Nice collection of historical romance novellas.

One Starlit Night is my first ever encounter with Caroline Jewel, and the experience was positive. The ending felt rushed, especially since the amount of sexual encounters took space from rest of the story, but mostly I loved her bit.

Courtney Milan never fails when it comes to novellas. She really knows how to structure a story, and her plots are refreshingly different from so many historicals. She often writes about women's rights in different situations, which I usually enjoy. This time, however, I felt there was too much fingerpointing going on. That's my only complaint concerning What Happened at Midnight.

Dance in Moonlight proved once again, that Sherry Thomas is one of those hit-or-miss authors for me. This was a miss. The storyline was over the top melodramatic, yet the plot points turned out flat. I liked what I think she set out to do, though, and that's why the anthology gets four stars instead of three and a half. ( )

This anthology has three stories set in the same country house over a span of ~70 years. I especially like that the heroine sets out a sapling rowan tree in the first story, and by the third it's become a spreading shade tree.

All three stories are top-notch, as would be expected from these authors. Sherry Thomas's story is a sequel to [b:Ravishing the Heiress|13051602|Ravishing the Heiress (Fitzhugh Trilogy, #2)|Sherry Thomas|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1326225990s/13051602.jpg|18216417], and the heroine is the jilted mistress from that story. It sounds so intriguing that I'll have to go back and read the book. ( )

Midnight Scandals is the ARe Cafe top pick in historical romance for January.

One Starlit Night by Carolyn Jewel – Crispin Hope, fourth Viscount Northwood, and Portia Temple had been friends since they were children, but according to Portia’s new sister-in-law it is unseemly for her to address the man she had called her best friend so informally, and it would not do for her to show him anything other than a proper lady’s notice. Crispin had once thought his desires for Portia had finally been extinguished, but now, as her brother’s patron, he is thrust back into her company. There is nothing more he wants than to finally claim her. Their past, twisted by of the words of others, put them on a painful path without each other. The past threatens to repeat itself when yet another person forces their opinions and decisions upon them.

What Happened at Midnight by Courtney Milan – Mary Chartley had to keep her head up and deal with her father’s business partners. She had to stay strong and find a way to escape their wrath, especially when her fiancé was one of her accusers. John Mason believed Mary when she said she knew nothing of the money her dad had embezzled before he committed suicide, but it changed the direction of his life with the beauty, despite his desire for her still. Her disappearance only strengthens his resolve that she was a part of the deceit.

A Dance in the Moonlight by Sherry Thomas – Isabelle Englewood had her life upended when her beloved was taken from her and her life’s path altered completely. When he admits that the child bride he had been forced to marry instead of her had captured his heart, she is heartbroken all over again. Seeing a man who looks like Fitz come up the lane to the house she had rented seemed like her dreams had come true. She launched herself into his arms but what should have been a rekindling of hearts was suddenly something very different, and with a man nothing alike her Fitz. Ralston Fitzwilliam never thought he would get over the death of his bride. Eight years later, he stumbles into the arms of a most compelling woman and is trapped by her kiss. Her reasons behind the kiss might be purely selfish, but she aroused something he had long held dormant.

I decided to make this anthology my recommended read this month because I fell in love with the tales as they intersected in a very unique way. I loved how the three independent authors wove their stories together while placing them decades apart. They shared one location that made their tales even more fun to follow. The reintroduction of Lady Northwood later on in Mary’s story was very funny and was one of my favorite moments in the anthology. Take a chance on this story. Three very strong women find their loves after dealing with their own personal misunderstandings, be he someone from their past or one that bears a striking resemblance to the one that got away. ( )

This was the rare anthology where all the stories were great. The Milan story was the weakest, and I'd still call it an above average read. Carolyn Jewel's story was my favorite. The longing and regret was off the charts. ( )

While not my favorite shorts out these authors, it's hard to go wrong with these particular writers. I'm not a huge fan of the lovers reunited trope, so while I can't claim to love the anthology, I still ended up enjoying the stories. ( )