This is NOT your average Regency Romance collection. Far from it.
And that's a very good thing.
Holly and Hopeful Hearts comprises a collection of eight novellas, one of which is woven through the other stories. They are all linked in theme, and there is a rather enormous cast which occasionally gets confusing, but that doesn't detract from the overall quality of the writing (excellent) or that special something which lifts this collection above the ordinary.
Representation.
When was the last time you read a Regency romance that had a mixed-race male protagonist? About a Jewish couple falling in love? About a trans man and a bisexual woman?
Thought so.
You'll find all of those in this remarkable collection. Go and grab it now. These authors deserve your support.
Five stars for the best minority representation I've ever seen in Regency-era romance. Well done, Bluestocking Belles. You've gained a new fan in me.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC of this book for review through ReadingAlley.