About the Book:

Take one scientific swain, one dashing lieutenant, one no-nonsense librarian, one adventurous young lady, one very large tomcat, and two mischievous kittens…and what do you have? Two recipes for disaster! Or perhaps for love…

Kisses and Catnip by Grace Burrowes

Max Haddonfield is a man of science, devoted to logic and rational observation. That he also finds homes in libraries for stray cats is merely a sensible exercise in controlling the mouse population…or something.

Antonia Mainwaring is practical to a fault and all but on the shelf. When a certain soft-spoken library patron talks her into allowing a large male feline to bide on the premises, somebody starts purring—and it’s not the cat!

Lieutenant Mayhew’s Catastrophes by Emily Larkin

When Lieutenant Mayhew boards the stagecoach bound for Southampton he anticipates an uneventful journey. True, he’s carrying kittens, but it’s only eighty miles. What could possibly go wrong?

He’s not expecting to meet the enchanting Miss Willemina Culpepper. Nor is he expecting the kittens to be quite so good at vanishing. Mayhew has faced many challenges in his career as a soldier. Traveling from London to Southampton should not be a challenge. Except that it is.

Click on title below for direct Amazon buy link:                                                              Love and Other Perils: A Regency Novella Duet

My Review:

Lieutenant Mayhew’s Catastrophe by Emily Larkin

Lieutenant William Mayhew is a soldier on leave, traveling by stage to visit his niece and nephew, with a gift of two kittens in a basket for them.  He can’t help but notice the lovely young lady, who gives him a polite smile, but shows no inclination to flirt.  Willemina Culpepper is the daughter of an officer, now deceased, and knows better than to encourage any stranger.  Yet, she can’t help but assist with the adorable kittens at each stage stop.  It soon becomes clear that William is, indeed, a gentleman as well as an officer, and Willie soon becomes comfortable around him.

Willie passionately enjoyed following her father around the world, first as an officer, then as a diplomat.  Now that he’s gone, she’s about to accept a post as companion to a diplomat’s children.  She doesn’t need to earn her living, but she wants to travel.  When the kittens cause William and Willie (how cute are those names?) to miss the departing stage, William vows to get her to her post on time.

What ensues is a series of calamities and misadventures which delays William and Willie time and time again from catching up to the stage, but allows them to spend an inordinate amount of time together.  Willie, used to the sometimes harsh life of following a soldier, only laughs as fate seems to have a plan for them.  This good natured and like natured couple finds romance in a very short time, and they are both sad to part.

I’d have to call LIEUTENANT MAYHEW’S CATASTROPHE a feel good romp with delightful characters I couldn’t help but love.  This short story was a joy to read and left me with a big smile.

Catnip and Kisses by Grace Burrowes

Lady Antonia Mainwaring is an independent lady, currently volunteering at a lending library.  She has no need to work, as she has her own fortune, but she longs to feel useful.  Her second cousin, Peter, is pressuring her to marry him, and Antonia is unsure what to do.  Though there’s no love between them, this may be her only opportunity to marry and possibly have children.

Max Haddonfield, a chemist and scientist, also fosters cats, until he can place them in environments where they’ll be safe and fed – places like libraries.  Max convinces Antonia to accept Lucifer, assuring her that he’ll keep the mice away from the precious books.

Max and Antonia become close, and soon become intimate, with both hoping for something genuine and permanent.  A series of misunderstandings and mistaken perceptions seems to have quashed any hopes this couple has of a future together.  Or, maybe not…..

Max and Antonia both are somewhat misfit as they’re from titled families, yet have taken a different path.  Max is brother to an earl, yet uses his income to fund his experiments, while generally staying away from society.  He also has a soft heart, with a penchant for orphans and homeless cats.  This lonely couple finds their way to each other in the warmly romantic CATNIP AND KISSES, and I delighted in their journey.