Tag Archives: Where's My Hero?

Where’s My Hero? by Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn & Kinley MacGregor

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
Where's My Hero? | Julia Quinn | Author of Historical Romance Novels

Title: Where’s My Hero?
Author: Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn & Kinley MacGregor
In: Where’s My Hero? (Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn & Kinley MacGregor)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Historical romance, Regency romance, Short story collections
Dates read: 22nd – 26th December 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Avon
Year: 2003
5th sentence, 74th page: Bending her backward, hooking his supportive arm beneath her, he nuzzled the tender weight of her breast.

Synopsis

Dear Avon Books,

Where are my heroes? Whenever I’m reading a book by one of my favorite authors I find I’m falling for the wrong guy — not the hero, but the other man — and what I really want is for him to have his own story.

Like Jake Linley, from Someone to Watch Over Me by Lisa Kleypas…that doctor could sit by my bedside if I ever got sick. And Ned Blydon in Splendid by Julia Quinn…he makes me want to learn to waltz! I never thought living in a drafty castle would be much fun until Simon of Ravenswood in Master of Desire by Kinley MacGregor came along.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that these are my men — when do they get their stories?

Sincerely,
A Romance Fan

Some books are so special that there is more than one hero to love, but only a single story is told. So if you find yourself asking, “Where is my hero?” you’ll discover the answer right here in this delicious collection by New York Times bestseller Lisa Kleypas, New York Times bestseller Julia Quinn and USA Today bestseller Kinley MacGregor.

Thoughts

I figured that I would finish the year of 2020 that has been absolutely insane with some nice, pleasant romances. Normally I really enjoy dystopian fictions, but this year that just didn’t feel quite suitable. Romance was the way to go. And as one of the last books of the year, this was most definitely a great fit.

I am already obsessed with Julia Quinn but discovering Lisa Kleypas and Kinley MacGregor through this anthology was such an amazing experience. There is something uniquely wonderful about each and everyone of these authors. Late nights curled up on the couch with a cup of tea and my dogs made their words come to life. Sinking me into a happy little world where true love always wins.

I love that this collection is about well-loved secondary characters in each of the authors’ series. There have been a number of romances that I have read where you really want the story of a secondary character. A story that often doesn’t come. So I loved that there were three novellas that managed to hit that nice, sweet spot.

This is most definitely a collection that I will want to read again. It is also filled with stories from series that are now filling my wish list. I can’t wait to get further and further into the writings of these authors… I suppose that that could be a bit of a New Years Resolution for next year…

<- A Tale of Two SistersAgainst the Odds ->

Image source: Juila Quinn

A Tale of Two Sisters by Julia Quinn

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Where's My Hero? | Julia Quinn | Author of Historical Romance Novels

Title: A Tale of Two Sisters
Author: Julia Quinn
Series: The Splendid Trilogy #3.5
In: Where’s My Hero? (Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn & Kinley MacGregor)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Historical romance, Regency romance
Dates read: 26th December 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Avon
Year: 2003
5th sentence, 74th page: “Do you want to dance?” he asked, the words surprising him even as they left his lips.

Synopsis

Dashing Ned Blydon is in a most unenviable predicament—he’s engaged to one Thornton sister, while being secretly in love with the other—in Julia Quinn’s sensuous A Tale of Two Sisters .

Thoughts

From reading the blurb for this story, I was feeling a little bit… icky. I mean, it’s a man who is engaged to one sister, and in love with another. I always have issues with those kind of horrible, blurred lines. I mean, I can’t imagine my sister taking the man that I’m involved with… but as usual Quinn took me completely by surprise and spun this story in a way that just wasn’t… icky.

Ned was a fun hero. He spends half the time trying to escape his female relatives because they’re giving him unsolicited advice. And then, when he finally does find out that they are right, he still refuses to acknowledge it out loud. I recognise a lot of this in my own activities. I am the queen of denial and tend to avoid my family when I think they won’t like my own activities. This factor probably made me connect with him a lot quicker than many other heroes who fill the pages of my books.

This storyline was fun, light-hearted, and brilliant. It finished out the Where’s My Hero? collection completely beautifully. No matter how many times I pick up a story by Quinn, I’m completely in love. And then I always have to try and find another one of her books to sink my teeth into…

<- Midsummer’s KnightWhere’s My Hero? ->

Image source: Juila Quinn

Against the Odds by Lisa Kleypas

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Where's My Hero? | Julia Quinn | Author of Historical Romance Novels

Title: Against the Odds
Author: Lisa Kleypas
Series: The Gamblers of Craven’s #2.5
In: Where’s My Hero? (Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn & Kinley MacGregor)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Historical romance,  Regency romance
Dates read: 22nd December 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Avon
Year: 2003
5th sentence, 74th page: Bending her backward, hooking his supportive arm beneath her, he nuzzled the tender weight of her breast.

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Synopsis

When eminently sensible Lydia Craven decides to marry for security rather than love, she doesn’t calculate on the determination of devil-may-care doctor Jake Linley to rewrite the romantic formula in Lisa Kleypas’ charming romp, Against All Odds .

Thoughts

I recently bought a few books written by Kleypas, with absolutely no idea if I would enjoy them or not. Which made me seriously happy when I read this novella. After all, I loved this, and thus, I am hoping that I will love the rest of the Kleypas books that I’ve added to my shelves. Kleypas writes with humour, sass and fire. But she manages to have that sense of vulnerability and innocence in this story which I tend to love in a good regency romance.

Lydia is the kind of heroine that I tend to love. She is funny, sassy and incredibly adorable. She’s also way too logical. Which, if I’m being honest, I can do sometimes. I can’t imagine being a smart, independent, logical woman in this time period though. Yet, somehow, this persona fits. It’s not the typical regency heroine. But it’s most definitely the kind that I love.

Partnering Jake Linley with Lydia worked fantastically well. He manages to balance her completely – something that I think we all need in our significant other. Particularly when Lydia almost throws away her happiness on something that is mere logic. Linley is most definitely the kind of hero that I would rather warming my bed… the kind of hero that made me smile and feel wistful all throughout.

I absolutely adored this novella. And I honestly can’t wait to read more of Kleypas’ regency romances. It’s glorious, fun and seriously enjoyable. Plus, she manages to do this with wit and humour, something that I think all good romances require.

<- Where’s My Hero?Midsummer’s Knight ->

Image source: Juila Quinn