The four ladies who brought us Once upon a Castle and Once upon a Star are at it again with this latest anthology, Once upon a Dream. These stories revolve around the magic and dreams that draw our heroes and heroines together. At best, such as in Ruth Ryan Langan's "The Enchantment," the fantasy elements are naturally integrated into what is a fundamentally strong plot, and they help to emphasize the main romantic dilemma. At worst, the magical dreams start to feel a little bit like a Brigadoon plot device, and distract us from the characters. Even so, Once upon a Dream makes a nifty stocking stuffer, or an antidote to a slow weekend. --Nancy R.E. O'Brien

From Publishers Weekly
On the heels of their previous collaboration, Once Upon a Star, four of America's most beloved romance authors present what is sure to be a popular collection of magical stories, wherein princely gentlemen (both human and not) sweep dazzling damsels off their feet and into a land of happily-ever-afters. Roberts opens with "In Dreams," a lyrical, contemporary tale about a 528-year-old magician who is granted only one week each century to experience life as a mortal man and the woman who helps him understand the difference between his fantastical powers and human-size love. In "The Sorcerer's Daughter," Gregory takes her readers back to medieval times, as a sorcerer's daughter matches wits with a knight as they each seek to claim a mystical necklace. She wants the necklace to free her father from prison; he wants it to win the hand of a princess. Langan follows the dreaminess of Roberts's and Gregory's tales with "The Enchantment," in which she gives the gift of time to two workaholics by stranding them in a beautiful summer mansion long enough for them to meet and fall in love. To conclude this lush collection, Willman sends enthusiastic readers off to romantic Venice in "The Bridge of Sighs," where a woman longs to solve an old mystery and be reunited with her ex-husband. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

When it comes to love, there is no such thing as an impossible dream...

In Dreams #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Nora Roberts Drawn to a castle in the forests of Ireland, a beautiful young woman becomes the link to a stranger's past—and the curse that has trapped him forever in the eternity of his own dreams...
The Sorcerer's Daughter
Jill Gregory The fate of a captive wizard depends on his lovely daughter—and the intentions of a spellcast adventurer who dreams of a priceless treasure, and a love that could be the greatest reward of all...
The Enchantment
Ruth Ryan Langan In an abandoned estate on a storm-swept night two stangers seek refuge—only to discover that their most elusive dreams of romance are as enchanted, as real, as true love itself... The Bridge of Sighs
Marianne Willman While visiting Venice, an American art appraiser becomes haunted by dreams of a lonely young girl—a vision that illuminates a tragic past, and a future of endless love...

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly