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nesasaenz81's review against another edition
2.0
All the stories in this book have a publishing date of 1999. I vaguely remember reading Bridal Jitters, but it was so long ago that the story was pretty much new to me. It was a little bit strange reading a book about Krentz/Castle's Harmony without the dust bunnies, though. :D I didn't care at all for Julie Beard's Man in the Mirror. Lori Foster's Tangled Dreams was a good story and Eileen Wilks' Pandora's Bottle was so-so.
sj9642's review against another edition
3.0
This book was okay - just okay. I could see how the stories were good ideas, but I don't think they were executed very well. I really didn't like the first story about ghost hunters and another planet, hence the reason it took me so long to read this.
I think I liked the Man in the Mirror story the best - I just wanted more of it. I wanted to hear more about things happening in the Dark-Ages and wanted more magical encounters with Merlin and Nimue. I felt the ending was rushed and never got to find out what happened with the seeds, but it was the one I liked best.
Story #3 was okay. I liked the idea and wanted to hear more from the other brothers - are there more stories with the other brothers? Hmmm.
Story #4 could have been great. I wanted to see more magic and romance. The characters were boring - admittedly. The ending was highly predictable but still sweet.
Over all - it was okay. Not the best, not the worst - okay.
I think I liked the Man in the Mirror story the best - I just wanted more of it. I wanted to hear more about things happening in the Dark-Ages and wanted more magical encounters with Merlin and Nimue. I felt the ending was rushed and never got to find out what happened with the seeds, but it was the one I liked best.
Story #3 was okay. I liked the idea and wanted to hear more from the other brothers - are there more stories with the other brothers? Hmmm.
Story #4 could have been great. I wanted to see more magic and romance. The characters were boring - admittedly. The ending was highly predictable but still sweet.
Over all - it was okay. Not the best, not the worst - okay.
plottrysts's review against another edition
3.0
This compendium is a mixed bag. We were looking for a Halloween romance collection, and this meets that one criterion. Other than that, the quality of the novellas is pretty mixed.
Bridal Jitters - Jayne Castle: 4 Stars. We both found this one to be the star of the collection. This is the first story set on Castle's world of "Harmony," and if you've been enjoying those novels you will probably enjoy this first foray into the world of ghost hunters and tanglers. With the marriage of convenience, treasure hunting, forced-proximity-in-a-cave, and lots and lots of amber, it's Jayne Castle to a T.
12-word summaries:
Meg: Halloween: the best night to get it on while exploring alien ruins.
Laine: Hottie ghost-hunter landlord convinces Virginia to go into business and get married.
Man in the Mirror - Julie Beard: 2 Stars. This one of the strangest romances we've ever read. Katie is an Arthurian history buff and also a medical intern. In this time travel romance novella, she gets to put both of her areas of expertise into action. And it all takes place on one Halloween night...
19-word summaries:
Laine: Does a woman want to be a doctor who saves people or a damsel in distress? Merlin knows all.
Meg: How can you tell when you’ve met The One? Only once you’ve had an affair with his distant ancestor.
Tangled Dreams - Lori Foster: 2.5 stars. This is the only actual ghost story in the compendium. Allison is living with some ghosts - ghosts who want her to get laid for REASONS. Although she's been dating a guy who's going to propose, she really wants to bone a different dude, Chase Winston. With a little help from her friends, that's just what happens in this novella.
8-word summaries:
Meg: Mind reading, ghosts, and mild bondage = lifelong love.
Laine: Get laid to get hidden treasure because ghosts.
Pandora's Bottle - Eileen Wilks: 3 stars. We thought this one had a lot of potential. The world building was scant but solid: Dora and John live in an AU where magical creatures live on reservations, but are now fighting for acceptance and human rights. Our MCs are both super straight-laced, without a hint of magic in their souls... or so they would have each other believe. Unfortunately we felt that the execution was a bit lacking, even problematic. And most disappointing of all was that although the sexual tension was high, the payoff was low.
4-word summaries:
Laine: Wordplay! Enchantment! Djinn! Hijinks!
Meg: Jack & John love Pandora.
www.linktr.ee/plottrysts
Bridal Jitters - Jayne Castle: 4 Stars. We both found this one to be the star of the collection. This is the first story set on Castle's world of "Harmony," and if you've been enjoying those novels you will probably enjoy this first foray into the world of ghost hunters and tanglers. With the marriage of convenience, treasure hunting, forced-proximity-in-a-cave, and lots and lots of amber, it's Jayne Castle to a T.
12-word summaries:
Meg: Halloween: the best night to get it on while exploring alien ruins.
Laine: Hottie ghost-hunter landlord convinces Virginia to go into business and get married.
Man in the Mirror - Julie Beard: 2 Stars. This one of the strangest romances we've ever read. Katie is an Arthurian history buff and also a medical intern. In this time travel romance novella, she gets to put both of her areas of expertise into action. And it all takes place on one Halloween night...
19-word summaries:
Laine: Does a woman want to be a doctor who saves people or a damsel in distress? Merlin knows all.
Meg: How can you tell when you’ve met The One? Only once you’ve had an affair with his distant ancestor.
Tangled Dreams - Lori Foster: 2.5 stars. This is the only actual ghost story in the compendium. Allison is living with some ghosts - ghosts who want her to get laid for REASONS. Although she's been dating a guy who's going to propose, she really wants to bone a different dude, Chase Winston. With a little help from her friends, that's just what happens in this novella.
8-word summaries:
Meg: Mind reading, ghosts, and mild bondage = lifelong love.
Laine: Get laid to get hidden treasure because ghosts.
Pandora's Bottle - Eileen Wilks: 3 stars. We thought this one had a lot of potential. The world building was scant but solid: Dora and John live in an AU where magical creatures live on reservations, but are now fighting for acceptance and human rights. Our MCs are both super straight-laced, without a hint of magic in their souls... or so they would have each other believe. Unfortunately we felt that the execution was a bit lacking, even problematic. And most disappointing of all was that although the sexual tension was high, the payoff was low.
4-word summaries:
Laine: Wordplay! Enchantment! Djinn! Hijinks!
Meg: Jack & John love Pandora.
www.linktr.ee/plottrysts
laurla's review against another edition
"bridal jitters"by jayne castle - harmony #0.5. Virginia Burch, a psychic archeologist, can't believe her luck when she meets Sam Gage, a ghost hunter. He offers her his space to live and start up her business. For professional reasons, he offers her a marriage of convenience that would lead to a very lucrative business partnership, Gage & Burch Consulting. Until something throws a wrench into the plan: the undeniable sensual energy that naturally exists between them - and a love so strong that it could wake the ghosts below.
"man in the mirror" by julie beard - "you see me as i can be, not as i have been." An ancient Britain who is a dashing knight wounded in the service of King Arthur, and a time traveling young woman meet, only to lose each other and find each other again.
"tangled dreams" by lori foster - a house haunted by two mischievous ghosts who wont leave a woman alone until she finds a passionate man.
"pandora's bottle" by eileen wilks - a woman torn between her fiance and a seductive djinn.
"man in the mirror" by julie beard - "you see me as i can be, not as i have been." An ancient Britain who is a dashing knight wounded in the service of King Arthur, and a time traveling young woman meet, only to lose each other and find each other again.
"tangled dreams" by lori foster - a house haunted by two mischievous ghosts who wont leave a woman alone until she finds a passionate man.
"pandora's bottle" by eileen wilks - a woman torn between her fiance and a seductive djinn.
shinyfox's review against another edition
3.0
Average rating: 3
Story 1 - Bridal Jitters by Jayne Castle
4/5
I really liked this particular story. It was fun and interesting to read. I enjoyed the take that the author had on what Ghosts were in the society. It was 'believable' as far as fantasy/sci-fi stories go, which made it all the more enjoyable
Story 2 - Man in the Miror by Julie Beard
3/5
This story was just 'ok' for me. It was a little unbelievable as far as fantasy/sci-fi stories go and I just couldn't get into the main character. Besides that the ending threw me -
Story 3 - Tangled Dreams by Lori Foster
2/5
I didn't like this story at all. It was not my cup of tea. It seemed like both the FMC and the MMC were manipulated by the ghosts in the story. It didn't feel 'real' to me, how they came together and eventually 'fell in love'. And throughout the story we're led to think that the MMC is into some really kinky stuff, but this is not the case. This story hit all the wrong notes and left me wondering if the last story was going to be even worse.
Story 4 - Pandora's Bottle by Eileen Wilks
3.5/5
This one was pretty darn good. I enjoyed the twist on magic and magical beings in our world and adored the idea of a Djinn tearing out the immortal part of himself to be with a mortal woman. The whole choosing thing that brides-to-be had to go through was interesting. However I was able to figure out how this story would end about 1/3 of the way through it. Love, love, loved Jack and would be interested in reading stories/books about him when he was younger.
Story 1 - Bridal Jitters by Jayne Castle
4/5
I really liked this particular story. It was fun and interesting to read. I enjoyed the take that the author had on what Ghosts were in the society. It was 'believable' as far as fantasy/sci-fi stories go, which made it all the more enjoyable
Story 2 - Man in the Miror by Julie Beard
3/5
This story was just 'ok' for me. It was a little unbelievable as far as fantasy/sci-fi stories go and I just couldn't get into the main character. Besides that the ending threw me -
Spoiler
The fact that she fell in love with the 'MMC' of the book and then left him back in his time so he could do whatever knightly stuff he had to, and THEN fell in love with one of his decedents? It was strange and I didn't really like it. It seemed like it might have been 'fake' love the way she latched onto his descendent. I took that part of the book as if she latched onto 'Stan' since she couldn't have Tristan.Story 3 - Tangled Dreams by Lori Foster
2/5
I didn't like this story at all. It was not my cup of tea. It seemed like both the FMC and the MMC were manipulated by the ghosts in the story. It didn't feel 'real' to me, how they came together and eventually 'fell in love'. And throughout the story we're led to think that the MMC is into some really kinky stuff, but this is not the case. This story hit all the wrong notes and left me wondering if the last story was going to be even worse.
Story 4 - Pandora's Bottle by Eileen Wilks
3.5/5
This one was pretty darn good. I enjoyed the twist on magic and magical beings in our world and adored the idea of a Djinn tearing out the immortal part of himself to be with a mortal woman. The whole choosing thing that brides-to-be had to go through was interesting. However I was able to figure out how this story would end about 1/3 of the way through it. Love, love, loved Jack and would be interested in reading stories/books about him when he was younger.
prationality's review
4.0
The Charmed anthology brings together four stylistically different authors under one common theme: romance at Halloween. Jayne Ann Krentz (writing as Jayne Castle, her futuristic romance pseudonym) takes us into the future to the novella that began her Harmony series of books, Lori Foster gives a passionate spin to treasure hunting and ghosts with a story that's part of her Winston brothers novellas, Julie Beard travels back in time to King Arthur and Eileen Wilks has a slightly gothic flair to a paranormal contemporary with djinn and witches.
Of the four stories I definitely enjoyed Castle's the best. I've been a fan of her Harmony books for several years now, but had not read this particular novella. There's less cohesion to the world, with more flair for the dramatic then usually found in the books, but the couple Sam Gage and Virginia Burch are sizzling. It was fun to see the guy so uncertain about where he stands with a woman and wanting love, not just sex. Virginia, also wanting love, but willing to settle for the sex if need be, is feisty and stubborn, but their respect for each other is apparent.
Foster's was the hottest of the four and gives the phrase 'grand passion' a literal meaning. I loved Allison. Hands down she was entertaining. Casually arguing with a ghost while trying to keep her wayward--and explicit--thoughts to herself and battle the flirtations of her long time crush sparked some interesting comments. Chase was very aggressive at first, but its understandable given the amount of frustration he must have been feeling. There was an unnecessary thread, involving an ex of Allison's, that was just kind of there as added 'danger' at the end, but overall this was a fun and often amusing story.
I enjoyed Beard's story the least of all the stories included. It was too pat, too predictable. It started out really well, with a crazy fortune-telling lady and misfortune and Woden's Curse, but devolved into a standard romance rather quickly. Tristan is entirely too nice and understanding for a guy in King Arthur's time, Katherine takes her time traveling really well (as well as the marauding Saxons) and the development of their relationship is pretty much off screen so to speak. Various mystics tell them both, about each other before they meet so they're already pre-disposed to falling in love. There is a clever trickery of words used, but even then the romance that develops from that is just so-so.
Wilks' story was a little confusing, and involved more psychological thinking then I usually like in a romance, but it was pretty basic. Dora and John, two seemingly dependable and staid people, are hiding secrets from each other. Which turns out to be an issue since Dora's secret puts her at risk because of John's secret and both together just makes them combustible. There was more wordplay trickery involved in here, which was funny but not discussed overmuch. The ending is a little abrupt with the consequences of their actions occurring and then lovely discussion begins, but it was fun. Plus I like romances involving djinns.
Overall this collection was entertaining and fun, but other then Jayne Castle I don't believe I'd read any of the other authors separate works based upon what I read here.
Of the four stories I definitely enjoyed Castle's the best. I've been a fan of her Harmony books for several years now, but had not read this particular novella. There's less cohesion to the world, with more flair for the dramatic then usually found in the books, but the couple Sam Gage and Virginia Burch are sizzling. It was fun to see the guy so uncertain about where he stands with a woman and wanting love, not just sex. Virginia, also wanting love, but willing to settle for the sex if need be, is feisty and stubborn, but their respect for each other is apparent.
Foster's was the hottest of the four and gives the phrase 'grand passion' a literal meaning. I loved Allison. Hands down she was entertaining. Casually arguing with a ghost while trying to keep her wayward--and explicit--thoughts to herself and battle the flirtations of her long time crush sparked some interesting comments. Chase was very aggressive at first, but its understandable given the amount of frustration he must have been feeling. There was an unnecessary thread, involving an ex of Allison's, that was just kind of there as added 'danger' at the end, but overall this was a fun and often amusing story.
I enjoyed Beard's story the least of all the stories included. It was too pat, too predictable. It started out really well, with a crazy fortune-telling lady and misfortune and Woden's Curse, but devolved into a standard romance rather quickly. Tristan is entirely too nice and understanding for a guy in King Arthur's time, Katherine takes her time traveling really well (as well as the marauding Saxons) and the development of their relationship is pretty much off screen so to speak. Various mystics tell them both, about each other before they meet so they're already pre-disposed to falling in love. There is a clever trickery of words used, but even then the romance that develops from that is just so-so.
Wilks' story was a little confusing, and involved more psychological thinking then I usually like in a romance, but it was pretty basic. Dora and John, two seemingly dependable and staid people, are hiding secrets from each other. Which turns out to be an issue since Dora's secret puts her at risk because of John's secret and both together just makes them combustible. There was more wordplay trickery involved in here, which was funny but not discussed overmuch. The ending is a little abrupt with the consequences of their actions occurring and then lovely discussion begins, but it was fun. Plus I like romances involving djinns.
Overall this collection was entertaining and fun, but other then Jayne Castle I don't believe I'd read any of the other authors separate works based upon what I read here.
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