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50 in '10: #23
Title: Christmas Keepsakes
Author: Mary Balogh, Julia Justiss, Nicola Cornick
Length: 410 pages
This is a book I picked up at an estate sale for a quarter. It's a trilogy of short romance stories by three authors I've never heard of. I like the short-story romance format because I don't have to go through repetative encounters of OMG Teh Best Sexxors Evar!, nor suffer through through as many pages of Obligatory Emo Angst per story.
The first story, A Handful of Gold, is actually pretty good. The characters are believable, the rationale behind how the two main characters get together something I'll buy, and if the ending is a touch too sappy, well, a strong, levelheaded female lead sells me on the rest of the story.
The second story, The Three Gifts, on the other hand, has a female lead who is too levelheaded. And I don't buy her motivations for not going through with the relationship she's been thrown into. Her Tragic Past Relationship is too trite and feels like telling rather than showing. Pity, as the setting and male lead were interesting.
The third story, The Season for Suitors, was pretty near rubbish. The girl who has everything but the rake she loves, and the rake who is only a rake because he blames himself for his younger brother drowning when they were children? Please, let me hurl.
So, one and a half good stories out of three. Verdict: recommended for a quarter.
Author: Mary Balogh, Julia Justiss, Nicola Cornick
Length: 410 pages
This is a book I picked up at an estate sale for a quarter. It's a trilogy of short romance stories by three authors I've never heard of. I like the short-story romance format because I don't have to go through repetative encounters of OMG Teh Best Sexxors Evar!, nor suffer through through as many pages of Obligatory Emo Angst per story.
The first story, A Handful of Gold, is actually pretty good. The characters are believable, the rationale behind how the two main characters get together something I'll buy, and if the ending is a touch too sappy, well, a strong, levelheaded female lead sells me on the rest of the story.
The second story, The Three Gifts, on the other hand, has a female lead who is too levelheaded. And I don't buy her motivations for not going through with the relationship she's been thrown into. Her Tragic Past Relationship is too trite and feels like telling rather than showing. Pity, as the setting and male lead were interesting.
The third story, The Season for Suitors, was pretty near rubbish. The girl who has everything but the rake she loves, and the rake who is only a rake because he blames himself for his younger brother drowning when they were children? Please, let me hurl.
So, one and a half good stories out of three. Verdict: recommended for a quarter.