Rating: 
Summary: Only good story was Enoch's
Review: Actually, I was rather surprised about this anthology in that I did not really care for Ms. Quinn's story with the rather common plot. I am a die-hard fan of hers but this story was a let-down because this plot has been done so many times. Karen Hawkins's story is boring also because it's plot has no ingenuity (I have purchased a book of hers and found it not worth the money). However, a big surprise was Suzanne Enoch's sweet story about two mismatched lovers and their determination to be together. Moreover, I positively adored Mia Ryans's character Bella, even though most people seem to dislike her. I appreciate her because she laughs at herself and at her overactive imagination, which is something I myself do all the time. I enjoyed her lightheartedness and giggly nature because it made sure the story had none of the dramatic overtones prevalent in most romance stories. I liked the relaxed atmosphere and Roxbury's fascination with Bella. So, in the spirit of disagreement, I heartedly applaud Mia Ryan's short story and eagerly await her next work.
Rating: 
Summary: Ok read
Review: All of the stories were ok reading but they all lacked one thing (LOVE SCENES). If you like a little spice in your readings these are NOT for you!
Rating: 
Summary: Superior Effort in Blending into a Marvelous Anthlogy
Review: FIRST KISS, THE - Julia Quinn - Peter Thompson is home from Waterloo, one of the fortunate to survive and wants nothing more than to settle down with a biddable wife on a small farm somewhere. His prospects are not that good, being the second son of a minor baron, he is in London to find a suitable bride with a relatively good dowry. As it happens he is at the most sought after dinner party put on by Lady Greely, he comes face to face with Lady Mathilde 'Tilly' Howard, sister of his best friend Harry who didn't survive. He knew by her close resemblance to Harry who she was without being introduced, but more than that he was attracted by her sincere and sweet manner. Knowing that she was daughter of an Earl and an heiress to boot he knew he'd have to look elsewhere or be labeled a fortune hunter. Tilly attracted as she was by this handsome, intelligent and honorable hunk thought to change his mind! Totally charming, very cute and funny - 5* The LAST TEMPTATION - Mia Ryan --- Isabella 'Bella' Martin has been Lady Greely's companion and party planner for the last ten years and has been quite adept at hiding in the shadows. A spinster fast approaching her 30th birthday and never been kissed which she vows to change before that fateful birthday. Lord Anthony Roxbury, 37 and heir to the Earldom has no intention to marry in spite of the weekly sessions with his father continually stressing the reasons why it is his duty to marry and procreate. Having too much fun it is the last thing on his mind until he mistakes Bella for one of his assignations and she not only gets a kiss but a relatively nice grope before she shockingly rears back and almost breaks his nose. Through the blood and the apologies, Anthony discovers that this very self deprecating spinster is a breath of fresh air and decides he must see more (and more) of her. Wonderfully romantic - 5*
The BEST OF BOTH WORLDS - Suzanne Enoch --- Charlotte Birling is allowed no chance at all of ever being mentioned in Lady Whistledown's column, ever since she was seven and her cousin had married in haste and then been deserted by Lord Easterly. But a girl could dream and the dream rode by her house every morning on his way to Gentlemen Jacksons. Her dream was the very handsome Earl Xavier Matson who since coming to town was making a name for himself with his womanizing exploits. When Xavier chances to overhear Charlotte at a function standing up against Lady Greely for accusing someone of stealing her bracelet without so much as a shred of evidence, Xavier is intrigued. No. she might have been plaine and she certainly wasn't the type he'd been pursuing in a search for a wife but there was something about her that did kindle his interest - an interest that Lord and Lady Birling were adamant of nipping in the bud. - But alas, we all know that love will win out! - Totally awesome for such a short novella! 5* The ONLY ONE FOR ME - Karen Hawkins --- Sophia (cousin of Charlotte Birling Throckmorton Hampton, Viscountess Easterly was abandoned by her husband Max, the Viscount Easterly twelve years earlier. Abandoned after she failed to show him support when he was accused of cheating. Max's pride would not allow him to deny what he felt was an insult to his honor. On their brother Richard's deathbed, Sophia and her brother John Throckmorton, Earl of Standwick would discover that Richard was the real culprit who allowed Max to shoulder the blame. After not seeing him for 12 years other than missives from his solicitor, Max showed up at Lady Greely's shocking Sophia. His mere presence was all it took to re-ignite the passion both held for each other. When the blame for the theft of Lady Greely's bracelet threatened to implicate Max, Sophia was determined to discover the real culprit, if only to atone for her lack of faith that caused him to walk away so many years ago - but also - could it be she still cared!!! Sweetly endearing, snappy dialog and a lot of sensual teasing.... 5* OVERALL - In this sparkling anthology, these marvelous authors all picked up a thread on the mystery of the missing bracelet to blend them all into one full length story with several sub-plots each with its own delightful romance. Although it would be hard to pick my favorite, I think it would be Enoch's story with Charlotte solving the problem of her parents objections of Earl Matson so very cleverly in front of the guests at the ball! This is not to say that they were not all delightful - just my personal favorite! A superior effort by all authors and one I highly recommend. --- Submitted by Marilyn, Official Reviewer for www.historicromancewriters.com ---
Rating: 
Summary: 3 out of 4 enjoyable stories
Review: I have waited (very impatiently) for this new edition of the Lady Whistledown series. I enjoyed the first and was not disappointed by the second. Julia Quinn, Suzanne Enoch and Karen Hawkins deliver in a big way. Their stories were fun, romantic and wonderfully woven together. And please, if you don't get the tingles over this exchange... "I admit I have felt the effect of your mouth, my lord," she said in a low voice. This looking and not touching was going to kill him. "You haven't begun to feel the effect of my mouth, Charlotte, " he murmured.
(page 228) WOW! Be still my beating heart! The only low point in this fabulous collection was the story by Mia Ryan. I was very disappointed by the silly, downright obnoxious character of Miss Martin. What happened to Mia Ryan? I really enjoyed the story she wrote in the original Lady Whistledown compilation, but since, her work has seemed forced and painful. Very sad. In all, you must read this book for the wonderful stories from Quinn, Enoch and Hawkins. This book is going on my keeper shelf!
Rating:
Summary: Better than the first!
Review: I have waited (very impatiently) for this new edition of the Lady Whistledown series. I enjoyed the first and was not disappointed by the second. Julia Quinn, Suzanne Enoch and Karen Hawkins deliver in a big way. Their stories were fun, romantic and wonderfully woven together. And please, if you don't get the tingles over this exchange... "I admit I have felt the effect of your mouth, my lord," she said in a low voice. This looking and not touching was going to kill him. "You haven't begun to feel the effect of my mouth, Charlotte, " he murmured.
(page 228) WOW! Be still my beating heart! The only low point in this fabulous collection was the story by Mia Ryan. I was very disappointed by the silly, downright obnoxious character of Miss Martin. What happened to Mia Ryan? I really enjoyed the story she wrote in the original Lady Whistledown compilation, but since, her work has seemed forced and painful. Very sad. In all, you must read this book for the wonderful stories from Quinn, Enoch and Hawkins. This book is going on my keeper shelf!
Rating:
Summary: Sometimes the sequel is better than the first!
Review: I really enjoyed the first LADY WHISTLEDOWN book and I was looking forward to the continued adventures in this new one. Because it's a sequel (a spinoff really) I didn't expect it to be as good. Well, I was wrong! All of the stories here are equally strong and balanced - a perfect combination of humor, romance, mystery, and fun. A winner on all counts!
Rating:
Summary: Thoroughly entertaining
Review: I really enjoyed this book, and was happy to find that all four stories were solid and worth reading (which is frequently NOT the case with this collections). My only quibble is with the novella/short story format, which doesn't allow for much character development (it forces the "love at first sight" phenomenon on the writer, cause they have to get to the finish line so quickly). I loved the way all four stories interconnected. These ladies did a GREAT job of meshing their plots.
Rating:
Summary: a nice read
Review: I think I may the only person on the planet that's not completely over the moon with this anthology. The stories were nice, different, and rather well written. It's just that as a whole, I found them to be an average good read (3 stars), and I truly was expecting a lot more from this anthology. All four stories have Lady Neely's dinner party in which Lady Neely's jeweled bracelet is stolen as the common denominator. In Julia Quinn's "The First Kiss," Tillie Howard, meets her dead brother's good friend, Peter Thompson, at the dinner party. Both Tillie and Peter form a bond over their shared grief, and fall in love with each other. But Tillie is an heiress, while Peter is quite penniless. And if that's not enough, Lady Whistledown has named Peter as one of the suspects in the theft. Will Peter be able to clear his name and win Tillie's hand in marriage? I found Ms Quinn's story to be charming and enjoyable. And if it wasn't one of the more stellar stories in the anthology, it wasn't an awful read either. Unlike Mia Ryan's "The Last Temptation" which started off fantastically only to degenerate into awfulness before my eyes. Miss Isabella Martin (Lady Neely's companion) is about to turn thirty, and she's never even been kissed properly yet! But who would have guessed that when Lady Neely sends her over to Lord Roxbury's town house so that Isabella can help him plan a party, that the rake would mistake her for his mistress and give her her first kiss! And what a kiss it is too! But can a paid companion afford to pin her heart and hopes on a rakish lord? I'm not sure if it was because of the language (far too many modern phrases) or the heroine (Isabella)'s tendency to giggle. Giggly heroines have always annoyed me, and Isabella certainly lived up to my expectations. The story wasn't a bad one even if it really wasn't really a story about the crossing of class lines since Isabella was a distant relative of Lady Neely. And perhaps if Isabella hadn't giggled her way from start to finish I might have been charmed too. On the other hand I really enjoyed Suzanne Enoch's "The Best of Both Worlds." It is true that the ending was a bit abrupt, but this is one story that rather captured my fancy, and I was really pleased when the happily ever-after for this hero & heroine was achieved. Charlotte Birling's parents expect to marry the staid and respectable young man that they have chosen for her. Except that Charlotte has fallen in love with the rakish Lord Maxton, and wonder of wonders, he;s in love with her too! Can Charlotte persuade her parents to relent, or will she be doomed to marry where she doesn't love? "The Best of Both Worlds" had the poignancy and urgency necessary to make a story a good read. I only wished that the story could have been developed more so that the ending was not so abrupt. The last story in the anthology is different from the previous three in that it features an estranged couple, Max and Sophia. In Karen Hawkins' "The Only One for ME" Max and Sophia had separated many years ago due a a big misunderstanding -- he had been accused of cheating at cards, and Sophia instead of believing in him, had believed the accusers. After years of separation, anger and bitterness, Sophia has finally decided to end her marriage by asking for an annulment. But does she truly want it? This is the question that confronts her when Max finally comes home to face her. And then Lady Neely's bracelet is stolen, and people being to look sideways at Max again. Except this time, Sophia is determined to prove her faith in her estranged husband by unmasking the real thief herself... The most developed character and emotion-wise, my only quibble with this story was that I was unable to understand Sophia's anger towards Max. So he left her; it would have been difficult to stay with a wife who thinks that you are a cheat. And why didn't the ninny go to her husband and ask his forgiveness once the truth was out, for goodness sake?! On the other hand Karen Hawkins' tale, along with Suzanne Enoch's, were the only really cathartic ones in this anthology. Both stories rated about 4 stars in my opinion, and were what made reading this anthology worthwhile. On the whole, "Lady Whistledown Strikes Back" was a good 3 star read. The stories were nice and well written. They may not have been stellar examples of the four authours' usual efforts, but put together, this anthology would definitely yeild a few hours of pleasurable reading.
Rating:
Summary: A strong collection
Review: If you liked Lady Whistledown's witty and tart comments from Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series (and I'm betting you do, as you're reading this), you will like this book. A stronger collection of stories than the Further Observations, Strikes Back is an enjoyable and light read you'll probably finish in a day or two. Julia Quinn's "The First Kiss" is one of the better stories, although not as fully fleshed out as her full-length novels (which makes sense, of course, as these are much shorter). For what it is, it's well done, and I liked Peter and Tillie, who come together because her dead brother was his army friend in the Battle of Waterloo. They handle the grief in a realistic way, and while I'm not sure she had to be the richest girl in London to improve the story, I suppose it helped. Mia Ryan's "The Last Temptation" is arguably the weakest, even though I liked the characters, the ladies' companion Miss Martin and Lord Roxbury, who has a clever way to avoid his father's pressure to marry. She uses too many anachronistic words, like "cute," "fat," and "Nothing like a little pressure." I'm pretty sure no one used those words in the 19th century, or at least not to mean the same things they do now. The crossing of class lines was sweet if also unlikely, and to be weakest of these four is not too shabby. Suzanne Enoch's "The Best of Both Worlds" was also quite well done, although it ends a bit abruptly. The forced-to-be-retiring Charlotte seemed interestingly well-matched to randy Lord Matson. There was a definite theme in this book of virginal lasses paired with lads who are eager to reform when they meet their mates. Such a common occurrence in London at the time, wasn't it? And finally, Karen Hawkins' "The Only One for Me." Different from the rest in that the two main characters are married but have been separated for the last 12 years while he spent time in Europe to escape public humiliation (that wasn't deserved) and she stewed in London and wrote angry letters. A nice progression from anger to renewed love, and although you may feel you know the whole story before you read it (as it is referenced in the three previous tales), it is still written with enough character insight that you like it anyway. Plus the brother is funny. Well done, overall.
Rating:
Summary: high quality from the Ton¿s greatest gossip snoop
Review: In 1816 Lady Whistledown provides society gossip to the delight of Regency romance readers as this quartet attains the high quality expected from the Ton's greatest snoop. "The First Kiss" by Julia Quinn. Though Tillie Howard mourns the death of her brother Harry, her parents insist she attend Lady Neely's dinner party; Peter Thompson also is at the party. He was with Harry when he was killed on the battlefield. Their bereavement leads to mutual comforting and ultimately love, but both feel guilty that they live while Harry died. "The Last Temptation" by Mia Ryan. Suspicion falls on Lady Neeley's thirty year old companion Isabella Martin for the missing bracelet though she has loyally served for a decade. Quickly exonerated, Isabella has come to the attention of Anthony Doring. He provides her first kiss and realizes he wants to provide a lifetime of all her kisses, but she is beneath him. "The Best of Both Worlds" by Suzanne Enoch. Charlotte Birling loves Xavier Mason, but he does not know she exists though she stealthily takes loving glances at him whenever she can. At a party, he first hears her voice and that excites him. When he sees Charlotte the Earl knows he wants her. As they fall in love, her mother refuses to allow a man about the town to court her daughter. "The Only One for Me" by Karen Hawkins. Twelve years ago Max Throckmorton married Sophia, but a scandal over cheating cards sent the Earl to the continent. Sophia now plans to marry Riddleton, but needs her marriage to Max annulled. However, Max is back and wants Sophia whom he still loves. Harriet Klausner
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