Where's My Hero?

Rating:
Summary: entertaining anthology
Review: "Against the Odds" by Lisa Kleypas. Though he likes Lord Wray, he also envies him for winning Lydia because Jake Linley knows she is the prize. When a matchmaker locks the duo in a cellar, Jake displays proof that love is the axiom in a relationship, but will his mathematically minded beloved cherish his theory of the heart? From SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME, Jake remains a delight and Lydia has three siblings to go.

"Midsummer's Knight" by Kinley MacGregor. Simon of Ravenswood is in love with a highborn beauty, but knows she is above a common knight. He exchanges letters with Kenna, related to the Scottish King, but signs them as his best friend Lord Stryder. Kenna loves her letter writing Stryder. When they meet he is shocked to learn of their engagement, but soon she realizes that Simon is the author that she loves. The loyal, wonderful Simon knows he is a MASTER OF DESIRE when it comes to Kenna. Is Stryder next?

"A Tale of Two Sisters" by Julia Quinn. In three days Ned Blydon will marry Lydia Thornton though he has doubts perhaps caused by his drowning in a sea of estrogen. The latest female invader is Lydia's sister Charlotte. Ned falls in love with her and she him. Only a self acclaimed poet offers a way out, but Rupert knows not that that he tenders such clout. This is a SPLENDID tale with two delightful romances.

WHERE'S MY HERO is a gimmick, but readers will value this entertaining anthology that affirms what we originally felt when each hero first appeared: that they could carry a book.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Smartly Packaged w/o Bookshelf Stamina
Review: "Where's my Hero?" is a smartly packaged gimmick that indeed enticed me to buy it. I'm forever complaining about how my favorite characters are secondary characters... and darn it all, I want to read their stories. In this compilation I get my wish. Too bad, the stories don't live up to the characters who inhabit them.

"Against the Odds" is Lisa Kleypas offering of Jake Linley. He's a favorite from "Someone to Watch Over Me." Unfortunately for me, while I know I read "Someone to Watch Over Me," I cannot remember his character. Yet this offering while a bit sappy, and contrived still entertained me despite my faulty memory. You see Lydia and Jake share a kiss at her engagement party which only enhances the ambivilience the two harbor for each other. But after an enlightening trip in the wine cellar, the two fall in love with each other quite spectacularly.

"Midsummer Knight" is Kinley MacGregor offering of Simon the Wraith. A familiar character from her book, "Master of Desire." Again I have to admit that I haven't read the previous novel so I was in no way attached to the characters of this story. Decent enough, I thought it extremely prosaic and way too stuffy to keep my attention completely glued to the story. Of course, Kinley MacGregor is well known for her gothic fare as Sherrilyn Kenyon and I think she may be having difficulty keeping her personas from influencing each other. In this "medieval" fare, Simon impersonating his friend Lord Stryder, has been writing Lady Kenna. An engagement is announced, and Lord Stryder has no idea how suddenly he has gained a fiancee.

"A Tale of Two Sisters" is Julia Quinn offering Ned Blython. Here I am very familiar with the little punk who helped his cousin get into all kinds of trouble because of his own immature gambling style in "Splendid." He's grown wonderfully and Julia develops him deliciously into a consumate rake in need of a bride. This offering much more light-hearted and fun revels in its romance fare and succeeds where the above two do not. Ned picking a wife out of duty and not love finds himself falling for his fiancee's sister, Charlotte. When things heat up with a bad poet and late night romp, Ned finds he can still capture the happiness of true love without hurting anyone in the process.

This book worth reading, might best be borrowed from the library. I bought it from the store but after one read, quickly sold it on e-bay. I enjoy Lisa Kleypas and Julia Quiin as wonderful historical writers. Sherrilyn Kenyon aka Kinley MacGregor has never been a favorite of mine. However, the three here in no way display the writing skills each of them are famed for. You would have better luck tracking down the originals and read them.

Rating:
Summary: Smartly Packaged w/o Bookshelf Stamina
Review: "Where's my Hero?" is a smartly packaged gimmick that indeed enticed me to buy it. I'm forever complaining about how my favorite characters are secondary characters... and darn it all, I want to read their stories. In this compilation I get my wish. Too bad, the stories don't live up to the characters who inhabit them.

"Against the Odds" is Lisa Kleypas offering of Jake Linley. He's a favorite from "Someone to Watch Over Me." Unfortunately for me, while I know I read "Someone to Watch Over Me," I cannot remember his character. Yet this offering while a bit sappy, and contrived still entertained me despite my faulty memory. You see Lydia and Jake share a kiss at her engagement party which only enhances the ambivilience the two harbor for each other. But after an enlightening trip in the wine cellar, the two fall in love with each other quite spectacularly.

"Midsummer Knight" is Kinley MacGregor offering of Simon the Wraith. A familiar character from her book, "Master of Desire." Again I have to admit that I haven't read the previous novel so I was in no way attached to the characters of this story. Decent enough, I thought it extremely prosaic and way too stuffy to keep my attention completely glued to the story. Of course, Kinley MacGregor is well known for her gothic fare as Sherrilyn Kenyon and I think she may be having difficulty keeping her personas from influencing each other. In this "medieval" fare, Simon impersonating his friend Lord Stryder, has been writing Lady Kenna. An engagement is announced, and Lord Stryder has no idea how suddenly he has gained a fiancee.

"A Tale of Two Sisters" is Julia Quinn offering Ned Blython. Here I am very familiar with the little punk who helped his cousin get into all kinds of trouble because of his own immature gambling style in "Splendid." He's grown wonderfully and Julia develops him deliciously into a consumate rake in need of a bride. This offering much more light-hearted and fun revels in its romance fare and succeeds where the above two do not. Ned picking a wife out of duty and not love finds himself falling for his fiancee's sister, Charlotte. When things heat up with a bad poet and late night romp, Ned finds he can still capture the happiness of true love without hurting anyone in the process.

This book worth reading, might best be borrowed from the library. I bought it from the store but after one read, quickly sold it on e-bay. I enjoy Lisa Kleypas and Julia Quiin as wonderful historical writers. Sherrilyn Kenyon aka Kinley MacGregor has never been a favorite of mine. However, the three here in no way display the writing skills each of them are famed for. You would have better luck tracking down the originals and read them.

Rating:
Summary: (if NO stars were an option!) This book is awful...
Review: ...and the first clue should be the enlarged type-face used to make the book seem longer than it actually is. The stories are trite, the chracters dated, and frankly, I expected a lot better from 3 of my favorite authors.

If you're a collector of certain authors, I could see purchasing this anthology, but I also collect, and this book was so bad, I couldn't even finish the first story. I took it back to the store ASAP.

Rating:
Summary: Just a taste
Review: All three of these Authors are some of my favorites. When I heard they were doing an anthology together I thought what could be better. Well the answer is that all these Novellas should have been full length books. I really was left wanting more. That I beleive is a good thing. If you have never read anything by these three authors this may not be the place to start.
All three book pick up hero's from previous books. Lisa Kleypas Charachters come from "Dreaming of you" and "Then came you" Jake is also found in few others, Kinley McGregor's Simon can be found In "Master of Desire" and "Born in SIn" and Julia Quinn's Hero can be found previously in Spendid and Dancing at Midnight. SO you might feel as if you have missed something if you pick up there stories here and quite frankly you have missed something.
For those of you who have read the other books its always nice to see favorite characters again and find out what happened to those supporting characters you always liked. A good read leaving you wanting a little bit more.

Rating:
Summary: Just a taste
Review: All three of these Authors are some of my favorites. When I heard they were doing an anthology together I thought what could be better. Well the answer is that all these Novellas should have been full length books. I really was left wanting more. That I beleive is a good thing. If you have never read anything by these three authors this may not be the place to start.
All three book pick up hero's from previous books. Lisa Kleypas Charachters come from "Dreaming of you" and "Then came you" Jake is also found in few others, Kinley McGregor's Simon can be found In "Master of Desire" and "Born in SIn" and Julia Quinn's Hero can be found previously in Spendid and Dancing at Midnight. SO you might feel as if you have missed something if you pick up there stories here and quite frankly you have missed something.
For those of you who have read the other books its always nice to see favorite characters again and find out what happened to those supporting characters you always liked. A good read leaving you wanting a little bit more.

Rating:
Summary: For Julia Quinn fans only
Review: Anthologies are like visiting a Baskin-Robbins ice cream shops: you can taste a different flavor while indulging in your favorite. Often the novellas work around a theme, such as a holiday or common characters.

So I expected that "Where's My Hero?" would contain three heroes. The theme, however, supposedly is worked around three secondary male characters who are given stories that would show them worthy of our regard. Yet only Julia Quinn's story worked the magic. Ned (from "Splendid") seems plausible as a groom-to-be who is bethrothed to the wrong sister. Lisa Kleypas rushes her story of a wrong bethrothal, so that Dr. Jake changes from a mild-mannered physician to Incredible Hunk faster than you can say "Dr. David Banner." As for the third author and her story, both were so forgettable that all I remember is that the characters seemed far too modern for a medieval setting.

Rating:
Summary: Good anthology; heroines better than heroes!
Review: Anthologies are usually hit or miss. Most storylines do not lend themselves to a compressed format and many times I am left wanting more. I was pleasantly surprised with these three stories. The heroes were typical in many ways but the heroines were all special in that they were not the characteristic beautiful, vacuous, spineless women that many romance novels excel in.

My favorite of the three was "Midsummer's Knight" by Kinley MacGregor. I had just recently completed "Master of Desire" and longed to see what happened to Draven's brother Simon. The storyline was entertaining because of the misunderstanding Simon's letter writing caused. Kenna was a charming woman and did not match the perfect mold most romantic heroines adhere to. But her capacity to love even a landless knight offset any physical flaws. I was on the edge of my seat to see how this could end happily and even the short format did not rush the ending any. Loved it and have now ordered Stryder's story!

The Lesa Kleypas story was also good. I enjoyed catching up with Dr. Linley who is in other Kleypas books. But you did not have to read any of the other books to follow the storyline of unrequited love on the part of Dr. Linley and realize he was a better choice of husband for Lydia than the passionless Lord Wray. I enjoyed Lydia's analytical/mathematical mind! I always enjoy Kleypas's clever conversations and sensual love scenes. Reading this led me to find Lydia's parents story ... and the prequel to that also!

The last story by Julia Quinn of two sisters was endearing. It seemed a little more hasty and rushed than the other two stories but I felt empathy for all the characters, (almost) trapped in an unwise marriage. But Charlotte with loyalty to her (soon to be married) sister on the line, and backbone to follow through on her plans, ends up with Ned in the end. Both sisters were interesting!

A good anthology not to be missed, especially if you have met the characters in other books.

Rating:
Summary: Good anthology; heroines better than heroes in this one!
Review: Anthologies are usually hit or miss. Most storylines do not lend themselves to a compressed format and many times I want more. I was pleasantly surprised with these three stories. The heroes were typical but the heroines were all special in that they were not the characteristic beautiful, vacuous, spineless women that romance novels excel in.

My favorite of the three was "Midsummer's Knight" by Kinley MacGregor. I had just recently completed "Master of Desire" and longed to see what happened to Draven's brother Simon. The storyline was entertaining because of the misunderstanding Simon's letter writing caused. Kenna was a charming woman and did not match the perfect mold most romantic heroines adhere to. But her capacity to love even a landless knight offset any physical flaws. I was on the edge of my seat to see how this could end happily and even the short format did not rush the ending any. Loved it and have now ordered Stryder's story!

The Lesa Kleypas story was also good. I enjoyed catching up with Dr. Linley who is in other Kleypas books. But you did not have to read any of the other books to follow the storyline of unrequited love on the part of Dr. Linley and realize he was a better choice of husband for Lydia than the passionless Lord Wray. I enjoyed Lydia's analytical/mathematical mind! I always enjoy Kleypas' clever conversations and sensual love scenes. Reading this led me to find Lydia's parents story ... and the prequel to that also!

The last story by Julia Quinn of two sisters was endearing. It seemed a little rushed compared to the other stories but I felt empathy for all the characters (almost) trapped in an unwise marriage. But Charlotte with loyalty to her (soon to be married) sister on the line, and backbone to follow through on her plans, ends up with Ned in the end. Both sisters were interesting!

A good anthology not to be missed, especially if you have met the characters in other books.


Rating:
Summary: I'd have expected more if not for the reviews
Review: Borrow it from the library; do not buy it. I was so glad that Julia Quinn's story came last, it saved the book. Lisa Kleypas' story was a big disappointment; Jake Linley deserved better, and the whole thing seemed silly. I don't think Kelypas' heart was in it.

I haven't read any of Kinley MacGregor's books (though I've read some of her books as Sherrilyn Kenyon to mixed reviews), so I can't compare this story. Honestly, I liked it better than Kleypas' story, which was a surprise; I think I liked the hero and heroine better than with Kleypas, and I was so prepared to love Jake.

While Julia Quinn has written better stories, hers is by far the best of this trio. Her trademark humor abounds, and both Ned and Charlotte are delightful characters. Their chemistry leaps off the page, even in such a short tale. If someday, this story is published in a different group (with other stories equal in quality), I'd buy it.

Or I might buy this book for a dollar at my local library sale. But Julia Quinn's story is the only one worth having and rereading. It is thanks to her that the book gets its 2 stars, cause her entry is worth much more.