Storm & Shelter

Bluestocking Belles
With Friends
Genre: 
Historical

Quiet and full of hope for the future, the village of Fenwick on Sea has suffered a terrible storm, encouraging a number of visitors and locals to mingle in ways they might otherwise have not. Among those trapped are an heiress on the run from an unsuitable suitor, rescued by a man with a mysterious past; a lord and lady searching for a French spy instead of enjoying their honeymoon; a girl bent on getting a husband with a title who falls in love with the captain of a ship; and a Scottish lord searching for the truth about his past, aided by a beautiful French comtesse. And through it all is the threat of yet another visitor whose presence everyone dreads: a reporter for the Teatime Tattler. Everyone must keep their secrets while finding love in unlikely places.

Set in the fictional village of Fenwick on Sea, “Storm & Shelter” is a superb and varied collection bound to impress a variety of Regency fans. The collection’s theme focuses on those from a higher station in life falling in love with those from a lower station. And it works, no matter the plot or trope. Though one story’s complex plot was difficult to follow at points, even it, like every other story in this anthology, is emotionally satisfying. Even better, a number of the stories reference events that happen in other tales within the collection, tying them all together. The steam level varies from story to story, with the sweeter, lower steam ones closer to the beginning, getting progressively more sensual as the reader advances through the collection. No matter the steam level, readers will swoon with the tenderness and melt at the sweetness displayed between the various couples.  “Storm and Shelter” is a wonderful collection of short stories that every fan of Regency romance will adore!

Amanda Carlisle