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Royal Bridesmaids

by Stephanie Laurens (Goodreads Author), Gaelen Foley, Loretta Chase

3.5 of 5 stars 3.50 · rating details · 200 ratings · 31 reviews

Thanks to Pippa Middleton, we are more fascinated than ever by bridesmaids . . . especially the ones in Royal Weddings.

Now, in this original anthology, New York Times bestselling authors Stephanie Laurens, Gaelen Foley, and Loretta Chase tell us what it really takes to get the bride to the royal altar. They need to do more than "smile, wave, and look delighted"!

Stephanie L...more

ebook, 181 pages

Published July 17th 2012 by Avon

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Jul 21, 2012 .þµŋψà. [Punya Reviews...] rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Gaelen Foley and Loretta Chase fans, don't miss this one!

Shelves: loretta-chase, gaelen-foley, arc-reviewcopy-netgalley-edelweiss, favorites, omg-was-it-fun-or-what, i-wanna-have-your-babies

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. My review contains spoilers and they're mostly my thoughts as I went with the book...

Note that my review and rating is solely based on Gaelen Foley novella, “The Imposter Bride” (4 stars) and Loretta Chase novella, “Lord Lovedon’s Duel” (4 stars).

“The Imposter Bride”, Gaelen Foley

My exact thoughts after the abrupt ending of this novella by GF:
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Seriously! I mean, why oh why this isn’t a full novel? I was loving it, LOVING it!!!

I know I’m beginn...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Letitia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: edelweiss, kindle, historical-romance

Overall Rating: B
Cute, charming, and silly stories that will surely tickle you royally.

A Return Engagement by Stephanie Laurens - Rating: C+ ... Heat: Sweet

This tale revolves around Nell, elder of the Daughtry daughters, and her struggle to get her sister to the alter to marry Frederick, the Prince of Lautenberg. Helping her with her mission is her past beau, Robert Knightley, diplomatic envoy to Lautenberg.

And it isn't an easy mission for Nell, no matter how dedicated and steadfast she is. T...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars

This anthology features a collection of historical short stories, featuring royal weddings where the bridesmaids find love. I was excited for this one, as I enjoy all three authors. I knew the stories would be short, but I was unprepared for how short, especially when the entire ebook was 181 pages.

"A Return Engagement" (S Laurens) - I didn't really love this one because so little of it actually focused on the romance between the hero and heroine. That would be a problem in any story, but it's e...more
This anthology features a collection of historical short stories, featuring royal weddings where the bridesmaids find love. I was excited for this one, as I enjoy all three authors. I knew the stories would be short, but I was unprepared for how short, especially when the entire ebook was 181 pages.

"A Return Engagement" (S Laurens) - I didn't really love this one because so little of it actually focused on the romance between the hero and heroine. That would be a problem in any story, but it's even more pronounced in a short story like this one. Nell and Robert were an item nine years ago, but he never proposed when she thought he would and their romance ended abruptly. Now the two of them are thrown together as Nell's sister prepares to marry the prince Robert works for. Most of the story centers on the wedding and Nell & Robert's efforts to make it happen. There just isn't enough about the two of them and their feelings for each other to make me care about their future one way or the other. 31 pages.

"The Imposter Bride" (G Foley) - This one, I did enjoy. The prince and princess of two warring nations have agreed to marry to make peace. But the night before the wedding, the bride runs away, leaving her lady in waiting, Minerva, to assume her identity and take her place at the altar. Minerva quickly falls for her new husband, Tor. But how long can she keep up the charade? The story was a little predictable, but I really liked Minerva and the chemistry between her and Tor. Sweet and a little sexy. 38 pages.

"Lord Lovedon's Duel" (L Chase) - Probably the best in the bunch. It's based loosely in the Dressmakers world. Just after Chloe's sister is married to a duke, the women overhear some men saying the groom married for money and not love. Angered over the hurt it causes her sister --and just a little bit drunk-- Chloe confronts Lord Lovedon, the man speaking most disparagingly of the match. She demands a duel, sparking his attention and a witty banter which evolves into a relationship. It was funny and sassy. 21 pages.

If you do the math, you'll find that the short stories make up 90 of the 181 pages of the ebook. The rest of the space is filled with previews and excerpts of future Avon historicals, from the featured authors as well as Carla Swafford, Alice Gaines, Candis Terry, and Anna Randol. If that's something you're interested in, that's great, but it frustrated me. It was more tease than substance.

Rating: C

*ARC Provided by Avon(less)

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Mar 14, 2013 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-books-read, anthology, historical-fiction-romance, romance

Stephanie Laurens's In A Return Engagement Lady Nell Daughtry has her hands full getting her reluctant bride sister safely married to the Prince of Lautenberg And matters only get worse when she learns she's been paired with Robert Knightley her ex-fiance in the wedding party

Nell has been tasked with getting her sister through the pre-wedding festivities. The women in the family seem to have some sort of panic disorder relating to weddings causing them to sometimes act irrationally. Nell has the...more Stephanie Laurens's In A Return Engagement Lady Nell Daughtry has her hands full getting her reluctant bride sister safely married to the Prince of Lautenberg And matters only get worse when she learns she's been paired with Robert Knightley her ex-fiance in the wedding party

Nell has been tasked with getting her sister through the pre-wedding festivities. The women in the family seem to have some sort of panic disorder relating to weddings causing them to sometimes act irrationally. Nell has the ability to keep her sister calm. She was not expecting to see Robert in the prince's wedding party. They had courted many years ago then he had suddenly pulled away before proposing. Now they had to work together to make the wedding happen. I liked them both. They were able to put the past behind them and do what was needed. It also gave them a chance to get to know each other again. I enjoyed their teamwork. I also liked the way that Robert looked at Nell and their past differently after he learned about the panic attacks. The shortness of the story didn't allow for much depth, but overall I enjoyed it.

The Imposter Bride is Gaelen Foley's story about Lady Minerva who must make sure that her country's princess weds Prince Tor What can she do when the bride bolts? Since the prince has never set eyes on his betrothed she'll have to marry the prince herself.

This one starts with a war being ended with plans for a royal marriage. Prince Tor is the cool, always in control Viking-like warrior. His bride is from a Mediterranean country and known to be hot-headed, spoiled and emotional. When she runs away it leaves the potential peace at risk, so Minerva marries the prince in her place. I really liked both these characters. Tor's traditions are that you don't show your emotions, but it was obvious that he had them. I liked the way he didn't destroy the other city at the end of the war. When he had Minerva alone he showed a lot of compassion and patience knowing that the marriage had been a political one. He came to care for her quite quickly which made her deception that much harder for him to accept when it was found out. I really enjoyed Minerva's intelligence. She was a much better match for Tor. I loved the way that she was so amazed at his activities and came to realize how much she loved him. The exposing of the deception created a very tense situation and the resolution was pretty well done. Again, I think the story would have been improved by being a bit longer.

Loretta Chase's contribution Lord Lovedon's Duel tells the tale of Chloe Sharp When Chloe hears the handsome Earl of Lovedon say her sister's royal marriage is a match made in money, she challenges him to a duel—for love and honor.

I think this one was my favorite. When Chloe and her sister hear Lord Lovedon's disparaging remarks, first she has to calm her sister down. Once she has done that she goes back to confront him. I loved the way that she called him on his obnoxious behavior. She even goes so far as to challenge him to a duel. Unfortunately she has had a bit too much champagne with predictable results. I liked the way that he stepped up to help her. Until she confronted him he hadn't really paid much attention to her but he likes her courage and loyalty to her sister. They have a rather witty correspondence the next day as they set up their duel. I loved the actual duel and the way that they then continued their interest in each other. Even this one would have benefited from a longer length, but it was still good. (less)

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Jul 26, 2012 Jo (Mixed Book Bag) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, historical-romance

Each of the three authors of a story in Royal Bridesmaids was given the same framework and each wrote a story around that framework. In each story someone is marrying the Prince of a small country and her best friend or sister is one of the bridesmaids. The story is about the bridesmaid not the bride.

You can see the different twist that each author gave the story when you read what Goodreads has to say about Royal Bridesmaids.

I received a free ARC of Royal Bridesmaids from Edelweiss and if I ha...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Arianne rated it 3 of 5 stars

The problem with anthologies: how do you rate the book when one story is absolutely terrific and the rest aren't worth the paper they are printed on?

I recommend Royal Bridesmaids ONLY for Loretta Chase's story Lord Lovedon's Duel, a charming romp that matches any of her full-length novels. In fact, I'd say that Chloe's drunken escapade at her sister's wedding party TRUMPS the entire Noirot series. The premise—a middle-class woman challenges a haughty lord to a duel for slighting her sister—is l...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Ada rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a cute read. All 3 stories were short and sweet.

Stephanie Laurens - A Return Engagement -- A story about the bridesmaid, Nell, who tries to help her sister hide and get through the family curse. She's forced to work with her former love in keeping her sister from bolting and in return, both Nell and Robert find out what lead to their demise years ago and whether or not they have a future together.

Nothing I love more about strong women with high family values and Nell has them in spades....more

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Jul 15, 2012 Janga rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is an anthology, available only as an ebook, that includes stories from the same three authors who produced last year’s Royal Weddings. This time, as the title implies, the central characters are not the central figure at the wedding but an attendant lady.

In “A Return Engagement” by Stephanie Laurens, the bridesmaid is Lady Nell Daughtry. Nell’s sister is marrying the Prince of Lautenberg, and since the women in the Vane family suffer from a curse that causes a case of nerves so severe they...more This is an anthology, available only as an ebook, that includes stories from the same three authors who produced last year’s Royal Weddings. This time, as the title implies, the central characters are not the central figure at the wedding but an attendant lady.

In “A Return Engagement” by Stephanie Laurens, the bridesmaid is Lady Nell Daughtry. Nell’s sister is marrying the Prince of Lautenberg, and since the women in the Vane family suffer from a curse that causes a case of nerves so severe they become runaway brides, Nell’s chief responsibility as bridesmaid is to see her sister is kept calm and steady. This role doesn’t leave much time for the development of the romance between Nell and Robert Knightley, friend to the Prince, an English diplomat, and the man Nell disappeared from Nell’s life before declaring himself. The story is slight, and the characters are not particularly interesting or appealing.

In “The Imposter Bride” by Gaelen Foley, there is a marriage of national convenience between the princess of some Mediterranean-like country that has been conquered and the crown prince of some Scandinavian-like country that did the conquering. Obviously, the princess is less conquered than her country because she runs away rather than marry the dour prince, leaving her bridesmaid, the intelligent, self-sacrificing Lady Minerva to take her place so that the treaty between the two nations is not threatened. The prince turns out to be not dour at all, Minerva is less intelligent than she is billed, the fiery-tempered brother of the disappearing princess reveals all, and the course of true love proves bumpy indeed before winding its way to the HEA. Despite the improbabilities that included an elephant and camels and gypsies, I liked Tor and Minerva, but I just kept getting distracted by geography.

In “Lord Lovedon’s Duel by Loretta Chase, bridesmaid Chloe Sharpe overhears a group of inebriated wedding guests sympathizing with the groom’s need to forgo a love match to marry for money. Since Chloe, tipsy from the wedding champagne, is the sister of the bride who is the subject of the gossip, she feels bound to avenge said sister’s honor. She focuses on Lord Lovedon, the worst offender, slaps him in the face with a glove and challenges him to a duel.

Clearly Chloe is not conventional maiden. Lovedon’s attention is captured. Perhaps his heart is too.

This is the best of the group. The exchanged letters setting up the duel and the dueling pistols alone make it worth reading. It’s froth, but it’s Loretta Chase, and so it’s delicious froth.
(less)

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Aug 15, 2012 Donna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Surprisingly, I thoroughly disliked the Laurens novella even though she would be my favorite of these authors. I thought the entire plot was completely implausible, especially the "family curse" thread. Admittedly, the "years of separation due to a misunderstanding" is one of my least favorite plots(right behind the "secret child" plot), but I really didn't like much about this one. I loved the Foley novella. I was completely charmed by it and was sorry to come to the ending! I was just ambivale...more

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Feb 13, 2013 elstaffe rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really need to stop going for Avon Impulses. I was encouraged by the apparent length (har har) of this one, but it turned out that at least half the page count was devoted to excerpts from other (presumably full-length) books. It was enjoyable enough for what it was (a quick read that I wouldn't have to worry about leaving off in the middle of, as it was very easy to just finish one story...or the next...or the book), but I don't know that I'd seek out stories in this format again. Unless I go...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-2012, romance-regency

Stephanie Laurens: A Return Engagement *** As fanciful as most of her books are, "the family curse" made the story fun. Enjoyed seeing Robert and Nell get together. Look forward to next novel after reading preview.

Loretta Chase: Lord Lovedon's Duel ***** Very funny and what an unusual idea for a story. Chloe and Loveton had personalities of joy which made the whole story a joy to read.

Galen Foley: An Imposter's Bride *** Typical Foley story with the "fate of the kingdom" in the hero and heroine'...more

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Nov 01, 2012 willaful marked it as dnf Recommends it for: diehard fans only

Shelves: story-novella-or-anthology

I can't believe the publisher had the face to charge $6 for the paperback edition of this book. Even the $2 for the ebook seems excessive, considering that of 179 pages, only 90 are actually story and the rest are ~~ads~~ excerpts. The book is basically just one big coming attraction, designed to rouse interest in the three series its authors are currently writing.

Not being into Laurens or Foley, I only read the Loretta Chase story, which is very short (20 pages) and charming in a self-conscious way...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Jessi rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, appealing-characteristic-story, anthology, historical, romance

I am beyond relieved that I did not buy this book. Over fifty percent of the book is excerpts for new books. The novellas in this book are barely fifty pages, if they even hit that and are, as such, very undeveloped. These are three authors that are on my must-read list and I couldn't give any of the stories anything above three stars. Really, I don't know who was trying to make money off this book but If I had paid even ninety-nine cents per story, I would have been very upset.

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Oct 23, 2012 Ashlea (plotdriven.com) rated it 3 of 5 stars

These 3 stories were so short that I think the promo chapters of their next novels were longer - not really long enough to develop any kind of plot at all. Of the 3 stories, I liked Loretta Chase's the best. I got this from the library and read everything in one evening, so it was light and pleasant and simple enough for one sitting.

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Jul 25, 2012 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-historical

Loretta Chase's wonderful short story "Lord Lovedon's Duel" was amazing considering it was only 54 pages long (on my phone). Ms. Chase proves she is a master at clever romances once again. I loved Chole's drunken challenge, Lovedon's letters and the end . I want to read a hundred more....

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Sep 09, 2012 Paraphrodite rated it 3 of 5 stars

3 short stories from the 3 authors and an excerpt each from their forthcoming books. The short stories were pretty good and a couple of the excerpts did pique my interest.

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Dec 24, 2012 Becky rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-books, own-it

I enjoyed all three of the bridesmaid stories in this book.
I would recommend it for an entertaining quick read that
will leave you smiling.

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Dec 19, 2012 Doreen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

Slightly patchy, but also includes some teasers from other books by the same authors which have piqued my interest and I may end up reading those.

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Jun 04, 2013 Alex rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-books, historical-romance

Quick read. 2/3 featured stories were not significant and very predictable. Gaelen Foley had the best story.

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Jul 02, 2012 EM rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Loretta Chase novella is the best of the bunch. A minus/B plus for hers.

Laurens and Foley were C reads for me.

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Apr 28, 2013 Natalie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I liked the short stories; however, the book was at least half-filled with excerpts from other works.

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Oct 12, 2012 Viohlet rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

An absolutely fabulous and terribly enjoyable anthology.

5 out of 5 stars for all three stories inside.

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Aug 03, 2012 Sharon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Very short stories. And the problem with romance short stories is that they are basically fairy tales for adults.

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Jul 30, 2012 Allison Feingold rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks

the stories were good but I wish they would not add the preview for authors future books.

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Aug 20, 2012 Trish rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-08, historical-romance, anthology

A Return Engagement was a sweet, fast read, perfect for before-bedtime. No real conflict or conflicted feelings, but a couple comes together again after many years as a result of her sister and his boss (a prince).

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Dec 27, 2012 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

The third novella in the anthology was my favorite, and raised the rating from one star to three.

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May 10, 2013 Shalon rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Loretta Chase one, the last one was the best one.

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May 22, 2013 Ebony Morton rated it 5 of 5 stars

I Loved it! !!! What beautiful stories! !!! :)

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Nov 07, 2012 Lj Ducharme rated it 3 of 5 stars

Meh!

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Apr 06, 2013 Marie rated it 5 of 5 stars

i good lite read

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About Stephanie Laurens

Stephanie Laurens was born in Sri Lanka, which was at the time the British colony of Ceylon. When she was 5, her family moved to Melbourne, Australia, where she was raised. After continuing through school and earning a Ph.D. in Biochemistry in Australia, Laurens and her husband moved to Great Britain, taking one of the last true overland journeys from Katmandu to London.

Once in London, Laurens and...more

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