva Spencer's first novella and she took to the genre like a fish to water! In a few carefully worded sentences, Justin and Oona come alive before our very eyes, with rich backstories and motivations. The story is solid and has much substance; it is a short novel, to be honest; nothing is missing. It is also not as dark as it first seemed. Justin is angry but willing to listen, and the romance is very believable because of secrets neither had been privy to before. The writing is lively and bright, the dialogues are fabulous, and the wonderful secondary characters - such as Mrs. Cantrell, who deserves her own story - make this story an utter delight!
Miss Portia Bellingham, a wealthy merchant’s daughter, wants her sister’s eighteenth birthday to be the best-ever. She’s ensuring it’s spectacular by giving her sister the ultimate gift—her heart’s desire. Portia is convinced she’ll never find her own true match, but she’ll do anything for her sister including crafting a love letter, one that Portia pours her heart and soul into. She’ll even personally deliver it to her sister’s secret beau. But something goes horribly wrong when she slips the love note to the wrong man, the dashing Bond Street bookstore owner, Mr. Gabriel St. Aulyn. Desperate to get the note back, Portia changes her identity, then risks everything, even her heart.
Could finding your heart’s desire be that easy? Believing in fate, Gabriel can’t help but be intrigued when the mysterious Portia Belmont repeatedly comes to the store asking for research help. But soon he suspects she’s there for something else when he finds her in his storage room, then his bedroom. But Gabriel can’t be angry when he discovers her true identity— not when they share so many common interests, namely books and all those delicious kisses. When he comes upon the love letter by accident, there’s only one thing to do—ask Portia to marry him.
But love never comes easy, especially when it’s revealed the letter wasn’t intended for Gabriel, and Portia’s betrothed to someone else. Will both decide to push fate aside and take this chance for a love that comes only once a lifetime?
How to Brew a Perfect Kiss The Survivors: a Novella by Shana Galen
Sometimes the best blend is a little business with a shot of pleasure.
Thomas Gaines has one chance to make a name for himself on London’s famous Bond Street. He’s willing to work hard to make his coffee and tobacco shop a success. If anyone can do it, it’s Thomas. Many years ago, he escaped slavery on a tobacco farm in Virginia. He knows the best tobacco and has educated himself on what makes superior coffee. But when his new employee, a dark-eyed beauty with the lilt of the islands in her voice, spills hot coffee all over his trousers, Thomas realizes he wants more in his life than account books and profits. But Raeni has a secret, and his involvement with her puts them both in danger.
Raeni Sawyer stepped off a ship in London with little more than a handful of money and the clothes on her back. And then her money was stolen. She ran away from her father’s plantation on Jamaica to live as a free woman in England. But her father has wealth and power, and she knows he won’t let her go that easily . When Thomas Gaines hires her as a clerk to assist with accounts and advertising for his fledgling business, she jumps at the chance for a brighter future. If only she can escape the shadows still.
A Second Chance for Love by Minerva Spencer
Justin Taylor hasn’t seen Oona Parker for a decade, but he’s never forgotten her. How could he ever forgive or forget the woman who ruined his life? Surely the gods of vengeance have placed her in his path for a reason? Oona can hardly reconcile the wealthy, successful businessman standing before her with the handsome but poor young groom she once knew. Juss Taylor might look different, but he still exerts the same dangerous pull over her thoughts and body as he ever did.
When Oona loses her job it’s Juss who steps in and offers her a position that will last only seven days but pay enough to support Oona and her young daughter for years. All she has to do is accompany Juss to a house party and pretend to be his mistress. It all sounds so simple. So why does Oona believe feel there’s more to Juss’s offer than what she can see on the surface?
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