Purchase from
Amazon.com

How to Woo a Spinster

by Kasey Michaels

reviewed by Valarie Pelissero

August 2009, 145 pages, Publisher: Harlequin, ISBN: B002JJ6TLE

Kasey Michaels's website describes How to Woo a Spinster as a “special ebook prequel,” and I have to agree, it is a special little novella.

The novella starts out with Emmaline sitting home alone, once again, on her birthday reading a letter from her nieces when a naval captain arrives with terrible news. Well, what should be terrible news actually comes as a relief to Emmaline: her brother the duke and his two sons have just been killed in a boating accident. Emmaline isn't cold-hearted but there was never any love lost between her and her brothers (or her nephews) as there was a huge age gap between them and they blamed Emmaline for their mother's death. Emmaline tries to muster up the appropriate sorrow for their deaths, but all she can really think is that they have finally given her the perfect birthday gift. And all she really wants to think about is Captain John. As they spend more time together Emmaline dreams of a simple life by the sea with him, but he has a secret of his own that he can't bear to tell the woman he is rapidly falling in love with. When she accidentally learns the truth, it may just be the end.

How to Woo a Spinster kicks off Kasey Michaels's new series and it was just enough to really intrigue me about the stories to come. Ms. Michaels's has given readers enough of a taste to whet our appetites for the next story about Emmaline's nice nephew the new duke, while still giving readers a satisfying story about Emmaline and John, who were a perfect couple. I can't say a lot about it without giving away too much of the story, but with well drawn characters, a short, sweet romance and a hint of a little something extra to come, How to Woo a Spinster is worth reading even though it is only available electronically. It may not be necessary to read it first, but it sure was fun.