Once Upon a Valentine by Various

A fun, fairy tale anthology
4 stars

Every year around Valentine’s Day, Harlequin Blaze publish an anthology filled with themed stories. This year, they’ve gone for the fairytale theme where each story is based around a favourite childhood tale.

“All Tangled Up” - Stephanie Bond
Andrew is back in his small town after the death of his estranged father. He finds his father’s estate in turmoil but can gorgeous neighbour, Summer, with long flowing hair, lead him back to find a happily ever after.

I swear I’ve read this story a hundred times before - man back in home town, estranged father, girl who loved him when younger etc etc etc. This really didn’t excite or interest me and apart from Summer’s hair I could see little resemblance to the fairy tale.


“Sleeping with a Beauty” - Leslie Kelly
Historian, Ashlynn is searching for Sleeping Beauty’s castle when she finds herself accosted by rogue adventurer, Raine. With one kiss Ashlynn realises that even though she hasn’t found her castle perhaps she has found her Prince Charming.

In this cute and unique story we travel back to the fairytale land of Elatyria which featured in a few of Kelly’s previous short stories. Both Raine and Ashlynn are lovely characters and their love story is cute and satisfying.


“Catch Me” - Michelle Rowen
All Ginger wants for Valentine’s Day is for men to want her so that she can have her pick rather than being stood up on the most romantic night of the year. But when a magic cookie makes her dream come true she takes refuge in the arms of her best friend, Stephen, the one man she dreams of having a happily ever after with.

I couldn’t remember much about the tale of the Gingerbread Man but when I read this story I definitely saw the clever similarities. I loved both Ginger and Stephen and their relationship was so sweet. I’ve never read Michelle Rowen before but I’ll look out for other Blaze books by her in the future. Good fun.

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I didn’t like the first story at all but the other two certainly made up for it. If you’re looking for light, sweet and romantic stories then even with the bad apple at the start I would still recommend this book to you. 4 stars.

Storming the Castle by Eloisa James

A fun but short romantic story
4 stars

From a young age Miss Phillipa Damson has known that she will marry Rodney Durfey no matter what she might prefer. So when she hears that there is an ill baby at a nearby castle she sees it as her chance to escape her lot in life and runs away to take a position as nursemaid.

Jonas ‘Wick’ Berwick, the illegitimate brother of Prince Gabriel, serves as majordomo, overseeing the day to day running of Pomeroy Castle in Lancashire. His position in life – not quite a servant but not quite a gentleman – means that he has vowed never to marry. But when Philippa arrives at the castle he can’t help but wish for something different for his life.


This short story is a sequel from James’ A Kiss at Midnight which is the first in the Fairy Tales series. The series is set in Fairytale time with a dusting of the Regency so they aren’t as strict when it comes to historical detail and accuracy. You probably want to have read A Kiss… before reading this one but I don’t suppose it’s 100% necessary.

I’m really glad that Wick got his own story and from the start I thought Phillipa a great match for him. She’s that perfect blend of smart and strong but with a vulnerability in her that makes her likeable and relatable. Wick was also a good hero being proud and strong but truly in need of the love of a good woman. The pair had good chemistry and I was rooting for them throughout.

I debated between giving this 3 or 4 stars but decided in the end to be generous. My reason for this indecision was that due to its short nature the declarations of love came a little too abruptly for me. The conflict was also surrounding whether Wick and Phillipa could be together due to their different statuses but when the book concluded this was apparently a forgotten problem.

Overall this is a fun, quick read with characters I’m glad got their happily ever after. It’s not the best I’ve ever read but it’s a good read to pass an hour or so.

A Kiss At Midnight by Eloisa James

A magical Cinderella retelling
5 stars

After the death of her father, Kate Daltry is forced into near servitude for her stepmother and stepsister. But when her stepsister suffers a mishap that mars her perfect looks, her stepmother forces Kate to attend a ball in Victoria’s place. There, Kate meets a prince although this one’s definitely not as charming as she would have expected.

Prince Gabriel is one step away from being betrothed to a pretty and lovely Russian princess. So why is he so desperate to spend time with impoverished Kate – a woman he could never marry? And what will happen when he has to choose between his honour and a woman that he realises he can’t live without?


This is the first in James’ Fairy Tales series before When Beauty Tamed the Beast and This Duke is Mine. There is an e-book (Storming the Castle) that follows on from this story however all the rest of the series stand alone and have no connection to each other except the fairy tale theme.

From the first I liked Kate and felt for her situation. It was especially well done that although the stepmother wasn’t particularly nice, she wasn’t a caricature and was believable in her meanness! Gabriel was a very enjoyable hero and I always like a pair that bicker but are strong enough to stand up for themselves with each other. Together Kate and Gabriel worked really well and I really enjoyed their scenes together and thought the pair had good chemistry.

The story itself ticked over nicely and I loved the supporting characters who were vibrant but never overshadowed or upstaged the main romance. I never had a problem with wanting to pick up this book and keep reading. If I had to make one criticism it would be that there were a few too many Americanisms for my liking. Having said that, at the end of the book the author’s note explains that this is set in Fairy Tale land rather than being an actual historical so I’m not sure whether that was a deliberate move.

Regardless, this was a book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I felt the magic and adored watching Kate and Gabriel on the path to their happily ever after. 5 stars.

When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James

Enchanting historical romance
5 stars

Linnet is known as the Season’s most beautiful woman. But that doesn’t help her when an ill-conceived gown and an overseen kiss brand her as a fallen woman. To protect her reputation she needs to find a husband and lay low in the country for a while.

Piers Yelverton, Earl of Marchant lives in a castle in Wales and has both a horrid temper as well as an injury that many say has left him immune to the charms of women. He doesn’t want to like Linnet but there’s something about her that appeals to him. But will he let her see the man beneath and let her love him?


From page one I was engrossed with this book. The characters jumped off the page and you couldn’t help but love them, root for them and want them desperately to find a way to be together. Linnet was a very beautiful woman and while she was aware of that fact and used it to her best advantage you never got the impression she was spoiled and I liked her from the get go. Piers too could quite easily have been a character that was hard to like with his temper and grumpy demeanor. Quite the opposite was true and I loved him. Together the pair had chemistry and spark as well as fabulous banter and enjoyable sparring dialogue.

The plot was fast pace and kept you turning the pages. This is the kind of novel that you can’t stop thinking about when you put it down and want to talk about with anyone that will listen. I was on the edge of my seat during the dramatic ending and I just adored the epilogue. If you’re looking for an enchanting historical romance that you can lose yourself in for an afternoon then I would highly recommend this novel to you. 5 stars.


*This is part of James’ Fairy Tale series. Each book is inspired by a classic fairy tale but do not have linked characters, situations or locations.*

More Blazing Bedtime Stories

Magical and sexy short stories
5 Stars

Following on from the success of the first collection of Blazing Bedtime Stories, this second book features two longer length short stories both featuring fairy tales for grown ups.


INTO THE WOODS by Julie Leto
Tatiana Starlingham is a frustrated fairy godmother, granting pampered princesses their deepest desires. Unfortunately, Tatiana’s own desires have never been fulfilled. That all changes when she meets delicious Jack St Cloud and finally has mind-blowing sex. But if Tatiana wants to keep her new, sexy life, she has to grant an impossible wish but may end up losing Jack in the process.

I really enjoyed this story and found it exciting, interesting and very sexy. It had the magic of a fairy tale with plenty of heat, romance and sex to make it good enough for the grown ups. I loved both Tatiana and Jack and they felt real despite the fantasy of the story. Overall a perfectly romantic bedtime read.


ONCE UPON A MATTRESS by Leslie Kelly
Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf? Not long lost princess Penelope Mayfair especially since the wolf in question is Lucas Wolf – the darkest, sexiest man Penny has ever laid eyes on. Not only that but he’s giving her better sex than she could ever even have dreamed of! What Lucas hasn’t told her is that he’s there to bring her back to the fairytale land of her birth where she’s betrothed to another man. But Lucas is determined to keep her all for himself…

For those who read the first Blazing Bedtime Stories collection, this story features Lucas from Kelly’s ‘My, What A Big... You Have!’ but easily stands alone. It’s not a werewolf story but wild and dangerous enough to make it exciting with plenty of delightful sex. A fun plot and great characters make this another great read.


If you like some magical, sexy stories with plenty of romance then this book is definitely one I would recommend. The stories are long enough to get really into the stories which are both perfect to snuggle up with in the cold, dark, winter nights. 5 stars.

Blazing Bedtime Stories

Fun, magical anthology

4 Stars

This is an anthology of tales based on bedtime stories that are given the sexy, Blaze treatment. Days before Valentine’s Day, Cupid needs to prove that love still exists by helping three Valentine-hating women.

Once Upon A Bite – Kimberly Raye

Beauty salon owner, Shay Biggs, is through with the bad boys – she’s now on the look out for Mr Right. She doesn’t think she’ll find it in new guy in town, Matt Keller, but there’s some animal magnetism pulling the pair together. Do beauty and the beast stand a chance?

This story didn’t really do it for me, I’m afraid. I didn’t really get the whole werewolf/vampire thing and the whole story lacked any romance and was wrapped up far too quickly for my liking.

My, What A Big… You Have! – Leslie Kelly

Children’s author, Scarlett Templeton, doesn’t believe in fairy tales. But all that changes when she meets a sexy hunter in the woods on the way to her Grandmother’s house.

Despite being pure fantasy, this tale was believable and very sexy. I loved both Scarlett and Hunter and felt really drawn into the world of fairy tales.

Sexily Ever After – Rhonda Nelson

Ugly duckling Juliet hates Valentine’s Day with a passion but secretly wants someone to make her feel beautiful. Hunky Gareth is determined to win Juliet and make her see that she truly is a beautiful, sexy woman.

This was the only one of the three stories that didn’t have any magical element to it and was also my favourite of the three. Juliet was such a likeable character and you really wanted her to get her happy ending.

Magical, fantasy tales aren’t my usual choice but I have to say I enjoyed this anthology. The first story wasn’t particularly memorable but the other two were fun and well-written. If you like something slightly mystical or simply want to see if fantasy stories are your cup of tea then I would recommend this book to you. 4 stars.