Gwen’s review of Dead of Night (Anthology) by J.D. Robb, Mary Blayney, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Mary Kay McComas
Paranormal anthology published 30 Oct 07 by Jove

Eternity in Death by J.D. Robb (103 pages)

Futuristic.  As usual, this is a fantastic Eve Dallas story.  She confronts some personal demons and a ‘vampire,’ all with Roarke steadfastly by her side.  I love Roarke. I want to have Roarke’s babies, hysterectomy notwithstanding.

Read an excerpt.

Grade: A

Amy and the Earl’s Amazing Adventure by Mary Blayney (81 pages)

Timetravel.  This was an amusing story about a young American woman and a young British man being thrust into Regency England by a magical coin.  The whole magic coin thing was a little fuzzy, and Regency England wasn’t that attractive, but it was a cute story.

No excerpt found.

Grade: C

Timeless by Ruth Ryan Langan (90 pages)

Timetravel.  This was a story about a young woman who finds herself in medieval Scotland, the wife of a famous laird and mother to his son.  It was a sweet story with some tragedy.  The villain was telegraphed early, but it was a good story with some excellent character development.

No excerpt found.

Grade: B

On the Fringe by Mary Kay McComas (97 pages)

Contemporary.  This is a Jimmy Stewart-esque “It’s a Wonderful Life” alternate reality romance using a magic carpet.  It was very confusing at the end just who was having the alternate reality and who was real, but it was a good story.  It was nice reading that the heroine was older, and not in superb shape, and that they were “normal.”  Fast, fun read.

No excerpt found.

Grade: B-

This was one of the better anthologies I’ve read.  None of the stories were weak, and the Robb story was exceptionally strong. It was a quick, fun read.

Overall grade: B
Blurb:

Nora Roberts, writing as J.D. Robb, puts futuristic lieutenant Eve Dallas in a supernatural showdown with a most seductive criminal: a vampire… An ancient coin whisks an American woman and a modern-day earl into the past-and into each other’s arms-in a stirring tale from Mary Blayney… When a city girl visits a Scottish castle in Ruth Ryan Langan’s story, she is thrust into a timeless romance with a mighty Highland laird… And Mary Kay McComas gives an unhappy wife a magic-carpet ride into an alternate reality to show her the grass isn’t always greener.