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Christmas Nights
Millions, mistletoe & a merry, sexy Christmas A Bride for His Majesty’s Pleasure Ionanthe must pay the price for her sister’s mistake. She will leave her freedom at the castle doors. Recently crowned Prince Max plans to bring change to his country, after his new bride pays her debt. Her Christmas Fantasy Lisa yearned for stability and the traditional family Christmas she never had as a child. But then she met the exasperating – and sinfully attractive – Oliver, who was determined to make all her Christmas fantasies come true… Figgy Pudding Take one woman, add a boss who’s told the world they’re having an affair, and then concoct one very special dish in order to save the heroine’s catering career!
- GenresHarlequin
448 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2012
4 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Penny Jordan
1,127 books668 followersPenelope Jones Halsall
aka Caroline Courtney, Annie Groves, Lydia Hitchcock, Melinda Wright
Penelope "Penny" Jones was born on November 24, 1946 at about seven pounds in a nursing home in Preston, Lancashire, England. She was the first child of Anthony Winn Jones, an engineer, who died at 85, and his wife Margaret Louise Groves Jones. She has a brother, Anthony, and a sister, Prudence "Pru".
She had been a keen reader from the childhood - her mother used to leave her in the children's section of their local library whilst she changed her father's library books. She was a storyteller long before she began to write romantic fiction. At the age of eight, she was creating serialized bedtime stories, featuring make-believe adventures, for her younger sister Prue, who was always the heroine. At eleven, she fell in love with Mills & Boon, and with their heroes. In those days the books could only be obtained via private lending libraries, and she quickly became a devoted fan; she was thrilled to bits when the books went on full sale in shops and she could have them for keeps.
Penny left grammar school in Rochdale with O-Levels in English Language, English Literature and Geography. She first discovered Mills & Boon books, via a girl she worked with. She married Steve Halsall, an accountant and a "lovely man", who smoked and drank too heavily, and suffered oral cancer with bravery and dignity. Her husband bought her the small electric typewriter on which she typed her first novels, at a time when he could ill afford it. He died at the beginning of 21st century.
She earned a living as a writer since the 1970s when, as a shorthand typist, she entered a competition run by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Although she didn't win, Penny found an agent who was looking for a new Georgette Heyer. She published four regency novels as Caroline Courtney, before changing her nom de plume to Melinda Wright for three air-hostess romps and then she wrote two thrillers as Lydia Hitchcock. Soon after that, Mills and Boon accepted her first novel for them, Falcon's Prey as Penny Jordan. However, for her more historical romance novels, she adopted her mother's maiden-name to become Annie Groves. Almost 70 of her 167 Mills and Boon novels have been sold worldwide.
Penny Halsall lived in a neo-Georgian house in Nantwich, Cheshire, with her Alsatian Sheba and cat Posh. She worked from home, in her kitchen, surrounded by her pets, and welcomed interruptions from her friends and family.
aka Caroline Courtney, Annie Groves, Lydia Hitchcock, Melinda Wright
Penelope "Penny" Jones was born on November 24, 1946 at about seven pounds in a nursing home in Preston, Lancashire, England. She was the first child of Anthony Winn Jones, an engineer, who died at 85, and his wife Margaret Louise Groves Jones. She has a brother, Anthony, and a sister, Prudence "Pru".
She had been a keen reader from the childhood - her mother used to leave her in the children's section of their local library whilst she changed her father's library books. She was a storyteller long before she began to write romantic fiction. At the age of eight, she was creating serialized bedtime stories, featuring make-believe adventures, for her younger sister Prue, who was always the heroine. At eleven, she fell in love with Mills & Boon, and with their heroes. In those days the books could only be obtained via private lending libraries, and she quickly became a devoted fan; she was thrilled to bits when the books went on full sale in shops and she could have them for keeps.
Penny left grammar school in Rochdale with O-Levels in English Language, English Literature and Geography. She first discovered Mills & Boon books, via a girl she worked with. She married Steve Halsall, an accountant and a "lovely man", who smoked and drank too heavily, and suffered oral cancer with bravery and dignity. Her husband bought her the small electric typewriter on which she typed her first novels, at a time when he could ill afford it. He died at the beginning of 21st century.
She earned a living as a writer since the 1970s when, as a shorthand typist, she entered a competition run by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Although she didn't win, Penny found an agent who was looking for a new Georgette Heyer. She published four regency novels as Caroline Courtney, before changing her nom de plume to Melinda Wright for three air-hostess romps and then she wrote two thrillers as Lydia Hitchcock. Soon after that, Mills and Boon accepted her first novel for them, Falcon's Prey as Penny Jordan. However, for her more historical romance novels, she adopted her mother's maiden-name to become Annie Groves. Almost 70 of her 167 Mills and Boon novels have been sold worldwide.
Penny Halsall lived in a neo-Georgian house in Nantwich, Cheshire, with her Alsatian Sheba and cat Posh. She worked from home, in her kitchen, surrounded by her pets, and welcomed interruptions from her friends and family.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 15, 2013
This is a magical collection for a magical time of year. Penny Jordan really evokes the christmas spirit (and it must have been good because I read the last story, "Figgy Pudding" during a heatwave in July, and STILL felt quite Christmassy reading it.
The first story is definitely the weakest one - If anything, "A Bride for His Majesty's Pleasure is a real let down for a Jordan story. I've read a lot of Penny Jordan books and I agree with the other reviewer of this book; she was a great writer who wrote thoughtful well-written books which have brought her many readers a lot of pleasure. However, this is not one of them. The book begins with the ridiculous premise that Prince Max becomes the new ruler of the fiercely patriarchal, and basically third world dictatorship led principality called Fortenegro. Everyone lives in poverty, herding sheep, not educating their children, tugging forelocks to the rich elite and stoning women to death in their free time. As an act of vengeance for the fact that his first wife cheated on him and failed to provide an heir, he gets to demand the body of her sister for his new bride. She either has to marry him or become the next live entertainment and get stoned to death. From this unpromising (and distinctly unromantic) setting, Max and Ionanthe are thrust together, fall in love, and end up thrusting together quite a lot (sod the peasants). No, but it's okay, because Max is basically an enlightened dictator and he's going to bring equality to the peasants (when he manages to get out of bed with Ionanthe) and Ionanthe is going to fight to bring peace and justice there too (when she gets out of bed).
As if hurrying to regain lost romantic ground, the latter part of the story is set in a fairytale castle where they get snowed in for Christmas. There's an awful lot more sensuality in this story than some of the others of Jordan's works and it's not a great book for it. There's a very uncomfortable scene with some figs which it pains me to recall. Consider Max's fantasies: "Even without closing his eyes and focusing his senses he could imagine the silky softness of her hair against his own skin, its scent - her scent - heated by desire to release its erotic frangrance into the air, filling his nostrils. Her head would be thrown back against his arm, her eyes a passion-glazed glitter between thick dark lashes, her lips swollen from their shared kisses and eagerly parted, proclaiming her pleasure and her desire for more as she smiled invitingly up at him." What a load of rubbish. To be frank, Prince/Dictator Max has been reading far too many Mills and Boons.
There are a few romantic lines towards the end of the book, but generally it doesn't sit too comfortably together what with the peasants and all the undernourished children running about. I've got to say this is one of the worst Penny Jordan books I've ever read and I normally love all her stuff - v. disappointing. It left me feeling that, like Max, I'd read one too many Mills and Boons as well.
The second story: Her Christmas Fantasy, marks a distinct return to Jordanesque form. SPOILERS** follow: This book had a really strong start, featuring Lisa, a feisty, independent young woman purchasing some clothes from a dress agency. Enter tall, dark and broodingly handsome Oliver who demands the clothes back, claiming they've been sold in error by his feckless cousin after a row with his girlfriend. Lisa, resenting his arrogance, tells him to sling his hook and she does it in such a way as to show that she is a strong-minded, intelligent woman who is not to be toyed with. It's a brilliant start to the story.
Sadly, it's all downhill from there. Lisa, it transpires, is buying the clothes to impress the mother of her wishy-washy fiance, Henry, a man she is marrying because he is the "safe" choice. Well, you don't have to have ever read a mills and boon before to know that stuffy stuck-up Henry will be dumped by chapter two, leaving Lisa free to get up to all sorts of shenanigans with brooding and sexy Oliver.
Lisa, after storming out on Henry (and his controlling mother) ends up stranded on the North Yorkshire moors in the snow, and on Christmas day of all days. It's Oliver to the rescue who then proceeds to give Lisa the kind of Christmas she's always dreamed of.
It all seems so perfect: the ideal real Christmas tree with a star on the top, the snow falling on Christmas day, the traditional church service and the perfectly prepared lunch. Sadly, there are quite a few cracks beneath the surface. Oliver is possessive to the point of obsession - by Christmas morning, he's already divulged that his last relationship failed for that very reason. There's also a very worrying scene featuring an axe and when he gets mad with her, he becomes not just a potential axe murderer but a rapist as well. Unfortunately for Lisa, before twelfth night and the decorations have even been taken down, it's all over.
The story gets a bit patchy from there on in - it's a Mills and Boon, so obviously they're going to get together in the end; but there's still three chapters to fill. Cue lots of agonising and Lisa being generally pathetic and about as far removed from the feisty independent woman who started the book as it is possible to be.
The writing isn't up to Jordan's usual standard - the romantic scenes seem hurried and unpolished - there's even a typo in one bit which makes it a bit confusing as to who's doing the removing of clothes. Some of the main character's actions are a bit incomprehensible and in the end, if it wasn't for her mother doing what mother's do best (interfering in their children's lives) then it would all have ended in disaster. (I can't imagine that I would have ever confided to my mother in the same level of detail as Lisa does, but then again, my mother is a retired tax inspector and not artistic like Lisa's is).
All in all the most telling line in the book is "Let's suspend reality, if you like, for a few days..." Suspend reality for the duration of the novel - not a lot of it makes sense, but it is a lot of fun.
Finally there was Figgy Pudding, which for me, although the shortest book (and a little on the short side to be a complete Mills and Boon) is the most charming story of the three. Jordan has fleshed it out a bit with a Figgy Pudding Traditional recipe and the theme is distinctly foody all the way through. Jon (a very charming hero) tells Heaven (a very appealing heroine) that she smells of "cinnamon and honey, and everything good that was ever created". He tells her "he could eat" her. The food theme continues throughout the story, right up to the point where Heaven creates a less than heavenly pudding for a man she wants to get revenge upon. The man, an ex-employer is basically a bit of a creep, who has tried it on with her and then gone on to ruin her professional reputation. It's a thing he makes a habit of, as he's planning on ruining Jon's reputation too, before Heaven saves him. Heaven's pudding makes the creep ill, who then sends two heavies after her. Luckily for Heaven, by this stage, Jon, anticipating what will happen, has basically kidnapped her in his Jag (there's nothing like being kidnapped in style) and taken her to his Peel Tower in Border country where they spend a very nice Christmas together, mainly in bed. The heavies, again, fortunately for Heaven, lose interest remarkably quickly and basically leave after Jon tells them that "Heaven is not in."
It's a funny one because the story basically starts with a prologue where Heaven and Jon are coo-ing over their new born baby (and Jon, clearly insane, is trying to wake him up - at which, I must admit, I thought, NO new father would ever try and wake a sleeping newborn baby) and have given him the rather charming nickname "figgy pudding". Their young niece asks why and Heaven then proceeds to tell the story. The story that follows (including a rather graphic sex scene) is then meant to be the story as Heaven tells it to her young (child-age) niece. Okay, there's a few flaws in the story, but it is rather a nice one (if you overlook the fact that Heaven is meant to be relating it to a child). It's a bit rushed at the end, and as I say, it's a little short for a usual M&B. This story, as far as I can tell, doesn't feature in any other book or as a standalone publication so it must have been written specifically for this collection (hence it's short word count).
In summary, this is not Jordan's best collection, but it's worth a look, particularly for that last charming story.
The first story is definitely the weakest one - If anything, "A Bride for His Majesty's Pleasure is a real let down for a Jordan story. I've read a lot of Penny Jordan books and I agree with the other reviewer of this book; she was a great writer who wrote thoughtful well-written books which have brought her many readers a lot of pleasure. However, this is not one of them. The book begins with the ridiculous premise that Prince Max becomes the new ruler of the fiercely patriarchal, and basically third world dictatorship led principality called Fortenegro. Everyone lives in poverty, herding sheep, not educating their children, tugging forelocks to the rich elite and stoning women to death in their free time. As an act of vengeance for the fact that his first wife cheated on him and failed to provide an heir, he gets to demand the body of her sister for his new bride. She either has to marry him or become the next live entertainment and get stoned to death. From this unpromising (and distinctly unromantic) setting, Max and Ionanthe are thrust together, fall in love, and end up thrusting together quite a lot (sod the peasants). No, but it's okay, because Max is basically an enlightened dictator and he's going to bring equality to the peasants (when he manages to get out of bed with Ionanthe) and Ionanthe is going to fight to bring peace and justice there too (when she gets out of bed).
As if hurrying to regain lost romantic ground, the latter part of the story is set in a fairytale castle where they get snowed in for Christmas. There's an awful lot more sensuality in this story than some of the others of Jordan's works and it's not a great book for it. There's a very uncomfortable scene with some figs which it pains me to recall. Consider Max's fantasies: "Even without closing his eyes and focusing his senses he could imagine the silky softness of her hair against his own skin, its scent - her scent - heated by desire to release its erotic frangrance into the air, filling his nostrils. Her head would be thrown back against his arm, her eyes a passion-glazed glitter between thick dark lashes, her lips swollen from their shared kisses and eagerly parted, proclaiming her pleasure and her desire for more as she smiled invitingly up at him." What a load of rubbish. To be frank, Prince/Dictator Max has been reading far too many Mills and Boons.
There are a few romantic lines towards the end of the book, but generally it doesn't sit too comfortably together what with the peasants and all the undernourished children running about. I've got to say this is one of the worst Penny Jordan books I've ever read and I normally love all her stuff - v. disappointing. It left me feeling that, like Max, I'd read one too many Mills and Boons as well.
The second story: Her Christmas Fantasy, marks a distinct return to Jordanesque form. SPOILERS** follow: This book had a really strong start, featuring Lisa, a feisty, independent young woman purchasing some clothes from a dress agency. Enter tall, dark and broodingly handsome Oliver who demands the clothes back, claiming they've been sold in error by his feckless cousin after a row with his girlfriend. Lisa, resenting his arrogance, tells him to sling his hook and she does it in such a way as to show that she is a strong-minded, intelligent woman who is not to be toyed with. It's a brilliant start to the story.
Sadly, it's all downhill from there. Lisa, it transpires, is buying the clothes to impress the mother of her wishy-washy fiance, Henry, a man she is marrying because he is the "safe" choice. Well, you don't have to have ever read a mills and boon before to know that stuffy stuck-up Henry will be dumped by chapter two, leaving Lisa free to get up to all sorts of shenanigans with brooding and sexy Oliver.
Lisa, after storming out on Henry (and his controlling mother) ends up stranded on the North Yorkshire moors in the snow, and on Christmas day of all days. It's Oliver to the rescue who then proceeds to give Lisa the kind of Christmas she's always dreamed of.
It all seems so perfect: the ideal real Christmas tree with a star on the top, the snow falling on Christmas day, the traditional church service and the perfectly prepared lunch. Sadly, there are quite a few cracks beneath the surface. Oliver is possessive to the point of obsession - by Christmas morning, he's already divulged that his last relationship failed for that very reason. There's also a very worrying scene featuring an axe and when he gets mad with her, he becomes not just a potential axe murderer but a rapist as well. Unfortunately for Lisa, before twelfth night and the decorations have even been taken down, it's all over.
The story gets a bit patchy from there on in - it's a Mills and Boon, so obviously they're going to get together in the end; but there's still three chapters to fill. Cue lots of agonising and Lisa being generally pathetic and about as far removed from the feisty independent woman who started the book as it is possible to be.
The writing isn't up to Jordan's usual standard - the romantic scenes seem hurried and unpolished - there's even a typo in one bit which makes it a bit confusing as to who's doing the removing of clothes. Some of the main character's actions are a bit incomprehensible and in the end, if it wasn't for her mother doing what mother's do best (interfering in their children's lives) then it would all have ended in disaster. (I can't imagine that I would have ever confided to my mother in the same level of detail as Lisa does, but then again, my mother is a retired tax inspector and not artistic like Lisa's is).
All in all the most telling line in the book is "Let's suspend reality, if you like, for a few days..." Suspend reality for the duration of the novel - not a lot of it makes sense, but it is a lot of fun.
Finally there was Figgy Pudding, which for me, although the shortest book (and a little on the short side to be a complete Mills and Boon) is the most charming story of the three. Jordan has fleshed it out a bit with a Figgy Pudding Traditional recipe and the theme is distinctly foody all the way through. Jon (a very charming hero) tells Heaven (a very appealing heroine) that she smells of "cinnamon and honey, and everything good that was ever created". He tells her "he could eat" her. The food theme continues throughout the story, right up to the point where Heaven creates a less than heavenly pudding for a man she wants to get revenge upon. The man, an ex-employer is basically a bit of a creep, who has tried it on with her and then gone on to ruin her professional reputation. It's a thing he makes a habit of, as he's planning on ruining Jon's reputation too, before Heaven saves him. Heaven's pudding makes the creep ill, who then sends two heavies after her. Luckily for Heaven, by this stage, Jon, anticipating what will happen, has basically kidnapped her in his Jag (there's nothing like being kidnapped in style) and taken her to his Peel Tower in Border country where they spend a very nice Christmas together, mainly in bed. The heavies, again, fortunately for Heaven, lose interest remarkably quickly and basically leave after Jon tells them that "Heaven is not in."
It's a funny one because the story basically starts with a prologue where Heaven and Jon are coo-ing over their new born baby (and Jon, clearly insane, is trying to wake him up - at which, I must admit, I thought, NO new father would ever try and wake a sleeping newborn baby) and have given him the rather charming nickname "figgy pudding". Their young niece asks why and Heaven then proceeds to tell the story. The story that follows (including a rather graphic sex scene) is then meant to be the story as Heaven tells it to her young (child-age) niece. Okay, there's a few flaws in the story, but it is rather a nice one (if you overlook the fact that Heaven is meant to be relating it to a child). It's a bit rushed at the end, and as I say, it's a little short for a usual M&B. This story, as far as I can tell, doesn't feature in any other book or as a standalone publication so it must have been written specifically for this collection (hence it's short word count).
In summary, this is not Jordan's best collection, but it's worth a look, particularly for that last charming story.
December 12, 2014
A wonderful book containing three festive novels of Penny Jordan all collected into one handy volume.
The first A bride for his majesty's pleasure is the story of Ionanthe who to atone for her sister Eloise now has to take her place as Max's bride but is this union as forced as it seems? Does this marriage have a chance of working as its a marriage of convenience to appease the state or is there deeper feelings involved?
In Her Christmas fantasy Lisa has always dreamed of a truly family Christmas which she believes can be achieved by marrying the stuffy Henry and when she goes to meet her prospective in laws over the festive season due to a misunderstanding with an enigmatic stranger things don't go to plan and is her relationship with the prim and proper Henry over will she end up in the arms of someone eminently more suitable?
In the slightly shorter novella Figgy pudding, Heaven a professional chef's life is turned upside down when she accepts a job with Louisa and her husband Harold as the lecherous Harold is using Heaven as an escape route out of his marriage by making it seem they had an affair when Heaven is really secretly falling for Louisa's brother Jon.
With her tail between her legs after the accusations Heaven makes her escape and cuts communication totally with the whole family.
But after an invitation to cater for a party by a lady called Tiffany Simons who is the new fiance of the evil Harold, Heaven exacts her own brand of revenge and in so doing is reunited with her old love Jon.
Well written and highly enjoyable making this volume a wonderful light and festive read.
The first A bride for his majesty's pleasure is the story of Ionanthe who to atone for her sister Eloise now has to take her place as Max's bride but is this union as forced as it seems? Does this marriage have a chance of working as its a marriage of convenience to appease the state or is there deeper feelings involved?
In Her Christmas fantasy Lisa has always dreamed of a truly family Christmas which she believes can be achieved by marrying the stuffy Henry and when she goes to meet her prospective in laws over the festive season due to a misunderstanding with an enigmatic stranger things don't go to plan and is her relationship with the prim and proper Henry over will she end up in the arms of someone eminently more suitable?
In the slightly shorter novella Figgy pudding, Heaven a professional chef's life is turned upside down when she accepts a job with Louisa and her husband Harold as the lecherous Harold is using Heaven as an escape route out of his marriage by making it seem they had an affair when Heaven is really secretly falling for Louisa's brother Jon.
With her tail between her legs after the accusations Heaven makes her escape and cuts communication totally with the whole family.
But after an invitation to cater for a party by a lady called Tiffany Simons who is the new fiance of the evil Harold, Heaven exacts her own brand of revenge and in so doing is reunited with her old love Jon.
Well written and highly enjoyable making this volume a wonderful light and festive read.
April 15, 2013
In true Penny Jordan delivery, the story was uber romantic and highly unrealistic- but still entertaining. However, among all the books I have read from her, this was perhaps the one that I liked the least, the heroine for one is simply and quite honestly annoying and duplicitous. Ugh, the first story was just absolutely aggravating, both the hero/heroine where just full of prejudice and without proper basis I might add. The romance was very much centred on Love at first sight (Lust, at first sight).
Overall an entertaining read, but not something that I would reread.
Overall an entertaining read, but not something that I would reread.
September 13, 2013
Three a quick stories with romance as a theme.
also reoccurring was people not communicating and stubborn insistence that there is only one way to do things.....
read while on the beach... good holiday reading
also reoccurring was people not communicating and stubborn insistence that there is only one way to do things.....
read while on the beach... good holiday reading
November 23, 2014
Figgy Pudding definitely a 4* read. The other two more 2-3*
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews