Opposites Attract

I love all of Lynn Kurland's stories, and _The Icing on the Cake_ is no exception. I *loved* Sydney! A tough exterior, with a vulnerable heart. And I will grant, it's not LK's best, but it's very difficult to have a fully-fleshed out story in a novella. (There have been very few short story romances where I've felt really satisfied, and that has usually only happened when the 2 main characters already had a history before we meet them.) Read her other books! And once you get to know and love the 2 families she writes about, then grab a LK novella - hers are great for when you want just a little taste, or don't have all night to read! :)I was really indifferent to _The Short, Hot Summer_. It wasn't bad, nor very good._Pride and Prejudice_ was a good story. I also enjoyed reading about behind-the-scenes at a dog show, and it was nice to see people that weren't catty! Nothing against cats, of course (my 3 would take me to task over that remark if they could read!).There is very little I can find to recommend _The Princess and the Adventurer_. It felt like a very bad remake of _Romancing the Stone_. And then it got worse. I'm sure the author can write some very good tales, but this one must have fell through the cracks.I hope this review helps some people. I hunted this book down in a used book store, specifically for "Icing", and found another gem in "Pride".

The novella compilation is a difficult genre for an author. The story has to develop the characters and romance enough that they're believable in a much shorter length of time.While a reader could accuse "Opposites Attract" of being "too light" and perhaps a bit unbelievable, this is a charming and entertaining collection by authors that all handle the novella genre well.Kurland's "Icing" is probably the weakest story in the bunch, despite the fact that Kurland is the headlining author here. The characters are very appealing, and I really enjoyed the role reversal, but I didn't find their romance particularly believable.I didn't find the romance in Bevarly's "Summer" believable, either, but as usual Bevarly's humorous, distinctive stream-of-consciousness writing style and incredibly charming characters make up for the lack of a deep romantic development.Carmichael's "Pride" was the best of the bunch. The characters were believable, as was their romance, and the dogs definitely rounded out the whole thing. Carmichael has a real gift for adding in appealing secondary characters, be they ghosts ("A Ghost for Maggie") or dogs ("Finding Mr. Right").Minger's "Princess" is also good, with some pathos and humor thrown into the mix, along with believable characters and a nice adventure plot."Opposites Attract" is not deep lasting literature, but it -is- fun and entertaining, and, in the end, I think that's what we ask of romantic novella anthologies.

This is an entertaining anthology that centers on love between individuals who, at first sight, have nothing in common. Each couple fusses, fights, and falls in love, but share nothing else except participating in excellent stories that will please readers of short contemporary tales."The Icing on the Cake" by Lynn Kurland. Samuel is elite New York. Sydney is wilderness Alaska. They share nothing, until they fall in love."The Short, Hot Summer" by Elizabeth Bevarly. Manhattan's Preston IV travels to Butternut, Alabama to close a deal. Mamie owns the bed and breakfast that the IV stays in. Though he feels like a stranger in an alien land, they fall in love. "Pride and Prejudice" by Emily Carmichael. Due to a convention hotel glitch, Cartoonist Josephine and her little dog Priss share a room with outdoorsman Scott and his bruiser Iowa. The canines and the humans fall in love, but she is urban and he is field. "The Princess and the Adventurer" by Elda Minger. San Francisco's Isabelle comes to this dangerous town seeking her lost brother. Matthew is an adventurer looking for the big break to make his fortune. Their trek through the jungle leads to love and treasure, but she is going home and he dreams of the Caribbean.Harriet Klausner