"A Little of Everything that makes Great Reading Year Round"
This one has a little of everything for romance readers.
Although it's considered a great Halloween romance,
CHARMED is an entertaining read all year around.
Just remember though, it is all make believe. Jayne Ann Krentz's "Bridal Jitters" has an
interesting concept. Virginia and Sam run a paranormal
business in the future. He is a ghost hunter; she is a
psychic archeologist who uses her gift to release
paranormal traps -- an equivalent to present day bombs.
They agree to marry for the business, but Virginia is
having second thoughts.
"Bridal Jitters" was an interesting short story. I
am constantly amazed at writers and their visions of the
future. Ms. Krentz has some interesting ones and at some
points I had to reread to make sure of what she was trying
to get across. But once I understood her concept of the
future, I had no problem with it. Julie Beard's "Man in the Mirror" takes the reader
in the opposite direction of CHARMED's first story. When
Kate accepts a mirror as a gift she has no idea what goes
on inside it. On this typical Halloween night, it's
storming and Kate decides to follow what she sees and finds
herself transported back in time to help a dying Knight. I found Julie Beard's writing style very pleasant to
follow. For a short story, I was impressed at how well
developed each character was. I found it to be an
interesting time-travel experience. Lori Foster writes "Tangled Dreams" as a continuance
of the four brothers who run a bar in Thomasville,
Kentucky. If you recall the oldest one Cole met his true
love in the steamy anthology HOT CHOCOLATE. Now it's
Chase's turn to find true love but it will take a couple of
ghosts and a mystery to bring it all together. Lori Foster is blazing ahead as a contemporary author. Her
writing is skillful; her characters relationships are bold
and leave nothing to the imagination. Tangled
Dreams" is a wee bit tame compared to Tangled
Sheets in HOT CHOCOLATE. "Pandora's Bottle" by Eileen Wilks is magical. John,
a stockbroker thinks he has found true love but fears Dora
will not accept him for what he truly is. Once they are at
John's old home, Dora is faced with the true desire hidden
in her soul and must make a decision that could cost her
fiancé his life. I found "Pandora's Bottle" to be an interesting,
whimsical read. It had the flare of a romantic fable with
a moral. With this story, whether she meant to or not,
Eileen Wilks points out the fact that having more than one
side to us makes us complete as a person, and we should
learn to accept it. Good writing Ms. Wilks. Brenda Sue Weeaks / April 1999
Copyright © 1999
for PNR Reviews
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted May 28, 2002
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