#TBRChallenge 2019: Three Harlequin Historical Undones

One of the few "rules" I give myself for the TBR Challenge is to read from my print TBR.  However the book I ended up selecting was a pretty quick DNF and with familial obligations this week, I opted instead to burn through three short stories languishing on my Kindle from the defunct Harlequin Historical Undone line.  To keep things cohesive, I went with three written by the same author, Marguerite Kaye.

Spellbound & Seduced opens in 1622 with a witch, betrayed by her own daughter, being burned at the stake.  Before she dies she, naturally, puts a curse on her daughter, stating that her husband will die on their one-year anniversary and that every woman in their line will lose their husbands until a "one true love" can break the curse.  Fast forward to 1822, and that witch's descendant, Jura Mcnair, is living in a remote cottage, determined to die alone, the curse along with her.  Lawrence Connaught, who turns out to be the new laird, arrives on her doorstep, injured, just as a snowstorm is blowing in.  He's captivated, she's lonely, they're snowed in - oh, whatever shall they do?

Jura is a witch and herbalist, talked about in hushed whispers, but respected by villagers for her willingness to help and heal them of various ailments.  Still, wanting to break the curse, she has resigned herself to a life of loneliness.  The paranormal aspects are written with a light touch but given that a "one true love" is the only way to break a 200-year-old curse...well, a short story didn't provide me with enough of a word count to convince me.  Pleasant and OK.

Final Grade = C

Behind the Courtesan's Mask is a perfect example of a story that works better in a short format.  Had this been a full-length Harlequin Historical I'm pretty sure the hero would have gotten on my last hot nerve.

Constance had no idea she had an identical twin sister until she shows up on her doorstep, near death from consumption.  Her sister now passed, Constance has returned to her sister's townhouse to pack up her things, and given that her sister was a courtesan known as "La Perla" - well, the townhouse is eye-opening indeed.  To Constance, widowed when her upstanding, staid, completely devoid of passion, vicar husband dies - her sister's life is a compelling mystery.  So when Troy Templeton, Earl of Ettrick shows up at the door, thinking that Constance is her sister, well...she doesn't correct him.

Troy is a diplomat and there to warn the infamous La Perla away from his boss's son.  Instead sparks, tension, and flirtation means he ends up ravishing Constance - who is a willing participant.  Troy, naturally, thinks the worst of her since he was duped as a young man by a courtesan/fortune hunter.  There's some mild, read in between the lines slut-shaming, but Kaye counteracts this with Constance's pragmatic views on sex work - especially since she got to properly know her long-long sister before her passing.  In a full length novel I think I'd want to smack Troy into next Tuesday, but the shorter format means his moments of jackassery are blessedly brief.  It didn't light my world on fire, but I liked this one.

Final Grade = B

Finally, I read Lost in Pleasure, a perfect example of one-clicking based on author name and not reading the back cover blurb carefully.  This, very brief, story that clocks in at 40 pages is a time travel romance.  Richard, Earl of Kilcreggan is wealthy, captivated by all things scientific, and has a fabulous library.  However, he's got a bit of ennui and wishes for something to "happen" - which comes in the form of Errin McGill, an American antiques dealer from the 21st century magically appearing in his library.  Errin got there after she sat in a Regency-style wingback chair (which turned out to be once owned by Richard) in a dusty London antique shop.

What follows is sex, dress shopping, traveling back and forth in time, more sex, and finally the two realizing they're in love and need to be together.  One reason I have a hard time with time travel romance is I find all the "time travel stuff" rather tedious.  "Oh golly, I traveled back in time! You sure do talk funny! You sure do wear funny clothes!" etc. etc. etc.  A positive on the short page count is there's less of this.  The downside is that I don't believe in the longevity of the romance.  Where are these two going to live? How will they live?  How will Richard adapt to the 21st century or how will modern, independent, Errin adapt to life as a woman living in the early 19th century?  They have great sex, she gets to wear pretty dresses, they go to balls, the theater and what-not...but it's not enough to make me believe.

And yes, I'm aware that me dissecting a time travel romance, the height of fantasy, is patently ludicrous, but there you have it.

Final Grade = D

A bit of a mixed bag for me for this month's challenge, but given my limited attention span, going with short stories was the right course of action.  Also, it reminded me of how much I appreciated the defunct Harlequin Historical Undone and Spice Briefs lines for offering readers different.  I read three stories, all by the same author, and got a witch, a historical, and a time travel.  Oh sure, it wasn't all a raging success for me, but I think it's another reason why Carina's Dirty Bits line has failed to ignite much interest in me, a reader who LIKES to read short.  It's all contemporary, all the time and when it comes to shenanigans? Viva la variety!