The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor

For a 100-year old company, Mills & Boon is very innovative and always setting trends. In rencent, years, the Historicals line has published stories packaged in various forms, in addition to, their main 75,000 "single" titles—connected series, prequels n anothologies, sequels in eBook novellas—this seamlessly publishing in different sizes and formats.

Consider the Diamonds—the anthology as well as the authors of this Regency-set stories. It's a collection of stories, with print novellas to be followed by print single books, for all six children of the Duke of Manning's blended family.

These talented Diamonds are eminently suited to put together a story of close friendships. Some anthologies are a collection of period-related stories, others are thematic, some have a common story premise, or a recurring character or characeristic. Rarely, is there a collection of stories that seems to have originatedfrom one pen, but in actuality from a group of close friends.

Each author deals with a challenge. Diane Gaston has to not only tell the story of the duke and duchess' forgotten older children, but also introduce all the main characters of the stories. Deb Marlowe and Amanda McCabe have the challenge of keeping the entire cost of characters "in character" while revealing more of their personalities and motivations. Their stories have to turn young, sheltered girls, struggling to deal with a devastating loss, into heroines. Dev does it with her special brand of humor and Amanda with her dash and polish.

I loved this series and am looking forward to the next stories that will follow the newly minted duke Nicholas, his younger brother Stephen, and the oldest Fitz-Manning Leo.

To play a guessing game, let me match up the authors with the characters...
Diane with Stephen
Deb with Leo
Amanda with Nicholas
...Only the Diamonds can tell me whether I got this right.

What about you? Have you read this anthology? Who do you think is going to write whose story next?