Customer Reviews

The Hope Chest: Yesterday's Magic\Today's Secrets\Tomorrow's Promise (Signature Select)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It was a good idea--connecting the 3 different romance genres (regency/historical, contemporary, & futuristic) by writing around a common object (mysterious box) in the past, present, and future. Unfortunately, the stories were mediocre at best, with the first one (Yesterday's Magic) being perhaps the best of the three. This one is going in my discard pile. I would not recommend it unless you are willing to be only moderately amused.

Susan Kearney's story was the best out of all. This book was'nt what I expected. None the less the stories were put together very nicely by Susan Kearney in her part of the story. All in all not bad.

"Yesterday's Magic" by Jacquie D'Alessandro. In 1820 Cardiff Maxwell buys a hope chest at Gibson's Antiques and Curiosities just before Amanda tries to purchase the same item. He is cold to her efforts to buy the chest from him. Though the earl is known as the "Crazed Killer of Cardiff" due to the Scandalous Incident, he and Amanda fall in love due to the "matchmaking" of the hope chest.

"Today's Secrets" by Julie Kenner. While Ryan celebrates his taking over as head of Kinsey Applied Sciences, reporter Marty reflects on how disappointed her father, head of Allied International Technology, is in her. Marty and Ryan meet and are attracted to one another, but when he sees her hope chest with a special formula written on it he becomes fascinated with that. She wonders if he loves her hope chest or her.

"Tomorrow's Promise" by Susan Kearney. In 2705 Mars, womanologist Kendar looks back three centuries to doomed heroine Sara, a Martian archeologist, who tried to shut down a machine that ultimately obliterated the female population. While visiting Station 32 the site of Sara's doom, Kendar is sent back to 2405. He meets Sara. Together they must interpret the ancient Martian writings on the machine, a hope chest, or women will vanish from the planet.

This anthology contains three related romantic novellas that is fun to follow as readers gradually learn the secrets of THE HOPE CHEST. Each tale is unique with Ms. D'Alessandro providing a Regency; Ms. Kenner a contemporary; and Ms. Kearny a futuristic science fiction. Yet each tale is linked by fine writing that stars delightful protagonists and the overall lead the Hope Chest.

Harriet Klausner