Review: A Timeless Romance Anthology: All Regency Collection

Book Description:

Six Award-Winning Authors have contributed new stories to A Timeless Romance Anthology: All Regency Collection. Readers will love this collection of six regency romance novellas.
 
In THE WEDDING GIFT: A PRIDE AND PREJUDICE STORY, an enchanting novella by Anna Elliott, the story opens two weeks before Elizabeth Bennet’s wedding to Mr. Darcy. He has given her the perfect wedding gift, and now she must come up with one for him. But what do you give a man who has everything? Elizabeth soon discovers that the gift of love is more important than any one thing.
 
DREAM OF A GLORIOUS SEASON, a sweet novella by Sarah M. Eden, we meet Elizabeth Gillerford who envies her sister only one thing—that she’s been intended for Julian Broadwood since they were children. The trouble is that Elizabeth is hopelessly in love with Julian too. When Julian discovers that Elizabeth has been denied a Season because her older sister is yet unwed, he undertakes his own stealthy measures to introduce her to society, only to find himself falling in love with her himself.
 
In THE MENDER, a captivating story by Carla Kelly, Thankful Winnings takes a sea voyage with her cousin on the Ann Alexander, in a last adventure before she settles down to marry one of her beaus. Unexpectedly they come upon the aftermath of a fierce ship battle, and Thankful is commissioned to help in the place of an injured surgeon on one of the Royal Navy ships. Adam Farnsworth, surgeon, has been at sea for years. Tired of war, but devoted to his post, it takes a resourceful lady such as Thankful to give him the hope of love and help heal his own wounds, the ones that show and the ones that don’t.
 
In BEGIN AGAIN, a charming novella by Josi S. Kilpack, Regina Weathers gives up on marrying for love the day that Ross Martin walks out of her life. Now, fifteen years later, Ross shows up at a ball and thinks he can woo Regina. But she is set on her lonely path and stitched-up heart, no matter the excuse Ross gives for his years of silence and neglect. When Ross insists he wrote many letters during his military years, Regina discovers a secret long-since buried by her father, and the revelation might be enough to thaw the coldness of her heart.
 
In Annette Lyon’s endearing story, THE AFFAIR AT WILDEMOORE, Mrs. Ellen Stanhope escorts her three daughters to a ball. As her oldest flirts with a beau, Ellen is reminded of her courtship and early years of marriage with Anthony, before tragedy struck with the death of their infant son. The marriage has faded and dulled. Not until she sees Anthony dancing with a woman he courted years before does Ellen realize how much she misses him, still loves him, and yearns for him to yet feel the same way for her.
 
In the delightful novella, THE DUKE’S BROTHER, by Heather B. Moore, Mr. Gregory Clark is having an awful day, and it only gets worse when he’s ran over by … a woman. Mabel Russell reluctantly visits her sister in London for the Season, even though she’d rather stay in the country cataloging insects and aphids. When she runs into Gregory Clark, quite literally, she’s afraid to show any interest, especially since he’s a member of the dreaded ton. But getting to know Gregory becomes an unexpected delight.

Review:

I've read most (if not all) of The Timeless Romance Anthology collections, and this latest collection, All Regency, is probably my favorite. I'm a big fan of clean Regency, and this is a fun collection. I liked the variety of stories each author contributed, and the novellas were quick reads.

The Wedding Gift: A Pride and Prejudice Story by Anna Elliott took me a little bit to get into because Elizabeth Bennet's character didn't really mesh with what I had in my head for her. But, after awhile her strong personality seemed to come out more, and her adventure was entertaining.

Dream of a Glorious Season is a winner by Sarah M. Eden. I really enjoy her writing, and this was a sweet story. Julian is somewhat blind initially, but I enjoyed reading about him coming to understand his true feelings. Elizabeth was a great character, made more endearing by having to put up with her awful family.

The Mender was a good story. The Quaker way of talking was somewhat distracting, but it grew on me and/or toned down as the story went on. Thankful's adventure held my attention. Carla Kelly's writing rides the boundaries of clean for me, and there is usage of the Lord's name in vain a few times.

Begin Again is the first Regency I've read by Josi S. Kilpack, and it makes me very excited to read her new Regency novel (A Heart Revealed) that is coming out in April. This was a very enjoyable story. The resolution came somewhat quickly, and I wanted more at the end (because I came to really like the characters in the brief time I knew them and wanted more of their story).

The Affair at Wildemoore by Annette Lyon isn't your typical young love romance. It focused on a couple who had been married for quite awhile, but has let their love fade. It was nice to have a different season of life for the main characters, and it was touching that they both secretly wanted to re-kindle their romance.

The Duke's Brother by Heather Moore had a very sweet ending. I really liked the quirky main character-her interest in insects was definitely unusual for the time, but it endeared her to me. Other than one swear word it was a great story.

Title: A Timeless Romance Anthology: All Regency Collection
Authors: Anna Elliott, Sarah M. Eden, Carla Kelly, Josi S. Kilpack, Annette Lyon, Heather Moore
Publisher: Mirror Press
Published: January 2015
ASIN: B00RR8AJ72
Source: I received an eCopy from one of the authors in exchange for a review.

Purchase: Kindle