A Plethora of Regency Romances

 I find that when I'm feeling a bit stressed I turn to comfort food and comfort books. Since I'm trying to change my eating habits and be healthier I dove into four regency romance novels this past week. They are quick reads for me, especially the ones I've read before, but even with their predictability, they never fail to bring me some enjoyment and allow me to escape for a moment into another world.

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson. When I was working at the Orem Public Library in Utah I was able to read this as an advanced readers copy, one that had not had the final edits in place. This is Donaldson's debut novel and she is adept at this genre. I have to put my favorite seal of approval on this one as I feel it excels above all other regency romances I've read and I have to admit I've read this one more than a few times. 

Marianne Davenport is 7 minutes younger than her twin sister, Cecilia. She has always let her sister get what she wants because of that 7 minutes. But this time there is something or someone they both want and Marianne is not about to come in second place again. Philip Wyndham is tired of young women and their mothers doing all they can to nab him and his inheritance, so he decides to run away from it all. He didn't count on meeting Marianne and is surprised that he wants to return home because of her. 

Donaldson wrote a short prequel to Edenbrooke, called Heir to Edenbrooke, which is the first few chapters of Edenbrooke from Philip's point of view. It doesn't need to be read first and is just as enjoyable. 

Recommend: Yes

Kiss of a Stranger by Sarah M. Eden. This is a bit of a far fetched story about a wealthy man who kisses a stranger to squelch the advances of another woman he abhors. The results of this kiss impact his life dramatically and also the poor woman he kissed. Eden has written scores of titles, many of which I've read. I feel she does a good job of character development, even though the plot is a bit fantastic at times. 

Recommend: Yes

An Unlikely Match by Sarah M. Eden. This is the only book of the four I read that was new to me and it was the one that I enjoyed the least. This has a bit of a fantasy edge to it, which is different than Eden's other books. Nickolas Pritchard inherits a large estate in Wales. He gladly moves in and finds that his home was actually a historic castle and it is haunted by a very persistent and beautiful ghost. Her history is a bit of a mystery, but with the help of the local vicar he finds a way to save his beautiful damsel in distress. The plot was a good one, but I didn't feel a connection between Nickolas and the ghost. 

Recommend: Maybe