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The Sommerville Family #6.5
The Gifts of Christmas
These talented authors will sweep readers away to a special world where three wise heroes discover that love is the most precious gift of all. "The Gifts of Christmas" is an enchanting historical Christmas title that will captivate readers and transport them to another time and place as they indulge in the seasonal delights of the Christmas holiday in Regency, Elizabethan, and medieval England and share in the discovery of unforgettable love.
"A Handful of Gold" / Mary Balogh
Julian Dare is handsome and wealthy, the heir to an earldom, yet it takes a Christmas tryst in the country with the innocent Verity Ewing to teach him the true meaning of life.
"A Drop of Frankincense" / Merline Lovelace
Lady Margaret's impetuous decision to finally make a true husband out of Kit Walsh, the roguish sea captain whom she married as a child, plunges them both into hot water.
"A Touch of Myrrh" / Suzanne Barclay
Although the brooding Lord William Sommerville has vowed never to love again, he finds himself being drawn to the enchanting Rosemary Bainbridge, and pledges to defend her from her ruthless enemies.
"A Handful of Gold" / Mary Balogh
Julian Dare is handsome and wealthy, the heir to an earldom, yet it takes a Christmas tryst in the country with the innocent Verity Ewing to teach him the true meaning of life.
"A Drop of Frankincense" / Merline Lovelace
Lady Margaret's impetuous decision to finally make a true husband out of Kit Walsh, the roguish sea captain whom she married as a child, plunges them both into hot water.
"A Touch of Myrrh" / Suzanne Barclay
Although the brooding Lord William Sommerville has vowed never to love again, he finds himself being drawn to the enchanting Rosemary Bainbridge, and pledges to defend her from her ruthless enemies.
377 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 1998
2 people are currently reading
252 people want to read
About the author
Mary Balogh
193 books6,406 followersMary Jenkins was born in 1944 in Swansea, Wales, UK. After graduating from university, moved to Saskatchewan, Canada, to teach high school English, on a two-year teaching contract in 1967. She married her Canadian husband, Robert Balogh, and had three children, Jacqueline, Christopher and Sian. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, music and knitting. She also enjoys watching tennis and curling.
Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling 'Slightly' sextet and 'Simply' quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling 'Slightly' sextet and 'Simply' quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 24, 2014
Three historical Christmas stories. I thought Mary Balogh's story was the best. I wasn't too crazy about the others. My rating: 2.5 stars.
January 23, 2018
2.5 for the whole thing. The first two I didn't care for at all. The last one was pretty awesome.
A Handful of Gold – Mary Balogh – 2/5 – Verity is a gentleman's daughter who, in an attempt to make some money for her family, becomes an actress or dancer or something. She's pretty good about avoiding the more carnal aspect of the profession, but the Viscount Hero manages to convince her to become his mistress over Christmas (with enough money). But he's kinda thwarted at every turn and more than just getting sex, he's falling in love. While I can’t pick anything out of here that I specifically didn’t like, I think I just didn’t feel engaged with the characters. The Hero wasn’t particularly likeable at any point in the story in my opinion, and I think they “fell in love” rather quickly.
A Drop of Frankincense - Merline Lovelace - 2/ 5 - A week before her unconsummated marriage is about to become null and void, Meg seduces the husband who has not seen her since she was a child, binding him to her for good. And by doing so, she makes herself target to a very jealous Queen Elizabeth. I did not really like either of the characters here so much. I especially didn’t like that Meg completely overlooked her husband’s infidelities AND the fact that he so readily had sex with her without even knowing her name. I get that the time period was different, but it was never even mentioned again, so he NEVER regrets his poor treatment of his wife at all. And Meg, the lusty doormat, is fine with that. In fact, she willingly takes all the blame for everything that goes wrong before the end of the story. And neither of these two even say they love each other before the end of the story.
A Touch of Myrrh - Suzanne Barclay - 3.5 /5 - Rosemary is an apothecary who, because of thieves going after spices, has lost access to a shipment of myrrh that she bought, but it’s being held in Lord William Summerville’s warehouse. He catches her trying to steal it back one night and he can’t get her out of his mind thereafter. Even as he gets to now Rosemary and tries to protect her from the thieves that are after her shipment, William struggles with the guilt he feels for falling in love with Rose, when his own betrothed is only dead a year. This was a nice, complete story in novella format with good, interesting characters, a more than halfway decent suspense plot and a very sweet and passionate romance. I don’t typically like romances where the one is still pining for a lost love, and I still wasn’t wholly comfortable with how much his dead betrothed gets in the way of their relationship...I still feel like if she hadn’t died then he never would have fallen in love with Rosemary. But I appreciate the closure William gets, because it makes his decision in the end much more believable.
A Handful of Gold – Mary Balogh – 2/5 – Verity is a gentleman's daughter who, in an attempt to make some money for her family, becomes an actress or dancer or something. She's pretty good about avoiding the more carnal aspect of the profession, but the Viscount Hero manages to convince her to become his mistress over Christmas (with enough money). But he's kinda thwarted at every turn and more than just getting sex, he's falling in love. While I can’t pick anything out of here that I specifically didn’t like, I think I just didn’t feel engaged with the characters. The Hero wasn’t particularly likeable at any point in the story in my opinion, and I think they “fell in love” rather quickly.
A Drop of Frankincense - Merline Lovelace - 2/ 5 - A week before her unconsummated marriage is about to become null and void, Meg seduces the husband who has not seen her since she was a child, binding him to her for good. And by doing so, she makes herself target to a very jealous Queen Elizabeth. I did not really like either of the characters here so much. I especially didn’t like that Meg completely overlooked her husband’s infidelities AND the fact that he so readily had sex with her without even knowing her name. I get that the time period was different, but it was never even mentioned again, so he NEVER regrets his poor treatment of his wife at all. And Meg, the lusty doormat, is fine with that. In fact, she willingly takes all the blame for everything that goes wrong before the end of the story. And neither of these two even say they love each other before the end of the story.
A Touch of Myrrh - Suzanne Barclay - 3.5 /5 - Rosemary is an apothecary who, because of thieves going after spices, has lost access to a shipment of myrrh that she bought, but it’s being held in Lord William Summerville’s warehouse. He catches her trying to steal it back one night and he can’t get her out of his mind thereafter. Even as he gets to now Rosemary and tries to protect her from the thieves that are after her shipment, William struggles with the guilt he feels for falling in love with Rose, when his own betrothed is only dead a year. This was a nice, complete story in novella format with good, interesting characters, a more than halfway decent suspense plot and a very sweet and passionate romance. I don’t typically like romances where the one is still pining for a lost love, and I still wasn’t wholly comfortable with how much his dead betrothed gets in the way of their relationship...I still feel like if she hadn’t died then he never would have fallen in love with Rosemary. But I appreciate the closure William gets, because it makes his decision in the end much more believable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2017
Three Christmas stories around Twelveth Night, each one inspired by the gifts of the Magi: Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.
It was ok, I liked Mary Balogh's best (A Handful of Gold).
It was ok, I liked Mary Balogh's best (A Handful of Gold).
September 26, 2018
Read only Mary Balogh and it was good !
November 26, 2018
Three Christmas stories to warm the heart.
January 1, 2025
Really enjoyed the stories!
November 17, 2025
Really nice 3 Christmas novels
May 21, 2019
1) A Handful of Gold (Mary Balogh) Julian Dare, Viscount, plans on a Christmas love-tryst with an opera dancer. However, he gets so much more. A delightful story.
2) A Drop of Frankincense (Merline Lovelace) I simply could not get into this story and did not finish it.
3) A Touch of Myrrh (Suzanne Barclay) Another story that I could not get into and did not finish.
2) A Drop of Frankincense (Merline Lovelace) I simply could not get into this story and did not finish it.
3) A Touch of Myrrh (Suzanne Barclay) Another story that I could not get into and did not finish.
December 4, 2012
A Handful of Gold (Balogh) tells of Julian Dare’s hope for a final fling before settling down. However, his opera dancer, Verity Ewing, is an innocent prepared to become his mistress to save her sickly sister. Their tryst does not go as expected and they both learn a lesson.
A Drop of Frankincense (Lovelace) tells of Lady Margaret’s desire to consummate her 7 year old marriage to sea captain Kit Walsh. However, intrigues at Elizabeth I court almost cost them their lives when the marriage becomes real.
A Touch of Myrrh (Barclay) tells of apothecary Rosemary Bainbridge’s search for her ordered spices which are confiscated when the merchant who ordered them is killed and his ledgers stolen. Sir William Sommerville, ship-owner of the cargo is trying to solve the thievery case and keep the rest of the spices from being stolen.
All three stories were solid 4 star entries.
A Drop of Frankincense (Lovelace) tells of Lady Margaret’s desire to consummate her 7 year old marriage to sea captain Kit Walsh. However, intrigues at Elizabeth I court almost cost them their lives when the marriage becomes real.
A Touch of Myrrh (Barclay) tells of apothecary Rosemary Bainbridge’s search for her ordered spices which are confiscated when the merchant who ordered them is killed and his ledgers stolen. Sir William Sommerville, ship-owner of the cargo is trying to solve the thievery case and keep the rest of the spices from being stolen.
All three stories were solid 4 star entries.
December 11, 2015
Each of these stories provide insight into gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. But, these are not magi offering the gifts but Regency era men who are finding a true love rather than a babe in a manger.
Each author has provided the reader with characters who need to be reminded of the time of year when anything is possible and love and goodwill toward one another is not a surprise but an expected gift.
Each author has provided the reader with characters who need to be reminded of the time of year when anything is possible and love and goodwill toward one another is not a surprise but an expected gift.
August 2, 2009
Fun Stories
September 25, 2009
Regency
February 19, 2014
I really only enjoyed the Mary Balogh story.
November 24, 2014
I enjoyed all these stories.
Read
August 18, 2015"A handful of gold" by Mary Balogh - "A Drop of Frankincense" by Merline Lovelace - "A Touch of Myrrh" by Suzanne Barclay.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews