rjordan19's review
5.0
Kissing and Other Scandalous Pastimes by Thyra Dane, T. L. Clark, Lara Temple, Riana Everly, Rachel Ann Smith, Alexie Bolton, Catherine Stein, Chele MacCabe, S. L. Hollister, and Miranda Jameson of The Romance Cafe
I adore The Romance Cafe's anthologies, and when I heard they were making an exclusively historical one, I was over the moon. All proceeds go to breast cancer research and it's a great opportunity for established and new authors to get a story out there for people to enjoy.
These are all short stories based in winter/Christmas time. It's so nice during the busy holidays to have a short story to finish before bed. This is a great mix of steam, characters, and plots. I'm sure you'll find a favorite in at least one of these ten stories.
5 stars
THE CHALLENGE – A VIKING ROMANCE BY THYRA DANE
Sigh. Vikings. Yes please.
Borghild meets her childhood nemisis again, except this time he's the jarl and demanding marriage. Eivind is arrogant, ready to be a leader, yet hasn't stopped to ask what Borghild wants in this situation. Borghild is sassy and funny, she can take care of herself and is a perfect match for Eivind. Eivand is all man, yet is so tender toward Borghild. She challenges him to a holmgang.
I adored this story. Laughed out loud at their antics, loved the viking culture, loved their banter. The bath scene was gloriously funny and sexy. The ramps had me giggling.
This one was steamy!
A HAVERTON CHRISTMAS BY T. L. CLARK
Lady Caroline has tried to appease her parents, but failed miserably acquiring a husband during the season. This sweet regency was a nice escape into the Christmas season where she finally experiences love with Lord Borrington.
This is a first person historical, which gave it a totally different feel for me as I usually read third person. I loved the details given to the traditions and lifestyle of the time. I felt I was there decorating and celebrating Boxing Day. Very sweet story.
Low steam.
WREXHAM'S WINTER SCANDAL BY LARA TEMPLE
I find myself loving Lara Temple's writing. I am totally sucked in. Love the descriptions and dialogue, she's funny, witty, and her characters come to life for me.
Thea and Lucas have a history, but that's ten years past and done with. He's been at war, but has unexpectedly come into the title to become Lord Wrexham. She's been living with her cousin and unpleasant Aunt while trying to raise and protect her family. Being thrown together after a decade has its surprises for both of them.
Low steam.
SWEETS FOR MY SWEET BY RIANA EVERLY
Daniel and Estie are just meant to be together. However, with cultural and class differences dividing their families, they struggle to see how it can work.
I rarely have come across a historical romance so immersed in another culture/religion. It was so refreshing to read about families that are Jewish and celebrate chanukah. The details of the food and traditions were fun to experience.
Low steam.
A TEST OF LOVE BY RACHEL ANN SMITH
Dorinda has been in love with Benedict and all of his peculiar habits forever. But Benedict needs a little pushing to realize what's right in front of him. This story has fun characters and a bit of action. I'm thinking the hero has a form of OCD? Totally unique character, haven't read that before.
Low steam.
DECEIT AND DESIRE BY ALEXIE BOLTON
Tamara is tired of her suspicions about her sick father's abuse being ignored. She reaches out to von Hontzen. Finally a doctor that takes her seriously. They are pulled together by attraction and held together by danger and intrigue. Plenty of action and suspense in this one.
MISHAPS & MISTLETOE BY CATHERINE STEIN
This story takes place in steampunk Victorian England, where potions can be used to enhance your mood, give you energy, make you more alluring...the sky is the limit if you have the money to pay. Mabel is over dancing with only her siblings husbands. For once she wants to forget her horrible nickname and truly enjoy a ball. When a too many loving friends and family try to help her, she is carried away by a herd of stampeding men. She escapes right into the arms of Drew, an 'Egyptologist' and long time friend.
I'd like to note that I adore that Stein's chapters have names and aren't just numbers. I love when authors do that.
This story was amazing. Stein's characters fly off the page with spunk and personality. This story was fun, funny, fast paced, sexy, it was PERFECT. I loved it. I adored how Drew professes his love.
This one was steamy!
MARRIED BY CHELE MACCABE
This was a quick, fun, sexy story about Birdie, an upstairs maid at Biltmore Estate and her love for Jason, who runs the general store in town. The thing I loved about this was it explored all the giddiness, fun, excitement, and nervousness of getting married. It seems in so many of the novels I read, it's an after thought at the end of the book, or it's an arranged marriage where they don't know each other or hate each other at the beginning of the book. I loved feeling Birdie's excitement in this story.
This one was steamy!
IF ONLY IN MY DREAMS BY S. L. HOLLISTER
Lydia and Jeremy have a love that's meant to last. Taking place during WWII, I adored this story. I don't think I've ever read a romance set during this time and Hollister does an amazing job storytelling their relationship and the war interfering. It's given to you in bits and pieces that totally pull you in. Lydia is a strong woman, I admire her so much for joining the war as a nurse. Jeremy is her perfect match, especially for supporting her in her dreams. Lovely story.
This one was steamy!
AN UNSUITABLE MATCH BY MIRANDA JAMESON
Felicity, or Fliss, has come to India to find what happened to her lost love, Jai. Surprisingly, she finds him not only hale and hearty, but annoyed by her desertion. Both of them are confused, hurt, and angry until they are able to see each other again and talk. Soon they find who was behind trying to pull them apart.
I'm always a sucker for stories that take place in India. They just totally pull me in. The lure of the markets, bright colors, animals. I loved this story so much. The different cultures and customs coming together in love. Also takes place after WWII, a new time for me to read about. Jameson does amazing with an emotional pull in the story.
This one was steamy!
My favorites of the anthology were The Challenge by Thyra Dane, Mishaps and Mistletoe by Catherine Stein, and An Unsuitable Match by Miranda Jameson. Funny, sexy....but great job everyone. A nice mix of everything.
I adore The Romance Cafe's anthologies, and when I heard they were making an exclusively historical one, I was over the moon. All proceeds go to breast cancer research and it's a great opportunity for established and new authors to get a story out there for people to enjoy.
These are all short stories based in winter/Christmas time. It's so nice during the busy holidays to have a short story to finish before bed. This is a great mix of steam, characters, and plots. I'm sure you'll find a favorite in at least one of these ten stories.
5 stars
THE CHALLENGE – A VIKING ROMANCE BY THYRA DANE
Sigh. Vikings. Yes please.
Borghild meets her childhood nemisis again, except this time he's the jarl and demanding marriage. Eivind is arrogant, ready to be a leader, yet hasn't stopped to ask what Borghild wants in this situation. Borghild is sassy and funny, she can take care of herself and is a perfect match for Eivind. Eivand is all man, yet is so tender toward Borghild. She challenges him to a holmgang.
I adored this story. Laughed out loud at their antics, loved the viking culture, loved their banter. The bath scene was gloriously funny and sexy. The ramps had me giggling.
This one was steamy!
A HAVERTON CHRISTMAS BY T. L. CLARK
Lady Caroline has tried to appease her parents, but failed miserably acquiring a husband during the season. This sweet regency was a nice escape into the Christmas season where she finally experiences love with Lord Borrington.
This is a first person historical, which gave it a totally different feel for me as I usually read third person. I loved the details given to the traditions and lifestyle of the time. I felt I was there decorating and celebrating Boxing Day. Very sweet story.
Low steam.
WREXHAM'S WINTER SCANDAL BY LARA TEMPLE
I find myself loving Lara Temple's writing. I am totally sucked in. Love the descriptions and dialogue, she's funny, witty, and her characters come to life for me.
Thea and Lucas have a history, but that's ten years past and done with. He's been at war, but has unexpectedly come into the title to become Lord Wrexham. She's been living with her cousin and unpleasant Aunt while trying to raise and protect her family. Being thrown together after a decade has its surprises for both of them.
Low steam.
SWEETS FOR MY SWEET BY RIANA EVERLY
Daniel and Estie are just meant to be together. However, with cultural and class differences dividing their families, they struggle to see how it can work.
I rarely have come across a historical romance so immersed in another culture/religion. It was so refreshing to read about families that are Jewish and celebrate chanukah. The details of the food and traditions were fun to experience.
Low steam.
A TEST OF LOVE BY RACHEL ANN SMITH
Dorinda has been in love with Benedict and all of his peculiar habits forever. But Benedict needs a little pushing to realize what's right in front of him. This story has fun characters and a bit of action. I'm thinking the hero has a form of OCD? Totally unique character, haven't read that before.
Low steam.
DECEIT AND DESIRE BY ALEXIE BOLTON
Tamara is tired of her suspicions about her sick father's abuse being ignored. She reaches out to von Hontzen. Finally a doctor that takes her seriously. They are pulled together by attraction and held together by danger and intrigue. Plenty of action and suspense in this one.
MISHAPS & MISTLETOE BY CATHERINE STEIN
This story takes place in steampunk Victorian England, where potions can be used to enhance your mood, give you energy, make you more alluring...the sky is the limit if you have the money to pay. Mabel is over dancing with only her siblings husbands. For once she wants to forget her horrible nickname and truly enjoy a ball. When a too many loving friends and family try to help her, she is carried away by a herd of stampeding men. She escapes right into the arms of Drew, an 'Egyptologist' and long time friend.
I'd like to note that I adore that Stein's chapters have names and aren't just numbers. I love when authors do that.
This story was amazing. Stein's characters fly off the page with spunk and personality. This story was fun, funny, fast paced, sexy, it was PERFECT. I loved it. I adored how Drew professes his love.
This one was steamy!
MARRIED BY CHELE MACCABE
This was a quick, fun, sexy story about Birdie, an upstairs maid at Biltmore Estate and her love for Jason, who runs the general store in town. The thing I loved about this was it explored all the giddiness, fun, excitement, and nervousness of getting married. It seems in so many of the novels I read, it's an after thought at the end of the book, or it's an arranged marriage where they don't know each other or hate each other at the beginning of the book. I loved feeling Birdie's excitement in this story.
This one was steamy!
IF ONLY IN MY DREAMS BY S. L. HOLLISTER
Lydia and Jeremy have a love that's meant to last. Taking place during WWII, I adored this story. I don't think I've ever read a romance set during this time and Hollister does an amazing job storytelling their relationship and the war interfering. It's given to you in bits and pieces that totally pull you in. Lydia is a strong woman, I admire her so much for joining the war as a nurse. Jeremy is her perfect match, especially for supporting her in her dreams. Lovely story.
This one was steamy!
AN UNSUITABLE MATCH BY MIRANDA JAMESON
Felicity, or Fliss, has come to India to find what happened to her lost love, Jai. Surprisingly, she finds him not only hale and hearty, but annoyed by her desertion. Both of them are confused, hurt, and angry until they are able to see each other again and talk. Soon they find who was behind trying to pull them apart.
I'm always a sucker for stories that take place in India. They just totally pull me in. The lure of the markets, bright colors, animals. I loved this story so much. The different cultures and customs coming together in love. Also takes place after WWII, a new time for me to read about. Jameson does amazing with an emotional pull in the story.
This one was steamy!
My favorites of the anthology were The Challenge by Thyra Dane, Mishaps and Mistletoe by Catherine Stein, and An Unsuitable Match by Miranda Jameson. Funny, sexy....but great job everyone. A nice mix of everything.
cakt1991's review
4.0
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review. All opinions are my own.
Kissing and Other Scandalous Pastimes is The Romance Cafe’s first foray into historical romance, with all their previous anthologies being contemporary. As such, I had a bit more awareness, even if it was on a superficial level , about what at least a couple of the authors were writing about.
As a whole, I enjoyed the diversity of the collection, as while there are a few Regency stories, there are not only a couple unique takes on that subgenre, but a few subgenres that I either haven’t read, like medieval Viking romance, or periods that tend to be relegated to the realm of mainstream historical fiction, like World War II.
One of my favorites is, unsurprisingly, Catherine Stein’s magic-infused contribution, Mishaps and Mistletoe. It perfectly captured all the elements it was going for, from holiday cheer (the structuring is just delightful in setting that tone!) to the tension of whether longtime friends will admit their love, and also perfectly displaying Andrew’s heroics as he defends Mabel from harm.
An Unsuitable Match by Miranda Jameson is another standout, taking place after the end of World War II and dealing with the conflict of Indian independence and the partition of India and Pakistan. Both Felicity and Jai are such wonderful characters that I rooted for, in spite of the obstacles from both of their parents keeping them apart, tackling racism and class/caste division.
Riana Everly’s Sweets for My Sweet is also memorable for tackling similar issues, thing time with a Jewish MC. I rooted for Daniel and Estie to have their HEA, in spite of the pressures put on her to adhere to her family’s expectations to marry within their own traditions. And it’s all too rare to find holiday romances that don’t center around Christmas, much less Chanukah, so I enjoyed reading about those observances.
As an introduction to Viking romance, Thyra Dane’s The Challenge is excellent, particularly for its hero, Eivind. I love that the story shows him atoning for a past mistake against Borghild, and in spite of some of the elements of the blurb that troubled me, he’s actually incredibly sweet and not troubled by toxic masculinity, which has become a stereotype for many similar books in the subgenre. And he has a perfect match in Borghild, a strong woman whose inner beauty radiates outward.
If Only In My Dreams by S.L. Hollister is wonderful, in that it shows that World War II, in spite of all the tragic connotations, can be romantic. I admired Lydia’s commitment to being a nurse while Jeremy served in the military, and
A Haverton Christmas by TL Clark is perhaps the best paced of the bunch, working with a bit of mistaken identity, as the still-single Lady Caroline failed to find a husband. It was delightful to observe from her perspective her meeting a mysterious, yet seemingly unsuitable man and falling for him, and then progressing to the reveal of who he really is.
Lord Wrexham’s Winter Scandal is fun, if a little predictable, and not one that will stick with me a ton, in comparison to some of the others. I did enjoy seeing two reunited lovers come back together, and was stunned at the reasoning behind Thea’ guardian’s rejection of Lucas.
Married by Chele McCabe has a lovely concept, but while it’s great to have the characters in the real life Biltmore estate and the historical elements of Birdie and Jason’s respective positions in the story, I did find the story went on a bit long with the whole process of getting married.
One of the weak spots, in my opinion, is A Test of Love by Rachel Ann Smith. I am intrigued by her other work, and noted a tie-in almost immediately to the blurbs for one of her other novellas. However, the story felt predictable, because it features a hard-to-please alphahole duke, who has a massive list of requirements for duchess, then decides (with no real reasoning) that the unsuitble woman he loves is worth it after all. I wish it had been longer for her to give him a test of love, because, as usual, these noblemen seem to do the bare minimum to make things up to the women they previously considered beneath them, and still get the girl anyway.
I unfortunately DNFed one of the stories, Deceit and Desire by Alexie Bolton. The premise was intriguing, but it failed to keep me fully invested. I don’t think this is a mark against the story per se, it just didn’t work for me.
Like the more recent Romacne Cafe collection, it has its highs and lows, and it’s possible some may be different based on personal preference. Either way, this is perhaps one of the most unique historical anthologies I’ve read, with some true gems included. If you’re a fan of historical romance, there is likely going to be something that suits your tastes in this collection. And as always with Romance Cafe anthologies, you’re also supporting breast cancer research.
Kissing and Other Scandalous Pastimes is The Romance Cafe’s first foray into historical romance, with all their previous anthologies being contemporary. As such, I had a bit more awareness, even if it was on a superficial level , about what at least a couple of the authors were writing about.
As a whole, I enjoyed the diversity of the collection, as while there are a few Regency stories, there are not only a couple unique takes on that subgenre, but a few subgenres that I either haven’t read, like medieval Viking romance, or periods that tend to be relegated to the realm of mainstream historical fiction, like World War II.
One of my favorites is, unsurprisingly, Catherine Stein’s magic-infused contribution, Mishaps and Mistletoe. It perfectly captured all the elements it was going for, from holiday cheer (the structuring is just delightful in setting that tone!) to the tension of whether longtime friends will admit their love, and also perfectly displaying Andrew’s heroics as he defends Mabel from harm.
An Unsuitable Match by Miranda Jameson is another standout, taking place after the end of World War II and dealing with the conflict of Indian independence and the partition of India and Pakistan. Both Felicity and Jai are such wonderful characters that I rooted for, in spite of the obstacles from both of their parents keeping them apart, tackling racism and class/caste division.
Riana Everly’s Sweets for My Sweet is also memorable for tackling similar issues, thing time with a Jewish MC. I rooted for Daniel and Estie to have their HEA, in spite of the pressures put on her to adhere to her family’s expectations to marry within their own traditions. And it’s all too rare to find holiday romances that don’t center around Christmas, much less Chanukah, so I enjoyed reading about those observances.
As an introduction to Viking romance, Thyra Dane’s The Challenge is excellent, particularly for its hero, Eivind. I love that the story shows him atoning for a past mistake against Borghild, and in spite of some of the elements of the blurb that troubled me, he’s actually incredibly sweet and not troubled by toxic masculinity, which has become a stereotype for many similar books in the subgenre. And he has a perfect match in Borghild, a strong woman whose inner beauty radiates outward.
If Only In My Dreams by S.L. Hollister is wonderful, in that it shows that World War II, in spite of all the tragic connotations, can be romantic. I admired Lydia’s commitment to being a nurse while Jeremy served in the military, and
A Haverton Christmas by TL Clark is perhaps the best paced of the bunch, working with a bit of mistaken identity, as the still-single Lady Caroline failed to find a husband. It was delightful to observe from her perspective her meeting a mysterious, yet seemingly unsuitable man and falling for him, and then progressing to the reveal of who he really is.
Lord Wrexham’s Winter Scandal is fun, if a little predictable, and not one that will stick with me a ton, in comparison to some of the others. I did enjoy seeing two reunited lovers come back together, and was stunned at the reasoning behind Thea’ guardian’s rejection of Lucas.
Married by Chele McCabe has a lovely concept, but while it’s great to have the characters in the real life Biltmore estate and the historical elements of Birdie and Jason’s respective positions in the story, I did find the story went on a bit long with the whole process of getting married.
One of the weak spots, in my opinion, is A Test of Love by Rachel Ann Smith. I am intrigued by her other work, and noted a tie-in almost immediately to the blurbs for one of her other novellas. However, the story felt predictable, because it features a hard-to-please alphahole duke, who has a massive list of requirements for duchess, then decides (with no real reasoning) that the unsuitble woman he loves is worth it after all. I wish it had been longer for her to give him a test of love, because, as usual, these noblemen seem to do the bare minimum to make things up to the women they previously considered beneath them, and still get the girl anyway.
I unfortunately DNFed one of the stories, Deceit and Desire by Alexie Bolton. The premise was intriguing, but it failed to keep me fully invested. I don’t think this is a mark against the story per se, it just didn’t work for me.
Like the more recent Romacne Cafe collection, it has its highs and lows, and it’s possible some may be different based on personal preference. Either way, this is perhaps one of the most unique historical anthologies I’ve read, with some true gems included. If you’re a fan of historical romance, there is likely going to be something that suits your tastes in this collection. And as always with Romance Cafe anthologies, you’re also supporting breast cancer research.
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