The School for Heiresses : Ten Reasons to Stay / After Midnight / The Merchant's Gift / Mischief's Holiday

Sabrina Jefferies continues her School for Heiresses Series with the exploits of four students of the Mrs. Charlotte Harris's rich, but untitled school for young ladies. This unique blend of authors keeps the reader's attention with short stories which are well-written and developed with strong characters that blend into moments of heartwarming sweetness, sensuality and humor.

It is a delight to see another story written by the new talent Renee Bernard, who delighted romance fans with her erotic historical debut, The Lady's Pleasure. In her Heiress Story, "Mischief's Holiday, we are treated with her traditional regency writing style when the beautiful, but clumsy Alyssa Martin meets the second son Leland Yates. Sparks fly the moment he sees her lush derriere popping out of her overturned carriage, in the first of many mishaps. He soon discovers it is Alyssa's father who has invited him for a holiday stay at the family estate. Leland finds each mishap of hers as delightful as the lady herself. It is a sweet and touching story with just the right amount of sensuality with an ending that will warm a reader's heart and keep a smile on your face.

In Julia London's "The Merchants Gift" Grace Holcomb, the daughter of a merchant, returns home for the holidays after two unsuccessful seasons in London, disappointing her father once again by not attaining a title for the family. Upon her return to Leeds, the handsome neighbor and sheep farmer, Mr. Barrett Adlaine, is immediately taken by Grace's beauty and loves her for simply being Grace, not for the rich dowry she is able to give him. Grace is drawn to Garrett, but feels she must do well by her family and marry into society. She is continually reminded of her duty to her family and why her father spent the money to send her to Mrs. Harris's school. The passion and desire are too much for Garrett and Grace and the sensuality burns between them at every meeting and touch, culminating in a moment of intense passion. Grace is finally offered a title by Sir William, a young Lord returning from the war in Paris, and as Garrett and William each offer her a gift, she has a decision to make as to which gift she will accept; love or a title? The ending is true romance in the style and talent fans of Julia London enjoy in each of her books.

In Liz Carlyle's "After Midnight," sparks fly in a steamy, erotic, passionate story between the young, beautiful Martinique, the daughter of a Barbados octoroon courtesan and ward of Lord Rothewell, and the scandalous rogue and neighbor, Lord Vrain, who ran away to Paris years ago with his step-mother. He meets Martinique at a family house party and is in immediate lust for her, but knows she is innocent. Later when he has the key to the room of a young widow for the evening, he crawls into the bed and realizes it is the young Martinique he is holding. Their desire ignites and he takes her innocence. They are discovered and with her reputation in ruin, he offers marriage. Although they both feel they are not the correct mate for each other, their passions ignite and culiminate into a steamy ending, which also includes some mystery and intrigue. A story sure to keep the holidays warm! Another truly sensual and delightful read by Liz Carlyle.

Sabrina Jefferies delights her fans with the continuation of her story about Colin Hunt from "Only a Duke Will Do." The new Earl of Monteith, recently arrived from India is moving into his new estate only to hear a rukus in his stables. Expecting to catch a horse thief, he instead finds the beautiful and luscious runaway Eliza Crenshawe. Her uncle is the local magistrate who is down on his luck and is forcing a blackmailed marriage on her. Eliza attempts to simply "borrow" one of Colin's horses to escape the marriage. She hides her identity from him for as long as possible, while he keeps her in his home in order to protect her from running away and into further danger, only to find that he is lusting madly for her. Finally his passion gets the best of him when he finds her in the closet he has locked her in wrapped in his Indian silks and reading his book on the Kama Sutra. As they pleasure each other he gives her "Ten Reasons to Stay." If there would be one criticism of this anthology, it would be that this story should have its own book. Colin and Eliza are passionate and desirable people who cannot get enough of each other and the reader desires more about these two intelligent, sensual characters.

The School for Heiresses is a Regency treat appropriately released for the holiday season, as these four novellas are like getting an extra small gift from the authors. A pleasurable and fun read.