Summer House Party

Summer House Party included three distinct and satisfying romantic tales. All three novellas were engaging but "The Pauper's House Party" was laugh out loud funny - I had to recite small bits to help my husband understand my sentiment. I received a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Note: I received a complimentary copy for an honest review. An Engagement of Convenience Regina Scott 12 chapters Katherine (Kitty) Chapworth is destined to be a spinster. In the meantime, she's a chaperone to her cousins until they are safely married. She realizes that her services are nearly to an end since she's now a chaperone to her last cousin. As the story begins, she's poised to thwart an unsuitable suitor from running off with her cousin, Lucy, to elope. In the process of confronting the young gentleman, a face from the past appears. None other than Quentin Adair. Quentin has returned after an absence of 10 years. He's returned to settle the score with Kitty's uncle who has been interfering with his business dealings. He never expected to see Kitty again - still single. This is a wonderful tale full of well developed characters. There's an element of suspense about Kitty's uncle as well as a second chance romance. 5 stars **************************** A Perfect Match Donna Hatch 11 chapters Genevieve Marshall is traveling to visit her friend, Matilda Widtsoe. Matilda believes herself in love with a particular gentleman and wants Genevieve to approve of the match. Christian Amesbury simply believes that he's been commissioned to paint a portrait, yet he soon realizes that the young woman he's supposed to paint has created an attachment towards him. And, worse yet, he's interested in her friend! This is an odd sort of love triangle that didn't completely work. There's also the introduction of Lord Wickburgh. Unfortunately, he's never fully fleshed out. I tried to like this story more, but it didn't come together as well as the others. 3 stars **************************** The Paupers' House Party Sarah M. Eden 11 chapters + Epilogue This is a fun, totally new twist of a story to me. An eccentric, wealthy couple decide to host a party where they've only invited the poor and destitute. They will select one of them to inherit their entire estate. Even though it's not wholly realistic, I enjoyed it and found the characters fully developed. I also loved the development of the romance. While reading this, I found myself feeling emotional as well as laughing out loud. Finally, I appreciated the sense of family sticking together and supporting each other. 5 stars Overall rating - 5 stars