Oh, how I loved this book! A collection of short stories by some of the best writers in the genre, it’s absolutely oozing with charm. My only complaint, if you could call it that, is that the stories are just too short! I’ve added my comments into the blurb, marked with *****.
A spring anthology brimming with all the hope, heartache, and thrill of first love. Mysterious admirers, magical talismans, spirited matchmakers, and a bit of creative persistence overcome the obstacles to true love, no matter how daunting!
Susannah Tells the Truth, by GL Robinson
A grumpy invalid meets his match in an outspoken red-head, whose opinions about self-pity prompt him to set about improving his situation, and might just convince him to try his chances at winning her heart.
***** He’s a recluse, injured both physically and psychologically, and she’s the bracing breath of fresh air (all right, a howling gale) needed to jolt him back into the world. This one really was too short, for his healing process seemed miraculously fast. But’s it’s a lovely story, all the same.
Engaging Miss Enderby, by K. Lyn Smith
When a governess receives an anonymous valentine from the Newford Cupid, she is surprised to find it is far more earnest than his usual fare. It seems she has an admirer, but is he truly sincere, and dare she try to discover his identity?
***** He’s the post master and village shopkeeper, she’s a governess, so we’re definitely into the ranks of the hardworking classes, not the idle gentry. It’s a lovely look at the hesitant way a courtship might have progressed between two such characters.
To Bloom Unseen, by Judith Hale Everett
Having failed once more to attain a bride suitable to his exacting mother’s tastes, a viscount determines it is time to put his happiness before duty and once more pursue the less-than-perfect lady he has loved all his life.
***** This is such a gentle tale, where everyone but the lady concerned (and the gentleman’s mother!) can see what must be done, but she puts up all sorts of resistance. For once, her objections have some grounding in reality – she’s blind and genuinely thinks she’d be a poor choice of wife for any man. Fortunately, the hero is determined, and with a little help from his friends, all ends well (although his mama is still grumpy about it).
Well Done, Harry, by Caroline Warfield
A young lady hounded by her mother to make a brilliant match at a house party finds herself falling for a mere librarian, and her only hope is an ancient mouse figurine that grants wishes—but all too often with disastrous consequences!
***** A little touch of magic brings this lovely little story to whimsical life. She’s a blue-stocking, and at the first meeting with the hero, she corrects his Greek! A truly original beginning.
The Valentine Adviser,by Rosanne E. Lortz
To woo a young lady under the nose of her overprotective older brother, her admirer must pretend he only wishes to seek her advice on courting the season’s Incomparable.
***** Lots of humour in this one, as the intrepid hero finds ingenious ways to court his lady love, while she is thrilled to be given the opportunity to enjoy a little of London’s lively society.
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