It Happened One Season - Anthology

I had previously read the anthology where these four authors fist combined their efforts. When I heard they were doing a second anthology I was immediately interested but I disappointed with the theme they chose and that is why it took me so long to pick it up.

The Seduction of Sebastian Trantor, by Stephanie Laurens

This was the first I read and it worked out better than I thought. I liked that the hero was upfront with the heroine's parents but I had a hard time believing she was a wallflower and why, I didn't much like her. I did like the mystery bit although that was solved too easily.

Only Love, by Mary Balogh

Balogh almost manages to save this anthology for me with a reunion story. It had glimpses of the angst seen in some of her older stories and that, to my mind, is always a good thing. Still it fell short from my expectations.

Hope Springs Eternal, by Jacquie D’Alessandro

I never warmed up to these characters so it was my least favourite. The love story felt rushed, that the heroine was caught up in a scandal like that felt ridiculous and the hero feared her reaction to something that wasn't his fault which wasn't believable either.

Fate Strikes a Bargain, by Candice Hern

This was a nice, sweet story about two people falling in love. One is suffering PT SD and the other has a severe limp and they both have to overcome their feelings about their problems.

On the whole the theme was too restrictive and I think that made the stories too similar which was a shame. Although I do like the idea of a common plot idea I hope that, should they go for a third anthology, they don't make it as restrictive -it made the plot feel too bland and the same can be said of the characters.

Grade: 2.5/5