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There Be Pirates #1 - Dead Man's Chest
My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding
Werewolves, vampires, witches, voodoo, Elvis---and weddings
An "ordinary" wedding can get crazy enough, so can you imagine what happens when otherworldly creatures are involved? Nine of the hottest authors of paranormal fiction answer that question in this delightful collection of supernatural wedding stories. What's the seating plan when rival clans of werewolves and vampires meet under the same roof? How can a couple in the throes of love overcome traps set by feuding relatives---who are experts at voodoo? Will you have a good marriage if your high-seas wedding is held on a cursed ship? How do you deal with a wedding singer who's just a little too good at impersonating Elvis? Shape-shifters, wizards, and magic, oh my!
"The Wedding of Wylda Serene" / Esther Friesner
"All Shook Up" /P.N. Elrod
"Tacky" / Charlaine Harris
"A Hard Day's Night-Searcher" / Sherrilyn Kenyon
"Something Borrowed" / Jim Butcher
"Spellbound" / L.A. Banks
"Dead Man's Chest" / Rachel Caine
"Charmed by the Moon" / Lori Handeland
"...Or Forever Hold Your Peace" / Susan Krinard
An "ordinary" wedding can get crazy enough, so can you imagine what happens when otherworldly creatures are involved? Nine of the hottest authors of paranormal fiction answer that question in this delightful collection of supernatural wedding stories. What's the seating plan when rival clans of werewolves and vampires meet under the same roof? How can a couple in the throes of love overcome traps set by feuding relatives---who are experts at voodoo? Will you have a good marriage if your high-seas wedding is held on a cursed ship? How do you deal with a wedding singer who's just a little too good at impersonating Elvis? Shape-shifters, wizards, and magic, oh my!
"The Wedding of Wylda Serene" / Esther Friesner
"All Shook Up" /P.N. Elrod
"Tacky" / Charlaine Harris
"A Hard Day's Night-Searcher" / Sherrilyn Kenyon
"Something Borrowed" / Jim Butcher
"Spellbound" / L.A. Banks
"Dead Man's Chest" / Rachel Caine
"Charmed by the Moon" / Lori Handeland
"...Or Forever Hold Your Peace" / Susan Krinard
310 pages, Paperback
First published October 3, 2006
165 people are currently reading
10251 people want to read
About the author
P.N. Elrod
92 books589 followersPatricia Nead Elrod is an American fantasy writer specializing in novels about vampires. Her work falls into areas of fantasy and (in some cases) mystery or historical fiction, but normally not horror, since her vampires are the heroes. -Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 581 reviews
July 22, 2010
This was a great anthology. I enjoyed each story, and I breezed right through it.
My thoughts of each story:
Spellbound by LA Banks. This was a fun story about two star-crossed lovers who happen to be part of voodoo/root-practitioner families who hate each other. The Hatfields versus the McCoys, except they are Black. I laughed a lot, and some of the characters reminded me of some family members on both sides (minus the voodoo-practicing part). Both the hero and the heroine were virgins. This is probably my favorite story by Banks now, although I do love her other short stories that I've read. Five stars.
Something Borrowed by Jim Butcher. I just love Harry Dresden. In this story, he is helping his friend Billy the Werewolf get married. Too bad a miffed faerie stole his bride and decided to take her place. But Harry is on the case, with a little help from Detective Murphy. Five stars.
Dead Man's Chest by Rachel Caine. What a pleasant surprise. A bride gets talked into getting married on a pirate ship by her fiance. It turns out the pirates are all dead and under a curse. And her fiance had some nefarious motives. But, true love conquers all. Between the erstwhile bride and the pirate captain. Great fun. It helped that Captain Lockhart reminded me of an Anne Stuart hero. I'm so easy that way. Five stars.
All Shook Up by PN Elrod. This was an interesting story. I think Elvis fans would really love it. There is a wedding singer who has an uncannily perfect imitation of Elvis going on, and an ability to help the wedding couple along their course of true love. An ability shared by the caterer, who is the main protagonist. I'm not a big Elvis fan (although I like a lot of his songs), so it was weird how the hero was sort of possessed by the spirit of Elvis, but I still enjoyed it. Four Stars.
The Wedding of Wylda Serene by Esther M. Friesner. This story made me laugh. I enjoyed the whimsical feel, and the slyly ironic narration. A bastion of upper class entitlement is plagued by mythical creatures, in time to 'spoil' a sweet, young debutante's wedding. This is a must-read for Greek mythology enthusiasts. Four and 1/2 stars.
Charmed by the Moon by Lori Handeland. I haven't read any of the books in her Nightcreature series, and this is a follow-up story about Jessie and Will from Blue Moon. They are getting married, but Jessie is having cold feet, not sure if their feelings are true for each other. They go on a spirit journey to find that out when they find a love charm in Will's ceremonial wedding gear. I really liked this story. The magic and the mysticism hit the right note with me. It has a bittersweet feel as their HEA is not my ideal, but I can understand the choice they made for the dangerous world they live in. Four and 1/2 stars.
Tacky by Charlaine Harris. When I read Ms. Harris' stories, I usually teeter on the edge of sincere admiration for her imagination, amusement, and a bit of cheesy overload, all at the same time. I sort of like the goofy approach she has to the paranormal world, but sometimes it feels too goofy. I like the way she pokes fun at Southerners in a goodnatured way. I must say this was an unusual wedding, with the bride being a vampire, and the groom being a werewolf, and human fundamentalist assassins attacking the wedding party. For some reason, the main protagonist, Dahlia, kept making me think of Pam from the TrueBlood show, although she's hetero. Four stars.
A Hard Day's Night-Searcher by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Yay. A Black Dark-Hunter paired with a Black female Squire. Thank you, Ms. Kenyon. This is about Rafael Santiago, who was a pirate in his mortal life, and OCD Squire Celena, who's afraid to lose yet another Dark-Hunter to the ongoing battle with the Daimons. They end up crashing an Apollite wedding teeming with Daimons. This was a really good story, but it felt way too short to me. Sort of an abbreviated version of a full-length Dark-Hunter novel. Everything was resolved, but I felt like I wanted more. Four stars.
"...Or Forever Hold Your Peace" by Susan Krinard. I liked the Victorian paranormal feel of this story. This is a paranormal mystery in which Olivia and Kit, a crime-solving duo, work to find a bride who was kidnapped from her wedding, using their Talents. This is an alternate England called Albion, where most people have some sort of magical Talent. Olivia can see inside a person's body to see their anatomy, and Kit can change into a large Black Dog. It was fun and had the pulp fiction, neo-Victorian vibe I love. I felt the tone could have been a little more vibrant for maximum enjoyment, but I'd love to read more of Kit and Olivia's adventures. Four stars.
I really want to give this collection five stars, mainly based on the first three stories and the overall appealing vibe it holds, despite the preponderance of stories not reaching five stars. So I will. Recommended to fans of humorous paranormal/supernatural fiction, be it urban fantasy or paranormal, with a little gaslit Victorian mystery thrown in.
My thoughts of each story:
Spellbound by LA Banks. This was a fun story about two star-crossed lovers who happen to be part of voodoo/root-practitioner families who hate each other. The Hatfields versus the McCoys, except they are Black. I laughed a lot, and some of the characters reminded me of some family members on both sides (minus the voodoo-practicing part). Both the hero and the heroine were virgins. This is probably my favorite story by Banks now, although I do love her other short stories that I've read. Five stars.
Something Borrowed by Jim Butcher. I just love Harry Dresden. In this story, he is helping his friend Billy the Werewolf get married. Too bad a miffed faerie stole his bride and decided to take her place. But Harry is on the case, with a little help from Detective Murphy. Five stars.
Dead Man's Chest by Rachel Caine. What a pleasant surprise. A bride gets talked into getting married on a pirate ship by her fiance. It turns out the pirates are all dead and under a curse. And her fiance had some nefarious motives. But, true love conquers all. Between the erstwhile bride and the pirate captain. Great fun. It helped that Captain Lockhart reminded me of an Anne Stuart hero. I'm so easy that way. Five stars.
All Shook Up by PN Elrod. This was an interesting story. I think Elvis fans would really love it. There is a wedding singer who has an uncannily perfect imitation of Elvis going on, and an ability to help the wedding couple along their course of true love. An ability shared by the caterer, who is the main protagonist. I'm not a big Elvis fan (although I like a lot of his songs), so it was weird how the hero was sort of possessed by the spirit of Elvis, but I still enjoyed it. Four Stars.
The Wedding of Wylda Serene by Esther M. Friesner. This story made me laugh. I enjoyed the whimsical feel, and the slyly ironic narration. A bastion of upper class entitlement is plagued by mythical creatures, in time to 'spoil' a sweet, young debutante's wedding. This is a must-read for Greek mythology enthusiasts. Four and 1/2 stars.
Charmed by the Moon by Lori Handeland. I haven't read any of the books in her Nightcreature series, and this is a follow-up story about Jessie and Will from Blue Moon. They are getting married, but Jessie is having cold feet, not sure if their feelings are true for each other. They go on a spirit journey to find that out when they find a love charm in Will's ceremonial wedding gear. I really liked this story. The magic and the mysticism hit the right note with me. It has a bittersweet feel as their HEA is not my ideal, but I can understand the choice they made for the dangerous world they live in. Four and 1/2 stars.
Tacky by Charlaine Harris. When I read Ms. Harris' stories, I usually teeter on the edge of sincere admiration for her imagination, amusement, and a bit of cheesy overload, all at the same time. I sort of like the goofy approach she has to the paranormal world, but sometimes it feels too goofy. I like the way she pokes fun at Southerners in a goodnatured way. I must say this was an unusual wedding, with the bride being a vampire, and the groom being a werewolf, and human fundamentalist assassins attacking the wedding party. For some reason, the main protagonist, Dahlia, kept making me think of Pam from the TrueBlood show, although she's hetero. Four stars.
A Hard Day's Night-Searcher by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Yay. A Black Dark-Hunter paired with a Black female Squire. Thank you, Ms. Kenyon. This is about Rafael Santiago, who was a pirate in his mortal life, and OCD Squire Celena, who's afraid to lose yet another Dark-Hunter to the ongoing battle with the Daimons. They end up crashing an Apollite wedding teeming with Daimons. This was a really good story, but it felt way too short to me. Sort of an abbreviated version of a full-length Dark-Hunter novel. Everything was resolved, but I felt like I wanted more. Four stars.
"...Or Forever Hold Your Peace" by Susan Krinard. I liked the Victorian paranormal feel of this story. This is a paranormal mystery in which Olivia and Kit, a crime-solving duo, work to find a bride who was kidnapped from her wedding, using their Talents. This is an alternate England called Albion, where most people have some sort of magical Talent. Olivia can see inside a person's body to see their anatomy, and Kit can change into a large Black Dog. It was fun and had the pulp fiction, neo-Victorian vibe I love. I felt the tone could have been a little more vibrant for maximum enjoyment, but I'd love to read more of Kit and Olivia's adventures. Four stars.
I really want to give this collection five stars, mainly based on the first three stories and the overall appealing vibe it holds, despite the preponderance of stories not reaching five stars. So I will. Recommended to fans of humorous paranormal/supernatural fiction, be it urban fantasy or paranormal, with a little gaslit Victorian mystery thrown in.
January 26, 2020
I've read only A Hard Day's Night Searcher by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Short and satisfying.
Celena, a Squire, who lives for the rules, is in constant worry for the ones under her care, and does everything to ensure their safety. It is especially true for Rafael, for whom she has been longing secretly for years.
Rafael Santiago, an ex-pirate, now Dark-Hunter is fascinated by Celena’s fierce beauty, and strict protectiveness. After an almost fatal, but luckily ended adventure they confess their feelings for each other, and live happily ever after.
I’m amazed again by the fact that Ms. Kenyon is able to jam incredibly many things into only a couple of pages: humor, background story, emotions, a Daimon attack, an Apollite wedding, surprises, action, erotica, and Acheron. Nicely done! Too bad it is short.
My favorite quotes.
“You can't go through life alone.
Trust me on this one. It's lonely as hell.”
Short and satisfying.
Celena, a Squire, who lives for the rules, is in constant worry for the ones under her care, and does everything to ensure their safety. It is especially true for Rafael, for whom she has been longing secretly for years.
Rafael Santiago, an ex-pirate, now Dark-Hunter is fascinated by Celena’s fierce beauty, and strict protectiveness. After an almost fatal, but luckily ended adventure they confess their feelings for each other, and live happily ever after.
I’m amazed again by the fact that Ms. Kenyon is able to jam incredibly many things into only a couple of pages: humor, background story, emotions, a Daimon attack, an Apollite wedding, surprises, action, erotica, and Acheron. Nicely done! Too bad it is short.
My favorite quotes.
October 17, 2021
Only read "Something Borrowed" / Jim Butcher
It was a fun story, the wedding of Georgia and Billy, the werewolves couple.
I assumed that those short stories are told by side characters/completely unrelated to the characters that we know and certainly not from Dresden’s perspective. I’m glad they are all that.
But I probably should take a break (been trying to catch up with all the short stories) because some things are becoming repetitive, like the height of Harry. Since they’re completely justified, a short break is best.
It was a fun story, the wedding of Georgia and Billy, the werewolves couple.
I assumed that those short stories are told by side characters/completely unrelated to the characters that we know and certainly not from Dresden’s perspective. I’m glad they are all that.
But I probably should take a break (been trying to catch up with all the short stories) because some things are becoming repetitive, like the height of Harry. Since they’re completely justified, a short break is best.
September 21, 2017
Read to fill the “Supernatural” square of my 2017 Halloween Bingo card.
A collection of short fiction—these are almost always a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed all but one of the stories and my favourites were “Tacky” by Charlaine Harris and “Dead Man’s Chest” by Rachel Caine. Not surprising, as I am familiar with both authors.
There are lots of vampires and werewolves of course, but I loved the cursed pirate ship in Rachel Caine’s story and the spookily good Elvis impersonator in P.N. Elrod’s “All Shook Up.”
Definitely a worthwhile read if you enjoy any of the contributing authors or are looking for something new. I must say I wish there were more pirates in the urban fantasy genre!
A collection of short fiction—these are almost always a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed all but one of the stories and my favourites were “Tacky” by Charlaine Harris and “Dead Man’s Chest” by Rachel Caine. Not surprising, as I am familiar with both authors.
There are lots of vampires and werewolves of course, but I loved the cursed pirate ship in Rachel Caine’s story and the spookily good Elvis impersonator in P.N. Elrod’s “All Shook Up.”
Definitely a worthwhile read if you enjoy any of the contributing authors or are looking for something new. I must say I wish there were more pirates in the urban fantasy genre!
May 7, 2010
Generally I prefer anthologies with fewer authors and longer stories. I only got this so I could read the Dresden story by Jim Butcher. I read a few others by authors I like and only flipped through the rest.
Jim Butcher's story was very good. He does a good job of introducing all of the elements in the series as a natural part of the story, so it's a strong stand-alone story for people who haven't read any of the series. And if this was my introduction to the series, I'd be ordering the first book right now, it was a fun, if very short, story.
Ironically, the story by Charlaine Harris was too long and not very enjoyable. It's about a vampire/werewolf wedding that takes place in Rhodes, so I'm assuming it's the pack that Alcide is a member of. But none of the characters were familiar. It was really funny or interesting, just ok.
Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter story was actually very good. I don't usually like romance novels that much, but this had a lot of humor and a fun story. And a very sexy man! The premise seems a bit different, mixing up vampires and Greek mythology and a few original elements. I'm not sure that I want to read whole novels of these stories, but I'm intrigued. And a (rather long) short story was great.
Jim Butcher's story was very good. He does a good job of introducing all of the elements in the series as a natural part of the story, so it's a strong stand-alone story for people who haven't read any of the series. And if this was my introduction to the series, I'd be ordering the first book right now, it was a fun, if very short, story.
Ironically, the story by Charlaine Harris was too long and not very enjoyable. It's about a vampire/werewolf wedding that takes place in Rhodes, so I'm assuming it's the pack that Alcide is a member of. But none of the characters were familiar. It was really funny or interesting, just ok.
Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter story was actually very good. I don't usually like romance novels that much, but this had a lot of humor and a fun story. And a very sexy man! The premise seems a bit different, mixing up vampires and Greek mythology and a few original elements. I'm not sure that I want to read whole novels of these stories, but I'm intrigued. And a (rather long) short story was great.
July 5, 2016
2 Stars:
I have read books from most of the authors in this book and loved the books they wrote. I found this book to be entertaining. However, It was hard to get through. It seems that the stories were just thrown together to piece together a book.
I didn’t like the book. However, the characters were borderline from unlikable to a few exceptions the plot was a bit poor. The writing was poor at worst and bad at best. I developed some interest in the book but not enough to sustain me. If part of a series, at least one thing peeked my interest to continue. Even though the plot was uninteresting, not original or unique in any way and contained an overload of pretense, the romance was a little better but the romance was still flawed. The male/female lead was possibly abusive, verbal/physical or both, boring, or had no to very little chemistry with love interest, etc. Everything was too easily predictable. Overall, ok maybe some redeeming value!
I have read books from most of the authors in this book and loved the books they wrote. I found this book to be entertaining. However, It was hard to get through. It seems that the stories were just thrown together to piece together a book.
I didn’t like the book. However, the characters were borderline from unlikable to a few exceptions the plot was a bit poor. The writing was poor at worst and bad at best. I developed some interest in the book but not enough to sustain me. If part of a series, at least one thing peeked my interest to continue. Even though the plot was uninteresting, not original or unique in any way and contained an overload of pretense, the romance was a little better but the romance was still flawed. The male/female lead was possibly abusive, verbal/physical or both, boring, or had no to very little chemistry with love interest, etc. Everything was too easily predictable. Overall, ok maybe some redeeming value!
March 9, 2016
Since Urban Fantasy is my favorite series, it's impossible for me not to be drawn into a themed anthology featuring some characters I already follow and some characters I haven't met yet. The stories are mainly cozy, quaint, and humorous, but there is a serious shadow in a few of them. The cover is adorable with the cake and decorations befitting the genre - and of course with this kind of mixture you can expect all sorts of supernatural beings (vamps, shapeshifters, demons, witches, the undead.)
As with any anthology, the offering is a mixed bag, but I'm happy to report that overall the offerings make the bag pretty.
The first short story, Spellbound, is a cute thing that succeeds at being humorous. From the spoof play of the old rival between Hatfields and the McCoys, to the lust induced cravings of young couples holding off till the wedding, to disasters that befall best men and maids of honor, it's a riot. Not perfect (the field melodrama carries on too much at times and there's not wrap-up explanation about the very beginning), but some fun stuff. I'll always miss L.A. Banks, RIP.
Something Borrowed was yet another reminder to myself that I need to majorly catch up with the Harry Dresden series. Although choppy, it's fun and cute. Harry is a fill-in best man for a were friend about to tie the knot, but when he finds the missing bride, he also finds trouble. Bob makes a needed appearance with his corny tradmark lines. Worthy if you're a fan of the series, fast paced.
The third story, Dead Man's Chest by Rachel Caine, is easily my favorite. Pirates, betrayal, surprise twists, a little romance thrown in, humor, enjoyable characters- both heroes and villains - there's not much more I can ask for. I do need to find more of this author - fast.
All Shook Up - I did enjoy the Elvis wedding story - it was more about the magic of Elvis than anything. How the paranormal came into play was decent. Not my favorite story, but a decent one. Would be great for Elvis fans.
Charmed by the moon by Lori Handeland was well written and I like the author's technique with words. I can tell the main character would get on my nerves quick with attitude in a series, though. The story is a good one, sweet, and blending in Indian lore for Will - her intended's - sake.
Tacky - The Charlaine Harris story is set in Sookieverse with Dahlia but without Sookie or any of the main book characters. Not the best story but cute and amusing. Light in structure but it's fun enough.
A Hard Day's Night Searcher - I'm not familiar with the world and the legends that go along with it, but it wasn't really necessary. Jeff was especially funny as the teenage squire who keeps screwing things up. Raphael wasn't the most dimensional but he was amusing as well. Not the best story but one of them. Sherrilyn Kennon writes humor with ease.
...Or Forever Hold Your Peace - The last story seemed well constructed with several deep layers of twists, but it was one of those where you really need to know the overlying story, series, etc., to get into it and understand it enough to care. The writing isn't back but it's a little old fashioned for an Urban Fantasy series I haven't read. Think it's more for already established fans.
As with any anthology, the offering is a mixed bag, but I'm happy to report that overall the offerings make the bag pretty.
The first short story, Spellbound, is a cute thing that succeeds at being humorous. From the spoof play of the old rival between Hatfields and the McCoys, to the lust induced cravings of young couples holding off till the wedding, to disasters that befall best men and maids of honor, it's a riot. Not perfect (the field melodrama carries on too much at times and there's not wrap-up explanation about the very beginning), but some fun stuff. I'll always miss L.A. Banks, RIP.
Something Borrowed was yet another reminder to myself that I need to majorly catch up with the Harry Dresden series. Although choppy, it's fun and cute. Harry is a fill-in best man for a were friend about to tie the knot, but when he finds the missing bride, he also finds trouble. Bob makes a needed appearance with his corny tradmark lines. Worthy if you're a fan of the series, fast paced.
The third story, Dead Man's Chest by Rachel Caine, is easily my favorite. Pirates, betrayal, surprise twists, a little romance thrown in, humor, enjoyable characters- both heroes and villains - there's not much more I can ask for. I do need to find more of this author - fast.
All Shook Up - I did enjoy the Elvis wedding story - it was more about the magic of Elvis than anything. How the paranormal came into play was decent. Not my favorite story, but a decent one. Would be great for Elvis fans.
Charmed by the moon by Lori Handeland was well written and I like the author's technique with words. I can tell the main character would get on my nerves quick with attitude in a series, though. The story is a good one, sweet, and blending in Indian lore for Will - her intended's - sake.
Tacky - The Charlaine Harris story is set in Sookieverse with Dahlia but without Sookie or any of the main book characters. Not the best story but cute and amusing. Light in structure but it's fun enough.
A Hard Day's Night Searcher - I'm not familiar with the world and the legends that go along with it, but it wasn't really necessary. Jeff was especially funny as the teenage squire who keeps screwing things up. Raphael wasn't the most dimensional but he was amusing as well. Not the best story but one of them. Sherrilyn Kennon writes humor with ease.
...Or Forever Hold Your Peace - The last story seemed well constructed with several deep layers of twists, but it was one of those where you really need to know the overlying story, series, etc., to get into it and understand it enough to care. The writing isn't back but it's a little old fashioned for an Urban Fantasy series I haven't read. Think it's more for already established fans.
July 10, 2015
I only read the Harry Dresden short story about Billy and Georgia's wedding. It was funny, and hectic, of course!
Georgia is replaced by a Fae in glamour, and nobody, including Billy knows that. Harry figures it out and is trying to find the real Georgia before the wedding takes place.
"What happens to him if he marries a faerie?"
"Conservatives get real upset," I said absently. "But, I'm not sure, magically speaking..."
Faerie, ax murderer - different methods, same results!
Georgia is replaced by a Fae in glamour, and nobody, including Billy knows that. Harry figures it out and is trying to find the real Georgia before the wedding takes place.
"What happens to him if he marries a faerie?"
"Conservatives get real upset," I said absently. "But, I'm not sure, magically speaking..."
Faerie, ax murderer - different methods, same results!
May 26, 2021
I only listened to Something Borrowed, by Jim Butcher and narrated by James Marsters... but I can't find the story by itself
Currently reading
February 14, 2018Reviewed for THC Reviews
When reading anthologies, I usually pick up one novella here and there to fill in gaps between longer books and rarely read them straight through. With that being the case, I've decided to post reviews of each story as I finish it. Reviews on the remaining novellas and the overall book rating will be forthcoming.:-)
*newest review for this anthology
Spellbound by L. A. Banks - Spellbound was an interesting romantic novella that wasn’t quite like anything I’ve read before. It was a fun, rather madcap story in which we get modern-day versions of the Hatfields and the McCoys, except in this scenario, they’re African-American practitioners of voodoo magic. Jefferson and Odelia, the hero and heroine, met at college and fell in love despite their feuding families, and each of them have eerie commonalities in their backgrounds which form a yin and yang of sorts. They both also have a celibacy spell over their heads, so that if they make love without being married, one or both of them it seems will die (I wasn’t entirely clear on that part, though). They’re having an increasingly difficult time waiting, so they’re planning a surprise wedding to coincide with their families being in town for their college graduations. The only problem is that when their families find out ahead of time, they start working spells to keep them apart.
Because of the brevity of the story, we don’t get to know Jefferson and Odelia very well. All we really learn about is the feud, the commonalities I spoke of, and that they’re quite simply madly in love and want nothing more than to be married. However, they seem like a very sweet couple, and because of the celibacy spell, it appears to be implied, though not outright stated, that they’re both virgins, which is pretty unusual in a romance. I was certainly rooting for them to make it to the altar before disaster struck. I liked both of their grandmothers, who are from the Robinson and Jones families and had children who married into the feud. They really go to bat for their grandkids and although the Hatfields and McCoys do stir up some trouble, I loved the way their spells backfired on them, which was really funny. The only thing I had difficulty with is that it started to get confusing with so many characters in such a short story. Otherwise, though, I enjoyed Spellbound and can recommend it. Star Rating: ****
Something Borrowed by Jim Butcher - Something Borrowed is a short, thirty-page novella that falls between Dead Beat and Proven Guilty in the Dresden Files series chronology. It features the wedding of Harry’s friends, Billy and Georgia, the leaders of the Alphas werewolf pack. Harry is the best man, so when Billy can’t reach Georgia and is caught up in appeasing his soon to be monster-in-law, he sends Harry to check on her. Much to Harry’s dismay, he finds their apartment trashed, Georgia missing, and traces of fairy activity. Using a tracking spell, Harry, with the help of Murphy and Bob, must rescue Georgia and get her to the wedding before Billy unknowingly marries the wrong woman.
This was a really fun novella that I very much enjoyed reading. The interplay between Harry, Murphy, and Bob was sharp and witty, while Murphy’s introduction to Bob was great for a laugh. Harry and Murphy always work well together, and the attraction between them (at least on Harry’s side) is slowly building, making me wonder what might happen in future books of the series. It was great to see Billy and Georgia get their happy ending, even though it didn’t exactly go as planned. But it did have a touch of fairy tale magic in an evil stepmother and true-love’s kiss, which I loved. Overall, this was a great little foray into Harry’s world that leaves me wanting to revisit it soon. Something Borrowed was originally published in this multi-author anthology but was later reprinted in the single-author anthology, Side Jobs, along with several other novellas in the Dresden Files series. Star Rating: *****
*Dead Man's Chest by Rachel Caine - I’ve never read anything by Rachel Caine before, but it’s been in the back of my mind to perhaps try her out sometime. Dead Man's Chest gave me a nice, little introduction to her work without a huge time commitment. It’s an entertaining story that has a Pirates of the Caribbean vibe to it. Our heroine, Cecilia, is an ordinary girl who’s been dating Ian, a drop-dead gorgeous romance cover model for two months. She can’t quite figure out what someone like him sees in someone like her and it doesn’t entirely feel right when he starts talking marriage. As the story opens, Ian has taken Cecilia to the docks where he has a pirate ship awaiting them for a quickie ceremony. She reluctantly goes along with it, only to find out that her uneasy feelings regarding Ian were right and that the crew of said pirate ship aren’t entirely human.
I had somewhat mixed feelings about our hero and heroine. At first I had a hard time respecting Cecilia. As a follower and a peacemaker, I understand sometimes going along with the crowd and not wanting to rock the boat, but even though something feels off about the entire wedding thing and she doesn’t really want to marry Ian, she still allows him to railroad her into it. After she discovers that he’s a no-good scoundrel, she does grow a backbone and that’s when I started to like her more. The real hero of the story is Liam Lockhart, the cursed ship’s captain. Despite behaving like a scalawag in the beginning, he’s the one who steps in to save Cecilia from her doom. While he wouldn’t necessarily be my ideal romance hero, he did grow on me as the story progressed.
Overall, I enjoyed Dead Man's Chest. It was a creative story that had some humor and was fun to read. I’m not sure if Rachel Caine is technically considered a romance author, although I know some of my romance reading friends have recommended her work. It seems like she generally leans more toward fantasy and suspense that has a touch of romance in it, and that’s how I would categorize Dead Man's Chest. It’s a paranormal story that involves something about halfway between ghosts and zombies, which was fun. But the romance was a little weak. The focus is more on the fantasy element of the curse, while the character and relationship building is more of an afterthought. It does have a cute HEA, which I was doubting would happen for a while. So overall, this novella was an amusing diversion that left me open to trying more of Rachel Caine’s work. Dead Man's Chest is the first in her There Be Pirates novella duet. Star Rating: ****
“All Shook Up” by P. N. Elrod -
The Wedding of Wylda Serene by Esther M. Friesner -
Charmed by the Moon by Lori Handeland -
Tacky by Charlaine Harris -
A Hard Day's Night-Searcher by Sherrilyn Kenyon - A Hard Day's Night-Searcher was a pretty typical Dark-Hunter story, but an extremely short one. The most unique thing about it is that it features two persons of color as the hero and heroine, which in my experience is pretty unusual for a popular, mainstream romance series. Otherwise, there wasn't anything particularly new or groundbreaking in this novella that hasn't been seen before in the Dark-Hunter series.
I liked both the hero and heroine in this story. Rafael first appeared as a secondary character in Sins of the Night, and like that book, A Hard Day's Night-Searcher also takes place in Mississippi. In his human life, Rafael was a pirate, but in his three centuries of being a Dark-Hunter, he has mellowed considerably. Celena is a squire for another Dark-Hunter, Ephani (also from Sins of the Night), but Rafe takes advantage of a situation with his own squire to get Celena to work with him for a week. It was pretty amusing how Celena was so anal about her job that she nearly drove Rafael crazy in a matter of days, but when he learned why she was that way, it was a rather touching moment. However, the novella is so brief, there isn't really any space for meaningful character or relationship development. Celena was apparently already in love with Rafael long before the story began, and Rafe went from lust to love literally in the span of a heartbeat.
Rafael and Celena did get to have one quick but wild adventure, accidentally crashing an Apollite wedding reception, but as I mentioned before there wasn't much else besides the usual Dark-Hunter stuff going on here. It pains me to say so, but even Acheron's appearance was a bit lackluster. Since this novella didn't add anything to the overall mythology or story-arc of the series, it could easily be read as a stand-alone or possibly even skipped, but for those readers who prefer to read series in order it falls between Dark Side of the Moon and The Dream-Hunter in the Dark-Hunter chronology. Considering the brevity of the story, A Hard Day's Night-Searcher was a decent and fairly enjoyable read for what it was, but still didn't really reignite my enthusiasm for the series. Star Rating: ***1/2
“...Or Forever Hold Your Peace” by Susan Krinard -
When reading anthologies, I usually pick up one novella here and there to fill in gaps between longer books and rarely read them straight through. With that being the case, I've decided to post reviews of each story as I finish it. Reviews on the remaining novellas and the overall book rating will be forthcoming.:-)
*newest review for this anthology
Spellbound by L. A. Banks - Spellbound was an interesting romantic novella that wasn’t quite like anything I’ve read before. It was a fun, rather madcap story in which we get modern-day versions of the Hatfields and the McCoys, except in this scenario, they’re African-American practitioners of voodoo magic. Jefferson and Odelia, the hero and heroine, met at college and fell in love despite their feuding families, and each of them have eerie commonalities in their backgrounds which form a yin and yang of sorts. They both also have a celibacy spell over their heads, so that if they make love without being married, one or both of them it seems will die (I wasn’t entirely clear on that part, though). They’re having an increasingly difficult time waiting, so they’re planning a surprise wedding to coincide with their families being in town for their college graduations. The only problem is that when their families find out ahead of time, they start working spells to keep them apart.
Because of the brevity of the story, we don’t get to know Jefferson and Odelia very well. All we really learn about is the feud, the commonalities I spoke of, and that they’re quite simply madly in love and want nothing more than to be married. However, they seem like a very sweet couple, and because of the celibacy spell, it appears to be implied, though not outright stated, that they’re both virgins, which is pretty unusual in a romance. I was certainly rooting for them to make it to the altar before disaster struck. I liked both of their grandmothers, who are from the Robinson and Jones families and had children who married into the feud. They really go to bat for their grandkids and although the Hatfields and McCoys do stir up some trouble, I loved the way their spells backfired on them, which was really funny. The only thing I had difficulty with is that it started to get confusing with so many characters in such a short story. Otherwise, though, I enjoyed Spellbound and can recommend it. Star Rating: ****
Something Borrowed by Jim Butcher - Something Borrowed is a short, thirty-page novella that falls between Dead Beat and Proven Guilty in the Dresden Files series chronology. It features the wedding of Harry’s friends, Billy and Georgia, the leaders of the Alphas werewolf pack. Harry is the best man, so when Billy can’t reach Georgia and is caught up in appeasing his soon to be monster-in-law, he sends Harry to check on her. Much to Harry’s dismay, he finds their apartment trashed, Georgia missing, and traces of fairy activity. Using a tracking spell, Harry, with the help of Murphy and Bob, must rescue Georgia and get her to the wedding before Billy unknowingly marries the wrong woman.
This was a really fun novella that I very much enjoyed reading. The interplay between Harry, Murphy, and Bob was sharp and witty, while Murphy’s introduction to Bob was great for a laugh. Harry and Murphy always work well together, and the attraction between them (at least on Harry’s side) is slowly building, making me wonder what might happen in future books of the series. It was great to see Billy and Georgia get their happy ending, even though it didn’t exactly go as planned. But it did have a touch of fairy tale magic in an evil stepmother and true-love’s kiss, which I loved. Overall, this was a great little foray into Harry’s world that leaves me wanting to revisit it soon. Something Borrowed was originally published in this multi-author anthology but was later reprinted in the single-author anthology, Side Jobs, along with several other novellas in the Dresden Files series. Star Rating: *****
*Dead Man's Chest by Rachel Caine - I’ve never read anything by Rachel Caine before, but it’s been in the back of my mind to perhaps try her out sometime. Dead Man's Chest gave me a nice, little introduction to her work without a huge time commitment. It’s an entertaining story that has a Pirates of the Caribbean vibe to it. Our heroine, Cecilia, is an ordinary girl who’s been dating Ian, a drop-dead gorgeous romance cover model for two months. She can’t quite figure out what someone like him sees in someone like her and it doesn’t entirely feel right when he starts talking marriage. As the story opens, Ian has taken Cecilia to the docks where he has a pirate ship awaiting them for a quickie ceremony. She reluctantly goes along with it, only to find out that her uneasy feelings regarding Ian were right and that the crew of said pirate ship aren’t entirely human.
I had somewhat mixed feelings about our hero and heroine. At first I had a hard time respecting Cecilia. As a follower and a peacemaker, I understand sometimes going along with the crowd and not wanting to rock the boat, but even though something feels off about the entire wedding thing and she doesn’t really want to marry Ian, she still allows him to railroad her into it. After she discovers that he’s a no-good scoundrel, she does grow a backbone and that’s when I started to like her more. The real hero of the story is Liam Lockhart, the cursed ship’s captain. Despite behaving like a scalawag in the beginning, he’s the one who steps in to save Cecilia from her doom. While he wouldn’t necessarily be my ideal romance hero, he did grow on me as the story progressed.
Overall, I enjoyed Dead Man's Chest. It was a creative story that had some humor and was fun to read. I’m not sure if Rachel Caine is technically considered a romance author, although I know some of my romance reading friends have recommended her work. It seems like she generally leans more toward fantasy and suspense that has a touch of romance in it, and that’s how I would categorize Dead Man's Chest. It’s a paranormal story that involves something about halfway between ghosts and zombies, which was fun. But the romance was a little weak. The focus is more on the fantasy element of the curse, while the character and relationship building is more of an afterthought. It does have a cute HEA, which I was doubting would happen for a while. So overall, this novella was an amusing diversion that left me open to trying more of Rachel Caine’s work. Dead Man's Chest is the first in her There Be Pirates novella duet. Star Rating: ****
“All Shook Up” by P. N. Elrod -
The Wedding of Wylda Serene by Esther M. Friesner -
Charmed by the Moon by Lori Handeland -
Tacky by Charlaine Harris -
A Hard Day's Night-Searcher by Sherrilyn Kenyon - A Hard Day's Night-Searcher was a pretty typical Dark-Hunter story, but an extremely short one. The most unique thing about it is that it features two persons of color as the hero and heroine, which in my experience is pretty unusual for a popular, mainstream romance series. Otherwise, there wasn't anything particularly new or groundbreaking in this novella that hasn't been seen before in the Dark-Hunter series.
I liked both the hero and heroine in this story. Rafael first appeared as a secondary character in Sins of the Night, and like that book, A Hard Day's Night-Searcher also takes place in Mississippi. In his human life, Rafael was a pirate, but in his three centuries of being a Dark-Hunter, he has mellowed considerably. Celena is a squire for another Dark-Hunter, Ephani (also from Sins of the Night), but Rafe takes advantage of a situation with his own squire to get Celena to work with him for a week. It was pretty amusing how Celena was so anal about her job that she nearly drove Rafael crazy in a matter of days, but when he learned why she was that way, it was a rather touching moment. However, the novella is so brief, there isn't really any space for meaningful character or relationship development. Celena was apparently already in love with Rafael long before the story began, and Rafe went from lust to love literally in the span of a heartbeat.
Rafael and Celena did get to have one quick but wild adventure, accidentally crashing an Apollite wedding reception, but as I mentioned before there wasn't much else besides the usual Dark-Hunter stuff going on here. It pains me to say so, but even Acheron's appearance was a bit lackluster. Since this novella didn't add anything to the overall mythology or story-arc of the series, it could easily be read as a stand-alone or possibly even skipped, but for those readers who prefer to read series in order it falls between Dark Side of the Moon and The Dream-Hunter in the Dark-Hunter chronology. Considering the brevity of the story, A Hard Day's Night-Searcher was a decent and fairly enjoyable read for what it was, but still didn't really reignite my enthusiasm for the series. Star Rating: ***1/2
“...Or Forever Hold Your Peace” by Susan Krinard -
June 11, 2024
- Hortera (Sangre fresca 6.5): La historia se deja leer. Sin ser nada del otro jueves, mantiene el interés. Pero no conozco a ningún personaje y la autora no nos los presenta. Sí, es una boda accidentada de no sé quién, que no sé qué tiene que ver con nada. GL Bis (Sangre fresca)
August 29, 2008
I didn't love it. In fact it took me a month to read it. I'd flip through the stories, read one, skip the next...I eventually read all of them. I didn't like the L.A. Banks story at all, but then again, I hated "Minion." If I tried to write as "ethnic" as she does, my review would say, "Oh vey! The schmaltz in that story made me messhugana! So much mishigas for a little shtup!" Enough already. I liked the Charlaine Harris story, that was worth reading. Overall, phooey on this collection. I've read novels by most of the authors and enjoyed them more than the individual stories here, with the exception of Jim Butcher; I didn't like his Dresden books but thought the story here was well written and interesting. I really like the paranormal genre so this book was a dissapointment for me.
January 30, 2020
I picked this anthology up because of the True Blood and Jim Butcher story. The Butcher story added to the Harry stories. The True Blood expanded the Sookie world but it was not a story about her. It was about other vampires and werewolves in her world. Most of the shorts were well written and if were a fan of the books they are a part of I might have taken more interest in them. These stories were clearly written for someone who already reads the series they are take from.
March 5, 2020
Ho letto solo il racconto di Jim Butcher in allegato a uno dei romanzi dei Dresden file, visto il tema, non penso che leggerò gli altri racconti della raccolta.
October 6, 2017
Review of Charlaine Harris - "Tacky" story ONLY.
May 5, 2017
MY BIG FAT SUPERNATURAL WEDDING - 3.2 out of 5 STARS
"Spellbound" by L. A. Banks - 2 Stars
I thought this story was weird and hard to follow sometimes.
"Something Borrowed" by Jim Butcher - 3 Stars
I thought this story was interesting but it might have been easier to follow if I'd read others in the series.
"Dead Man's Chest" by Rachel Caine - 3.5 Stars
This story was weird at first but I felt it got better after Ian pushed Cecilia overboard and she fell for Lockhart. I felt the curse was interesting, too.
"All Shook Up" by P. N. Elrod - 5 Stars
I loved the whole Elvis thing, as I am a ridiculously huge Elvis fan. I wished it could have been a full-length because I know I would have liked it. I would have liked to see more development of Frankie and Rick's relationship.
"The Wedding of Wylda Serene" - Esther Friesner - 1 Star
I thought this story was weird and I didn't like it. The mythology aspect was cool but everything else was just weird. I felt that the ending was creepy since the guy was old enough to be her father.
"Charmed by the Moon" by Lori Handeland - 2.5
I thought this was an interesting story but it was not the best. I liked the other novella of his that I read previously better than this one.
"Tacky" by Charlaine Harris - 5 Stars
I liked this story and felt that it was nice to get into Harris' world of vampires and werewolves through other characters. I loved Dahlia and Todd. The fight at the end was totally boss and I'm pretty sure I was smiling throughout the whole thing.
"A Hard Day's Night-Searcher" by Sherrilyn Kenyon - 5 Stars
I absolutely loved Rafael. He was sarcastic, funny, sexy, intelligent. And I loved Celena even though she drove him crazy. It was totally awesome how she came and protected him. I thought it was hilarious that Jeff told the story of the Dark-Hunters and Apollites and didn't understand how he was in the wrong since he changed the names. I love that Ash killed Rafael for them so Celena could give him his soul back. And, I was glad there was sex in this story; for heaven's sake, this was the only story in the whole anthology that had sex and by this point I was going crazy.
"...Or Forever Hold Your Peace" by Susan Krinard - 2.5 Stars
This story was a little weird, and it might have been better if I'd read others in the series and knew more about the world it took place in. The end got a little creepy with the Kate/Emma fight in the one body. I did love Kit and Olivia, however, and wanted them to be together, and I loved when he protected her.
"Spellbound" by L. A. Banks - 2 Stars
I thought this story was weird and hard to follow sometimes.
"Something Borrowed" by Jim Butcher - 3 Stars
I thought this story was interesting but it might have been easier to follow if I'd read others in the series.
"Dead Man's Chest" by Rachel Caine - 3.5 Stars
This story was weird at first but I felt it got better after Ian pushed Cecilia overboard and she fell for Lockhart. I felt the curse was interesting, too.
"All Shook Up" by P. N. Elrod - 5 Stars
I loved the whole Elvis thing, as I am a ridiculously huge Elvis fan. I wished it could have been a full-length because I know I would have liked it. I would have liked to see more development of Frankie and Rick's relationship.
"The Wedding of Wylda Serene" - Esther Friesner - 1 Star
I thought this story was weird and I didn't like it. The mythology aspect was cool but everything else was just weird. I felt that the ending was creepy since the guy was old enough to be her father.
"Charmed by the Moon" by Lori Handeland - 2.5
I thought this was an interesting story but it was not the best. I liked the other novella of his that I read previously better than this one.
"Tacky" by Charlaine Harris - 5 Stars
I liked this story and felt that it was nice to get into Harris' world of vampires and werewolves through other characters. I loved Dahlia and Todd. The fight at the end was totally boss and I'm pretty sure I was smiling throughout the whole thing.
"A Hard Day's Night-Searcher" by Sherrilyn Kenyon - 5 Stars
I absolutely loved Rafael. He was sarcastic, funny, sexy, intelligent. And I loved Celena even though she drove him crazy. It was totally awesome how she came and protected him. I thought it was hilarious that Jeff told the story of the Dark-Hunters and Apollites and didn't understand how he was in the wrong since he changed the names. I love that Ash killed Rafael for them so Celena could give him his soul back. And, I was glad there was sex in this story; for heaven's sake, this was the only story in the whole anthology that had sex and by this point I was going crazy.
"...Or Forever Hold Your Peace" by Susan Krinard - 2.5 Stars
This story was a little weird, and it might have been better if I'd read others in the series and knew more about the world it took place in. The end got a little creepy with the Kate/Emma fight in the one body. I did love Kit and Olivia, however, and wanted them to be together, and I loved when he protected her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2022
I started reading this book because of a Dresden Files story in it. I definitely liked some of the stories better than others in this collection. I liked the take on the Hatfield and McCoy feud done with conjuring instead of rifles and the surprise ending in the Wedding of Wylda Serene. That one included some mythological elements in a modern country club setting. I liked the variety of stories. Though most of them could be considered urban fantasy, they still had an interesting assortment of settings and characters. One was an alternate Victorian historical piece that included magical "talents" and referenced the banshee legends and the Black Dog from English legends. It was a different take on the Black Dog portraying him as a shape-shifting talent. I want to find books by some of the writers. I also also want to check out another P.N. Elrod anthology called My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon as a follow-up read
December 11, 2008
This book was like a gift from the fiction gods for me, containing stories from almost every one of my current favorite paranormal and dark fantasy writers. All the stories were degrees of good or great, but the best surprise was from my old fandom friend Rachel Caine (Roxanne Conrad), a twisty-fun pirate romp called "Dead Man's Chest", an awesome homage to the Pirates of the Caribbean and how much we all want to jump Captain Jack Sparrow no matter what we say in public. *G*
Well worth the cost of admission!
Well worth the cost of admission!
January 26, 2016
Like most anthologies some of the stories in this collection were better than otherst. It might have just been be but I felt lost with "A Hard Day's Night Searcher". I felt that because I hadn’t read any of the Dark Hunter books I was lost on the 2 species involved in the story.
I did enjoy some of the stories, mostly the ones that made me laugh. My favorites were:
1. Spellbound
2. Dead Man's Chest
3. The Wedding of Wylda Serene
4. Charmed by the Moon
** Since I always love pointing out book covers, let me add that I loved this one. Creepy gothic cake! Yum! **
I did enjoy some of the stories, mostly the ones that made me laugh. My favorites were:
1. Spellbound
2. Dead Man's Chest
3. The Wedding of Wylda Serene
4. Charmed by the Moon
** Since I always love pointing out book covers, let me add that I loved this one. Creepy gothic cake! Yum! **
October 6, 2008
Sherrilyn Kenyon "A Hard Day's Night-Searcher" - Dark-Hunter
This is a romantic short story about Raphel, the dark-hunter and his love for a squire. It's short and sweet, with a brief appearance by Acheron.
This is a romantic short story about Raphel, the dark-hunter and his love for a squire. It's short and sweet, with a brief appearance by Acheron.
March 19, 2017
SPELLBOUND by L. A. Banks
(2.5 stars)
If you’re a fan of erotica, you’ll enjoy the first half of this story. I didn’t, because I’m not a fan. But the rest of it was okay. I haven’t read any of this author’s books before, and I don’t think I will.
SOMETHING BORROWED by Jim Butcher
(4.5 stars)
I enjoyed this short story immensely. I’m a huge fan of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files, so it was great spending a few pages with Harry, Bob and Murphy. This quirky short is hilarious, action-packed and massively entertaining.
DEAD MAN'S CHEST by Rachel Caine
(4.5 stars)
A very entertaining short, and quite unique. I’ve never read any of this author’s books before, but I was impressed by this little pirate romance.
'ALL SHOOK UP' by P. N. Elrod
(4 stars)
I loved this quirky short…the first three quarters of it anyway. It made me laugh and I read most of it with a smile on my face. I loved that it brought Elvis back to life. Just a pity the ending, when the wedding was over, was a bit of a let down.
THE WEDDING OF WYLDA SERENE by Esther M. Friesner
(5 stars)
This one was without a doubt my absolutefavorite of this anthology. It was a laugh a minute! If Friesner’s writing is always this exquisite and her stories this charming, I definitely want to read more of her works.
CHARMED BY THE MOON by Lori Handeland
(4 stars)
Although I don’t enjoy books or movies with a werewolf theme, I liked this story very much.
TACKY by Charlaine Harris
(3.5 stars)
I loved Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novels and for a long time she was my number one favorite author. I enjoyed this novella by her, but I expected it to be better.
A HARD DAY’S NIGHT-SEARCHER by Sherrilyn Kenyon
(4 stars)
I’ve heard many good things about Sherrilyn Kenyon’s books, though I haven’t read any of her novels yet. I enjoyed most of this novella, but didn’t care for the erotica or the ending. The witty dialogue between the characters had me in stiches. The epilogue seemed tacked on as though the author suddenly remembered she was supposed to write something about a wedding, which she hadn’t planned on making part of her story in the first place.
…OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE by Susan Krinard
(2.5 stars)
I breathed a sigh of relief when I reached the last page of the final story. It was entertaining, but not enough to keep my interest. I couldn’t wait for it to end.
(2.5 stars)
If you’re a fan of erotica, you’ll enjoy the first half of this story. I didn’t, because I’m not a fan. But the rest of it was okay. I haven’t read any of this author’s books before, and I don’t think I will.
SOMETHING BORROWED by Jim Butcher
(4.5 stars)
I enjoyed this short story immensely. I’m a huge fan of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files, so it was great spending a few pages with Harry, Bob and Murphy. This quirky short is hilarious, action-packed and massively entertaining.
DEAD MAN'S CHEST by Rachel Caine
(4.5 stars)
A very entertaining short, and quite unique. I’ve never read any of this author’s books before, but I was impressed by this little pirate romance.
'ALL SHOOK UP' by P. N. Elrod
(4 stars)
I loved this quirky short…the first three quarters of it anyway. It made me laugh and I read most of it with a smile on my face. I loved that it brought Elvis back to life. Just a pity the ending, when the wedding was over, was a bit of a let down.
THE WEDDING OF WYLDA SERENE by Esther M. Friesner
(5 stars)
This one was without a doubt my absolutefavorite of this anthology. It was a laugh a minute! If Friesner’s writing is always this exquisite and her stories this charming, I definitely want to read more of her works.
CHARMED BY THE MOON by Lori Handeland
(4 stars)
Although I don’t enjoy books or movies with a werewolf theme, I liked this story very much.
TACKY by Charlaine Harris
(3.5 stars)
I loved Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novels and for a long time she was my number one favorite author. I enjoyed this novella by her, but I expected it to be better.
A HARD DAY’S NIGHT-SEARCHER by Sherrilyn Kenyon
(4 stars)
I’ve heard many good things about Sherrilyn Kenyon’s books, though I haven’t read any of her novels yet. I enjoyed most of this novella, but didn’t care for the erotica or the ending. The witty dialogue between the characters had me in stiches. The epilogue seemed tacked on as though the author suddenly remembered she was supposed to write something about a wedding, which she hadn’t planned on making part of her story in the first place.
…OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE by Susan Krinard
(2.5 stars)
I breathed a sigh of relief when I reached the last page of the final story. It was entertaining, but not enough to keep my interest. I couldn’t wait for it to end.
May 5, 2019
I enjoyed the stories, for the most part, but some were poorly written and constructed. Trudging through those felt more like work than recreation. Jim Butcher and Charlaine Harris rarely disappoint; those were the best 2 wedding stories, set in the worlds of Harry Dresden and Sookie Stackhouse, respectively.
May 4, 2021
To be fair, I only read Butcher's "Something Borrowed" as I realized I was missing parts from the main Dresden files. I love Butcher's writing, and didn't really read the other short stories collected here.
March 27, 2017
Liked most of the stories.
May 8, 2020
Something Borrowed (The Dresden Files #7.1) by Jim Butcher ✓
★★★★/5.
★★★★/5.
February 11, 2021
DNF. Read the Harry Dresden short story (Something borrowed), cause I love Billy and Georgia. 4 stars
January 18, 2025
Good selection of stories. Most were pretty good!
April 25, 2025
Alright I’m already in love with the Dresden files but come on a werewolf wedding, evil fairy’s and a true loves kiss. A short sweet and as always enjoyable Dresden files novella!
October 16, 2019
Got this to read the short story by Jim Butcher and loved it! Have to return the book to the library before I get the rest read so I can't give a better star rating till that happens.
June 9, 2009
Gives a whole new meaning to 'wedded bliss'...
When a simple, traditional wedding just won't do, you get together several popular paranormal fantasy authors and bam! You get a wedding worth remembering.
[SPELLBOUND:] by L.A. Banks is a lively tale of two families notorious in their feud and moreso for their voodoo. When the son of one and the daughter of the other fall in love they risk an all-out war of magics between their aunts and uncles just to get married. With her usual attention to cultural detail and a heavy dose of slangy dialog this one was a little tough to swallow but Banks delivers flavor like none other. 3/5 stars
[SOMETHING BORROWED:] by Jim Butcher brings the world of Harry Dresden onto the wedding ciruit and into a patch of faerie trouble. When werewolves Billy and Georgia attempt to get married an old grudge comes back to haunt them and it's up to Harry to make sure that the wedding goes on. I've still never ready the Dresden books and that made this story a little confusing not sure how fans of the series would feel. 2/5 stars
[DEAD MAN'S CHEST:] by Rachel Caine is a wild yarn about a wedding at sea and attempted-murder most foul. Ian is a man almost too good to be true when he whisks Cecilia off on a wedding cruise that will change their lives. I am a huge sucker for a pirate story and this one delivered quite well even if the romance was a bit too rushed for my tastes. 5/5 stars
["ALL SHOOK UP":] by P.N. Elrod brings the catering crew and entertainment at a reception into the light as an Elvis impersonator and head caterer strike up an attraction. Toss in a special magic, a model and a wrestler and you get one crazy wedding that won't be easily forgetable. This story was so different but well characterised I couldn't help but like it. 4/5 stars
[THE WEDDING OF WYLDA SERENE:] by Esther M. Friesner throws the book at the uppercrust and their snooty ways as they try to find a way to prevent chaos at The Club where a wedding is to take place. Mixing mythology and dry humor this one pokes fun at high society's strictures. I loved how this one was narrated but the story was a little choppy and strange. 2/5 stars
[CHARMED BY THE MOON:] by Lori Handleland is a story of Native American myth and a wedding that could be stopped by questionable magics. Werewolves are the bad guys who may have set the trouble up but sometimes lovers just need to trust their feelings. I'm not sure if this ties into Handeland's series at all but it felt like these characters were from another story. Loved the Native American mythology use and the hero and heroine were well suited to one another. 3/5 stars
[TACKY:] by Charlaine Harris is set in the Southern Vampire Mysteries world but isn't focused on Sookie. When a vampire and a werewolf decide to get married it causes all kinds of comflict for the bride and groom least of which is the fact that their races hate one another! I've only recently become remotely familiar with this world and love the way it is presented, this story was cute and an interesting look at the vampire and werewolf politics Harris has created. 5/5 stars
[A HARD DAY'S NIGHT-SEARCHER:] by Sherrilyn Kenyon plops you down into the world of the Dark Hunters where a young squire with delusions of grandeur has written and gotten published with a short story that is a blatant rip-off of the REAL Dark Hunters. To protect his squire a Dark Hunter has to keep the female squire he has the hots for busy and maybe get her to break a few rules along the way. There's a lot of plot packed into this short story but it comes off strangely well if you're a fan of Kenyon's Dark Hunters this is a decent read. 4/5 stars
["...OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE":] by Susan Krinard is a historical tale of a wedding interupted by a mysterious man, an even more mysterious death and a kidnapping. When a group of friends must sort out the truth using their inherited magics they're in for a big surprise. Really interesting conceptually but a little confusing this one would have made a better full length novel. 3/5 stars
Overall this was a pretty good sampler of authors and I loved the diversity of writing styles. It was fun to see familiar authors writing outside of their series (Banks, Caine) and to see a few were tied to others (Butcher, Harris, Kenyon). Not my favorite anthology about weddings but certainly one for fans of the well known authors included within.
When a simple, traditional wedding just won't do, you get together several popular paranormal fantasy authors and bam! You get a wedding worth remembering.
[SPELLBOUND:] by L.A. Banks is a lively tale of two families notorious in their feud and moreso for their voodoo. When the son of one and the daughter of the other fall in love they risk an all-out war of magics between their aunts and uncles just to get married. With her usual attention to cultural detail and a heavy dose of slangy dialog this one was a little tough to swallow but Banks delivers flavor like none other. 3/5 stars
[SOMETHING BORROWED:] by Jim Butcher brings the world of Harry Dresden onto the wedding ciruit and into a patch of faerie trouble. When werewolves Billy and Georgia attempt to get married an old grudge comes back to haunt them and it's up to Harry to make sure that the wedding goes on. I've still never ready the Dresden books and that made this story a little confusing not sure how fans of the series would feel. 2/5 stars
[DEAD MAN'S CHEST:] by Rachel Caine is a wild yarn about a wedding at sea and attempted-murder most foul. Ian is a man almost too good to be true when he whisks Cecilia off on a wedding cruise that will change their lives. I am a huge sucker for a pirate story and this one delivered quite well even if the romance was a bit too rushed for my tastes. 5/5 stars
["ALL SHOOK UP":] by P.N. Elrod brings the catering crew and entertainment at a reception into the light as an Elvis impersonator and head caterer strike up an attraction. Toss in a special magic, a model and a wrestler and you get one crazy wedding that won't be easily forgetable. This story was so different but well characterised I couldn't help but like it. 4/5 stars
[THE WEDDING OF WYLDA SERENE:] by Esther M. Friesner throws the book at the uppercrust and their snooty ways as they try to find a way to prevent chaos at The Club where a wedding is to take place. Mixing mythology and dry humor this one pokes fun at high society's strictures. I loved how this one was narrated but the story was a little choppy and strange. 2/5 stars
[CHARMED BY THE MOON:] by Lori Handleland is a story of Native American myth and a wedding that could be stopped by questionable magics. Werewolves are the bad guys who may have set the trouble up but sometimes lovers just need to trust their feelings. I'm not sure if this ties into Handeland's series at all but it felt like these characters were from another story. Loved the Native American mythology use and the hero and heroine were well suited to one another. 3/5 stars
[TACKY:] by Charlaine Harris is set in the Southern Vampire Mysteries world but isn't focused on Sookie. When a vampire and a werewolf decide to get married it causes all kinds of comflict for the bride and groom least of which is the fact that their races hate one another! I've only recently become remotely familiar with this world and love the way it is presented, this story was cute and an interesting look at the vampire and werewolf politics Harris has created. 5/5 stars
[A HARD DAY'S NIGHT-SEARCHER:] by Sherrilyn Kenyon plops you down into the world of the Dark Hunters where a young squire with delusions of grandeur has written and gotten published with a short story that is a blatant rip-off of the REAL Dark Hunters. To protect his squire a Dark Hunter has to keep the female squire he has the hots for busy and maybe get her to break a few rules along the way. There's a lot of plot packed into this short story but it comes off strangely well if you're a fan of Kenyon's Dark Hunters this is a decent read. 4/5 stars
["...OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE":] by Susan Krinard is a historical tale of a wedding interupted by a mysterious man, an even more mysterious death and a kidnapping. When a group of friends must sort out the truth using their inherited magics they're in for a big surprise. Really interesting conceptually but a little confusing this one would have made a better full length novel. 3/5 stars
Overall this was a pretty good sampler of authors and I loved the diversity of writing styles. It was fun to see familiar authors writing outside of their series (Banks, Caine) and to see a few were tied to others (Butcher, Harris, Kenyon). Not my favorite anthology about weddings but certainly one for fans of the well known authors included within.
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