Pieces of Dreams

by Jennifer Blake

Amelia “Melly” Bennington’s dream of married bliss comes undone as she mistakenly kisses the wrong man—not her staid, hard-working bridegroom but the dashing sea captain who is his twin brother. The kitten dropped on her bridal quilt as she worked on it predicted, in an old wives’ ritual, that this is the man she will marry, but how can that be?

As the wedding draws near, she is torn by long-held affection for one man and sensual attraction to the other. Animosity between the two men reaches such a fever pitch that a tragic break seems inevitabl—unless Melly can force her unruly heart to decide which brother to favor and which to send away forever.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Novella, Historical Fiction, Ebooks, Fiction

100 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

A pseudonym used by Patricia Maxwell.

Jennifer Blake has been called a “pioneer of the romance genre”, and an “icon of the romance industry.” A New York Times and international best selling author since 1977, she is a charter member of Romance Writers of America, member of the RWA Hall of Fame, and recipient of the RWA Lifetime Achievement Rita. She holds numerous other honors, including two “Maggies”, two Holt Medallions, multiple Reviewer’s Choice Awards, the Career Achievement Award from Romantic Times BookReviews Magazine, and the Frank Waters Award for literary excellence. She has written over 60 books with translations in 20 languages and more than 30 million copies in print worldwide.

Jennifer and her husband reside in a lakeside Caribbean-style retreat in North Louisiana where they often entertain family and friends. Always a gardener, she spends much of her time encouraging her garden to bloom with her favorite daylilies and antique roses. She also enjoys walking her two dogs, Buffy and Lucky, and indulging in needlework, painting, and travel.

Reviews

[Kari · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the writing (hence the 2 stars) but I didn't care for the plot.

1800's. Mel and Caleb have been engaged to marry for years and he's a great guy. Days before their wedding Conrad - Caleb's identical twin who has been traveling as a ship captain - appears in town after years of being gone. Conrad flirts with Mell, even pretends to be his twin to steal a kiss. Mell falls for him in a matter of days. It doesn't matter that's she's about to be married or that Caleb is a sweet man. Two days before her wedding, Mell has sex with Conrad because now she loves him. Caleb and Conrad get into a fight because Caleb is jealous (with good reason) and Conrad decides to leave because he now feels guilty for screwing up his brother's life, and he can't bear to be at their wedding (cause Mell and Caleb are still getting married at this point). The day Conrad is set to leave, Caleb speaks to Mell and offers her a way out of the engagement even though he loves her. So Mell says "woohoo, thanks, see ya" grabs her bags and jumps on a boat with Conrad so they can travel the world together. The End.

Ok, this just didn't work for me. When I read a romance I like to cheer for the main couple. I didn't feel for Mell and Conrad at all. Conrad completely disregards his twin's feelings and sleeps with his fianceé. Mell completely disregards her fianceé and sleeps with his twin (she was a virgin). And this takes place in the 1800's. Couldn't she have broken up with Caleb before she jumped into Conrad's arms? I felt bad for Caleb, I was hoping he would get a HEA as well, but nope, he just says goodbye and stays in town looking and feeling like an idiot while his ex-bride-to-be jumps on a boat with his twin brother. I normally don't have a problem with cheating in the plot if it's part of the story, but this just felt wrong in every sense.

Too bad cause the writing was very good.

[L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first I was going to dismiss this as a forgettable short story but then something leapt out at me I was not expecting. I've read plenty of romances where a woman's body is compared to something else - a fine wine, the untamed sea, a mossy grotto of love - but I believe this is the first time I have ever encountered a woman being equated to an ear of corn. What's even weirder is it kind of works.

[Tomi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring, predictable. Knew the end by the first few pages. Skimmed it hoping for something interesting, but never happened.

[cheryl doerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

I loved this book from the very beginning. It is an awesome book. I recommend it to everyone who loves to read.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book it was entertaining. The main character is getting ready for her wedding when she runs into her grooms absolutely identical brother and kisses him. From then on the womens looking at her upcoming wedding differently. The brother is a sea captain of a ship and wouldn't ever settle down on land. you'll have to read the book to find out hwat happens.

From good reads: Amelia “Melly” Bennington’s dream of married bliss comes undone as she mistakenly kisses the wrong man—not her staid, hard-working bridegroom but the dashing sea captain who is his twin brother. The kitten dropped on her bridal quilt as she worked on it predicted, in an old wives’ ritual, that this is the man she will marry, but how can that be?

As the wedding draws near, she is torn by long-held affection for one man and sensual attraction to the other. Animosity between the two men reaches such a fever pitch that a tragic break seems inevitabl—unless Melly can force her unruly heart to decide which brother to favor and which to send away forever

[Kimterest · Rating 2 out of 5]

Final feeling: the sum is less than its parts

What I mean is, the sentences are great, the novel is awful. This is a short novel with lots of great descriptions of Louisiana, some steamy romance, and two dishonorable major characters.

Years ago I saw an old b&w version of Pride and Prejudice. There's a scene after Kitty runs off with Wickham where she asks her sister, "Aren't you happy for me Lizzie?" To which Lizzie replies: "Ask me that in five years."

I couldn't help but think of that after reading about the two selfish, dishonorable, and superficially charming characters in this novel. Never in a million years would they have a HEA beyond their short honeymoon ... if they actually end up married.

[Milena · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story set in the 1800s, about a young woman who loved twin brothers in very different ways. As much as she wanted to honor her engagement to Caleb, the passionate love that she had for Conrad couldn't be denied. This is a good love story however there were no villains or drama which is unusual. The scene where Melly and Conrad shared a romantic kiss in public and got away with it was a little out of place for the 19th century, however It was such a pretty scene that it didn't fuzz me too much. I must admit that out of the two brothers even I prefer the Sea Captain. A highly recommend book with a happy ending.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this sweet little romance. It was perfectly balanced with tingling romance and delicious sensuality.

I happened upon this short little book on Amazon. It was free! I'm so glad that I read it. Blake is certainly a talented storyteller, and I look forward to reading more of her work.

I thought Melly was superbly sweet. I really hope Blake continues the story through Melly's friends, Caleb, and Aunt Dora. That would be fantastic!!!

Happy Reading!

[Becka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Old fashioned romance with a 'good' twin and a 'bad' twin. Lots of great details and some decent character development. Sex scene is pretty much a one time fade to black. Would make good beach reading.

[Carrie Sims Schutze · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story! I'm a sucker for historical romance and even though this was a very quick read, I loved every page of it!! The author manages to fit a great story of friendship, life and love all into one small little package.

[Mermarie]

Freebie today.

[Michelle [Helen Geek]]

Free on Amazon 06/07/2012. An old one repub'd.

[Lindsay]

Amazon Freebie 11/21/2012

[Poonam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet short love story. Enjoyed it. :)

[Tracy's Place · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good story that I enjoyed except for the sex scene. It was just...a bit much in its description. Not purple prose exactly but really close.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars. Cute but not as adventurous as I was anticipating.

[SandraE · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book by a great author.

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you read a good romance, even when you know the exact outcome, it's still a bit of a surprise when you find yourself a little teary-eyed. Jennifer Blake is awesome.

[Cindy Woods · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay

Nothing special about this love story. It is sweet. Short book...tame and a bit boring at times. I've read much better work by this author.

[Mitzi]

Free Kindle book June 7, 2012.

[Nubia Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

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