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Unforgettable Regency gossip columnist Lady Whistledown is back with another winning anthology. Who stole Lady Neeley's bracelet? Was it the fortune hunter, the gambler, the servant, or the rogue? All of London is abuzz with speculation, but it is clear that one of four couples is connected to the crime . . . and you'll hear it first from Lady Whistledown.
Available only in Wheeler Hardcover 6.
Julia Quinn started writing her first book one month after finishing college and has been tapping away at her keyboard ever since.
The New York Times bestselling author of twenty-one novels for Avon Books, she is a graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges and lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest.
--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
a nice read,
By tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Lady Whistledown Strikes Back (Mass Market Paperback)
I think I may the only person on the planet that's not completely over the moon with this anthology. The stories were nice, different, and rather well written. It's just that as a whole, I found them to be an average good read (3 stars), and I truly was expecting a lot more from this anthology.All four stories have Lady Neely's dinner party in which Lady Neely's jeweled bracelet is stolen as the common denominator. In Julia Quinn's "The First Kiss," Tillie Howard, meets her dead brother's good friend, Peter Thompson, at the dinner party. Both Tillie and Peter form a bond over their shared grief, and fall in love with each other. But Tillie is an heiress, while Peter is quite penniless. And if that's not enough, Lady Whistledown has named Peter as one of the suspects in the theft. Will Peter be able to clear his name and win Tillie's hand in marriage? I found Ms Quinn's story to be charming and enjoyable. And if it wasn't one of the more stellar stories in the anthology, it wasn't an awful read either. Unlike Mia Ryan's "The Last Temptation" which started off fantastically only to degenerate into awfulness before my eyes. Miss Isabella Martin (Lady Neely's companion) is about to turn thirty, and she's never even been kissed properly yet! But who would have guessed that when Lady Neely sends her over to Lord Roxbury's town house so that Isabella can help him plan a party, that the rake would mistake her for his mistress and give her her first kiss! And what a kiss it is too! But can a paid companion afford to pin her heart and hopes on a rakish lord? I'm not sure if it was because of the language (far too many modern phrases) or the heroine (Isabella)'s tendency to giggle. Giggly heroines have always annoyed me, and Isabella certainly lived up to my expectations. The story wasn't a bad one even if it really wasn't really a story about the crossing of class lines since Isabella was a distant relative of Lady Neely. And perhaps if Isabella hadn't giggled her way from start to finish I might have been charmed too. On the other hand I really enjoyed Suzanne Enoch's "The Best of Both Worlds." It is true that the ending was a bit abrupt, but this is one story that rather captured my fancy, and I was really pleased when the happily ever-after for this hero & heroine was achieved. Charlotte Birling's parents expect to marry the staid and respectable young man that they have chosen for her. Except that Charlotte has fallen in love with the rakish Lord Maxton, and wonder of wonders, he;s in love with her too! Can Charlotte persuade her parents to relent, or will she be doomed to marry where she doesn't love? "The Best of Both Worlds" had the poignancy and urgency necessary to make a story a good read. I only wished that the story could have been developed more so that the ending was not so abrupt. The last story in the anthology is different from the previous three in that it features an estranged couple, Max and Sophia. In Karen Hawkins' "The Only One for ME" Max and Sophia had separated many years ago due a a big misunderstanding -- he had been accused of cheating at cards, and Sophia instead of believing in him, had believed the accusers. After years of separation, anger and bitterness, Sophia has finally decided to end her marriage by asking for an annulment. But does she truly want it? This is the question that confronts her when Max finally comes home to face her. And then Lady Neely's bracelet is stolen, and people being to look sideways at Max again. Except this time, Sophia is determined to prove her faith in her estranged husband by unmasking the real thief herself... The most developed character and emotion-wise, my only quibble with this story was that I was unable to understand Sophia's anger towards Max. So he left her; it would have been difficult to stay with a wife who thinks that you are a cheat. And why didn't the ninny go to her husband and ask his forgiveness once the truth was out, for goodness sake?! On the other hand Karen Hawkins' tale, along with Suzanne Enoch's, were the only really cathartic ones in this anthology. Both stories rated about 4 stars in my opinion, and were what made reading this anthology worthwhile. On the whole, "Lady Whistledown Strikes Back" was a good 3 star read. The stories were nice and well written. They may not have been stellar examples of the four authours' usual efforts, but put together, this anthology would definitely yeild a few hours of pleasurable reading.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superior Effort in Blending into a Marvelous Anthlogy,
By
This review is from: Lady Whistledown Strikes Back (Mass Market Paperback)
FIRST KISS, THE - Julia Quinn - Peter Thompson is home from Waterloo, one of the fortunate to survive and wants nothing more than to settle down with a biddable wife on a small farm somewhere. His prospects are not that good, being the second son of a minor baron, he is in London to find a suitable bride with a relatively good dowry. As it happens he is at the most sought after dinner party put on by Lady Greely, he comes face to face with Lady Mathilde `Tilly' Howard, sister of his best friend Harry who didn't survive. He knew by her close resemblance to Harry who she was without being introduced, but more than that he was attracted by her sincere and sweet manner. Knowing that she was daughter of an Earl and an heiress to boot he knew he'd have to look elsewhere or be labeled a fortune hunter. Tilly attracted as she was by this handsome, intelligent and honorable hunk thought to change his mind! Totally charming, very cute and funny - 5* The LAST TEMPTATION - Mia Ryan --- Isabella `Bella' Martin has been Lady Greely's companion and party planner for the last ten years and has been quite adept at hiding in the shadows. A spinster fast approaching her 30th birthday and never been kissed which she vows to change before that fateful birthday. Lord Anthony Roxbury, 37 and heir to the Earldom has no intention to marry in spite of the weekly sessions with his father continually stressing the reasons why it is his duty to marry and procreate. Having too much fun it is the last thing on his mind until he mistakes Bella for one of his assignations and she not only gets a kiss but a relatively nice grope before she shockingly rears back and almost breaks his nose. Through the blood and the apologies, Anthony discovers that this very self deprecating spinster is a breath of fresh air and decides he must see more (and more) of her. Wonderfully romantic - 5* The ONLY ONE FOR ME - Karen Hawkins --- Sophia (cousin of Charlotte Birling Throckmorton Hampton, Viscountess Easterly was abandoned by her husband Max, the Viscount Easterly twelve years earlier. Abandoned after she failed to show him support when he was accused of cheating. Max's pride would not allow him to deny what he felt was an insult to his honor. On their brother Richard's deathbed, Sophia and her brother John Throckmorton, Earl of Standwick would discover that Richard was the real culprit who allowed Max to shoulder the blame. After not seeing him for 12 years other than missives from his solicitor, Max showed up at Lady Greely's shocking Sophia. His mere presence was all it took to re-ignite the passion both held for each other. When the blame for the theft of Lady Greely's bracelet threatened to implicate Max, Sophia was determined to discover the real culprit, if only to atone for her lack of faith that caused him to walk away so many years ago - but also - could it be she still cared!!! Sweetly endearing, snappy dialog and a lot of sensual teasing.... 5* OVERALL - In this sparkling anthology, these marvelous authors all picked up a thread on the mystery of the missing bracelet to blend them all into one full length story with several sub-plots each with its own delightful romance. Although it would be hard to pick my favorite, I think it would be Enoch's story with Charlotte solving the problem of her parents objections of Earl Matson so very cleverly in front of the guests at the ball! This is not to say that they were not all delightful - just my personal favorite! A superior effort by all authors and one I highly recommend. --- Submitted by Marilyn, Official Reviewer for www.historicromancewriters.com ---
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Sappy Sappy Sappy,
By
This review is from: Lady Whistledown Strikes Back (Mass Market Paperback)
Of course that is why we read romance books... sappy is a good thing... But I only gave it 3 stars, because I only liked 2 stories. Suzanne Enoch and Karen Hawkins were the best of the 4 stories. I usually Love Quinn, but feel the same way as the other reviewer felt...she has been writing different lately. I lost interest in her books, after the story about To Sir Philip, With Love. All her other books were soooooooooooooooooo 5 star good. She needs to rest and recharge her heart. I did enjoy the Lady Whistledown's comments..they are always enjoyable and fun to read...He bought a brown hat ...to match his brown suit yadda yadda yadda...too funny..Mya Ryan is not known to me..but the story was OK enough to look into her other work. Not a keeper but worth reading. Wish you could read mine, would be free...anyone in SA Texas, I will happily let them read mine .
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