A Christmas Abduction - dnf-ed halfway through bc i was very much bored

This anthology has 3 novellas all taking place during winter. One story each by Madeline Hunter, Sabrina Jeffries, and Mary Jo Putney

A CHRISTMAS ABDUCTION by Madeline Hunter

The heroine abducts the hero and keeps him hostage due to some information she has about him. Their relationship forms during his 'imprisonment'. There are a few twists and turns in the this story that keep it a bit more interesting.

I think I am the only person that didn't like this story. The premise was definitely different, but I could not understand how the heroine could begin to form feelings, or do anything physically with the hero, thinking what she was thinking in the beginning. I can't say their conversations brought me butterflies or anything, in fact it was a lot of just boring or downright negative dialogue. I get that the heroine has reason to not like the hero in the beginning, but I don't understand how there was any chance of them having feelings for each other. I found the heroine completely unlikable and couldn't understand any of her actions. I didn't see how the hero had come to care for her. I would give this story alone 2 stars, but perhaps it was just a character disconnect with me personally.

A PERFECT MATCH by Sabrina Jeffries

I completely adored this novella. I didn't realize it would be a continuation of her Duke Dynasty series (Book one being Project Duchess) so was extra excited to have another story from that family tree. This story is about Heywood and Cass.

Heywood needs an heiress so he can restore his home upon his return from being an officer. Cass has become an expert at avoiding fortune hunters by keeping her dowry a secret and vowing to marry only for love. This story is just fun, past faced, and well developed for a novella. I feel like I am right in with the family getting ready for the holidays. Sabrina Jeffries characters come to live and have bursting personalities, even the secondary characters. 5 stars

ONE WICKED WINTER'S NIGHT by Mary Jo Putney

I loved that the beginning of this novella took place in India. Wish I got to see a bit more of Diana's time there. She returns to London after receiving a letter from her favorite niece and realizing it's time to go home. Upon her return, she meets a dashing corsair at a masquerade ball who turns out to be her lost love and the reason she fled England years ago.
I really enjoyed this novella. It actually felt like a full story. I usually don't like where the hero and heroine have a previous history because I feel like I'm missing things but with this it worked really well. The story felt full bodied, I loved the characters including the secondary ones and adored the Panda and the Spook.

My only complaint about this, which probably would be another positive if I was caught up with Putney's work, was this novella also felt rather like a giant epilogue for all the characters of the Rogue's Redeemed series. So if you have read those, this is wonderful to see all the characters again I'm sure. As it was, it made me feel extremely curious about their stories, as I've only read the first in the series. 5 stars

So overall a great set of stories, especially to curl up with this fall/winter.

I was able to receive an ARC copy complimentary from netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I only read the first two stories in this novella.

A CHRISTMAS ABDUCTION by Madeline Hunter

Adam, Baron Thornhill gets abducted by a woman. He thinks he's been abducted as revenge because his cousin put their breeding horses down after illness swept through them. Only, no. It's actually because he supposedly seduced her sister and got her with child. She plans to force them to marry. Adam is pretty sure he's never met her sister, but he can't be sure because he is something of a rake.

They're attracted to each other. So they keep kissing. How is this a thing? You think he's a rake who seduced and abandoned your sister. You are literally holding him hostage to marry her, but you let him kiss and fondle you anyway? Gross.

Spoiler

Naturally it turns out he didn't seduce her sister (no surprise there) but the fact that she let him seduce her when she thought he got her sister with child, to say nothing of the fact that she intended for them to marry and that would mean she kissed and was groped by her sister's husband? No. Just no.

A PERFECT MATCH by Sabrina Jeffries

Cass is an heiress who is determined to keep her fortune a secret so she can marry for love. Lord Heywood needs a fortune to restore the property he inherited. He intends to court her cousin, Kitty, but it's Cass he wants.

I really disliked the fact that Cass hid her fortune for as long as she did, but more importantly I disliked how Heywood reacted when he found out about it. I wasn't loving the story up to that point, and his giant man-tantrum didn't help matters.

I may read the MJP at some point, but I'm setting it aside for now.

A Christmas Abduction by Madeline Hunter
Adam Prescott, Baron Thornhill, is expecting to spend his Christmas at his cousin's house avoiding marriage to an eligible heiress who is after his title. He's not expecting to be kidnapped off the coach and taken to a remote location. He's also surprised that one of the two kidnappers is a woman. A very attractive woman. Either way, he's pretty comfortable because he knows that they are going to be disappointed. No one will pay any sort of ransom for him. Even when he finds out that it's about more than money, he knows that he's innocent of the accusation being leveled at him. At least, he's pretty sure he is...
An okay story. Adam seemed like a decent hero but I wish we had gotten to know Caroline a little bit more.
Three stars

A Perfect Match by Sabrina Jeffries
I have been excited for this short story since I read a preview at the end of Project Duchess. Cass is just trying to protect her young cousin from a rogue, Captain Malet. Several characters try to tell her that she is jealous of her cousin's youth (Cass isn't that old, just poised) and fortune (Cass is also an heiress but doesn't want anyone to know because she's been burned before. At a ball, she is startled to learn that she is not the only one suspicious of her cousin's suitor, Kitty's brother has sent an emissary in the form of Colonel Lord Heywood Wolfe to protect her. When Heywood believes that Malet is going to whisk Kitty away to Gretna Green, he decides to steal both ladies away first.
Like Project Duchess, this story was great for the first 3/4 and then falters. The last Big Misunderstanding didn't need to be there and seemed antithetic to Heywood's character.
Three and a half stars

One Wicked Winter's Nightby Mary Jo Putney
Years ago, Anthony fell in love with a woman who was a little bit older than he but when he proposed marriage, she told him he wasn't grown-up enough yet. It didn't quite break his heart but it definitely made him think twice about marriage. And now that he's a duke, women are knocking down doors to get to him. So, while he's sort of thinking about marriage, he is definitely thinking about it once he realizes that the veiled woman dancing an exotic dance at the home of his sister's friend is his long ago love, Diana.
A nice story that built characters nicely considering it was so short.
Four stars

~ ARC provided by NetGalley ~
I used to read these kinds if romances all the time as a teenager. Every now and then I read one again and this definitely reminded me why I love them so much. They're just good easy reads - light hearted and put you in a good mood. ♡

Three lovely novella, engrossing and entertaining, with just one issue: they're too short and wanted to read more about this characters.
I love all of them and I discovered two new to me authors and I will surely read other works by them.
i liked the atmosphere, the well described historical background and rooted for the characters.
It was a very pleasant read.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.