Storming the Castle: An Original Short Story audiobook

3 ½ stars. Sweet, nice, enjoyable romance story.STORY BRIEF:Phillipa and Rodney had been friends since childhood. Their parents want them to marry. Phillipa does not want to marry Rodney and runs away. She loves babies and hears that the nearby Prince and his bride have a newborn baby with problems. Phillipa goes there to work as the baby’s nursemaid. She meets Wick the butler. Wick is the Prince’s half brother. He feels he can never marry a lady due to his servant-station in life.REVIEWER’S OPINION:I liked Phillipa’s actions and conversation when she arrived at the castle and did things for the baby. The story and how it resolved was good. It’s a short story - maybe a fourth of the length of a regular book. The narrator was excellent. There were two sex scenes which were ok, but don’t expect hot. The purpose was showing relationships, not to steam up the reader.This book can be read as a stand-alone, but it’s better if you read “A Kiss at Midnight” first. I enjoyed getting to know Wick in the first book which flowed into this book.DATA:Unabridged audiobook reading time: 3 hrs and 17 mins. Swearing language: none. Sexual language: none to mild. Number of sex scenes: 2. Setting: early 1800s England. Copyright: 2011. Genre: regency romance.OTHER BOOKS:I’ve reviewed the following Eloisa James books. Dates are copyright dates.3 ½ stars. A Kiss at Midnight. 20103 ½ stars. Storming the Castle 20104 ½ stars. When Beauty Tamed the Beast 2011

since it's a short story, the characters fell in love quickly. phillipa left home after realising that she has no desire to marry her betrothed. she was only doing it because she felt like she had to. she took up the position of a nursemaid at a nearby castle to take care of a baby that couldn't stop crying, and nobody knows why. born a lady, phillipa knows how to take charge. wick was charming and a total gentleman. he was attracted to phillipa the moment she stepped into the castle. since wick is the illegitimate brother of the prince and phillipa is a lady, they couldn't be together cause social status say so. despite that, the two of them started to grow feelings for one another.books in the series:1. a kiss at midnight: ✰✰✰✰1.5. storming the castle: ✰✰✰✰2. when beauty tamed the beast: ✰✰✰✰2.5. winning the wallflower: ✰✰✰✰3. the duke is mine: ✰✰✰4. the ugly duchess: ✰✰✰✰4.5. seduced by a pirate5. once upon a tower

When I read A Kiss at Midnight, I so wanted Wick to find a happy place in life for himself. As Gabriel's illegitimate half-brother, he is loved by his family but occupies an uncertain place in the world. He works on Gabriel's estate, but is neither entirely servant nor aristocrat.In this novella, Miss Philippa Damson flees her betrothal knowing that she does not want to marry the son of the local baronet. She offers her services as nursemaid to the castle. Almost immediately she catches Wick's eye. He knows she is not what she claims to be, but he fears he has little to offer her.While I enjoyed what was here, the story felt a little too slight. I wanted there to be more. Still, I rounded up to 4 stars because I did like what I read, and there was this swoonworthy line from Wick:"If I do not come for you, it is not for want of desire for you, nor for want of love for you, nor for want of trying. I would do anything to be worthy of you."If you've read A Kiss at Midnight, definitely check out this sequel of sorts.

This was a fun, sexy short story that follows A Kiss at Midnight and gives us the yummy Wicks happily ever after. Phillipa has been betrothed to Rodney since they were children and he proclaimed his love for her, but as the story opens and they consummate their engagement...in the stables....Phillipa realizes she can not marry him. Ever. As she does not want to do that ever again! She hears how the new prince and princess are having difficulties with their new baby and runs off to help with the little guy...and to get away from Rodney.After she arrives and meets Wick, they both know that they have found their soulmates. However, even though Phillipa is posing as a nursemaid, it becomes evident that she is a lady and Wick, as the butler (though truly he is the illegitimate half brother of the prince) know he can never marry her and force her to downgrade her station. But still, they continue to meet up and have some lovely kisses and when Phillipa finally breaks down Wicks barrier about not sleeping together, ah, so sweet. He shows her what true lovemaking is like and she of course, wants more.Phillipa returns home with her father and gets a promise from Wick that she will wait one week for him to come get her. The ending is very sweet and shows the deep love that Phillipa and Wick have for each other and also the love that Phillipas father has for her, and his desire to see her happy. This was a great little story to tide me over until the next book in the series, When Beauty Tamed the Beast, comes out in a month and I can't wait! 4 stars for this short, sweet love story!

This is my first time reading anything by Eloisa James, the writing style was to my liking ... ect. I know I haven't read this series in order since I started with a novella but it was okay, nothing catastrophic happened ^^I liked both Wick and Philippa, their instant attraction wasn't something new, but I liked how they found ways to be together, kissing after putting the baby to sleep, sneaking around and kissing, somehow it made feel warm-hearted, you know when you see two people so in love sneaking around and laughing about it, and it's all innocent.What I really liked in this novella was that it didn't have the misunderstanding theme that most romance books have, I detest that cause when they just have mis-communication regarding a saying or something it creates disasters throughout the book, which this book didn't have (Thank God!!)- Oh yeah I liked the aunt too, I mean how bold she was, like seriously who mentions getting a girl a chastity belt when you first meet the girl and she's right in front of you?! XD- I know it was a novella but it felt too short, when I was enjoying it very much it just ended, and I'm still pondering how Wick got all the contingent and entourage with him, wasn't he penniless and stuff, then suddenly he's a to-be-doctor and a land owner?Overall, *thumps up*

I LOVE the way Eloisa James writes her 'fairy tale' historicals. You know from the first page that it's a fairy tale you're reading. Her prose is whimsical in tone, lyrical and amusing without being trite and she spins a compelling tale.For everyone who thought that Wick from A Kiss at Midnight deserved his own story it should almost satisfy - my only problem with these story/novella/fill-in things is that they usually are too short.A sweet, charming story with an HEA that might put a lump in your throat.

Having recently read A Kiss At Midnight, I was keen to get onto the follow-up novella that revisited Wick’s story in a little more detail. Wick’s character was well built in the preceding story, so it was easy to pick up an interest in his potential happy ending. Philippa’s introduction was in-keeping with the steamier tone of A Kiss At Midnight and afforded her a small degree of character development right from the off, but I would have liked to have seen more of her back-story; the author did well with the short space that she had but I was interested to read more.As an added bonus, there was additional story from our heroes from the precursor, albeit briefly and in a different tone to the first novel (given a rather major life development for them both). It was enjoyable to have a more rounded conclusion to all of their stories, and a nice quick read to curl up with for an hour or two.

This book was sweet. And the ending was so cheesy (which is was done on purpose) but I couldn't stop smiling!!!! So cute. This one was fun. I am so happy that Eloisa James wrote a story for Wick. I don't think this novella was aimed at a specific retelling but a homage to all fairytales in general. Again, so sweet.

I truly enjoyed Wick and Philippa's story.