Christmas Brides- Suzanne Enoch, Alexandra Hawkins, Elizabeth Essex and Valerie Bowman

Christmas Brides

Suzanne Enoch, Alexandra Hawkins, Elizabeth Essex and Valerie Bowman

St. Martin's Paperbacks, Sep 30 2014, $7.99

ISBN: 9781250060563

“One Hot Scot” by Suzanne Enoch.  Lord Bellamy abducts Julia Prentiss and takes her to an isolated part of the Scottish Highlands to force her into a marriage.  She tries to escape only to meet naked Duncan Lennox.  Taking shelter from a storm, Julia and Duncan fall into each other’s arms.

“Once Upon a Christmas Scandal” by Alexandra Hawkins.  In 1826 London, to her consternation, Lady Ellen Courtland learns her father offered an enormous dowry for Lord Swainsbury to marry her.  However, he has a different reason for making Ellen his wife, but needs to persuade her he wants her not her money.

“The Scandal Before Christmas” by Elizabeth Essex.  In 1816 Portsmouth, Viscount Rainesford demands his son Lieutenant Ian Worth marry within a week or else.  He chooses Anne Lesley though he expects a distant relationship from his dull bride.

“It Happened Under the Mistletoe” by Valerie Bowman.  In 1817 Oliver Townsende escapes London’s grizzly marriage mamas for Oxfordshire.  He runs into Miss Cerian Blake, who is also on the lam, in her case from fortune hunters.  They agree to pretend to be a couple in order to survive the holidays.

These four holiday Regency romances are enjoyable historical novellas.  The entries by Suzanne Enoch, Alexandra Hawkins and Valerie Bowman were released last year as e-books while Elizabeth Essex entry is new and ties to her Reckless Brides series.

Harriet Klausner