Fire & Frost – A Bluestocking Belles Collection

Fire & Frost: A Bluestocking Belles Collection

Bluestocking Belles:

Jude Knight, Sherry Ewing, Amy Quinton, Rue Allyn, Caroline Warfield

fire-frost-multi-authors — **Published:** February 4, 2020

My Rating: 5/5

BookBlurb

In a winter so cold the Thames freezes over, five couples venture onto the ice in pursuit of love to warm their hearts.

Love unexpected, rekindled, brand new or rediscovered—even one that’s a whack on the side of the head—heats up the winter. After weeks of fog and cold, all five stories converge on the ice at the 1814 Frost Fair when the ladies’ campaign to help the wounded and unemployed veterans of the Napoleonic wars culminates in a charity auction that shocks the high sticklers of the ton.

In their 2020 collection, join the Bluestocking Belles and their heroes and heroines as The Ladies’ Society For The Care of the Widows and Orphans of Fallen Heroes and the Children of Wounded Veterans pursues justice, charity, and soul-searing romance.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day 2020 with five interconnected Regency romances.

Melting Matilda by Jude Knight – Fire smolders under the frost between them.

My One True Love by Rue Allyn – She vanished into the fog. Will he find his one true love or remain lost, cold and alone forever?

Lord Ethan’s Courage by Caroline Warfield – War may freeze a man’s heart; it takes a woman to melt it.

A Second Chance at Love by Sherry Ewing – Can the bittersweet frost of lost love be rekindled into a burning flame?

The Umbrella Chronicles: Chester and Artemis’s Story by Amy Quinton – Beastly duke seeks confident woman who doesn’t faint at the sight of his scars. Prefers not to leave the house to find her.

Review_RmA

Fire & Frost is a collection of stories by five different authors featuring five different couples but all linked to the Frost Fair set in 1814. I’ve only had the pleasure of reading from one author in this collection before, so was excited to read from four new authors. I felt all five authors did an absolutely fantastic job in their individual stories and I loved the Frost Fair backdrop. I’ll look forward to checking out the backlists of the authors involved! Well done ladies!

Melting Matilda by Jude Knight

Charles Stapleton, Earl of Hamner/Matilda Grenford

5/5 stars

Melting Matilda is the second book I’ve had the pleasure of reading from author Jude Knight and I loved it! I enjoy Ms. Knight’s writing style and look forward to reading more from her in the future!

Charles and Matilda were a sweet couple that I liked from the beginning. Although they seem to dislike each other, no one knows that they shared a passionate kiss the night before Charles asked another woman to marry him. A year has passed and they find themselves together frequently as Charles’s mother and Matilda are working on the Frost Fair. I liked Charles and admired the fact that he realized he made a mistake by walking away from Matilda and did his best to make amends. As for Matilda, she was a wonderful character! She is the illegitimate daughter of a Duke but being raised as the ward of the Duchess and treated as a loving member of the family by the Duchess and her half-brothers. I absolutely loved the ending and Charles’s proposal! It was perfect!

My One True Love by Rue Allyn

Major Lord Arthur Trevor PenRhydderch, 21’st Earl of Trehallow/Mary Percival Cummins

5/5 stars

My One True Love is the first story I’ve had the pleasure of reading from Ms. Allyn and won’t be the last. It was a wonderful story and I look forward to checking out the rest of her books.

Lord Trevor and Percy were childhood friends, growing up on neighboring estates. Trevor last saw Percy three years ago when he was on leave and she was preparing for her come out and the announcement of her betrothal. Trevor had feelings for her then but kept silent. Now that Trevor is back he’s surprised that Percy never wed and is not that lively happy girl he once knew. Trevor’s feelings remain and he wants to now make up for his hesitation in the past and ask Percy to marry him. But Percy is not the same girl he grew up with. Will they be able to overcome the three years apart to find their HEA?

I loved both Trevor and Percy as a couple. It was obvious Trevor still cared for her and wanted to marry her. He was a kind and caring man and I felt he was good for Percy. As for Percy, she has not had it easy the last three years since Trevor left. She was struggling with the past and allowing it to control her. I was so happy to see her finally be able to break free from all the rumors and put them all finally to rest! The ending was suspenseful but most satisfying! A wonderful story of two people who truly deserved a HEA!

Lord Ethan’s Courage by Caroline Warfield

Lord Ethan Alcott/Lady Flora Landrum

5/5 stars

What a fabulous story and introduction to author Caroline Warfield’s work! Lord Ethan’s Courage is the first book I’ve had the pleasure of reading from Ms. Warfield and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will definitely be checking out her other books!

While handing out food to the homeless veterans in an alleyway, Lady Flora Landrum comes across a young man who doesn’t seem to belong. His manner of speech and outrage that she’s there has her wondering who he might possibly be. Lord Ethan Alcott is back from the war, but no one knows he’s home. The horrors of war and the darkness within him keeps him from facing his family and letting them know he lives. With Lady Flora and her brother’s encouragement, Ethan gradually faces his fears. Will Ethan ever be able to return home and live in the light again?

Wow, what a story and couple! This story really played with my heartstrings. When we first meet Ethan, he’s barely recognizable, lost and in despair. My heart went out for him for all the horrors he faced. I loved that meeting Flora gave him a purpose to “protect” her and I immediately knew these two belonged together! Flora was a fabulous character, a kind, good-hearted young woman who wants to make a difference in the world. They were such a wonderful couple and their story was such a joy to read!

A Second Chance at Love by Sherry Ewing

Viscount Digby Osgood/ Lady Constance Whittles

5/5 stars

What a wonderful second chance love story and introduction to author Sherry Ewing’s work! A Second Chance at Love is the first book I’ve had the pleasure of reading from Ms. Ewing and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Viscount Digby Osgood had started to develop feelings for Lady Constance, he might even admit he was falling in love with her… But a business trip for his father takes him away from her for two long years. Fearing he broke her heart has him avoiding her on his return home. Lady Constance Whittles has only loved one man, Viscount Digby. Though she knows she should move on, her heart can’t stop wishing things were different.

I loved watching Digby and Constance reunite and seeing their relationship blossom again. It’s obvious that the two of them truly cared for each other and I am so happy that Constance did not hold a grudge against Digby for leaving two years ago. When they both admit their love for each other there is nothing left to prevent their HEA, except for a former suitor of Constance’s. This was a wonderful second chance love story with a sweet couple and a little suspense to keep us on our toes!

The Umbrella Chronicles: Chester and Artemis’s Story by Amy Quinton

Chester Mansfield, 8^th Duke of Eastly/ Miss Artemis Synclaire

5/5 stars

The Umbrella Chronicles: Chester and Artemis’s Story by Amy Quinton is another fabulous story from a new to me author. I really enjoyed this one!

Chester the Duke of Eastley is known as “Beastly” to the ton due to a few scars and the fact that he prefers to stay away from society and their nonsense. Artemis Synclaire was described to Chester by his sister as painfully shy, nicknamed the “Mouse”… But the woman he sees at the Frost Fair is nothing as she is described!

WOW! What a fantastic couple and story. This was a fast-paced and enjoyable read. I loved Chester and Artemis! They were two people who don’t quite fit into polite society and so absolutely perfect for each other. I loved the witty banter between them and the fact both are immediately attracted to each other. The secondary characters were fabulous and their matchmaking to get Chester and Artemis together was clever and fun to read. I would love to catch up with these characters again and plan on checking out Ms. Quinton’s other books!