Lady Whistledown Strikes Back
Julia Quinn, Suzanne Enoch, Karen Hawkins, and Mia Ryan
Avon, Jun 2004, $6.99, 400 pp.
ISBN: 0060577487

In 1816 Lady Whistledown provides society gossip to the delight of Regency romance readers as this quartet attains the high quality expected from the Ton's greatest snoop.

"The First Kiss" by Julia Quinn. Though Tillie Howard mourns the death of her brother Harry, her parents insist she attend Lady Neely's dinner party; Peter Thompson also is at the party. He was with Harry when he was killed on the battlefield. Their bereavement leads to mutual comforting and ultimately love, but both feel guilty that they live while Harry died.

"The Last Temptation" by Mia Ryan. Suspicion falls on Lady Neeley's thirty year old companion Isabella Martin for the missing bracelet though she has loyally served for a decade. Quickly exonerated, Isabella has come to the attention of Anthony Doring. He provides her first kiss and realizes he wants to provide a lifetime of all her kisses, but she is beneath him.

"The Best of Both Worlds" by Suzanne Enoch. Charlotte Birling loves Xavier Mason, but he does not know she exists though she stealthily takes loving glances at him whenever she can. At a party, he first hears her voice and that excites him. When he sees Charlotte the Earl knows he wants her. As they fall in love, her mother refuses to allow a man about the town to court her daughter.

""The Only One for Me" by Karen Hawkins. Twelve years ago Max Throckmorton married Sophia, but a scandal over cheating cards sent the Earl to the continent. Sophia now plans to marry Riddleton, but needs her marriage to Max annulled. However, Max is back and wants Sophia whom he still loves.

Harriet Klausner