Be sure of your heart’s desire. The diary grants a single wish to the one meant to find it, but that one must be willing to make a sacrifice in exchange for their heart’s desire. Welcome to 413 Remembrance Lane.

“Midnight Confession” by Cheri Valmont (1750)

Catherine Ashbury has waited six years for Andrew Townsend to return home to marry her and when her father tells her that Drew has released her from their betrothal, Catherine decides she will have none of that. Accompanied by two family servants, Catherine crosses an ocean to find the man she has loved since she first saw him. Andrew is not the man he once was, and is sure he is not the one to give Catherine the kind of life she deserves. Catherine knows magic and fate will give bring her heart’s desire.

“Midnight Confessions” is a sweetly erotic story of how true love can conquer feelings of inadequacy.  Catherine proves to Drew just how much she loves him. The opening story for this anthology gives us the setting for all of the stories here. The house on Remembrance Lane comes to life from Cheri Valmont’s words.

“An Extraordinary Request” by Emma Wildes   (1815)

Selena Duclos loves her husband Henri with all her heart. Henri fears he will lose her love because he is unable to give her a child. He comes up with a plan for giving her a child to complete their lives, and it involves his best friend Arthur. Selena is determined to keep her husband and make him see that his plan is foolish; she needs no one but him.

“An Extraordinary Request” teases the reader from the very beginning, and continues to do so to keep the reader interested. I was hooked from the first paragraph by the mystery surrounding Henri’s request. I like stories that make me wonder “what are they up to?”

“Of Death and Desire” by Jude Mason (1898)

Jonathan lives for his beautiful, young master, and does everything he can to make him well. But even his riches cannot save Philip from dying of consumption. When Philip succumbs to his illness, Jonathan is inconsolable. He is willing to give up his second love just to have Philip healthy again. But will the diary work to bring Philip back?

“Of Death and Desire” is my second favorite story in this anthology. It is the first story by Jude Mason that I’ve read, and I will definitely be reading more. Jonathan’s love for Philip is so strong that my heart broke right along with his.

“The War Within” by D. Musgrave (1945)

William Beauregard is home from the war and he wants nothing more than to pick up where he and his wife, Sheila, left off three years earlier, but he hasn’t returned alone. He’s been followed home by ghosts, and visions from his time overseas. The ghosts want his soul, and when they're finished with him, they want Sheila. William is willing to give up everything to keep her safe.

“The War Within” is the darkest story in this anthology. Many soldiers come back home after war accompanied by their own ghosts and memories. Our hero, William, is given a way to get rid of his demons of war.

“Let the Sunshine In” by Jenna Byrnes (1971)

Scott and Terri Walker moved to New Orleans to get away from California when Scott’s father leaves him the house on Remembrance Lane. Rafe McAllister is an artist who has also recently moved to New Orleans. When they meet, there is an immediate attraction; especially for Scott and Rafe. But can they have a relationship, especially after Rafe confesses to being a werewolf? Terri wants a baby and Scott wants Rafe. Will the diary grant this wish?

“Let the Sunshine In” is my favorite story in this anthology, not only because of the hot polyamorous relationship, but because I am a child of the 70’s. This story holds memories for me. Two hippies and a werewolf make for a strangely satisfying family.   

“My Vampire, My Love” by Skyler Grey (1993)

When Candace Thibodeaux rented the house on Remembrance Lane, she never expected to have the most satisfying night of her life. Avakis Dregan is a vampire who can’t stay because he’s afraid he will hurt her. Candace uses the diary to set Avakis free from his dark existence - but will she ever see him again?

“My Vampire, My Love” gets straight to the heart of the story. Hot sex and a vampire….what could be better? Well, being willing to make a wish for someone else’s happiness, that's what, and a happy ending makes it even better. It was a lovely way to make the reader happy and ready to face the housework.

“The Life Not Lived” by Michelle Houston (2000)

Natasha Armstrong is a tenured science professor with a failed marriage, and her only regret is that she turned away from her lover, Lydia, so many years ago because their relationship would have held her back. Natasha finds the diary and begins to wonder if she can go back and live the life she wanted.

“The Life Not Lived” is just a little different from the other stories contained in this anthology. I liked the way the story was written to emphasize past and present. It puts the spotlight on Natasha’s decision. The story also makes me wonder what would happen if we could go back and change a decision made in the past.

413 Remembrance Lane Diary of a House is well worth the read. There is something here for everyone’s tastes, with each contribution acting as a building block, used to tell one amazing story. I truly enjoyed this collection of stories and think you will, too.