It Happened One Season
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Product Description
Product Description
The four bestselling authors of "It Happened One Night" return with an even more innovative anthology, in which the theme for these stories was chosen by the readers themselves!
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is the result of a competition whereby fans of the four authors (Stephanie Laurens, Mary Balogh, Jacquie D'Alessandro and Candice Hern) were encouraged to submit ideas for a storyline which each author would use for a short story. The winning storyline was: the hero, a younger brother of a titled lord, had a career in the army but has lived as a recluse since returning from the war with France. The heroine is shy or unattractive and, after many Seasons, has never had a suitor. The hero's brother has only daughters and asks his brother to marry to try to ensure the succession."
This plot summary is developed by all four authors into different stories, all ending happily of course.
Stephanie Laurens' "The Seduction of Sebastian Trantor" used the familiar theme of a `fake engagement' to divert attention from a potentially scandalous scene. Mary Balogh's "Only Love" felt rather familiar - with elements of her books `Irresistible' and `More than a Mistress' woven together in a story of a widow receiving a second chance at love (although apparently doing her utmost to scupper the opportunity!). Jacquie D'Alessandro's `Hope Springs Eternal' has a young lady whose rather racy artwork has caused her to be cut by polite society finding love with her deceased brother's commanding officer - a man with secrets. Candice Hern's story, `Fate strikes a bargain', featured a disabled young lady who hasn't ever found a suitor but who may be just the thing for a retired soldier suffering mental traumas from Waterloo.
All four stories were enjoyable but I particularly liked Candice Hern's story. Her heroine, the disabled Philippa Reynolds, was extremely well written and the way in which she deals with her disability was impressive. Perhaps the story glossed over some of the hero's mental problems - he says he can be incredibly ratty and grumpy, but we don't really see that - but I felt this story rounded off the book very well. As usual with modern Regencies there are some errors of dialogue but nothing too appalling for this picky reader. This is a book worth picking up for light and enjoyable reads.
This plot summary is developed by all four authors into different stories, all ending happily of course.
Stephanie Laurens' "The Seduction of Sebastian Trantor" used the familiar theme of a `fake engagement' to divert attention from a potentially scandalous scene. Mary Balogh's "Only Love" felt rather familiar - with elements of her books `Irresistible' and `More than a Mistress' woven together in a story of a widow receiving a second chance at love (although apparently doing her utmost to scupper the opportunity!). Jacquie D'Alessandro's `Hope Springs Eternal' has a young lady whose rather racy artwork has caused her to be cut by polite society finding love with her deceased brother's commanding officer - a man with secrets. Candice Hern's story, `Fate strikes a bargain', featured a disabled young lady who hasn't ever found a suitor but who may be just the thing for a retired soldier suffering mental traumas from Waterloo.
All four stories were enjoyable but I particularly liked Candice Hern's story. Her heroine, the disabled Philippa Reynolds, was extremely well written and the way in which she deals with her disability was impressive. Perhaps the story glossed over some of the hero's mental problems - he says he can be incredibly ratty and grumpy, but we don't really see that - but I felt this story rounded off the book very well. As usual with modern Regencies there are some errors of dialogue but nothing too appalling for this picky reader. This is a book worth picking up for light and enjoyable reads.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I bought the anthology because I'm a Mary Balogh fan but Jacquie d'Allessandro's was the best one by far.
Stephanie Laurens tale was too tall - the heroine's 'Sisterhood', the 'mission' all a bit far fetched. The heroine is described as being so beautiful you don't really understand why she is still 'on the shelf' after however many seasons and all in all it was a story I skimmed.
Mary Balogh's Only Love was a bit of a combination of some of her longer books as one of the other reviewers points out but it was quite sweet and well told. Not very memorable and not that satisfactory.
My favourite of the four was the story by Jacquie d'Alessandro in which the heroine is an artist and sister of the Hero's sergeant who died at Waterloo. The Hero feels responsible for her brothers death and looks her up to find that she is in desperate straights having lost her job through no fault of her own. The reason I liked this story is that they get married early on and you see their married relationship develop before the slight complication at the end. It was a sweet tale and more realistic that some of the others and well told.
Candice Hern's version was alright. The Hero's battle trauma was not very evident but ther heroine's disability was well dealt with.
The plot line that they were given was a bit too restrictive to allow each to vary too much in my view and it did make the stories rather repetitive. I thought 'It Happened One Night' which was a previous anthology by the same four authors worked better and seemed to give each author more scope for variation so you didn't end up with four similar stories told in slightly different ways. I think that's why I enjoyed J d'A's version most this time - partly because it was the most different of the four.
Stephanie Laurens tale was too tall - the heroine's 'Sisterhood', the 'mission' all a bit far fetched. The heroine is described as being so beautiful you don't really understand why she is still 'on the shelf' after however many seasons and all in all it was a story I skimmed.
Mary Balogh's Only Love was a bit of a combination of some of her longer books as one of the other reviewers points out but it was quite sweet and well told. Not very memorable and not that satisfactory.
My favourite of the four was the story by Jacquie d'Alessandro in which the heroine is an artist and sister of the Hero's sergeant who died at Waterloo. The Hero feels responsible for her brothers death and looks her up to find that she is in desperate straights having lost her job through no fault of her own. The reason I liked this story is that they get married early on and you see their married relationship develop before the slight complication at the end. It was a sweet tale and more realistic that some of the others and well told.
Candice Hern's version was alright. The Hero's battle trauma was not very evident but ther heroine's disability was well dealt with.
The plot line that they were given was a bit too restrictive to allow each to vary too much in my view and it did make the stories rather repetitive. I thought 'It Happened One Night' which was a previous anthology by the same four authors worked better and seemed to give each author more scope for variation so you didn't end up with four similar stories told in slightly different ways. I think that's why I enjoyed J d'A's version most this time - partly because it was the most different of the four.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
A big Thank You firstly to Phyllis Post, the lady who won the Avon Books competition for coming up with the idea(s) of the plotline.
The Seduction of Sebastian Trantor - Stephanie Laurens
Only Love - Mary Balogh
Hope Springs Eternal - Jacquie D'Alessandro
Fate Strikes A Bargain - Candie Hern
The plotline for these four stories is:
1. The hero, younger brother of a titled lord - had a career in the army - now living as a recluse since returning from war.
2. Heroine is either and/or shy, unattractive - had many Seasons without a sniff of a suitor.
3. Hero's brother has only girl offspring and badger his brother into finding a wife a.s.a.p. & set up his nursery to ensure succession.
I shan't go into each individual story (I'm sure there are far better critics out there to do so), except to say that, my personal favourites are Candice Hern's & Jacquie D'Alessandro's great efforts, but still overall an ok read.
I would recommend this book, even though the storylines are obviously the same.
The Seduction of Sebastian Trantor - Stephanie Laurens
Only Love - Mary Balogh
Hope Springs Eternal - Jacquie D'Alessandro
Fate Strikes A Bargain - Candie Hern
The plotline for these four stories is:
1. The hero, younger brother of a titled lord - had a career in the army - now living as a recluse since returning from war.
2. Heroine is either and/or shy, unattractive - had many Seasons without a sniff of a suitor.
3. Hero's brother has only girl offspring and badger his brother into finding a wife a.s.a.p. & set up his nursery to ensure succession.
I shan't go into each individual story (I'm sure there are far better critics out there to do so), except to say that, my personal favourites are Candice Hern's & Jacquie D'Alessandro's great efforts, but still overall an ok read.
I would recommend this book, even though the storylines are obviously the same.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Disappointed
A collection of four stories thinly linked by a formula plot. The marketing ploy of using Stephanie Laurens as the author suckered me in to buying it! Read more
Published 13 months ago by Glad
easy read
i love period romances and so enjoyed the story.however as i was taught that spelling and grammar is important i found it very distracting that words were split up that should not... Read more
Published 13 months ago by squeezie
Plain Janes Get The Men
Four amazing stories where the unlikely girl gets the man.
Given that each author had the same theme, the four stories are completely different. Read more
Given that each author had the same theme, the four stories are completely different. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Mrs. Leanne A. Lingwood
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