Rebecca Hagan Lee

I really enjoyed this story of a group of boys who, at 9, decide that they're going to resist being married and not get caught up in romance, at all. Griffin wanted the life he imagines of a soldier, but in order to take up his commission he has to marry, to ensure his bloodline. Alyssa is a frustrated gardener and scientist and would rather be doing than dressing up and trying to find a suitable husband. Her mother has Plans but so does she and when she sees Gabriel there's an instant attraction. But he only has a small window to woo her and love her and when he comes back he's left with scars and he's not sure that she should have to deal with them.

I liked them and it and could see progress in both of them over time. I'd read more by this author and I'm curious about the rest of this series.… (mere)

“It’s a gentleman’s world, my darling. And marrying well is your best way of succeeding in it. Being a spinster is no life for you—not if you wish to pursue those dreams of yours.” Alyssa frowned. “No need to make such a face at me. I’ve only your best interests at heart. You may believe there’s no reason for you to marry, but eventually, you’ll see the wisdom of it.” Lady Tressingham arched a brow at her daughter.

For more comments and quotes - Buddy Read Barely a Bride

Neither the heroine or hero want to get married, hero sees heroine and knows she is the ONE he has to marry. There is a charter created by the hero and his friend's when they were nine that they immaturely try to stick to following, some telling with no showing falling in love, going off to war, and "I'm not worthy" ending forced angst.

This started off good with some good ideas but, especially, the second half ended up feeling very scattered with the plot and characters getting lost and not knowing what they wanted to be.… (mere)

A Regency Holiday is a solid collection of Christmastime novellas. The four have a bit of a rushed feel in parts, understandably due to their shortened size, but the overall effect of each is still a well-written story that leaves you with a warm glow. They all take place around the Christmas season, but they don't smack you in the face with overly saccharine seasonal sweetness, or use Christmas as an eye-rollingly obvious plot device, which is nice. I've made it a point to try and read Christmas-themed books this holiday season, and have found that for some reason the historical ones have by far been more satisfying reads than the contemporary--and this anthology is a perfect example. Of the four, the first and the last ("Coventry's Christmas" by Rebecca Hagan Lee and "Home for Christmas" by Alicia Rasley) were my favorites, but the other two (Lynn Kerstan's "Star of Wonder" and Allison Lane's "A Christmas Homecoming") were just as enjoyable. Any of them would benefit from being written into a full-length novel, but readers don't feel cheated at all with the shorter format. I hadn't read anything by any of the four authors before, but my experience with this collection will definitely have me looking for more from all of them in the future.… (mere)