Yet another collection of short stories for my blog this year. This is quite different from the others I have reviewed thus far.
I used to consume historical fiction of this ilk quite often in my college year, but it has been a while since I read so many of them in one go. Each of the stories has a short introduction of sorts; many are part of a larger collection/series. They each have a basic introduction to the author and to the other books that one can pick up written by them. I would have paid closer attention to the ones that I did enjoy if I did not already have a bursting TBR in that regard. Also, all stories have a ghostly presence as the central plot point.
The Phantom Bride by Kathryn Le Veque
This is a more general sort of haunting. There is an abandoned area and a weary traveller. The ending is left hanging for maximum effect. The writing explains everything atmospherically. 3 stars
When the Night Closes by Chasity Bowlin
This is a more romantic, forced proximity kind of story. There is a background that is waiting to be uncovered and a relationship to build. There are also a meddling grandmother and a vengeful ghost. – 4 stars
Ghostly Lover by Mary Lancaster
This story feels like a smaller section of a bigger narrative. The couple is an already established one. The husband is known for his logic and is invited to get to the root of a death and a haunting. Both are seemingly unrelated till the very end. Even though we do not know of their pasts, the story does not leave the reader feeling left out. 3 stars
When the Midnight Bell Tolls by Maeve Greyson
Time travel has resulted in the current couple, and there are multiple people who have made their life in 1600s Scotland. The dead wife of the chieftain wants to have her voice heard, and the story is all about figuring things out to put her to rest. I would have liked it more if I had met the people from before they got to this stage to establish the characters. 2 stars
The Dauntless Girl by Whitney Blake
The title of this story refers more to the lady who tries to communicate with restless spirits than the spirit’s story itself. It was an involved investigation that uncovers some misunderstandings. 3 stars
Loved by the Laird by Jillian Eaton
There are more romantic interludes here than in several of the previous stories. A curse has bound a spirit for years, and she has to make a choice when a man who does not expect to meet her crosses her path. 3 stars
The Midnight Flame by Mary Wine
A woman is offered up as a sacrifice to the man who wields some power over the supernatural (or so the sayings go). Her presence may just change his life for the better. 3 stars
The Secrets of a Moonlit Night by Elisa Braden
A woman who is trying to straighten her path ends up locked in a room by a ghost. The fact that a man is locked in with her does not escape her. 3 stars
A Lady’s Revenge by Nicole Locke
A man who brings a letter from another’s fiance does not feel ready to hand it over to her when he sees her. He ends up wanting to keep her happy and around. Only the presence of a ghost accelerates their story. 3 stars
The Haunting of Rose Abbey by Kathleen Ayers
A woman who uses a more ambiguous name talks her way into becoming a secretary to a brusque man. There is more treachery in the old Abbey, now home, than is immediately apparent. This had a mix of everything, from romance to adventure. 4 stars
Highland Ghost by Elizabeth Rose
A woman does not want to marry the man she has been fixed up with. She hopes things will prevent this from happening. Without her knowledge, there are even bigger hurdles that her groom is trying to jump over to get to her. 4 stars
Where the Wolf Howls by Mia Pride
The time slip story has reincarnation and something further along those lines. I liked the more current timeline than the entire concept. Although it did feel like a foundational chapter as the author confirms at the end. 2 stars
Harrowing Hall by Sky Purington
The story here has a hint of deception than actual haunting, but the questions are all answered by the end. There are a couple who end up married as they try to decipher clues left behind by an earlier bride. 3 stars
The Witching Hour by Anna Bradley
This was a pretty emotional story. It begins with a love match that sours due to a lack of communication. The space between life and death plays a bigger role in getting the happily ever after back on track than an actual ghost. 4 stars
The Duke’s Bluestocking by Celeste Barclay
This story had a slightly adventurous spin. Some of the plot points were a little darker than many of the previous stories. I thought it could have been slightly shorter, given the speed of progression between different events. 2 stars
Each story has a romantic focus, some more explicit than others, but it is part of the narrative as a whole. I liked my reading experience. It is a pretty full volume. Some novellas are longer than the other short stories, and the book as a whole is one I would recommend to fans of the genre.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
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