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"Ruined" by Jillian Hunter is wonderful. A very strong, almost Gothic story that also could have benefited from a longer treatment. In 1843 her yacht crashed off of his cove of Cornwall. Rylan " DeWilde never expected to fall in love with his guest Sydney Windsor, especially after he learns she is engaged to marry his enemy. Would have made a super Big book!!!

The weakest was "Buried Treasure" by Miranda Jarrett. About two men competing for the same woman, and one a pirate.

Really enjoyed "Swept Away" about a PI chasing a woman he loves. But in order to keep on her trail, he must go home to a town full of bad memories.

I am not big on westerns, but Geralyn Dawson's "Castaway" was very good. In 1883 Texas, Drew Coryell lives alone on an island. He peace is shattered when his ex-wife arrives, needing a big favour. She wants his help in tracing a precious heirloom, but finds love the second time around even more precious.

Odd mix of contemporaries and historicals, but still very nice collection.


nice beach reading   October 23, 2002
 9 out of 9 found this review helpful

An odd mix of contemporary and historical from 5 strong writers.
I enjoyed them all, but wished Howard's would be done into a full book. It left you wanting more. It is a really neat quirky tale of a harassed sheriff hating the "blue moon" because things went wrong and there were more weirdos out than usual. He meets a witch called called Lilah. Just wish these characters could have been made into a full story. This was so quick, especially considering it was Howard's name pushing the book.
"Ruined" by Jillian Hunter is wonderful. A very strong, almost Gothic story that also could have benefited from a longer treatment. In 1843 her yacht crashed off of his cove of Cornwall. Rylan " DeWilde never expected to fall in love with his guest Sydney Windsor, especially after he learns she is engaged to marry his enemy. Would have made a super Big book!!!

The weakest was "Buried Treasure" by Miranda Jarrett. About two men competing for the same woman, and one a pirate.

Really enjoyed "Swept Away" about a PI chasing a woman he loves. But in order to keep on her trail, he must go home to a town full of bad memories.

I am not big on westerns, but Geralyn Dawson's "Castaway" was very good. In 1883 Texas, Drew Coryell lives alone on an island. He peace is shattered when his ex-wife arrives, needing a big favour. She wants his help in tracing a precious heirloom, but finds love the second time around even more precious.

Odd mix of contemporaries and historicals, but still very nice collection.


Howard & Hunter's Stories were the best   March 9, 2002
I enjoyed all of the stories, but the first and third stories were the best. Linda Howard is brilliant and I found a new author to enjoy in Jillian Hunter. This was a good read -- I hope they produce more.


it's okay   January 31, 2002
I got this book for Christmas and Linda Howard's story made me laugh, it was so bad. It could have been made into a great novel, but it was extremely unbelivable, the characters were two-dimensional, and her story was pretty bad. The other stories are pretty good. I don't think I've read the other authors, so I don't have anything to compare them to, but Howard's story disappointed me.She is usually a thought-provoking author, and in my opinion one of, if not the, best authors I've ever read. Also, the switching between historical and contemporary when I was expecting all contemporary was frustrating. All in all, it was an ok book at best.


Decent novella compilation   July 25, 2001
The novella can be a challenging genre for an author, since she has to create believable characters and develop a satisfying romance in a much smaller amount of time.

While "Under the Boardwalk" is not one of the best collections out there, it's still a decent collection of stories. My biggest complaint with the book, as a whole, is the combination of historical and modern stories. While I, personally, enjoy both types, I know a lot of romance readers have definite preferences one way or the other. Also, it's more difficult to create a distinctive yet satisfying and smooth collection of stories set in different periods.

I bought this collection for Howard's entry, and the story itself contains many of the elements I enjoy in Howard's work. However, the story was almost too short, and a bit unsatisfying, and I really wanted to know more about the characters and their romance.

Dawson's "Castaway" is a decent entry, with appealing characters and a believable romance. There were some funny moments. My major complaint is that it seemed more a contemporary romance than an historical one.

Hunter's "Ruined" was my favorite of the bunch. I loved the hero and heroine, and enjoyed Hunter's writing style. I can't wait to check out more of her work!

Jarrett's "Buried Treasure" was, I think, the weakest of the bunch. I couldn't get into the characters and didn't really enjoy the romantic plot. However, I must disclaim that the American colonial period isn't a period I typically enjoy reading about.

Stewart's "Swept Away" was another solid addition, with good characters and a decent romance. I appreciated the emotional depth provided by Jeremy's facing of his past, and the sunburn provided a few chuckles.

All in all, this is a solid addition to the compilation genre.