Publisher: Avon
Pages: 416
Format: Egalley
Source: Publisher provided for review through Edelweiss
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository
Beloved authors Julia Quinn, Elizabeth Boyle, Laura Lee Guhrke, and Stefanie Sloane deliver the stories of four friends from Madame Rochambeaux’s Gentle School for Girls who find an old sixpence in their bedchamber and decide that it will be the lucky coin for each of their weddings…I loooove me some Julia Quinn! So, when I saw the concept for Four Weddings and a Sixpence, I was really excited. Anything with Julia Quinn's name on it is something I'm going to want to read. But I also loved the idea of trying out a few authors I'd never read without the commitment, AND I loved the friendship aspect. As is the nature of collections, I have a couple of stories I liked more than others, however--but I'm pleased to say I have a couple of new authors I'll check out with confidence!
“Something Old”
Julia Quinn’s prologue introduces her heroine Beatrice Heywood and the premise for Four Weddings and a Sixpence.
“Something New”
In Stefanie Sloane’s unforgettable story, an ever-vigilant guardian decrees that Anne Brabourne must marry by her twenty-first birthday. But love finds her in the most unexpected of ways.
“Something Borrowed”
Elizabeth Boyle tells the tale of Cordelia Padley, who has invented a betrothed to keep her family from pestering her to wed. Now she’ll need to borrow one to convince them she’s found her true love.
“Something Blue”
In Laura Lee Guhrke’s story, unlucky Lady Elinor Daventry has her sixpence stolen from her and must convince the rake who pilfered the coin to return it in time for her own wedding.
“... and a Sixpence in Her Shoe”
Julia Quinn finishes with the story of Beatrice Heywood, who never believed that the sixpence was anything but a tarnished old coin—until it led all of her friends to true love. But her faith in the coin is tested when it keeps sending her to the wrong man!
"Something Old": This is a quick little intro to our characters and the basic setup. No one really stood out too heavily, but I think that was the point. There's plenty of time to get to know the characters in their particular stories. Yet, it was cute enough.
"Something New": Neither idea that a girl has to marry by a certain age or that the man helping her falls in love with her is new for historical romance, but Stefanie Sloane's story is, of course, still cute. This makes for some really fun banter--and I love banter.
"Something Borrowed": Elizabeth Boyle's story is, I think, my favorite of the group (and truly, it's hard for me to like something more than Julia Quinn!). I always love childhood friends falling in love and I'm always a fan of house parties in my historical romances, but I especially liked how everything comes about in this. I like a character who is dedicated to their family and willing to make sacrifices, and that's Kipp, but I adore a character who chases what they want most--and that's also Kipp!
"Something Blue": Laura Lee Guhrke's story is my least favorite of the group. While the concept is interesting--former flames have a falling out because he was investigating her father's alleged wrongdoing, essentially--there were parts of the ending that rubbed me the wrong way. I didn't want it to be the way it was, and it soured the happy ending for me.
"...And a Sixpence in Her Shoe": Everything I've ever read from Julia Quinn has been pitch-perfect delightful--and this story is no exception. While the other stories have a little more angst, there's something especially charming about such a straightforward happy ending. I think it works perfectly as the ending to the collection, and leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy.
I believe this is the first time I've read a collection like this, but it certainly won't be the last! I can't get enough Julia Quinn, so of course I loved her story, but I'm excited to have found a couple of new authors I can confidently pick up a book from and expect to enjoy.
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