A Regency Christmas Eve

Signet Christmas Anthologies #4

by Nancy Butler, Edith Layton, Diane Farr

'Tis the season to give the greatest gift of all...Here, in one special volume, are five Christmas love stories set in Regency England -- high-spirited, humorous, heart-warming, deeply romantic, and full of the flavor of the holiday season.

The theme of this brand-new collection is simple.

It's Christmas Eve... Time to fall in love...

Genres: Christmas, Historical Romance, Romance, Regency, Anthologies, Holiday, Regency Romance

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 2000

About the author

Nancy Butler also writes under her real name, Nancy J. Hajeski.

Nancy Butler has been an Anglophile since she was nineteen, when she traveled to England to see Carnaby Street. (“I blame it on the Beatles!”) Her frequent visits to an American friend living in London have furnished her with enough inspiration to keep writing Regencies well into the new millennium.

Butler resides in northern New Jersey with two cats, Aja and Puck, surrounded by her collection of artwork, funky antiques, and books. When she manages to get away from her computer, she can usually be found riding her quarter horse mare, Ginger, through the scenic wilds of Bergen County.

Butler is the 1998 Golden Leaf Award winner for Best First Novel.

Reviews

[QNPoohBear · Rating 3 out of 5]

In "Little Miracles" by Barbara Metzger, a family of churchmice take it upon themselves to rescue the crumbling church they call home. They have only one shot, on Christmas Eve, to allow humans to hear them speak. With the locals claiming the clergy is cursed and the church falling down around their ears, is the church worth saving? The Rev. Mr. Merriweather is convinced it is, if only he can catch the ear of his patron and distance relative. In his wildest dreams, the church is repaired and filled and he marries the Squire's beautiful daughter. Though he should believe in miracles, it will take all his faith to envision a happy ending by Christmas. This is the best story in the anthology. Instead of dogs we have mice. The story is told from the point-of-view of the mice and switches to Rev. Merriweather and back and forth with the mice. The mice are hilarious as usual and add the comic relief to the story. Mr. Merriweather is an admirable, if a little bit boring, man and deserves to have a happy ending. This story is kisses only.

In "The Marriage Stakes" by Allison Lane, the heroine, Sophie attempts to rescue her very pregnant, widowed sister Caroline and bring her home. The sisters find themselves stranded in a snowstorm with little money and a baby on the way. Damon, Lord Westlake, comes across the stranded ladies and attempts to help them. He can not figure out why Sophie is so cold with him but he's willing to be chivalrous and help. He invites the sisters to recover at his estate where they discover several young ladies engaged in a battle to win Damon's hand in marriage. His family believes that if a man does not announce his marriage on Christmas Eve of his 29th birthday, the family will be cursed. with. He doesn't believe in the silly superstition but it makes his family happy. Only Sophie's wise head can help Damon find the one lady he can tolerate spending the rest of his life. I liked this story third best of them all. I liked wise Sophie who is proud and prejudiced against the nobility at first but comes to learn to treat everyone individually rather than condemn them all with the same brush. Her misgivings are a little annoying but valid concerns given her history. Damon isn't really a well-developed character but he's a good hero - very noble and kind. The eccentric guests provide some humor. The romance is kissing only with one passionate kiss that doesn't go too far.

In "The Gift of the Spoons" by Nancy Butler, the hero, Lord Herne's son is believed to be dying and none of the doctors know why or how to treat him. On the advice of his old nurse, he seeks out the witch woman Pippa Spoon to demand she come help his son. Pippa is much younger and very different from what he expected. She claims she's not a hero but Herne is desperate. Engaging Pippa's help means bringing her pet wolf home with him and hiring a man to look after a bear! What Pippa discovers surprises even her and she knows that only one person has the power to heal the boy and it isn't her. This story is my least favorite. It has some strange supernatural elements to it that I didn't really like and some very passionate kissing. This story is more "warm" than the others. I liked Pippa but I didn't really understand her. Herne is very Mr. Rochester like and the boy is named Colin, presumably after the boy in The Secret Garden, with whom he shares some similar traits. The story was meant to be heartwarming but I didn't really understand it. It's a little too unconventional for me.

"The Reckless Miss Ripley" by Diane Farr is the shortest story in the collection. Fred Bates is passing time at a country inn when a young lady blows in looking for the mail coach. When she learns she has missed it, she somehow persuades Fred to drive her to the next town to catch the stage or find some other way to Bath. It's imperative she arrive before Christmas Day but on Christmas Eve during a snowstorm that may be impossible. She discovers that her reason for the journey may not be so urgent after all. Claudia is crazy. She's a young, impetuous heroine without much common sense. She's akin to Georgette Heyer's Amanda in Spring Muslin or Lucilla in A Lady of Quality. I didn't believe in the romance at all. It happened too quick and a lot has to be inferred and the characters aren't developed enough for that.

The hero in "A Christmas Thief" by Edith Layton is really down and out. He was a soldier in His Majesty's Army and now the war is over, he's come home to England. He returns to discover he's lost his fortune. Not only did his brother gamble everything away, the friend Maxwell trusted with his investments was the victim of an embezzler. He spent the long, lonely nights on the battlefield dreaming of marrying his sweetheart. He's been faithful to her and she has done the same, but how he he marry with no money? It's Christmas and Maxwell's orphaned niece and her governess are coming to stay with him. Maxwell vows to give the little girl the loving home she deserves, but how can he do that with no money? He wants to give her a Christmas gift but hasn't the money to buy one. When he decides to steal one, his decision has repercussions he could not have imagined. This is a true Christmas story about the meaning of Christmas. I really liked this one a lot. I felt so bad for the hero. I wanted him to succeed but not by stealing. There's not much humor or romance in this story but it's a good old-fashioned heartwarming Christmas story.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five stories, my favorite of which is The Christmas Thief by Edith Layton. The other four stories were good, too, but the theme of The Christmas Thief was fascinating when a Lieutenant Major returns from Waterloo and accidentally reads a paper on the boat that informs him that his money has been embezzled and he only has what is on his person. It gets more and more involved as the poor man tries to steal a Christmas gift for his little niece before she arrives in London. Each time something interferes and he ends up helping others instead and getting poorer and poorer. I absolutely loved the ending.

[Aneca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Celebrate the most joyous of seasons with these original stories of holiday romance from five of today's most beloved award-winning Regency authors. Each tale is set on Christmas Eve, capturing the season's true spirit of charity and goodwill, proving time and again why love is the greatest gift of all. This special collection is a perfect present for friends and lovers who find themselves looking forward to the holiday with delicious anticipation, wondering what awaits them under the tree--and under the mistletoe .…


Little Miracles – Barbara Metzger
My favourite story in the anthology this one is about two rodents trying to save a very poor church by sharing the secret only they remember and bringing love and happiness to the vicar and the local lord. I thought the mice were a cute device, the story seems to lack some balance though as they only appear in the beginning and the end. Grade: 4/5

Marriage Stakes - Allison Lane
Miss Sophie Landess is returning home with her widowed and very pregnant sister when they have a carriage accident and are saved by the Earl of Westlake and soon Sophie finds herself helping him finding the right bride after they are invited to stay at his home during the holiday season. I thought it was odd that Sophie went spying for him and I never really felt the attraction between them. Grade: 3/5

The Gift of the Spoons – Nancy Butler
A man, desperate to save his son, goes in search of a healer he has heard about but finds her daughter instead. The enmity between the two is immediate but she eventually agrees to go and see his son leading to healing the rift between father and son and the developing of warmer feelings between the two. It was too brief for real development and I was unconvinced by their relationship. Grade: 2/5

The Reckless Miss Ripley – Diane Farr
A road romance in which the hero finds himself helping Miss Claudia Ripley reaching Bath safely. Miss Ripley is a bit too trusting, naive and sometimes silly for my tastes and after him being so exasperated with her I couldn’t understand how his feelings changed so much. It was actually supposed to be a humorous story but I failed to be entertained by it with humour being such a personal thing. Grade: 2/5

The Christmas Thief – Edith Layton
The hero, a former captain in the army, believes to have lost all his fortune due to an embezzler and tries his best to arrange a happy Christmas for his niece, even if the means stealing a doll or pawning his hat and boots. He also frees his fiancée from their commitment due to his financial situation but in the end it was all a misunderstanding and all is resolved in the end. The hero is a really nice character but the misunderstanding annoyed me. Grade: 3/5

Anthology grade: 3/5

[Elen · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Little Miracles' by Barbara Metzger

Mice, who would've thought to include them in romance? The story itself was average, but I fell in love with that cute installment. 4/5

'Marriage Stakes' by Allison Lane
eh. no chemistry. the whole setting feels too contrived. 2/5

'The Gift of the Spoons' by Nancy Butler
just didn't like it. 2/5

'The Reckless Miss Ripley' by Diane Farr
Charming. the characters were bit silly, but the story itself was adorable. Maybe it was adorable because those two were adorably silly. 4/5

'The Christmas Thief' by Edith Layton
Very Christmas-y! It doesn't have much romance, and we see very little of Lt. Ever's love. Nevertheless, this is exactly the sort of heartwarming fable we need for Christmas. 5/5

[☆Ruth☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first story is quite abysmal, apart from the mice - which are a nice touch; I enjoyed the idea that they named themselves from random sheets taken out of the bible - "passeth all understanding" and "abiding hope" being two of the names they picked. If the author had stuck with the mice, this could have made an entertaining tale for children.
The second story - which I abandoned - was poorly written with a silly plot. The third story had an interesting idea, sadly combined with very mediocre writing and poor character development... Personally I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone, even at Christmas!

[Jerry Jares · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christmas anthologies are fun, no matter the season, in my humble opinion.  Whenever I read them, it brings a cheerful note to that time of year.  Having read most of these authors before, I was looking forward to reading each of them.

 THE CHRISTMAS THIEF (Edith Layton) -- Fortunately, this was the last story of the book and it was delightful.  It really felt like a Christmas story and Lt. Major Maxwell Evers was an admirable and likable character.  He was really down on his luck at the time of the story and so he gave up his wish of happiness with Lisabeth.  Sometimes, the magic of Christmas interferes. (4 stars)

THE GIFT OF SPOONS (Nancy Butler) -- This story is a bit different; a man with a dying son goes to find a healer in some woods.  When he finds the healer, she tells him that her mother has died and she lacks the skills of her mother.  He still begs her to come.  There is a spirited conflict between the two major characters. Until near the end, it did not seem to be a Christmas story.  (3.5 stars)

LITTLE MIRACLES (Barbara Metzger) -- Having two mice as the main characters were fun and original. St. Cecelia's Church is falling down in a tiny region of England.  However, only the last two mice residing in the church know about the riches hidden there.  Finally, a minister who is worthy becomes vicar and the mice pull out all the stops to help him. (4 stars)

THE RECKLESS MISS RIPLEY (Dianne Farr) -- This story started out to be a lot of fun, particularly between the two main characters.  However, it soon fizzled out.  I couldn't imagine deciding on marriage after less than 48 hours together.  Before long, I decided "marry in haste, repent at your leisure" was going to be the outcome of this story.  Claudia would be hard on the personality in a short amount of time.  Poor Fred Bates. (3 stars)

THE MARRIAGE STAKES (Allison Lane) -- The idea that a large number of potential brides would descend on one property (for the Christmas season) and try to out-do each other for the hand of the Earl of Westlake seemed contrived and unrealistic.  Sophie seemed to be a paragon, instead of a human. (3 stars)  

Overall, Barbara Metzger and Edith Layton offered delightful stories.  The other three were less interesting or realistic.  Overall score:  3.5 stars.

[Teresa Traver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been reading through some of the old Signet Christmas anthologies, and so far, this one might be the best. I won't summarize all the novellas, but I enjoyed every story. That isn't always the case with these anthologies!

The last story, Edith Layton's "The Christmas Thief," may be the most memorable. It has the feeling of a timeless holiday classic, like "The Gift of the Magi," although the ending here is VERY different.

Other stories made great use of forced proximity, especially "The Reckless Miss Ripley," which gave Heyer vibes (minus the problematic content).

[Dawn Rie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me a long time to read but was ok

[Kati · Rating 3 out of 5]

some sweet, simple Christmas themed regency romances, just as advertised. I don't know that any of the stories here will stick with me, but they weren't objectionable, either.

[HistoricalHussy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Franny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read one story from this collection, but I sure had fun reading it. Little Miracles by Barbara Metzger takes place in one of the little shires around London. The church vicar and the whole parish are so poor that the few church mice couldn't even stay warm. The viscount came to his country home for the Christmas holidays. He had his mistress with him. He promises the vicar that if he could fill the church on Christmas Day, then he would up the vicar's salary and fix the church's broken roof and stairs. The chances of that happening are very bleak indeed, but miracles do happen! There was a lot of chuckling going on as I read the names of the church mice and was privy to the vicar's thoughts. It is a delightful novella with many good insights as to what a true vicar and his mate do for their parish. A good warm-hearted romance for anyone!

[suzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit, I was a bit hesitant to read this because I didn't know the writers. It was a pleasant surprise. I love all the stories. My favorite among the lot would have to [be the] 'The Gift of the Spoons' because of the slight supernatural element. But I love the other stories too. 'The Little Miracles' for the rodents and the two couples. And 'The Reckless Miss Ripley' for the interaction between the hero and the heroine. They're so cute!

[Michelle Carrillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

So heartwarming *sniffles*

[Anna Mcgrath · Rating 4 out of 5]

not bad

[Nenya · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars just for The Christmas Thief by Edith Layton. One of my favorite stories, even though it is so so short.

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7

[Nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of these stories are good that you want an entire book others not so much.