T. C. (TC) reviewed Scandalous Weddings: In the Light of Day / Love Match / A Weddin' or a Hangin' / Beauty and the Brute on + 244 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Lost garters and cases of warm champagne pale as prenuptial disasters when compared to the pandemonium described in this boisterous collection by four popular authors. Brenda Joyce brings us "The Light of Day," the tale of a young woman from a wealthy family who prefers to run away with the jewel thief plundering her family's safe than to marry the immanently suitable man her parents have arranged for her. Pierce Braxton finds the jewel of his heart in Annabelle Boothe, and she discovers that he's the man for her.
In "The Love Match," Rexanne Becnel introduces us to Jinx Benchley, who is as determined to stop her brother from eloping to Gretna Green with Lady Alice Stirling as is Alice's brother, Harrison, the Marquis of Hartley. Harrison fears his sister's money is the true attraction and plans to challenge Colin Benchley to a duel. His reputation as the "murdering marquis" sends Jinx on a headlong, cross-country chase to locate her brother and warn him of the danger. Hard on her heels is Lord Hartley, who is convinced that Jinx is in cahoots with her brother. Refusing to let each other of their sight because of their utter lack of trust for each other, Jinx and Harrison find themselves fighting the mystifying lure of forbidden passion.
"A Weddin' or a Hangin'" by Jill Jones takes us to present-day Scotland where clan politics and feuds still run deep. Meredith Macrae, visiting from her North Carolina home after inheriting property from her late uncle, the former Macrae clan chieftain, discovers that the Sinclair of the Clan Sinclair is not possessed of horns and a tail as her clansmen would have her believe. Instead, Ian Sinclair is just a man struggling to maintain Duneagan, his family's ancestral castle, while continuing to produce a profit from the distilling of Scotland's finest single-malt scotch and mediating disputes among his clansmen who relish a good fight as much as a good draught. Brought together both by mutual attraction transcending centuries-old hostilities and to fight against commercial interests seeking to destroy the village for tourism's sake, Meredith and Ian find that a weddin' can overcome even the most bitter of enmity.
Barbara Dawson Smith's "Beauty and the Brute" delivers readers to the Scottish Highlands, as well, but in the year 1827. Stranded in a blizzard with her aging maid and her coachman, who broke his ankle when their carriage skidded into a ditch, Lady Helen Jeffries is confronted by a hulking beast of a man. Living up to his name, Alexander the MacBrut, laird of the Clan MacBrut, is unable to resist the charms of the lovely English sprite he rescues from the storm. Not only does he defrost her frozen toes and fingers, the MacBrut thaws Lady Helen's maidenly shyness. Caught in flagrante delicto by none other than Helen's father, the Marquess of Hathaway, Alexander finds himself forced into marriage with an English bride. Alexander believes that, like his own mother, Helen won't be able to adapt to the harsh Highland winters or her harsh Highland husband and will leave him--and the baby she is expecting. But Helen's sunny disposition and gentle persistence succeed in thawing his resistance, forever binding together the beauty and her brute. Scandalous Weddings entices the reader to join in the whirlwind courtships with a cup of hot tea and a few undisturbed hours!
In "The Love Match," Rexanne Becnel introduces us to Jinx Benchley, who is as determined to stop her brother from eloping to Gretna Green with Lady Alice Stirling as is Alice's brother, Harrison, the Marquis of Hartley. Harrison fears his sister's money is the true attraction and plans to challenge Colin Benchley to a duel. His reputation as the "murdering marquis" sends Jinx on a headlong, cross-country chase to locate her brother and warn him of the danger. Hard on her heels is Lord Hartley, who is convinced that Jinx is in cahoots with her brother. Refusing to let each other of their sight because of their utter lack of trust for each other, Jinx and Harrison find themselves fighting the mystifying lure of forbidden passion.
"A Weddin' or a Hangin'" by Jill Jones takes us to present-day Scotland where clan politics and feuds still run deep. Meredith Macrae, visiting from her North Carolina home after inheriting property from her late uncle, the former Macrae clan chieftain, discovers that the Sinclair of the Clan Sinclair is not possessed of horns and a tail as her clansmen would have her believe. Instead, Ian Sinclair is just a man struggling to maintain Duneagan, his family's ancestral castle, while continuing to produce a profit from the distilling of Scotland's finest single-malt scotch and mediating disputes among his clansmen who relish a good fight as much as a good draught. Brought together both by mutual attraction transcending centuries-old hostilities and to fight against commercial interests seeking to destroy the village for tourism's sake, Meredith and Ian find that a weddin' can overcome even the most bitter of enmity.
Barbara Dawson Smith's "Beauty and the Brute" delivers readers to the Scottish Highlands, as well, but in the year 1827. Stranded in a blizzard with her aging maid and her coachman, who broke his ankle when their carriage skidded into a ditch, Lady Helen Jeffries is confronted by a hulking beast of a man. Living up to his name, Alexander the MacBrut, laird of the Clan MacBrut, is unable to resist the charms of the lovely English sprite he rescues from the storm. Not only does he defrost her frozen toes and fingers, the MacBrut thaws Lady Helen's maidenly shyness. Caught in flagrante delicto by none other than Helen's father, the Marquess of Hathaway, Alexander finds himself forced into marriage with an English bride. Alexander believes that, like his own mother, Helen won't be able to adapt to the harsh Highland winters or her harsh Highland husband and will leave him--and the baby she is expecting. But Helen's sunny disposition and gentle persistence succeed in thawing his resistance, forever binding together the beauty and her brute. Scandalous Weddings entices the reader to join in the whirlwind courtships with a cup of hot tea and a few undisturbed hours!
Sharon A. (CaptCookie) -
I found this a delightful collection of short stores by 4 of my favorite authors. Each one was a fun read without all the length of a full novel. Nice for a change of pace.
Bridget A. reviewed Scandalous Weddings: In the Light of Day / Love Match / A Weddin' or a Hangin' / Beauty and the Brute on + 13 more book reviews
I purchased the book for the last entry "Beauty and the Brute" which was the end of a trilogy, of sorts. Since they were novellas, I didn't get the in-depth characterizations of the original books, but it satisfied my curiosity of how the storyline ended. They were all good stories, just not as developed.
Roxy E. reviewed Scandalous Weddings: In the Light of Day / Love Match / A Weddin' or a Hangin' / Beauty and the Brute on + 2 more book reviews
This book is made up of four little ones. All about scandalous weddings. Very good read!
Sonda C. (Sgconley) reviewed Scandalous Weddings: In the Light of Day / Love Match / A Weddin' or a Hangin' / Beauty and the Brute on + 91 more book reviews
You're invited to four unforgettable weddings -- each with a scandal that would make a bride blush!
Emily S. (emmer) reviewed Scandalous Weddings: In the Light of Day / Love Match / A Weddin' or a Hangin' / Beauty and the Brute on + 70 more book reviews
I really enjoyed this book. It's four quick romance stories, great for a rainy day!
Jessica (Sweetpea172006) - , reviewed Scandalous Weddings: In the Light of Day / Love Match / A Weddin' or a Hangin' / Beauty and the Brute on + 178 more book reviews
I'd say 2 were worth reading and 2 were not. I liked Brenda Joyce's story, the longest in the book. It started rather ho-hum, but I soon became very interested in the characters. It was unusual to have an unrepentant thief as the hero, and I continually asked myself how the author was going to come through with the recquisite happy ending. The pleasant surprise at the end was well worth the read, and the hero & heroine are both striking. The story best supports the "Scandalous Weddings" title. I didn't expect to like it, but it definitely grew on me.
Rexanne Becnel's entry also supports the uniting theme well and is a fun late Rengency romp. The hero is excellent and there are enough laughs to keep it fun. This one too gets high marks. Her curses cracked me up, and the role reversal at the end is delightful.
The last 2 stories, I found dull and dreary. Jones' story featured vague, stereotypical characters with little charisma, a cliched and utterly predictable plot, and a healthy dose of unbelieveability. Not very scandalous either. I can't even give it one star.
Smith's attempt is a poor execution of Beauty & the Beast. The hero is mildly intereesting, but is close to emotionally abusive to her. He trusts her not at all. The heroine has little common sense. Heavens, she just throws herself into a stranger's bed! The plot is only slightly less predictable than Jones' and ends on an unbelieveable and completely sudden note as though the author decided she'd written enough and just ended it as quickly as possible with no thought to the continuity of plot or characterization.
My recommendation: Read the first two and skip the last two.
Rexanne Becnel's entry also supports the uniting theme well and is a fun late Rengency romp. The hero is excellent and there are enough laughs to keep it fun. This one too gets high marks. Her curses cracked me up, and the role reversal at the end is delightful.
The last 2 stories, I found dull and dreary. Jones' story featured vague, stereotypical characters with little charisma, a cliched and utterly predictable plot, and a healthy dose of unbelieveability. Not very scandalous either. I can't even give it one star.
Smith's attempt is a poor execution of Beauty & the Beast. The hero is mildly intereesting, but is close to emotionally abusive to her. He trusts her not at all. The heroine has little common sense. Heavens, she just throws herself into a stranger's bed! The plot is only slightly less predictable than Jones' and ends on an unbelieveable and completely sudden note as though the author decided she'd written enough and just ended it as quickly as possible with no thought to the continuity of plot or characterization.
My recommendation: Read the first two and skip the last two.
Bernie N. (Bernie) reviewed Scandalous Weddings: In the Light of Day / Love Match / A Weddin' or a Hangin' / Beauty and the Brute on
You're invited to four unforgettable weddings-each with a scandal that would make a bride blush!
In this delightfully wicked collection, four bestselling authors depict weddings at their most scandalous-and tying the knot has never been so outrageous. Steamy, sensuous, and more delicious than a piece of wedding cake, Scandalous Weddings is the romantic event of the season!
In this delightfully wicked collection, four bestselling authors depict weddings at their most scandalous-and tying the knot has never been so outrageous. Steamy, sensuous, and more delicious than a piece of wedding cake, Scandalous Weddings is the romantic event of the season!
