It Happened One Season

Avon

It Happened One Season
Stephanie Laurens
Mary Balogh
Jaquie D'Alessandro
Candice Hern
2011

The Summary
"We asked our readers what story they would most like to see from four bestselling authors.  They responded....

"A handsome hero returns from war, battle-scarred and world-weary.  But family duty calls and he must find a bride.

"A young lady facing yet another season without a suitor never expects to find herself the object of his affections.

"Four amazing talents...have come together to create one of the most unforgettable events of the year.  The results are spectacular--each story is as unique as a lover's first kiss."

The Good
Okay, full disclosure:  I did not read this whole book.  I read "Only Love" by Mary Balogh and "Fate Strikes a Bargain" by Candice Hern in full, but I basically skimmed "The Seduction of Sebastian Trantor" by Stephanie Laurens and "Hope Springs Eternal" by Jacquie D'Alessandro.  So I won't make any judgments on the stories I didn't read; rather, I'll tell you all about the ones I did.

Mary Balogh wrote a sweet little romance, but, sadly, it was...well, forgettable.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but I can't even remember the names of the characters anymore, let alone the full story.  It was good, but it wasn't seared-into-my-memory kind of good.

"Fate Strikes a Bargain," on the other hand, made more of an impact.

Like the other three short stories included in this book, Candice Hern's short story--or, ahem, novella--features a female protagonist facing another season without a suitor and a weary, battle-hardened hero who must somehow convince her to accept a marriage proposal.  (All the stories literally have the same plot points, so no surprises here.)

I absolutely loved reading "Fate Strikes a Bargain."  It hit all the right notes for me:  wonderful character development (for such a short story), satisfying plot pace, historical accuracy.  Granted, it's a bit predictable, but it quickly had me smiling and laughing by turns.  I loved watching how Philippa and Nathaniel interacted, and I enjoyed watching their relationship develop.  And I really liked that the author wasn't afraid to create characters with flaws, like Philippa with her physical infirmity and Nathaniel with his PTSD.

They're not perfect people.  Nathaniel can't stand getting caught in crowds; Philippa can't dance.  Nathaniel suffers from night terrors regularly, struggling with his memories of the war; Philippa fights to fend off even the best intentions of her family, trying to establish her independence and show her impairment does not make her weaker.  They're not perfect, but they manage to find happiness in each other--and I appreciated that.  I know when I finished reading "Fate Strikes a Bargain," I had to sit back and sigh with contentment, pleased with my book and, somehow, pleased with the world at large.

There are all sorts of warm, fuzzy feelings to be found in this book.

The Bad
I kind of hate I didn't like all the stories; however, I think It Happened One Season is worth checking out if only for the variety and the curious way in which the authors all approached the same story differently.  It was fun, even if I didn't enjoy every single story.

The Ugly
Heartbreak.

Oh, and explicit material.