Married at Midnight (Hardcover)

This book is very definitely a case in point. We have novellas from Jo Beverley (normally excellent), Tanya Anne Crosby, Samantha James and Kathleen Woodiwiss - three authors I'd never come across before and whose work therefore I know nothing about. After reading this anthology, I know to avoid their work in future.

The Beverley novella, The Determined Bride, was interesting, but I kept feeling that I'd come in halfway through the story. Told by her soldier husband that their marriage hadn't been genuine, Kate desperately wants her baby to be legitimate. Unfortunately, her 'husband' has just been killed in battle. His commanding officer offers to marry her to give the baby a name. Afterwards, Kate returns to England with her son - but what of Captain Charles Tennant, the man she's just married? Does she want him? Does he want her? How does he really feel about having a legal son who is not his biological child?

An intriguing premise, written with something close to Beverley's usual style; but too rushed. Perhaps three stars.

Next, there is Tanya Anne Crosby's A Kiss After Midnight. Two children brought up together are separated when Victoria's father, a duke, becomes concerned about her friendship with the gardener's son. Can their love survive? What happens when Victoria needs to marry to save her estates? To begin with, I thought her hero, Thomas, was American; his internal narrative in the first few pages is entirely American in dialect and vocabulary. Too many things didn't ring true in this story for me to take it seriously. For instance, apparently Thomas and Victoria drove to Gretna Green in under five hours. So where were they? North of the Lake District and in the middle of nowhere fifty miles south of the border? Unlikely. And did Victoria really not recognise Thomas??

Oh, and *what* is "a'tall" supposed to mean? That simply isn't a word. It's not an expression used anywhere in the UK (or in Ireland, in case Crosby thinks it is). If she means 'at all', then she should say so. Terrible. One star.

The next story is Samantha James' Scandal's Bride. It was readable, more or less, though Victoria seemed to me to behave like a spoilt brat. I can't understand what Miles saw in her; he should have refused to marry her and insisted that her father sent her back to the country until she grew up. Two stars, maybe.

And finally, Kathleen Woodiwiss's Beyond The Kiss. This, I gather, is the sequel to another book by Woodiwiss. She spends the first dozen pages summarising Raelynn and Jeff's story to date (tedious exposition of an overly melodramatic tale) before launching into this story. The language is extremely overblown -talk about purple prose! The dialogue is stilted: I couldn't believe some of Jeff's speeches. Take this:

"In my lengthy quest for the woman of my dreams, I cannot deny that I've tested my heart with others, but they never assuaged that unsettled feeling gnawing at my vitals. I tell you no lie, madam, when I say that of those maidens I've courted, I favoured none with a plea to be my wife. Whatever enticements inspired me to seek their company were ephemeral, as fleeting as the morning dew." Ewwwww!!!!! I couldn't take this guy seriously at all.

In fact, I couldn't even finish this story. After 30 pages of it I'd had enough, and it's definitely put me off reading any more by Woodiwiss. I can't believe she's considered to be a top historical fiction writer! Zero stars.

Don't waste your money on this one.

„The determined bride" - I give it 3 stars. It's not a bad story, but I found something missing there.

„A kiss after midnight" - nice, but just a little bit unbelievable. How Victoria couldn't recognize her best friend? I don't believe a man can change so much! And that marriage ceremony ... oh, it was sooo long, I became unpatient! 3 stars.

„Scandal's bride" - a bit cliche. I read so many books about London high society of 19th century I became tired of them. Why always London and 19th century? Why not France during 100 years war for example? 3 stars.

„Beyond the kiss" - out of question the best of „Married at midnight". I just love Woodiwiss and Birminghams. 5 stars.

And at the end - romance authors, keep writting. We need your stories to warm our hearts and make our lives easier.